Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine is the daily operations publication serving the retail automotive industry. This automotive publication serves dealer principals, officers and general managers with the latest best practices.
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sales professional of the month july 2012 His dedication to training and adhering to the dealership's proven processes helped him become successful early in his career. He sold 20 units per month in both June and July 2011, after only being at the deal- ership for about five months. Henderson said, "He has taken a process that was taught to him and uses it to his advantage every day. He does not try to put his own spin on it or change it in any way. He is a great student of the business." Michael Wiseman Super Car Guys Wichita, KS When you add dedication and hard work to natural talent, the result is success. Such has been the case for Michael Wiseman, sales professional at Super Car Guys in Wichita, Kan. He's still relatively new to the automotive retail sales indus- try, as he's only been at the dealership for about a year and a half. However, he's consistently the number-one salesperson at the store, averaging 15 sales a month so far in 2012. Dan Henderson, general manager of Super Car Guys, said, "Michael is a true champion … He never expects to have things handed to him. From the beginning, Mike has always been a guy who would seek out knowledge wherever he could find it and would never compromise his integrity in order to gain success." Before Wiseman became a successful automotive sales professional, he was a custom painter of motorcycle graphics. He initially applied at Super Car Guys for a detail position in response to an ad he saw in the newspaper. However, when Dealer Scott Pitman met and interviewed Wiseman, he saw a different path for him. "I loved this guy the second I met him," said Pitman. "I have been hiring salespeople for a long time—20-plus years. I am looking for someone inexperienced who, given the right opportunity, can shine and win." He immediately saw something in Wiseman. Pitman said, "I could tell the minute I met Michael that he had no business working in a manual labor job for another minute. He has a great initial presence and rapport with people. He has a great demeanor that is non-threatening. Sometimes people need someone to challenge them, encourage them and motivate them to accomplish things in their life that they didn't know they could." Wiseman said, "I applied to be a detailer because that was kind of what I knew, and Scott Pitman wanted to try me out in sales, and I'm happy he did because it just kind of worked out." As it turns out, he is a great fit in sales not just because of his sales numbers, but also because his favorite part of the job is working with people. "I really enjoy that part of it. You get to meet a lot of different people, new people every day, and you get to share in their lives with them and their stories." Another part of the job he had to get acquainted with was working long hours. "The hours are long, and you have to balance your life out a little bit," he acknowledged, but added, "As long as you stay busy and you are helping people, it stays fun." When he mentioned "helping people," he wasn't just talking about customers. He also works with and helps new salespeo- ple at Super Car Guys. "Michael is a true leader," said Henderson, "He has taken what he has been taught and not only uses those tools, but he understands that he will learn far more from teaching someone … So he is our Team Mentor. All new hires work with Mike for the first month they are here." Congratulations to Michael Wiseman, Sales Professional of the Month, and thank you to Dan Henderson for bringing him to our attention. nominate a sales professional of the month Each year, Auto Dealer Monthly recognizes 12 sales professionals for their achievements. Each monthly winner is automatically considered for the Sales Professional of the Year. 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 e-mailed to Editor@AutoDealerMonthly.com 33