The Ride Back Home
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During a cross-country rail trip to New York in early 1928, Walt Disney not only lost his cartoon star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but half of his animation staff to his film distributor. Before boarding the return train to California, Walt sent his brother, Roy, a telegram: “Don’t worry, everything OK.” On the train home, Walt contemplated a new character — a mouse, which he named Mortimer. His wife, Lillian, had a different idea, and Mickey Mouse was born. What can we learn from Walt’s ride home?
King of Consistency!
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Hank Aaron is NOT the Home Run King. His most significant achievement is that he was great EVERY SINGLE YEAR from 1955 to 1973. That’s 19 consecutive seasons. There really isn’t a record quite like it in baseball history. He was the King of Consistency.
So God Made a Farmer
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These words summarized what was arguably the best commercial of the Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. I have been a longtime fan of the man whose words graced the two-minute ad: Paul Harvey.
The Determination of a Champion!
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Michael Phelps earned a place in sports history recently as the first U.S. men’s swimmer to qualify for five Olympic Games. Over three Olympics, from 2004 through 2012, Michael Phelps had won 18 gold medals and 22 medals overall, each total more than anyone ever. It’s a phenomenal level of achievement by any stretch of the imagination.
It’s Show Time!
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I just returned from taking two of my granddaughters to their first Broadway show, Disney’s production of Aladdin. Like most other first time visitors they were amazed. And the more they learned about what the performers went through on a daily basis the more respect they had for them. Here are a couple of take-aways that can remind us that no matter what has happened before we meet each customer once they are in-front of us it’s – Show Time!
Blind Insight
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Michael Hingson was on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, when the first tower was struck by a hijacked plane. Michael is totally blind and the account of how he and his partner, Roselle, escaped the burning building is amazing.
The Missing Ingredient in Sales!
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My wife is famous for her Peanut Butter Pie and everyone that has a slice has the same reaction:
“This is the best pie I have ever tasted.”
However, if you leave out a seemingly insignificant ingredient it can make a big difference. If you rush and forget to add the corn starch to the mixture, the pie will not thicken and you will not get the end result you are looking for. As a matter of fact the pie will end up in the garbage!
The #1 Enemy of Success!
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A conversation with a dealer principal took a powerful turn when he made the statement “My concern with sending my people to training events is that the Law of Entropy will take effect when they return.” Can I humbly say I had no idea what entropy was or how to spell it! His explanation that followed transformed my concept of success and how to achieve it.
The Secret of Story Selling in F&I!
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What do Ronald Reagan, Walt Disney, Zig Ziglar and Steve Jobs have in common? They all knew the value of a great story and the one secret that makes it so powerful.
A Man Can’t Just Sit Around!
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One of the subtle deceptions of the F&I profession is the constant “busy” state we find ourselves in. Dozens of tasks demand our attention when we are not with a customer. Days, weeks and months go by and we find ourselves regretting the fact that we have never got around to those efforts to consistently grow our knowledge and skills. To stay on top we must have an intentional effort and schedule to make that happen!