“Honesty and integrity” and “a refreshingly different business philosophy” are just a couple of phrases used by Automotive Consignment customers when talking about July’s Sales Professional of the Month, Jason Jarrell.

“He seeks to help the customer first and worries about a sale second,” said Leslie Vander Baan, co-owner and operator of Automotive Consignment in Charlotte, N.C. “It is for this reason that customers give Jason their business, send their friends and family, and come back time and time again.” About 50 percent of Jarrell’s business is repeat and referral customers.

For Jarrell, the joys of the job are helping people, building rapport, and earning a customer’s trust and gratitude, even if they don’t buy from him. He knows his efforts will pay dividends in the long run. “I’ve helped customers buy cars at other dealerships, which blows the minds of a lot of my peers,” he said, explaining that he will provide information and guidance to help make sure the customer gets a fair deal regardless of where they buy. “I tell them everything and when I’m done I say, ‘Don’t forget me.’” And they don’t because he has all their contact info and doesn’t let them forget him. That, he said, “leads to referrals.”

While exemplary customer service contributes to Jarrell’s success, he also goes after what he wants. “I am not afraid to ask for referrals,” he said. “Every salesman knows they should, but rarely do they do it … If you just stay in front of [customers] enough without being overbearing, you will get the referrals.” That means not only picking up the phone and making calls every day, but also keeping in touch with customers via periodic e-mailing and text messaging, which Jarrell said is a casual and less intrusive means of communication that his customers respond well to. He believes it is important to take the necessary extra time to send out birthday cards as well as thank-you notes to anyone who visits the dealership.

Jarrell was no stranger to car sales when he was recruited by Vander Baan in 2005. After leaving a job in property management in 2002, he set out to find something new that would allow him to earn income based on the level of effort he put in. “I’d always had a love for cars and quite honestly … I knew selling cars could be a huge gamble because you either make it or you don’t,” he said. He took a job at a Chrysler Jeep dealership that same year and sold 22 cars his fourth month there. “I knew … I was doing something right and I’d better pay attention and learn all I could to do even better,” he said. “I’ve had fun ever since.”

Even today, Jarrell continues to learn all he can to become a better salesperson. “The customers are always changing, so we’ve got to change and keep on top of all that too,” he said, adding that it is important to devote 15 to 30 minutes twice a week to reading something for professional development. “To be a true professional in any type of industry, I think you should be doing that.”

According to Vander Baan, he works not only to improve himself but to improve the store’s entire team. “Or philosophy at Automotive Consignment is that we are as good as the people we have, and fortunately Jason not only embodies that and represents that, but also helps train and empower our other team members,” she stated.

The success of the business as a whole is as important to Jarrell as his own success, and he’s very aware that their individual efforts contribute to their success as a team. “Here, if an associate does well it carries the store,” said Jarrell. “If they don’t, then it weighs down the store, so everyone that’s part of the team has really got to be able to go after it.” He added, “You just can’t stop, because that’s when you go from hero to zero.”

Our congratulations to Jason Jarrell, our sales professional of the month, and our thanks to Leslie Vander Baan for bringing him to our attention.

Vol 6, Issue 7