The F&I product sold by the F&I manager, as with any insurance-based product, are invisible. Customers buy a tangible product because they can see, touch, smell or test it. However, they buy an intangible product because they see a need for it or are motivated by the fear of not…

Sales is a numbers game. However, many times we get things backwards. We focus almost exclusively on results (outside) to the neglect of the process (inside) that produces them. I remember the first time I said to an owner who had just made very clear their desire for the numbers…

Chick-fil-A draws from the same pool of individuals to hire employees as Taco Bell, McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants. Yet their customer service skills and intentional effort to respond with “Please,” “Thank You” and “My pleasure,” has been one of the core principals of their success. While other fast…

Thomas Edison is known for his lifelong achievements, but he did not get there overnight. Determination and commitment paved his way to success, and they can for you, too.…

Most of us have laughed at the crazy efforts of Lieutenant Columbo to lull criminal suspects into letting their guard down and then watched as he would get information that no one else could. An article in the American Bar Association Journal even reported that the best way to interrogate…

During a recent (and rare) vacation along Florida’s Gulf Coast, I watched more evening TV than I have in quite some time. I was amazed by how many dealership commercials I experienced. It appeared that everyone was trying to gain a competitive edge with the cleverest marketing ideas and the…

The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the modern car. In that year, German inventor Karl Benz built the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Cars did not become widely available until the early 20th century. One of the first cars accessible to the masses was the 1908 Ford Model T,…

I just finished a very frustrating phone conversation with the company that provides my phone and internet service. The word “communication” is in their company name, and the reason I am frustrated is the person I was dealing with had no idea how to communicate effectively. The conversation made me…

Archie Manning, an NFL quarterback in his own right, raised two sons who have made an even greater impact on the league. The Manning clan attributes their success more to the mindset they were taught than to the talent they were born with and developed. Recently retired, Peyton Manning often…