Idea Letter

Welcome Bill Stephenson as Commercial Accounts Manager to Ron DuPratt Ford in Dixon. Bill is a welcome addition to the team and comes with many years of management experience at a manufacturing plant in Vacaville. Bill not only displays a can do attitude--he's actually doing it! He has put together a number of partnership offsite events in his first couple of weeks! Way to go Bill! Bill can be reached at 707-333-6589. Update: In such a short time, Bill has put together a number of events and opportunities to show Ron DuPratt's products and team up with event personnel to benefit them both. He put together a display and prize giveaway at a grand opening of a new store in town. Then he teamed up with the Dixon fairgrounds directors to be involved in a number of different events that they have going on. This last weekend was his third event: A dog show! His display was at the entrace to the grounds, so they couldn't miss him. He worked the weekend this week, but I am sure he got some leads to follow up on and maybe some quotes beside. In addition to creating heretofor unused opportunities, he has put some good energy and technique into his display alongside the busy I-80 freeway and as a direct result of the display, sold two upfitted trucks! No sitting around waiting for it to happen here. Great job Bill. That is the way to demonstrate commitment so early in the game. Rock on! 2nd Update: Bill is following leads from his events and has already driven a number of clients to his service department. He has a number of quotes in the works from events and is planning a number of other events in the next few months. Bill has just started his prospecting in person system as well. "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. . ." - Robert Collier. "Little by little does the trick" - Aesop. Keep on growing Bill. You cannot help but succeed. 3rd Update: The week before last Bill participated in an event at the Dixon Fairgounds. I talked about it in the update above. It was a Dog show. That's right. . . a dog show. Not the kind of event that would go with car or truck sales, right? Wrong. They sold two pickups off that show and are still working a couple more prospects. That is the way to make things happen. I think that is an outstanding result for a reasonable effort--especially in the current market! Bill took a bold step also, to arrange to have Ron DuPratt Ford be the main sponsor for the very popular, annual Dixon May Fair coming in May of 2008. They got a package deal and they get front page of the publication going out to over 3,000 people plus being available at the fair itself. They also get premium display space and will have a great display for the weekend long event. Huge! That was an awesome move, Bill! And, get this. . . it cost $5,000 and he got it approved with his mental drawing of the event and how it would benefit the entire store. Huge! I just love the fact that Bill has taken charge of this department and is making it happen. They have sold two 06's just from their great display on I-80. He has more offsite display opportunities he is working on, but has begun his prospecting activities in earnest. "Put the uncommon effort into the common task. . . make it large by doing it in a great way." - Orison Swett Marden 4th Update: Dixon MayFair cover shot photo with the '56 T-Bird has been taken and cover is ready to go and finishing up on inside ad. This will be a great advertisement for the dealership before and during the event which is not until May. There are a lot of little details and follow up involved in all of these projects, but they are paying off slowing and consistently. In the current market, this is a huge benefit. In addition to the offsite event planning and expansion, the Ford announced special deal for Firemen has motivated the DuPratt team to hit all the firehouses in a good range to take maximum advantage of that program. They have already sold two. Bill has also been invited to and is becoming a member of the Le Tip organization in Vacaville. This is a networking organization to help each other build their businesses or clientelle. For more information on this organization, go to their website at: www.letip.com. I also highly recommend the book, Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Black Book of Connections. 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships. It is available on the learning products page at www.comtrk.com. The foundation is the most important part of any structure and it takes a good deal of time to do it well. Keep up the foundation building Bill, they larger payoff is not far away. Keep the faith! Great job. "The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the promptings of a brave, determined spirit." - Mark Twain. 5th Update: Bill is a steady "Get-R-done" guy. He sees a goal and he just heads for it and keeps focused on it until he gets it. How can you lose with that attitude? There have already been quite a number of changes that have truly benefitted Ron DuPratt Ford by having Bill aboard. Some foundational network building steps were sorely needed and have been accomplished in fine order. Stay tuned for exciting news in the coming weeks. . . "Vision. . . .It reaches beyond the thing that is, into the conception of what can be. Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own." - Robert Collier. 6th Update: All outside events under control. Attending more networking organizations in and around the area. Three sales last week, one upfit sold. Gaining momentum day by day, hour by hour, event by event, prospect by prospect. Like an animal on the hunt, Bill is sniffing out every opportunity and taking full advantage of each and every one. It is impossible to fail with that frame of mind--regardless of the current economic climate. "Where every physical and mental resource is focused, one's power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously." - Norman Vincent Peale. 7th Update: Gaining much momentum on networking and attending local area functions such as Chamber of Commerce meetings, etc. Several quotes working since last week with numerous quotes out on upfits. Working on some new outside events in connecting city. It is rare to see the follow through that I have seen so far with Bill. He makes a decision of an action and direction and he just gets in there and makes it happen. You gotta love that kind of response in an employee! Nose to the grindstone Bill. Getter Done Bill. "Energy and persistence conquer all things." - Benjamin Franklin. 8th Update: Beginning to make some sales and continuing to build on networking and prospecting. Nobody said this wouldn't be work, but Bill doesn't seem to hide the fact that he is having a good time. Of course that is the right attitude and it does make the days short and more important it is making a solid foundation to build on. "What we think or what we know or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do." - John Ruskin [New updates next week]

Darron Kendall has just come aboard to lead the commercial department at Hansel Ford in Santa Rosa. Darron has a good deal of success at the helm of a commercial truck department and has most recently been adding to his skills as a used car manager (what were you thinking?). Darron is very creative and there is no doubt that he will grow the commercial department to new heights. Darron is full of life and enthusiasm and a joy to be around. Please welcome Darron. He can be reached at 707-543-7300. Update: Darron has been away from Commercial Trucks for a few years, but he is floating on the enthusiasm for this game and is lining up all the marketing magic he is working toward. I've seen this look on his face before, and I gotta tell you: It's DAMN EXCITING! Slow market? Not in that mind. Sluggish economy? Who do you think you're talking to? I can feel it coming. It's going to explode in the next 2-3 weeks. I've got my shield ready. No Fender Strat for this job--it's gotta ROCK--we need the heavy hitter: The Les Paul! With the Marshall Stack! Rock on Darron! 2nd Update: Mailer is happening, inventory is ready, activity is building and results are a given. Attitude is EVERYTHING! As Ed Bailey is always saying, we don't want to confuse activity with results. But, see it (visualize it already done) and believe it (know it your heart and mind it is yours) and it must come to pass. That is why attitude is everything! Stop reading the paper and watching the news. It's all a lie. "Success is the sum of detail." - Harvey S Firestone 3rd Update: Just spent part of the last week with his team polishing off a pile of political sub bids. Whew! Those things will make you crazy. Mailer is done and ready and scheduled to go out this week with follow up mailers scheduled later. Four upfits sold last week. Rock on! That's what I'm talking about! Darron makes large plans. He sees a vision of what he is going to achieve and then he sets out with confidence that he will achieve it. He doesn't allow any setbacks to move him off the goal. He is focused and full of expectant energy. Four upfits last week. . . who wouldn't want to say that? Go big! Go bold! Go Darron! "Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations!" - Ralph Charell 4th Update: Sold a WorkMaster on an F36 and delivered a couple more to the City of Santa Rosa from a previous bid. Putting out a ton of bids and getting back into the game. Darron is also focused on regaining some accounts that have gradually moved away from the dealership. Gotta pay attention all the time. Their main direct mail piece is ready to go and should be in the mail this week. Pulling together, gathering the forces, developing and providing the vision and the plan of achievement. . . so little time. . . and temporarily is Used Car Manager at the same time. . .so little time. . .but if anybody can pull this off, it is you Darron! Just do it! "High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation." - Jack and Garry Kinder 5th Update: Mailer is ready and going in the mail, bids are out, relationships rebuilding, team building momentum, new fire and focus. Can't wait to see what happens (except I already know. . . and it's awesome!) Here's why: "You have to thing big to be big." - Claude M Bristol. 6th Update: The focus in the last few weeks on some key bids has paid off in a big way. This took a huge amount of effort in time and energy, but a number of key bids have been made and won and will make all the difference in next year's bottom line. In just a few weeks it is amazing the changes and progress that can be made with a good plan and good focus. Great job Darron and Paul and Ed! You rock! "Vision. . . .It reaches beyond the thing that is, into the conception of what can be. Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own." - Robert Collier. 7th update: Mailer is out and working. Inventory has changed and some key unique pieces have arrived. Sales being made and more deals working. Darron is convinced the economy is on the upswing though dealers all around him disagree. Is he wrong? We'll see in a short time. "I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often." - Brian Tracy. 8th Update: Darron doesn't believe in gathering earthquake supplies, he believes in sun tan lotion. One thing I know about Darron is that he knows the fruit is on the limb, not the trunk. He is a risk taker, but without risk, the rewards are tiny. Some ask "Why?", Darron asks, "Why not?" And, things are flowing smoothly and confidently toward the goal. Get this: he even has is triangle reflector kits and fire extinguishers! What are you thinking??? Don't you know that business sucks? Why aren't you cutting your inventory? What is wrong with you? Don't you read the papers? Watch the news? See the prices at the pump? Darron just says, "I'm planning to succeed. Failure is not an option." Well, we will just have to see how this saga plays out, won't we! "The secret to my success is that I bit off more than I could chew and chewed as fast as I could." - Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee). [New updates next week]