[Jarrett]

I am tired of hearing how crappy sales are. I am tired of all of the negativity. You say the glass is half empty and I say nah!

According to Urban Science there are 1065 fewer stores in 2010 than in 2009. That is a net decline of 8%. This leaves 18,841 stores in the US. Lets have a woot for the orphaned customers coming our way.

The facts of life are that there is every possibility that 2010 will bring more shrinkage to the dealer network. However ugly we all hear it is, us working at retail stores need to remember one thing. Capitalize on your competitions vulnerabilities. Find the weakness and strengthen your position.

I see an 8% shrinkage as 8% fewer competitors. As longs as production and demand are not weighted on the demand side selling will be competitive. And until our banks return to buying deeper, funding for buyers will remain tight. But after the shake out, those that survive will be stronger for it.

No I will not be selling motivational speeches at NADA.

[JoePistell]

Good times make for sloppy operations. They are followed by bad times where commissioned reps work twice as hard for half as much pay. Management gets serious about pinching pennies and Marketing Directors (like me) do a lot of sweating.

After the blood letting is done and time passes, those that are left are lean and mean and make stoopid profits until we grow fat and lazy and do it all over again....

[Jeff Kershner]

It's a vicious cycle isn't it?

Is negativity a condition of the human brain -- or a taught lesson handed down from generations?

If you can only recondition your brain to see everything as an opportunity. Of course if that happened we would all be bubbly / happy and to too quick to blow sunshine up everyones a$$.

Motivational speakers would be out of jobs.

Example:

Negative - It's snowing outside, about to dump over 1 foot and I have a POS snow blower!

Positive - Makers Mark Ambassadors | Facebook

[ghen]

LOL