SAT #39 -⚡️ A Positive Approach

Today, people will drive their family’s new car home. Others will entrust their wheels to the competence and character of service techs without a second thought. One more group of people will show up on their first Saturday as dealership associates, ready to learn a bit more about the opportunities and responsibilities around them.

We love these stories, and we are doing our best to shine a big bright light on more of them.

“More Than Cars” Episode 2 is coming October 18th. Plan to come celebrate an industry worth celebrating and show the world what retail auto is really about with us!

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHT

Martha Alvarado: Approaching Each Day with Positivity

Hi, Martha! Tell us a bit about who are you, where you work, and what role you serve at your company.

I am a Salvadorian immigrant who came to the US when I was 21 years old, and now I am the BDC Director at Wondries Toyota in Alhambra, California – a very diverse community about 15 minutes from DTLA.

What does your day-to-day typically look like?

I start my day by checking in on how my team is doing. Making sure we never forget that helping our customers is our number one priority is important to me, and in order for our customers to feel good energy, my BDC reps have to also feel it.

Our day-to-day goes fast as we work as a team. I check the tasks that each of my team or the sales teams have and work on the ones that I feel need a little TLC.

As someone who has been in this industry for over 23 years, I understand that now more than ever we need to, “Love people more than cars,” as Liza Borches would say, and I am doing everything in my power to impress it on those around me.

When I get home I like to enjoy time with my two dogs, Luca and Swaggy.

How did you get into the auto industry?

I was a manager for a large call center that handled marketing campaigns for different industries on Spanish television. I realized that even though it was a good job, I was not really practicing and learning English, and I needed to move in order to learn it.

I applied as a BDC Representative for a Ford Dealer, and I was really blessed that even though I had a thick accent, they hired me. I learned most of my English from my former manager. She took me under her wing, saw something, and helped me become a BDC Manager after a year.

A lot about the industry is changing. What are you doing to prepare?

I try to stay in the loop with updates from colleagues and newsletters like the one ASOTU sends. I share a lot of the information with my teams to keep them educated. Knowledge and awareness are imperative to be able to pivot whenever necessary.

Our industry has seen so many changes in such a short period of time, and we have learned that we need to come together to help each other in order to continue moving forward.

I am preparing by surrounding myself with those who are helping to reshape the misconceptions that the consumer has about the automotive industry and those in it.

What are some of the ways that your dealership serves the community? 

I am very blessed to work for a family-owned business where our GM, Abigail Valdez, and our Dealer Owner, Patty Wondries, prioritize helping our community as much as possible.

We participate in local festivals like the “National Night Out” sponsored by the local Police Department, the “Chinese New Year Festival” as we are predominantly an Asian/ Hispanic Community, the “Spooky Night Trunk or Treat Festival” for the kids on our community, and we support our school district in as many activities as possible.

What are you most looking forward to going into the last quarter of the year?

I am looking forward to developing a new team of BDRs as we expand. Leading them into a successful quarter and helping develop the skills that we need to connect with our customers is something that I will be striving to do.

What is one piece of advice that you'd give to someone new to the industry? Or, maybe to an industry veteran who just needs a little inspiration?

We are part of a great industry; an industry that plays a big role in our economy, but that also plays a big role in every family in our country.

Let’s make sure that we do not lose sight of the important role we have in our customers’ lives, and let’s make sure that the impact is a positive one.

👉 Read the complete interview with Martha here. 👀

CONTENT RECAP

Last Week

EMAIL RECAP:

• Erikka Tiffani Wells, GM of Walser Hyundai Brooklyn Park, donates to a single mother in need. 🏆

• David Long’s All Things Used Cars community revisits their favorite ASOTU CON takeaways. 💫

• Rockville Centre GMC learns CPR! ⛑

• We say “see ya next year” to Q3

• September and strike data from Cox

• J.D. Power asks folks about self-driving tech.

PODCAST RECAP:

Every ASOTU CON 2023 Session is available for your listening enjoyment! Check out the catalog on ASOTU.com, or Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.

Some of the most insightful, open-hearted, and keen-minded people we know shared their time with us on the Effectv podcast stage and we are thrilled to be sharing it all with you!

SOMETHING FUN

Racing and Drama

Are you, like many of us, a little obsessed with Formula 1: Drive To Survive? 🏁

Well, apparently, the good folks who make the Forza video game series are too. 🔧 

Forza Motorsport is a racing game with RPG elements, so you experience more than the laps in addition to the series' unparalleled physics, graphics, and AI.

📅 Game releases on October 10th. In case you wanted to host a community tournament in your showroom. 😉