Luke Latham never worries about the stigma some people still associate with car salesmen, although it is something he occasionally encounters. In those instances, his passion for sales, fun-loving personality and enthusiasm are the greatest weapons in his arsenal. He recalled the first time he encountered car-salesman stereotyping—with his own mother. Upon hearing the news that her son was taking a job in car sales, she called out to his father, “Jerry, he’s selling cars now!” He recalled with a laugh, “It’s funny. Even my own mother was sort of like, ‘Oh, no. He’s a car salesman!’ But she sees how well I do and how much I love what I do … and she realizes it’s a good business for me.”

Good, indeed. Latham consistently averages 25 units per month, according to Patrick Subaru General Manager Jason Patrick. “He’s a natural. Anytime you see him talking to someone, he’s always working towards the sale.” However, he added, “He’s not pushy. He just has this way about him … He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm and he really makes a strong impression with our customers. He gets a ton of repeat and referral business.” Patrick also credited Latham in part for an improvement in the store’s overall performance. “Since he’s been here, we’ve moved up to become the number-one volume Subaru dealer in Massachusetts, and a lot of it has to do with him.”

While Latham’s been at Patrick Subaru since October of 2005, he actually got his start at a Kia dealership over two-and-a-half years earlier. Latham, who holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice and originally intended to pursue law enforcement, had been working for a family friend, “selling tuxedos, believe it or not,” he said. A gentleman he encountered frequently when dining out at a particular restaurant suggested car sales might be a good fit for him. Although Latham shrugged off the idea initially, “Finally one day I woke up and said, ‘I want to do something different,’ so I took a job from him [at his Kia dealership],” he said. “I fell in love with the car business. [It’s the] best business in the world.”

While Latham’s boisterous personality and people skills were perfect for the job, he knew nothing about selling cars when he started and credits a veteran salesman at his old dealership for getting him the training he needed. “I had no clue when you sold a new car that you had to go get it cleaned up and filled with gas, I didn’t know how the whole [sales] process worked … I trained with him for three months, and after that it was pretty smooth.” Without that mentoring, he said, “I don’t know if I’d still be in this business.”

It was that mentor who taught the then-rookie salesman a couple of important lessons that he still draws on today. “He told me I talk too much,” recalled Latham. “He said, ‘You’ve got two ears and one mouth—listen then talk.’” He said the other piece of advice was, “When you press the lock button on your car, your problems stay inside of it. When you come in here, just be yourself.” Latham added, “I think you’ve got to make it a good time, even if you have things going on that are stressing you out … I think it has a lot to do with just loving what you do; you’ve got to go to work and love it.”

In fact, he said the key to success in car sales is to have fun and make it an enjoyable experience for customers. “It’s a big purchase,” he acknowledged, “but you need to have fun with [customers]. If they laugh, then they’re having a good time and they’re relaxed.” He said another salesperson at the dealership once observed, “I can always tell when someone’s laughing a lot at your desk that you’re selling a car.”

He seems to particularly enjoy the challenge of shattering people’s expectations of the car-buying experience. “I can remember the first time I had someone that wouldn’t shake my hand … He was a little standoffish. He’d been to a couple of places before and ran into a few characters and was just a little leery of working with a car salesman,” he recounted. “I just sat down and listened to him and next thing you know he was leaving in a pre-owned Blazer.”

Latham spends his free time at home with his wife and new baby daughter, although there’s not a lot of free time. He spends six and sometimes seven days a week at the dealership. “I feel like I’m missing something if I’m not here,” he said. He has found a job he loves and a home with Patrick Subaru. “They’re good people to work for. It’s a great product, great clientele and I couldn’t be happier … It’s not my job, it’s my career.”

Congratulations to Luke Latham, sales professional of the month, and thank you to Jason Patrick for bringing him to our attention.

Nominate Your Sales Pro Now

Vol. 7, Issue 11