Thanks for all the support through the years, most have forgotten that I lived in a mobile home forever.

I am completely self-taught on marketing, and you can be too. It’s not rocket science. If you read a few good books, you will know most of what you need to know. In addition, I used Mike French for my direct mail campaigns; he is a lifesaver, as he understands our business so well. Moreover, he designed, printed and mailed the piece. About every 4^th job, I got competitive bids, and I don’t believe he ever lost a job.

In 1994, Inc. Magazine did a nice article on our marketing and advertising at AAA Small Car World. We had a very simple but sophisticated system for tracking results from all forms of advertisements and direct mail, and then tracking and reconciling sales and phone calls; so we knew which mediums delivered the most bang for our buck. Email me for a copy of that story.

A good marketing and advertising campaign has to start with a genuine understanding of your customer, your products and services, so that you can make sure they are all aligned. For too long, recyclers have believed that anyone that drove a used vehicle was a prospect, but that definition is much too broad.

A sustainable, result oriented program must include these factors:

• Direct mail, with measured results
• Print and the Yellow Pages (likely only a small amount of Yellow Pages) advertising
• Internet and web presence, with email capability
• Products and services that match your customer and mediums, with a thorough understanding of the desired retail and wholesale mix
• Press releases and other methods of networking (many are free)
• Focused campaigns for existing customers and prospects.

Charles Tandy (of Tandy Corp fame) once said, “The most likely person to buy something from you is the person that just bought something from you.” We spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get new business instead of prioritizing and focusing on existing customers.

There are 2 types of advertising: brand building, and selling. Although your brand is valuable intellectual property, I believe we should spend the bulk of our budgets on selling advertising. Here are examples of each:

1. Brand advertising-A flier shows a bottle of Jack Daniel Whiskey and says, “Reward yourself”.
2. Selling advertising-A flier shows a bottle of Jack Daniel Whiskey and says “Jack Daniel quarts, $8.99 at Bud’s Liquors, through July 31”.

There are examples; Some URG partners have leveraged the URG logo and standards of quality and service into something that differentiates them from their competitors. I once wrote an article that discussed branding sand. Your job is to create the perception (real or not) that your products are better than your competitor’s. One way we accomplished this over a decade ago was by offering lifetime warranties. Let’s face it; your used alternator is not very different from your competitor’s offering. I once had an inquisitive recycler ask me, “How can you guarantee parts forever?” I said, “We don’t guarantee them forever.” He said, “Your ads say that.” I followed, “Yes, our advertisements say ask about our lifetime warranties.” I am not sure if he understood that our willingness to guarantee the part forever created the perception that it must be better.

Figure out how to differentiate yourself from your competition; then use selling advertising to leverage that into greater sales and profits.

Remember, only you can make BUSINESS GREAT!

Please email if you would like me to send previous articles.

Which employee would you consider for hiring? Of course they are one and the same.

RESUME AFTER

I get so many resumes from friends and associates job hunting, but most don’t realize how competitive it is out there. They don’t realize that employers see LOTS of resumes, and your’s better stand out. I refer them to this article, some read and get it, most don’t, and they end up taking jobs paying less than they were worth. Also, say they cant afford to get help, or think their "brother in law" can help, but don’t get the help of a true professional in this area. So they take a job paying $15/hr, but could have gotten the job paying $17/hr, which would pay them back in 2 weeks for the help, then give them $4,000 more over the next year in earnings. (and think of several years of pay and advancement built on a higher base) A professional in this area will have the pulse of business, know what’s hot, what’s deadly, and likely even have job leads. Its strategic suicide. Bottom line – always be trading jobs UP, not laterally or down. I will also do blog postings for some before and after resumes, search for "resume" to find some of those postings. Read on…

Careers and Job Hunting

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about hiring people – and that’s helped educate me in what works (and what doesn’t) for people who are trying to get hired. This set of columns looks at some of the tips I’ve learned about getting hired … and about keeping that job once you’ve got it.

Resumes and the Power of Networking For Job Hunters

I am constantly amazed at the skills people exhibit when they are job hunting. I know that job hunting isn’t something most people do every week, so maybe I should be more sympathetic.

I get at least two requests per month from friends who are looking (or know someone who is) and want me to help them find work.

Email is a powerful tool. When I need to help someone find work, I circulate their resume in my network of business owners, along with instructions to forward it to their friends.

I have never done this when a job offer didn’t appear. The list of friends I distribute it to is a few hundred people. Just think about all the jokes and crap that you get that have been forwarded repeatedly. Imagine how much exposure a good resume can get in just a few hours in a network of people with the capacity to hire.

About half of the job hunters who come to me for help don’t have a resume! Another quarter have horrible resumes. With so many tools on the Internet to help prepare a resume, there simply isn’t any excuse for not having one. Many applicants are younger or looking for blue-collar jobs, and they don’t think having a resume is important.

They are so wrong.

When I used to hire a parts puller or wrecker driver for an hourly wage, I always had plenty of applicants. Very few of them showed up with resumes. Who was I most likely to interview first? Of course, the applicant with a good resume.

A good resume is part of marketing yourself for jobs at all levels. It’s a simple way to stand out, get noticed, and get interviewed, especially for blue-collar jobs. When few people take the time to apply with one, you can bet your extra effort in preparing a good resume will get you noticed.

Making Sure You Get the Interview: Resume and Cover Letter Etiquette

The resume isn’t the only important tool needed to get an interview. In most cases, an employer gets plenty of resumes in response to an advertisement for a job opening.

What can really make your resume stand out – and get you in the door – is your cover letter.

Before you apply for a position, research the company thoroughly. Your cover letter should discuss your qualifications and show that you have done your homework on the company.

Have someone else check your grammar and spelling, as the cover letter and resume speak volumes about you and your attention to detail. Once you establish your credibility in the cover letter, you can briefly describe how your qualifications match the job requirements.

The trends in resumes are constantly changing, so you will always want to double-check your resume and see if it is consistent with today’s trends.There are three common types of resumes: Chronological, functional, and a combination of the two.

• A chronological resume is almost always written in reverse chronological order with most recent employment at the top, listing strong achievements in recent positions.
• A functional resume typically uses functional headings to highlight areas of expertise or specific skills. Functional resumes benefit someone making a career change or an applicant with gaps in employment. Functional resumes highlight areas of expertise and skills, rather than listing recent employers
• A combination resume offers the best of both worlds. Typically, combination resumes begin with skills and accomplishments and then follow with job titles listed in reverse chronological order.

I recently placed an ad to hire an Administrative Assistant. In all, we received more than 300 resumes. I found the combination resumes the most straightforward because they highlighted both work history and skillset.

Make your resume clear and easy to read, don’t mix and match font sizes and styles.I tossed resumes that were hard to read because of overuse of font sizes and styles.

One other resume tip: Do not embellish or exaggerate on your resume. I interviewed a promising candidate for the AA position, but some things about her past employment did not add up. Some simple checking revealed that she had lied about her qualifications. We did not hire her.

Employers expect you to tailor your resume to fit the job that you are applying for, but customizing a resume should not include exaggerating your qualifications.

Another tip for sending resumes by email: Use the header to your advantage, reference the job number or position. Make it easy for the person receiving your resume to get it to the right person!

Would You Trade $250 for $8,000? Plenty of Today’s Job Applicants Don’t

If you are entering the workforce today, how many times do you think you will change jobs before you retire? A dozen? In fact, Penelope Trunk, a columnist on careers for The Boston Globe, estimates that today’s new employee will change jobs every two years.

Because it is an important investment, most people spend hours (or days) picking out their next car, but how much time do people devote to investigating their next possible employer?

Certainly choosing the place where you will spend 40 or more hours a week for the next several years should be a decision worth investing lots of time to research.

Having interviewed job applicants many times in my career, I find that most don’t prepare themselves by studying the company where they’re applying. With so many resources available online and elsewhere, doing even basic research can put you far above most applicants in an interview.

Think about the last time you were a job seeker. I’ll wager that you started by updating or preparing your own resume. If you did, ask yourself these questions: How much training have I had in preparing resumes? How much do I know about creating a resume that will be sorted into the must interview pile?

If you answered not much to either question, you should make a smart money investment in yourself.

Before you start sending out resumes, seek the help of a professional resume preparer. Look for the best-qualified person to prepare a winning resume for you. If your new position equates to $10,000 more a year, why worry about spending $250 to make sure that your resume looks sharp enough to get you an interview?

Not presenting your resume in the best possible light can cost you a small fortune. Last week I tried to convince a bright 36-year-old woman who had been laid off from a $14 an hour job in the mortgage industry to ask for $16 an hour. She had the skills and experience to warrant the increase, but her resume sucked because she prepared it herself. As a result, she was struggling to get interviews for jobs that paid less than the one she lost.

I advised her to invest in having her resume professionally done. She said that she couldn’t afford it. Assuming a better resume could get her a $2 raise, she breaks even three weeks from her hire date. From then on, she’s banking an extra $4,000 a year.

She should have invested in marketing herself to prospective employers with a professional resume, and so should you when your time comes.

I’ve had a lot more training reviewing resumes than preparing them. From the hiring side of the table, I can report that most resumes I see look like they were created by the applicant. I rarely see a resume that has obviously been professionally written and edited, even when I am interviewing executives. A professionally prepared resume is a smart investment in yourself and an easy way to make the right impression, even before the first interview question.

Remember, only you can make business GREAT!

Learning From The Apprentice – Competence Isn’t Enough

I read an article recently about one of the candidates in The Apprentice, Amy Henry, from Arlington, Texas. She explained what she learned from being on the show and shared her thoughts about entrepreneurship and success.

She observed that competence in the workplace isn’t enough to ensure success. I agree completely. We all have employees that are very competent, but for one reason or another, they don’t advance very far. Many of these people, I believe, have good technical skills, but that’s all they have. Some even have good management skills, and although a plus, even that doesn’t ensure maximum success. In today’s fast-paced and complex business environment, it takes a full set of skills to get to the top.

Amy went on to say, “You have to embrace more assertive strategies in order to move up. You have to speak up for yourself, feel comfortable about bragging. Embrace high profile appointments, take risks.”

This is very true.

Many of you know me personally, but for every one of you who has met me, I find there are many more who know of me. You have heard about me or something that I accomplished.

As most of you know, my dad passed away when I was a senior in high school, leaving me an old VW to keep running, and my step mom threw me out when I couldn’t pay her rent. I received little college education, and started a repair business with one employee and an old car. Later, I got into the auto salvage business with 35 parts cars that I had accumulated.

The headline, from my experience, is that almost anyone can achieve maximum success. I am self-taught or taught by a mentor on everything from accounting, marketing and sales management, to private stock offerings and real estate construction, sales and management.

As Amy points out, you have to be assertive. And you have to speak up and be willing to discuss your success. The world is a noisy place, and only those that speak up are going to get noticed. Yes, it offends some people.

Even in the salvage industry, some people resent me because of my accomplishments, self-promotion, and assertiveness. I try to not let it bother me, and you shouldn’t either. Every time I issue a press release, or got published somewhere, I send a copy to my bankers, and sometimes to friends. The bankers drop that information into my file, and it always makes my relationship better. How will others know about your accomplishments if you don’t tell them?

Amy gives one other tidbit of advice. She adapts by, “…being a strong listener and choosing your battles. If you go out and fight every battle, you will lose most of the time.”

Again, I agree. You have to remain focused, and we simply don’t have enough energy or hours in the day to do everything, or fight every battle. When I teach clients to use operating metrics, I tell them to pick one that they believe they can change, which will make a real bottom line difference, and work on it. Trying to work on improving too many metrics at once is just a distraction, and creates stress with almost no benefit. In any case, although I don’t watch a lot of TV, I tune in for the business lessons taught on The Apprentice.

Books have been written on this question, but I will try to make it simple.

I will use Google because they are the search engine that most people use.

Google wants to display the results that most closely respond to the keywords that a user types into the search box.

So, how do they decide which listing should be number one and which ones should be on page one of the results for a search term?

The biggest factor by far is the votes that a page gets. WHAT? You didn’t know you and others were voting?

Votes in the search world are simpler to understand than you think. There are no hanging chads. They let the world vote for a particular site in a lot of ways, but the most important measures Google uses are the number of links that point at a site and the quality of the sites that those links come from.

Let me give an example.

If you own a restaurant, it’s fairly easy to get your friends to put a link on their web site that points at your restaurant’s homepage. You could get dozens of these links if you have enough friends. Google sees them all, and tabulates those votes, placing a value on each link. If you give them a link back, it’s called a reciprocal link and Google discounts the value of those links because they are more like back scratching than endorsements or votes.

Google realizes that those links (or votes) from your friends for the restaurant don’t necessarily mean the food is great. BUT, what if you get on CNN for those fabulous homemade rolls and CNN puts a link on their web site back to your site? That link has a lot of authority because Google trusts CNN, and that link from CNN would likely push your page rank way up, at least temporarily.

Google also knows how much traffic a site has and a story on CNN with a link. (It’s also called a “backlink”) will likely drive visitors to your restaurant’s site. Now when someone types in award winning Fort Worth restaurant, you are likely to be in the top listings for that term, as well as best bread in your city, etc. As time goes on, the votes lift your page rank, which increases the likelihood that your web site will be shown close to the top of the listings for a chosen keyword.

Web Marketing and Search Engine Optimization is always a part of any consulting or speaking assignment I do, and we always make sure participants in our Peer Benchmarking Group Sessions understand the tools to gain Optimum Page Rank as part of their overall strategy to increase business using strategic web development.

To learn more about our web services and how to leverage your web site into revenue and profits, email Mr. Mission Possible (use the contact us page on the site) or visit www.MrMIssionPossible.com

Managing your credit

Planning for and communicating with the bank

Always have a backup plan, and, when possible, maintain two banking relationships. The bankers will push back slightly, but it keeps them on their toes and assures that they won’t take you for granted.

I have helped quite a few recyclers with SBA loans and was one of the first to be able to explain inventory valuation and cost-of-goods issues well enough for a banker to understand and be comfortable with them. This allowed me to borrow using my inventory for collateral. You must learn these issues and be able to talk about them to gain the confidence of your banker. Don’t forget, however, that you must have adequate earnings. Just getting a loan won’t “save” your business. Refer to my article a few months ago: “But Ron, all I need is money.”

Next month: More good stuff from Chapter 4

Remember, only you can make BUSINESS GREAT!

Please email if you would like me to send previous articles, or visit http://www.autosalvageconsultant.com/.

AutoSalvageConsultant.com was formed in 2001 to help recyclers improve their businesses. With over fifty years of experience in three staff members, the group is THE definitive source for recyclers’ management and training needs. The founder, Ron Sturgeon is past owner of AAA Small Car World. In 1999, he sold his six Texas locations, with 140 employees, to Greenleaf. In 2001, he founded North Texas Insurance Auction, which he sold to Copart in 2002. In 2002, his book “Salvaging Millions” was published to help small business owners achieve significant success, and was recently reprinted. In June 2003, he joined the new ownership and management team of GreenLeaf. He also manages his real estate holdings and investments. You can learn more about how to help your business at http://www.autosalvageconsultant.com/ You can reach us at 5940 Eden, Haltom City, TX 76117, (preferably) email Ron Sturgeon or 817-834-3625 ext 6#.
ext 6.

I’ve had employees tell me that they were intimidated at first when they considered coming to work for me because they were unsure about the “rules” thing.

Auto dismantlers don’t like working from a list of how they should go about taking apart a car. Salesmen don’t like to be told how to make a sale.

I’ve learned over time that although my employees may not like structure at first, they soon learn to appreciate it. Most of these employees who were initially apprehensive about working for me were coming from a previous job which was unstructured. For example, they might be in the middle of dismantling a car only to have the boss or manager take them off that job to put them on another job. When their jobs are not clearly demarked and responsibilities are not clearly defined, your employees cannot know exactly what they are expected to do. The lack of clearly defined job tasks can create anxiety for some employees and, in turn, may cause them to function poorly.

Those who have come to me from that kind of past have taught me that a total lack of structure simply erodes the motivation behind work. Some say that they could never predict what their boss was going to give them next. They had a hard time feeling good about their work. When they came to me, as soon as they got over their apprehension about any structure we might impose, they found themselves completing more and feeling good about it at the end of the day.

I don’t tell them every detail. I just clearly define my expectations and make sure they understand their responsibilities. Then I let them go to work. I reward them with recognition and pay for performance when they show outstanding achievement in their results.

If you are not already doing this, you’ll find that employees like structure once it is imposed. They like knowing exactly what you expect from them on a given day. They like achieving it. They like knowing exactly how much they’re going to be paid, especially when they know that pay is based on their performance.

It all adds up to not only happier employees but also happier customers because the happiness rubs off on your customers. Given a little structure and allowed the freedom to perform individually within that structure, employees can achieve maximum output.

Create a business culture where roles are clearly defined and expectations are laid out in plain view along with attainable goals, and you establish a happy employee relationship. They’ll work hard for you, and they’ll reflect their contentment and belief in you to your customer base.

Don’t forget to go the web site for my new book, http://www.greenweenies.com/, to learn all the backroom business terms. There are 1,200+ terms in over 300 pages, with hilarious illustrations by world famous Gahan Wilson. You can register there for your free weekly “green weenie.” If you want to know what a three fingered booger is, or what’s in a train wreck envelope, it’s the only place to go!

Please email if you would like me to send previous articles.

AutoSalvageconsultant.com was formed in 2001 to help recyclers improve their businesses. With over fifty years of experience in three staff members, the group is THE definitive source for recyclers’ management and training needs. The founder, Ron Sturgeon is past owner of AAA Small Car World. You can review his resume, with skills and experience at our web site. In 2002, his book How to Salvage Millions From Your Small Business was published to help small business owners achieve significant success, and was recently reprinted in the U.S., and published in China, Korea and the Czech Republic. You can learn more about how to help your business at http://www.autosalvageconsultant.com/.

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Contact one of our consultants by email

The value of strategic thinking was brought to light for me during my time with the United Recyclers Group, a limited partnership of 300+ auto recyclers that I helped create to pool resources and address industry issues. Most of the other managers in the group said they learned more about strategic thinking from the exchange of ideas at our meetings than they had in years of making decisions as owners and managers.

Being involved in a well run industry association is a great way to develop strategic thinking skills because of the kinds of questions that associations consider. The seasoned business owners that started the URG might have been too busy with their day-to-day operations to delve as deeply into the big picture issues facing our industry as they did had they not come together at association meetings. The involvement forced them to think strategically. The same was true for me. Hearing from counterparts forced me to think more deeply about long-term issues facing our businesses and the industry.

I have a rule for weighing the upside gain against the downside risk. First, I define the goal of any decision or action I am considering. If it isn’t definable, then going with the decision or action probably isn’t worth the effort or risk. What’s the real upside? What’s the downside? The decision, if you pause to ask yourself these questions, is usually easier than it appears to be.

What happens after the decision is made is critical. I make a habit of measuring results in the key facets of my operations. How did the decision I made affect results? Weighing decisions and measuring results is a good business habit.

For example, what’s the consequence of refusing to accept credit cards because a customer passed a stolen card on you? Some customers won’t be able to buy from you. What’s that cost you? You might be losing more by not accepting cards. Look at the big picture, not just one bad transaction.

In another typical scenario, what would result from your hiring a relative or in-law? Suppose this person does not have the skills but needs a job. You want to help. What will the consequence be? Can you afford the time to train her? What will be the consequence? Does she show willingness and desire to learn? What will be the consequence?

These are the kinds of questions you need to ask yourself until the asking becomes second nature and you have become a truly strategic thinker.

Ron is currently offering auto recyclers and owners of other types of small businesses help with strategic planning and benchmarking. He offers private individual strategic planning help and he also frequently facilitates peer benchmarking groups for recyclers and other business owners. Learn more by e-mailing Ron at rons@MrMissionPossible.com or by calling him at 817.834.3625  extension #1.

Remember, only you can make BUSINESS GREAT!

Please visit our web site www.autosalvageconsultant.com to see the last 5 years’ articles posted.

AutoSalvageconsultant.com was formed in 2001 to help recyclers improve their businesses. The group has become THE definitive source for recyclers’ management and training needs. The founder, Ron Sturgeon, is past owner of AAA Small Car World.  You can review his resume on our website. In 2002, his book How to Salvage Millions from Your Small Business was published to help small business owners achieve significant success. It was recently reprinted in the U.S. and published in China, Korea and the Czech Republic.  A second revised and expanded edition of the book is now available . You can learn more about how to help your business at www.autosalvageconsultant.com. You can also write to Ron at 5940 Eden, Haltom City, TX 76117.