On the Road...

Well I have finished my first two weeks in the field on my own and I really like my new job. For those that may not know about my job I will give you a little run down on what I do. As you all know I changed jobs and I now market a finance company to all auto dealers in Central Florida. I have over a 100 dealers that I have to visit through-out the month and educate them on our programs and ask that they send us their business.

The Niche…
Like any company we have a certain niche that we gear most of our business to. The owner opened our company back in 1991 after leaving a large car dealership organization. He wanted to be able to help the customers that were credit challenged by giving them an auto loan when no one else would. This in return would build their credit back up to good standards and help them in the future. He has done relatively well and the company continues to grow. We buy loans for people that have been in bankruptcy, foreclosed on their home, no social security numbers, first time buyers and for those who have just had trouble managing their money and paying their bills. You would be amazed at how many people actually need a program like ours to help them.   

So you ask….
How is it being on the road? I like it a lot and I enjoy meeting new people and building relationship with them. Some people can be a little rude at times, but I don’t take it personally. They are the ones with issues, not me. I do not miss sitting behind the desk, but I do miss eating lunch with people. One of the things that bother me and maybe you guys might have a few ideas for me. When I meet the finance managers at the dealerships and I am going over our program guidelines they aren’t really listening to what I am saying. I say this because they send in applications that don’t fit our guidelines at all. They look like they are listening and understanding, but apparently not. And when I ask if they understand they always say yes and they never ask questions. Of course I have to believe them and go with the flow, but maybe I can approach it in a different way. What would you suggest I do?

Positive Thinking….

Positive thinking is a master tool that successful business persons need to live by, but its not something only business people should practice, its something that everyone man, woman and child should practice. You might ask, what do you mean by this? What I am trying to say is the more positive thinking one does the better off he or she will be.

Little thoughts can become consuming….

I was driving to work one day, listening to the radio, this is a normal morning task that I do. The radio news seems to be the only source of news I get through-out the week. As I listen to the radio broadcaster, he talks about how we should go home and practice not saying anything negative for one week. Whether it is about a bad workday or traffic was horrible or the kids did not clean up after themselves. He stated that after doing so you see changes in your normal day-to-day life. I could relate to this because this is a normal practice that I try to live by. I really feel this is what has gotten me this far in life.
   
Hints positive thinking…

When you sit back and really think about it, we always think negative thoughts. Just to name a few: my hair looks horrible today, I am going to be late for work, this traffic stinks, why can’t my spouse help out around the house, I am going to fail this test or better yet I am going to fail this class. Why don’t we say things such as I love to drive in traffic, the sky looks beautiful today, honey you are a big help or I am going to do great on my finals. I have always tried to live by positive thinking, but I must say that there are days when the negative thoughts get the better of me. As this seems to be small, if you think negative thoughts for a long period they will build up and really start to weigh on how you look at things.

Practice makes perfect…

I am firm believer of positive thinking. I believe it can actually do wonders for the mind and soul. Promise me this that you will for one-day try not to say anything negative. Not one word of negativity should leave your lips. First, you will be amazed at how hard you will have to work to accomplish this, but by the end of the day, you will see what I mean. Live by this and things will start to happen for you. I would also like to recommend two great books for you to read. The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. They are great books for you and anyone you might know. Do you recommend any other books? I’m always open to suggestions.

Career Changes

I have reached max capacity at my current job. I have been working with a family owned business located in Orlando, Florida for the last four years.  I worked really hard the first two years and it was noticed. I was given a promotion from Finance Manager to Finance Director. Then the next year and a half I continued to work really hard, above and beyond my normal duties. After a year of all the extra effort, nobody noticed and it’s been frustrating. When I ask for a day off or put in for vacation time they never wanted to let me go. They constantly expected things from me, but never wanted to give back. They also changed everyone’s pay plan for the worse. Now I have reached a point where I am tired and really dislike my job. They took me from being a positive, hard working team player employee to quitting and not wanting to work for the company any longer.

Employee Satisfaction Matters…..

In class last week we discussed the importance of employee satisfaction and how corporations need to notice when employees are doing good and award them for their efforts. They say because the job market is so competitive with finding great employees they can be taken right out from underneath them. If a company is not taking care of its employees there is another firm up the road that is willing to award them when necessary. There is a company called Container Store and they have been in the top ten business awards for being the number one company to work for during the last few years. They thrive on hiring self- motivated and team oriented people who have a passion for excellent customer satisfaction; they cross train everyone for all positions and always give incentives to employees for working hard. Energy and excitement is the key to success in their stores.  Their employees truly enjoy working for them and that is the way it should be.  They say it is run more like a mom and pop store verses a large corporation.

Two weeks’ notice…….

I reached the end and decided to find another job. After searching for a few months I finally found a good company to work for. I put my two week notice in and explain to management why I was leaving. I hope that they will learn from this and possibly change for future employees and their satisfaction.  Always remember that you are just as important to the company as they are to you. I recommend checking out the website for the Container Store so you can read how a company should be www.containerstore.com