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Available Here: Great Careers - February 03, 2007
When I first started working at my father's dealership as a teenager, I fell in love with the car business. It wasn't so much the spiffy new makes and models that attracted me, but the people I worked with and met.
And despite the emergence of the Internet and computers, this is still very much a people business. When you call or visit a dealership, you still talk to real human beings.
Dealerships are only as good as the people they hire. Car designs and breathtaking new buildings will help attract customers, but forming relationships with them once they're here ? that's the skill of front-line staff.
These staffers include service advisers, receptionists, sales consultants, administrators and business managers. They often reflect the culture and philosophy of an entire dealership, and first impressions are important. A positive greeting can put customers at ease and make them feel important.
Jody's story illustrates the point. Five years ago, with no experience, Jody was hired as a parts driver at our dealership. She was the lone woman amid 20 men, but Jody fit in well with other parts staff.
Jody came into contact with many of our customers while making her deliveries throughout the city. She showed a strong desire to learn; she enjoyed the daily challenges of her job; she got along well with colleagues and customers alike.
After two years, a front-desk position became available. Jody applied.
Her cheerful demeanour, knowledge of the business and her rapport with colleagues and customers qualified her for this new role. She was offered the job.
For the next three years, Jody worked greeting customers, answering phones, handling administrative duties and dealing with staff in all departments. She made everyone feel at ease, and I felt proud to have her as part of our front-line staff.
Last November, Jody requested a short sabbatical. She wanted to accompany a friend to Ghana, to work for a relief organization. We supported her decision.
I believe the sabbatical helped Jody better understand the challenges faced by those less fortunate than ourselves. It was also important for her personal growth and development.
When Jody returned from Africa, she considered moving into sales. After some discussion with (and encouragement from) our sales manager, she decided to prepare herself for this new challenge.
Jody knows our products and how the different departments work together. She knows many of our customers on a first-name basis, and she is a great ambassador for our dealership and for our industry.
Jody is still learning the sales side of the business, and within a few weeks she'll put her skills and talents to work as a fully certified sales consultant. I have no doubt Jody will do well selling cars because of her bubbly personality, her trusting nature and her strong work ethic.
Jody's move into sales is part of a larger trend in the retail car industry, where more women are seeking careers at new-car dealerships. Today, women are working as dealer principals, sales managers, sales consultants, business office managers and marketing co-ordinators.
The retail car industry offers a wide range of professional careers for those with a winning attitude and who enjoy what they do. I know of many instances where individuals have worked in one department, only to pursue a fulfilling career elsewhere within the same dealership. It happens all the time.
Dealerships are keen to promote from within, and excellent opportunities exist for men and women who want to change careers within this exciting field.
Many people find the transition easier than they ever imagined. Change is seldom easy, but it can be done with the support of a good management team and the right environment.
If you enjoy working with people, if you have a positive attitude toward life and enjoy the prospect of working in a fun and exciting industry, then the retail car industry might be for you.
Both men and women enjoy great careers with unlimited potential in our industry.
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