Lehman's done, Merrill Lynch has been bought out and now the Fed is looking to save AIG. What should you do?

It's all a matter of perspective. Two shoe salesmen traveled to a place where everyone was barefoot. The first salesmen called home and said, "Send a ticket for me to come home. Nobody wears shoes here. The other salesperson called home and said, "Send reinforcements, nobody wears shoes here!"

Here are a few ideas:

• Stash extra cash: Bring your lunch to work. Saves calories and dollars.
• Stash extra cash: Quit going to Mo's, or whatever your local tavern is called. Take a tip from Homer's goal episode. Quit going to the bar for a month.
• Stash extra cash: Don't buy books, magazines or DVD's. Borrow them from your local library.
• Keep investing sensibly. Now's a great time to be buying quality investments.
• Stop making extra mortgage payments. Incase you didn't get the point above: Stash extra cash.
• Review all insurance so you know what you have.
• Quit driving to work, ride your bike. Better yet ask for a demo!
• Sell more to the customers you already have instead of finding new ones.
• Take more time with each customer. Slow down to speed up.
• Seek additional revenue opportunities like credit card offers, ATM royalties, soda royalties and sponsorship for events.
• Leverage your PR efforts.
• Get organized.
• Improve your skills and engage in self development.
• Stay positive. Practice the positive Pygmalion effect, i.e. self fulfilling prophesies.

My wife Amy and I were in the market for a new television. We went to a store that will remain nameless (Best Buy) where we selected a television. Amy looked on encouragingly as a blue-shirted employee and I wrestled the 35" box-type monstrosity onto a large industrial cart.

Appearing from nowhere like stealth Ninja fighters we were surrounded by a group of sales professionals. Several of them started to tout the benefits of protecting our purchase with an extended service contract.

I treat shopping with the research intensity of an archeologist on the verge of discovering the Ark of the Covenant. Others have suggested I'm more like the retail Marquis de Sade, reveling in others discomfort. Whatever the case I wasn't about to let this opportunity go untapped.

"I thought I just selected a fantastic television why would I need a service plan?"

The leader of this blue-shirted team stammered something about the television not being a divine creation and that things break.

So I hit them with another objection, and then I hit them with another. Finally, even I felt badly for them, I revealed "Guys, do you know what I do for a living?"

All four post-grunge kids shook their heads "no" in unison.

"I help show people how to sell extended service plans."

The adage that "no man is an island" certainly didn't apply to this situation. It was as if I as if I flipped on the light switch on and the cockroaches scrambled and Amy and I were left to our own devices. We passed on the service plan.

Two days later, Amy and I were across the street at another electronics store whose name has something to do with urban based circuitry. Amy and I were buying a fairly expensive portable DVD player.

When we selected the DVD player, the young person we were working with suggested we should consider the extended service plan.

You could almost hear Amy's eyes rolling as she knew what was coming. With all the confidence of David Ortiz approaching a T-Ball I entered the conversation.

"Well I thought we just purchased a great DVD player, why would we need an extended service plan?"

I hit him with another objection and then another finally ending in the big reveal.

"Do you know what I do for a living?"

Of course not his expression conveyed.

I continued, "I help show people how to sell extended service plans."

He immediately appeared to be overcome with relief as he said, "Perfect! Then you're going to want the four year plan!"

We bought the four year plan.

Why? He believed in what he was selling.

It's not enough to say you believe in what you are selling. You have to prove you believe in what you are selling. That's what most customers are really thinking.

I think you should look for sales opportunities outside of your dealership. You certainly don't want to come across like Robin Williams in Cadillac Man, handing out his business cards at a funeral. But come on, you know when you are out in public, people ask what you do.

Tell them. Establish a friendly relationship. Then invite them down to the store so you can personally show them around or to see an interesting motorcycle display, or and if they have their license go for a ride so they can give you feedback on a new model.

• Offering non-commitment opportunities.
  
  Ok this comes from the "I wouldn't-have-believed-it-if-I-didn't-read-it-for-myself file."
  
  A customer wrote on a motorcycling forum about his recent phone call from a dealership salesperson. In essence it went something like this:
  

The customer received a call from the guy who sold him his motorcycle. He hadn't heard from his sales "professional" in ages and as a matter of fact the sales professional wasn't all that friendly or knowledgeable when he did last interact with him.

"Now the sales guy is on the phone telling me the latest model has finally arrived and asking me if I want to buy it. And by the way I have to act fast because he's willing to sell it to me at full retail!"

Needless to say the customer declined the sales person's offer.

Calling someone on the phone, out of the blue and asking them to buy a motorcycle isn't smart, savvy or taking a calculated risk. It's madness.

Let them know the new model is in, invite them down to see it or even take it for a ride. But calling a person, even if you at one time had a relationship with them, and asking for a sales commitment over the phone ... man now that sounds like someone telemarketing magazine subscriptions.

• Interact with prospects either on the phone or in public and invite them down to the store. What do you invite them to see?
  • Just to look around and get personally introduced to the gang.
    
    People like to be on the inside. So let them in. Often in your community people really admire those that work in the dealership. It's kind of a mini-rock star syndrome.
    
    So know it, recognize it, don't be cocky or overconfident but rather welcoming and informative.
    
    
  • See an interesting display.
    • Old bike
    • Special bike
    • Racing bike (or last year's racing bike)
    • Customers interesting bike
    • Motorcycle memorabilia
    • Or connection stuff - like the Harley-Davidson guitar.
      
      
  • Test ride.

You must create a "no threat" reasons for customers to want to come and see you.

• Eliminates pressure felt by customers
• Eliminates pressure felt by you.
• Enables a very positive way to enter into a relationship with you.
• Enables a very positive way to re-enter into a relationship with you.

So where and how to you make such an offer?

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Community Events
• Anywhere and Everywhere!

Getting your name and face "out there" is imperative. Think this is someone else's job. Reconsider. You're paid for performance. You need to let people know you are an intelligent, honest, great person to do business with. Articles in your dealership's newsletter are a great place to start.

And these are just a few ideas. You'll be able to come up with even more.

But, I know what you are thinking. You're thinking, "Wow that's sounds like a lot of work."

Yep. That's what it takes. You have to be constantly attracting business. Then after a while you will have built up momentum. This method isn't fast. It's just good.

1. Staying Up in a Down Economy
   
   
2. Be Convinced of Your Value
   
   
3. Be "In" get Out

I inquired with a dealership salesperson about their interest rate.

He shrugged and with his best Tony Soprano impression said, "Hey, it is what it is."

Tough to argue with that response.