This book is dedicated to my precious wife Sally.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 "I'm Going to Do It!"

Chapter 2 The Miracle that Multiplies

Chapter 3 Go for the Goal

Chapter 4 Six Great Laws of Success

Chapter 5 The Day the Windows Opened

Chapter 6 The Fire Inside

Chapter 7 It's Your Serve

Chapter 8 "If I Can, You Can!'

1

"I'M GOING TO DO IT! "

The contents of this book are based on a very simple premise: If I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT, TOO!

"Bill, what is your secret? Can you give me any advice?" "What really made it happen for you?" I've been asked those questions from Hartford to Honolulu, and hundreds of places in between.

How did the child of an immigrant father escape the poverty of Martins Ferry, Ohio, to build a multi-million dollar automotive empire? How did a young man who was making $1.47 an hour working on the assembly line of an aircraft plant suddenly become Ohio's largest used car dealer? And how did someone raised with a "failure mentality" establish national sales records as the world's largest American Motors Company dealership?

It started with a decision. In my book, HOW I GOT MILLIONAIRE MENTALITY, I shared the story of how I tried to better my lot in life taking a job selling cars at a Ford dealership near Columbus, Ohio. But something happened on that showroom floor in 1957 that transformed my life forever.

"Someday? "

It was a dreary day and the sales room was empty when I began talking with Tom Arthur. He was an older man who had a lifetime of experience. I shared with Tom the fact that deep inside I had the desire to start my own business—and that I'd really like to own a used car lot someday.

"Someday?" he asked. "You ought to start a used car business right now. Because if you don't you're liable to be right here selling these Fords for the next 20 years. You'll always wonder why you didn't become your own boss."

His words were like a match stick that ignited a fire deep within me. What he said wouldn't leave my mind. Even in the middle of the night, I'd toss and turn and hear him say, "You'll always wonder why!"

Finally, I walked into the dealership and said, "Tom, I'm going to do it!"

"Do what?" he asked with a knowing look.

"I'm going to start my own used car business."

He gave me a great big smile and said, "Bill, that's the best decision you ever made."

Actually, it was the "second best" decision of my life. The first—and best—was when I accepted Christ into my life as my personal Savior. But now I had made a total decision regarding my economic future, and what I was going to "become" for the Lord.

The dream God has placed inside you may be light-years away from the automobile business. You may be pulled toward opening a donut shop, an advertising agency, a landscape service, computer software company, an office cleaning business, or whatever. Your choices and opportunities have never been as varied or as plentiful as they are today.

For my life, it was starting a used car business. And that became more than a fantasy—it became an obsession. The turning point, however, was when—from my heart—I said those life-altering words,

"I'm going to do it! "

No matter what field of endeavor you choose, nothing really will begin to happen until you put your plan in motion. It's like trying to ride a bicycle, you can't balance it while you're standing still. You've got to make a decision to move forward.

Is Money the Answer?

Does it take a fortune to get started? Absolutely not! There is nothing but disaster ahead for a person with great financial resources but no personal commitment. That's a sure road to bankruptcy court.

Show me a person of limited resources with a decent concept and a dedicated commitment, and I'll show you a future millionaire.

On the very spot where our mega-dealership—Bill Swad Chevrolet—now stands, was where my original office was located. I wish you could have been there on opening day, April 8, 1957.

My sales "shack" was made out of orange crates and glass—like a little greenhouse. I borrowed $1,000 from Economy Loan Company for three used cars, brought in a little gravel, hung a few lightbulbs on a wire and I was ready for business.

Did I look successful? No way. But I felt ten feet tall on the inside because I had made a total decision regarding my future. That's why even the postman that stopped by with some junk mail that first morning could not discourage me.

He said, "Mister, you probably ought to know that several businesses have started on this corner and they all failed." He told me about a flower business, a man who sold old "memorabilia," and others that had opened and closed. "I think this corner is jinxed," he said.

Perhaps that is why I was able to rent the lot for only $75 a month.

I looked at the mailman and said, "Well, mister, this business is going to succeed." I wasn't about to let "stinkin' thinking" ruin the opening day of my venture. I had spent the previous hour in fervent prayer—committing "Bill Swad Motor Sales" to the Lord.

Within one hour I had my first customer. I sold a 1951 Ford Victoria and took a 1952 Plymouth in on trade and I was off and running.

Something else happened to me. Evangelist Oral Roberts brought his tent crusade to Columbus. At the meetings I heard messages and saw miracles as I had never heard or seen before. Just the sight of the huge crowds night after night was motivational. I learned that God truly wanted me to be a winner. And it inspired me to do something big—not for me but for God.

It's impossible to put into words how "turned on" I was to seeing my little used car business prosper. The vehicles began selling faster then I ever imagined and within three years I was the biggest retail used car dealer in the state of Ohio. Then came the new car dealerships; AMC, Chrysler/Plymouth, Datsun, Lincoln/Mercury, Chevrolet, and in another town I had Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac and GMC truck. Then we added an insurance company, two mortgage companies, real estate developments and more.

Where did it all begin? With a decision.

Yes, I was raised with a poverty mentality, but even as a small boy, I refused to allow adverse circumstances to become gigantic problems to me. Whatever I faced, I viewed it as an opportunity to excel. When I was hoeing corn for a dollar a day, I wanted to hoe more corn than anyone else. When I was setting up pins in a bowling alley for a few cents a line, I wanted to set up more pins than anybody. Instead of working just one alley, I would take three or four.

What happened later only added fuel to the fire.

What about you? Your background—no matter how many negatives it contains—can be overcome by a personal decision to succeed.

Three Kinds of Minds

If you'll observe human behavior you'll find that there are three kinds of minds: the small mind, the average mind and the great mind. Let's look for a moment at each of them.

1.    Small minds discuss people. The next time you have lunch with friends, listen to the conversation. "You should see the girl Bob was dating last night." Or, "Did you hear what happened to Mary?" Their chit-chat is simply gossip that contributes nothing of substance.

2.    Average minds discuss events. "Did you see last year's Rose Bowl game?" Or, "Let me tell you what happened on our trip to Jamaica." We may learn a few facts, but that's about all.

3. Great minds, however, discuss ideas. Their conversation will be filled with powerful thoughts and creative innovations. What a refreshing experience to be in the company of people who share concepts you've never heard before.

How can you make the transformation from where you are to where you should be? How can your life improve? How can you grow? It comes from stimulating your mind with exciting ideas—from saturating your thought-life with everything from God's Word to books and motivational tapes filled with great concepts and principles.

Ask yourself, "What kind of mind do I have?" " What does my conversation say about me?" Pay close attention to your words and make a decision to "shift gears" and begin to discuss great ideas.

My church laughs when I remind them, "We have an absolute rule around here. We don't repeat gossip—so you'd better listen carefully the first time."

If you want to lift the level of your life, start by elevating your thoughts. Remember, great minds discuss great ideas.

How does it work in practice? Let's say you've started a small business and you're out of cash, but you do have some inventory. How do you sell your products? A creative mind will focus on something like the potential to advertise at practically no cost. You'll develop a strategy of marketing through little "penny saver" weeklies and free hand-outs. You might even flood local bulletin boards in grocery stores and laundromats with sale prices of your inventory.

Begin to exercise the creative genius within you.

Perhaps your greatest idea lies just beneath the surface of your mind.

It's like drilling for oil in Texas. Every once in a while you hit a "gusher."

My Great Crisis

Just because I built an expansive business doesn't mean that I've never experienced a cash-flow problem. Far from it. I've been faced with financial dilemmas that required all my creative energies—and the Lord's help—to solve.

Let me tell you about one of the greatest predicaments I ever encountered. At one point in my business I had an extremely large leasing company with about 5,500 cars leased all over the country.

Do you remember when the oil crunch came in the early Seventies? I certainly do. Not only was the country running short of petroleum and gas, but interest rates went through the roof. It was during the Jimmy Carter presidency. It seemed like a bad dream, and I will never forget that 21 percent interest.

A large portion of my underwriting was based on an agreement with a huge finance company. We had $18 million worth of cars out and my customers were paying me a fixed rate on the leases. They were paying the same monthly payments whether the interest rates were 10 or 21 percent. Unfortunately, when I put most of those cars out, the interest rates were around 12. But I was paying my banks and the financial institutions a floating rate of something over prime. As the prime went higher, I paid more.

You can imagine the palpitations of my heart when prime zoomed up from 12 to 21 percent. Folks, you don't have to be a Rhodes scholar to figure out that's a whole lot of greenback. But that is exactly what happened.

How did I survive? I prayed and asked God to help me. "Lord, I need a new revelation of how to solve this problem. Plant an idea within me!"

The answer I had been searching for finally came. The idea was for me to make up for the losses by getting more for the vehicles when they came back from the lease. When you have 5,500 cars out there, you have autos returning nearly every day. So instead of wholesaling the cars to move them quickly, we began to polish and shine them for our own retail lots.

The used car market was skyrocketing, especially since new car sales had taken a nosedive because of the oil scare. For example, the Chevrolet Cameros that came back after three years were actually worth more than what I had originally paid—plus I had collected lease payments for three years. What was the result? I more than made up for any loss I suffered by the exorbitant interest rates.

"A Brand New Way"

The situation you face will be entirely different, but I believe that you have the creativity it takes to succeed. Begin to look at an old problem in a brand new way.

Two ladies impressed me when I saw how they opened a new baby sitting service. It wasn't at their home in some out-of-the-way neighborhood. It was in a vacant storefront at a large shopping center—with plenty of parking and easy access. The location and visibility advertised itself and they quickly expanded to 2,000 square feet with a staff that takes care of children from 6:00 a.m. until midnight every day.

It's a beehive of activity with cribs, toys, and wall-to-wall children. Even parents going out for a quiet dinner use their service instead of hiring a baby sitter.

When I saw what they had accomplished, I thought, "Now that's being creative."

What would happen if you presented such a proposal to the average person? "Well, the rent's probably too high." Or, "That sounds like too much work." Such negative people will never, never experience the joy of success.

What it took for me, many years ago, it will take for you. You've got to decide—absolutely, positively—that you are going to succeed in life. If you believe that you can move mountains, they'll move. But if you say the words, "I can't," it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

"Can't" died in a poor house. "Can't" never accomplished anything worthwhile. The Big Decision

It is time for you to make that all-important decision. Do you remember the story of the Prodigal Son? He would have remained in the pig pen of life had he not decided, "I'm going back to my father's house."

Don't allow the events of your past to govern your future. I've made enough mistakes for both of us combined —but they're not setbacks, just learning experiences.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:13,14)

How does the journey of a million miles begin? With that first step. It starts by deciding to begin.

You can make a monumental decision right now that will affect the rest of your life. Take the idea that God has entrusted to you and make a total commitment to see it happen. Right now, speak these five words out loud: "I'm going to do it!"

Repeat those words again and again. "I'm going to do it! I'm going to do it!"

You've already taken the first giant step on your pathway to success.

2

THE MIRACLE THA T MULTIPLIES

"There goes Bill," my friends would say. They laughed as they saw me driving the streets of Columbus in a $35 Dodge pickup truck with a missing fender. It became my trademark.

That old rattle-trap—I think it was held together by the paint job—was like a friend to me while I was milking cows, working at the aircraft plant, and selling Fords. It's a wonder I didn't get stopped by the police for being a public nuisance.

Every other Saturday during the winter I'd drive it over to a place near Cambridge, Ohio, to pick up a load of coal. My friend had a little mine there and he'd let me haul all the coal I could carry away for $5. When I filled the back, I'd load it on the floorboard and even put a huge lump of coal on the seat next to me. It would keep the house warm for about two weeks.

Could I have driven something better? Absolutely. My credit was decent—enough to borrow perhaps $1,000. But when I made my great decision to launch a business of my own, I was ready. Instead of spending my "borrowing power" on myself, I invested in three used cars to place on that muddy lot.

The old Dodge pickup finally died and was buried. But what happened to the three used cars? Like a miracle, they began to multiply.

The three became ten—then 100— then 1,000—then 10,000. And finally, so many I couldn't count them.

Is that the kind of harvest you'd like? Then you've got to comprehend what every successful farmer knows: Seed is not for eating—it's for planting.

"A Burning Desire"

Please understand, I never craved or dreamed that I would become a multi-millionaire. Even when I started my business, I did not visualize the personal wealth that would come my way. What was my purpose? I had a burning desire to help people so that someday I could support God's work. Looking back, I fully believe that the Lord opened the financial floodgates because He knew I wanted to give, not to get.

When Oral Roberts brought his big tent to Columbus, I didn't go out to the Fair Grounds to get something, I went to see if they needed my help. Surrounded by volunteers, we pulled the gigantic canvas into a "Miracle Tent!" Next, I was setting up rows and rows of folding chairs. What happened in return? I was blessed by Oral's ministry with a new vision—a great vision—of my future.

You'll be absolutely amazed at what will happen when you begin to use God's formula for abundance. The methods He inspires you to use may be totally different from those I applied. But the principles are the same. "No good thing will I withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11)

As my business began to grow, I put into practice what I found in the Word. I paid my bills on time. But I always took the seed "from the top"—to do two important things:

1.    I gave the Lord no less than ten percent.

2.    I invested in the future of my business.

Without a storehouse of both heavenly and earthly inventory you'll be insolvent before you know what hit you.

The only F.D.I.C. insurance you can really count on is to Fully Dwell In Christ.

It's the only bank I know that guarantees eternal dividends.

It Was Mind-Boggling

The consequence of planting just one tiny seed is almost beyond comprehension. The first time I looked up at a giant redwood tree in the Sequoias of California I could hardly believe it. To think that one little seed could produce a tree as tall as a 30-story building—and that it would last thousands of years—was mind-boggling. But that is how the Lord wants to bless your life and your business.

Someone may say, "Bill, wait just a minute. I work at a dead end job, live in a rented house, and owe more on my car than it's worth. Are you saying that there are seeds of greatness in me?"

Absolutely. I'm living proof that God can unlock your hidden resources. The roots of royalty have been planted into your very soul and they begin to grow the moment you acknowledge that you are a child of the King—and they begin to mature by faith.

You may say, "I can't be a success because my father was an alcoholic." Or, "I can't because my mother didn't love me!" Forget the excuses. My father was a penniless immigrant from Syria, but is it really that important? No. It matters not where you came from because you've been adopted into a new family—you've got a new Father.

What Do You Have?

The next time you're in the garden center at K-Mart, pick up any packet of seeds and you'll read the same words: "Plant and water." If you follow that simple advice, one little packet of seeds can produce bounty by the bushel.

What do you have to plant? Don't presume that it's always money. What about your time—or your energy—or your knowledge—or your talent?

The harvest you'll reap is a direct reflection of your need. Do you need health and strength? What about friendship and love? Those assets are far more important than the portfolio of your CD's and mutual funds.

If you don't like your harvest you've got to change your seeds.

Why? Because planting garlic won't produce geraniums, just as planting hate won't produce love. If you want friends for a lifetime, you've got to spend a lifetime cultivating friends.

Years ago someone told me, "Bill, any fool can count the seeds in an apple. But only God can count the apples in a seed." That's why it's impossible to fathom what He has in store for you.

In many ways, operating a big business is much like the days I spent farming soybeans and corn. If you're not careful, the weeds can suddenly outgrow the seeds and you are in acres of big trouble. On the farm, as in life itself, good crops are constantly in competition with the bad.

What are the weeds that can destroy you? Fear, jealousy, self-doubt, and perhaps the all-time greatest crop destroyer—a negative attitude.

"Well, I haven't sold anything for a week. Why did I get into this business?" Have you ever had thoughts like that? I certainly did during some of the first shaky days of being in business for myself. But the moment such a negative idea crossed my mind I began to do something aggressive to eliminate it. You must understand that God responds to your faith, not your needs.

When I would feel great fear, I would ask God to replace it with the Word—which always brings great faith. Then, I would act upon it.

I'd take one of my used cars home and spend the entire evening scrubbing the white-walls, cleaning off the motor, polishing and praying. The next day I'd get excited when I drove it on the gravel lot. I'd write on the windshield,

"SPECIAL TODAY! $595,"

and park the jewel right out front on the lot.

Did it sell? You'd better believe it! And it wasn't just because the car had a shine—I believe it was because the customer could also see me shinning. Then, with a heart full of faith and positive belief, I'd run out and buy another car or two.

What Determines Your Altitude?

Learning to replace negative thoughts with a positive attitude takes a conscious decision on your part. It's like learning to tie your shoes or brush your teeth—you do it repeatedly until it becomes so automatic that you never have to remember how it's done.

You need that to establish a constant attitude of a winner. It will protect you from what lies ahead. When you get ready to launch a new venture, get ready for your friends to tell you all the reasons why it won't work. If your friends won't put you down, your relatives certainly will. I know it from experience.

When I said, "I'm going to become a pilot—a multiengine instrument rated pilot," some shook their heads.

"Bill," a friend told me, "It's just too complicated. You don't know what you're getting into. You'll never get your license." But his unbelief just made me work harder, and I've been flying my own planes for years.

What determined my altitude? You guessed it. My attitude!

Let me tell you bluntly: nothing will destroy you quicker than a negative spirit. You've got to root out that ungodly weed before you can truly begin to grow. I give you my guarantee that an attitude of positive belief will allow you to stand tall wherever you want to be—as a champion athlete, a community leader, or under a palm tree in the Caribbean.

In real estate it is "Location. Location. Location." In business, it is "Attitude. Attitude. Attitude!"

The people I am especially fond of in our organization are those who have "an attitude of gratitude." One of my most touching moments was when I opened a note from an employee who said, "Mr. Swad, I am writing to say thank you for the job I have here. You'll never know what it means to me and to my family."

Those kinds of letters make life worthwhile. Perhaps someone does understand what a person has to go through to create 150 jobs for people.

What controls your life—your circumstances or your attitude? Examine your situation very carefully and make sure that your attitude is in charge. The moment doubt begins to rear its ugly face start saying:

"I can turn it around!" "I'm going to make it." "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"

You can take the darkest situation and cause the sun to immediately brighten your day—and for those around you.

Make sure that your attitude controls your circumstances. If not, your circumstances will destroy your attitude.

Ice Cream and Manure

In our Chevrolet dealership, I have a major sales meeting once a month. It's amazing, but you can just listen to the conversation of the sales managers and know what kind of results they are going to have for the next 30 days. Their attitude determines their productivity.

I always tell our new salesmen about the car dealer that had two sons. One was an overachiever, and the other just couldn't seem to get anything done. The father asked a psychiatrist to evaluate his sons. He did, and the conclusion was quite simple.

"One's an extreme optimist, and the other's a serious pessimist," said the analyst. "In fact, I'd like to set up a little experiment in behavior modification. We need to bring the optimist down a little, and raise the pessimist up."

They placed the negative son in a room with everything a little boy should like—ice cream, candy and cake.

"With all these goodies, he should start seeing that life is really better than he thinks," said the psychiatrist.

They went back an hour later and the boy hadn't touched a thing. He was sitting in the corner crying, "I'm not going to eat it. It's probably all poison."

"It looks as though we have failed to help him," he told the father. "Let's see what we can do with the optimist."

They put the other son in the same room, but this time they had it piled high with horse manure. "That ought to bring him down to earth," said the analyst.

An hour later they decided to see how he was feeling about his new environment. At first they couldn't find him. But there he was, digging near the bottom of the pile. Horse manure was flying everywhere.

"What in the world are you doing?" the man asked. "Mister, with all this manure in here, there has got to be a pony somewhere!"

The boys were as opposite as night and day, but there was no need to worry about the optimist. For the rest of his life he's going to be running with the thoroughbreds—and winning.

You may ask, "What does it take to make it in life? How can I be a winner?" The great coach Vince Lombardi said,

" Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is everything."

God created you to be a champion. He has planted something deep within that He expects you to nurture and help to grow. And something more—God expects the seed to multiply so that untold lives will be blessed.

If all you have is an old Dodge pickup with a fender missing, don't worry. With the attitude of a winner, those chunks of coal you've been carrying will turn into sparkling diamonds.

3

GO FOR THE GOAL

"I want to buy a ticket," said the traveler at the airline counter in Chicago.

"Where would you like to go?" asked the clerk.

"Oh, I don't care," the passenger replied.

Can you imagine buying a ticket to nowhere? It happens every day. No, not at airports—millions of people are traveling through life like a feather in a breeze. They don't have the slightest idea of where they're headed. As a friend once told me, "Bill, if you don't know where you're going, you'll never recognize your destination when you arrive."

Have you ever noticed that people seldom ask you where you've been? What they really want to know—just like the airline clerk—is, "Where are you headed?"

Do you have an answer? Is your destination clearly in focus and specific?

Perhaps your life has become like a bird with a broken wing. Your dreams have been dashed and you feel you'll never be able to fly. Let me tell you that it's never too late to begin again. Your wings can be healed and your vision can be restored.

If you plan to soar with the eagles, you'll have to set your sights high.

And to make it happen you've got to develop a strategy of carefully selecting your targets.

Ten Vital Questions

Where should you begin? Let's start by allowing me to ask you a few questions. You might want to write down the answers as a self-check.

1.    What do you plan to be doing ten years from today?

2.    What would you do with the rest of your life if you suddenly inherited $1 million?

3.    What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

4.    What is the number one goal for your business and professional life?

5.    What is the number one personal goal for your future?

6.    If you could add one new positive habit, what would it be?

7.    What are the three most important goals you have for your family?

8.    If you had to list your two most important selfimprovement goals, what would they be?

9.    How would you spend the next six months if the doctor told you that's all you have to live?

10.    What do you consider the most important spiritual obj ective of your life?

Goal-setting is much more than simply pondering a vague dream of success. It involves not just your work— but your family, your values, your behavior, and your relationship with God.

In my experience of "growing" a business I have set more goals than I can count. Why so many? Because I learned very early that

reaching a big goal is nothing more than achieving a series of smaller ones.

That's why I set yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals—and I write them down.

Going for a goal is an exercise in futility unless you reduce to writing a specific plan by which it will be reached.

Get Out Your Pen

What was on my "TO DO" list? In the beginning I wrote, "I'm going to sell two cars today." Then, "I'm going to sell three cars by 4:00 p.m. today." Later it became, "We are going to sell 1,000 cars this month." Then it became, "Our sales for this year will be $400 million."

Begin today to choose the targets you believe are worth hitting. Stretch yourself—even if they are higher than you've ever aimed.

Will it take a strong determination? Will it take a lot of extra effort? Will it be worth it? The answer to every question is, "YES!"

An Olympic weight-lifter will tell you from experience, "No pain—no gain." While it's easy to talk about the victories of building a large business, I can tell you that I've had my share of pain and agony. There were times when it was tougher than I want to think about. But it was not unexpected. The words of James are true: "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:20)

So often, when we are in a pressure-packed situation, we can't see beyond the problems we face. Our troubles seem so great and our blessings seem so small. When that happens, it's time to step back a few paces to see the "big picture." Get things in perspective by taking a fresh new look at your goals. The inspiration and renewed energy you'll receive can't be measured.

You say, "Bill, I've set big goals all my life. But I've never reached one of them. What should I do?"

Here's my recommendation: Set smaller goals and hit those targets. Mt. Everest is never conquered in a day. The summit is reached in stages—with every new elevation a victory all its own.

Your goals may range from saving enough money for a vacation in Hawaii to losing 10 pounds in the next 30 days. Divide the goal into chewable bites. How much will you need to put into your vacation account each month? Can you lose one pound in the next three days? As someone joked, "How do you eat an elephant? Cut it into small pieces!"

Whether you're dealing with a goal as large as a giant or as tiny as a gnat, the rules are the same. Large corporations fail for the same reason that "mom and pop" operations go broke—they fail to reach the number of small objectives it takes for a huge success.

How is it that one manager can be fired because the firm is failing, and someone else can come in and make it a big winner? Recently, a brand new president of a foreign automobile manufacturer eliminated 900 white collar jobs. He said, "They're unnecessary and wasteful." His new corporate objectives—combined with tight fiscal management—turned the situation around almost instantly.

You've got to be you!

Don't fall into the trap of choosing someone else's dream and trying to make it yours.

The expectations your parents had for you as a child may shape the direction of your future—but in the final analysis, the choice is up to you.

God does not force you to fulfill the vision He sees for your life. He leaves it up to you to make your own decision of how to reach the goal He has placed in your heart.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow!

One of the greatest stumbling-blocks on the path to reaching your goal is found in one word—procrastination. As someone told me, "One thing you can be sure of—there will always be more people going on a diet tomorrow than those on a diet today." Do it now.

Don't procrastinate!

If you set a goal and don't obtain it, reset it. But if you find yourself writing the same project on your list every day, something is wrong. Try placing that oft-delayed item at the top of your daily goal list and tackle it first—before you allow yourself to put it off again.

Perhaps it is something small—like balancing the checkbook—but you've delayed it for three weeks. Before it burns too much of your mental energy say, "By tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. I'm going to have it done." A goal is not a real goal until you set the time for its accomplishment.

If my aim is to sell 1,000 cars, that is great. But by when? A goal to sell them in ten years would leave me broke in the process. I always write down the exact date by which "X" number of cars must be sold. That fixed date becomes like a powerful magnet that pulls my creativity and energy toward it.

It's like raising funds for a worthy cause on a telethon. You set a goal and you announce the final hour of the telethon.

When the first pledges begin to come in you wonder, "How in the world will we ever make it?" But as the clock continues to tick, the urgency and excitement is somehow communicated to the viewers. I've seen more funds raised in the "countdown" of three final hours than in the previous three days.

You'll Do it When?

It's vital that you set an action-date to reach your goal. But millions fail to follow that advice.

One executive got so tired of hearing people say, "I'll do that when I get around to it," that he did something unusual. He had a quantity of little wooden circles imprinted with the words,

"THIS IS A ROUND TUIT."

He walked up to some of his managers and said, "You only seem to do things when you get around to it, so here's a round TUIT." They got the point.

A High Price to Pay

You might enjoy the time you spend putting things off, but you'll pay the price later. And the longer you wait, the higher will be the tab for your tardiness. Think of it this way: the longer you borrow money, the more interest you will pay. It's the same with the time you spend delaying an important action.

In a nutshell: Don't put things off. Stay on top of all your projects—all the time. In business it's called "multitracking." Make it a habit to carry around a pad (or 3" x 5" cards) and a pen to chart your progress on what you will do that day to reach your many goals.

You say, "That sounds difficult." Not at all. The hardest part is starting the process and making it a daily habit. Once it becomes a part of your routine you'll wonder how you ever survived without it.

Every high achiever I've met was a master at the efficient use of time. It begins with having specific and measurable goals—and a game-plan to reach each objective. What a waste of time to have no idea what we want to achieve, or no road map to follow.

The best method I've found to organize my time is to— late in the evening—write down the major things I want to accomplish the next day. But be realistic. Keep your list to six or seven significant tasks and "prioritize" them from top (most important) to bottom.

Do them—one at a time, with total concentration on each item—in that same order.

What happens if you only finish three or four of the tasks? Don't fret—you did something right. But make sure that night—when you make your new list—you start it with the unfinished tasks. Never, never, should something stay on your list more than three days.

Your Greatest Goal

May I share a little secret?—it gets easier as you go along. When I began, time organization was far more critical because there was only me. I had to buy the cars, wash and clean them, make the sales, run to the courthouse to file the titles, and dozens of other details.

Control of my time was critical. People would drop by and say, "Let's have a cup of coffee." Before I knew it, an hour-and-a-half had been wasted. That's one habit I was forced to eliminate.

My philosophy has been to "work hard and work smart." And it begins with time management. That's the only way you'll be able to have a balanced life that includes your business, your family, and your church.

When you finally become totally in control of the precious minutes you have been granted, you'll find you can accomplish five times as much in half as long. You won't be spinning your wheels on trivia.

Make sure your goals and priorities are in lock-step with what the Lord desires for your life. What did Christ say? "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

I often wondered: "What is the Kingdom of God?" Scripture gives the answer. "The Kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but it is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17) That's something worth seeking.

It makes no difference how many goals you have in life, there is only one that really counts—to spend eternity in God's Kingdom.

A long time ago I realized that

people will never see the target I'm aiming at—only the target I hit.

It's thrilling to know that my greatest goal will one day be achieved.

4

SIX GREAT LAWS OF SUCCESS

Can you imagine what would happen if the laws of nature suddenly changed? What if gravity had only a fraction of its power? What if the sun mysteriously altered its location? What if the earth abruptly turned on its axis?

It's the predictable, fixed laws of God's universe that give order to our planet—and to the people on it. Just as the Almighty devised a precise "arrangement" for the stars in space, He has also established never-changing principles for His greatest creation—you and me.

The great laws of God are all-encompassing rules. They apply to a child as well as a retiree—to the Chinese as well as the Romanian—to the poor as well as the rich.

The principles that have been established never change. They pertain not only to our personal life—but to our business activities. In your enterprise, whether you make pita bread or precision ball-bearings, the principles are the same. What changes? Only the procedures and techniques.

God's standards are not just platitudes to be read from scripture, they are to be applied to every endeavor. Your success depends on it. "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8)

The edicts and decrees found in scripture number into the hundreds, but I believe there are six great laws that—if followed—will become a strong foundation for your future.

#1. THE GREAT LA W OF FAITH You will receive in direct proportion to your faith.

One of the foremost barriers faced by every entrepreneur is the fear factor. I can remember the anxiety I wrestled with during the start of my used car business. In the back of my mind I had a fear of going broke. But then I read God's great law of faith. The Lord said, "According to your faith let it be to you." (Matthew 9:29)

My fear was replaced by a profound belief and expectation and I was ready to conquer the world when I read: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

It's important to realize that faith and fear cannot work simultaneously. Either one or the other dominates and is in control. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his first Inaugural Address, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

There's something else to understand: Fear is produced by your mind, but faith comes from the Word. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

(Romans 10:17)

When you realize that the object of your faith is also the source of your supply, your potential is unlimited. There's a song I find myself humming:

"I will talk to my father for you.

And if I know my father, here's what He'll do.

He will lay at your feet all the things you pursue.

It's no bother for my Father to do it for you."

Even your small faith, in the hands of a mighty God, becomes powerful and strong. Jesus said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)

Remember, the Lord does not respond to your needs— He responds to your faith.

#2. THE GREAT LA W OF CONFESSION What you speak will come to pass.

Having faith for your future is a necessary ingredient, but there comes a time when you must declare it.

The power of our words has a force beyond anything we can comprehend. Exactly how powerful? "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21)

When I understood God's laws concerning the spoken word, my language began to change. For example, if I hadn't sold a car for two days I would say to everybody I met: "I'm going to sell two cars today!" I learned that my results were in direct proportion to my declarations.

Just as God "spoke" the world into existence, He has placed great authority in our tongue. Jesus said, "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37)

Critics may scoff, but I have encountered scores of people whose lives were scarred by their speech. A lady once told me, "I just know I've got cancer. And it's right where my mother got her's!" Sure enough, her doctor later confirmed what she had already confessed.

Make a total commitment that the words you speak will be those of hope, encouragement, and optimism.

#3. THE GREAT LA W OF FORGIVENESS To be forgiven, you must forgive.

One of the most damaging obstructions to success is an unforgiving spirit. If you have relationships that must be restored, don't wait another minute to begin the process. Christ said, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37)

Let me tell you a true story about two brothers who were partners in a little country store near the town where I was raised in eastern Ohio. One morning, while one brother was pumping gas, the other was in the storeroom checking on the feed supplies. Out in the store there was a dollar bill laying on the cash register that had not been "rung up." To them—fifty years ago—that represented a lot of money.

When they both walked back into the store the dollar was gone. Immediately, each brother accused the other of stealing it. They looked inside the register—it wasn't there either.

The one who had been pumping gas said, "You took it!"

His brother said, "No, it was you!"

From that moment a great wall of hate came between them. There was no forgiveness. They even split the store in half—with each brother selling his own goods. They refused to speak to each other.

Many years later a stranger walked into the store and told the brothers, "About 25 years ago I was drifting through here and I had nothing to eat. I walked in and the store was empty. I saw a dollar laying on the cash register and I took it." Then he handed them a dollar bill—and added some extra dollars for interest.

The two brothers looked at each other and began to cry. Finally, after all that time, they asked for forgiveness.

God's rules of mercy and pardon are beyond anything that most people can comprehend. However, the moment you ask forgiveness for your sin, you begin to receive a totally new perspective. Since you have been pardoned, it becomes much easier to forgive others.

Put it into practice today.

#4. THE GREAT LA W OF RETRIBUTION Failure awaits those who disobey God's commandments.

When I began to learn about the fixed laws of God I only wanted to accept those that were positive. But there were some things I needed to understand. For example, I couldn't see a reason for God's law of retribution. But it's found repeatedly in scripture.

Have you noticed that when God gives a promise, He almost always gives a warning to those who fail to obey. For example, in the Old Covenant we read, "And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them." (Deuteronomy 28:13)

Then He adds the warning: "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that ... these curses will come upon you and overtake you." (v.15)

Over the years I have developed a great love and respect for men and women in the ministry. No, I do not always agree with their methods or their particular message, but I understand the consequences of opposing them.

The Bible clearly says, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm." (Psalms 105:15)

Those who fail to heed that warning are violating one of God's fixed laws. They're headed for big trouble. You say, "That's superstition!" No, it's the Word of God.

The Lord will extend His compassion to those who accept it, but like any good father, He will chastise a child who disobeys.

#5. THE GREAT LA W OF INCREASE Planting in God's soil produces a giant crop.

It's easy to understand that we reap exactly what we sow, but God's great law of increase says that we can reap more than we sow—much more. There are, however, specific conditions that must be met.

Here's what Christ said concerning receiving a bumper crop. "He who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13:23)

What an increase!

When explorer Sir Walter Raleigh returned to England and Ireland in 1596, he brought something they had never seen—potatoes. They cut the "eyes" out and planted them and before long got back an enormous harvest. Soon, potatoes were growing on thousands and thousands of acres. They didn't eat the seed, they—planted it.

It's disheartening to meet someone with great potential —then five years later see them again doing the exact same thing: nothing.

God's law of increase, if followed, will bless everything you do. It will cause you to become prolific—to not only produce, but to reproduce.

#6. THE GREAT LA W OF PROSPERITY Obeying the Lord produces great reward.

I believe that it is God's will for you to prosper financially, physically, and spiritually. That's what He promised. "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." (3 John 1:2)

The most important thing mentioned last. God wants your soul to prosper since it is the key to keeping every area of your life on track. Without a heart that is pure, you'll lose the dream the Lord has given for your future.

It's important that you follow the Lord's voice—not the words of others. As God told the prophet Isaiah, "I have spoken; yes, I have called him, I have brought him, and his way will prosper." (Isaiah 48:15)

The law of physics says: For every action there is a reaction. It is also true in the Kingdom of God. If we keep His commands, we can expect magnificent rewards. Without question, that's what happened to me. "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalms 84:11)

What is the future of those who take the Lord at His Word? "If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures." (Job 36:11)

People may try to stand in the way of God's provision, but remember, the Lord can turn any situation around to deliver on His promise.

When God took Joseph into Egypt it was because his brother sold him to that fate. It sounded bad, but God willed for that to happen. Perhaps you have had a similar experience, where someone close to you has sold you out. Joseph became a life-saver for the people who were in slavery. There was a great famine, but the Lord did not allow them to starve. Joseph said to his brother, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good . . . " (Genesis 50:20)

Is it clear that God wants to bless you? He has promised abundance beyond anything you can ever ask or think.

"Things " Are Not Important

Years ago, my wife Sally and I came to the conclusion that if we lost every material possession in the world, we would still enjoy the greatest gift of all—a personal relationship with the Lord.

"Things"—homes, planes, jewelry, or cars—don't really have great meaning. We use them, they don't use us. After all, there's not one possession we can take to our new home the Lord is preparing. Of far greater importance is what we are planting day after day in God's Kingdom.

The Lord has a remarkable plan for your future. The same God that created you is deeply concerned that you follow His precepts. The six great laws of success are not hollow expressions. They are fixed tenets that, if put into practice, will transform the forecast of your future from "stormy" to "bright."

5

THE DAY THE WINDOWS OPENED

"Excuse me, sir. Do you need a pen?"

The stranger I turned to as I was about to leave the restaurant was surprised at my question. "No," he said. "I've already got one."

I smiled and said, "Well, I'm going to give you one anyway, because I like to give something away every day."

"In that case, I'll take it," he responded. "And thank you very, very much."

It's a practice I started years ago. Every day, I take something from my pocket—a pencil, a pen, a note pad, or whatever—and I give it away.

You say, "That sounds like a silly thing to do."

Just wait until you try it! When you begin to see what happens as a result of giving things away, you'll never stop the practice. Now, when I leave home in the morning, I check my pockets to make sure I have something to give.

God looks at your hands as well as at your heart. Are they open or closed? How can you expect anything to be placed in your hands unless they're open? It's only when you are in the act of giving that you are prepared to receive.

So often I've told people,

"Don't be stingy and attempt to hang on to your possessions. Let some things go!"

Shortly after becoming a Christian, I ran around with a fellow who was filled with a zeal for evangelism. One day we decided to go to his brother-in-law's house in an effort to lead him to Christ.

While we were sharing the Good News, the man interrupted my friend and said, "I just have one question. If I accept the Lord am I going to become like you?"

"I hope so," he answered.

"You mean to say that I'm going to be a tight-wad like you?" I almost fell off my chair, because it was something I also had observed. As they say, this guy was so tight he almost squeaked.

Friend, God wants His people to be generous. Don't let your reputation hinder your witness for Christ.

Give $100,000?

A few years ago I bought 48 acres of undeveloped woodland near Columbus. My dream was to see it become a subdivision called Rathburn Woods.

You may think it strange, but my motivation for the project was not to build another nestegg for the future. I wanted to see the venture flourish so that I could fulfill a long-held vision—to give the profits away.

Big doors swing on little hinges. More then 20 years before, Oral Roberts' tent crusade in Columbus had been a turning point in my life. Now, I wanted to say "Thank you," by doing something substantial in return.

I said, "Lord, I have never put much money into the Oral Roberts ministry. When these woods begin to prosper I'm going to give a large gift to ORU." I even named the size of the donation.

In my car, driving slowly, I stretched my arm out toward the land. I said, "Father in Jesus Name, thank you for the blessing you are going to give that land. And when it happens I want to give a large gift—a $100,000 gift to ORU."

I had never been a land developer and didn't know where to begin. So I would often drive out to the land and pray. "Lord, show me what I should do." I was in a quandary wondering whether to try to divide it into lots, or to put the whole thing on the market.

One day, the Lord arranged to put me in touch with a man who was a developer. We made an arrangement that called for him to put in the roads, then, every time a lot was sold, we would share the profits.

The model home went up and the lots began selling at a rapid pace.

When I saw my first check for $100,000, I thought, "Here's what I'll do.

I'll call Oral and Richard Roberts and tell them I'm making a pledge for $100,000 and that I'll send $5,000 a month for 20 months."

That evening I went home, but it was a night of restless sleep. The very next day, Sally and I flew to Tulsa and wrote out a check for $100,000.

Richard Roberts came to Columbus a few months later and we took pictures of phase one. Then it was phase two —three—and four. Before long there were more than 180 homes at Rathburn Woods. And every buyer—whether they knew it or not—was helping to build a great Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, blessed us greatly so that we could bless greatly. The same God wants to bless you, too!

"The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it." (Proverbs 10:22)

My, Didn 't It Rain!

In 1952, just after I gave my life to the Lord, a young preacher, "Pastor Don," from Texas and I decided to go "witnessing"—door-to-door—in a little community east of Columbus. We'd leave some literature and invite the people to church. We determined to do it every Saturday until we had visited every house in town.

As a new Christian, I had very little faith. Oh, I knew that Christ was real, but I wondered about all the "blessings" these Christians were talking about.

Week after week, every Saturday we were back on the streets. Sometimes we wouldn't stop until late in the evening.

To cover more territory, we'd usually split up, with each of us working one side of a street. One afternoon, the skies opened up and it began to rain like a waterfall. We both headed for the same huge tree to decide what to do next.

My friend had to raise his voice because of the noise from the "gully-washer." He said, "Bill, this reminds me of one of my favorite verses of scripture." He opened up his big Bible and began to read, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10)

As I stood under that tree, soaking wet, I got a revelation of the reality of God. For the first time, I believed that He really does give showers of blessing on His people.

I began to visualize the windows of heaven going up and I could see God pouring out His goodness.

Many years later I said to Sally, "I think Malachi 3:10 has come true for us." God had poured out such a blessing that we literally couldn't handle it. We had a big home in Columbus, three gorgeous houses in Florida, three airplanes, and more cars than I could keep track of.

I still smile when I think about what happened one day after flying to Florida. We hadn't been there in quite some time and I spent several hours pumping air in the tires of the cars and recharging the batteries. But what was really embarrassing was to have to jump-start our Rolls Royce with all the neighbors watching.

I said, "This is a blessing I can't contain. We've got to sell one of these houses and get rid of some of these cars." And we did—but we kept the Rolls.

My mind flashed back to the day Pastor Don and I were standing under that tree in a rainstorm. It was the day the windows opened.

The Key to Raising Windows

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to have a blessing so great that you couldn't contain it? Try taking God at His Word.

I have no hesitation telling people that their tithe belongs to the Lord—ten percent of your gross income. If you fail to seed your tithes into "the storehouse"—the place you receive your spiritual food—you'll never really know God's blessing.

Just before God promised to open His windows, He gave a stern warning. "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation." (Malachi 3:8,9)

Can the curse be removed? Of course. Your action of giving results in God's reaction of blessing. I believe that your tithes open the windows and your offerings cause the blessings to be outpoured.

What He gives includes far more than finances. I believe that the Lord wants to bless us physically, too.

When I look back on my life, it's a wonder that I am still alive. At the age of 15, while I was raking soybeans, a team of horses ran off with me. I was dragged across the field and the entire side of my face was torn away.

Time and again, the Lord has restored my body and given me new physical strength. I firmly believe it is a fulfillment of His promise in Malachi.

Every time I sell a new car, I tell people about the benefits—the warranty, the safety features, and our great service department. But do you realize that God's plan is even better? "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all His benefits." (Psalms 103:2) What are they?

"Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

(vv.3-5)

My friend, you'll never find a guarantee like that in your General Motors handbook. The Big Shovel

The Lord is searching for people who have a heart that is ready to receive. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9)

When you understand that He is your source, the windows begin to be unlocked and raised. Never forget what the Lord said to Jehoshaphat, "Do not be afraid . . . for the battle is not yours, but God's." (2 Chronicles 20:15)

How do you open the floodgates of Glory? By giving. Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38)

R. G. LeTorneau was one of the great Christian businessmen of the 20th Century. He figured that if it was good to give God ten percent and keep 90 percent for yourself—why not turn those numbers around? He began to give the Lord 90 percent of every dollar he received and the blessings were far greater than he could contain.

Over the years now, Sally and I have put millions of dollars in the Kingdom of God. But here's what I learned:

God's shovel is bigger than mine.

The more I give, the more I receive. Why? Because of the size of God's shovel. You've heard it for years, and I'm here to tell you that it is absolutely true—you can't outgive God.

Are you ready for the windows of heaven to open? Are you ready for God to flood you with blessings greater than the size of your container? It begins when you make the decision to start giving something away.

Never forget that you make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.

Start giving!

6

THE FIRE INSIDE

A During a question-answer session at a recent seminar in California, a man stood and asked, "Mr. Swad, what keeps you so pumped up? Is it your natural personality or something you have to work at?"

It's a fair question. Certainly there are times when you have the exhilaration of success in the early days of a business venture. But what about those times when every day seems to bring bad news. How do you respond when the sales graphs are—as they say—"going south"?

For me, self-motivation is a matter of choice, not chance. Though I was born in a negative environment, I personally had an optimistic outlook. But it wasn't long until I came face to face with the realities of business emergencies, personality conflicts, and daily obstacles. At times it seemed like I was running the hurdles at a track meet.

I learned early in my career, however, that if I was going to succeed I was going to have to conquer my emotions—rather than the other way around. One scripture seemed to flash continually in my mind like a giant neon billboard: "But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16)

When the tough times came—and they certainly did— staying motivated was something at which I had to actively work. How could I inspire my employees unless I was inspired? That's why I decided to take "daily renewal" seriously and demonstrate it to every person I met.

Your Hidden Source of Power

When I gave my heart to the Lord, He lit a "pilot light" that has never been extinguished. It became the "fire within" that has kept me going. Today, the flame has become a powerful blaze because of the fuel I have added to that fire.

What is the real source of power that can cause a vehicle to reach speeds of over 200 miles an hour at the Indianapolis 500? Is it the brand of gasoline? Is it the design of the engine? No. What few people realize is that inside the engine an actual fire is raging. That's the energy that is transformed into great speed.

Once you make that choice to become renewed day-by-day and begin to act upon it, something marvelous happens. It becomes habit-forming. Let me show you what I mean.

Years ago, I began walking into my office saying things like, "We're going to have a great one today!" or "I feel like I could run through a troop and jump over a wall!"

Well, after saying those kinds of phrases, morning after morning, week after week, and year after year, it became so automatic I didn't even have to think about it any more. That was my lifestyle—that was Bill Swad, Sr.

What about my sales staff?

Could my personal "fire " actually ignite those with whom I came in contact?

Can motivation be transferred?

Please understand; when I began my business I had a sales staff of only one—me. So instead of trying to motivate people, I was talking to myself. But it wasn't too long until I had the chance to find out if what worked for me would work for others.

After going it alone at my "mud and gravel" used car lot for about six months I hired a part time salesman, and then a full time salesman (who worked for me over three decades).

What was my secret of motivating them? It was really quite simple:

When the leader stays turned on, the followers stay turned on.

That's why I made a commitment to hard work and personal enthusiasm.

"We'll Have It in a Week"

When my used car business grew to the point that I started my first new car dealership—an American Motors Company franchise—I had four salesmen. You soon learn that in car sales, no two days—or even weeks or months— are alike. There were times when I wondered if my men were going to make enough commissions to feed their families.

What did I do in some of those dark days? How did I keep my salesmen "believing?" If I told them once, I told them a thousand times, "Men, when a customer comes on our lot they come to buy a car,

They're not lookers, they're buyers."

I'd tell them, "If we don't have the car you like, we'll find it. We'll have it within a week." I was only relating to my sales force what I did when I was on my own.

If a customer didn't like my current selection I'd ask, "What car would you really like to have?" If they said, "I'd like a '55 Buick two-door with automatic transmission," I'd ask, "What color?" Then I would write it down on a little note pad along with their phone number.

Within a week I'd call and say, "I've got your car." With few exceptions, I made the sale. If being a go-getter meant that I had to drive to every lot in the county, I was ready. And it rubbed off on my staff.

"You've got to believe! You've got to believe!" I would repeat to my salesmen. "You've got to trust me when I tell you that when you see a customer, they've come to buy."

Once, I was in a Chicago meeting with some executives of Datsun. At that time, our operation in Columbus was the largest Datsun dealership east of the Mississippi River. I called my manager—who hadn't been in the position very long—and asked, "How's business?"

We had a big ad running in the Columbus Dispatch and I was expecting a flood of customers and sales. I was shocked by what he said.

"We've got a lot of shoppers, but no buyers," said the manager.

What did that tell me? I knew I had the wrong leader in that position—and if I didn't do something soon, we'd be in trouble. Within three days we had a new sales manager.

No matter what goods or services you have to offer, when customers show up, they are there to buy. The quicker you "feel that in your bones," the faster you'll reach the top.

The "Beast" and the "Best"

You may ask, "What about sales contests?" Do they motivate people? Over the years I guess I've tried about every kind of challenge and incentive you can think of. But here is what I have learned.

The best kind of competition is when the entire crew is striving to reach a common goal.

When you put salesmen in head-to-head competition it often brings out the beast in them. But if you take the whole team and put them in cooperation, it brings out the best in them. That's why I like to have contests with other big dealerships around the country—we're all winners.

And something else. You'll never have ultimate success trying to motivate people by fear. Let's say that you have a worker in your office that isn't productive and needs a heavy dose of activation. How do you do it?

You can say, "Look, you are going to be fired on Wednesday if you don't get with it." But what will happen? The person will likely become so upset that their output deteriorates even more.

Why not solve the problem by saying "Thanks" for their contribution to the firm and asking them to set some daily goals they believe they can achieve.

In life, you'll find that for every person who comes along to motivate you, there are ten grouches who feel it is their mission to de-motivate you. It may be a neighbor, an in-law, or someone you work with.

I've had prophets of doom on my doorstep by the hundreds. They have come in the form of everything from a pessimistic postman to an unbelieving banker. But the same fire that burned when I had three cars to sell, continued when I had three thousand. I held on to the Word that said, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) And "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (v. 13)

Your "Gut Feeling "

If you expect to motivate others, you have to renew your personal fire. The same excitement you feel the day you say, "I'm going to do it! Nothing's going to stop me!" needs to be deliberately brought to the surface again and again—day after day.

If you have a "gut feeling" to begin, you need to foster that same fervor to grow and expand.

And don't worry about the "de-motivators"—they'll always be around. If you recognize them for what they are, they can become a source of motivation, too.

How should you start your day? You've heard about "a checkup from the neck up," but you also need it from the neck down. It's not enough to just renew your mind—you need a daily recommitment of your heart and soul.

My morning begins even before I set my feet on the floor. The moment I wipe the sleep from my eyes, I look up and begin to praise God for the day He is about to unfold. As a Pentecostal, I talk with the Lord in a heavenly language. After a conversation with my Maker, I'm not ready to just "get" out of bed—I'm ready to jump out!

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that what works for me will work for you, but I wouldn't know how to survive without starting the day with the Lord.

I've been asked, "Bill, doesn't being such a vocal Christian and soul-winner become a barrier—and actually keep people away from your business?"

I believe if we are honest and totally transparent with people we will be at out best. Be yourself—that gives you the "personalty dynamics" it takes for success. Trying to convince people you are something that you're really not is futile. That strategy will never, never work in the long term.

Just remember the words of that popular song, "I've got to be me!"

It's not necessary to be like "somebody else" to know the thrill of success. I might be flattered to hear that someone wants to be like Bill Swad, Sr., but I know if they tried it they'd fall flat on their face. I believe that you can do much more than you ever imagined—but the key word is "you."

What about your background? You may have grown up in an average family, in an average community, and have an average education. But God doesn't use a calculator. There are no "ordinary" or "typical" people in His Kingdom. The Lord sees you in terms of your unique potential—not what you are, but what you can become.

A "FastFix?"

Does God want you to be happy and blessed? I believe you know the answer—it is affirmative. His great disappointment will be if you fail to live up to His high expectations.

Every time I am in Florida and see the waves and whitecaps of the Atlantic, I say, "Look at the power and potential of that water." It never fails to inspire me to do even more.

I have listened to the motivators who say, "If you'll buy my book, you're going to become rich in six months. I wish I could guarantee such a fast fix for you. But I can say this:

If you have a "made up" mind, self motivation will be automatic.

And, as a result of great daily habits, you'll soon find yourself in a position where you can do what you want— semi-retire, go vacationing, or whatever. But it takes belief, commitment, and daily diligence.

It is only when your desire gets below the surface that you are ready to "go for it." As a young man my ambitions seemed to languish in the "thought" stage and not much happened. It was only when my dream reached the "burning desire" stage that my business went into orbit. It was that fire inside that made it happen.

Your Sun is Rising

Don't let the failures of yesterday determine your tomorrows. Start over every day because it truly is the first day of the rest of your life. God has promised to heal your memories of past disappointments. If the Apostle Paul can forget those things that were behind him, and "press toward the mark," I believe you can, too.

By allowing past discouragements to steer your future, you'll be shipwrecked before you ever leave the harbor.

Motivation doesn't spring from your history, it comes from a heart that is full today—and a heart that is excited about tomorrow.

Don't treat your dream lightly. Thank God every day that your vision is real and alive. You wouldn't want to trade places with the billions of people who exist as if they are suspended in space—in perpetual monotony, without hope.

It is wonderful to rise early in the morning and watch the sun break on the horizon. Before long its energy begins to warm the earth. But for you there is something just as powerful that provides power for eternity—it's the fire inside.

7

IT'S YOUR SERVE

What's the secret of staying in business in the same community for over 30 years?

We have a great facility, but that's not the answer. We have hard working employees—that's not it either. Is it the quality product we're selling? Is it our low prices? The answer to these questions is "No."

I learned from the beginning that

success in business is like playing a game of tennis—if you don't serve well you'll end up losing.

Customer service is much more than a good idea—it's the golden key that will unlock the door to your success. Without it there will be a "For Sale" sign on your property before you know what happened.

The rules are the same for every enterprise, whether you sell widgets or wait on tables in a restaurant. Have you ever met a waitress who was a grouch? Don't worry, she won't be there long—she'll go broke because of lousy tips. And if the food is bad, the restaurant will probably be the next to disappear.

How's Your CSI?

There's no substitute for getting involved with people. As I tell people everywhere:

If you give people what they want in goods and services, they'll give you what you want in the lifestyle you desire.

Selling a good product at a good price is only half the battle—you've got to service what you sell. And I'm not talking about just servicing the product—you must service the customer.

Our dealership is living proof that longevity can be yours if you'll take care of those who buy your product. Our parent company, Chevrolet, is working extremely hard on their CSI,—Customer Satisfaction Index—but they can't force me to treat my customers right. That's a decision I must make on my own.

Consumer happiness isn't something we hope will happen. We have to cultivate it at every level of our operation—every day. A simple thing like presenting an "Employee of the Week" award has a great impact on our CSI rating. It gets the entire staff thinking and pushing for one common goal: "How can I better serve the customer?"

Visiting the service department of an automobile dealership can be a frightening experience. I know. When I'm on the road, I'll pull in for service—sometimes whether I need it or not—just to see how I am treated.

What I have found is astounding. I've had the complete range of receptions from a big smile and a pat on the back, to indifference, arrogance, and even hostility. That's why General Motors is doing everything in their power to eliminate the negatives—something the dealer should have been doing all along.

Every company is worried about their "bottom line," but without the customer you won't have to worry about the balance sheet—you won't even have an establishment.

If you really want to see your customers happy, try taking them by the hand and sincerely thanking them for their business. Better yet, give them a pat on the back. Do you realize that by the very act of touching, you can drastically alter the way people feel?

God's Great Pain Killer

When people become happy, your business becomes strong. And there is only one source for the joy you need to share. The Word says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)

The concept of joy is one of the fundamental emotions found in Scripture—it's mentioned over 200 times. Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11)

You may not realize it, but

God created you with a built in painkiller that is activated every time you express joy and happiness.

Science has discovered it and given the phenomenon a special name: beta-endorphins. They flow from our brain and affect our body in an amazing way.

Here's what research has found. Beta-endorphins flow through our bodies only when we are happy—not when we are sad. The result is one of the strongest anecdotes for pain and suffering known to man.

In his book, Endorphins: New Waves in Brain Chemistry (Dial Press), Joel Davis documents how they have been used to control the pain of women giving birth, people with impacted wisdom teeth, and even terminal cancer patients. Says Davis, "... they may be the most powerful 'opiates' known."

Have you ever wondered why you immediately feel better when your spouse sits on your lap? The beta-endorphins begin to circulate. It's part of God's healing process.

Are you beginning to understand the importance of personal contact with people? Scripture says that when you "lay hands on the sick they shall recover."

Go ahead, give your favorite customers a big hug and start those beta-endorphins flowing. It will do much more than take away their headache. Start demonstrating joy and you'll see incredible results.

Start Asking

Dealing with people is not a one-way street. You should be guided by the words of Lincoln:

"God gave you two ears and one mouth so that you can listen to twice as much as you say."

If you want to make your customers feel that what they have to say is important, get into the habit of asking questions. There is no quicker way to give a person the feeling of worth than to solicit their input.

Here are some questions to try:

"How did you happen to choose our place of business?"

"What do you tell your friends about our service department?"

"If you were running this business, what would you do to improve it?"

Did you notice that these questions are all designed to get people to talk? Never ask for something that only gets a "Yes" or "No" response.

But remember, when you encourage people to "open up," you may be in for a healthy dose of criticism. If that happens, be thankful. It's what customers don't tell you that can ruin your business.

I've learned from experience that constructive criticism is worth more than its weight in gold. When I was getting started, my friend Glenn Erskine, was like a mentor—he gave me personal advice, and some of it was blunt.

I respected Glenn. While he had a job raising and lowering the gates at a railroad crossing from his "pigeon coop" above the track, he was busy doing something else. He was studying for his CLU—and later became one of the great life insurance agents in Ohio.

Glenn was a master motivator and helped me greatly in sharpening my people skills.

What About a Partner?

Though every business is a "people" business, it doesn't mean that you need to surround yourself with corporate partners.

In my business seminars I've heard people tell me, "I've got a brother-in-law and we've just started a little window washing business. There's another fellow that wants to join us. Should we make him a partner, too?"

Sure, you may be able to tell me about a joint venture that succeeded, but for me there is only one person that I would consider taking into my business. His name is Jesus.

If you link up with any other partner you will have—in the vast majority of cases—heartache and misery that you can't possibly foresee. As a Christian, you know that Scripture warns about being "unequally yoked" with an unbeliever. But I can share war stories that have caused even "Christian" partnerships to fail.

There is, however, one team worth forming. It's called marriage.

No, it's not always a business team, but it can be a working relationship that can cause your enterprise to skyrocket.

Sally and I are best friends—and even more. I could not think of a better person with whom to bounce around some business development ideas.

The car business is extremely time consuming if you're going to do it right. It's true of most businesses—you can forget "nine to five." Considering the long hours as an entrepreneur, the way to keep your marriage strong is to have your best friend as a business confidant—your wife.

Even if you are single, you can find another person who shares your goals and ambitions. Don't think that a partner has to be a colleague in a corporate, legal sense. You might receive more help and wise counsel from a next door neighbor than from a financial investor.

Don't Fret!

When you deal with people, they are going to present you with every kind of response imaginable. Sometimes their actions will be greatly disappointing.

I can't begin to count the times I've heard: "We'll be back in two hours with the down payment."

Four or five hours later, I'd still be waiting—even after they had completed our credit application. Finally, I'd get the buyer on the phone and they'd say, "Well, we bought a car somewhere else."

I soon discovered the importance of closing the deal NOW!

Did that discourage me? During the first few months of my business I couldn't understand why it would happen. But I learned to quickly discard their actions from my mind and go on to the next sale. My example was from scripture:

"Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity,

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb." (Psalms 37:1,2)

What David said next was even more exciting. "Trust in the Lord ... Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord ... And He shall bring it to pass." (vv.3-5)

With those kinds of promises, you don't need to worry when people let you down.

Success is much more than financial prosperity. A warm relationship with the people you serve is worth far more than cash in your account.

If you make the business pages of the Wall Street Journal and your family falls apart, what have you really accomplished?

If you're the "Salesperson of the Year" and lose your Christian testimony, has it been worth it?

That's why being active in a local church is so vital. Life's greatest conflicts can be resolved at the foot of the Cross. Sally's father was an orthodox Jew, and my father was an Arab from Syria. But in Christ there are no territorial disputes.

Just like the tires that we put on your car, your life needs to be well rounded. Otherwise, you'll begin to shudder, shake, and pull to the right or left. What's needed is to have your life "aligned and balanced."

What do I mean? You need to develop a good spiritual life, a good physical life, a good family life, and a good financial life. You need to be "well rounded" in every area.

Tomorrow, when you reach your place of work, begin to demonstrate what we've been discussing. Make a commitment that "I will not be afraid to reach out and touch someone—even if it means getting involved in their problem."

Remember, it's not time to take, it's time to serve.

8

"IF I CAN, YOU CAN!'

Many people have a brilliant idea, a burning desire, and even a top-notch business plan, but for some reason their intentions never materialize. What is the problem? Why do they fail?

When people understand what an "entrepreneur" really is, they will know the answer. "An entrepreneur is someone who works at something that the average person is not willing to do.'

The key to the puzzle is found in one word—work!

The definition applies to every field of endeavor. For example: What is a successful pastor? He is one who works at something the average pastor is not willing to do—or is not willing to pray or believe for.

Everybody is looking for the easy way out, or the "lazy man's way to riches." But let me tell you a secret: the only place where success comes before work is the dictionary.

The idea of diligence is not new. Scripture makes it clear again and again. "And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9 KJV)

What Kind Are You ?

There are three kinds of people in our world. You meet them every day. Who are they?

First, there are those that " Watch it happen."

You've met them. They'll sit around and while you are buying real estate, or building a business, or improving houses. They just watch and wonder—never doing anything but criticizing.

Second, there are those that "Make it happen."

That is what I had to do. I had to literally force some things to start moving forward. There will never be a chorus of people singing your praises at the time you initiate your idea. Don't expect them to say, "I believe in you."

The progress you make will be the direct result of "putting your shoulder to the plow." It won't just occur by wishing—you've got to make it happen.

Finally, after you've made your mark, there will be those who say, "What happened?"

Have you met people who seem totally amazed when one of their friends climbs to the top? It's as if they were waiting at the train station but didn't get on board.

I've been asked, "Bill, after you succeeded in business, did you savor your victory like a successful athlete?" Absolutely. Because I worked so hard to achieve it—plus, there were so many doubters along the way.

Put yourself in the category of the person who "makes it happen" and you enjoy the fulfillment life can bring.

"Help Wanted"

So often, when we begin to prosper, the first thing we lose is our memory. We forget the hard work that made us successful. Then disaster strikes like a Texas tornado. Inventories pile up. We disappoint our customers. We succumb to sloppy habits in our service department.

Never forget what scripture teaches: "He who deals with a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes one rich." (Proverbs 10:4)

What is a slack hand? If you sell cars on payments and the people don't pay—and you don't go after them and collect your money—that's a slack hand. Whatever your business, you've got to run a tight ship. Oh, I believe in the "kinder and gentler" notion, but you've got to be firm.

You won't last long with laziness. The old adage is still true: Plan your work and work your plan. Most people are great at the first, but lousy at the second.

Repeatedly, I've seen ads in the "Help Wanted" column: "Sales Manager needed. Must be self starter."

Do you know what they are seeking? They want someone that is bursting with enthusiasm. It's a word that comes from the Greek word "Theos"—which means "God," and "entos"—which means "within." The source of your fire and zeal is the Lord inside of you.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to stand out in the cold and crank up a Model-T Ford? Thank God for the discovery of the electronic ignition. There's nothing like a self starter.

It takes more then training and intelligence to accomplish your goal. As someone once said,

"Ability without ambition is like a car without a motor." Tte Big Gamble

You've heard it said that nothing succeeds like success, but the opposite is also true. Nothing fails like failure. Fortunately, you can climb out of any "pit" you find yourself in by making a decision to apply yourself 100% to the task—every day.

Let me ask: "Can you give an all-out effort for 30 minutes?" If you're answer is "Yes," why not decide to put a day of those "30 minutes" together. Then try a week—a month—a year—and a lifetime.

Don't ever think that life gets any easier by delaying the time to begin the "hard work" phase of your project. Once you've made the decision, act upon it immediately.

You may say, "It's just too big of a gamble. What if I spend all my time and energy and it doesn't work out?"

If that's you're feeling, you'd better resign yourself to living on Social Security and shopping at Goodwill. Columbus didn't discover America by wondering if he was wasting his time? Henry Ford didn't build a car by worrying about whether the contraption would run.

You need to experience the excitement of taking a risk. If it doesn't work out—take another. Edison would have never invented the light bulb without hundreds and hundreds of failures.

There comes a time when you must take positive action.

As Benjamin Franklin said,

"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move."

Let's Make a Deal

Your dream becomes established by faith, determination, and hard work, but in the final analysis, there's only one thing that counts—your reputation. Can you be trusted? Is your word your bond?

The building where we began our Chevrolet dealership was on a three year lease—with an option to buy it for $1.5 million. When the time came, I went to the man and said, "I'm ready to exercise my option."

He said, "I'm sorry, I've taken out a third mortgage against it and I owe $2 million. I just can't sell it for what you want to pay."

I was deeply disappointed since he had verbally promised not to take any additional loans against the property—but he did.

The lenders called me and said, "We'll help you. We'll reduce the interest if we can make the deal."

I said. "Wait just a minute. I agreed to buy for $1.5 million I'm not going to pay any more." I had a letter of credit for the money that was good for 30 days.

My lawyer and I flew to LaGuardia airport in New York City to meet with the lenders. At the airport conference room, the people that held the mortgage on the property said, "We'll sell you the building, but only for $2 million."

The man I had agreed to buy it from had gone bankrupt.

In the middle of the meeting, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to me and said, "Walk out of this room."

I turned to my Jewish attorney and said, "Joel. Come on. We're leaving."

He gave me a puzzled look and said, "We're leaving?"

I said, "That's right. Let's get to the plane and fly back to Columbus."

The men followed us to the gate and I told them, "A deal is a deal. A man is only as good as his word. I have an option for $1.5 million and that's it."

We stayed in that building for the next two years without paying another dollar. I had been paying larger than normal rent, since the payments were to be deducted from the final purchase price.

After two years a notice was published that the building was to be sold at a sheriff’s sale. Mine was the winning bid at $890,000—about $610,000 less than I had agreed to pay for it.

How did it happen? I decided to stick to my word, even if other's didn't. The benefits were well worth it.

"It's Raining!"

If you make a promise—stick to it. The moment you begin to make excuses, you've put the project into reverse.

When one of my salesmen comes up with a feeble reason for why something didn't happen, I laugh and say,

"There are not enough crutches in the world to support your lame excuses."

And if it's a big one, I say, "That's a wheelchair excuse —crutches won't even help you."

Recently, in Florida, I drove to a certain carwash I like —it has a "brushless" system.

When I arrived I noticed a sign that said, "Closed."

I saw the lady that was managing it and asked, "Why are you closed?"

She said, "It's raining, so I sent the boys home."

"Raining? I asked. "It rained a while ago, but it's not now."

If the owner had been around he would have been appalled. His investment had to be at least $2 million in the state-of-the-art facility. That day alone he probably lost $1,000.

Some people will use any reason to make their work easier.

A few weeks ago, Sally and I were flying around the country and decided to leave our two little puppies at a "pet motel." They charge $7 a day for each dog.

As we changed planes in Atlanta, I called and said, "By the way, you can go ahead and clip Molly. She needs a nice haircut and trim." I guessed it would cost another $25.

Do you know what the girl told me? "No. We don't have time."

Can you imagine trying to have a successful business and running people off? But that's exactly what she did.

You can't pay your bills on excuses. No matter what it takes, find the way to deliver the goods. Make a commitment and follow through.

Remember: some people find excuses, others find a way. A Fragile Commodity

When I was a boy, even when I was a young man starting in business, I raised chickens. We would take the young chicks when they were just a few days old and begin the careful process of watching, feeding, and keeping them warm.

Your enterprise is no different. You nurture and care for it as if it were a fragile commodity—because it really is.

When I look back at the "highs and lows" of developing a strong business I realize that worrying over economic down-turns is a waste of energy. I've come to know that if a recession occurs, it's not final. The boom that will follow will more than make up for any losses. Business runs in cycles—so just relax and continue to nurture your enterprise.

Failure isn't fatal, and success isn't final—it's a journey, not a destination.

If you apply the same diligence and work ethic through every economic condition, you're going to be around when your competition has faded from the scene.

We're Just Starting

If I believed that building a giant automobile business is what life was all about, I would have given up a long time ago. But this is only a start. This is just a "dress rehearsal" for heaven.

How do I view my journey? I see myself—and you, too —as soldiers on God's battlefield. Our job is to take territory from Satan, who has come to "steal, kill, and destroy." We're claiming the land for the Lord, who has come to give life—"more abundantly."

As you have been reading this book, perhaps you have wondered, "Does Bill really mean it when he says, "You can do it, too!"?

Friend, when I look at my own background, and the reasons why I should have been a failure, I believe anyone can make it. I'm really not that special. The only difference between me and the person who is still wallowing in the "mullygrubs" of life is that I put success principles into practice. Plus, I take God at His Word and act boldly upon it.

When you begin to do the same, my story may pale by comparison.

You can make it. There is a way. If you don't have the right attitude you can replace it. If you don't have the right information you can find it. If you don't have the right friends you can change them.

I don't even mind you saying,

"If Bill can make it, I can make it, too!"

Because it is the truth.

You really can!

Bill Swad, Sr., after building one of America’s largest automotive empires, has committed his life to inspiring people to become great achievers. In this revealing book, the author of HOW I GOT MILLIONAIRE MENTALITY, shares heart-felt conviction that if he can do it —

YOU CAN DO IT, TOO!

In this volume, you’ll discover HOW GREAT MINDS THINK • THE KEY TO CREATIVITY • HOW TO MULTIPLY YOUR MIRACLE • THE SECRET OF REACHING YOUR GOAL • SIX GREAT LAWS OF SUCCESS • HOW TO OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN

BILL SWAD, SR.

is founder and president of Bill Swad Chevrolet, Columbus, Ohio, Omega Life Insurance Company, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Hamilton Acceptance Corporation. He is founder and senior pastor of Christian Center, Columbus, Ohio, and chairman of the executive committee, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma. His numerous awards include an honorary doctorate from ORU.

Table of Contents

"I'm Going to Do It!"

The Miracle that Multiplies

Go for the Goal

Six Great Laws of Success

The Day the Windows Opened

The Fire Inside

It's Your Serve

"If I Can, You Can!'