The Limos.com Forum Has Moved!!!

Go to www.limoshow.com

Some good networking opportunities, plus I picked up some great tips at the seminars which we will put into immediate use to grow the business, and of course the weather was superb.

Great show.

Thougth the show was great. Learned much about sales/business practices and made a few freinds. Well worth the time.

quote:

Originally posted by Dean Schuler:
Superb Event-Heavily attended. Top-Notch Seminars. In a FEW YEARS look for a West Coast Digest Show. PS Wish Gunny had come !

For sake of my own freedom, it is best that I avoid situations that can place me into the arms of the law.

Superb Event-Heavily attended. Top-Notch Seminars. In a FEW YEARS look for a West Coast Digest Show. PS Wish Gunny had come !

The wife and kids are down with strep throat, so no show for me.

There are two unused full-show floor passes in the name of E&G Limousines that anyone is welcome to bluff their way in on.

(Actually I think they require photo ID, so there is $280.00 down the drain. )

Bummer, well maybe next time around.

This is a awesome SHOW ! Wish all of you were here ! Digest just plain and simple throws a nice show...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dean Schuler,

Heading to the beach today-Florida sure has nice weather. I am looking forward to Tommy's seminars. One idea can change your business for the better.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dean Schuler:
The fact is that the NLA has violated its by-laws relative to the NAZI Regulation common in Florida. The NLA promises not to support restraint of trade and it has not kept its promise relative to Florida. Gunny is correct and he will defeat Hillsborough County. Of course I don't like a hi-jacked thread. Much worse: Minions of the Restraint of Trade School. I personally suffered substantial revenue losses in New Orleans a quarter century ago because of restrictive, illegal, laws.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Harrison:
Dean, let me make it clear that I have great respect for Gunny's battle. Only a man of steel would take up a battle like that.

Regardless of what my opinion is of Fla. regulation or the NLA for that matter; neither have anything to do with the show, the sales training or profitability.

#1 - Thanks for the compliment Matt.

#2 - Click on the link provided in the opening post. Notice that the show is endorsed by the Florida Ground Transportation Association (the umbrella for various locals).

Who do we think is pulling the regulatory puppets strings? What National positions do the FGTA's leadership hold?

Michael,
Lets put your business operations in a box created by a group of certain individuals. Your business becomes frustrated & stunted because of this box you are confined to. Now along comes the very same individuals that placed you in this box & they try to sell you a bill of goods that you should attend this show. To rationalize the entry fees, they promote sales training under the premise of helping your business grow & prosper & in the meantime they're trying to starve you out in the trenches.

It's not the show. It's not the training. It's the hypocrites putting on the show for a buck.

People in this business will carry Bin Laden if it turned a profit.

Dean, let me make it clear that I have great respect for Gunny's battle. Only a man of steel would take up a battle like that.

Regardless of what my opinion is of Fla. regulation or the NLA for that matter; neither have anything to do with the show, the sales training or profitability.

Let me give you the simple answer: They are trying to smash Gunny here in Argentina. So he has something to say to you. So get it or get over it !

The fact is that the NLA has violated its by-laws relative to the NAZI Regulation common in Florida. The NLA promises not to support restraint of trade and it has not kept its promise relative to Florida. Gunny is correct and he will defeat Hillsborough County. Of course I don't like a hi-jacked thread.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dean Schuler,

I didn’t mention the regulation issue for two reasons.

First, it has nothing to do with the thread (Thank you Michael).

Second, number of vehicles you have or can buy or are allowed to buy or are allowed to license has nothing to do with profitability.

Vehicle utilization has everything to do with profitability and sales has everything to do with fleet utilization.

Being in business is about profit.

I was not going to say anything, and I will try to stick to the original topic of this thread, but I think that there is a fairly obvious point being overlooked here.

Regardless of the value of their presentations, the speakers were likely chosen because they succeeded where others failed. They prevailed and made money.

Ok, maybe their tactics won't work for everyone, but knowledge is power, and if simply taking in a seminar and using some of what I learned will make me money, then I would be a fool to pass up the opportunity.

Even if I don't gain anything, its only an hour or two spent among folks with the same interests, maybe I'll at least make a few new friends, so nothing lost, and I hear Florida is beautiful this time of year.

How'd the heck did this topic end up in the TLPA forum? Deano?!?

quote:

Originally posted by gunny:
When you get done stroking yourself spend some time reading the contents of this thread.

If your listening skills are as poor as your selective reading skills..... I doubt you are as good a salesman as your claim to fame.

You don't know me but you have spoken to me in the past.

Easier to boycott then participate? Tell it to the Marines which by the way I do have a an impressive portfolio of awards for "selling accomplishments" including those signed by the Secretary of the Navy & various Commanding Generals. Not quite as impressive as LCT or Digest but I'll take what I can get.

As a certified sales instructor (XEROX & Learning International) with many hours of marketing & advertising instruction thru J.Walter Thompson, sales & marketing training or refresher courses are beneficial to all. My concern & fight is creating a market condition free from over-bearing regulatories that inhibits full potential of the tools being acquired. And I will not support any individual or organization whose goal & motive is to repress free market participation regardless of the cost to myself or business enterprise. Do we understand where I'm coming from?

Gunny,

Please don't hijack the thread.

How has the Florida show and sales seminars become a discussion about regulations? Please leave that to the dozens of other threads that are already here.

This thread is about the LimoShow.

I think you've fielded far too many calls from elderly retirees looking for the early bird special. Don't let them get you! You can be a victor not a victim!

quote:

Originally posted by gunny:
Lets lift the covers & take a peek here. Someone from Philly, Boston & Nashville flying into town to educate southern operators on selling their product in the socialist south. OOps, forgot JC from long time on the road Coastal based in restrictive market entry ala taxicab style, lottery sedan drawing, Broward County home of the Taxi Baron of Florida. At least he's not slated to give a presentation on selling against the competition. Not hard for old dogs to keep on top of the market when there are no young pups nipping at their heels.

All sales training is good for those who can use it to full potential. Is the training set to be presented in Mickey Land worth the price v. paying a local instructor to come into the shop for one-on-one training in basic sales techniques? Party on.........

Gunny, in my opinion, you are doing a disservice to operators by discouraging or downplaying the effectiveness of the training programs at this or any show during which successful operators and/or consultants are sharing their methods and tactics. I must respectfully disagree with your comment.

In my case, it was someone from Texas educating me in New Jersey. In five years our company went from $200K in annual sales to $1,750,000. Now nine years later, my father may retire at will, and retire well. He had nothing when the business was started. There are people in the business 20+ years who will retire with less.

Location has NOTHING to do with the specific tactics of selling, operating or controlling costs and building the value of a limousine business. This is a proven fact.

This statement comes from a direct competitor of the great Tom Mazza. I will add that I have met most of, shared time with, respect and think very highly of all the speakers at this show. Why? Because they are smart enough to understand that they don’t know everything and more so that they are willing to share the successful tactics they have employed to gain their competitive advantage. They allow themselves to be coached. This is the primary secret of their success.

Specifically, your comment about one on one time with a local consultant or trainer is way off base. General business consultants don’t know squat about passenger transportation. In my opinion and generally speaking, the damage they unknowingly do to a company costs more dollars then they are paid, doubling the expense for the operator. I don’t know about Tom, but in my consulting agreements I guarantee that I will benefit a company in excess of my fee or give back the difference. The only catch is that the client take and use the advice we have to offer. Therein lies the challenge of working with a client who won’t be coached. For this reason if I sense that they will not take advice, I don’t engage them. Someone who has all the answers will spend years blaming others for their inability to make a good living when all they had to do was acknowledge they needed a little help and do a little listening.

When you get done stroking yourself spend some time reading the contents of this thread.

If your listening skills are as poor as your selective reading skills..... I doubt you are as good a salesman as your claim to fame.

You don't know me but you have spoken to me in the past.

Easier to boycott then participate? Tell it to the Marines which by the way I do have a an impressive portfolio of awards for "selling accomplishments" including those signed by the Secretary of the Navy & various Commanding Generals. Not quite as impressive as LCT or Digest but I'll take what I can get.

As a certified sales instructor (XEROX & Learning International) with many hours of marketing & advertising instruction thru J.Walter Thompson, sales & marketing training or refresher courses are beneficial to all. My concern & fight is creating a market condition free from over-bearing regulatories that inhibits full potential of the tools being acquired. And I will not support any individual or organization whose goal & motive is to repress free market participation regardless of the cost to myself or business enterprise. Do we understand where I'm coming from?

I don't know wh you are taking shots at every organization and I have never done business with you in Florida or anywhere else. Seems like you are a great "anti" person or boycotter of everything.

Me, I am a salesman. I do not have a pension or a rich family to fall back on. I am in the limousine business. And I think I help people make more money in the business. If I did not help them, I am pretty sure I would not get work.

You cast aspersions on the speakers at the Show and anyone associated with the business. Lets ask attendees at the "Sales Program" what they think after the event. It is fairly easy to "boycott", fairly difficult to participate.

Tom Mazza
Active Limousine Industry Consultant, 18 years of service, proud of my Clients