Column: Susan Marston
It Is What It Is!
CHANGE….yes that word again and like it or not, that word will never go away, nor should it. A phrase that I keep using because it really is an all encompassing phrase, is ….IT IS WHAT IT IS....and it applies to so many things in life, including our businesses.
We can only CHANGE things that we have control over, and everything else, there really is no point in worrying about these things because ultimately we cannot do anything about them. One of those things is the fuel prices that we are experiencing now and most definitely in the future too, as everything points to the fact that unless we have a dramatic change in the world economy and natural resources, these prices are only going to go in one direction – UP!
Interestingly enough, the gas prices in the USA are still one of the cheapest in the western world as many of the European countries have been paying $10 plus, or thereabouts, per gallon for several years. So, they are ‘used’ to this cost and the environment around them has had to CHANGE to meet the needs of the masses eg., car manufacturers. Now you know why there are so many smaller vehicles ‘over the Pond’!
So, it is up to us to CHANGE - our attitudes in the way we do business and indeed, the actual way we do business, because if we do that, that is in our control and we then we work “smarter and not harder”. As I have said before, the days of growing repossession companies by increasing truck volume are numbered and we have to look at other alternatives to ensure the continuous profitability of our businesses.
I was with one client last week, and to meet the challenge of the future, we completely changed the internal structure of the company – from how they manage the client accounts, their updates and any other pertinent actions, to re-training staff. By accomplishing this, this company has already began to reap the benefits both internally and in the field too. More planning and organization equates to saving time and money.
At the same time, the external infrastructure has to CHANGE to support the Field Agents and also to produce the fastest turnaround time in successfully picking up those repossessions! ‘Just because you have been repossessing for years does not mean that you can always do it the way you have previously – if you get my meaning! There are numerous combinations of ways to repossess successfully and it’s not just about riding around in the dead of night, spotting and hooking a vehicle and driving away. For sure, that way is a good one, for the dead of night that is, BUT it’s most definitely not the only way at any other time.
I wonder how many of your Field Agents truly know how to work accounts and I don’t mean reading the address, driving to it and giving you an update WITHOUT leaving the truck! Gone are those days or at least they should be.
As the client-driven repossession industry continuously CHANGES, we have to CHANGE too and that includes the way we train our Field Agents. There are many out there that successfully repossess without trucks and make an extremely good living doing it too – that’s good training for you. Plus it saves a great deal of fuel too…. More than one way to skin that cat!
So the old saying ‘you can’t teach an old dogs new tricks’ is flawed and always has been as there is no such word as CAN’T! The computer ‘spell check’ doesn’t recognize it, nor does any dictionary.
Working smarter and not harder has to be the way forward. No, there is no magic wand to make that quick million dollars, just honest hard work, tenacity and CHANGE!
SUSAN A L MARSTON, MBA
President – ConnecTGo, Inc.
…..the right time…..the right team…..
salmarston@gmail.com
www.connectgo.biz
