09/12/2014

TheHistoryofJoeGirard

TheHistoryofJoeGirard
JoeGirardisoneofthoserarecreatures:ahighlymotivatedmanwhocan
communicatehisinspirationandattitudestoothers.Joereferstoitasspark.Inhis
ownwords,sparkscreatefires.Hisfirstsparkswouldcomepainfullyatanearlyage.Hewas
bornontheeastsideofDetroit,Michigan,inoneofthecitysmostdeplorableghettos.Helived
aboutonemilefromoneofhisearliestheroes,JoeLouis,whoescapedfrompovertyandbecame
heavyweightchampionboxeroftheworldwhileJoewasstillastrugglingadolescent.
Theinitialstrugglebeganwithhisownfather,AntoninoGerard,anextremelypoormanof
Sicilianbirthwhofoundnosuccessinhisnewcountryandventedhisbitterness,bothphysically
andemotionally,uponhisyoungerson.Joeoftenspeculatesastowhetherhisfathersbehavior
wasthecarefullyplannedcampaignofamanwhodesperatelywishedtochallengehisson.
Whateverthetruth,theseniorGerardchosetoconstantlyberatehissonwiththemessagethat
Joewouldneveramounttoanythingworthwhile.ThiswasJoesfirstspark:thedeterminationto
provethathisfatherhadbeenwrong.
Atthesametime,Joesmotherfedhimherconstantloveandbeliefthat,indeed,Joewascapable
ofsucceedinginlife.ThiswasJoessecondspark:toshowhismotherthatherloveandjudgment
hadnotbeenmisplaced.
ThesetwosparksledtoJoesfirstrevelation:thatsmartworkandpersistence
couldworkwonders.Attheageof9,afterschoolandahurrieddinner,Joepatrolledthe
neighborhoodbarsforsomeshoeshinecustomers.Hewouldnothavethoughtofitinthese
terms,butafterexaminingthemarkethedecidedthatthebestsourceforbusinesswasaplaceof
leisurewherepeoplewererelaxedandinclinedtobegenerous.Barshadanotheradvantagein
badweather:theywerewarm.Tothisday,Joestwomostpreciouspossessionsarehisoriginal
shoeshinebox,sittingproudlyupontheonefilecabinetofhisoffice,alongwithaphotographof
Joeshiningshoesinasaloon.Theexperiencetaughthimanothervaluablelesson:afearof
alcohol.Joeiswillingtohaveanoccasionaldrink,buthehasneverforgottenwhathesawin
thosebars.
Hisjoywiththissuccessledtohisnextenterpriseasanewscarrier.Attheageof11,hetookhis
secondjobasanewscarrierfortheDetroitFreePress.Becauseitwas,andstillis,amorning
paper,itwasnecessarytobeupat5:30a.m.tocompletehisroutebeforeschool.TheFreePress,
hequicklylearned,alsoofferedbonusesforenterprisingnewsboyswhowerewillingtosolicitand
gainnewbusiness.Foreachnewcustomer,therewardwasacaseofPepsiCola.Theoldbarn
behindtheGerardhousewassoonstackedhighwiththerewardsofJoesefforts.Althoughit
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TheHistoryofJoeGirard

providedthefourGerardchildrenwithahugesupplyofsodapop,somethingtheirparents
couldntpossiblyafford,Joesoonrealizedthathehadagrowinginventoryofvalueandsoon
beganhisthirdbusinessventureassodapopsuppliertotheneighborhoodchildrenatapriceno
ordinaryvendorcouldmeet.Hisproudestmomentswereonthosedayswhenhebroughthis
earningstohismothernochildishgestureashispennieshelpedtoputbadlyneededfoodonthe
Gerardtable.
TheDetroitFreePresscanprobablybecreditedwiththefirstinsightgiventoJoe
withregardtoexceptionalprogress.Acontestwasproclaimedforthesolicitationofnew
readers.Thegrandprizewastobeanew,sparklingtwowheelerbicycle.Now12yearsofage,
thisdrivenyoungsterhadneverpossessedabike.Joeknewthesecretthatcouldwinthebike.He
wouldspendeveryunused,wakingmomentknockingondoorsandaskingforbusiness.Thishad
alwaysbeenhissecret.Heknewthatitworkedwhathecouldnotcomprehendwaswhythe
othernewsboysdidnotseetheobvious.Joewonmorethanthebicycle.Hewontheknowledge
thatifheplannedhisworkandworkedhisplan,hecouldsucceed.Helearnedthatmostpeople
werenotwillingtomakethissacrifice.Asheoncesaid,

anyoneofthosekidscouldhavebeatme,buttheywerentwillingtowork.They
didntwantitbadlyenough.

Joesteenyearsweredifficultandbitter,especiallyathome.Hisnaturalspiritandpridebrought
him,timeaftertime,intodirectconflictwithanincreasinglybitterandvengefulfather.Almost
regularlyheorderedJoefromtheGerardhome.Fromtheageof14,Joespentmanyofhisnights
sleepinginboxcarsattheGrandTrunkRailroadyards,locateddirectlyacrossthestreetfromhis
home.Inbadweather,heused25anightflophouses.Atthisagehewasnowabletoseekmore
rewardingemploymentafterschool,suchasdishwasher,dockloaderattheproduceterminal,
deliveryboy,andpageboyattheBookCadillacHotel.Healsodevotedsomeeveningstothe
neighborhoodpoolhall,tryingtohustleadditionaldollars.Helivedwiththeconstantfearthatif
hedidntbringhomesufficientmoneyhewouldhavetofacehisfathersanger.
FormaleducationforJoeendedduringtheeleventhgrade.Hewastalkingduringa
studyperiodandwasaddressedbytheschoolprincipal,butnotbyhisname.Wellawareofthe
existenceofbigotry,butnotwillingtobowtoit,Joeadvisedthemanthathewouldnotrespond
untilhewascalledbyhispropername.Theprincipalstatedyoupeopledontseemto
understandhowsocietywillberunandthencalledJoeaderogatorynamereflectinguponhis
Sicilianancestry.Joesheatedreactionresultedinhispermanentdismissalfromschool.

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TheHistoryofJoeGirard

Attheageof16,JoeobtainedfulltimeemploymentattheMichiganStoveCompanyasastove
assembler.Heearned$75weekly,hisgreatestearningsthusfar,eventhoughitrequired12hour
days,sixdaysaweek.
Hethenwenttoworkasanassistanttoafruitandvegetablevendorwhomerchandisedhisgoods
ontheeastsideofDetroitfromthebackofatruck.Heenjoyedtheoutdoorworkandwasproud
ofhissalesability,butherealizedonedaythattherewasnofutureinthispursuit.
Dispiritedandaimless,JoejoinedtheUnitedStatesArmyInfantryattheageof18.Ninetyseven
dayslater,atFortKnox,Kentucky,Joefellfromtherearofaspeedingmilitaryvehicleandbadly
injuredhisback.Hewasgivenanhonorabledischargeafteradmittingtopreviouslyinjuringhis
backdivingfortheschoolswimmingteam.
Duringthenexttwoyears,Joewouldmovefromoneunsatisfactoryjobtoanother,
constantlyfrustratedwiththebeliefthathislackofeducationkepthimfromallbut
manuallabor.Hewasoftendiscouraged,butnevergaveuphope.Hefeltthatsomewherein
theworldtherewasaplaceforhim.HehadthegoodfortunetomeetMr.AbrahamSaperstein,a
buildingcontractor.Mr.Saperstein,awarm,generous,andunderstandingman,becamehis
surrogatefatherwhenheinvitedJoetoenterthebuildingbusinesswiththepledgethathewould
teachJoeeverythingheknew.Hedfinallyfoundhisnicheinlife.TherelationshipbetweenJoe
andMr.Sapersteingrewovertheyearsuntilhisdearoldfriendretiredandturnedoverthe
businesstoJoe.
JoecontractedtobuildanumberofprivatehomesinaDetroitsubdivision.Heacceptedtheword
ofarealestatespeculatorthattheareawastohaveasewersysteminstalled,butthiswasnot
true.Individualseptictankswouldhavetobeinstalled,greatlyreducingthevalueofthehomes.
Asaresult,Joelosthisbusiness.JoeGirardfoundhimselfwithoutajob,withoutsavings,andin
debttothetuneof$60,000.Itwasthelowestmomentinhislife.
ThenextyearJoewouldfindhimselfinanendlessstruggletryingtorecoverhislossesandhis
ego.ThingswouldfinallyhitrockbottomwhenJuneGirardtearfullytoldherhusbandthatthere
wasnofoodinthehouseandthattheirkidswerebeggingforsomethingtoeat.
Joehadbeenjobhuntingwithoutsuccess,butonthatdayhepleadedwiththesalesmanagerofa
Chevroletdealershiptohirehimasasalesman.Themanagerwasreluctantbecauseofhislackof
experienceandtraditionallyslowsalesinthemonthofJanuary,butJoestatedthathewouldonly
takeadesksomewhereintherearofthedealershipandcountonthetelephonetoprovide
prospects.Thateveninghesoldhisfirstcarandborrowed$10fromthemanagertobringabagof
grocerieshometohisfamily.Inhissecondmonthhewouldselleighteencarsandtrucksandwas
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TheHistoryofJoeGirard

beginningtofeelhehadasecurebreath.Muchtohisamazement,theownerofthedealership
firedhimforbeingtooaggressive.Someoftheothersalesmenhadcomplained.
Atthispoint,Joeknewhecouldsellcars.Hehadprovedittohimself,andwasreadytoproveit
totheworldincludingAntoninoGerard.JoequicklyfoundemploymentatMerollisChevrolet
inEastpointe,Michigan,workingatwhathedidbetterthananyoneelseintheworld,selling
automobiles!
For12straightyearsJoesoldmorenewretailcarsandtrucksthananyothersalesperson.More
asanindividualthanmostdealerssellintotal.Noothersalespersonhaseverretainedthistitle
formorethanoneyear,andnotforbothcarsandtrucks.
Inhisownwords,Joerecallsaveryimportantdecisionhemadethathelpedhimattainthe#1
spot:AsIsaidinmybook,HowtoSellAnythingtoAnybody

Timeandmoneywellspentwillbuildyourbusinesstremendously.Alwayslookfor
newandbetterwaystodoit.

AndIfoundone!Earlyoninmycareer,Iexperiencedtheneedtomakeafinancialinvestment.
AfterthethirdyearofmyautomotiveretailsalescareerIwasalreadydoingverywell.Infact,I
becamethenumberonenewretailcarandtrucksalesmanintheworldatitleInever
relinquisheduntilIretired.
ItwasafterthatthirdyearthatmyCPAconvincedmeIwasgivingmoremoneytothe
governmentthanIneededto.Hemademerealizethatmytimewasfartoovaluabletobe
distractedwiththingslikeendlesspaperwork,phonecalls,showingcarsandservicefollow
ups,etc.IdecidedIneededtogetsomesupportsoIcouldconcentrateonthethingIdidbest
SELLING.Ihiredanindividualtohelptakecareoftheprequalifyingandscreeningprocess.
Itmadeabigdifference.IcouldntbelievehowIwasactuallysellingmorenewcarsandtrucks
andyetwasfeelinglesstired!Itookitastepfurther.SevenmonthslaterIhiredanotherperson
tohelpwiththebusinessgrowth.ItwasthiskeyinvestmentImadethatenabledmeto
experiencetheunparalleledgrowthandsuccessIvebeenfortunatetohavehadinthe
automotiveretailbusiness.
Duringthelast12years,Ihadsomuchbusinessitwasbyappointmentonly.Iranmybusiness
justlikeadoctorsoffice.Firstyouseethereceptionistthenthenursebeforeyouseethedoctor.
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BythetimeIwastalkingtoapotentialbuyertheydbeenscreenedandprequalified.Iknew
everythingIneededtoknowaboutthatcustomer.Nowdontgetmewrongonthis.Youhaveto
beinacertaincategorytoconsidermakingthiskindofinvestment.Youhavetobeapproaching
agrowthlevelwhereyourtimespentonactuallysellingistoovaluabletobeovershadowedby
allthebehindthescenesthingsthathavetobedone.Anotherimportantthingtorememberis
thatexpensesforsupportstaff(whowereemployedbyme,notthedealership)areTAX
DEDUCTIBLE.
Ifyourenotinthatcategoryyet,dontworry,becausethismessageisforyoutoo!Istarted
withjustaphoneandadeskandnothingelse.Bepatientandstaythecourse.Followmy13
rulesforsuccess.Asyourbusinessbeginstogrow,youwillbegintoseetheneedforsupportso
thatyoucanconcentrateonyourspecialtySELLING.

Iknowitworks.Myresultsarealltheevidenceyouneed!

~JoeGirard

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