Craig Lockerd of AutoMax Sales Training | Recruiting, Training and Positively Affecting Others

" A Cry for Help!"

2010-08-15T19:26:00Z

Dear Dealer,Manager,Trainer,Consultant

I'm writing you this letter because I need your help.

I am 18-25 years old and want a career not just a job at "Burger Doodle" I have no experience but I will do as I'm told.I have goals and dreams .I want to be a success.

I am in need of a 2nd income in the family due to this economic situation.

I am 45-60+ I have been "downsized" out of my 20-30 year job and don't know what to do,I have a house payment,kids in school,and not nearly enough put away to retire yet.

I am a single parent,my "worse half" didn't do the right thing and my kids and myself need to make money.

I am a "minority" and all I want is a chance, a shot at the "American Dream"

I am unemployed and WANT to work!

I am underemployed and want something better for myself and my family.

I have tried many different "jobs" and none of them "clicked" for me.I will do whatever it takes.

I am one of the 30,000,000 people in our great country that are available to you.

Please tell me how you will attract me to get into an industry that everyone says is hurting,is commission only,that people say is 70 hours a week and takes away family life,has little or no initial or ongoing training.Please tell me why I should come into your industry and get yelled at for doing something wrong that I was never taught how to do right?

Please tell me what you mean about getting back to the basics,when I don't know what those are.

Please tell me why I should come into your industry only to be "kicked to the curb" 3 weeks after you hire me.

I need your help and it seems as though you need me, how can we do this thing?

Respectfully Submitted

A Human Being Near You

P.S. Please write back with your answers......

Pain and Pleasure

2010-07-26T16:09:00Z

It has been said that we all make changes based on two feelings all of us share as human beings: AVOID PAIN and SEEK PLEASURE. PAIN is a strange thing , it seems sometimes we can get comfortable with certain PAIN, a PAIN in the neck {No pun intended}some physical PAIN, broken heart , the PAIN of letting an economic shift put us in survive rather than thrive mode. The PAIN I’m talking about today is the PAIN a lot of us have gotten comfortable with month after month after month….The under performing salesperson, I have had them, thought they were a good hire, trained them, helped them, coached and encouraged them, even liked who they are as people. Month after month they are selling 4,5 or 6 a month, you don’t want to cut them loose, at least you know what you got……PAIN and you are comfortable with it!

It’s time to avoid that feeling of PAIN. The math is simple, you have 2, 3 maybe 4 of these Painful situations on your floor let’s say 2, they average maybe 6 a month? Take those 2 X 6 vehicles X your average gross_____ example $2000 = $24,000 per month $288,000 a year.

SEEK PLEASURE tear off that Band-Aid I know it may hurt for a moment and replace those 2 with 3 “Committed, Well Trained Salespeople, With No Bad Habits” Again the math is simple and these people are going to perform just a tiny bit better just as an example 3 X 8 vehicles X $2100 average gross = $50,400 per month, $604,000 per year…What if you take all those numbers X 2? PLEASURE FOUND! Owners this means bigger boat and or knocking your competition off your street, managers….get paid on % of Gross?

AutoMax has solutions that are PAIN FREE and VERY PLEASURABLE with GUARANTEED RESULTS!

Change is hard and we get it, but who is running your floor, you or “Six Car Sam?”

"Well I Guess I Could Always Sell Cars"

2010-06-29T20:11:00Z

The year was 1974 Nixon was president, U.S. population was 213 million the Dow was at 600 average cost of a new home was $39, 000, and cars were $3200 Household income was $11,000!!!!!!!...Stamps were .08 and gas was .58 the top song that year was The Way We Were by Streisand and there was NO fashion.

I had tried and had three failed attempts at college, no degree, was making $175 a week working in a garage and was about to get married, not a winning formula.

The very LAST thing I wanted to do was to sell cars and of course that’s exactly what I ended up doing. I won’t tell you it was easy, nothing worth having ever is, I won’t tell you I got rich overnight, that rarely happens, I won’t tell you I didn’t need to sacrifice or commit, success comes to those that are willing to both.

I will however tell you that 36 years later I have been so blessed by what the Automobile business has given me. Have been able to buy homes, save money, pay my bills, schooling for the kids, money away for the grand kids, trips, investments etc. The so many people lives I have been able to touch and help develop them so they could achieve the same things I have is a very special part of my life.

So the question you probably should ask yourself is should I try? Yoda said” There is no try ,there is only do or not do”….Just thought I would throw that in there but YES….go try worst case you go interview, get some training and decide it isn’t for you after all. The flip side of that could also be try it, interview get some training and gradually become great and make more money than you ever thought you could make.

I know some of you are saying “I’m not a salesperson”…baloney everything we do is sales, its how we get anything in our lives, the relationship your in, you name it, it’s sale in some form.

I know some of you are saying” That’s a 100% commission job”….baloney, whoever told you that is misinformed. Like any potential six figure career a lot of your compensation is based on your performance as it should be , but many things have changed in the industry and more “guaranteed” money is out there plus bonus, plus spiffs, plus benefits, etc

I know some people will say “You went to college for 4 years and you’re going to sell cars?”…answer is yes….and those are the very same people that will be asking to borrow money from you and wonder how you bought that second car and that new place to live.

….and finally I know some of you got to this site by saying, “Well I guess I can always sell cars”

Yes you can, provided you make the commitment needed to succeed just like anything else…Cortez made a commitment telling his men to burn their ships there was no going back.

It’s like the ham and egg sandwich, the chicken was involved…the pig was committed!

Good Stuff

2010-06-22T18:34:00Z

The greatest gap in life is the one between knowing and doing.

Life would certainly be easier - and success more simple - if all it took to achieve was to KNOW the right things and DECIDE to do them, right? But I think it's more accurate to say that a decision is just one bookend of achievement. The other is discipline. Decisions can only help us start. Discipline helps us finish.

That's where character comes in. Emotion might drive us to make a decision. But character is what keeps us going, even when it gets hard.

In Developing the Leader Within You, I wrote about some differences between character-driven and emotion-driven people:

Character-driven people...

Do right, then feel good.
Are commitment driven.
Make principle-based decisions.
Let action control attitude.
Believe it, then see it.
Create momentum.
Ask, "What are my responsibilities?
Continue when problems arise.
Are steady.
Are leaders.

Emotion-driven people...

Feel good, then do right.
Are convenience-driven.
Make popular decisions.
Let attitude control action.
See it, then believe it.
Wait for momentum.
Ask, "What are my rights?"
Quit when problems arise.
Are moody.
Are followers.

The late Louis L'Amour is one of the best-selling authors of all time, with over 300 million copies of his popular western novels and short-story collections sold. When asked the key to his prolific writing, he responded, "Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned.

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Thomas Jefferson

Do You Have a Salesperson Recruitment Plan?

2010-04-28T17:28:50Z

AutoMax is the country’s largest recruiter and trainer of inexperienced salespeople for the automobile industry. That’s just a fact! We have held over 10,000 recruiting/training campaigns and helped develop over 85,000 people over the last 12 years. What you are about to read may puzzle you a bit but I feel it is well worth your time.

The last couple of years have been “interesting”, to say the least. All of us have had to make some pretty dramatic changes to survive/thrive during these times. Survival has meant letting good people go, and cutting almost everything we felt wasn’t profit producing, and some that probably WERE! We had to look at every single facet of our business and that, of course, for most of us was probably way overdue.

Thriving during this period of time for many has meant indentifying what we are willing to do that our competition is not willing to do and to take massive action to eliminate some competition.

Same is lame…..

Lately, the news has been mostly good. Things are turning. Car and truck sales are increasing. Floor traffic is up. Dealers now need more salespeople.

STOP THE MADNESS! How many times are we going to do the same thing we have always done? Sales increase, we run an ad, traffic is up, we run an ad, a couple salespeople leave, we run an ad…we react, react and react some more.

You recruit salespeople yourself and go through that pain and agony, or you choose to use a “vendor” like AutoMax. Either way, as dealers, it’s the same reaction to a situation rather than a solution to a problem, or even better, taking advantage of an opportunity.

The opportunity is this: outstanding talent is available provided you handle the recruitment, hiring and initial training of those people properly and professionally. Don’t get me wrong, AutoMax can continue doing what we have always done. When you need us we set it up, handle everything and fill that current need.

BUT…..what if we changed how we look at recruiting and initially training salespeople? What if we looked at recruiting like we have had all other aspects of our businesses? LET’S BE PROACTIVE….create a consistent plan, with a predetermined outcome or goal in mind, rather than a knee-jerk reaction to current economic conditions regardless of what they are.

Example: How many vehicles were you selling 2-3 years ago?

How many people did you have then?

How much time did you spend training, coaching, and mentoring those new people?

If you were doing 100 then with 12 people, do you truly expect to do 100 again with 7?

The answer of course is no, so that means you need at least 5 new people, so you call us. We do what we do and get a bunch of people there, interview them, recruit them, train them and push you to hire the 5 or 6 you need.

STOP RIGHT THERE! Mistakes are made that way….and pretty soon you look around and a few months later you have like 2 left and say “it didn’t work”. Well right you are.

Let’s have a plan, a goal that we can help you with. Take your time, let’s plan ahead. Do 3 campaigns a year to not only fill the “holes” to get you back to where you were, but let’s grow, and take advantage of what we have in front of us. Take a few less and really hire the right ones. Let’s train them properly up front and perhaps grow to a sales force in this example of 14-16 and sell 125-135 and do what your competition isn’t willing or able to do!

Look, we will take your money and when you call on a Thursday we will be there the following Monday and get it done. But now is the time to finally do it right. Slow down; let’s really communicate so we both know what your long term goals for your store are and how AutoMax can help get you there.

Do You Have a Salesperson Recruitment Plan?

2010-04-28T17:26:00Z

Thriving during this period of time for many has meant indentifying what we are willing to do that our competition is not willing to do and to take massive action to eliminate some competition.

Same is lame…..

Lately, the news has been mostly good. Things are turning. Car and truck sales are increasing. Floor traffic is up. Dealers now need more salespeople.

Example: How many vehicles were you selling 2-3 years ago?

How many people did you have then?

How much time did you spend training, coaching, and mentoring those new people?

If you were doing 100 then with 12 people, do you truly expect to do 100 again with 7?

STOP RIGHT THERE! Mistakes are made that way….and pretty soon you look around and a few months later you have like 2 left and say “it didn’t work”. Well right you are.

For Leaders Only!

2010-04-14T16:45:00Z

Need Pumped up?

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs079/1102017732982/archive/1103301963014.html

AutoMax Asks:We are in 20 Dealerships this week Recruiting and Training Salespeople,150-200 new people into our industry this week alone. Other than being Committed,what do you feel they will need to do to succeed?

2010-03-29T21:18:00Z

Several answers from this recent post on Facebook
1) have the right attitude to succed rhen focus on the training and practice drill and rehearse daily
2) Believe in yourself that you can do what you put your mind to do ..surround yourself with good and talented people who are successful, treat everyday like the last day of the month and most of all when you make a sale ask for referrals....
I've been on the biz for aright at 20years and I always continue to learn something everyday and the product ... See Moreknowledge always need to be at the top of your list due to the products are always changing and competitors are always looking for "your client/customer " ...
3)AutoMax Recruiting

Attitude is key,agreed.....and Karen I like what you say about a person's "peer group" hang around knuckleheads,you at best can become King of the Knuckleheads.
That last day of the month thing is hard for 'Greenpeas to relate to yet so important.
Aaron how do you think we can get people to "rehearse" daily?? No doubt that;'s important but who really does that?...who would "police" it?
4) What better way to start each day? partner up, walk the inventory...go check out the new trade ins etc. and rehearse something each day. Its the sales manager's job to "sell" the idea to the sales people. Call it batting practice. A baseball game does not start without batting practice. Each day practice something new. Now I'm I'm preaching to the choir, I don't have to tell you how much better you'd be
5) AutoMax Recruiting

all true ...now who is going to "motivate" the sales managers to do that for the salespeople?
I know when I ran stores I had all good intentions of doing this and that each day to help either my salespeople or my managers be more suceesful....but then...."realiity" set in...
6)

I think it is the job ..of the F & I Director. If there is one !!
If no Director...Then the Servicing Co. selling products to the Dealer. In house training..after they come back from AutoMax. Or my company Maximus auto Group. That is what we do ...much harder than just dropping off products!!!
To answer your question..WHO does it? Only the Professionals....those who have a CAREER...NOT A JOB !!
I have 39 years in our Industry and it has always been a
Professional Career. Your friend ...Sparky
7)

How about the Automax Trainer? Set a daily goal with the Sales Manager. Call/Text each morning ask...what are you up against today? how many appointments? How many ups yesterday?, how many sold? Whats todays batting practice topic?

8)Last week we discussed Coaches. Sales Managers need someone to coach them, who better than Automax?
9)AutoMax Recruiting

Wow this is great stuff people.....I have a national conference call each Tuesday morning with our 27 trainers....this will be talked about.
I really do feel it takes a third party to move everything along...the coaching aspect is very important,that's why Professional sports teams have so many...
Professional Career is so true Sparky....I have been at this 37 years myself and the guys I was around back then were just different....How do we find and DEVELOP people into Professionals?

10) The same way they put their "best foot forward" at the job interview they must do this w/ customers. You and the stores interview to see if they can be your salesperson. The customer is doing the same thing; interviewing them to see if they can be that customer's salesperson.
11) AutoMax Recruiting

ahhhhh...great point...and the client must feel that they are LIKED by the salesperson.
It really is about relationships

12)

It is a little like having a greeter at a sale. If you want to know the real count a 3rd party person will get the job done. Every Mgr at the stores are maxed out with there day to day responsibilities, most do not have time or the want and desire to train salespeople or any other department for that matter. The need part is there just forgotten ... See Moreabout. Alliances with pro's to go in and train all aspects of profit centers in each store is the NEED! For example F&I, after sell products, prospecting, from service to sales is what every dealership SHOULD be doing. Then next month rotate it all again. Menu selling "the total package" would service all of us best and the stores as well. Having dealers forecast 6 months out training and support for each department every week. No skips. These stores could do nothing but grow!

Read to your kids,managers,salespeople,staff,friends and loved ones

2009-04-20T23:58:00Z

Characters

Narrator
Chicken Little
Henny Penny
Ducky Lucky
Goosey Loosey
Turkey Lurkey
Villain: Foxy Loxy

Narrator: Chicken Little was in the woods one day when an acorn fell on her head. It scared her so much she trembled all over. She shook so hard, half her feathers fell out.

Chicken Little: "Help! Help! The sky is falling! I have to go tell the king!"

Narrator: So she ran in great fright to tell the king. Along the way she met Henny Penny.

Henny Penny: "Where are you going, Chicken Little?"

Chicken Little: "Oh, help! The sky is falling!"

Henny Penny: "How do you know?"

Chicken Little: "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"

Henny Penny: "This is terrible, just terrible! We'd better hurry up."

Narrator: So they both ran away as fast as they could. Soon they met Ducky Lucky.

Ducky Lucky: "Where are you going, Chicken Little and Henny Penny?"

Chicken Little & Henny Penny: "The sky is falling! The sky is falling! We're going to tell the king!"

Ducky Lucky: "How do you know?"

Chicken Little: "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head."

Ducky Lucky: "Oh dear, oh dear! We'd better run!"

Narrator: So they all ran down the road as fast as they could. Soon they met Goosey Loosey walking down the roadside.

Goosey Loosey "Hello there. Where are you all going in such a hurry?"

Chicken Little: "We're running for our lives!"

Henny Penny: "The sky is falling!"

Ducky Lucky: "And we're running to tell the king!"

Goosey Loosey: "How do you know the sky is falling?"

Chicken Little: "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"

Goosey Loosey: "Goodness! Then I'd better run with you."

Narrator: And they all ran in great fright across a field. Before long they met Turkey Lurkey strutting back and forth..

Turkey Lurkey: "Hello there, Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, and Goosey Loosey. Where are you all going in such a hurry?"

Chicken Little: "Help! Help!"

Henny Penny: "We're running for our lives!"

Ducky Lucky: "The sky is falling!"

Goosey Loosey: "And we're running to tell the king!"

Turkey Lurkey: "How do you know the sky is falling?"

Chicken Little: "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"

Turkey Lurkey: "Oh dear! I always suspected the sky would fall someday. I'd better run with you."

Narrator: So they ran with all their might, until they met Foxy Loxy.

Foxy Loxy: "Well, well. Where are you rushing on such a fine day?"

Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey (together) "Help! Help!" It's not a fine day at all. The sky is falling, and we're running to tell the king!"

Foxy Loxy: "How do you know the sky is falling?"

Chicken Little: "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"

Foxy Loxy: "I see. Well then, follow me, and I'll show you the way to the king."

Narrator: So Foxy Loxy led Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey across a field and through the woods. He led them straight to his den, and they never saw the king to tell him that the sky is falling.

...

AutoMax Completes "Trainer Training" Program in Charlotte, NC

2008-07-09T18:05:00Z

We recently had a great training course for our new AutoMax trainers. The AutoMax Sales Training program in Charlotte lasted two weeks and was very intense.

Below are portions of some of the email feedback I have received regarding the training program:

"I want to thank you first of all for the opportunity. I guarantee that within a few months, you will be glad you gave me this chance. Your style of training and your passion for your business just rubs off and you definitely rubbed off on me, I promise you that I will try my best to show the same passion every day of my training."

"First of all I want to thank you for everything. I have learned so much in the last eight days. I have a totally different outlook on life and truly want to change people's lives now. I can't wait to start. It was a genuine pleasure. I have a lot of respect for what you have done with the company and hope this is the beginning a mutually profitable relationship for both of us."

"These past 10 days have been wonderful. I don't have much to say but, thank you. I really believe this is the turning point in my life. Every time I have had a trainer come to the dealership, I said that is something I want to do. I am absolutely excited and pumped to positively change some lives. These past days really showed me the true meaning of "synergy'. All these guys we were there with are wonderful. I am very excited to keep in touch with all of them. Thanks again."

"First of all, I appreciate the opportunity, I was very uncertain about what to expect when I agreed to come to the AutoMax :"Trainer" Training. I was a little worried that my background was not the typical Automotive Dealership background and I may not fit in. It did not take me long to figure out that it was not an issue. The other trainees were supportive and wanted everyone to succeed. I have never worked in an environment where "Synergy" was so important and the fact that you were able to bring a team of exceptional people together and teach us to work towards a common goal in such a short period of time is truly remarkable."

"It was a pleasure working with you these last two weeks. It was more intense than I expected, but a pleasant surprise. I got a lot out of the all the training and enjoyed working with the group as well. I have already purchased another Og Mandino book and I have re-read "A Better Way to Live" several times. Thanks again for everything."

"The training session was great. It has been a long time since I have had a major challenge. The manner in which you did so was nothing less than spectacular. The look in everyone's eyes when we were studying together was that of determination. The synergy in the room was an expierence I will never forget. The book "A Better Way To Live" has made me re-evaluate how I treat others and I look forward to using the book at this cornerstone in my llife. The information you instilled in us is something that we can use in all avenues of our lives."

Craig Lockerd Sales Training Sample

2008-06-12T20:25:00Z

This is an excerpt from one of our audio CD's entitled: Road to a Sale: The Approach & Interview. Just a sample of some very effective sales training techniquest provided by AutoMax Sales Training & Consulting!

AutoMax Training Class - 50 Names ( Who Needs Name Tags? )

2008-05-29T16:10:00Z

John Priest, an AutoMax trainer, demonstrates the power of face recognition and name memorization.

AutoMax Sales Training and Consuting Podcast

2008-05-26T16:25:00Z

Podcast for AutoMax Sales Training. This episode features a welcome message from Craig Lockerd -- president and founder of AutoMax.

Get Dealers to see the Light

2008-02-08T02:14:00Z

How can we start to have dealers see the importance of ongoing training and development?

Become a Trainer

2008-02-05T12:20:00Z

Want to live a normal life? No night,no weekends,control your life....give back what you have been given?...Be an AutoMax Trainer!

AutoMax...Commitment........Salespeople

2008-02-01T04:31:00Z

At AutoMax we commit to training,developing and helping new salespeople reach their potential!

AutoMax Sales Training

2008-01-30T13:12:00Z

Training New Trainers

2008-01-23T23:54:00Z

Just finished up 8 days with four new trainers joining AutoMax,what a joy! The change that comes over very sucessful people learning a new way of doing things,changing their diresction in thier lives is unreal.The comments they make,their faces,the passion they get started with,my hope is that fire that's been started keeps getting hotter and hotter.