I can't believe how fast my life is going bye. In another week I'll be selling cars at Superior Toyota for eight months. It seems like yesterday that I answered an ad in Career Builder. I had applied at just about every dealership, auto parts store or photo lab in the greater Kansas City area to no avail. I had great interviews and an impressive resume showing everything I had done since my discharge from the Army in 1956.
Big mistake, even though age is not supposed to be a deciding factor, once they realize how old you actually are they just don't call you back. My daughters were looking at my resume and told me that I could say that I was a veteran but not to mention the year I was discharged. So, I made a slight change eliminating about ten years from my early experiences.
After e-mailing my resume to Mr. Ed Harris, the used car sales manager at Superior, I was called the next day to come in for an interview. During our conversation I decided that I wanted to work for this man. He looked me right in the eye, gave me the good and the bad about selling cars and said he would call me back, which he did the next day and asked me to come in for another interview with the New Car manager.
He too was upfront and very impressive. I had told Mr. Harris my actual age so we would start out on the right foot. I should have chosen the left because I developed Plantar Fasciitis in that foot. Anyway, I started soon after and from day one I was in my niche.
They started by sending me to training by Rip Walker, A Hendrick Auto training specialist on the companies way of selling and ethics. The training they provide is excellent. It took me awhile to soak it all up and I'm still learning something new everyday. My immediate managers Ryan and Jeremy have continually tried to help me become the salesperson I know I'm capable of being.
Ed Harris my mentor, just makes it a great place to work. All of the sales people get along great and put up with this old man, me, not Ed. I believe I'm the oldest employee in the whole store but until recently, few people knew my age. I try to hold up my portion of the daily work load and not let my age dictate my performance.
Because of age and or experiences, I'm constantly telling stories. It's gotten to the point that they ask me for a story almost daily. I try to relate memories out of my memoir "MAKING HAPPY" and they seem to enjoy those the most.
I'm in Florida again this year staying with our good friend Irene (the ex Mrs. Cruel) who shares her beautiful condo with us. I hesitate sending photos from here (but I'm sure I will) so my friends at Superior won't feel bad working in the cold while I enjoy the sun and fun, however I hear the weather this week is pretty good.
I'm at the point in my auto sales that give me the confidence to sell more that I've sold the previous month and to increase that number from here on. Am I having fun, I believe I am. Other than the agony of da feet, I'm enjoying going to work every day and plan on selling at least a car a day. I'm fullfilling a need and to watch the people drive away in their new car with a smile on their faces helps me keep the promise I made in the Smoky Mountains to make people smile everyday and yes, I'm still a 44 short.
I'll leave you with this, I'll try to keep my blogs coming more often if you send someone in to buy a car. I promise that they will enjoy the experience.
