Words of Wisdom from TheCamel

Are You a Charity Event or a Brand

Shane Hodge • June 12, 2023

The best Boss I ever had, a bloke named Vince, sadly this month passed away. It hit me very hard as I am the salesman I am, the boss I am, in a lot of ways because of him. Yes, there were others that mentored and motivated me along the way, but wow, Vince was special.

Vince had a way, he was the most awesome salesman, he had this incredible ability to get you to outperform yourself every single month and he was famous for many sensational quotes, that I have stolen and claimed as my own LOL.

I can remember Vince, just coming up to you as you were sitting at your desk and would just say, “Hodgie, who is the best looking bloke you know” The answer would always be “you are, Vince” and he walked away with a cheeky laugh and strut. My team today has to suffer when I ask that question.

When the sales month was over and a new month started, it didn't matter how much you sold the month before, the records you broke, or the profits you made. His new month 8 am speech would always be the same. “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to a new month and can I start by saying you’re only as good as your last performance, and today is a new show” All designed to put you in a place of not having a minute to rest on your previous reputation, it was the slate is clear. “What's your plan to make a target this month, Hodgie?”

Vince, like most of the greats I had met over the years, was an absolute animal, hated to lose. His whole attitude is if they don’t buy from us they won't buy from anybody. He would grind and grind, spend whatever time was needed, and never let a real buyer go out that door without a deposit being laid on the table. He was that cheeky he would ask to see how much money they had in their wallet just to qualify if they were real buyers or not. Ahhh, I loved the guy.

When a negotiation was tough, I would walk into his office and ask for help and he would always say, “Hodgie, you’re better than this, how can you come and beg me now, you have only been trying for an hour? Go back and keep trying, don't come back without an order as I will be embarrassed” I laugh about it now, but wow, the amount of sales I closed because of that short speech.

One of my favorites? If you had a client make a crazy offer, and you went into Vince’s office and asked could this be done, he would shout (to make sure the customer heard him) and raise his hands in the air, and say, “Hodgie what do you think we are, the Salvation Army? Hello, you want to give things away, are you crazy? We are not a Charity, Hodgie.”

I would walk back into my office, people would usually feel sorry for me and we would start the negotiation again to move above the Salvation Army price and move towards a profitable sale.

I have stolen that one too, “We are not a Charity, we are a for profit, we are not The Salvation Army” speech. My team has heard it many times.

But you know what, dear listeners? When I think about it, a lot of businesses actually operate that way. They have this tendency to operate like a “Not For Profit”. They make margins that would even embarrass the Salvation Army, and usually, they do it in the early days of hanging the shingle and putting the open for business sign on the front door.

It's like they are embarrassed or shy, and Harry or Harriet's bully customer will bully them into doing a job that makes no money, and make you feel like they are doing you a big favor as you just started and you need the business. Wow, how big of them.

Well, team, I'm here to tell you it’s time. It's time to make money, it's time to be bold and beautiful, it’s time to get your worth, it’s time to develop the brand of YOU or whatever you want to call it.

Yep, puff up that chest, be bold, have no fear you are worth the respect and the quoted price folks, and guess what? Yes, you guessed it, I'm going to give you a bunch of five, to be exact, reasons why you should.

So, let me keep you in suspense and first ask you if you have a super sexy logo? If not get one, do you have reviews front and center on your website? If not, make that happen as soon as you stop reading this sensational awesome blog. Do you have a newsletter? How's that Facebook page looking? Do you have a sexy banner? Post everyday? What about videos? Nothing like the Ten Commandments, just 30-90 second promo clips on why you're the best. And before you say “can't afford that” your iPhone or Samsung is as good as most cameras and Facebook makes it easy.

Now, just to show you how sexy branding can make you look so special and exciting, and command a fee that you truly deserve, I'm not going to write the five reasons you should start branding and the reasons why. I'm going to show you how they look when they are branded.

So, put on your sunglasses, I tell you, as this looks good.

How special is that? Wow, it deserves an Academy Award for best production and screenplay, I tell you.

All jokes aside young Jedi knights, as my dad always said, “Even if you don't know what you're doing? Look at the part” Branding? Makes you look the part, gets you respect, and justifies people paying a professional price.

And with the increase in revenues? You can make a donation to The Salvation Army or a Charity of your choice.

Big Hugs (they are free) from TheCamel.co

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