The Front By Lead The Team With Host Mike Phillips

How do you handle it when things don’t go right? If you are a manager or leader – YOU MUST OWN the situation. Owning anything is defined as belonging to oneself. And also accepting responsibility, being accountable in situations. When it comes to customers you have an opportunity to win or lose big. Especially in the current connected economy. I had a less than pleasurable experience at a hotel in Denver over the weekend. The way that the hotel management handled the situation was excellent. So when everything was finished, I left feeling like me and my family were important, valued and listened to. As a leader, you MUST accept any and all responsibility. For your business, for the staff – When things go right, it is a team effort and the reward should be spread. The best leaders know, that when things go sideways, it’s their fault – and therefore their job to find a solution. When you do – it shows confidence, caring and reinforces strong leadership. https://youtu.be/SlSo1Nkpvw0 So let’s talk about some step

Where does that come from? "Let's go for coffee?" I was in Denver for the Innovative Dealer Summit, an automotive conference, the past two days. I use real life for inspiration – to find and share the good! So this is today! I had the pleasure of finally meeting my friend Terry Lancaster in person today. You may ask, how did you just meet him. Terry and I have been connected on social media for over 7 years… I checked. On my birthday each year, he has been wishing me a “Happy Mike Day” since 2011. Prior to today, we saw that we would both be in the same place for the conference this week and like so many social media friends, business associates, and connections we agreed, “Hey, let’s meet for coffee!” https://youtu.be/nlASlAYgLmo The problem with these small commitments, is with anyone, they often get swept under the rug – because we are busy! I want to encourage you of this --- Little things matter. Little commitments when we say we will do something – it is important to follow through. The little commitmen

Happy Easter! Happy Resurrection Day! Matthew 28:6 "He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying." https://youtu.be/FTm1Er1UiWM Happy Easter - May God bless you and your family today! It is today that we celebrate the resurrection! Go, spread hope and rejoice! He is risen, indeed! Download This Episode Now! Please subscribe to the podcast or on http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV

So today I returned to my kickboxing class. I’ve been out of it for a few weeks. And there was a change coming today. Humans, in general, don’t like change – and even when change is good, it can cause an initial negative reaction for most anyone. Our regular instructor which everyone knows and loves has gone to pursue his passion. There is a new instructor and my wife has attended a few of his other classes, and she has said that the workouts are great – just different. Part of the reason my wife was bracing me for class today, is because she knows that I get in a groove of who is teaching, what we are doing, and why we are there, and what I want to get out of the class. Her concern was that I would not be a fan. https://youtu.be/NoF0eZ-ISQw Times are changing! As I thought about the class this morning – I had heard of some changes taking place – and I was a bit pre-determined to be cranky about kickboxing class. Then I came to this realization. I’m not a competitive kickboxer. I’m not a competitive martial a

You must stay consistent in your daily activities! I’ve said it before and said it consistently – SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES! https://youtu.be/6P2V-9xhm6g First, let’s talk about what consistency is: CONSISTENCY - conformity in the application of something. Acting in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate. Unchanging in nature. So consistency is really about doing the same things, even sometimes when you don’t want to do them, but you know they MUST be done so that you can get to the goal, or see success. So here I will share three tactics to help you in staying consistent. Know WHY you are doing the thing. What makes you passionate about the job at hand – even if this one thing is not your passion – you can find a reason to be passionate right now. For example: Doing a job well done. Completing this task so that you can continue with what you’re REALLY passionate about. Schedule time for activities. Be definitive in your scheduling. I’ve heard it said before that what gets scheduled gets

Basics, they really do matter in sales! What do I mean when I say basics. Well, there are a few things. Actually, four specific things that I think will produce more sales in any organization. https://youtu.be/z80e8EOlqzM PEOPLE. Caring about and retaining people has been a heavy subject for me lately. No business can operate without staff – it’s the people. When you have good people – nothing can stop you. When your people are uncaring, nonchalant or not in the right position, nothing can save you. People create the success of the business and they also create the failures. COURTESY. I’m really starting to think common courtesy is not so commonplace. I’m talking simple things – like eye contact when you are speaking to someone saying please, and thank you. These things are important. Why – because intrinsically it shows the other person that they are important because you are paying full attention to them! PRODUCT. If you don’t have a good product. Then nothing can save you. None of the other things that I

I am talking about what people are pouring in, to you! I did this as another Facebook Live Episode, which I am beginning to enjoy more! https://youtu.be/VdmiFzrFnRA You are either in some form of leadership, you are acknowledged as a leader, or you want to be. As leaders, actually as people, we all pour ourselves into others at times. We offer advice and opinions and share information and want to be heard. In most cases, I think people, in general, want to do good. They want to spread goodness. I know we can all get caught in negativity or gossip – but we can also get caught up in the whirlwind of learning and teaching, sharing, and pushing others to grow and all of the positivity that is in the world too! I have said in many episodes, to always be learning, workshops, classes, Google, YouTube, online connections – here I want to caution you too. Here is a thought - you need to be mindful of what you are allowing others to pour into you. Everyone is trying to be heard right now – there are a lot of superficia

Let's talk about KEEPING PEOPLE, and employee retention! I have been in management and leadership roles in excess of 25 years now. Owned businesses, managed businesses, coached sports at a high level, and now having been in automotive management for roughly 15 years. I’ve found that our people, our employees, really want some key things when it comes to retention. Having them stick around for the long haul, will increase your chances for your business to win! Let’s talk about currently, this isn’t past data. I’ve worked in an automotive call center fairly exclusively for seven years. And currently, the average tenure of the employee within our call center is between four and five years. So if you know anything about either automotive, or call centers those are both very high stress, high expectation for results, and high turnover areas. Throughout the studies of some psychology, management and leadership across medium’s from podcasts and online videos, training courses, seminars, and just the study of people;

Today I’m talking about reading the Bible. I am a person of faith…  The Bible and its teachings are something that I’m truly grateful for having in my life. Whether you are somebody that believes in the gospel of the Bible as absolute truth. If you are somebody to believes that the Bible is a collection of stories. I’m not here to change your beliefs or faith today. I believe in the truth behind the Bible. I believe in the core and the message. What I am here to do is to remind you that the Bible at its core is love, goodness, kindness, morality, and so much more. https://youtu.be/dskJCxWnhjc So here is what I have decided to do – call it a challenge, a message, or a daily devotional. I decided that each day for the next 30 days I’m going to pick a verse from the Bible and read it on Facebook live. I’m planning on doing it starting at 6:15 in the morning. I would invite anybody to please join me if you if you are not able to join me at that time of the morning and please take the time to watch the verse and m

Today I am talking about some phone follow up tips. These are things that maybe in the past we probably once saw as basic skills or just normal communication and then we got trained and became salespeople… There has been much debate lately about the sales process, and phone process… and processes for your process. https://youtu.be/WaGB0cNsFXM Fundamentally, when it comes to automotive sales, the customers “buying process,” and the road to the sale, or “sales process” do not always coincide. But, their path leads to the same end – the purchase of a product. People on both sides, do not want to be forced to follow a method or process that is not theirs. However, they can, both sides, walk down a path together to seek success at the end. So let’s talk about the path to phone follow up. And, I know there are a multitude of ways to communicate with customers. Here are a few things to remember when you pick up the phone. Be prepared. Care enough to do your research. You have to plan to be courteous and knowledgeab

Prospecting For Gold In Sales Prospecting is simply going and searching for something; or in sales, for someone. A customer, a prospect. The next person you can help! https://youtu.be/GXKbyy3S0nA It is going and searching for business. We are spoiled right now in sales and marketing, in any business, that at the click of a button we connect with people in our town or thousands of miles away. We expect them to come to us to do business and buy our products. I think in some areas as far as prospecting is concerned, it is becoming a lost art. First and foremost – Consistency matters. You can’t just try and connect or go out one time and expect that business will be flocking to your door. It doesn’t work that way. Just like anything, our daily consistency will determine our level of success. Use every method available to you. I would encourage you to sit down and try and come up with 10 different ways that you can prospect – and to DRUM UP BUSINESS. You may be surprised at the methods that end up working for you

Today is about dreaming BIG dreams AND following through! I love big dreams. And people that have BIG dreams. I like people that chase things that are larger than themselves. There is a difference between a dream with a goal attached and just a dream – A dream is just a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. The question is, are you sleepwalking through your life with a bunch of thoughts and images or are you going to do something to work towards it? https://youtu.be/xCEi12jjAIA When I am coaching salespeople, even on a daily and regular basis – one quote I remind them of, and I don’t remember who said it – but I love the quote! “What you are working on right now, is it getting you closer to your goal or further away?” There is not an in-between. In between is stagnant and complacent – no movement, when there is no movement... it's death. So that dream, that thing you have that you want so badly are you working on something to get closer to it? This can be any ac

When the going gets tough... the successful stay positive. I was inspired this weekend – we have the Winter Olympics going on, that’s always great competition. And I enjoy watching things like that because there are people that demonstrate discipline, consistency, perseverance, and leadership, including leadership of oneself. Plus as a BONUS – My son competed at the Colorado Open. This event is a boys and young men’s gymnastics meet hosted at the Olympic Training Center. So, I had the opportunity to watch that in person. It really is unbelievable what the mind and body can achieve. https://youtu.be/NzOG0KOsoak As I watched these competitions, one thought that crossed my mind – was that no matter what the obstacle that arose, these athletes continue to overcome and be competitors. For example, if someone falls, makes an error or misstep, a high-level level gymnastics meet – they get up, take a deep breath, reset, and then continue the routine. It never seems to cross these guys minds to stop completely or quit

Today, on The FRONT the theme is about winning. Not just winning in a competition or competitive environment such as athletics, but winning in business. Winning in business unlike winning in a competition such as sports, or board games, or arm wrestling is not by pushing past an opponent. https://youtu.be/V392IoO8JC0 One vast difference – in a competition, you can gauge a win, because you beat the other team or your opponent by overall score or points. In business, YOU are the competition. What about “winning” on social media? Right now, many people are keeping score on social and they are viewing a win based on their number of followers being the “points” – well let me give you a tip. Followers or social connections aren’t points… they are people. People want to engage, feel important and special. It may be important to connect with one today than to reach one million. An example of a win on social media might be – for me at least – making a positive impact. When someone reaches out to me and says, “Hey, tha

Well... are you on autopilot? I’ve talked before about how it is important to have a plan, and have a process to go with that plan. https://youtu.be/-QL1B6bARJ0 Routine, in general, is good for many reasons. When we get accustomed to doing same or similar things, it takes the guesswork out of things. When there is less guesswork or decision making it’s been proven to improve your mood. And when you are upbeat, have a good mood you accomplish more and you accomplish those tasks well. WHY? Because we have an idea of what to expect. Taking off on that, when you know what to expect it removes fear. It removes fear simply because we know what is coming next, or what should come next… so we just go. Here is an example when it comes to automotive sales: When customers finally decide to come into a car lot – in most cases customer approach with fear and anxiety. They want to find someone they can trust, they want a good deal etc. Know how to remove the fear – tell customers what’s going to happen. Steps them through

Happy Valentine's Day 2018! Today, I decided to do a Facebook Live! For episode #68. To tell my wife and my family - THANK YOU! So often, as managers or leaders, we get tied up. We get busy. We forget to just say, "thank you," to those that are continually supporting us throughout our crazy adventures! So to my wife, Brooke - my kids, Colin, Carter, and Emersyn... Thank you all, I love you guys! https://youtu.be/3roivMtT2sU Download This Episode Now! SUBSCRIBE!

Today, I just compiled some of my thoughts on paper and put together five leadership notes. Many people think they are leaders. Some are correct… and frankly, some are not. Sometimes people are just wrong in their assessment. Right now, in 2018, anyone with some social accounts and money to spend on ads can stake their claim. Just having a desire or a claim to leadership doesn’t mean a person has the assets, character, courage or fortitude to be a leader. It doesn’t mean they can teach others, or have the work ethic. Real leadership takes a lot of work. https://youtu.be/Yxc5hgMo9l4People often assume that once they are in management and they are given a leadership title that is enough. Real leadership is more than a title. It’s deeds, it's what you do. What we do, what we take action on far outweighs any title we can be given. If you have the title, but people aren’t following you – either you are keeping your talents to yourself (not a good leadership trait), or you need to step outside yourself and be real

Whatever you focus on you get more of. (Check out my previous blog on this subject) Clarity and focus are two of the top attributes in achieving high levels of success and blowing away goals boundaries set by yourself or society. Clarity is a sharpness, certainty, being definite. Focus is the center of an activity. Having clear definition… example the point of origin of an earthquake. https://youtu.be/rjmo6NvCcYE I love positive mindset and discussions on the subject of things like “The Law Of Attraction” One of the coolest statements that I think I have heard in my lifetime is “Whatever the mind can conceive and believes it can achieve,” from Napoleon Hill. This statement consists of three parts: concept, belief, and achievement. Concept is just a thought, a fleeting idea that pops into our head and for whatever reason, and we start to retain that one idea. When we get focused on and excited about an idea though we begin to repeat it so often that we begin to believe it. Belief is the total confidence and tr

Love and leadership go hand in hand. Yes… like they hold hands. LOL! Love is in the air. It’s Valentine’s month! And this is my first podcast of February so let’s talk about love and leadership, or maybe love in leadership. https://youtu.be/ZJGjEhH71JU You have to truly love and respect others to really lead them. When you love someone you take the time to understand who they are, where they are coming from. Caring about someone and being authentic, knowing who they are personally, what makes them tick and helping them to see their own success is love in the business world. Love itself as a word has multiple meanings. And, for me it’s is a verb, an action, showing genuine interest and caring for someone. It’s putting their needs first. One of the keys to a successful marriage, family life, parenting is love. Love is a foundation in our personal lives. Really most any successful relationship is built on a strong foundation of love. But – for some reason, love is frowned upon by many business people. In busines

I have had several salespeople lately refer to "burn out." So I thought I would put my spin on how to work through it. What determines if you are burned out? By definition, burn out is physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress. (Unless you are Mike Davenport - here - LOL) https://youtu.be/RFn7plbEweE Overwork is an easier thing to overcome. And, your work matters. Workplace matters, because if you continue to get overworked, if you continue to see stress - you will collapse. Thing is, stress is defined differently for everyone - what stresses one person out ignites another person's fire! So the answers here may help, but they won't be YOUR answers. And the combination of overwork and stress can be a mess, it literally can be a deadly mix. I have seen people that have had heart attacks, strokes, and much more because of stress. You may have to really drill down and ask a tough question - Is it the job, is it the place - or is it you? Regardless of what business you are in, or how long you have b