Selling My Readers Digest Sweepstakes Winner!

We all started in the same place. We all had that same first day. Learning the business of selling cars just takes time to learn the nature of the uncontrollable human element called the customer. Part of the process is just learning from our mistakes and part of the process is laughing at our mistakes. Some of mine were whoppers, but funny as hell. To this day they make me laugh out-loud.

Sometimes laughing is the best therapy. Here is just one of my stories.

My Readers Digest Sweepstakes Winner!

I was 17 or 18, I honestly can't remember, and I was just excited to wear a tie. Up to this point I had all the typical labor jobs reserved for high school students. I shoveled shit in a live stock sale barn (for $1.50 an hour), worked up to gas station attendant (yes we used to pump your gas for you) and then I was a molder in a foundry. Now, here I was standing on a small showroom floor wearing dress clothes with a tie. I felt like a big boy and I was eager to prove I belonged here. Energy and attitude were not a problem.

In my first week, I had a middle aged lady walk on the floor. She was sweet and nice but didn't look like a new car would be an option. So as part of my counseling, I asked how she planned to handle this financially. Her face lit up and she told me she won the Readers Digest Sweep Stakes. Wow! Well, that’s all I needed to hear and off we go to the new car lot. I remember wondering if this was going to happen a lot.

We started on the new Monte Carlo. It was before the 1977 downsize so they were still long, sleek, chromed up and very popular. My plan was to show her the million-dollar presentation so that when I got done, she would buy three. After all the car had no back seat, she probably was going to need three Montes for family outings anyway. My energy and excitement was working. Matched with her excitement on winning the Readers Digest, it wasn't long before our energy was in sync. She practically finished my sentences for me. After a good demonstration drive, I was about 1 hour in and she was "all in". When I asked where she planned on taking her first trip in her new car, her eyes rolled up into the back of her head while she painted that mental picture.

It was time for the close. I didn't figure this was going to take long. If it did, it would be because she might have a hard time trying to decide whether to buy two or three. In an effort to relax her before we got started, I asked how she knew she won. I was expecting to hear about Ed McMahon showing up to the house with balloons and that big check, but instead she said "I got an envelope in the mail that said You're A Winner!" ... I didn't have the heart to tell her, but it was time to start over.