Have I Told You Lately That I Love You

Have I told you lately that I love you

Have I told you there’s no one else above you

You sell your cars with gladness

and take away customers’ sadness

Ease their troubles, that’s what you do

 There’s a love that’s divine

and it’s yours and it’s mine, selling cars

And at the end of the day

you should give thanks and get paid

you’re a rock star, better by far

If no one has told you lately that they love you, let me tell you that I do.

I love you. Yes, you, the automotive professional, the car salesman. You are a special and unique brand of human being and a gift to the profession of sales.

I know you sometimes think people don’t like you. There are days when you don’t like you! You’re tired of the long hours and people assuming the worst stereotypes about you. Maybe even when you told your family you’re going into car sales, they winced. And yet, here you are, going to your job every day.

• You work 60 hours per week
• You work holidays and your days off
• You go out on the lot in the rain and snow to clean cars
• You had the guts to get a job in the industry where 40% don’t make past their first 90 days and another 60% are terminated in their 1st  year
• You said No to the certainty of a standard salary in exchange for the opportunity to double it, even though there were no guarantees

And what have you accomplished?

Since the 1890’s when the first automobiles were sold, you have been responsible for helping the world move – literally. In the US there were almost 16,000,000 cars sold in 2014. There are over 1 billion vehicles on the road across the globe today.

You are the driver (pun intended) of the U.S. economy. You create jobs and help people get to their jobs. When you sell a car, it impacts the economy. Sounds unbelievable? Check out this case study reported by Ford Motor Company: ¹

“The automotive industry is a major contributor to national and global economies. From 2000 to 2010, the industry contributed an average of 3.6 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product – or nearly $444 billion…”

“The influence of the automotive industry is quite broad. In the U.S., the auto industry supports jobs and economic benefits through related employment at dealers, suppliers and service shops, and through the expenditures of people employed by those industries. One recent study found that approximately 8 million private-sector jobs are impacted by U.S. auto manufacturers, suppliers and dealers, and the industry contributes more than $500 billion in compensation annually. The auto industry has one of the highest multipliers of any industry in the U.S. economy, and is sufficiently large that its growth or contraction can be detected by changes in the GDP…”

YOU are doing that!

And to you, I salute!

I salute to you who build value by practicing a skill that is both a science and an art. I am amazed how you’ve learned to sell emotions through stories while not taking advantage of either.

I salute to you who serve your customers and deliver MASSIVE value. I am humbled by your work ethic and your commitment to customer enthusiasm. It’s not enough for you to have satisfied customers. You desire raving fans and you go out of your way to create them!

I salute to you who overcome fears and failures every day and go out to meet your next customer with a smile and a desire to help.

At some point you fell in love with what you do and I’m sure you would do it for free if the money wasn’t so good, and for some of you it is GOOD! The top 25% of you make $55,000 or more, the top 10% earn $75,000 or more, and the top 5% bring in over $100,000!

And YOU are the reason for your success.

YOU are also the reason I exist.

You are the reason I travel and stay in hotels away from my wife, the reason I stay up late on Facebook, or on the phone texting or talking to salespeople (some of whom I’ve never met). You are the reason I read countless books on sales and attend sales seminars. You are the reason I study and write, and record, and train and stay sharp. I do it because I am your brother in arms and a fellow soldier in the sales field. I do it out of a deep and profound respect for what you do.

Have I told you lately that I love you? If not, please allow me to do so now … I love you and I care about you! You are important to me. And I appreciate you – even if you don’t think anyone else does sometimes.

¹ http://corporate.ford.com/microsites/sustainability-report-2010-11/economy-case-economic