It’s not about the cars or the money for Paul Ward, one of the two December Sales Professionals of the Month; it’s about the people. He just turned the “big 5-0” in October and feels that he is blessed to be a part of The Car Store’s sales staff. The reason? “I love to visit with people. I just love helping, and that’s what we do here.”

The Car Store is a two-location Buy Here Pay Here operation in Oklahoma City. Owner Jim Holman nominated Ward because, “His attention to customer needs is outstanding, and he makes a significant contribution to the success of our Buy Here Pay Here operation.” Ward’s initial response to the nomination says much about his disposition, “Well, that rascal!”

Ward’s arrival at The Car Store is the end result of a major career change that took place 13 years ago. That’s when he left the funeral business. “After 14 years of it, I just got kind of burned-out, you know? It’s a depressing job; facing grief everyday.” What might appear to be a stretch, going from one industry to another, actually holds a common denominator for Ward – helping people through a difficult time. The only difference, as he sees it, “These people can talk back.”

But, from funerals to car sales; how does that happen exactly? “One day, I just went down to see a friend of mine at a big dealership. And I just hung out, got coffee and thought, ‘Man, this is cool’, because I love to talk and I love to visit with people, and this guy’s getting paid for it.”

It appears Ward has found his niche, averaging over 250 cars annually with 50 percent of those stemming from repeats or referrals. “This is an exciting job. I’m still in the same field of helping people,” he added. “That’s the big blessing I get from getting up and coming to work every morning.”

But Ward views his job and customers in a refreshing light. “There’s nothing more rewarding than to see them come back in two or three years, with the new car they’ve bought, because we’ve helped them re-establish their credit.” Maybe his perspective is due to the constant contact with his customers. “These people are like family because they come here every week to pay; some of them call on the phone.”

As to how this weekly face-to-face communication affects their relationship, “They’re more like family than they are customers. We get a little more involved in their lives because we see them every week.”

He credits their success with the people he works with. “That’s one of the blessings that I’ve got; to be with Mr. Holman, because he’s a caring person. We have a gentleman here by the name of Dick Ingram, and both of them are just blessed with big hearts.” Ingram is The Car Store’s general manager. Ward says every aspect of The Car Store’s operations is handled with dignity – even delinquent accounts. “We just don’t just go take the car away from them and tell them, ‘you’ve been a bad person and we’re taking it back’. We don’t want the cars back. We’re doing this for a reason.”

To those just starting out in the industry, Ward says, “It has its ups and it has its downs. My philosophy that’s always worked for me is, never treat anybody except the way you want to be treated. I’m honest with people, and if it’s going to hurt their feelings – go ahead and get it out on the table and get it over with. People appreciate that.”

Ever humble, Ward avoids speaking too much of his exemplary sales record, focusing instead on why he chose this industry. “People; they have a bumpy road sometimes but you know, we try to help them get over the bumps.

Congratulations to Paul Ward our Sales Professional of the Month, and thank you to Jim Holman for bringing Ward to our attention.

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