Just in case you missed it, the government just had a huge document dump about UAPs: Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon. 

Back when I was a boy in the 1950s, we called them UFOs. Many people may remember project Blue Book of the Air Force and later the X-Files on TV — but why they didn't let Mulder and Scully fall in love, I will never know. But I digress.

When I was working for AC and calling on dealers in southern Louisiana, I saw UFOs. That's right, I saw them with my very own eyes. UFOs: Unidentified Frying Objects.

I also saw UBOs (Unidentified Boiling Objects), as well as UTCs (Unidentified Things in a Crockpot) and finally UMRs (Unidentified Meat on a Rotisserie). Folks, Cajuns didn't see things up in the sky — they were too busy looking down at what they were cooking. 

Usually, what was cooking didn't actually look very appetizing in real life. You ever see a shrimp or crawfish with their clothes on? Yuck... darn bottom feeders. Alligator, frog legs, nutria, tripe (excuse me while I still gag on that one), boudin (Pronounced "Boo-dan", which is blood sausage) and pickled pig lips. 

You get all this and more when one is invited to a Cochon de Lait. If you look that up, I think it means "pig in milk", but the real meaning is that someone cooks a whole pig and you are supposed to come and bring the aforementioned side dishes. 

The first time I got that directive was from a dealer who told me to be at the shop in Gueydan and say a few words about "Yo tractos and stuff," and "den Father Hebert be gwana da bless da food and we be eatin about 5 or 4 minutes after 5". Well, I came as instructed and sat next to a garbage can just in case. However, while watching the natives to see how they ate each delicacy, I found if one closed their eyes on some odiferous courses, and exhaled while ingesting the items, the food was spicy and delicious. I kid you not. 

I also figured out why one spoke before the meal. For some reason, the drinks of choice were Miller Ponies. Lots of them. I suspect these were chosen for two reasons. You had to get up and get another one quite often. Once you were stuffed, the desire to move became less, and therefore there were fewer inebriated Cajuns on campus. The second reason was that the smaller bottle was less of a lethal weapon in case a disagreement became physical — an event I did get to witness a few times.  

I promise you, in the 70's there was no artificial intelligence south of I-10, just culture and heritage. We did in fact sell equipment during my tenure there; but no deal was closed without a cup of coffee — which is a whole different story. 

The point here is selling, most times, involves the 'when in Rome' syndrome. It took 6 months to learn to talk to and understand the customers, their needs and the way they communicated and only then did the orders start to flow in.

I wonder if the AI sales programs that are in the pipeline realize the personal relations it takes to close most deals? Or maybe the younger customers have different buying paradigms today vs. what some of us made a career applying.  

I think these are some exciting times in the future and it will be a time of change as we see these UNWs (Unidentified New Ways) come into being.

Programs like the Dealership Minds will be at the forefront as dealers walk into a changing future. C'est la vie, says the old folks. 

Told from the perspective of an in-the-trenches owner/operator — Tim Brannon of B&G Equipment, Paris, Tenn. — Equipment Dealer Tips, Tales & Takeaways shares knowledge, experiences and tips/lessons with fellow rural equipment dealerships throughout North America. Covering all aspects required of an equipment dealership general manager, Brannon will inform, entertain and provide a teachable moment for current — and future — leaders within equipment dealerships.

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