At the end of the year, I heard the story of the "sales saint": Working 40 jobs is still empty-hande
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Without a favorable starting point, Joe Girard had no choice but to "work and sell his life" to be able to change his life.
Joe Girard has been named one of the best salespeople in the world. People all over the East Coast of the United States wanted to come to see him, just to buy a car from him. People are willing to wait for days just to have an appointment with him.
Usually, in everyone's eyes, car salespeople are not good people. They look sloppy and just want to sell the car to you for a commission. However, Joe Girard is not like that.
Joe Girard does not have any factors in his hands to create success.
He was born on November 1, 1928, to a poor immigrant family of Italian descent. Because he was often unemployed, Girard's father often vented his anger on his young son. His mother was a very traditional person, staying at home to devote herself to being a housewife. Therefore, his family has never had an abundance and is so poor that they have to live in the slums.
Even so, Joe Girard was still able to go to school. However, he suffered from severe stuttering. At the age of 15, he decided to drop out of school to work to earn money to support his family.
Just a child, Girard has gone through a lot of different jobs, including shining shoes, delivering newspapers, washing dishes, transporting things, installing the kitchen, managing the apartment... Most of this work took place in Syracuse, where he lived with his family.
Girard worked nearly 40 different jobs, at one point almost going bankrupt, before becoming a car salesman at the age of 35. It was this job that helped him become a legend in the business world.
On his first day on the job, Girard sold his first car - a remarkable achievement for someone who had been stuttered. He continued to sell more cars in the days that followed. By the second month, he had become the best employee of the dealership. However, after being complained by his own colleagues, Girard was fired.
Later, Girard moved to Michigan and worked as a salesperson at a Chevrolet dealership. Here, he applied the experience he had learned before, and at the same time took advantage of his natural charm.
It was also in this place that Girard broke a series of dealership, Chevrolet and international records. Between 1963 and 1978, this man did what any salesperson dreams of: sell 13,001 cars within 15 years.
1973 was Girard's best time, when he sold 1,425 cars in just one year. This achievement helped him put his name in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most sold car in a year.
No one can completely imitate Joe Girard, because each person is a different individual. However, the lessons he left behind are really useful for anyone who is in business or is simply struggling with personal finances.
Don't treat the product as just a product
When it comes to sales, Joe knows that he's not just selling a car. He never urged customers or listed all the reasons why people should buy these expensive and brand new cars.
Instead, Girard "sells" his emotions and himself.
He will sell cars based on the love that people need. He sold them the sense of security that the car would bring. He does everything to play with his clients' feelings, but not in a greedy and manipulative way.
Girard considers selling cars to customers as important as selling cars to himself.
When selling a car, Girard always pays attention to treat customers sincerely. He spends most of the day, sometimes up to an hour, talking to them about their daily lives, not just gossip.
Trying to be "normal"
When you look at rich people like Warren Buffett, you'll see that they're all trying to appear normal. They wear normal clothes, drive normal cars, and live in normal houses.
That's also what Girard did.
Unlike many other salespeople, Girard does not wear too luxurious clothes. Instead, he opted for simple clothes such as T-shirts and jeans. Girard thinks that dressing like his customers will help him become closer and more approachable to them.
Girard himself grew up in poverty, so he understood the working-class problem. Taking advantage of this, he talked and sympathized with their problems.
All of this helped Girard sell more cars. He understands the emotions of his customers and uses them to make sales.
Understanding customers
Understanding the customer is what any entrepreneur wants.
Girard can do the same as other salespeople, but instead, he tries to understand the suffering of his customers.
He realized that they didn't want a salesperson who only knew how to dress up in fancy clothes and lure customers. He realized that customers wanted an employee who made them feel special but not too artificial.
When customers arrive, Girard is always there to greet them. If they need to fix the car, he will ask the technical team to work immediately. Then he would turn to the guest and say, "Leave it to me."
If guests come to buy a car, Girard will pick them up at the parking lot. He would spend half an hour talking about their lives. He would then sell the car before the conversation lasted any longer.
Treat employees well
Many bosses treat their employees like inanimate robots or a tiny worker bee. However, Joe Girard did not choose that way.
He believes that the happier the employee, the more cars will be sold. He understands that the happier the employee, the less time off (so the more cars will be sold).
Girard always cares about his subordinates in every small gesture. One summer, he invited each of his employees and their families to his home for a barbecue.
The world's best salesman also regularly takes his employees to dinner on the third Wednesday of every month, then sends them home early and tells them how much they mean to him.
As a result, everyone feels comfortable working with Girard. They worked for him, because he was a good boss. As a result, they can be more productive, have more happy customers, sell more cars.
(The Finance Friday)
