Steve Hoffacker's Sales Quips

The US Senate just doesn't get it. They think the USPS is worth saving - at almost any cost - and have totally overlooked the massive financial waste that would be involved to conduct the program they just approved. Fortunately for us, the House shows little interest in going along.

The Senate voted 62-37 to fund this massive proposal at a time when cutting is what is needed.

They vowed to keep Saturday service. Why?

As a matter of fact, if we went to every other day mail delivery or even twice a week for residences, there wouldn't be any appreciable difference in service. If I don't get the sale flyer on Tuesday but have to what til Thursday, is that going to make a huge difference? How many days do I get nothing but political ads, direct mail solicitations, magazines, and sale flyers? Answer - nearly every day. I get only a couple of first class letters a week on average.

The Senate's action would keep from closing hundreds of mail processing facilities and retain thousands of jobs. Time to bite the bullet and let them go. We can't - as a nation or as taxpayers - keep paying for this ridiculous bailout that primarily serves bulk mailers.

The internet has taken over the traditional role of the Post Office. The only items that absolutley must be mailed are those with a legal sufficiency attached. Everything else is optional and more of a convenience.

Sure it's fun going to the mailbox, but we can learn to go less often - especillally when mostly junk is all we ever get and with the huge financial savings that are involved.

Tell the Senate they made a mistake.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website or go to my other blog "Steve Hoffacker's Home Sales Insights" for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. Listen to my free podcast messages at "Steve Hoffacker's Happenings."

Steve Hoffacker - Sales Trainer, Author of Sales Books, Commercial Real Estate Broker, Marketing Consultant, Sales Coach, Blogger, Photographer, Motivator, Podcaster, and Teacher. - for Realtors, Real Estate Sales Professionals, Home Builders, New Home Salespeople, Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and Independent Sales Representatives.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2012. All Rights Reserved.

The House of Representatives just passed the bill (260-167) fixing the budget for the balance of FY 11.

There was considerable discussion on the merit of this, but it is now passed and in the hands of Harry Reid and then the President.

Many felt that the bill was way to weak on its cuts, but the bigger picture prevailed that this was a major course change of direction from more and more spending to to a cut in spending.

Would love to have seen substantially more cuts, but it is a start - as long as this is seen as just the first step in a continuing series of cuts.

Congratulations John Boehner for your leadership in this. Keep it up.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com, or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. Listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

Steve Hoffacker - Consultant, Coach, Author, Blogger, Photographer, Motivator, Teacher, & Strategist - for Realtors, Real Estate Sales Professionals, Home Builders, New Home Salespeople, Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and Independent Sales Representatives.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2011. All Rights Reserved.

The House today voted to retain funding for NASCAR in the form of the advertising budget for the armed services. Critics maintained that the government was subsidizing NASCAR when in effect this is a legitimate use of advertising dollars.

It seems that only about 25% of the military's advertising budget is spent to sponsor NASCAR drivers and events while over 30% or 46,000 (roughly one-third) out of the 150,000 annual recruits come from autoracing sponsorships.

Any of us in business would agree that this is a good return on investment. So, like it or not, this is money well spent for the military, and the House was correct in retaining this expenditure.

This is good news as well for the sport as the Daytona 500 kicks off the 2011 season tomorrow.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com, or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. Listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

Steve Hoffacker - Consultant, Coach, Author, Blogger, Photographer, Motivator, Teacher, & Strategist - for Realtors, Real Estate Sales Professionals, Home Builders, New Home Salespeople, Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and Independent Sales Representatives.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Several states are now laying off workers as the temporary funding (aka "Stimulus") has dried up, and they have no way to keep so many people on the payroll. Remember the housing boom that fueled their aggressive spending is gone and not likely to return.

We knew this was a temporary measure, and the jobs should have gone away last year, but they are disappearing now.

It's not that we wish unemployment on anyone. It's just that public employment has limits. Few government agencies except those at the US Park Service (and likely many state parks departments), utilities at the local level, and ones like the US Commerce Department that publish books and reports provide a product or service that produce revenue.

So far, Gov. Cuomo of New York has announced a layoff of at least 10,000 and freezes on the salaries of the remainder. Texas is chopping 9,300, and Georgia is axing 14,000. California and Nevada are joining in but haven't announced specific numbers.

This is definitel a step in the right direction toward reigning in the size of state government. Next, they'll have to tackle the pension issues.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com, or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. Listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

Steve Hoffacker - Consultant, Coach, Author, Blogger, Photographer, Motivator, Teacher, & Strategist - for Realtors, Real Estate Sales Professionals, Home Builders, New Home Salespeople, Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and Independent Sales Representatives.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2011. All Rights Reserved.

The IRS has actually done something that makes fiscal sense. They decided not to mail out those 1040 forms this year. They determined that only a small percentage of filers actually used them. The vast majority of people file electronically, and another large portion use professioanl tax preparers. Anyone who still needs the forms that had previously been mailed can download them or find them at post offices or IRS offices.

Did you think the IRS would lead the way in eliminating an unnecessary expense?

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com, or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. Listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

Steve Hoffacker - Consultant, Coach, Author, Blogger, Photographer, Motivator, Teacher, & Strategist - for Realtors, Real Estate Sales Professionals, Home Builders, New Home Salespeople, Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and Independent Sales Representatives.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.