Once again New Yorkers were hit with a big surprise as the city, and much of the northeast, was left powerless by what appears to be an Ohio power plant failure. It was amazing to watch the mass crowds crossing the bridges and packing the streets all the while maintaining self-control. One observer commented how resilient "New Yorkers" are having endured these things with such patience.

Power outages occur all the time in the car business, and for a variety of reasons. One might assume I’m suggesting the type of power that impacts our computers and telephone systems leaving us to handwrite contracts or cram the air waves with our cellular phone calls. On the contrary! I’m speaking of the shortage of power we realize when our lack of skills and process training result in lost sales.

Jim Rohn, America’s foremost business philosopher, explains the importance of training and personal development using an analogy about cutting down trees. He explains that a man can take a hammer and try to cut down a tree. He can work hard and give a maximum amount of effort but it will take a whole day to cut down the tree. When you give him a chain saw, he can cut down 50 trees in a day. The difference between the hammer and the chain saw isn’t the effort; it’s having the right skills and knowing how to use them properly.

When was the last time you read a book or took a course to improve your skills in any of the following?

• Understanding people
• Salesmanship
• Learning to listen
• Negotiation skills
• How to make a powerful presentation
• Personal marketing
• Goal setting

Maybe I should just ask when was the last time you read a book or took a course about anything.

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