By Lori L. Silverman and Karen Dietz/edited by I.C.Collins

If your dealership is like most, it has invested significant dollars in training
sales staff to bring in new business and maintain long-term client
relationships. Chances are high that these skills have served them well. But
what about in today's downturn economy? Is your dealership receiving the level
of sales it needs to survive and thrive? Or has it taken a turn for the worse?

Several actions typically are invoked in this sort of situation. Sales
executives may tweak the compensation plan, hoping it will motivate their staff,
or ask them to increase their work hours, require them to make more cold calls,
or push them to do what they have always done—only at a heightened pace. On the
other hand, what outcomes might you get if you explored the question, "Is there
anything new or different we could add to our sales arsenal as a competitive
advantage?"

What's New?

Most sales training programs and initiatives promote the telling of "success
stories" by sales associates. But, they do not recognize that examples and case
studies are not the same as compelling stories. Not surprisingly, they neglect
to teach the critical elements that make a story a story and the specific
structure it needs to motivate prospects to take action and close a deal.

Moreover, these endeavors overlook the fact that the most powerful story
techniques for business development come in the form of story prompts, story
triggers, and story listening—the ability to pull stories out of prospects and
to authenticate them. If your dealership desires to decrease the time it takes
to turn prospects into clients and to build stronger relationships with them,
then incorporating these unrecognized approaches into the sales process is
critical.

Because the field of story use in organizations is less than a decade old, most
early applications focused on its use in training, knowledge management, and
presentation skills. Consequently, these broader story techniques only now are
finding their way into core dealership activities.

Some of the most comprehensive research that exists on the ROI associated with
story-telling across 12 different business functions is presented in my book,
"The Handbook For Automotive Sales Consultants"™ How to Succeed in the
Automotive Industry®"—and probably is not one being read by your sales
executives.

Why Story?

Stories are not the same as examples, anecdotes, case studies, news reports, or
profiles. They have unique characteristics: characters, character dialog (both
internal and external), a plot (identifiable conflict), a universally applicable
key point, drama, contrast, and sensory information.

What is it about stories that give them the ability to impact business results?
The brain needs sensory information, patterns, and the like for experiences to
be logged into immediate and short-term memory. Since a story is a packet of
sensory material that allows people to quickly and easily internalize,
comprehend, and create meaning, when crafted well, it can move others to open
their wallets. The latest brain research not only demonstrates that stories are
remembered far longer than other communication forms (bulleted information, data
and facts, for example), it shows they immediately connect to the emotional
center of the brain, where most buying decisions are made.

While the use of stories in organizational settings is in its infancy, the
research around what makes a story powerful has been available for the last 20
years. The results include:

•Captivating people's interest and making them more attentive listeners.

•Communicating information faster, with more accurate recall of key points over
time.

•Quickly and successfully conveying the meaning of complex concepts.

•Fostering creativity and enhancing problem-solving.

•Making information more believable.

•Strengthening relationships.

•Inspiring people to change.

Knowing this, why would you not be using a variety of story techniques to
generate sales?

Winning New Customers

If you believe the value a story brings is key to securing new business, here
are a variety of ways story techniques can be used to win new customers. As you
go through this list, ask yourself, "How many of them are my dealership, sales,
and marketing staff using today?"

Prior to Prospecting

•Understanding the business story behind new market segments.

•Gathering consumer feedback using story prompts in focus groups.

•Translating and relaying market research data and findings through composite
stories.

Prospecting

•Evoking stories from new contacts at networking events.

•Listening to stories in ways that more quickly build rapport.

•Relaying a story to clearly communicate the distinction between your dealership
and a competitive dealership (e.g., distinguishing between community banking,
traditional banking, and credit unions).

•Having the organization's founding core values and folklore already crafted as
hip-pocket stories, ready for sharing.

Calling on a Client

•Relaying personal stories about experiences with the prospect's business.

•Knowing how to prompt stories to help build a foundation of trust.

•Employing story triggers to get the prospect to open up about their business
during discovery.

•Using story-telling as a tool to identify immediate needs and pain.

Asking for the sale

•Incorporating a story into the proposal.

•Overcoming objections by telling or prompting a story.

•Co-creating a future story.

Post-Sale

•Soliciting testimonials as stories.

•Conveying results through stories.

Can You Afford to Wait?

Stories are the most powerful communication vehicles we have for connecting,
communicating, and influencing others. Unconsciously we think in stories, talk
in stories, and inspire through stories. What about using them to increase
sales? Start training your business development and sales force to consciously
and competently use a variety of story techniques and watch what happens to the
bottom line.

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With Sync System's New Tweeting, Maps and Apps, Ad Sales Can't Be Far Behind

by Craig Daitch

A decade ago, I was debating with my auto friends: What is the future of the
console? Could automakers be technology companies? Or what's more, media
companies? Today, I think we're starting to get our answer.
The biggest news from the Consumer Electronics Show seems to be the rise of the
automobile from a stereo on wheels to a ubiquitous entertainment productivity
machine.

There are as many as 380 in-vehicle electronics exhibitors showing off their
products, and the opening morning keynote was not delivered with Bill Gates,
Steve Jobs or some other distinguished Silicon Valley technophile, but by Ford
CEO Alan Mulally in his red sweater vest, who introduced an updated version of
the in-dash, in-car technology game changer, Ford Sync.

The 2010 edition of Sync comes with a number of useful extensions, including the
ability to keep up with Twitter, stream internet radio and download turn-by-turn
web maps at no cost. It takes a page from companies such as Facebook and Apple
by supporting third-party applications. That means you could soon be controlling
many of the handy applications you use on your iPhone via the voice recognition
on your car's console.

Sync has been so successful that Ford attributes it to the company's turnaround.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Sync-enabled vehicles sell twice as fast as
non-Sync-enabled ones.
Other car manufacturers have observed the success Ford has had in pushing
consumer electronics and have begun a rollout of their own. General Motors
Corp.'s extended-battery vehicle, the Chevy Volt, will give customers the option
of controlling various car settings via their smartphones.

Consider the signs this traditionally hardware-driven industry is starting to
think in terms of software and interactive experiences: Chrysler has announced
WiFi-enabled vehicles; GM has hired former Microsoft Chief Financial Officer
Chris Liddell and was rumored to be speaking with Apple's Chief Operating
Officer Tim Cook for the CEO position. Cars aren't cars anymore, they're
productivity hubs with entertainment extensions on four wheels.

And why shouldn't they be? We spend an inordinate amount of time in our
vehicles. By today's standards, some experts believe that number exceeds three
hours per day. So as provoking as a thought this may be, is it difficult to
imagine a time when the auto manufacturers subsidize in-vehicle technology
through advertising? What brand wouldn't want to be pervasively integrated into
a vehicle's GPS unit?

Even today, is it really not feasible to think that GM's OnStar service couldn't
provide pay-per-click (or even pay-per-visit) smart results based on customer
inquiries? Think about the following scenario:

Driver: Hi, I'm looking for the closest gas station.

OnStar: You are 0.5 miles away from a Shell but 0.6 miles from a BP, where you
can use a discount code to save 15%.

A day will come when the Big Three will need to decide how far they want to take
this and whether they want to turn into media and advertising companies. I
assure you, as someone who worked on their business, those debates have been
actively taking place among their agencies for years. The allure of monetizing
their online sites through sponsorship/advertising opportunities has been
tempting, yet no backlash could potentially be greater than the nightmare
scenario of opening the floodgates to invasive advertising in vehicles
themselves. How far the car companies take it will directly correlate to the
success of such a venture.

Regardless, as a marketer, knowing that cars today are rolling off assembly
lines with wireless access, location-based services, and iPhone-application
plug-ins, it seems like the opportunities that reside for marketers are becoming
closer every day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Craig Daitch currently leads the Activation team at Converseon as its Senior
Vice President, manages his own pop culture social bookmarking site, Hipstr, and
tweets regularly at @cdny.

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By Rana Sinha

Do we motivate multicultural teams the same way we motivate teams with members
all from the same culture?

Multicultural teams are everywhere, from multinationals to small companies,
people from diverse cultural backgrounds physically situated in the same
premises, or virtual teams across different time zones. But if people in
multicultural teams lack motivation, things can get rough.

How is a multicultural team different?

Multicultural teams differ from same-culture teams in the following respects:

• Team members from different cultures have different communication styles,
working methods, decision-making practices, and ways of measuring success.

• People see differently how national culture affects their own work behavior.


• The expectations of team behavior vary among national or ethnic cultures.

Special challenges of multicultural teams

A 2002 study by Jackson, Mannix, Peterson, and Trochim found same-culture teams
faced personality and communication conflicts, differences of opinion about
work, difficulties in deciding on a work method or approach, issues with timing
and scheduling, and problems with contribution and workload distribution.

Multicultural teams also face the following additional challenges:

• Defining how national, ethnic, organizational, and familial cultures affect
team interaction.

• Establishing a shared communication method.

• Understanding and discussing what motivates team members.

• Accepting a commonly agreed upon approach of dealing with challenges and
handling crises.

• Having a shared vision of leadership, management, and way of measuring success
in the team, in the organization.

• Ways of changing attitudes.

• Gaining trust.

Multicultural teams might function smoothly in good times. People are jovial and
flexible. But, in a crisis, people may revert to typical defensive behavior from
their own upbringing and team working suffers.

If team members get a perspective of how communication methods differ from
linear to circular, from direct to indirect, from low-context to high-context,
from task-focused to relationship-focused models, they would better understand
other team members and communicate successfully. Further, team members should
agree on a shared communication method for their particular needs. Teams, which
have agreed upon communication methods, usually handle crises better.

How to understand people from other cultures

If team members never discuss what motivates them, as individuals and as
representatives of their own culture, they may misread the other team members'
motives.

Why do we actually need to understand people from other cultures? How should we
behave with them? Do we need to learn elaborate bowing rituals and eat Sushi
everyday with Japanese team members? If the Japanese or the Finns sit quietly
during presentations, should everyone else do so?

Earn respect, but never fake it

A total mastery of another culture is difficult, as we cannot even master all
the norms in our own. But the attitude towards other cultures is crucial. When
you learn the logic behind behavioral norms, you understand the conditions that
have created the cultural mindset. If people notice the respect you have for
their culture, they will forgive you blunders you might make.

If you constantly use phrases such as "I respect your culture!" or "Ah! I have
the utmost respect for Chinese culture!" while behaving insensitively, people
consider you a fraud.

Trust is vital in a multicultural team

Gaining trust is vital for the effective functioning of any team. People try to
gain trust through status, wealth, educational qualifications, social position,
etc. Personal examples of trustworthy behavior such as honesty and dependability
as well as knowledge, good communication skills, extraordinary performance on
the job, superior skills, experience, and long-term perspective of the industry
also create trust.

All teams go through different stages of evolution. Multicultural teams should
pay more attention to the initial forming stage, where they begin to build
working relationships. If team members don't bother to become familiar in the
forming stage, assumptions, very difficult to unlearn later, start guiding
behavior.

Strategies for motivating multicultural team members

As a motivating factor, money is important, but only to some extent. After they
start getting a fairly decent level of compensation for their input, money stops
being the greatest motivator for most people.

Motivating factors more important than money are:

• Recognition among peers for achievement.

• Recognition outside immediate work environment.

• Opportunities for continuous learning.

• Involvement in crucial decision-making.

• Suitable challenges move people occasionally outside their comfort zones.

Knowing the strengths, weaknesses, and performance history of each team member
is necessary for mapping what they are capable of achieving and then creating
strategies to make that happen. That every team member must feel a manifest
desire to see each team member as successfully reaching his/her full potential
in a unique way is a guiding principle and not just empty talk.

Opportunities for recognition among peers also exist outside the immediate work
environment in professional bodies, seminars, among clients, or through the
company magazine.

Training, e.g. multicultural awareness, teambuilding, and intercultural
management workshops, motivate multicultural team members, but they must know
why they are being trained.

Team members need to see how they fit into the big picture. If it becomes clear
to members that by stretching themselves they are bringing more into play than
just being saddled with responsibility from above, they improve and begin to
shine.

Challenge people suitably

If people are too enmeshed in their comfort zones, they become complacent and
performance decreases. But move people away from their comfort zones only with a
clear purpose. If team members don't know this purpose, they start speculating
and this becomes counterproductive. They need a vision of what they can achieve
with feedback to allay fears.

The cause of fear can be paradoxical. Nelson Mandela, who managed to transform
himself and affect the destiny of an entire nation spoke of this paradoxical
nature of the cause of fear. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not
our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be
brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"

Positive affirmation is stronger in motivating people than negative threats. No
matter how many challenges you are facing, celebrate your working together!

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During this brutal economy, it makes sense to talk about it again. Now, more
than ever, is the time for every salesperson to be at his or her best.

POINT 1: DESIRE, ATTITUDE ARE VITAL

Whenever we start something new, it's uncomfortable. What was it like riding a
bike the first time? When you first diapered your baby, were you scared? What
about your first lesson in learning a foreign language?

The key is practice, and most salespeople don't practice. To practice is to be
in training. I can train people to sell, but there's just one catch: You have to
want to learn, to practice, to excel.

I can't train desire. And without the desire, there isn't a ghost of a chance of
training anyone.

Attitude is vital. Truth is, if you have a great attitude, it's so easy to be
the best. So often when we go out to buy, to eat, to do whatever, we get bad
service.

I'm sure that if you think about what happens day in and day out, you will
realize that almost every day you have an experience that's bad or leaves a lot
to be desired.

It's easy to be the best. All you have to do is have a better attitude and be a
little better than everyone else.

POINT 2: EVERYONE SELLS EVERY DAY

This information can help you.

If you are in sales, we're discussing the lifeblood of your livelihood and your
contribution to your company.

And if you are not in sales, you still will find ideas and tools that will help
you do your job or run your business more profitably. And the topics that don't
apply to you directly, such a prospecting, still will be informative and useful.

Whatever your job or business, if you deal with a customer or client in any way,
you are selling.

That's why some business owners and managers have their entire company or
division attend sales seminars.

All of us are selling every day: We're selling a product or service. We're
selling our company. We're selling our ideas. We're selling ourselves.

POINT 3: PICASSO, RENOIR, JONES

These three of the world's greatest artists all share three things in common:
paint, brushes and canvas.

But yet their works are completely different. Why? Because of the creativity and
uniqueness of the artist. The same thing is true of all of us.

You can't expect to be like me or the next person.

You have to use your creativity, what's inside you, along with the basic tools -
the paint, brushes and canvas of the art of selling.

You have your good points. I don't care what your situation is - how much
experience you have, what you're selling or what your personality is.

You have good points, and they work well for you. Build on those good points,
and then develop your distinct style.

POINT 4: THE CREAM OF THE CROP

Three things make the top salesperson. This applies to you whether you are 100
percent in sales or not, whatever your title or position.

1. Top salespeople are organized.

2. Top salespeople are persistent.

3. Top salespeople are incredibly honest - this is most important.

What exactly is selling?

I'm going to give you a definition of selling. Before you look it up in a
dictionary, let me save you the trouble. You'll find at least a dozen
definitions, but I guarantee you won't find the real one: Selling is asking, not
telling. Selling is listening, not talking.

The true pros who are in sales know those words and, in fact, become those
words. They know that their job is not to sell but to listen and find out what
the customer wants, and not just what they want to sell them.

The truth is - and it's a shame - that most salespeople do a terrible job. They
are not organized. They are not persistent. They are not incredibly honest.
Worst of all, they do not ask. And they certainly do not listen.

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Happy New Year all you faithful TechAutoCareers.com® fans. 2009 is in the
history books so we wanted to take this time to wish you and all your families
peace and happiness this festive season as well as good health and prosperity in
2010.

At TechAutoCareers.com® we are acutely aware of the debt of gratitude that we
owe to you, our readers and members. For your support throughout the year, for
your patience and loyalty… we offer you our humble and sincere thanks. We'd like
to thank all of you who have helped make us one of the largest sales training
sites on the internet. We hope you continue to come to us for all of the latest
sales training news.

May the New Year bring with it hope for the future and may we all leave behind
us the difficulties of the last 12 months.

Thanks from the crew at TechAutoCareers.com®

for the next few days

Things are going to be rather quiet around the TacPubUsa office for the next few
days, as we'll be taking some time off to relax over the holidays. Thus, don't
expect to hear much from us for the rest of this week, unless some breaking news
presents itself before Monday, which is always a possibility.

Thanks from the crew at TechAutoCareers.com

[Source: Ford]

PRESS RELEASE:

* The projected resale value of 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles after 36
months in service increased by an average of $1,310 per vehicle compared to the
2009 model year – the industry's largest increase among full-line manufacturers
* The improvement allowed Ford to narrow the residual value gap with leading
Asian automakers and maintain its advantage over U.S.-based automakers
* The 2010 Ford Fusion is expected to bring customers $687 more than the 2010
Toyota Camry after 36 months in service; the residual value of the 2010 Ford
Flex commands an $1,800 premium over the Toyota Highlander
* Improved quality, new features and popular redesigned products are helping to
boost Ford's residual values. Ford improved more than any other automaker in
ALG's Perceived Quality Survey released in the fall of 2009
* Compete Inc., a Massachusetts research firm that studies online car shopping,
says Ford has surpassed Toyota in customer consideration for the first time
since it began tracking such data in 2002. Compete data show Ford surpassed
Toyota in customer consideration in September, October and November

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/22/ford-brags-about-largest-residual-value-incre\
ase-in-industry/#continued

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Open-ended questions are one of the most important tools for those who sell (as
long as you listen).

They help you gather information, qualify sales opportunities, and establish
rapport, trust and credibility.

If you consider yourself a professional, own (absolutely know) a repertoire of
powerful open-ended questions… questions that are answered by more than a simple
yes or no… questions where the prospect/customer gets directly involved in the
sales discussion.

The key here…

Ask the question and let the prospect/ customer give you their answer.

No leading.
No prompting.
No interrupting.

Just in case you've not had the opportunity to put yours down in writing, here
are some of our favorites. You should have several additional questions specific
to your industry, but these'll get you more than started.

Write down the ones you find valuable. Memorize them with your team. Practice
them on your drive in or on the way to your next appointment. Print them out.
Post them near your phone. Pass them on to your team.

Information gathering

What prompted you/ your company to look into this?
What are your expectations/ requirements for this product/ service?
What process did you go through to determine your needs?
How do you see this happening?
What is it that you'd like to see accomplished?
With whom have you had success in the past?
With whom have you had difficulties in the past?
Can you help me understand that a little better?
What does that mean?
How does that process work now?
What challenges does that process create?
What challenges has that created in the past?
What are the best things about that process?
What other items should we discuss?

Qualifying

What do you see as the next action steps?
What is your timeline for implementing/ purchasing this type of service/
product?
What other data points should we know before moving forward?
What budget has been established for this?
What are your thoughts?
Who else is involved in this decision?
What could make this no longer a priority?
What's changed since we last talked?
What concerns do you have?

Establishing rapport, trust & credibility

How did you get involved in…?
What kind of challenges are you facing?
What's the most important priority to you with this? Why?
What other issues are important to you?
What would you like to see improved?
How do you measure that?

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by Jared Hamilton

Why your Internet Sales Process matters more now than it ever has, and the 7
Process Points you must execute to be successful:

Advanced marketing tactics like SEO and Social Media Marketing are a big focus
in the industry right now. These marketing tools are very successful at moving
the bar forward and YES your dealership needs to be involved.  However, if you
are growing your arsenal of marketing tools you are also being more wasteful if
your process is not nailed down.  Your store should not be investing more
marketing dollars unless your customer funnel is proven to convert the customers
into deals.  As the economy rebounds and you look to grow your marketing it's a
perfect time to do a dealership process check up.  How does your store stack up?

The Correct Internet Sales Process

A successful Internet sales process is not rocket science.  There are 7 things
every process should accomplish.  By executing these seven points consistently
and with your dealerships brand, you will maximize your close rates.  Use this
as a checklist to grade your dealerships process:

1. Quick Response time

Yes, this concept has been beat into the industry but in this age of immediacy
it continues to be one of the largest separators of success.  An hour to respond
to an email is NOT acceptable.  Your response needs to be within minutes, if you
cannot do this consistently restructure your department or use technology that
can respond with YOUR price quote immediately.

Do not measure, average response time, it's a bogus measurement.  Instead
measure what % of the time you responded within 15 minutes.  Face it, if you
don't respond quickly the chances of closing the deal drops dramatically.

2. Transparency in price, availability and trade

Customers can get whatever information they want.  If they don't get it from you
they will get it elsewhere.  Don't let that happen.  If they ask for a price
give them a price.  If they want to know what their trade is worth talk to them
about it.  Don't ever avoid a question.  Be transparent, be engaging, be a place
they want to do business, answer their questions and give them a reason to come
see you.

3. Provide multiple options

When customers go online the regularly add features or submit requests on
vehicles out of their price range.  They are curious, they are hopeful and they
are human… trying for something better than current reality is just what we do. 
Once you realize they are unlikely to buy the vehicle they submitted a lead on
you realize the importance in providing options to them.  This helps engage the
customer with you as they explore their options and come to reality of what the
best car for them really is.

4. Sell the advantages of your product

Again, customers regularly DO NOT buy the product they submitted a lead on. 
Many even switch brands or bounce from new to used and vice versa.  Clearly the
MYTH that Internet customers know exactly what they want is FALSE.  You need to
"sell" your product.

How do you do this?  Provide links.  Send them to your product landing pages,
micro sites and the pages that tell your brand proposition.  If you don't have
these pages built and optimized put that on your list of things to do.  Use OEM
sites, outside news stories, social media profiles and your dealership ratings
and reviews to boost your brand proposition. Do be cautious sending customers to
sites you down own, you have less control but added 3rd party credibility. 
Balance the pros/cons appropriately.

Track these links.  Your CRM should be able to tell you who is clicking on what,
replace the links that get no action and keep the content fresh.

5. Phone call to request appointment

If the customer provided a phone number you have permission to use it.  Call
them.  Confirm they got your email, start a conversation to get to know them. 
The one piece of your product another store cannot is your relationship with the
customer, be sure that relationship is strong.  Use a phone script, set an
appointment and track your shows.

6. Long term follow up

Most 3rd party leads close AFTER 30 days.  If you are a dealership that does a
great job at following its customers for 3 weeks, congratulation!  You could
double your closing rate if you could extend that follow up/engagement process
follows for an additional 60 days.   Long term follow up should be more than
automated emails or a dealership newsletter.  Include regular phone calls into
the mix.  You are most likely better at building and maintaining relationships
on the phone than you are at email.  Use this to your advantage.

7. Differentiated "customer friendly" sales process
After you have done all this work to get the Internet Customer to the
dealership, don't blow it with a bad "in person" sales process.  Continue to be
transparent, answer questions, be a resource and over come objections.   You
should close an exceptionally high number of your Internet appointments that
show up.  It's ok to sell and be a closer, just maintain your customer
relationship through the process and you will be fine.

Dealership Internet Sales Success

If there is one thing I would I would emphasis is consistency.  We are in the
business of doing the little things a lot of times.  Measure every step of your
process and report with your management team in weekly meetings.  Reward the
process by keeping spiffs and awards focused on execution.  You cannot manage
results but you can manage the activities that get the results.  The 7
activities listed above will get you results but most stores struggle in the
execution of their process.  Hitting all 7 points consistently is an uphill
climb.   Where does your store excel and where does it fall short?  What is the
biggest tip you could offer your fellow dealers about executing your process
correctly?  Please share…

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By  Bengt HalvorsonBengt Halvorson December 8th, 2009

Automotive brands are losing an average of 12 percent of their buyers to
competitors due simply to "poor customer treatment" at the dealership.

If you've ever walked away from a dealership while new-car shopping due to icky
sales tactics, you probably don't find that surprising, but it's one of many
insightful findings from J.D Power and Associates in its annual Sales
Satisfaction Index (SSI) ratings, the cornerstone—and arguably the most
important for dealerships—of its annual auto-industry surveys.

J.D. Power says that one in five shoppers who leave a dealership without buying
do so specifically because of poor treatment or behaviors such as high-pressure
sells, pricing games, or discourteous treatment, J.D. Power found. Of those, 43
percent ended up purchasing from a different dealership that sells the same
brand, while 57 percent ended up opting for a different brand of vehicle.

According to Power, new-vehicle buyers shop at fewer than three dealerships,
typically, and 49 percent visit only the selling dealership; for that reason
it's especially important that dealerships treat customers with respect on their
initial visit.

"In this difficult economy, dealerships are working particularly hard to close
sales, but need to be attentive to customers without exerting unwanted sales
pressure," said Jon Osborn, J.D. Power and Associates' director of automotive
research, in a release accompanying the survey results.

The annual study looks at aspects satisfaction pertaining to the sales process
itself, from the time a customers begin shopping at the dealership until they
take delivery of a new vehicle. The five primary factors in the study are:
dealership facility, salesperson, paperwork/finance process, delivery process,
and vehicle price.

Overall, Jaguar, Cadillac, and Mercury ranked among the top-rated brands in this
year's Sales Satisfaction Index, which is based on about 48,000 recent
new-vehicle buyers.

Among luxury brands in the 2009 SSI, Jaguar and Cadillac stand well above the
others, with a significant gap to Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and Land Rover, which
follow and are all above the segment average.

Looking at mass-market brands, Mercury placed at the top in sales satisfaction,
with Smart a close runner-up. All of the mass-market brands from Ford and
General Motors placed above average.

Mini earns the distinction of most improved for 2009; it's improved by 16 ranks,
to sixth overall.

Mercury has just a few models for 2010—the Milan, Mariner, Mountaineer, and the
rare Grand Marquis. It typically does quite well in the SSI, as it tends to
share retail outlets with Lincoln, in smaller dealerships with more of a luxury
feel and more personalized service, while Mini has been making an effort to
better separate its operations from usually adjacent BMW ones, to help improve
customer service. It seems to be working.

Audi ranks at the bottom among luxury brands, with Volvo and Infiniti also
ranking especially low. Among mass-market brands, Mitsubishi is the lowest
achiever by a long shot, with Jeep, Dodge, and Mazda also scoring low enough to
earn just two Power Circles on JDPower.com's ratings for Sales Satisfaction.

[J.D. Power and Associates]

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Here's something you won't read every day: With the economy in shambles, there's
never been a more important time than now to have fun at work.

Sound like an odd thing to say? Read on, and discover why it makes perfect
sense.

OK, think of your all-time favorite customer. Don't worry — I'll wait!

Got them in mind? Now, how do you act around them? Pretty loose, I'll bet.

In fact, I'll bet it's the way you might act around friends and family. We just
act like ourselves around people we are close with. Normally, we do not think
before we talk. We just "let our hair down."

I am amazed how many people act so phony around their customers or clients. Many
people call this professional. I call it insincere and phony.

I want to know the real person, not someone who is fake or trying to be
impressive. No one is like that with the people who are closest to us, such as
friends and family.

To me, at least, it is all about being truthful with other people, whether it is
business or personal.

It is kind of like dating. At first, you are playing games and trying to impress
the other party, and then at some point in the relationship, you start to feel
comfortable and just start acting like yourself and start being a natural
person.

Wouldn't it be great if we could cut all the "stuff" out? Well, you can. You
just have to decide that you want to do it.

Here are some ways to build better business relationships:

• Be yourself: Not the hardest thing to do. Try it — you might even like it!

It is so easy to be around people who make us feel welcome or allow us to just
be ourselves.

One of my closest friends, for more than 40 years, is an accountant, and he
always acts so still on his first or second meeting with a new or prospective
client.

It is such a shame that it takes him a while to loosen up before people really
see the wild sense of humor he has, along with his incredible loyalty as a true
friend. Basically, he is nuts — but in a good way!

• Someone has to break the ice: Instead of playing the corporate game, why not
play the personal game?

If you are in someone's office and you notice something that might be personal,
such as a picture of the occupant's family or boat or whatever, let the person
talk about it.

After that, share something personal about yourself. We are all such similar
people when you really get down to it.

• Find common ground: Take notice of things as I mentioned before. Everyone has
something in common.

The key is to look for it or ask a few questions. You can tell whether your
questions are too personal or upsetting. Usually, the person will tell you. If
the person doesn't convey feelings by words, body language will definitely give
you clues.

• Don't try to impress or have an agenda in mind: Sometimes, when we meet new
people, we want to seem impressive or important to them.

To me, the nicer someone is, or the more open they are, the more impressed I
get.

Also, forget your agenda if your only goal is to try to "sell them" something.
People can see right through this, and they quickly will realize that you are
not there to form a relationship, but to satisfy your financial goals.

• Be the way with them you would like them to be with you: This is kind of like
the golden rule we learned as children, which was "Treat people the way you want
to be treated."

If we quit all the game-playing and posturing to seem professional or powerful,
and we just become natural and plain old easy to be around, the experience would
change dramatically.

Think of all future business settings as a barbecue in your backyard. You want
to please everyone and just have a good, old-fashioned easy day with good
company.

Trust me, if you try a few of these common-sense, easy ways to loosen up the
"business atmosphere," you will enjoy much deeper relationships and do so much
quicker than you ever expected.

Why wait months or years to finally get to know someone when it could take a
couple of hours?

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We often give you tips about how to build relationships with your customers. An
important part of building a relationship is letting your customers know that
you appreciate their business.

We're not referring to the 'thank yous' and handshakes that are part of every
sales interaction. We are talking about taking a moment to step outside the
normal flow of the business routine and say or do something different, something
appropriate and unique to each relationship.

Maybe it's a handwritten note (how many of those do you get these days?). Maybe
it's a phone call - not a sales call. Perhaps it's mentioning something special
that's important to the customer - a child's birthday or an anniversary. Take
the time to think about each individual relationship you've built with your
customers. Then reach out to let them know you value those relationships.

To all the readers of the TechAutoCareers.com®, thank you for letting us
communicate with you every week. Thanks for allowing us to build a relationship
with you. We hope you enjoy Thanksgiving and have a great holiday season!

Thanks from the crew at TechAutoCareers.com

Whether you're just starting out, or expanding your business, every sales
professional has inherited clients from another rep at their company. On the
surface, it seems great. Existing accounts are like found money. So why will
over 50% of these people go somewhere else in the next year?

5 ways you can increase the odds of keeping and growing these customers are:

Create a transition from the previous rep or your sales manager. Customers hate
surprises like, "Hi, I'm your new rep."

Find out why they bought from the previous sales rep.

Use your notes and sales history as a basis to ask the same questions you'd ask
a cold prospect.

Promise to re-examine their pricing.

Be humble. The sales gods laugh at sales professionals who don't realize the
value of an active account.

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Many sales managers think the hardest thing for sales people to do is recognize
a buying signal from a customer. Actually, it's harder for some of us to hear
them, to slow down and to not react.

We love to hear customers say they have needs that our product or service can
fill. If they say something like, "We need a widget that can be repaired
easily", it's all we can do not to jump in with, "Well, our widgets have the
lowest repair cost in the industry. . ." and start pitching for all we're worth.
The customer becomes defensive and tunes out our sales spiel.

A more useful skill is to take note of the buying signal, and let the customer
continue talking. They may mention even more ways their needs match what you
have and wind up selling themselves on your service. Rather than sell to only
one benefit, you may encounter multiple benefits to the buyer. When you do make
a proposal, it's focused with laser accuracy on what they need.

Yield! Note the buying signals. Don't react to them too quickly.

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The amount of business done over the phone is ever increasing. Not surprisingly,
so are customer complaints that messages aren't returned properly. It's time to
revisit the art of taking a successful phone message. Follow these 7 steps by
writing down:

Caller's name (and get the spelling)
Caller's company or affiliation
Time and date of the call
Who they're calling for (do they ask for you by name, ask for a rep, have no
idea who they're looking for...)
Call back number (with extension)
Purpose for the call (returning your call, looking for information...)
Any action items or instructions

You'll find you get better responses if you use this structure when you leave
information on your prospects' voicemails as well.

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That Closes the Sale

It's no easy task securing the full attention of decision makers, even for just
a few minutes. Most days, you're probably one of 10 salespeople vying for the
privilege. That's why your initial meeting must be strategically designed for a
lasting (and profitable) impact.

This new eBook How To Succeed In The AutomotiveIndustry®: The Handbook For
Automotive Sales Consultants™ identifies  essential strategies for creating
highly effective initial meetings that ultimately lead to sales success.

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You don't know everything.

You do know that, don't you?

Continual learning is a basic necessity to professional improvement and in many
cases it's other people who will help you get there.

But only if you're coachable. Are you?

To be coachable means to be...

Approachable

Attentive

Receptive

Curious

Objective

Trusting

Shapeable

Confident

It means you must listen with the intent to learn rather than to show what you
know (exactly the type of listening required in the sales process).

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There was nothing worse in high school than having your boyfriend or girlfriend
say they wanted to see other people. Ouch! In the '70s, we had a phrase about
people who would take advantage of you: users.

Many salespeople get used and abused in the sales process because prospects can
be users who will even justify using your stuff to better themselves or their
company.

As time went on in the sales process, I realized I was being used. I adopted one
sentence that changed everything: If you can speak it, you can write it.

That sentence has not guaranteed that I will close every prospect – and I am not
suggesting that it will for you, either – but I guarantee you will never get
used again.

Many times early in my career, my prospects would ask for something in writing,
and I would give them customized plans. I might redo them several times, only to
find out their cousin Vinny took all my stuff – and my commission, as well.

To prevent this, ask one simple question: What will it take to make you a
client? After they mention price, you must get two more things or you can start
singing "na na, hey hey, goodbye."

After your prospect tells you what you have to do to earn his or her business,
write down the specific deliverables and initial each one. Have your prospect do
the same and set your second appointment.
(Tip: give yourself enough time between appointments to gather the deliverables.
I usually recommend at least a week.)

Next, set the TONE (touching on new expectations). Touch your prospect at least
twice before you meet, and remind them of your written agreement. Give them a
good report that you are working on the deliverables.

Do not smother them or shove anything else down their throat. Be a motivator –
not a menace like Dennis, who lived at 627 Elm St. Do you remember the look on
Mr. Wilson's face when Dennis would yell, "Hey, Mr. Wilson"?

However, you may see that look when you show up for appointment No. 2. Here is
the four R's formula to closing your deal. (When you're done, you can look
forward to another word with the letter R – relaxing.)

So now it's showtime – time to say, "Hey, Mr. Wilson, I got the deliverables."
You may see that face once your prospect sees the sheet with his or her initials
on it. Hopefully, you had the gatekeeper copy it. (Tip: You will know you're in
the fight when, 60 seconds into your conversation, your prospect starts
backpedaling.)

In the 1980s, Sugar Ray Leonard fought Marvelous Marvin Hagler. No one gave Ray
a chance. Ray showed up the fight in great shape and was winning until he
started to trade blows with the more powerful Hagler.

His trainer, Angelo Dundee, screamed at him that he was blowing it. (Tip: Do not
trade blows with your prospect.) Dundee screamed at him to jab and get out. I am
telling you: That's what the 4 R's are all about.

Remind your prospect about the three deliverables they said it would take to
earn their business. (Show it to them and have a red pen and circle it.) Jab and
get out. Round one is over. Reiterate what you said you would do and when you
would do it by (circle that in red) and round 2 goes to you.

Resurrect that part if you have to (the deliverable they said it would take to
get the deal) and you will win 50 percent of the appointments. (Tip: Most
salespeople lose right here and are about to get used. Do not throw in the
towel. Tell your prospect: "Not only did you say it, but you wrote it and
initialed it.")

Do not dance. It is time for a couple of swift upper cuts. Do not move off the
agreement. Slug it out and say: "If you can speak it, you can write it. Check,
please!"

The last R if you need it: Recommit. Assuming you spent at least 30 minutes in
round three – and sometimes it can go longer – go through the 3 R's again.
Sometimes it will be 15 minutes; sometimes it will take two hours.

Be strong and courageous. The process is simple, but hard to stick to. But, if
you do, they will not stick it to you.

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I believe in dress to impress, the way you dress can determine wether or not you
get a job, i believe that most people or employers they do care about your
personality but i think the number one thing they look at is the way you are
dressed, i mean for example if you look at lets say a girl wearing a short skirt
you think we'll she's just out to look for a rich man or etc: but than later on
you may find out that she's a dentist or a doctor.. to me the biggest sterotype
is the way you dress, so i say if you want to impress someone before you even
meet them than make sure that yes you are dressed like a winner, appearance is
VERY important in todays society.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A recent study in the journal Psychology of Sports and Exercise found that if
you want to gain a measurable edge over your opponent, stand up straight and
dress like a pro. Sound familiar?

The study showed that when athletes were shown a video of prospective opponents,
they were much less confident of victory if the subject displayed good posture,
a genial demeanor, and dressed in a clean uniform. Conversely, if the subject
slouched, frowned and didn't wear a sharp-looking uniform, opponents went into
competition more likely to believe they would win.

The same goes for presentations. When you're trying to persuade an audience, do
you look like a winner?

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"Can there be a more horrible object in existence than an eloquent man not
speaking the truth?" (Thomas Carlyle)

Today's tip is just a reminder of the power of effective speaking. The great
historian Carlyle was saying that when someone uses all the tools of effective
persuasion to convince the audience of something they know isn't true, great
mischief can be the result.

On the other hand, he could have said if you want to tell the truth, and use all
your powers of persuasion, there is no more positive power.

The good news is that the skills necessary to become "eloquent" - powerful
delivery, and strong organization of thought and logic, are skills that are
teachable and can be mastered with practice. That's what we are committed to at
TechAutoCareers.com

Imagine if all of us could tell the truth as eloquently as we are sometimes told
things that are not true.

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Studies consistently show that customers believe sales people talk too much.
Even more embarrassing, polls of sales people show that we know we talk too
much. But how can we sell more while talking less?
One reason we talk too much is we don't want to miss a detail the customer might
find important, so we overload them with information.

The answer lies in letting the customer speak first. If we probe effectively,
they'll tell us everything we need to know about the deal. Then, when it's our
time to talk, we can focus our remarks on what we know to be important to the
customer, instead of what we think they might want to know.

Odds are you'll speak less and sell more!

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Most sales people will admit that strong relationships make their job easier.
Customers are more loyal and willing to listen to sales people with whom they
have a personal bond. One simple way to do this is to write down one personal
piece of information about your client, keep it in your notes and specifically
reference it on the next call.

Asking a generic question like "how are the kids?" won't get the same
enthusiastic response as "how was Jenny's soccer game?" Amazingly, many people
don't have time for vendors, but they can talk for ages about their little
darlings' feats of daring-do. They'll also begin to think of you as someone
other than another vendor.

If this seems a bit manipulative, think of it this way: You have a lot of
customers and prospects (hopefully) and don't talk to them all every week. The
human memory is fallible- why should this be any different than information
about their position or other things they've told you?

Besides, a call wishing them a happy birthday may catch them in a good - and
buying - mood.

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There's nothing a salesman enjoys more than a sales call with an established
client. The relationship is solid, you know you have the business and there
isn't the fear of the dreaded "cold call". But can too much familiarity with a
customer cause problems?

Here are a few things to keep in mind when working with established customers:

Make sure you don't impose on them. You still want to make the best use of their
time and not take your relationship for granted.

Don't assume you know everything that's going on. Ask about new opportunities,
referrals, or other opportunities just like you would with a new prospect.

Be professional. Inappropriate conversation and lack of attention to business
basics can cause trouble in what should be your easiest accounts to manage.

One way to make sure you get off on the right foot is to use a good Socratic
Opener (preparation, invitation, benefit) every time, even with your best
customers. It doesn't take long and can get the conversation off on a positive -
and profitable - footing.

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I've attended many such meetings over the years. Most have 80 to 100 members in
attendance. The NARI folks had about 350.

I tried to determine why attendance was so high. Maybe the economy is hitting
everyone hard and they needed to network for business.

Wait, they aren't going to get business from each other. They're all fighting
for the same business. So that reason is out.

I arrived a couple of hours before the meeting to set up and got my answer.

Members were making final calls to other members, not only reminding each other
of the meeting, but making sure everyone knew they were needed for the meeting
to be a success.

'Next!'
Cut to last week when my lady friend, Kanitta, and I were at a pharmacy. She
needed a prescription filled and was considering switching to a new drugstore
near her house.

We waited for the 50-something pharmacist to finish with a drive-through
customer. "Next!" The pharmacist barked the order like we were inmates at a
prison.

You can guess how the rest of the conversation went. The pharmacist stared at
her computer screen and listed off all the information needed to process Kanitta
into the computer system. Once everything was in order, she glanced at the
prescription and, without looking up, said, "It will be a few minutes."

I wonder if this woman hosts a party at her home the same way. A guest shows up
and she opens her front door with a loud, "Name?" After processing her guests
into her computer they ask, "Is there anything to munch on?" And she replies,
"It will be a few minutes" and marches off into her house somewhere.

Taking ownership
Do you want to know why the NARI folks behaved differently than the pharmacist?
And why the pharmacist probably acts entirely differently at home than at work?

Almost all of the members of the remodeling association own their own
businesses; they are entrepreneurs. They only eat what they can kill.

If they don't "make it happen," it won't happen. They have no one to blame but
themselves if things go south.

The pharmacist, though, gets to eat regardless of who does the killing. For her,
at work there is always a "they." "Why don't they do more advertising to bring
in more customers?" "Why don't they paint this place to make it more
attractive?" "They should pay me more for this job." "I do all the work and they
make all the money."

But they aren't the ones treating customers like they were going through a
military checkpoint in a war zone. They aren't the ones forgetting that simple
courtesy has 10 times the effect of any advertising campaign.

In fact, they are the ones trying to figure out how to keep the store open so
she can have a job, while she is the one engaging in day-to-day actions that
will ensure their efforts fail.

Service sells
Businesses fail because customers stop buying. Customers stop buying because
they don't like the company. It ain't the price of the product. I have a
competitor who charges much more than I do for the same service, and his
calendar always is full.

You don't lose your job because of off-shoring or automation. You lose your job
because you do it in such a way that, as a customer, I feel the same as if I
were speaking to someone in another country or to a computer.

The evidence for this is that some companies have brought jobs back from
overseas because customers complained that the serv­ice wasn't as good. If the
jobs aren't brought back, you weren't making a big enough difference in the
outcome to warrant it.

I'll bet that pharmacist complains to others about how mail-order drugs are
"ruining the industry." Frankly, between the impersonal relationship of a bottle
of pills being dropped in my mailbox or being made to feel even worse by a live
person, I choose the mail.

The hunt
I heard it a lot at the association meeting where everyone only eats when they
have a successful hunt. Even better, their children were learning the same
lesson.

The association meeting was held at an appliance store that was in its second
generation of ownership. The third generation, the owner's children, was there
too, welcoming guests and shaking hands. I imagine they hear every night at the
dinner table that unless they go out and kill it, it ain't there to eat.

Sure, the people you work for might make some bad decisions about the business;
that is inevitable. Those decisions might make life hard for you, but no one
ever got a paycheck from a company that closed, so doing your part is not an
option.

There is plenty out there for all of us to eat, just don't wait for someone else
to go on the hunt.

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If you need another reason to be face to face with your customers as often as
possible, here's a new one: scientists have proven that people share common cues
that give away their emotions, such as flinching, blinking, or smiling. The
problem is these cues only last for as little as 1/20th of a second.

The good news is that in studies people quickly pick up these non-verbal cues,
if they know to watch for them. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:


The more familiar you are with your customers, the easier it is to read these
signals

These signals are universal; a flinch is a flinch is a flinch, just about
anywhere in the world

You have to be watching for them, which means making eye contact when you
deliver a piece of information or asking a question

The more different ways you ask a question, the more consistent the response is

You want to match these reactions to what they're saying, so listen closely

How closely do you monitor not only what your customers say, but what their body
language tells you?

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Some people are men and women of few words -- to work in an office with such
people is a blessing. Most workers, however, are stuck in a workplace where they
hear about everything from a co-worker's baby-making plans to his estranged
relationship with his father.

Talking about such topics might be OK to share over cocktails with your best
friend -- they are not OK for the workplace.

Because people spend more time at the office with co-workers than anywhere (or
anyone) else, some workers have trouble drawing the line between business and
friendship, says Susan Solovic, co-founder and CEO of SBTV.com, and author of
three books, including "Reinvent Your Career: Attain the Success You Desire and
Deserve."
"It's a social environment as well as a work environment. However, you must
remember: While you can be friendly and develop a good rapport, business is
business and friendship is friendship."
These days, your job security is unstable enough as it is. The last thing you
need is to make an off-the-cuff remark that gets you fired (or shunned from the
likes of your co-workers). To help keep your career on track, here are 10 things
you should never say or discuss in the workplace:

1. "That's not my job."

When you boil things down, everyone does things that "aren't their job." If
everyone complained that a certain task wasn't in the offer they signed, the
labor force would be in more trouble than it already is. If someone asks for
your help, take it as a compliment. He or she obviously values your input or
thinks your skills would be good fit for the task. Not only will it help earn
good office karma (you never know when you'll need help from other colleagues),
but it never looks good to only do the bare minimum. And no boss wants to hear
those four words!

2. "I don't mind helping you with that." (With a fake smile pasted on your
face.)

There's nothing worse than someone who offers to help and then complains about
it later. If you take on a task with a smile but don't really want to do it,
your help is as good as no help at all. When you work without enthusiasm, it's
never your best effort. Plus, don't say you'll do something if you have no
intention of actually completing the task or you'll earn a reputation as an
unreliable person. Your colleagues are relying on you, so your decision not to
follow through impacts their jobs, too.

3. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but ... "

Anytime you start a sentence with that phrase, you're asking for one thing: The
recipient of your knowledge to, indeed, tell someone you said that. If it's
really a secret, keep it to yourself. Whether you know someone in the office got
pregnant by the mail guy or you found out what the boss makes, you're going to
get credit for spreading the news. Plus, if a co-worker is gossiping with you,
most likely he or she will gossip about you.

4. "I haven't gotten a raise, EVER."

Since most employers base salary increase on productivity (not longevity),
asking for a raise based on how long you've been with the company or how long
it's been since your last one will tell your boss only that you want more money
-- not that you deserve it. Instead, prove the raise is merited.

5. "I'm so ... stressed out/busy/sick of working here."

Constant complaints about your workload, stress levels or the company will
quickly make you the kind of person who never gets invited to lunch. If you
don't agree with company policies and procedures, address it through official
channels or move on.

6. "I have insert weird, gross or inappropriate medical condition here ."

Nobody cares about your aches and pains, the weird fungus on your foot, your
infertility woes or the bad gas you got from eating Chinese food last night. To
your employer, your constant medical issues make you seem like an expensive,
high-risk employee. And to your co-workers, you seem like an attention-seeking
hypochondriac.

7. "Whom did you vote for?" or "What religion are you?"

The old adage that you shouldn't discuss politics or religion is as true today
as ever before. People have strong, passionate views on both topics and you may
alienate a co-worker or be viewed negatively based on your views in a way that
could impact your career.

8. "I got so trashed last night ..."

It's perfectly fine to have fun after work, but don't brag about your drunken
escapades to your boss. The fact that you showed up for work despite still
recovering from a massive hangover might be impressive, but it means nothing if
you spend the day recounting your activities versus working. Not to mention,
sharing that information makes you look unprofessional and unreliable.

9. "I don't have time for that."

In case you didn't realize, everybody's busy. If your boss asks you to do
something, chances are it's not really an option. If your main concern is
accomplishing the task on time, be honest and tell that to your boss. Mention
how busy your schedule is but that you can accommodate the request if some other
projects are rearranged. You'll show that you take each assignment seriously and
only want to turn in your best work.

10. "I just bought a $1,000 watch for the boss."

While the spirit of keeping up with the Joneses is alive and well in the
workplace, constantly sharing how much you spent on gifts, meals or outings will
only have others annoyed. Not only will it seem like you're bragging, but you
don't want others speculating on the lifestyle you're living -- or if you're
living beyond your salary bracket.

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When two people fall in love, they only see sunshine and rainbows when they look
into each other's eyes. If you asked, "What's the worst trait of your boyfriend
or girlfriend?" they would answer, "Absolutely, positively nothing!"

Ask that same question a few years later when they're living together and have
seen each other at their respective worst. You'll get a pretty good list:

"She cuts her toenails on the coffee table."
"He speaks in a cutesy voice on behalf of the dog."
"She kicks me in her sleep."

Hopefully none of these nuisances find their way into your work life, but other
ones probably do. Everyone has some weaknesses in their work behavior that they
need to work on, and they often extend beyond annoyances (such as eating a
smelly lunch at your desk) and become problems for your career.

Here are 10 work habits that you should try to break:

1. Procrastination
A lot of people work best under pressure, or at least they say so. With everyone
having a different personality, you can't say a strict schedule works best for
all employees. Putting tasks off until the last minute, however, invites plenty
of problems, even if you think the final result will be glorious.
When you leave yourself no wiggle room to complete a task, you run the risk of
encountering an unexpected obstacle that makes you miss the deadline. Even if
the situation's out of your hands, everyone will be left wondering why you
didn't plan better and account for last-minute emergencies.

2. Being a sloppy e-mailer
E-mails are second nature to most people these days, and in informal
communications they've become a digital Post-It note. We type out a message and
send them without proofreading or double-checking the recipients. That's a
recipe for disaster.
If you haven't learned your lesson by now, the day will soon come when you
accidentally "Reply All" to an e-mail and a slew of unintended readers receive a
silly note you only intended your co-worker to read.

3. Confusing informal with disrespectful
In many workplaces the boss might be the decision maker, but he or she isn't the
stern, humorless caricature you saw on TV. Using your supervisor's first name
and going for some drinks after work are common in many industries. Still, you
are the employee and the boss is the boss -- the one who can fire you and tell
you what to do. Don't cross the line by talking to him or her as if you're
talking to one of your direct reports or even your best friend. You need to show
some respect for their authority.

4. Taking advantage of leeway
Some companies are strict about the time you clock in and out. Others have
guidelines but no hard rules. So you can arrive at 8:35 a.m. and no one cares.
If over time you're arriving at 9:10 a.m. and leaving at 4 p.m. (with plenty of
breaks in between), your reputation will suffer.
This also goes for dress codes. Business casual is up to interpretation, but
ripped jeans and concert tees probably don't fall under your company's accepted
definition.

5. Refusing to mingle
Plenty of wisdom lies in the advice not to mix personal and professional lives.
However, refusing to take part in any social activity -- such as the office
potluck or a happy hour -- will not help your career. You don't need to be the
resident party animal, but being personable with your colleagues helps build
camaraderie. You get to know other people better and they get to know you as
more than the person they pass in the halls.

6. Always running late
This isn't the same as abusing leeway; this is a matter of trust. If you're late
to work, to meetings and with projects, your boss and colleagues will associate
that trait with you. When it's time for a promotion or to deal with an important
client, everyone will think twice before giving you the opportunity. Who wants
to trust the person who can't manage his or her time?

7. Being rigid
One of the unfair aspects of the working world is that sometimes it seems you
can't win. If you're hired to do a job, most bosses don't want you passing the
day by reading your favorite book. The reason: You were hired to do a job, so do
it. But if the boss comes to you with a new project that's outside the
parameters of your usual duties, it's still yours to do. "You don't pay me to do
that" isn't something you want to tell your supervisor.

8. Acting as the resident contrarian
We all love your spirited personality, but try not to be the person in the
meeting who always has a better idea and can tell you why everyone else's idea
is dumb. Voices of opposition are often missing in many workplaces because too
many eager employees want to be "yes" men and women. But too much negativity
grates on nerves and makes people dread hearing your voice. Continue to be a
critical thinker, but make sure you're doing what's best for the company and not
just trying to be the loudest voice in the room.

9. Badmouthing the company
With blogs, Facebook, Twitter and a host of other sites, you have plenty of
opportunity to vent your frustration with life. If you're going to complain
about how dumb your boss is and how much you hate your job, keep those rants
private. The Internet is public domain and comments have a way of finding their
way back to all the wrong people. If you wouldn't stand outside your boss's
office and tell a co-worker how ready you are to quit, don't express the same
thoughts in an open forum.

10. Politicking
Office politics are often unavoidable, and sometimes having a grasp on what's
going on can benefit you, but you shouldn't spend more time masterminding office
warfare than you do working. Getting caught in the crosshairs of a workplace
controversy can be out of your control, but if you're the one instigating the
drama, you're earning a bad reputation. You're the person who starts trouble and
whom no one trusts. That's the kind of notoriety that follows you from one
workplace to another.

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ICE

As sales professionals, we might know everything there is to know about our
products, our customers and what will work best to solve their problems. So why
don't they listen to us? The reason may be that we are not perceived as
"experts" in our field.
In customers' minds, what is an expert?


They've published a book

They appear to be independent of your company, and therefore impartial

They can speak knowledgeably about the subject in terms of their industry as a
whole, not just in support of your company

It's worth your time to read journals, attend industry conferences, and identify
people who are recognized as experts in your (and your customers') industries.
Quote them at length when you can. This will not only help your customers feel
better about their buying decisions, but will enhance your credibility in their
eyes since you agree with the experts.

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PRESS RELEASE:

BETHESDA, Md., July 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As new car dealerships ramp up
advertising to attract consumers to the showroom using "Cash for Clunkers" as an
incentive, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) anticipates a
consumer backlash once reality replaces the hype.

"It wouldn't surprise me if there is a consumer backlash once car owners realize
that 'Cash for Clunkers' is nothing more than a clever slogan for a program to
spend $1 billion of our tax dollars to fund a government subsidized vehicle
trade-in to help new car dealers sell cars," said Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA
president and CEO. "Consumers will soon learn that they are simply trading in
their vehicle and will still have to jump through all of the hoops to qualify
for and purchase a new vehicle."

The much heralded fuel efficiency and environmental benefits of purchasing a new
vehicle could easily be achieved through better maintenance of an existing
vehicle or trading up to a newer used vehicle, according to AAIA. Any savings
from improved miles per gallon will be lost from the costs involved in
destroying and disposing of the "clunkers."

AAIA has strongly opposed "Cash for Clunkers" that prematurely destroys vehicles
and their valuable parts and components."Destroying vehicles with many more
years of life denies consumers more affordable used vehicles and pulls vehicles
from the aftermarket supply chain," said Schmatz.

The Consumer Allowance Rebate System, the official name for "Cash for Clunkers,"
offers vouchers up to $4,500 to new car dealerships for consumers who trade-in
their vehicle for a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle.

About AAIA

AAIA is a Bethesda, Md.-based association whose more than 23,000 member and
affiliates manufacture, distribute and sell motor vehicle parts, accessories,
service, tool, equipment, materials and supplies. Through its membership, AAIA
represents more than 100,000 repair shops, parts stores and distribution
outlets.