Take The Stairs

A couple of years ago I shared a video with you done by Rory Vaden. Rory is a young dynamic speaker whose theme is “Take The Stairs.” To summarize his concept for you it simply means taking the harder way. (VIDEO)

Most people would rather take the escalator than walk up the stairs. Human nature is to go the easy route. The route of least resistance. Many people fall into that category. They won’t take the hard way. It’s so much easier to stay with what they’ve got. “Don’t dare take the stairs.”

Here are four examples:

1. You’re reluctant to go to an “up system.” If you have half a brain you know it’s the only way to go, but you won’t do it because of the “fear factor.” The fear that all your “Superstars” will quit. You have to agree that if you think through all the elements of an up system it makes total sense. “Don’t dare take the stairs.”

2. Keeping used cars in your inventory past your timeline, whatever that line might be. “Fear factor” bites you again. It’s the fear of upsetting your used car manager by holding him/her to a discipline that, again, you know makes total sense. There are many elements to managing your used car inventory. It is not about losing a lot of money at the end of the timeline. It’s about daily disciplines and processes that you need to enforce. It’s easier to allow yourself to be sold on all those stupid reasons to keep those aged units in your inventory. “Don’t dare take the stairs.”

3. You continue to focus on average gross profit and you should, but you have to also be smart enough to understand the role that ROI plays in the equation. Some would rather live in the past of an imaginary concept of getting both high grosses and high volume. The easy way is to beat your management team up about how bad their grosses are. The hard way is for you and your team to understand the importance of tracking ROI and the role it plays in your bottom line. (FixRoi.com) “Don’t dare take the stairs.”

4. Bubba still works for you. Bubba did a great job 20, 15, 10 or even 5 years ago. But, Bubba just won’t accept the role of technology in our business. Oh, Bubba says he’s on board, but you keep getting the same old stupid results and he keeps on selling you on the fact that he “gets it.”

Bubba wants you to believe that using technology is a race to the bottom. Not true. Using technology is a tool to position you in the best place to maximize gross, turn and volume.
Bubba says it’s not his fault the numbers suck because the market is so screwed up. Bubba keeps telling you he’s all over the new age technology concept, but the reality is that nothing is changing for you except your numbers keep going further in the tank.

One of Bubba’s biggest attributes over the years has been his ability to “sell.” Especially selling you. You like being sold. We all like being sold. Being sold is far easier than using your own brain to think it through and to replace Bubba’s butt. “Don’t dare take the stairs.”

Taking the stairs requires pain and discipline. You get to choose whether to take the stairs or not. For me, I’m done writing this. I have a bunch of stairs to go climb. That’s all I’m gonna say.Tommy Gibbs