While he wasn’t selling out of the gate, he’d gotten his foot in the door and was promoted to sales after about a year. Now, at 52 years old, he is the top performer at Guess Motors in Carrollton, Ohio, averaging 22 to 25 unit sales per month, which typically accounts for one-third of the dealership’s monthly sales total. In 2007, the dealership sold 626 units, 229 of which were sold by Gleich (just under 37 percent).

And this isn’t newfound success; he’s been holding his average steady for 20 of the 33 years he’s been selling vehicles. Scott Power, finance manager at Guess Motors, said sometimes Gleich sells up to 30 units a month.

A lone wolf he is not. If any of the other five sales associates at Guess Motors is having trouble closing a deal, it’s T.O. time and Gleich will gladly step in to help out. He’s also the go-to guy when other employees at the store have a question and can’t find a manager. Since he’s been there so long (almost 28 years), he usually has an answer to almost any question.

Power said, “He’ll help anybody out … anytime anything is needed, and he loves what he does.” Powell attributed Gleich’s success to his outgoing personality and said, “He’s just a great guy.”

And, of course, one can expect such a long career to generate quite a repeat and referral base. While 50 percent of the dealership’s business is repeat and referrals, Gleich’s percentage is even higher, according to Power.

Dedication is a word that clearly defines Gleich. In addition to the fact that he’s been at the same dealership for almost three decades, he also lives 45 minutes away. He said it’s the people who run the dealership and the quality lineup of new and used cars they sell there that makes the drive worthwhile.

Guess Motors, which sells Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Ford and Mercury, is a family-owned third-generation dealership. Gleich said, “[The owners are] tremendous people. They do what they tell you they’re going to do. They take care of their customers, and they take care of their employees.”

He also takes a lot of pride in his work, holding it to high standards, which probably has a lot to do with his consistent performance as a sales professional. He said, “When I get a car ready for somebody at delivery, I go out there and brush touch it, clean it and clean the wheels a little bit. I make sure it suits me for a delivery. I’m pretty picky about my deliveries, so if it suits me, I’m 100 percent sure it’ll suit the customer.”

A key part of his day involves working from a daily plan provided to him by the dealership’s CRM and calling previous customers to see “if their automotive and transportation needs are good and if they might know somebody that’s interested in a car.”

When it comes to days off, Gleich rarely takes them. The store’s open six days a week, and though he has the option to take one day off, he said, “I very seldom take it. I like to be here when we’re open.”

“Of course, you’ve got to have some family time too,” he added. With two daughters in their 20s, he and his wife find time to attend three to five NASCAR races each year, a sport they both enjoy.

Of his long, successful career, he said he loves “working with people and helping people out with their needs and wants. I like being around cars. I’ve always enjoyed being around cars.” It sounds like he’s found the best of both worlds as a sales associate at Guess Motors.

Congratulations to Mike Gleich, Sales Professional of the Month, and thank you to Scott Power for bringing him to our attention.