Auto Dealer Monthly, August 2016

24 AUTO DEALER TODAY AUGUST 2016 SALES PRO OF THE MONTH NOMINATE A SALES PROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH Each year Auto Dealer Today recognizes 12 sales professionals for their achievements Each monthly winner is automatically considered for Sales Professional of the Year honors Dealers general managers and general sales managers are encouraged to reward a top achiever in their organization by submitting their name for nomination To nominate your sales professional send his or her name dealership information and a testimonial on why you think they should be considered You must include your name position and contact information as supervisors will be interviewed and sales information verified Nominations can be emailed to Gregory Arroyo at gregory arroyo@ bobit com By Stephanie Forshee A Around his dealership Howard Schwartz is considered a doctor of sorts OK hes technically not a qualified medical professional but his colleagues at DCH Audi Oxnard Calif refer to him as Doc since hes been in the automotive industry for so long Schwartz 65 started out in his father Sams dealership Wagon City in Inglewood Calif when he was just eight years old He helped clean cars after school and when salespeople got too busy he would step in After eventually working full time on the retail side he became self employed and worked in wholesale and auctions for a number of years He learned a lot from his father in those early days he says and now hes passing that knowledge down to his Millennialheavy sales team Ive been at this so long its hard to believe Im the oldest now but I am Schwartz says Schwartz was hired in 2013 by Steve Handler Audi Oxnards general manager but the two have been friends since their fathers owned dealerships in the 1950s When Handler was tasked with building a new sales team he wanted a young crew with little to no sales experience But he also wanted someone to show them the ropes Howard is one of a kind Handler says Our entire staff is new to two years in Green peas except Howard Hes been selling cars for 100 years he jokes Schwartz sells about a fifth of the 100 new and used vehicles the dealership rolls every month Although he says he has played every position in the business but in terms of prospecting he says hes still learning A lot of people might think Im at the back end of my career but I view it like Im at the front end he says When you sell cars youve got to wear it on your sleeve So anytime he attends an event or goes anywhere in the Ventura Oxnard area he hands out business cards And not just any business cards they have a picture of him wearing a stethoscope and he tells people he has a PhD in automobilology It gets a smile and gets people laughing he says Youve got to be sincere with people Customers like people they can relate to One way he makes himself relatable is to talk about family In a largely Latino community Schwartz often finds himself showing pictures of his kids and wife of 37 years Raquel who is from Mexico City where the couple was married And although he isnt fluent in Spanish he is conversational I have a fondness for the culture I show pictures of my family dressed in the regalia of that country and it speaks to them and touches them he says Schwartz spends his days not only connecting with customers but also with his colleagues He says he has a lot of respect for his managers and wants his younger colleagues to succeed Im leading by example Theyll watch me and listen and ask questions he says He wants to instill important principles in them Pay attention to the whole family Learn how to be successful on social media Build a following so you can get referrals Have empathy Never be argumentative Its not formal and its not my job just sort of an unwritten thing he says adding that the education goes both ways These young guys will always help me with the technology Todays cars are essentially computers on wheels THE DOCTOR IS IN Howard Doc Schwartz has technically been in the car business for 50 years but he treats every day like its his first PHOTO BY PETER DUFFY