I support global sales teams and, while my main work is 8-6, I'm doing global emails starting when I wake at 5 (Europe) and eventually hit the hay at 10 (Asia). These are often quick responses, but occasionally there's a huge deal that requires extra effort to win and the entire team pulls out the stops.
The reality is the internet age is transforming all businesses. If you want to just stay employed, you need to adapt to the new reality of internet commerce. Those that don't are going to get left behind.
Saleman, there are a lot of new startups looking to transform your business. If you don't get with the times, the sharks are going to have you for lunch. The days of letting people show up and you take orders is rapidly disappearing.
I suggest you read an article published in today's San Jose Mercury News about how the used car business is rapidly transforming via technology: "Virtual dealers make buying used cars painless." Read it and you'll learn that the classical used car business is in the sights of some agile and aggressive startup companies:
The used car business -- estimated at $640 to $700 billion in 2015 -- "has changed little over the past 50 years," according to IBISWorld's 2015 industry report.But change is coming. By using mobile technology and algorithms that accurately predict how much a car will fetch and business models that keep overhead much lower than that of dealers, the new ventures say they can get a better deal for both sellers and buyers. They also emphasize transparency and value with seven- to 10-day returns with no questions asked.
* Beepi: 14 U.S. metro markets; car delivered to your door; 240-point inspection; 10-day return; financing assistance.Shift: Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles; brings car to you for a test drive; 200-point inspection; seven-day return; financing assistance.
* Caravana: Nine major metro markets; car delivered to your door; in some locations, is ready for you at a Carvana "vending machine;" sells in 42 states; 150-point inspection; 7-day return; financing assistance.
*Vroom: ships the car you buy online to you anywhere in the U.S., picks up your old car; 126-point inspection; 7-day return policy; financing assistance.
* Instamotor: California; an Apple app (IS 8 or later) that connects buyers with sellers; financing assistance.
Why not propose to your dealership that they join forces with these upstarts and get ahead of the curve? Make yourself a forward-thinking hero.
Maybe you are close to retirement and can just glide there without getting eaten. If you are just starting out, it's time to adapt and get with the 21st century.
CarMax actually outlasted Circuit City and still thrives today, along with the competitors you listed.
Getting back to the original post by Saleman, it always annoyed me when employees would complain about doing work-related things on "their time" when on company time, they never have a problem taking time off for doctor appointments, illness, family illness, problems at home, death in family, plumbing issues, transportation issues, activities involving their kids, the list goes on and on. As a manager, I've heard pretty much every possible reason for an employee to miss work.
With today's technology, it is possible to blend work and home and we should embrace that instead of fighting it - or making it a one-sided affair. A few months ago, we had a major presentation for a potential client and the night before, we learned that the lead sales rep had a death in the family and had to fly out of the area. At 9pm that night, we got the rest of the team together on a conference call and we were able to retool our presentation so that we didn't miss a beat the next day. We won that deal. If people on the team had the attitude that they should not work on "their time" and decided to watch Netflix instead, it likely wouldn't have gone very well the next day. It works the other way too. The day before Christmas Eve (Wednesday), we had an office party at noon and everybody was out the door by 3PM and we had a nice long Christmas break.
Saleman, there are a lot of new startups looking to transform your business. If you don’t get with the times, the sharks are going to have you for lunch. The days of letting people show up and you take orders is rapidly disappearing.
Thanks. Really. But that’s where you are wrong. Internet sales are more impersonal than ever. Especially with new cars.
Why in the world would you buy a new $25,000 Toyota, Honda, Nissan, whatever 100 miles from home to save 100 bucks. Or nothing?
The typical inquiry we get on new cars is something like, no exactly like: I’m looking for a new Camry XSE with navigation, floor mats and leather. What is your best price? Hell, all of us pay the same. And everyone can, and will, sell a car for the same price. So buy the damn car 4 miles from your house! It’s not that difficult.
And that’s called “taking an order”. The day’s of actually selling something, someone(me), someplace(dealership) and customer service(me and dealership) are what is actually over. That’s fine.