Are you on your way to your first million?

Q asked: Are you on your way to your first million?

I was on the way to earning my first million around twenty years ago when I got my first paper route. At this rate, I'll be a millionare by the year 2186.

I sold my first car Friday night. I sold my second today (Tuesday).

I am working an average of eleven hours a day, six days a week. I am starting to hit my stride. In another month my training salary will be gone and I have to rely 100% on commissions. If all goes well, I will stop working my second job at that time.

I don't know how much money I made on today's sale. I wouldn't have made the sale without the finance manager's help. I'm not sure the finance manager likes me. He let the car go at $500 over invoice, and I don't think he had to do that. I probably won't make much on the sale. On the other hand, I don't know how much we made on the back end (on the financing).

I'm not complaining. I'm not very good yet, and I may have to live with small commissions, until I am good enough to close the sales entirely on my own.

This job is forcing me to be more firm and assertive. I'm amazed at what goes on. I am learning that the management I work for is (95%) honest and open in the way they conduct their business. Surprisingly, the customers are the ones who are dishonest. They feel they need to hide things in order to protect themselves.

I don't blame them. At the recent tent sale there were salespeople from five or six other dealerships there, and some of them were shady characters. The thing is, customers can protect themselves and still be honest, if they are a little bit creative, and it would save us all some time. Then again, most people are at a disadvantage because they don't buy cars very often, whereas the salespeople sell them on a daily basis.

I've become less tolerant of nonsense, both when I'm at work and in my private dealings. My time is becoming more precious to me. That said, I have to go now - no more time for blogging!

Batman! Batman!

I am too cool. Yeah, soooo cool.

You scored as Batman, the Dark Knight. As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause. Batman, the Dark Knight 71% Neo, the "One" 71% Indiana Jones 63% James Bond, Agent 007 63% Lara Croft 58% The Amazing Spider-Man 58% Maximus 58% Captain Jack Sparrow 54% The Terminator 54% William Wallace 46% El Zorro 21% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

100 years to live as a car salesman

I heard this song on the radio and quite liked it, so much so that I looked up the lyrics, provided below. It's by a group called Five for Fighting.

I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind

I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star

15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

Half time goes by
Suddenly you're wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...

I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you're on your way
Every day's a new day...

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

My apologies for not responding to some of the comments to the previous post. I've been working 50 to 60 hours per week and every time I started to type, something drew my attention away before I could finish and finally I said to heck with it. I have been working at the University on my days off, for two reasons. First, we could use the money because I haven't sold any cars yet. Secondly, I felt awful for not giving them advance notice when I quit. I've never done that before. Everyone in the office understands, though, and a few of them said they will be shopping for cars soon and they're going to come see me.

This weekend is a big tent sale at the dealership, so I will be working extra hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Part of the reason I haven't sold any cars is because there's been very little traffic coming in to the dealership. With any luck, there will be plenty of "victims" coming in for the "sale". (BTW, don't ever buy a pre-owned vehicle at a tent sale unless you know what the price was before the sale. My manager marks all the vehicles up about a hundred bucks. In fact, anyone thinking of buying a car should e-mail me. I've already learned a few things about markups and negotiation.)

I'm feeling good about myself and I believe I'm capable of being a good salesman, however - I'm really not sure I want to be in the car business anymore. I'm already learning things I never wanted to know.

Why blog, when I'm gonna be a flashy car salesman, anyway?

Yeah. So I walk into the dealership, right? And they get the general manager right away. We go back to his office, he looks at my resume and says, "So, what made you think of selling cars for a living, Snaars?"

I say, "Well Steve," (His name is Steve,) "Steve," I say, "I've been doing accounting at UD for months now, while searching for a job that will actually pay my bills. I'm not an experienced accountant, Steve. They hired me for my good looks alone. Unfortunately I'm not runway material so they're only paying me a pittance."

That gets a laugh. I continue: "I need money Steve. My savings has run out. My wife is a stay-at-home mom. We have two daughters and a third on the way. I've been following leads on CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com and such, and it's gotten me nowhere. What I've learned is that, for someone of my background and situation - since graduate school is not an option for me at this time - I need to make a career in sales if I am to support my family."

"I see." Steve looks down at my resume thoughtfully. "Now, it says here that you're some sort of god?"

I chuckle modestly and explain that I'm a demigod, if anything. Of all my followers only a smattering could be said to be devout in any sense.

"This could be a problem," Steve says. "We only worship cars and money here."

"I'm just kidding," I say. "I'm really an atheist."

"So you don't believe in anything at all," Steve asks, incredulously.

"I believe in Snaars. Look into my eye." I proceed to mesmerize him.

Steve shakes my hand. "You'll fit right in," he says serenely.

True story. Believe it. Just like everything else you see on this blog.