Nothing is more valuable than vision

[Alex Snyder]

Few people know what they want. Few people are driven. Few people have vision. If you want to find the ultimate in success, find your vision.

I have just finished Fast Company's article on Jeff Bezos for the second time: *AmazonFresh Is Jeff Bezos' Last Mile Quest For Total Retail Domination | Fast Company | Business + Innovation* and am inspired to say something about vision after my second reading. If you haven't read this article, that's okay because I assume you know what Amazon is.

Amazon, on the surface, looks like a retail establishment that provides lower pricing, no taxes, delivery to your door, and the convenience of 24/7 shopping without leaving the house. That isn't what Jeff Bezos set out to do. I don't know exactly what Jeff's vision is, but I know it isn't to be the king of retail. I am pretty sure his vision is to be retail...all of it. Whether he gets there or not has nothing to do with why I'm writing this. I'm not even saying Amazon will be the future car dealer.

Jeff's vision is to be retail. What that has created for him is the ultimate understanding of the consumer:

"In the old world, you could make a living by hoping that your customer didn't know whether your price was actually competitive. That's a very tenuous strategy in the new world. [Now] you can't convince people you have the low price; you actually have to have the low price. You can't persuade people that your delivery speeds are fast; you actually have to have fast delivery speeds!"

In order to achieve his vision he knows he has to deliver and that's his drive. That's the focus of Amazon's daily grind.

What do we do in dealerships? Do we obsess over making sure our marketing and mission statements are true? Do we have a vision for what we want to achieve? If you know what you're after the mission becomes quite clear and the vision become infectious to the people around you.

I don't see many dealerships who know what they want other than more sales.....

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Big thoughts Alex - big thoughts.


I too read this article a few times.

"Amazon's increasing dominance is now less about what it sells than how it sells" <-- think about that!!


"Once you become a Prime member, your human nature takes over. You want to leverage your $79 as much as possible," he says. "Not only do you buy more, but you buy in a broader set of categories. You discover all the selections we have that you otherwise wouldn't have thought to look to Amazon for." And what you buy at Amazon you won't buy from your local retailer." <--Pure dominance


Do you have mindset and VISION for what you truly want for the FUTURE, NOT this month or next month??

 

[ZBennett]

What really speaks to me at the end of the day, is how the story of Jeff Bezos and Amazon is about two things: being authentic and being remarkable.

There's always someone who can sell something a little bit cheaper, get it to you a little bit faster, make it a little bit easier, but that surely isn't leading most businesses to blockbuster success.

What makes Amazon special is their story. When people buy from Amazon, they aren't buying a product, they are buying an experience. And nothing is a gimmick, they first built a legitimate business. You can't trick people, but authenticity isn't enough. Once you're authentic, you need to become remarkable.

If dealers focused less on short-term profits and more on innovative initiatives - they'd find themselves rapidly growing. You can't reach people anymore with T.V commercials and radio broadcasts - everyone has learned to tune you out. If you're saying the same thing as everyone else, offering the same "rock bottom prices" and not standing out, then you're invisible.

Give people a story and an experience, they'll give you a lifetime of loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.