What happened to the Biz - An interview with L.B. Gross
The good thing about what I do is that I get to meet many interesting people day in and day out. I was really astonished when my old used car manager, L.B. (Low Ball) Gross, contacted me after he had his secretary run me down.
This brought back memories of some of the things he taught me back in the day, 1990 to be exact. For example, how he introduced himself to customers on a T.O. “Hey, Joe, how much do you owe…” in his slow, long southern drawl and my favorite, “Do you think we can get it for a dollar,” his way of saying that he was not going to book a trade.
Today, Ol’ Low Ball has one of the most profitable Buy Here Pay Here lots in the country and wanted to come school us young bucks on how the car business really should be.
He told me before our interview he wanted to set up his own blog and was going to show us how it’s done. I offered him a compromise, because there is enough competition in the automotive blogosphere here and here. I told him he could access one that is already up and running, with readers and advertisers. This way he did not have to worry about setting up a new shop and he could have a desk and get a portion of the profit with none of the expense. (He really liked that idea by the way.)
Paul Rushing (PR) : Ol’ L.B., I am glad you took the time to run me down. Seeing as how I thought you would be in a nursing home or dead by now. How did you find me?
L.B. Gross (Ol’ L.B.) : Well buddy, I am glad I found you as well. I saw your picture when my secretary printed out a newsletter, for me to read, from that other site you are involved with. I told her to get in touch with you. She used the computer to find you she said. I don’t know about all that. We have one in my office for the grand kids to waste time on myspace.com and for her to get my emails from olelb@aol.com. I have not been able to check it myself since they quit telling me when I had mail.
P.R.: Well the business sure has changed since we worked together 18 years ago. I guess you don’t have a website since you are still using an AOL email address. Don’t you realize that AOL is more washed up than Detroit?
Ol’ L.B.: All I know is if people want to send me something via that email, that is the one my secretary tells them to send it to. I have had it since the mid ’90’s when I got my son the computer that he gave me back 5 years later after he bought a new one. I don’t know why he did that though, it still worked fine after he showed me how to use AOL. Then, I had to pay for my email, plus get off the phone to check it. Now I have to get Sally Ann to turn off the soaps to check it. She has to unhook the cable TV in her office to do it; I like that. ‘Bout them boys in Detroit - they really blew that one I think.
P.R.: You know L.B. she just needs a $2 part and some extra cable to not have to turn off the soaps. But what I really want to know is, how do you think they blew it in Detroit this week?
L.B. : About that part, it did not come with the computer and I ain’t puttin’ no more money in that mess. I think she is tricking me anyway. The other day I told her to get my email and the picture was still on.
About them asking for money like that, they really messed up. You know I am flashy as all get out, especially when I travel to a place like Vegas, but come on Paul, if you’re gonna beg, look like a beggar. I am sure they had an old K Car or Maverick on the back line they could have all piled into and driven to D.C. It would have taken them prolly 6 hours to get there. Heck, I bet Marvin, my old auction driver, could have done in 5. Plus, they should have wore some old kicks, not suits that most people can’t buy with a month’s pay. You save those for special occasions. Don’t tell no one but the jacket I got on in that picture came out of the trunk of a car I stole, er bought, at an estate sale. It still had the plastic on it from the cleaners, but I would’na even wore that. Some overalls or somthin’, look poor if you gonna talk poor.
P.R. : You have always had a flair. Now I know why you can burn money like you do. You don’t pay for much. What do you think the Internet has done for dealers, seeing how it is a less expensive way to reach people who are really looking for car and not lining bird cages?
Ol’ L.B.: Well, I have not got my website up yet and won’t until my contract with the newspaper is up. They guaranteed me the back page every Wednesday, coupon day, if I signed a 10 year contract with them for $16,000 a month. I know it is still working because my salespeople always come to me to work a deal, asking where this or that car is. I bet 400 people a month miss those special deals we put in there, like the ‘07 Prius for $9,000 and ‘02 Odyssey van for $2,500. We switch a few of them to cars we really have and Kapowee, we sell a car; only every now and then does it cause us a problem. See I tell my people when they call on those “Specials” they need to tell them it is here right now but they better hurry. Someone is coming in on it. It is always sold by the time the marks get here. Every now and then someone calls us from on of those danged cell phones on the lot, but we have gotten good at wiggling around that one.
P.R. : Wow, I am surprised your search engine reputation is not screwed up. I’ll have to check on that and let you know. I noticed you used “Kapowee, you sold a car” and wiggling. I guess you have seen the Badger Commercials. I thought you did not know much about the web. You had to be surfing the web to see those, right?
Ol’ L.B. : I get my grandson or my secretary to play them for me and to go to some other places. I was hoping to get the Badger in here to train my sales people; he knows his stuff. They also show me other things on the computer, too. There are a few people around this online stuff that know what they are doing. I like it when I see the same people putting the same stuff everywhere, or ending all of their writin’s with the same 5 paragraphs at the end. That looks smart to me. I am just trying to figure out what a spammer is and why my grandson keeps callin’ it that.
P.R. : Well, Ol’ L.B. it looks like you got a lot to learn about the right way to use the Internet. Those things are as dated as your white shoes and belt. How often do you think you can contribute and start your education?
Ol’ L.B. : I am gonna do the teachin’ here, son. Don’t you forget it. Seein’ how there is so much room for people to pay too much for Internet consulting; that is gonna be my new sideline. Seein’ as how I can’t get my friends to sell me their old cars anymore; they tell me they get more from Craig List. My secretary showed me his website. I don’t see that as a way to sell any cars. Looks like a bunch of garbage to me. So now I am going get this going. I’m gonna give these people an education and show them the right way to leverage the web. My game plan has not changed in over two decades, it is time to get them back on track. I’ll be back from time to time. Can you let them know when I send you something to show them? Let my secretary know and she’ll print it out for me!
P.R. : Will do LB we are looking forward to it. They can put their email in up top, subscribe to the feed below or bookmark Internet Sales Manager in Training.
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