1989: In 1989 at the age of 24, I decided to enter the “car business.” My thought was that most cars salesman are dishonest when dealing with customers and since I considered myself an honest person and would be upfront with people, I would surely do really well in the car business.
So I chose to sell Honda’s because I thought (and still think) they are the best vehicles made. Then I chose to go to work for a large Honda dealer in Northern Virginia whose approach to business was “Buy or Die.” I was not aware of this approach when I got hired by them, but it was something I learned very quickly and really rubbed me the wrong way. There was no way I was going to treat people like that. Consequently I had some run ins with my managers because I didn’t buy into and practice their approach to selling cars.
My biggest shock was not how the dealer operated, but the fact that the customers lied just as much as the sales people did. “Buyers are liars” as they say. I didn’t realize at that tender age that so many people (customers) had no integrity and wouldn’t keep their word.
As it turns out, and from what I was told, I was the first salesman there to receive 100% Customer Satisfaction from Honda. And after about three months, they started letting me negotiate my own deals with customers. Very few had that privilege and no one had it sooner that I know of.
Though I did well there, I ended up leaving when they started opening on Sunday’s and I was already working 60 hours a week and wasn’t working any more.
1992: In 1992 I got back in the car business. For a brief while I sold Honda’s again and then moved to an Acura store (Pohanka Acura). Pohanka was a great place to work and sell cars. They treated their customers and employees better than the other two companies I had worked for.
I really enjoyed selling Acura’s and in 1995, I was chosen as one of the top Acura Sales Consultants to participate in the development of Acura’s new Total Luxury Care program. I was also one of the first NADA Certified salesmen.
Later in 1995, I left Acura and pursued some other business opportunities. I still occasionally sold cars to friends and previous clients from time to time. A fellow church member owned used car dealership and I would go with him and hand pick cars for my clients and help him when needed.
2000: In 2000 I set myself up as an Automotive Buying Consultant. As an Automotive Buying Consultant I would help people buy and sell cars. This involved me giving them advice on how to sell their car and for how much and how to buy a car along with pricing suggestions. And it involved me going to auctions and hand picking vehicles for my clients. I did this through 2003. During this time I appeared several times on a nationally syndicated Christian financial radio program called “Money Matters with Larry Burkett.”
2010: Now it is 2010 and I am back at it again. My goal is simply to help people make a “Wise and Confident Buying Decision.” My theory is, if you can make a wise decision when it comes to buying a car, you will be more confident about your decision and rest easier with the decision you made.
