Personal Networking | How to Network Without Being Annoying

So many times I hear from salespeople that they want to work on networking, but they don't know how to start. Many feel guilty about asking for referrals, asking their friends for business or letting people know about the services they provide. Call me harsh, but I chalk that up to a lack of passion and information about their organization. How do you see your job? Do you feel that when someone buys something from you that you are "getting one over on them"? I don't.

I have confidence in myself and my organization.

Things I Know:
I know there is no better place to purchase a New Hyundai, no better Used Car department than mine (after all I offer a 6 Month Warranty on most used cars I sell), there is not a finance department in Dallas who will work as hard as we work to get you approved (our ethical standards are extremely high, we are a Wells Fargo Diamond Dealer, a Hyundai Motor Financial award winner and have relationships with just about every lending institution in Texas), there is no better service department in South Dallas (we service all makes and models) and there is no better place to get tires, parts or have your vehicle washed and detailed. Visit www.MyDallasHyundai.com 

How have I integrated my passion for my job into my regular life? Here's the plan that's worked for me. There are 4 steps, not 3 because I don't time to do 5 steps of anything (Hello? I'm a Mom and a Car Wife and a Marketing Pro and a Vice President and ETC. And, we had to fire the maid. Did you know that? No housekeeper? How will I survive?) and I have too many rambling ideas/thoughts only to list 3. Marcus is still at work for month-end closeout. It's time to write this blog or eat ice cream. I'm trying not to eat any ice cream until the Blue-Bell strike outage is over.

1) Be intentional every day. Not twice a week. Not only when I go out to lunch. Every day I find a way to discuss my career with someone. It can be a valet parker, a mom at school, a Facebook share of my most current offer, credit or financial advice, offers to help friends get oil changed, discussions about internet marketing or happening upon a discussion having to do with my favorite city: Dallas. Every day it comes up once. "It" meaning by career, my organization or my products.

2)  Use Research to create faith and passion in my organization. Notice not yours, I said MY organization. Research your product, research your dealership, research your co-workers, research your competitors. Knowing as much as you can about your products and services create comfort. Being comfortable with the facts and information that I need to know make it so easy to communicate my passion to others. I don't sit idle. I don't keep quiet. I ask questions until I can't think of any more questions. Just imagine how much fun that is for my husband/dealership/sales teacher. Ha ha ha!!!

3) Use social networking to display your life as a whole. No one wants to be friends in a one-sided relationship. And, no one is interested in being Facebook Friends with someone who is always selling. So stop selling. Don't post discounts all of the time. Be a real person that people find interesting and likable. Share who you are, your other interests, your family moments AND your business successes with your real friends and family on Facebook. People are naturally drawn to success. And successful people like to be around other successful people. We feed off of each other in our own silent (or sometimes very LOUD ways...Louder if you're a car guy).

4) Do practice your 30 Second Commercial/Your Elevator Speech/Your awkward few moments to explain what you do. Sometimes you have to get creative. Sometimes I tell people about the warranty we provide on used cars. Sometimes I only talk about helping folks with credit scores in the 400s get approved. Sometimes I talk about the 2015 Hyundai Genesis. Sometimes I only talk about my career in Marketing & Advertising and allow the other person to inquire as to the industry.
Have more than one elevator speech. And it doesn't need to be a PITCH. Just a few key phrases regarding who you are, why your organization is unique and what products you have. Practice on your spouse. Practice on your kids. Practice on the kid at Starbucks.

-Lindsey Stuart

More Exciting Tips from INC.com 
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/9-beliefs-of-remarkably-successful-people.html

New Hyundai in Dallas
www.MyDallasHyundai.com

Car Dealer Influenced News: Sales and Blogs Portrayed as Viable News

Car Dealer Influenced News

Sales and Blogs Portrayed as Viable News

Have you ever read an article on a reputable news website? Ever noticed the links to the brands or companies that the stories are about? I am not sure about this but, it frequently looks like paid blogging to me. Paid advertisements are perfectly acceptable on websites. However, paid ads mixed into what appear to be editorials or news reports are not.

I recently watched a bonafide news story on msnMONEY which plugs an auto dealer sales website by a CNBC correspondent. Mixed in among the April 2012 Auto Sales data, is a plug for this 'website'. The website advertises itself as a compilation of market data for consumers to use as a tool to buy their new or used vehicle. It is portrayed as a special new service that exists to help consumers. But, the truth is that it is a dealership advertising source like all of the popular websites. It's fine to be an ad site but, not if it's veiled as something entirely different.

I had never heard of this company or website. When I went to their site, I saw multiple big box dealers as well as a list of their board of members on their Dealer Council. Many major brands and auto dealers are represented. Upon researching, I discovered that this is just another website for auto dealers to use to sell their cars. The market data that is supposedly for consumers does not reflect the comparables that are traditionally used in the car business. In fact, it really isn’t disclosed where they get their data.

Customers are encouraged to look cars up based upon if they are priced as a “Great Price” listing. The scary thing is that what is touted as a “Great Price” does not give any actual comparable listings so that clients can judge this on their own. On top of that, customers of this website are then encouraged just to call these big box dealers and not negotiate. This is the biggest scam I’ve ever seen.

What’s worse, is that a major news organization is either crediting this company with valuable and honest information or being paid to plug them.

For honest price comparables, call BOB STALLINGS AUTO GROUP. We will look up comparables on Cars.com, AutoTrader.com and even eBay and explain why our vehicles are priced the way they are. Sometimes being the cheapest BMW online is a strong indication of a problem. However, sometimes we steal a car. When we steal a car, we gladly pass our savings on to you.

For more information on our pricing, call Client Services at BobStallingsCars.com (972) 248-2277.facebook.com/bobstallingscars

Beach Volleyball Bikinis are truly Serving...?

This Dallas Car Wife is crying foul! I'm ready to bump, set, and spike this ridiculous notion out of here!

According to Peter Schrager's article "Bikinis serve greater purpose at Games" on FoxSports.com Volleyball bikinis support women's bodies better. This is the most ridiculous thesis I've ever heard of.

Let's draw a line in the sand...Being a Gen X/Y, my first realization that volleyball was supposed to be a sexy sport was in Top Gun. Any red-blooded American female will fondly remember the scene. Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise shirtless, jumping, sweating and displaying lots of testosterone. Volleyball, including Olympic Volleyball, is played in the sand at the beach. What to Americans wear at the beach? Less clothes, bikinis and bathing suits. Being sexy goes with the sport....

I am not so presumptious to believe that bikinis and sports bras are not supportive. I realize that technology has brought "over the shoulder boulder holders" a long, long way. But, if volleyball designers like Oakley can design sport bra bikinis to be supportive, they can design shirts and shorts to support also.

Ashley Judd and I don't agree on much but, I do believe that women are being over-sexualized. ! I applaud the London 2012 Olympic Committee for at least allowing tanks and shorts to be worn. Making volleyball a nearly-naked sport is designed to earn tv ratings and help the industry to make more money. Let's just all tell truth!

This was  not at all about cars today. Just Lindsey the wife and mother talking. If you'd like to read my latest Car Blog called Luxury Vehicles Carrollton click here.

Women Swoon for Ugly Guys in Luxury Cars?

I just finished another blog for our dealership website entitled Driving the Future of Car Buying.  I am always looking for interesting blog topics to help market our website and inventory online. While doing some research this week, I came across a Men's Health Article explaining to men how to feel better about themselves. I re-marketed the article for our dealership, the leading used luxury car dealer in Dallas.

Watches, Cars and Vacations...all part of the Good Life, Guaranteed

I had to give myself a pat on the back. Do you recall in my first blog of the Dallas Car Wife, I talked about how Car Wives are judged on their watches and cars? To refresh your memory, you can read my original posting here  on how to be a Dallas Car Wife in a Nutshell. 

Well, apparently Men's Health agrees with the watches and cars being equated to happiness, luxury and success. I suppose this isn't the most novel of ideas. However, I do get a chuckle out of the quoted study where women immediately find a man better looking if he's driving a nice car. 

"On the other hand, a luxury car can make you seem more handsome. It's true! When women in a British study were shown a photo of a man in a luxury car and then another shot of the same guy in an econobox, they thought he looked better in the luxury car. The real benefit, however, may lie in your own perceptions once you climb behind the wheel. Makers of premium autos fold in design and technology features—sound dampening, smooth acceleration—that conspire to influence how you see yourself, says Sven Beiker, Ph.D., executive director of the center for automotive research at Stanford University. "It makes you want to fulfill the image," he says. "You may actually feel pressure to live up to the status of your car."

Read more at Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/fiscally-fit-man/good-life-guaranteed#ixzz1qXSRwX19

Ladies, do you find this to be true? I would say mostly yes! Prior to becoming a Car Wife, I did fall victim to this type of thinking. I equated a luxury car to security, sexiness and fun. However, now that I spend my day around so many "car guys" who drive luxury cars, I know the latter equation is far from true. I'd like to have an honest discussion about this! Feel free to comment!

2005 Porsche 911 Carrera in stock, in Dallas. It's an automatic which makes it VERY PRACTICAL FOR all Dallas Wives...not just Car Wives!!

This is one of the cars that's on my bucket list for sure. The great thing about an automatic Porsche 911 is that you can have all the fun without all of the work. Everyone knows that's one of my mottos right? The best way to trick your husband into buying one of these would be to tell him HE should buy it for himself! You could always explain to him the aforementioned article on how you, as his wife, would find him incredibly sexy if he owned a car like this. Rates as low as 2.24% wac! Apply here. 

Patience and Purging...Spring Organizing for your Car

Spring's Buzzing...both at work and home. I'm sure for most of you, with youth sports and all of the other Spring activities your car can sometimes become disorganized. One way I've tried to help is by offering car detail coupons for BobStallingsCars.com VIP clients. It's easy to sign up...just become a facebook fan.

But, this week while I got a chance to do about 10 minutes of reading, I came across a good article in Experience Life magazine. This is a good reminder of how to keep our sanity through the Spring and Summer months. A good way is to feel good about the car you spend so much time in.

One of the authors in the magazine talked about how organizing is a constant thing. The second she organizes her purse she remembers that the silverware drawer needs to be vacumed.

It’s about this time that I realize I need to do some serious decluttering. So I get up a little early and clear off the top of my desk. (I feel unexpectedly better.) Over the weekend, I fold and put away a big pile of laundry. (My cortisol levels drop, and I find I can breathe a little more deeply.) I file my paperwork and put a vase of flowers on the dining-room table where the giant pile of mail used to be. (Ah, my life once again seems manageable.) I toss out crusty old toiletries and take a load of not-often-used stuff to Goodwill. (I drive home with a renewed sense of vigor and purpose.)

There is also a great little slideshow with before and afters of how to keep your car organized....

With a little bit of patience every day when you get home, keeping your car clean and simplified can be done! But, when you get tired just remember-our husbands may invision our car washing labor like this:

But really, we all know that too many chores for us really make us this tired, old, crabby, wife:

If you start feeling a little too much like the tired wife instead of the bikini wife-just hit up our facebook fan page and I'll send you some detailing coupons.

At BobStallingsCars.com we strive to simplify your life by offering luxurious amenities to our clients just like the big dealers do. Whether you've spent $15,000 or $50,000 on a vehicle with us-we offer luxury services like free loaner cars, discounted auto detailing, deeply discounted service, maintenance and body work and a executive level concierge staff that can facilitate it all. Ok, the executive concierge level staff is pretty much all me and Stefanie (our office manager). But everyone knows how sweet we are, right?



Stop Praying? Advice from a fellow Car Wife

Stop Praying?

 

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

This verse seems so easy to follow. It's non-controversial. Democrats and Republicans don't argue over the constitutionality of it. It applies to Christians, athiests, sinners and saints alike. It doesn't just say be humble sometimes or when we have to buy a Hyundai instead of the Mercedes of our dreams. It doesn't say that we only have to be gentle when we tuck our kids in at night. It doesn't mean we only have to be patient when our husbands are communicating with us or when we aren't 15 minutes late to go somewhere. In fact, it reminds us that sometimes we are "bearing" others and their behavior. It also reminds us that we are bearing with one another. I interpret this as that we area all bearing each other from time to time.

Running a dealership and being a wife and mom doesn't allow me much time to read but, this week I did have a few minutes to read a couple of interesting articles. This week, a friend and fellow car wife shared this amazing blog about how to stop praying about your husband, rather for your husband on facebook.

God wasn’t looking for me to be a “fix him” wife.

God was looking for me to be a “love him” wife.

I needed to stop praying. At least, I needed to stop praying the way I had been. Yes, there were things my husband needed to work on. But nothing good was happening when all I did was complain about him.

I needed to be a wife daring enough to ask God to reveal to me how to love him. And I needed to ask God where I was going wrong—where I was being selfish—where I needed to work.

When I shifted my focus on letting God change me, that’s when I started to see real progress.



Achieving that progress in all areas of my life is a daily marathon for me. A client was talking with me yesterday about what it's like to wake up, go to work, and go home at night with my husband. This client had caught both of us on a good day. :) I told her there are days when we disagree or are really impatient with each other. But, for the most part we are very respectful of each other. Our used car dealership is filled with humor throughout the day. When we do have those arguments, we try our best to leave them at work. Finding balance, forgiveness, patience, humility and simplicity brings so much peace... when I can remember to find them all. Be patient...with our children, with our finances, with our work endeavors, with our husbands and ultimately be patient with ourselves. Sometimes we need to change how we pray. This was a great reminder. Thanks LK, for this share on facebook.

 

How to be a Dallas Car Wife in a Nutshell: The 4 Basics

How to be  a Dallas Car Wife in a Nutshell: The 4 Basics

When I first began dating Marcus I learned just about all I need to know about how to be a car wife. Wives are judged on the following: How well you raise your children (since you're nearly on your own), how often you complain about the long hours that your husband works, the type of watch that you wear and the type of car that you drive.

The type of car that a "car wife" drives will just about make or break your husband as he tries to gain success in the car business. If you drive a minivan then either you're too wholesome to be a Car Wife or, your husband isn't successful. If you're viewed as too wholesome, the boss will assume that your husand can't make it in the cuthroat car world. Ditto the watch...Not too flashy, not too cheap!

So, let me tell you how I met my husband: he was the manager on my car deal when I bought a minivan. About a year later we began dating and I promptly had to trade my mad mom minivan mobile in for a sedan. By that time, I woudn't have been caught dead driving the van anyway. The glamour of the car business started around that same time: I dreamt of being the "have it all" woman with a luxurious and sleek car.

Who would have ever have thought that in  years I would not only be a real Car Wife but, that I'd also be running a successful car dealership?