Tuesday, June 30, 2009

What An Amazing, Magical, Mystical, Enlightened, Aware, Two Years It Has Been

Tomorrow, 7-1-09 marks the two year anniversary of my spiritual enlightenment. One year and eleven months ago I was certain by now I would be a published author, sharing my story on the world stage, teaching Peace, Law of Attraction, Present Moment Awareness, Synchronicity, whats wrong with our current approach, how to fix it, and helping others awaken to their own Divinity and life purpose.

I would be living half the year in a modest house on a few acres of land in the Yelm/Rainier area of Washington. The home would be completely self-sustainable. Well water, septic, wood heat, and solar power coupled with the traditional power sources when the need arises. I would garden and farm to supply food for my family and others in the community. Good, organic vegetables and fruits, and non steriod fed, organic animals. I'm talking about a few cows, a goat or two, and some chickens. The cows and goats would be used primarily for milk and cheese, the chickens for eggs of course. Since I read the book, "above all be kind" a year and 10 months ago, It has become increasingly difficult for me to eat alot of meat. I have considered cutting out most meat products entirely, and in fact have decreased my meat intake by half overall.

If the dream of owning and operating an entirely organic restuarant ever materializes, I would use as much product out of my farm and garden as possible in the operation of the restuarant.

The other half of the year I would be in another modest rental house on the North Shore of Oahu. I envision it at the base of the Kahuku Mountain Range about 10 minutes drive to Sunset Beach and the "Banzai Pipleline." I have been being called back to that island for some specific reason since my awakening. From this place is where I would like to write.

My consulting/counseling business would take me around the globe, and I would expect to be "on the road" about three months a year.

The rest of my "work" time would be spent cooking in my restuarant, or writing from my rental house on Oahu.

My "play" time would be filled with helping my family and friends experience as much "flavor" in life as possible. I would like my children to be able to experience as many cultures, people and countries as possible. Travel to India, Africa, Tibet, and South America would be first. The Pyramids of Giza, Macchu Picchu, The Mayan Ruins, The Great Sphinx, Stonehenge, and The Himalayas are the particular places I am being drawn too. I believe there is something I am to learn there.

Philanthrophy is at the top of my list.!!!

The Universe had/has a different idea. September of last year when the bottom fell out, my life has gotten more stressful and difficult, instead of more peaceful and bliss filled. In the end, although its painful at times to deal with, i'm certain it's happening and timing is very purposeful. Maybe i'm not ready for the great responsibility I believe I am about to undertake. I guess we will see what the Universe has planned as time unfolds

This was a very odd week synchronistically and numerical phenomena speaking. Whenever this "stuff" happens to me, I feel like something "MAJOR" is about to happen in my life.

I will start with 6-26-09. I had two customers that day. The first had a birthday of 11-13, and the other 3-31. One customer eventually bought a Hyundai for 11K somewhere else. The other guy is looking for something I don't have, but is still willing to wait until one comes in or I find it.

On 6-28-09 I dealt with twoo customers. The first had a birthday of 3-11, and the other had a birthday of 11-3. Nothing "financially" productive came of either of these two.

Yesterday it started out with a husband and wife looking for a 3/4 ton Chevy Suburban. She was very specific in her wants and needs. We didn't have anything on the lot, but I agreed to try and find her something. The vehicle they needed is something thats really hard to find in the market. They actually left my dealership to go look at one in North Seattle which is about 1 1/2 hours away. When they left, I really didn't expect to ever hear from them again.

The day went on, I saw 1:11 on my digital clock. I hopped in a car to move it for someone, and it was 2:22, and so on. Once again, I wished I had someone following me around with a movie camera, documenting all of this as it happens.

About 3:30 a middle aged guy in a Honda Civic SI pulled in and got out of his car and was looking at a used 350-Z we have. Nice car, well taken car of....blah...blah...yada...yada..He was in good shape. He was wearing a tank top. When he got out of his car, he kinda flexed when he walked. Short guy with a big ego i thought, as I chuckled to myself.

He was very standoffish at first...told me he didn't want to "play the two hour back and forth game." I assured him I wasn't that guy. He stressed he needed 16k for his car, and he had for sale signs all over it backing up his "theory." I finally got him to agree to drive the car and let me try to work out the rest. I tried my best to put him at ease, but he was a hard nut to crack. I'm sure he has been told by everyone in his life that you have to "watch out" for car salesman. Standing out on the lot with my co-workers, I have even been called a "vulture" a few times. Thats alot of fun.

Right after he left, my general manager's son came out and told me that my customer was his former wrestling coach. I told my general manager who my customer was, and he agreed to sit down with the guy. With what seemed like all the stars aligned perfectly, I approaced him with a smile after the test drive. I informed him my general manager wanted to work with him directly as a thank you gesture for doing such a good job with both of his kids in high school. My GM even went out to talk to him. The customer suddenly came up with, "I have to be at an appointment in fifteen minutes, call me if we can give him 16k for his car." What he was really saying, based on my years in the business was, "i'm too scared that you guys will actually sell me a car I like face to face, so we need to negotiate over the phone."

I have been in the auto industry for 7 years and I have been told "I will be back" thousands of times. Statistics show us that about 90% of customers who say they will "be back" are lying through their teeth.

Here is a short list of the BS I have heard. I am going to lunch to think about it; I have a Doctor/ Dentist appointment in 10 minutes; my kid has a birthday party to go to; I am late to an appointment; I need to get your best "numbers" to go home and think about it. I am getting a "settlement" in 30 days, then I will come buy the car.. etc...etc..etc...AD INFINITUM

This is a VERY SHORT LIST. When a customer says, "I need your best "numbers" to go think about it overnight." What he/she TRULY means is I need your best numbers, so I can call three other dealerships, and if they beat your price by $100 I am going to go there and buy it becuase I lack any integrity, and your time as a 100% commissioned salesperson means nothing to me.

When I go look for a car, I go look for a car. I don't book dental appointments on the same day I am looking to buy a car.

We have a term in the car business that says, "buyers are liars." The more i'm in the business the more I agree with the statement. In fact I would go as far as saying most "car guys" I know are pretty "stand-up" people. Don't get me wrong, if the opportunity is there to make the most money possible, I will do it everytime. Customers should know what cars are worth before they go out to buy them.

So I sit down with my GM to work up some "numbers." His Civic was worth 13K , and I knew it was going to be close to that. Kelley Blue book backed that figure up and the customer even knew what the trade value was. I knew there was between 3-4k markup in the 350-z, so I knew I was sitting on a very small deal if the GM agreed to take it. He punched a few keys and the keyboard and wrote down some numders with a black sharpie on a plain sheet of white paper.

He came back at full price ($23,999) on ours and $15,275 for his. I knew it was a very small deal, but my GM wanted to do the guy a favor, and it was a deal nonetheless. I called the customer at home. I spelled it all out for him. He said "thanks" but he was going to have to pass. So I asked him exactly what we would have to do to sell him the car. In the end we agreed on $23,000 for ours and $16,000 for his. He said if we met those numbers he would come buy the car. I told him I thought we were "eons" away, but I would take the proposal to the GM, to see what he would say.

I sat down with the GM again, and after a few more punches of the keyboard, he said, "call the guy up and get him in here." Which means, yea we will take the deal. He turned the screen and showed me a net profit of about $600.00 on a premuim car that we could sell for alot more. Quite frankly I was shocked, and moreover I didn't really want to sell the car that cheap.

I called the customer with the great news to find out what time he would be in to complete the transaction, to which he replied, "can I think about it overnight." I looked at my GM, shaking my head and smiling, and asked my GM if he could think about it overnight. My GM, knowing what "I need to think about it overnight" really means said, "Thats fine.

The customer didn't buy the car today, and i'm pretty certain he never really had any intention of buying the car. I'm still not certain what his motive was for even looking at a car or being at a dealership. These are the customers I have difficulty finding the higher meaning and purpose in the interaction.

Later in the afternooon, my customer who went to look at the big suburban up north callled me back to let me know that they wanted me to find them the right car, because the one they went to look at had been completely misrepresented. I immediately went to work. My GM and used car manager began calling wholesalers in the area, and scouring the auction reports. In two hours of digging they were able to find two vehicles in a 300 mile raduis that fit these folks criteria. As I was putting together the paperwork to structure a deal to send to a few potential lenders I smiled when I noticed their birthdays were 10-13, and 3-31. Once again I saw all the stars in the Universe all alligning for me.

During the course of a four hour process, we found the vehicle, secured it, arranged how we were going to get it here from Oregon, showed them pictures, explained everything that was on the vehicle, and they went through my business office, signing and in effect purchasing a vehicle without even seeing it.

I explained to them in detail this was the process we had to go through, because my dealership wasn't going to buy and stock one of these vehicles because there is very little market for them, they tie up alot of money, they burn gas at the rate of about 8-10mpg and no one wants them. The only way they were going to get the vehicle was if they agreed to purchase it sight unseen, because in the event they backed out of it, we would be the proud owners of a gas guzzler that we wouldn't be able to "give away."

They were told it would be in good running condition, look good, etc. The only right of recission they were given, was if the vehicle showed up not equipped as promised. I had them sign a piece of paper last night that outlined all the features. His credit was good enough, he was most likely an "auto approval," which means at the click a a mouse, a bank would have electronically agreed to fund this loan without looking at anything.

I left the dealership at about 10PM last night after spending hours finding these folks a car that didn't exist and they couldn't find anywhere and were desperate and motivated to buy. About 3/4 of the way through the process my customers told me I was the "nicest" salesperson they had ever dealt with.

It seems they had purchased a huge camper trailer and with the big 4th of July weekend coming up, they had nothing to pull it with yet.

In the 7 years of doing this work, I have sold a handful of cars "sight unseen." Each and every one has been alot of work. This particular project was no different. Between my GM, my used car manager, a slew of wholesalers, and myself, we have about 20 hours total invested to this point.

So when I got up at 9:30 ready to enjoy my one day off this week, and listened to my voicemail hearing my customers voice in a tone I knew wasn't "good" asking me to call her back, I wasn't excited anymore.

My plan was to get up and head to a waterpark in Seattle for a day o' fun with my daughter who has never been there.

I called my customer, knowing that what she was going to tell me wasn't going to be what I wanted to hear.

It sounded something like this. It was late, I really want an 07 or newer because I like the body style better, you didn't tell us it was the old body style (her husband and I had a 5 minute conversation about it beeing an old body style), my husband is finding 07's for about the same price as you sold us the 06 for (we had to inflate numbers for bank structure because they were NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS "Upside Down" in their van", I felt obligated to sign papers even though I wasn't comfortable signing papers because you were so nice and patient with us, I am a "flake" (exact words), I really don't want this suburban, etc.

By this time, I get a text from my GM that says "whats up with your lady," and I knew she had already talked to the dealership.

So I do my best in keeping calm and professional, but let her know that I was frustrated, because I put my nose out there for them, I didn't lie, misrepresent, or anything, and I was certain her husband, her and I spoke about the different body style. She responded with the fact she was frustrated at the process too. I wondered why, when the night before, I was the "best" salesperson she had ever dealt with. She said she wished she had "gone home to think about it, " and I told her that I wished she would have too.

As I was ending my 15 minute conversation with her, frustrated and upset, I pulled into my bank parking lot to get cash to go to the waterpark. As I was pulling in I was almost hit by a big car. I looked at the license plate and it began with 666-#$%. I knew I was focusing too much on the material world and money, and that financial abundance will be provided if I get out of the way, and just allow.

In the final analysis I believe she thought she paid to much for the car after consulting a "car expert" friend, or the internet. What most "car experts" and the internet can't and don't take into account is market availability. I can say with 100% integrity and candor what she is needing/wanting is like finding a needle in the haystack.

After my trip to the bank I stopped by work to speak to my GM. I was dreading the conversation. It wasn't pleasant. I took it in stride, with a knowing that everything was perfect. I told him we would find them a vehicle that they will like, in the year range they actually want, and we will have customers for life.

I called back my customer and did my best to make sure I didn't offend her by telling her I was frustrated with her. I told her I was just being honest. I told her that if the dealership really wanted too, they could "hold their feet to the fire," byt making them take the vehicle. After speaking to both her and her husband a few times today, I'm not sure if they will come back to me to buy the vehicle. I hope they do, but I am done trying to figure out why people do the things they do.

I have manifested an overabundance of folks that have been very difficult to deal with this month. Some very unkind, some lied to my face, and some backed out last moment. I sit here and try to figure out the higher purpose of it all and wonder?

Shanna, Tehya, and I spent five hours at the waterpark today. It was glorious and fun. We all got a bit sunburned. It was Tehya's first time there, and she had a ball. I love seeing my kids enjoy life. At 42 years young, it was fun for me to slide down water slides too. On the way there and back Shanna and I both were inundated with "numbers." We now point out numerical synchronicity to one another like most people talk about current news and weather. Its pretty cool

I save and date drivers licenses on "demo permits" of my customers, with little notes about the synchronicity surrounding the interaction. I often wonder what the mathematical odds for the phenomena I experience is, I'm sure its huge. I expect to actually have to prove this stuff is happening to me at some point. Saving this stuff, and taking pictures is tangible proof.

Once again for my readers, followers, and for anyone who stumbled upon this blog. Thanks for taking the time to read it. I hope it inspires you to look for the synchronicity, and magic that is your life....moment to moment.

There are no coincidences or "random occurrance." Everything, down to the smallest most minute detail is placed in your path day to day...moment to moment... with complete purpose. Your job is to figure out "what for."

As I sit here, I ponder with guarded optimism, and anticipation what wonders I will experience this upcoming year. If it is anything similar to the past few years, I have the feeling it should be very interesting.

I wish you all Peace, Abundance, and Joy

and...a yearning to discover TRUTH.

One Love!!!!

Namaste

blayne

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