| dd |
| Falling Forward (continued) |
| I spent the next few months with elation at the fact that my life was going to change for the better. New found wealth was and would be at my doorstep. Peace of mind was at hand, knowing that looking for new clients and exchanging new ideas with dealers who could care less would be over. I would finally be able to do things I have been dreaming about for the past few years. Finding new and interesting daily doses of encouragement were going to be at my beck and call. The concept of a changed life was the carrot I had been waiting for. |
Copyright© 2008-2009 Automotive Dealers Network. All rights reserved.
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By Bill Zahrte
National Distributor / Edifice Group
Email bzahrte@automotivedealersnetwork.com
| Bill has held positions such as Marketing Consultant, VP of Marketing Development and National Director of Business Relations. He specializes in customer communication at every opportunity to improve customer satisfaction, customer retention and profitability in the service and sales departments. Bill also does Marketing for AutoPro Training Solutions. |
Meetings went on with the group, and I was totally involved offering my time, building processes and fundamental
equipment to assist the group move forward with their verbal goals. I was being encouraged to assist with marketing the
groups’ future meetings. I was given every reason that based on my four decades in the automotive and marketing
business I was their perfect choice for being a vital part of a most incredible opportunity that I had been associated with
in years. Since being a part of this group would change my life forever; I totally bought in and was ready to submit to any
change because being a member of this important transformation could bring the success I had always dreamed about. I
could finally feel important changes my family could enjoy and was ready for. I could slow-down to make sense of the
balance of my productive years . . . Start the marching band I was ready to move-on-out.
equipment to assist the group move forward with their verbal goals. I was being encouraged to assist with marketing the
groups’ future meetings. I was given every reason that based on my four decades in the automotive and marketing
business I was their perfect choice for being a vital part of a most incredible opportunity that I had been associated with
in years. Since being a part of this group would change my life forever; I totally bought in and was ready to submit to any
change because being a member of this important transformation could bring the success I had always dreamed about. I
could finally feel important changes my family could enjoy and was ready for. I could slow-down to make sense of the
balance of my productive years . . . Start the marching band I was ready to move-on-out.
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| SUPERIOR DEALER SOLUTIONSsm |
It was a Monday when the call came in to my office and a meeting was scheduled for that same
week. I agreed to have a meeting with one of the leaders of the group at his home. This was
not too unusual since he and I had been close friends for years. After arriving to the meeting I
was introduced to a new member of the group who was to be a part of the dynamics based on
his business background and experience with the activity this group was about to take on.
week. I agreed to have a meeting with one of the leaders of the group at his home. This was
not too unusual since he and I had been close friends for years. After arriving to the meeting I
was introduced to a new member of the group who was to be a part of the dynamics based on
his business background and experience with the activity this group was about to take on.
Over the next two hours these two people began to give me every reason why my reasoning and evaluations of the
group’s efforts was not what they had hoped for. Things got out of control; A dear business associate and friend turned
on me. Needless to say I was devastated and to this day I don’t understand why these two people made me fair game.
group’s efforts was not what they had hoped for. Things got out of control; A dear business associate and friend turned
on me. Needless to say I was devastated and to this day I don’t understand why these two people made me fair game.
Leaving that meeting and then driving home that day I felt that my days of doing business had
ended. It looked as though any future I had left was left behind in that meeting on that day.
ended. It looked as though any future I had left was left behind in that meeting on that day.
There is a passage that says, “As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly
outweighs wisdom and honor”. It did not seem fair that all the good work I had accomplished
over the years was going to be outweighed by this one act of stupidity by two idiots wrapped
up in their own egotistic indiscretion. Everything I worked for was about to be destroyed.
Little did they know what would be in the next chapter of my life!
There is another old saying “Failure is not an option” You too may have failed, and you think that you could
never be useful again. You feel like you’re about to be thrown onto the junk heap of failures. Well leaving that
meeting on that day I did remember that old saying, “Failure is not an option”. After arriving back to my office and
for a few weeks thereafter I did feel the letdown. But I went back to the drawing-board of my career and put on the
front burner new ideas and thoughts of how it would be much better.
outweighs wisdom and honor”. It did not seem fair that all the good work I had accomplished
over the years was going to be outweighed by this one act of stupidity by two idiots wrapped
up in their own egotistic indiscretion. Everything I worked for was about to be destroyed.
Little did they know what would be in the next chapter of my life!
There is another old saying “Failure is not an option” You too may have failed, and you think that you could
never be useful again. You feel like you’re about to be thrown onto the junk heap of failures. Well leaving that
meeting on that day I did remember that old saying, “Failure is not an option”. After arriving back to my office and
for a few weeks thereafter I did feel the letdown. But I went back to the drawing-board of my career and put on the
front burner new ideas and thoughts of how it would be much better.
One thing is for sure; good people fall down, but they always get back up. We all fail and failure (in an odd way) is an
experiment that creates success. In fact, the average person will fail seven times. He doesn’t just make one mistake, but
many.
In our disposable society, we are quick to throw away people who have failed. We see no use for them. We are like the
people who are ready to throw stones at the misguided”. It seems society is destroying such failures. But we should be
careful, because we are all, in some way, failures.
experiment that creates success. In fact, the average person will fail seven times. He doesn’t just make one mistake, but
many.
In our disposable society, we are quick to throw away people who have failed. We see no use for them. We are like the
people who are ready to throw stones at the misguided”. It seems society is destroying such failures. But we should be
careful, because we are all, in some way, failures.
What’s your response to possible failure?
John Maxwell, who is an expert on leadership, says that the most important quality for success is not one’s
family background, or wealth, or opportunity, or surprisingly not even high morals, for we all know of idiots who
have been high producers. He believes the difference between average people and achieving people
is their perception of and response to failure.
As one old preacher once said, “God uses only failures, because there aint’ any other kind to use.” All of us
have failed—some royally, others not so grand, but we all make mistakes. It is the response to our mistakes that
show the kind of people we are.
So how do you overcome your failures, mistakes and mental stupidity? Here is an idea . . . Fall Forward.
Ever take skiing lessons?
The first thing they teach you is how to fall. As hard as you are going to try to ski, you are going to fall. It is
inevitable that the better you want to get, the more falls you will have to endure. Instructors teach how to fall
because they do not want you to break anything or quit because of discouragement.
Discouragement . . . the number one reason people fail. The same can be said of the good life. Do not think
for a moment that you’re a failure . . . whether it is a broken marriage, drug addiction, or some other moral
failure . . . means that your life is over. Good people have been denied and later found encouragement. On
the other hand, betraying ones abilities is a poor excuse for not “Falling Forward”.
Babe Ruth was not only the homerun king, but he was the strikeout king as well.
We do not remember him for his strikeouts but for his homeruns.
John Maxwell, who is an expert on leadership, says that the most important quality for success is not one’s
family background, or wealth, or opportunity, or surprisingly not even high morals, for we all know of idiots who
have been high producers. He believes the difference between average people and achieving people
is their perception of and response to failure.
As one old preacher once said, “God uses only failures, because there aint’ any other kind to use.” All of us
have failed—some royally, others not so grand, but we all make mistakes. It is the response to our mistakes that
show the kind of people we are.
So how do you overcome your failures, mistakes and mental stupidity? Here is an idea . . . Fall Forward.
Ever take skiing lessons?
The first thing they teach you is how to fall. As hard as you are going to try to ski, you are going to fall. It is
inevitable that the better you want to get, the more falls you will have to endure. Instructors teach how to fall
because they do not want you to break anything or quit because of discouragement.
Discouragement . . . the number one reason people fail. The same can be said of the good life. Do not think
for a moment that you’re a failure . . . whether it is a broken marriage, drug addiction, or some other moral
failure . . . means that your life is over. Good people have been denied and later found encouragement. On
the other hand, betraying ones abilities is a poor excuse for not “Falling Forward”.
Babe Ruth was not only the homerun king, but he was the strikeout king as well.
We do not remember him for his strikeouts but for his homeruns.
- King Midas . . .
- The legend of King Midas shows how failure is not something to be avoided at all costs. The King was
fearful of poverty and failure and wanted to be able to turn everything into gold, and so his friend,
Dionysos, granted his wish. He woke up and touched his bed and it turned into gold. He walked the
courts and touched his palace gates and they turned to gold. Eventually he was hungry and went to
eat, and when he reached for an apple, it turned into gold. His whole meal turned to gold. Finally his
daughter joined him for breakfast and when he hugged her, she turned to gold. He lamented his
wish. He wanted everything to go back to normal, and eventually he got his wish.
- David Brinkley asked columnist Ann Landers what question she most frequently received from
readers. She told him, “What is wrong with me?” This question hits at the heart of the matter. We all know
ourselves much too well. We know our imperfections, our failures. Surely if people knew who we really are, then
they will not like us. Failure scares us, and yet, it should not.
- Failure is a fact of life. Before you ever walked, you fell and failed to walk many times. A parent
does not scold the child for falling, but puts the child back on his feet and says, “Try again.”
- Failure is a way for us to learn. Without failure Edison would have never invented the light bulb, you
see he failed over 4,000 times before he realized success.
- Failure is not an option; it’s how you deal with it that’s an option.
