690. From Loving Convertibles to Helping Groups Arrive Alive

Craig Speck

“When I answered that Enterprise Rent-A-Car ad for a job in 1988, I was fascinated with the fact that I could drive all of these new cars and discover what it was like to be behind the wheel of everything from a compact up to a convertible.”

Craig Speck’s first two books, the “How To Learn Not To Crash and Burn” series, teach travel group decision makers how to travel safer exponentially, how to avoid scams, crashes and lawsuits, and how to gain absolute confidence in one of the most dangerous activities they will ever engage in. That would be defined as arranging, negotiating, and hiring ground transportation for their traveling group and then getting in those vehicles and driving down the road. He’s a featured author in Conversations With Elite Business Leaders, and was selected along with six other authors who are considered educators and advocates for their clients. He is employed as a regional rental manager by a nationwide rental company that provides executive loaded 12-35 passenger mini coaches that you can rent and provide your own drivers.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

“Even in college, I worked in retail. I discovered I was really good at sales. At all of the stores where I worked, I was the top salesman. At The Gap, I broke both the record for sales per hour and the amount sold in one day. I wasn’t really sure where I was headed, but I had a feeling that I was going into some type of sales or consulting. Of course, that’s where I ended up!”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

“I was working for a van rental company in Dallas, Texas. The owner had started doing some things—lying to customers, cheating on his wife—and I knew God would no longer bless the business. But, God gave me a dream on January 1, 2001, to work for myself. I quit my job that day and began representing multiple carriers in different categories as a broker and consultant and representing multiple suppliers. I walked out on a Friday and started my new company the following Monday. I never looked back.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“Especially in dealing with the public, you need to be externally focused. You need to fall in love with your clients. Many people in sales who want to move their career to the next level are only focused internally. You can’t make the mistake of falling in love with your product or service, or getting distracted by just trying to advance your financial status—the trips, the rewards, the cash, the cars, and those kinds of things. Instead, you need to fall in love with your client. That’s what I’ve done.”