« Fresh & Easy Reneges on It’s Coupon Program | Home | The brilliance of Starbucks »
There’s still room for all of us
By Charles Martin | February 16, 2009
If you can unplug the co-ax (and I recommend you do) you can get away from the down down downer of CNN and all the rest. Their job cut counter is getting kind of ridiculous.
I was on a con call today with my auto homies and I spoke of a dealer group that I had lunch with last week. They’re a SoCal leader. You’ve probably bought a car there. This dealer group in particular has a message for their 700 weary employees (which they boldly gathered in one BMW service bay during business hours for this special message). That message is: “we’re here for the long run”. “we’re building new stores.” “we’re going to sell cars in this “down” market.” “we are figuring out how to survive at these levels.” How come this never made it to Fox News? Maybe I missed the local feed, I dunno, but I don’t think anyone in the media took note.
I certainly heard it and it’s only because there are lots of folks out there in lots of niche businesses finding their way and making money at it [thanks hollywood bc for that link]. That last phrase from the dealer stuck a chord. “we are figuring out how to survive at these levels.” That’s really what it may be about right now. Coming into a new sense of how profits are made will be key for this dealership. I imagine surviving at these levels means that foolishness and short-term upticks are not as prevalent. I also think it means using on hand data, outside metrics, and easy to do but oft-forgotten analysis of all kinds to refine how things get done. There’s a number cruncher in your organization that’s just salivating to show you why people do what they do and how it effects your bottom line. I’m certainly one of those crunchers. It also means telling costly customers good-bye. Yes, you heard me. This is a great time to put your focus on those customers that care about what you do as a whole rather than what you do for one or two people.
In the auto market it’s probably this : “we need a win-win deal to survive so won’t you meet us halfway and we promise we’ll be here for your next deal with sweeter terms?…” In other parts of the down economy it’s as much finding middle ground with your customers as anything else. My feeling is also that once everyone cuts the copy paper bill back as far as it will go, folks and the companies they work for will figure out it is still a commitment to great service that will carry the long load. And yes, it also means in many corners of the auto sector they really need to make better cars.
This means NOT doing what CITI, Amex, Chase and others are doing on credit cards by cutting unused lines and adding in every imaginable fee (and yes, they are doing it to all of us, even the 800 fico folks) while also taking a tax-payer funded slush fund with no culpability. This is also not a time to try and wring every imaginable profit out of a client even if you can. I get a lot of contractor post cards in my mailbox now and these are the same cocky SOBs that flaunted their full 1 year schedules at me in 2004 and 2005. I bet if they had been less greedy then, their happy customer base would be immense and they wouldn’t have had to buy that expensive list of homeowners and send out millions of pounds of snail mail. Guys like me hate snail mail.
No, this actually is the time to say we call our best clients and prospects and say we need to identify the reasons we actually do business with you and here’s why we’ll continue to do it. We may need your help and cooperation so we can get it done together. Sure, American’s like their brands, their lattes, and their routines. If your routine has been interrupted lately, then I know you’re like me and you want to get back to (most) of it. But, there’s also nothing wrong with jettisoning some of the fat, the excess, and the time-suck that many of our routines have become.
Why not replace $pending time with time spent on those that need you and can’t afford a service or talent you provide. If you know piano, call up teachers in your school district and offer your services for free to their moms. You’ll find that any parent of any wealth is cutting back. You might get a concert in your name one day. If you like rakes and shovels, clean up your elderly neighbor’s yard gratis once a month so she can cut back on the gardener cost and your neighborhood remains nice. There are tons of ideas like this just waiting to be found and worked on. You could kick your expensive cigarette habit and then advertise a meeting on Craig’s List to show others how. That’s a lot of $avings for strangers you don’t know yet. [I also personally hope each of you will take a few minutes out of your Target runs to actually RUN or do some sort -- any sort -- of exercise. I know the beauty of it's offering and how it provides my mind and soul the cleansing it needs. I am dying for you to find out on your own. I digress but wouldn't it be cool if this economy was responsible for America's massive weight loss initiative?]
When we all get working “at these levels” and making money at it, we’ll find there’s lots of room for those of us that know how to make the hard times work. Hopefully, when things rise again, we will take a pass on the notion of short term highs and remember the benefits of the steadier late 2009′s and 2010′s.
Good luck.
Topics: Big biz, Greats in business, Mind and Planet, Sales Acumen | No Comments »