Harvey MacKay, in his July newsletter, tells this American Indian story about where we should look for guidance in our lives:
“The Lakota, a tribe of Native Americans, tell a story of the great spirit of creation, "Wakan Tanka." The story goes that after Wakan Tanka arranged the other six directions—east, south, west, north, above (the sky) and below (the earth)—the seventh direction remained to be placed. Because it was the most powerful, containing the greatest wisdom and strength, Wakan Tanka wished to place it somewhere it could not easily be found.
And so it was hidden in the last place humans usually look—in each person's heart.”
“Mackay's Moral: Don't let your heart be the last place you look for direction.”
I always try to read Ed Lemco’s columns whenever they appear in various powersports magazines. Ed is totally focused on helping powersports dealers be successful in today’s tough business environment. And his thoughts and suggestions can serve OPE dealers equally as well.
In a July column, Ed says “The last thing a dealer having a tough time needs is a simplistic generalized solution, so I will try not to offer one. I also will not use any ink to expand on the (current) ills of the marketplace and economy. You don’t need to hear anymore, and even if I could formulate a lame answer to the ills of the world, there is nothing I or anyone reading this can do about it.”
“So it is back to control what you can control. You can’t control what the media talks about, but you can control and eliminate the negativity in your dealership. The only economic indicator that really matters is how many people came through your door and what you did for them when they did. So since a complaint without a solution is just bitching, let’s look at…what you can do about it.”
In running several powersports businesses that he has ownership in, Ed stated that, (In our businesses) “we are not content to be average. We have implemented changes in the sales process that are totally focused on providing a quality experience to every showroom visitor. We have increased, not decreased the number of salespeople and kept them focused and directed at pursuing the sales opportunities that do exist.”
“… you do not have to accept what the marketplace gives you. In fact, with so many dealers lost in the swirl and cutting back hours and staff, the opportunity to make money is, in many cases, better than ever.”
What have you done in your business lately to stay positive, sell more, and provide every potential customer that walks through your door with a truly superior customer experience that they will remember and share with friends and family. There is no amount of money you could spend on advertising that can equal the power of a positive and memorable customer experience.
There's an old joke about a guy who goes into a hardware store to buy a saw to cut firewood. The clerk convinces him to buy a top of the line chainsaw claiming it will cut a cord of wood in an hour. The guy brings it back the next day saying it took him all day to cut just one cord. So the clerk primes the saw, pulls the handle and starts the chainsaw right up. The guy looks at him in amazement and asks, "What's all that noise?"
One of the greatest violinists of all time was Nicolo Paganini. Born in 1782, he had a long illustrious career before his death in 1840. One day as Paganini was about to perform before a packed opera house, he suddenly realized that he had walked out on the stage with a strange violin in his hands—not his own treasured instrument.
Panic-stricken, but realizing that he had no other choice, he began to play with all the skill he possessed. Everyone agreed afterward that he gave the performance of his life. When he was finished, the audience gave him a standing ovation.
In his dressing room after the concert, when he was praised for his superlative performance, Paganini replied, "Today, I learned the most important lesson of my entire career. Before today I thought the music was in the violin; today I learned that the music is in me."
“The Lakota, a tribe of Native Americans, tell a story of the great spirit of creation, "Wakan Tanka." The story goes that after Wakan Tanka arranged the other six directions—east, south, west, north, above (the sky) and below (the earth)—the seventh direction remained to be placed. Because it was the most powerful, containing the greatest wisdom and strength, Wakan Tanka wished to place it somewhere it could not easily be found.
And so it was hidden in the last place humans usually look—in each person's heart.”
“Mackay's Moral: Don't let your heart be the last place you look for direction.”
I always try to read Ed Lemco’s columns whenever they appear in various powersports magazines. Ed is totally focused on helping powersports dealers be successful in today’s tough business environment. And his thoughts and suggestions can serve OPE dealers equally as well.
In a July column, Ed says “The last thing a dealer having a tough time needs is a simplistic generalized solution, so I will try not to offer one. I also will not use any ink to expand on the (current) ills of the marketplace and economy. You don’t need to hear anymore, and even if I could formulate a lame answer to the ills of the world, there is nothing I or anyone reading this can do about it.”
“So it is back to control what you can control. You can’t control what the media talks about, but you can control and eliminate the negativity in your dealership. The only economic indicator that really matters is how many people came through your door and what you did for them when they did. So since a complaint without a solution is just bitching, let’s look at…what you can do about it.”
In running several powersports businesses that he has ownership in, Ed stated that, (In our businesses) “we are not content to be average. We have implemented changes in the sales process that are totally focused on providing a quality experience to every showroom visitor. We have increased, not decreased the number of salespeople and kept them focused and directed at pursuing the sales opportunities that do exist.”
“… you do not have to accept what the marketplace gives you. In fact, with so many dealers lost in the swirl and cutting back hours and staff, the opportunity to make money is, in many cases, better than ever.”
What have you done in your business lately to stay positive, sell more, and provide every potential customer that walks through your door with a truly superior customer experience that they will remember and share with friends and family. There is no amount of money you could spend on advertising that can equal the power of a positive and memorable customer experience.
There's an old joke about a guy who goes into a hardware store to buy a saw to cut firewood. The clerk convinces him to buy a top of the line chainsaw claiming it will cut a cord of wood in an hour. The guy brings it back the next day saying it took him all day to cut just one cord. So the clerk primes the saw, pulls the handle and starts the chainsaw right up. The guy looks at him in amazement and asks, "What's all that noise?"
One of the greatest violinists of all time was Nicolo Paganini. Born in 1782, he had a long illustrious career before his death in 1840. One day as Paganini was about to perform before a packed opera house, he suddenly realized that he had walked out on the stage with a strange violin in his hands—not his own treasured instrument.
Panic-stricken, but realizing that he had no other choice, he began to play with all the skill he possessed. Everyone agreed afterward that he gave the performance of his life. When he was finished, the audience gave him a standing ovation.
In his dressing room after the concert, when he was praised for his superlative performance, Paganini replied, "Today, I learned the most important lesson of my entire career. Before today I thought the music was in the violin; today I learned that the music is in me."
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