You Can’t Handle the Truth – A Sales Meeting w/ Grant

Grant didn't buy that nice suit giving out bad advice. I loved that video! That probably applies to a lot of people, and not just salespeople. Now let's see, P-R-O-S-P-E-C-T-I-N-G.

Love it! Straight up. Thanks Grant.

Not my type of training. I've become successful by building my sales people as individuals and promoting the success that they have the natural building blocks for. Not cutting them down so that they are open receptive to listen to a new set of rules...

Though he does seem sharp.. Maybe he's got a good book.

Hagen, thanks for commenting. I agree it's very in your face. I think Grant was trying to make a point.

I agree with you. Work with your team, listen, educate, and then sell your managers and staff on the benefits of playing on the same team.

Of course if they continue to not play to expectation, sit them on the bench and find someone that will.

I watched this a second time with an assumption that he was talking to the dealer instead of the salesperson. In this case, I think he was right on target IMO..

There is too much old thinking that needs to evaporate..

I don't like anything that is negative towards anyone's family situation that is supposed to motivate. As well, a Grant Cardone quote about sales meetings seems to take another tack: "Focus on the 'wins not the losses! Take a few minutes at every meeting to congratulate salespeople for any and all completed goals, closed deals, and successes. Praise reinforces positive behavior and encourages everyone to do well. Keep the discussion relevant and don't allow people to present problems unless they also have potential solutions."

I think that if we as humans could listen past the style of the delivery and instead ask if any of this applies to us in any way, there is a growth oppurtunity. If an oppurtunity is discovered, we have a chance for growth. Watching from that vantage point had me not hear the tone, just the possibilities.

Jeff,

That is old hat for Grant,. He just retooled it a little. I prefer this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KYBV73OvZI

I agree with Hagen and jeff on this one. Why be so negative and where do you draw the line? You guys should check out this video on Dale Pollak's site:

http://www.dalepollak.com/2010/02/23/hostile-friday-meeting-video/

The sales manager was fired after the cell phone video got to management.

When I watched the video in the beginning I thought he was talking to management.

I think this is insulting. It is the opposite in what we should be preaching in our sales departments today. You can be a hard ass without being an A-Hole. With all due respect, Grant go into any showroom today as John Smith, under cover, no hair product or three piece suit, take ups and or work on an internet team (film it) and see how you do. I don’t think your fire and brim stone theatrics will hold up. Try working on the pay plans that most dealers have today. Selling has changed from when you were selling in 1952. It is a lot easier said than done. You are great for word tracks, the best in fact. Word tracks don’t work online. This last year has been tough on everybody. If sales people are struggling is not because they suck or they are not trying. Read any online source and you will see that the economy is getting worse not better. The “Truth” is Grant, that Unemployment rises in 30 states in January.

The “Truth” is that instead of kicking people when they are down, you build them back up. Telling people they suck gets nobody nowhere. For a guy who trains sales people for a living I thought you would have known better than to be a condescending negative naysayer.

I love the "word tracks don't work online" comment!

Then why do 99% of ISM's still send out the same obviously templated, ineffective auto response (and "personal" response) they have been sending since they got "promoted?"

And Kris: there is no "if" in salespeople sucking. They do suck, just like golfers. Except the professionals. Or the ones that at the very least TRY to make themselves better.

Reminds me of Glen Gary Glen Ross...ABC always be closing and Coffee is for Closers.There are too many good people in the business today for this approach to work effectively in my opinion. I did not see where he offered any advice or training, just hammering how bad "you suck". It is OK to try and get their attention but you have to give them something to take away from the meeting that would make them better, I did see that.

Timmy, speak for yourself. I would like to see where you get the 99% stat that everybody sends out the same stuff. The ISM's I know are always trying new processes and templates out to respond back to their customers. Sales people DO NOT suck! Maybe you are speaking about yourself sucking. People with your attitude are thankfully getting out of our industry. You’re on a "new school" site like Dealerrefresh.com with that "old school" BS mind think. You have obviously never been a leader in a store. You may have the title, but you are no leader. Cardone's stuff is good for taking ups and word tracks once they are belly to belly with a customer. No argument there. However, calling everybody a weak suck and belittling their commitment is crap. Shawn Morse is 100% correct in saying that there is a lot more to building a team than just telling everybody they suck, say a few swear words and calling that a sales meeting. Maybe back in 1952 when the Edsel was flooding show room floors and or when they were selling covered wagons. That junk does not work in today's show rooms or in any modern sales force. I feel sorry for anybody that would have to report to you on a daily basis.

Krissy,

You obviously did not get my point. You made the comment that word tracks don't work online. I think what you meant to say is that the SAME word tracks that work "belly to belly" don't necessarily also work online. But if you are sending templates (even if you change them now and then in an effort to find out what works), you are using word tracks...most likely the wrong ones.

As for me sucking, well, I can tell you that I have invested in continuing education, I'm always hungry for new ideas, constantly critique myself, practice and rehearse my techniques, seek guidance from within and outside of our industry...and, while I have continually improved not only my skills but my title and my position and my lot in life, I still have a long way to go.

Unfortunately, most salespeople in this industry I have encountered (IS"M" or otherwise) are not like me. And if you are to be honest with yourself, you will admit that most YOU have encountered are not like me (and maybe even you) either. I know they are out there, but let's be honest, we are few and far between. Most salespeople don't want to become professionals (hence the golf analogy in my last post), and therefore THEY SUCK.

I'm far from "old school," Kris. I'm 30. And old school mentality disgusts me. All these guys who think that just because something worked 25 years ago it will work today will be replaced by people like you and me. And like Grant says, "a business card does not make you a salesperson" any more than a set of golf clubs makes you a golfer.

And by the way, those who have reported to me on a daily basis, even those I have fired, respect me and I'm proud to call most of them my true friends to this day. They respect me because I never asked them to do anything that I wasn't willing to do myself...all I ever asked of them was to continually improve themselves. You don't have to feel sorry for anybody who reported to me.

I wish I could post my full real name here for full disclosure and so you wouldn't have to take my word for it, but because I was lured away from retail, I now have company policies to abide by that prohibit me from making comments like this one on a forum such as this. I know, now you're going to call me a sell out or call me weak for hiding behind a nickname.

Do our salespeople really suck? The Elephant in the Show Room is this: We get what we pay for. I've worked with some stellar salespeople in my life, and there are some on the typical car floor. However, the typical SALESperson isn't compensated for being stellar. Here's a quote from a salesmanager I know, as of last year: "Well, if they were any kind of GOOD salespeople, they would have been promoted to management!" . . . Think on that statement, folks--it really says it all for our industry.

Tim, I am only saying that Cardone is wrong in this video. Can you imagine Bill Walsh, Chuck Noll, or Herman Sazarosky, telling their players they suck in order to motivate them to win? This is a self aggrandizing, narcissistic, diatribe by a guy who has not sold cars this century.
He falls in the same category of “DA MAN” who last sold a car during the Nixon administration. Who ever got better by being told they suck? Electronic templates can get stale and you do have to keep them fresh. You attract more humming birds with sweet water than salt water.
Cardone owes every sales person an apology. Sales people are as good as the people that manage them. If they suck it’s the managers fault for not making them better or firing them. The coaches at San Diego couldn’t make Drew Brees a winner. It took a real coach at New Orleans to coach Drew and his teammates into World Champions. I guarantee you they were never told they suck while they were building their championship team.

I'm glad i retrained for a new profession. I really believe that i was a good sales rep, maybe not a high flyer, but steady.

I was ruined, by asshole sales managers, who were incompetent, and ego maniacs.

I never thought i would hate this profession, but i believe the sales rep will soon be a dinosaur. People can buy with a mouse click.

People are educated, they don't need a rep to lie to them. I can call in an order to any old CSR. It won't be long and sales people will be nothing more than kiosks.

I think a lot of people get offended by Grant on this one because they take it personally. If what he's saying doesn't apply to you in particular then you should disregard it.


On the other hand, some of us get ticked off because we don't like to hear things like that, even when they are true. I am a fan of positive motivation and Grant has, over the years, always told managers that they need to be more positive when they speak to their people so it's a bit contradicting to then say "this sucks that you're doing" and "this other thing about you suck" but at the end of the day there really are some folks out there who fit what he described exactly.


There are some folks who can benefit by one or two things he said. I know that for me, I try to see if there is a little truth that I can grow from in everything rather than getting offended by the stuff that doesn't pertain to me personally anyway.


Going all the way back to Jerry's comment I have to say I agree. The reason most salespeople aren't successful is that they don't PROSPECT the right way.


It isn't because they're lazy or arrogant. It's because their manager handed them some business cards, showed them a board full of keys and said 'go get 'em tiger, remember 100% T.O., they don't leave without me talking to them'.


Sadly, that happens today at stores all over the country. That said, we can't blame it on our managers because most of them got shitty training too. So at the heart of things, Grant is 100% right. We have to look in the mirror and say to ourselves: "I chose to work in this industry and if nobody else will teach me how to do it well I'll take it upon myself to find the resources to succeed...period."


We are 100% responsible for our success and failure aren't we?