Activity Breeds Activity

I was trained to sell by the greatest salesmen in the world. My passion for cars started early, and my cousin and uncle ran a small dealership in Austell, Georgia. I worked weekends and summers with them, learning how to wash cars properly. I washed more cars at R&R Motors than I can count. But what truly fascinated me was the business side of things—the idea of making money while playing with cars.

When I was 16, I met H. Wayne Hilliard, and he promised to show me how to make money. 

With my experience, I was more than qualified to work at a dealership, but Wayne and his partner, Danny, were just starting out and couldn’t guarantee me forty hours that first summer. “I’ll work when you need me and pay me what you think I’m worth,” I said in my first interview.

Wayne smiled and shook my hand. “You’re hired.”

On my first day at K & W Auto Sales, Wayne greeted me on the covered porch.

“Go out there on the lot and raise every hood,” he said, with no further explanation.

I did as I was told, lifting the hoods on all 50 cars. When I was done, I grabbed some water and wiped the sweat off my forehead. “What now?” I asked.

“Oh yeah,” Wayne said, “Go close the hoods.”

I was puzzled but didn’t ask too many questions. I closed each hood, and it only took a few minutes. Afterward, I went back inside, unsure of what to do next.

“Sir,” I said, “I’ve closed all the hoods. What should I do now?”

“Wash every car,” Wayne said.

“Yes, sir. Where do we wash them?” I asked.

“Right where they are,” Wayne said, smiling.

We had a 200-foot commercial hose, a mop bucket, and a long-handled washing brush. There was a huge oak tree providing shade, and beneath it, a wash pad with a drainage system—perfect for washing cars. But no, Wayne told me to wash them right where they were parked on display. He handed me a sheepskin chamois to dry each car after washing it.

Washing and drying 50 cars took the entire day. By the time I finished, I was exhausted, but I was happy to have the job. I crashed when I got home, and somehow, I managed to drag myself out of bed the next morning. On my drive in, I wondered what the day would bring. After all, every car was spotless, and the inventory was looking great.

I reported to Wayne on day two.

“Oh good,” he said, “We’re going to spot today.”

I had no idea what that meant.

“Go grab the keyboard,” Wayne said. “Put every key into the driver’s side door lock.”

I didn’t ask any questions. Once I had all the keys, we started moving cars—every single one of them. Not a single car was left in its original spot. Wayne was meticulous, positioning the cars by color and lining them up like soldiers standing at attention. The lot looked incredible, and it only took a few hours.

“What now?” I asked, hoping we could take a break.

“Go raise the hoods,” Wayne said.

I must have looked confused and Wayne noticed.

“Do you want to know why?” he asked.

“I do,” I replied.

“Activity breeds activity,” Wayne said, “Haven’t you noticed how much traffic we get when we’re out there moving around—washing cars, raising hoods?”

I hadn’t made that connection before, but as soon as he explained it, I started taking mental notes. He was right. Once I understood it, the effect became undeniable.

“You’ll see this better tomorrow,” Wayne said. “You’ll be working with Chuck.”

“What does Chuck do?” I asked.

“Chuck will be installing yellow streamers,” Wayne explained. “We can do that here, but if we were inside the city limits, they’d be illegal.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“Because wind-activated banners and devices are illegal in the city,” Wayne said. “They say they’re too distracting. But out here, it’s legal to distract people.”

“Another activity to breed activity?” I asked.

“Exactly,” Wayne said.

That was my first lesson in sales. It’s one I still use today.

In my current role, I got rid of the chairs on day one. It’s about movement—getting away from the desk and changing the environment. Recently, a new associate asked me what he should do after completing his onboarding assignments.

“Walk,” I told him. “Look at this store like a track. Keep moving until you see a customer. Then walk right up to them, introduce yourself, and ask if you can be of any assistance. Ask if they’re shopping for their home or their business. Let them talk. Mention credit options and delivery. But most of all, keep moving. Do you want to know why?”

“I do,” he said.

“Activity breeds activity,” I told him.