Thursday, October 26, 2017

the Art of the deal















I have known Art for many years, stopping in at his old Triumph dealership, and bench racing.  Later when he moved to their new digs, I would stop in every once in awhile and visit, usually with the latest new bike from Triumph the dealers didn’t have yet, and we would talk.  He had a true love for motorcycling, was in the business to make money, the object of capitalism, but also promoting motorcycling.  A few years back he told me if I wanted a new bike, he would pass it on at his cost, how can you pass up a deal like that?  But I did for many years, over biked and under garaged, and in between the press bikes had plenty of new Triumphs to ride.  But on a ride a few weeks ago, we stopped in on a hot Saturday, and we visited, and today I am picking up my new T120 Bonneville.  Maybe the last thing I expected, but I’ll deal with it.  It seems the garage seems empty without at least one Bonneville in it.....and will be remedied later today.
But I know many Triumph dealers, who want my business, and offered me a price a cost.  Seems there is a great deal of variety in dealer cost, which can vary from a few hundred to over $1000.  When my local dealer and friend offered me one at his cost, it was over $500 more, he explained a $235 fee for the service department.  Huh?  Another showed me an initial cost of over $1800 less, but added on the same amount in freight and set up.  Confirming with Mick who should know, these guys are charging over $1300 for hooking up a computer and downloading the program, charging the battery, and checking the fluids.  The bikes come fully assembled, when I reminded him about adjusting the mirrors, he laughed and said “there’s the difference.”  They may take a few minutes, between answering the phone and going to the head....Freight is consistent, the factory charging a flat rate of under $500.  They all pay the same for the bike and freight.  So why the difference?
In auto terms it is called packing, an added profit added to the cost, then the profit figured from there, so when being offered at cost, depending on the pack, the dealer cost is different.  So much for the days of “I can get it for you wholesale...” I don’t want any dealer to lose money or go out of business, but I don’t want to either.  My money is just as important, so is my bottom line.  It seems in all the prices offered, only Art was telling the truth, the others, when I gave them a price to match, a bit higher than his, all told me they would lose money.  Instead they didn’t make a sale, the profit on a non-sale is still nothing.  But my telling of others my great deal, never revealing price, will be a great goodwill to Art, I hope it helps sell him more bikes, at a profit.  I like having him around, and find it refreshing to find a man who stands by his word.  We know that as the truth, maybe the final frontier.
For 50 years now we have been told by Captain James Tiberius Kirk that space is the final frontier.  We have been there, touched the edge of it at least, and seem to be on the same leading edge with truth.  We are close, but not there yet.  I will admit that choosing which bike I wanted was an emotional ordeal, but it came down to the one I would look back on after walking away, the one that I would look at from the diner window, and want me to go riding again.  The T120 was my first choice, the silver and red, traditional colors, but an all black had me for a few moments. But I let my head help as well as my heart, and my first choice is my final choice.
We are told the heart can be deceiving, how many have made a decision based on emotion, only to change emotions and wish they hadn’t done what they did?  When we start with the heart, it is always us as the starting point, which immediately puts us at a disadvantage.  I am getting better, telling my sons to never make a decision on a high or low emotion, but I am still a work in process, or progress I hope.  There is truth out there, but we seek the truth, which can only be found in Jesus Christ.  To some a truth may be one dimensional, to others two dimensional, but in Christ we find it three dimensional, as in the trinity.  And when spirit driven, we find a dimension we never could imagine, and cannot put into words.  The basis of all lies may be the truth, but as soon as you stray from the truth, you are off course, and missing your target.  The target hasn’t moved, Jesus never changes, we do.  All truth is based on the truth, and in Christ we have the way, the truth, and the life.  Not a way, a truth, or a life, THE way, truth, and life.  For just like dealer costs may vary, so can a truth.
Some religions deny the deity of Jesus, some deny the trinity, dropping him to a great teacher only status.  It is when we go beyond the physical dimension, and into the spiritual dimension that we see Jesus for who he is, and begin to understand why he came.  The first step to truth is the truth, and only found in Jesus.  Yet many let their hearts desire make the choice,and pay too much and get too little.  Not quite what they wanted or bargained for, the truth is the bottom line, not how you get there.  Jesus is the bottom line of truth, so while others concentrate on the journey, making plans and then seeking God, he wants us to seek him first in all things.  He is the bottom line and knows how to get there.  That is the way.  That is the truth.  That is the life. 
Visiting Riverside, Iowa last summer, we saw the future birthplace of Captain Kirk, in the year 2238.  A headstone for the future, a truth based on the creativity of Mr. Roddenberry.  There are many truths based on his fictional stories, based on truth, which can lead us to stray from the truth.  If only we can look at the present as flatteringly as we look to the future, the truth may not have to set us free, but keep us from being bound.
God tells us the path is straight and narrow, the quickest way between two points is a straight line. He wants nothing to get between us and him.   Yet he provides the curves to sharpen our skills, and to remind us of how much we need him and how much he loves us.  Also because he loves us and wants bikers to have fun, a frontier many Christians have yet to explore.  Today I will get the Art of the deal, and I appreciate it and Art.  42 years ago I made the best deal when choosing Jesus.  A priceless deal, yet he paid the price.  His bottom line is salvation, which is God’s will for us, to know Jesus.  That is the truth.  Anything else is just added profit for man, at a cost we cannot afford.  Make the deal with Jesus today, enter a frontier where only man can go via the holy spirit, the truth, let it be your next and final frontier.  We will be spending eternity in the future, some truth is profitable, some prophetable.  Only in Jesus is the freight included....and gives a whole new meaning to “beam me up Scotty.”
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com