Stop Selling Products, Start Selling Experiences — with Clay Anderson

Don't sacrifice a long-term trust for a short-term gain.

If you never quit, you never fail.

It takes 20 years to build a reputation. It only takes 5 minutes to destroy it.

If you treat your employees good, they'll treat your clients good.

I like to sleep at night. I don't want to have to think about anything that could potentially be misconstrued or, you know, this lack of transparency that leads to lack of sleep.

Today we interviewed Clay Anderson with Clear Creek RVs, who is heavily involved with the brand and the operations of the company. And so he goes through the ins and outs, the ups and downs, and there's a ton of value in this episode. We hope you guys enjoy. All right, today we have Clay Anderson with us on the podcast. Welcome to the Brand Builders Podcast. Um, before we dive in, I want you to kind of dive in like your role with Clear Creek RVs and how did you get there, a little bit about that story.

Yeah, so first of all, thanks for having me. It's a really cool setup. I like, I like everything here. It's pretty great, um, you know, and, and with Clear Creek, I think, um, a really great company, uh, and it all starts with the owners, and they're unbelievable people, and, and that's kind of the foundation of who they are. Um, I joined in December of '21, um, and they started a couple years prior in '19, in May of '19, and so The role initially was finance manager, and so, you know, this was kind of their first full-time dedicated, you're one position kind of guy, because they had, you know, previously tried just through, you know, having people there like, hey, you're going to be the finance manager, and also I need you to do a couple things here and there too. So this is like their one, this is all you're going to do. So So I was like, cool. And so speaking with the owners, I was like, hey, I'm gonna write basically everything that I do so that, you know, we can have this kind of written process for the finance department and make it streamlined and without sacrificing customer experience and definitely make sure that we're maximizing goals and stuff like that. So that was the idea and that went really well. So I did that for about 16 months. There was a need, it's kind of a funny story, but there was a need to move into the general manager or the general sales manager position, kind of more sales manager focused. And we had a sales process that was kind of broken. And so it was really important for me to try to help fix how to fix that in a way that we could continue to maximize the customer experience because that was the most critical element for us, was making sure that we give a great customer experience. And so that was 6 months of hard work. Like, it was literally writing everything that you're doing, you know, revisiting, hey, did that work? And going through it with the sales team and the management and making sure it worked for everybody. It was very difficult, but it was important.

You know, so were you doing this all as a finance manager or were you— did you switch?

So yeah, I transitioned. I switched into the general sales manager role and we promoted within to get a finance manager. And I gave them all the resources that I had, you know, the written processes and stuff like that, which was a pivotal role, you know, pivotal piece to that puzzle. And so, you know, it was kind of copy and paste. More or less with the general sales manager role, getting into a spot where we could write the sales process and be proficient and enhance the customer experience.

So let's talk about that systems, 6 months of rewriting this stuff. And so what was your process for that? Like what was your approach? Did you just say, okay, I need this person to write every single thing that they do down in order, or how did you go about that?

So that was kind of the way I did it. It was like I had this idea of how I wanted it to look, and I was like, okay, so what does that look like? How can I teach that? And so I broke it down, and I like to say in crayons, you know, broke out the crayons and really dug deep and tried to find a way. It's, you know, if nobody knew anything about our business, it would be easy to comprehend and, and, you know, it could be, you know, mass appeal. I guess people could read it and understand what they're reading.

And it's great to have that mentality of like, if I was to walk in here today and it was a blank slate and I didn't know what in the world to do, like, that's the system I want for somebody else.

Yeah. And that's part of the reason it took so long. Yeah.

Yeah.

Very rudimentary.

It's not something that you just like anybody desires to sit down and do either.

No.

Like it is torture, especially with the Howdy Media stuff, the more team members I bring on, because I started off as like a one, one-man band. I would do everything. And that's how a lot of business owners start off. And so as soon as I started bringing on help, I had to reteach the way that I thought about it because like I just kind of expected them to think how I thought.

Exactly.

Everybody thinks different. Everybody has different talents.

Yes, we do.

And so figuring out a way to explicitly explain the whole process from start to finish that everybody can understand is a very challenging task.

Oh yeah, and we're still growing in that every day.

Yeah, I've got a long ways to go on that.

Yeah.

Um, but no, that's awesome. Okay, so the next question, from your perspective, um, what are some of the principles that have helped shape the brand of Clear Creek RVs into something that your clients and customers recognize, first of all, and then trust you enough to go and buy from you?

Absolutely. And again, I think it starts with the owners because they truly are great people. It's funny because when this job offer came through, I called a close friend of mine that I've known literally since I think her son was born in the room next to me. Like, that's— yeah, that's how that whole relationship started. And they've been in the RV space for a really long time. I think it's the mid-'70s or mid-'80s. And I called her and I said, "Hey, what do you think?" And she was like, "Those people are unbelievable." She's like, "Whatever they tell you, take it to the bank. They're great people. You'll want to work for them, and they do great things for their customers and for their employees." So it was kind of a no-brainer after I spoke to her. And so the principles that they've set out and that we've kind of cultivated over the years The number one thing is consistency. They've been very consistent with intention behind everything they do, whether it be, you know, customer-facing, employee-facing, what have you. I mean, that's been a really critical piece of that and it trickles through the company, you know, especially in our service department. And I can't say enough about those guys. It's really important to us to have a great service team and we do. And so that consistency has bled into them. And, you know, they're one of the top performing service departments in the state. And it's really incredible to see that transformation since I started there. But having consistency is a really important principle to them. Consistency, especially through, you know, the intention of being intentional and having a purpose in what they're doing with everything they're doing. And it's fascinating. They're brilliant people. So it's really cool to see that. But Second, I would say definitely transparency and probably more so integrity, I guess. Those are really important principles to them and to us as employees and to managers and all throughout the company. Again, one of those things that kind of trickles down. And in a world where RVs, you know, that space can be so mysterious, you know, especially for a first-time individual or, you know, what have you, many different cases that we see on a daily basis. It can be very tricky. And we pride ourselves on, you know, no hidden fees, no gimmicks, just a genuine hassle-free experience. And we find that a lot of customers come back and appreciate that because that's what we offer.

Yeah. Kind of a fun question. I don't know how many of your customers are like, what percentage of your customers do you feel like would be like Darren and I, like have no, not one clue about an RV, how to pulling, trying to figure out how to hook up. Like, what do you feel like?

Oh man, I would say probably 25-30% of our customers. There's a good chunk of them. They walk in like, we have no idea what we're doing.

Exactly. And then as a customer, like coming to you guys, they yearn for that transparency and integrity. 100%. So that's awesome that that's such a core value.

So on that, what would be like y'all's normal demographic? Is it like younger families? Is it older families? Like who?

It's kind of a blend, especially nowadays with, you know, housing being the way it is.

Yeah, it's crazy.

It's— yeah, it can be very expensive to buy a house. And so we see a lot of— and we have resources for this, but, you know, the brands that we are partnered with allow for an individual or family to live in their trailers. Full-time without voiding any manufacturer warranty, which is a major piece. And it helps to have the best brands. But, you know, that's, that's another piece of that. But as far as, you know, the demographic, it's, it's a mixture of, it's kind of a mixture of, you know, your, your Gen Zs are coming out and buying trailers, which is insane.

We're finally getting old enough to buy houses and RVs and boats. It's about to get dangerous.

I'm not buying a boat.

Yeah, lots of millennials.

So whenever it comes to like the marketing side of things, do you all intentionally market towards younger audiences or older audience or just all above? Or do you all have like a strategy for that?

Just all over. You know, we, we have a dedicated team for that. So it's just kind of pretty broad. Yeah.

So you mentioned YouTube earlier. How involved are you guys in YouTube, and what has that experience been like for the company?

Yeah, YouTube is really important for, for marketing. Uh, I was listening to a podcast, you may have heard of it, um, and they said that it's the number 2 search engine in the, in the world.

And especially for RVs, I've even caught myself like watching tours, like they take you through their lot and they're like, it's fun.

You go, I don't know how to do this, YouTube it.

Yes, exactly. It's a— well, I don't know the numbers this year, but I have a strong feeling that it's ChatGPT as number one. Okay, now probably number two being YouTube.

Yeah. Wow.

Google is—

yeah, I don't know, they're gonna have to incorporate some.

Yeah, and they've started. So I don't know if you've noticed, but whenever you search something on Google, they started to summarize AI, like with AI. And so that now completely throws SEO, like normal, right, ranking and website ranking, and it throws all that out the window because as soon as you type in the question, you get an answer at the very top. You're not scrolling to find—

yeah, that's true.

And so I'm interested to see what happens, um, with that. But YouTube is huge, like you said, it's one—

it's very important—

biggest search engine. And so do y'all get a lot of, like, customers through there?

Um, I know You know, we see a lot of views, but, you know, as we get interactions and, and I've heard and, you know, just in our showroom that it's, it's played a piece into decisions or always it's funny because I've done a bunch of them. And so they're like, oh, I saw you on YouTube. And I'm like, yeah, I'm YouTube famous.

So that's— it's hilarious. Like Darren, he's— you were talking about the owners and like they're the face and they like, you know, all these things. Well, Darren, so many people see him on YouTube and they just know. You're like, oh, you're Darren's wife. I saw him on YouTube, or I saw him on Facebook on all these ads, and I was like, oh great. Yeah, then you practically know everything about us.

Yeah, well, it's huge. And I think the video is probably the best way and approach to do that. And like you said, like, when they walk in after seeing you on that YouTube video, it kind of feels like they know you. Exactly. Like they have a relationship with you already. True. And this is a whole other episode that I wanted to do, but I got on a sales call yesterday and it was kind of weird because it was one of the first ones that that person did not have any idea who we were or had seen any of our previous work or any of our content.

Right.

And it caught me off guard because normally how it goes is we'll get on the sales call, they'll see our content and they'll book the call because of the content. And so by then they're already like warmed up, ready to go. They're like, basically just tell me how much it costs and I'll tell you if I can afford it.

Right.

And that didn't happen yesterday. And it was a weird feeling. Yeah. Because I was like, oh, okay, well, let me go back and explain what we've been putting out for the last 4 years in 15 minutes. No, but I think that's huge. Are you on other platforms as well?

The main social media. Yeah.

Okay. Have you all seen any success on those?

Oh, yeah.

Okay, would you say that's like y'all's top, like, lead gen?

No.

Where do y'all's leads come from?

Um, there's a pretty wide channel. Uh, there's, uh, many different platforms throughout the internet, uh, that we use. And so those are kind of the mainstream of, of leads that we see come through, is just the, you know, advertising. It's kind of like the classifieds. Were back in the day, those before us, but classifieds, you know, newspaper. Oh yeah. It kind of works like that. And so—

Garen just gave me a dirty look. Yeah. Chill, bro.

Yeah. No one uses newspaper anymore, but I don't think that's still around. But anyway, that's—

Some people still think that's effective.

Yeah.

Oh, I'm sure there's some diehard newspaper and Billboard. Billboards are like, I mean, there's a time—

they get me every time. You know the ones you drive by, it's like, ha, gotcha. I'm like, dang it, it makes me mad.

But the Chick-fil-A ones, those get me. The Chick-fil-A ones, because I'm like, oh yeah, see it, and then you're like, why do I want Chick-fil-A?

And I've always been curious, like, if, if there was a way to track conversion rate off of those, like, yeah, what would they be? Yeah, because I know they create awareness and like, oh, I know that name. But I feel like that's it. Yeah. There's no like, yeah, like direct book, book a call or anything.

Exactly.

Okay. So in your experience, what is the biggest difference between a bad brand and a good brand when it comes to your business? Hey guys, I hope you are enjoying today's episode. Today's episode is actually sponsored by Brand Builders, the community. This is a community for builders who are business owners and creatives who are wanting to maximize their content to create as many clients as possible and build the biggest brands that they possibly can. In this community, you're going to get access to weekly live Zoom calls. You're going to be able to access our Howdy team as well as multiple different influencers who have gone through the thing. And so if this interests you at all, there's going to be a link in the description to check out more. Hope to see you in there. Let's get back to the episode.

Yeah, I think, um, that's a good question. Um, a bad brand is, you know, it's one of those things where, you know, they're not, um, customer-facing, not transparent. I mean, that's kind of the basis of it. And, uh, you know, a good brand is someone, a company that is not just meeting expectations, but they're exceeding them, you know, and customer experience focused. They're creating an atmosphere where it's memorable for the right reasons. And that's good. I think that's very critical. I know it happens every day where we'll be with a client and we hear that we're like, you know, we weren't expecting to buy anything today and, you know, here we are. And, and You know, this has been phenomenal. We love this experience. And that's a, it's a huge compliment to what we do because, you know, a lot of times people see a sales team like they see the dentist or a lawyer, you know, it's not fun. And that's what we sell. We sell fun. And so that's kind of the deal. And I remember as a kid going, camping with my grandparents. We went to many places. There's one in particular, and I think it's called Dinosaur Valley. I could be totally wrong, but Glen Rose. Glen Rose. Yeah. Yeah.

It's so cool. We did that too.

Yeah, all the time. And I remember I was like probably 8 or 9 and they had like these little sets. You dig up dinosaur bones and then you make the dino. I was like, this is the coolest thing, you know?

Yeah. Or they literally have like tracks that are like You step in it and it—

Yeah, kind of puts you to scale.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You're like, whoa, no, there's like—

But, you know, memories like that that I've had with my family, my grandparents, those are the things that are important to us and making sure, you know, those— our customers get that experience to, to do that. And it doesn't just stop with sales. It's continuing with service. And, and we have a phenomenal service team, just really, really great.

So it sounds like to me you don't sell RVs, you sell an experience and a lifestyle.

Exactly.

And I think that's a great way to look at it, because if you go into any business trying to sell the thing, you don't try to sell the outcome, you're going to have trouble, right?

And, and that's, that's a good way to put it. You know, I'm a big reader, and so, uh, Simon Sinek is one of my favorite authors, uh, and his book Start with Why, he says people don't buy what you do, they buy the why. They buy why you do it. And, you know, when your customers feel and believe in your why, they become a part of your story. And we have many stories, many, many, many stories, lots of cool stuff. And it's all because of that. You know, it's a, it's a great atmosphere and truly fantastic. Our guys are dedicated to that experience.

Yeah. Okay. So you mentioned books. What's your top recommended book that every entrepreneur should read?

Oh man, I have so many. I think the one that's most pivotal would be Grant Cardone's Be Obsessed or Be Average. Yeah, that's— he's aggressive. You know, he's, he's a very—

most are. They're like, this is the way.

But he's, but he's totally right. Totally right. And I remember as, you know, a young salesperson, I was like, this Grant guy, oh my gosh, you know, he's, he's all over the place. This guy's nuts. And then you listen to him, you listen to his story, and you're like, he's on something. He's actually got an idea. And what's so fascinating about that book, it's not just about business. You know, in the book, uh, he talks about, um, being obsessed doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing if you're obsessed with the right things in your life. And that's your family, your kids, your husband, your spouse, your wife, uh, your business also, and yourself, you know. Be obsessed and go all in. And he says all throughout that book, if you can, then you must. And, you know, if you can, if you can, you know, have this dream of this goal, this idea that, that is attainable for yourself, you have to do it and go all in and do it. And so, um, that's one of many.

Sorry, um, a lot of the guests that we've brought on the podcast, this is a part of our community that we we've been really raw and honest about is like the highs and lows. And it's been really cool to hear all these different stories of people and like what they had to go through to keep pushing and be where they are today. And like, like you don't just show up and have this role that you're in, you know, or you don't just show up and boom, everybody knows y'all are the only RV place to go to. Um, we had friends— I guess we're releasing that episode before this one— but they're chiropractors and they were talking about of how they moved here, knew no one, and then like went knocking on doors to build.

Is that Victory?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, we just left there this morning. You're like, boom, I know their determination. Like they're awesome people. But I don't know, I don't feel like we talk about like business to businesses, like the tough stuff and the hard stuff. So do you feel like there's been any seasons like that you've been like, not necessarily tough seasons of the company, but like you as an individual and your role there that you had to just push through.

Yeah, it's kind of the entrepreneur's story, you know. I started in, like I said, in '21, things were great. The post ramifications of COVID were difficult. I also found it difficult, you know, to organize and find the right team. You know, and it took a long time to do that. And we had some great people work for us, unbelievable people. And I love all of them. They've all been fantastic. And, you know, they're all just, you know, great people. But in some cases, you know, we tried to find ways to get to that next step. And it was very difficult. And so some things worked out, some things didn't. But, you know, for me personally, it was a very trying time when we kind of hit the reset button. And I had, you know, full confidence from the owners. And, you know, they were like, okay, let's do this, you know? And I'm sure it was very scary for them. It was scary for me. And to be, it was me and one other person at one point in that office and our finance manager. And so it was, That was tough.

Okay, so in times like that, that's something that you have no control over, right? Nobody saw that coming.

Exactly.

Kind of happened.

Yeah.

And so when something like that happens, what were some of, like, the practical things that y'all tried and some that worked out and some that didn't work out?

It was more, it was more trying to keep your head above water than anything.

So we get it.

It was probably, you know, and, and this is more me speaking personally, you know, it was like, okay, what are we doing today? It's just like we got to focus on just incoming customers because that's really all we had time for. Me and one other salesperson we had at the time, it was like all we can do is focus on incoming calls, incoming, you know, getting leads, people coming in. That's, that's all we can focus on. We literally have no time for anything else. And so it was more about just kind of shucking the the extra tasks and trying to redelegate those to people who could help us. And that made it difficult. So yeah, it was— that was a challenge. I think that was the most professionally challenged I ever have been was rebuilding. And yeah, we've got an amazing team. So it's, it's really great.

You speak so highly of like the people you work with and that just shows how cool it is and how how much just it trickles down from the ownership and that community. And you were talking earlier too about when you were saying what's brand, a good brand, bad brand, and immediately you were talking about like the atmosphere and that really can't be built without all those people and what they bring to the table.

It's 100% true. And even from the beginning and when I started there, there've been some really amazing people that have worked with us and for one reason or another they've moved on. Yeah. And, and, you know, we always hope the best for them no matter what. And but it's just, just something different about the team we have now. And it's like a, it's almost like a family. It's very good camaraderie. And, you know, it's always a fun time. That's, you know, the one thing that we always come back to is like, we want to be there. There's not this feeling of like, oh, work, you know, it's like, yeah, it's exciting to be there. We want to be there. And, you know, we have a great time with our customers too, even. You know, we—

yeah, that's huge. That's one thing we talk about a lot is if you treat your employees good, they'll treat your clients good.

100%.

And so win-win-win for everybody.

Exactly. Yeah.

And so one thing I want to touch on, those struggles and those hard times, like we've talked about it a lot on the podcast, but if you're going through something like that, that's what creates like sharp swords and like super strong people and individuals is whenever you're forced to go through that time. It sucks in the middle of it. But if you can figure out a way to power through and not give up, you're going to grow from that. And so one thing we say a lot, I heard somebody say this the other day, and maybe Gary Vee. You ever listen to Gary?

Oh yeah.

So like, if you never quit, you never fail.

Yeah.

And that really— I don't know why I think about that so much, but it's like whenever I have a bad month, I'm like, if I quit, that means I fail 100%. But if I keep going, Yeah, I'll never fail. I'll just keep learning.

Right.

And so I think that's important to remember. You talked about your sales team a lot. What I feel like that's an underrated part of business.

Yep.

Is the sales and how people approach it. Because you talk about Grant Cardone, Andy Elliot. Have you ever listened? Listen, I cannot stand that guy.

No, he's—

you have the same response.

Andy Elliot, he is I don't even know how to describe him, but he wears tight shirts. He thinks he knows more than everybody. Yeah.

If you don't have like 6-pack abs—

please don't watch this, Andy.

He's like, if you're not selling $1 million in cars per month, then you're worthless. Like, it's pretty hardcore. So I feel like my approach to sales is just strictly providing a win-win situation. So where it's like an even exchange of— even exchange of value. Sure. And so if you truly have a good service or product, you shouldn't be trying to force people into doing something, right? How important do you think like that process is whenever it comes to like somebody going and purchasing the item?

Your sales team having a great sales team?

Yeah.

Oh, it's phenomenal. Makes a total difference. You know, one thing I always like to say is when having these discussions is I like to sleep at night. I don't, I don't want to have to think about you know, anything that could potentially be misconstrued or, you know, this lack of transparency that leads to lack of sleep. And so, you know, that's one thing with our guys. We don't have to worry about that. We've got a group now that knows exactly what they're talking about. And majority of the reason for that is because they used to work on them like they used to work on the trailers. That helps. As a technician. Yeah, it's, it's a huge piece. And, and so that's very, very rare to find someone who can do both.

And so experienced with their product and also have communication skills.

Exactly.

Yeah, that's huge. So what's like the culture that you as like a management level, what's the culture that you set up for them? Do you, do you have to even explain what you want or Is it just kind of like in them?

So it is 100% in them. They're all very competitive.

That's fun.

Yeah, it makes a good time. Our top salesperson is a revolving door. It's— and that's what makes it so fun. It's like there's not one person that's just, you know, running away with it.

It's—

that's awesome.

Our sales guys are all doing a great job. And, and they, you know, we post this on Facebook every month. Shout out to Brooke because she was last month. So, oh, but, uh, but yeah, she, you know, she does a great job and her customers love her. And, and the month prior to that was— we have two Erins, and so the month prior to that, uh, it was one of the Erins, and I think the month prior to that was another Erin. So, so anyway, it's just been, it's been phenomenal. And that, as far as the process goes, all of our customers love our, our salespeople because they're very transparent, very honest, very matter of fact. This is what it's going to do, this is what it will not do. And we're not going to lead you into something, you know, trying to sell you more than you need or, you know, be pushy.

I feel like there's a lot of salespeople who are extremely pushy and they do not give up.

Right.

And that's, that's like the Andy Elliott way of doing sales. Pushing somebody into a corner that they're not ready for, especially in this part of the world.

Yeah. Like it's outdated, Andy.

Yeah, it's outdated. Like nobody wants to be sold to like that because they're just tired of it. And so that's one thing too with content is we don't create content that feels salesy. Like, we create content that shows our personality but also shows what we do. And eventually, like, they know what we do, but they also enjoy what we're putting out for sure. And because they're, they're, they're getting on social to be entertained, not sold to.

Exactly.

And I think it's the same way with sales. Like, if you're pushy, Don't be pushy. It hasn't worked out. Like, right. Anyways, don't listen to Andy Elliott.

The number one—

anything from this conversation, don't listen to Andy Elliott.

The number one thing is solving a problem. Yeah, you know, and that— I think if you can help do that, you're gonna be— you're gonna be the solution.

Well, if you genuinely solve somebody's problem, yeah, you're not gonna have any issues selling that product.

Exactly.

Or service. And so that's why I think it's been so easy for us, is because like here's what we do, here's some previous people we've helped, this is the results they've got, this is what can do for you, like your ROI. We figured out how to explain ROI and everything. And as soon as we figured that process out, it was a lot easier.

Yeah.

Um, because at the beginning, whenever you're trying to sell something or a service and you don't have a ton of like previous work that you've done or any past history of being a good business, right? It's a lot harder. Oh yeah.

So tough to build that.

It sounds like you guys too are like very much not on the transactional side. Like, yes, sales, obviously a purchase, but it doesn't seem like a hi and bye experience. Like it seems like y'all provide like follow through in that relationship, like with the salespeople. So what does that kind of look like?

Oh, it's extremely important. And I'm glad you said that because that was part of the notes I had taken. But I didn't mention that. That's good. And you're 100% right. There are transactional purchases that customers are like, hey, I'm from— we've sold to literally to Alaska, to Florida.

So do they come pick it up?

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. From Alaska to Florida in the same week, actually.

And they find you all through those like online websites you were talking about.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And we're big on, you know, in the RV space because, you know, again, a testament to the owners and all the hard commitment and intentional effort they've put into it. We've— we're part of some really exclusive groups that you don't typically see. And, and so it's— that's been a big staple to that, to having, having those out, you know, in the world. And, and so, yeah, so we sold to— yeah, all the way from literally Alaska to South Florida. It was like 6,000 miles. We did the math anyway, but it's very much that way. It's very much a relationship type sales focused approach. And there are some people who don't want that and that's okay. You know, we understand, you know, they may have found us as the cheapest trailer out there that's available and they go, yeah, that's what we're going to do. They come in, they buy it and they're like, we'll probably never see you again. And that's okay. We, you know, we're not going to force you to like us. But, you know, most of our customers do anyway. So. It's, it's a great, it's a great time. It's very much a relationship-based.

And that makes y'all stand out. I was about to say, what would you feel like? Sorry, I have a lot of questions today.

I'm not mad at that.

What do you feel like makes Clear Creek stand out above your competitors? Ooh.

I think the people, number one.

Okay.

Yeah, we have I would say if they're not obsessed, they're borderline obsessed. They're right there. And I'm trying, Grant, I'm trying, trying to get them there. But they've got great goals, they've got motives. And, you know, we got a— the owners are not much older than me. So, you know, they've got their own set goals that, you know, that they want to get to and they're all just just really intentional with what they do. And so I think to answer the question, I think what it comes down to is the people make it different.

And it can change your entire experience.

100%.

One place to another.

Yeah, 100%. And we've, you know, we've had some that we shake our head, we were like kind of scratch our head and go, I don't know why you said that. Don't do that again. You know, it's like, I think everyone has that experience in business.

We talked about that the other day, the importance of like a front desk person. Wherever you're going, we don't have a front desk here, but every time we go to a business, we get a vibe from the first impression. Exactly. And so if that first impression does not taste good in the client's mouth, like—

Yeah.

We went somewhere the other day and a person, which nobody's 100% all the time, you know, we all have ups and downs, But that specific place we went that day, that person's room was like super bubbly and like standing up and like really intentional and all this. And we went in and it was just like real quiet and the whole atmosphere felt different. It's just talking about the impact of that, that presence, that person. And so like you were saying, your people, like that matters so much more than you could ever imagine. It's their attitude, the way. Yeah. That they're connecting with the customers.

Yeah. So if you're listening to this and you have a front desk person at your business.

You matter.

You're so important. First of all, if you're that person, you need to turn that frown upside down.

Oh, okay.

Second of all, you need to, um, what was I going to say?

Step into that role and be proud of it.

100%.

Some people are like, oh, it's a secretary job, whatever. I'm like, no, you matter a lot more than you think.

It's true. And that's something that Grant Cardone talks about. He's like, you should be obsessed with the way your receptionist answers the phone. He's like, And some people are going to think that's crazy. And he's like, but the reality is, is that is your first impression. He did a phone call in a conference one time and he called like this, I forget what it was. He called like a, it was like a hardware company and he was like, hey, how much is it for a water heater? I need a new water heater. And he has like the speaker on the, you know, deal so everyone can hear it. And they're like, oh, we'd have to have a technician come out there because there's so many things. And he's like, oh, okay. She hangs up the phone and he's like, you just lost the opportunity. You know, he's like, that's completely That's it. And so if you're not— if you don't have that training for, you know, the minor details, and you don't have this, uh, this landscape of how is it supposed to look, uh, it's extremely important. And it could cost you— that, that's an opportunity cost. You have no idea what that'll cost you.

And all of these things funnel back into your brand, because when you think of all these first impressions, you think of all that. Like, it's what makes a difference with that person choosing you versus somebody else. The phone calls, the presence, like all that. We've experienced that way more, you know, like this week we were calling and looking around for a mechanic and I don't know, we called like what, 5 mechanics and that we were just looking at each other while we were on the phone. We're like, no.

Yeah.

Yes. No.

Just by the tone of their voice.

Yes. And their excitement or like if they're able, you know, it's a car. That's what they do. That's what they're passionate about. But to us it was like, ugh.

So yeah, phone calls and like on social media too. This is a big one, especially for Gen Z. If you don't have a presence or post anything, you can have two of the companies who sell the exact same thing do it at the same level, but one posts great content and has an online presence and the other doesn't have any presence. Right. 10 times out of 10, they're going to choose the one who has great content because they can see that there's proof that they are— exist. They're nice. You can see their personality.

Yeah. And it gives you— it gives you a little bit of comfort. Seeing the— like, for me, I like to see the place a little bit before I get there.

Yeah, and that's even like— it's very big on restaurants too. Like, whenever we travel, this is one thing that we do every single time. We're looking for a place to eat and we go—

who does? I'm the one that's scouting cool spots. Yeah, so just say it.

So she, she's researching and we usually pick the one with the most aesthetic pictures.

Yeah, that's fair.

That's and the greatest Google page, whatever, or Instagram. Like, we'll go to their Instagram. If they don't have an Instagram or Facebook, we don't— it almost feels like they don't exist. Yeah, it's just the culture.

That same thing, I could see that plate and I'm like, I'm gonna order that when I go there. Or like, you post Cool RV and I'm like, yeah, that's the one I'm gonna go look at first.

It's like you want to go to the place that they care enough to take care of their brand and like the way that they're perceived. And so that means that they'll probably go the extra mile to make sure your experience is good.

That's good. I like that.

So, okay, to wrap this up, this has been great. If you were sitting across from a new business owner or a business owner who may be feeling burnt out or something along those lines, what would be like your best piece of advice that you would give somebody that you've ever received?

Yeah. I love this question. It was one of my favorite ones. I had probably 8 different answers for it, so I'll try to summarize. Yeah. But the number one thing is, you know, for me it would be, you know, don't sacrifice a long-term trust for a short-term gain. And so, you know, being honest and transparent about whatever it is that you're involved with is extremely important. Yeah. You know, I was listening to Tom Brady give a speech. I don't remember where it was, but, you know, it's basically like, no days off, no shortcuts. If you're going to do this, full commit and, you know, make sure that you're doing it the right way. And I think that's most important because it's so easy for anybody in a business setting just to take the path of least resistance and motor through it. That's probably absolutely the most important thing to do is, is go through those trials and figure out, you know, the gist of it.

And good. And people are, whether you like it or not, people are watching how you handle the hard.

Oh yeah.

Around you. And so you could be encouraging somebody else by pushing through.

Yeah. And that's another critical element to, to our ownership that we have. At Clear Creek is we've seen the good, bad, and ugly. And, and in those moments you watch your leadership go through it and you're like, what are you— how are you going to react to this?

Yeah.

And with 100% unwavering, just unfaltering, just consistency, I've seen them do the right thing over and over and over and over again. And it's so nice.

And that makes you want to work harder too.

Oh, 100%.

Yeah. And be there.

Yeah.

And be there for a long time.

It pains me to leave sometimes. It's one of those things, and my wife's like, it's okay to come home. Yes, I miss you. Yeah, exactly.

So I get that. I relate to the wife.

Yeah, exactly. Uh, I love my kids and my wife. They're fantastic. But, uh, you know, this, this business has been, uh, a lot more personal for me than, than anything I've ever done.

So That's pretty cool to get to say.

Yeah.

Some people go to work and they're like, it was work, work's work. You know? And so the fact that it gets to be a part, you know, and you enjoy that, that's awesome.

And she sees it. She's been my biggest supporter, you know, and I know how hard it can be, especially with kids, you know, for on her. And, you know, she's doing it basically all by herself. And, you know, I'm calling her at 7:30 coming home and she's like, how was your day? You know? You know, how to go and very encouraging and happy for our success. And she's my biggest cheerleader, you know, so I'm thrilled. She's also a lot prettier than me. So it's a win-win, you know?

Same.

You're getting some brownie points. He's saying all this about you on the podcast. Yeah, I think that is important.

I think the support of your spouse is— oh, it makes 100% of the difference.

It would be impossible to do without it. And she knows that we've gone through— we've gone through it all. And so the times of coming home at midnight in the car business and she's like, you got to quit that. That's not going to work.

Yeah, yeah, that's cool. And when you can recognize because I mean, it's your person, it's who you're closest to. You can recognize, okay, this is healthy, this is good for you, or this like we got to fix something. Not saying you have to drop it, but like we got to switch something up. Yeah, we've had that too.

You got to delegate a little better. Yeah, for sure. I think Warren Buffett said it best to wrap up that final question is, you know, it takes 20 years to build a reputation. It only takes 5 minutes to destroy it. And, and that's scary. It is.

But it's good.

It is. You know, you got to, you got to stay consistent with what your goals are and with what your, your, your principles are. And, you know, if I were talking to a 20-year-old me, I'd be like, these are the things you got to know and definitely read Be Obsessed or Be Average. Yeah.

Sweet. Well, great stuff. Thanks for coming on the podcast today.

Thanks for having me.

Can people find you and Clear Creek RVs?

Yeah, Clear Creek RVs, 5701 East Highway 80, just on the south side of 20, Abilene, Texas. Perfect.

You've said that a couple of times.

What about social?

It just rolled off.

I have said that a few times. Yeah. Social, we're on Facebook. You can find us there. Send us a message. Our entire team has access to the Messenger. So if you shoot us a message, we'll be there.

Perfect.

I'm there. Seems like 7 days a week in spirit.

Is y'all's YouTube channel just Clear Creek RVs?

Correct. Yep. Okay.

Awesome.

Yeah.

Go check it out. Go check Clay on his— what do you do? Do you do video tours?

Everything. Yeah. Video tours. And our sales guys have taken that over and I'm so grateful. I love doing them. Honestly, it's actually a lot of fun. And but it's— I've seen it scale up.

I was about to say some people have fun with it and some people dread it, but you can tell the ones that have fun with it because it's entertaining to watch. Yeah, I like it.

Yeah, the owner's wife actually created a blooper reel and it's somewhere out there. It's fantastic.

Did it perform better than any of the other videos?

It did well. It did well. I don't know about better, but it definitely did well.

It did well. Okay.

Yeah.

Well, sweet. Thanks for coming on again and we'll see you guys in the next episode.

Peace.