Automotive: Learn From the Leaders

While there are no shortcuts to long-term success, there are proven strategies, that can accelerate your journey. The Automotive Learn From the Leaders Series was created to inspire those who are seeking higher achievement.

Bow Tie Terrance is a former Division I college football athlete, a social media influencer and the Internet Sales Manager with Lone Star Toyota. He shares how football prepared him for automotive, building your personal brand and the changing automotive landscape.

Terrance, You went from being a financial planner to an Internet Director, what prompted the change?

Two words. Charge backs! I was independent so although I had the upside of unlimited income potential. I didn't have any insurance from charge backs. I actually started applying at car dealerships because I wanted to go into F&I simply because I heard they made a ton of money. Now that i'm in the business, I feel more at home in a leadership role. I'm a coach at heart!

You played college football at the highest level, in the Big 10 (sorry SEC) how did that prepare you for the automotive industry?

The level of commitment it takes to be successful, not only on the field but also in the classroom, organically teaches you a work ethic you can not get from reading books. The level of trust and accountability required to do your job relentlessly translates to the automotive industry because there are so many moving parts in the dealership. Mangers are relying on sales people and each other, sales people are relying on Managers and each other, and as a former major college football player I understand exactly how important TEAMWORK is to the success of the dealership. 

The Texas market is very competitive how do you position yourself for success?

This is a tough question because I do not believe anyone gets anywhere without help from someone (directly or indirectly). That being said, I think I have positioned myself for success by establishing a social media presence. There's an old adage that says, "it's not what you know, it's who you know." Well I'm what many would call a late bloomer. I didn't establish many connections while in college. I've only been in Dallas for 3 years (by way of Atlanta). Recently I've begun to meet some amazing people, but I still know very few people here in Dallas. Social Media, however, has given me the opportunity to let people know who I am. Whether that be a General Manger of a dealership looking to fill a management position, or a customer looking for their next vehicle.

You mentioned recently about putting yourself in position for success, can you explain what that means?

From a managerial perspective your success is generally measured by the performance of your team, much like a coach. I often use football as an analogy to the car business because there are so many similarities. I played linebacker in high school. I loved it, but I was 170 Lbs after a thanksgiving meal. Although I earned a scholarship as a linebacker, even played linebacker while in college, I was better suited to be a safety. Although I was good enough to start as a linebacker, I was likely an All-Conference/All-American safety. Not only would I have benefited, so would the team. When it comes to management, you have to look past the trees and see the forest. Your top producers, if equipped with leadership qualities, are costing your store money if you do not have them in a leadership role. The sales you lose by taking them off the floor, you gain in their development of the other sales people. Ultimately, positioning yourself for greater success.

The status quo is often an obstacle to growth how do you prevent mediocracy?

I think you have to be courageous enough to risk your reputation with industry leaders. It is easy to get caught up in the status quo, and "the way we've always done business." However, those who understand that the only thing truly constant in life is change, they make attempts to stay ahead of the curve. They understand that if you aren't getting better, you're getting worse. And I believe that is how to not only prevent mediocracy but also evade it.

You've done a great job building your personal brand, any tips for the person just starting out?

I have built my personal brand by being outside of the norm, so I hate to sound so cliche... but be true to yourself. There are a lot of people who camouflage themselves to be who they think other people want them to be. Don't do that. Be authentic. And be courageous enough to follow through with your creative ideas. 

What trends do you see impacting vehicle sales?

The Internet. The Internet. The Internet. I have only been in the automotive industry for a little under three years, but consumers are coming into the dealerships nothing like I went to the dealership when I bought my first car 12 years ago, and 2 or 3 years from now, consumers wont be coming into dealerships the same way the are today.

What has been the biggest surprise working in automotive?

My biggest surprise that car salesmen do not actually go to work to rip people off. I thought I would be ashamed to tell people I'm in the car business, but I'm not. I could not be more proud!

They say success is contagious, how has your success impacted the culture or attitude of your store? 

My success has been a direct reflection of the attitude and culture of my team. The attitude and culture comes prior to success. I believe my attitude and approach to business is what has impacted the culture and attitude. I've been around teams since I was 12 years old. All I know is what it takes to be a great team. I bring that to the team. The team buys in. After that we enjoy congratulating one another for our achievements.

What is your focus for the rest of 2018?

It was not until this question that I realized I've taken my eyes off the rest of 2018. I've had a change of direction in my career here in the past few months and I've been looking down at my feet rather than down my path. I sincerely appreciate this question, Andrew! Time to readjust my focus!!

[Note] Be sure to thank Terrance for his candid responses and taking the time to discuss his leadership philosophy. If you enjoyed this interview, please like and share or drop a suggestion if you know an automotive leader who deserves the spotlight.

Host- Andrew Compton is an automotive industry veteran, who created the Automotive Learn From the Leaders Series, to inspire those who are seeking higher achievement.

Other interviews in the series can be found: https://www.dhirubhai.net/automotive-learn-from-the-leaders