Support is Powerful. Shared Experience is Transformative.

After 25 years in automotive, Martha Alvarado has the kind of clarity you only earn by doing the work—from BDC rep answering phones to leading internet and sales teams. Her north star? Empathy that turns transactions into relationships. “It’s not about how many cars we sell,” she told us. “It’s how many lives we influence.”

Fresh from the WOCAN luncheon, Martha reflected on why this year hit differently: the power of being seen—and supported—by people walking the same road. When isolation creeps in, she said, communities like WOCAN help replace the old doubts with new purpose: don’t listen to the voices that say you can’t; don’t doubt yourself. That shift reignited her vision for the next generation coming up behind her.

What makes Martha’s perspective so dealer-relevant is her view of the BDC as the hub—the place where customer reality meets store process, and where small breakdowns become big frustrations. She’s made a career out of connecting those dots: closing the gap between sales and service, teaching teams to “love people more than you love cars,” and turning empathy into operational discipline.

Actionable takeaways for your store:

• Treat BDC like mission control. Map the top five friction points customers report to your BDC. Assign owners across sales, service, and F&I. Set a 30-day fix plan and a 90-day audit.

• Coach empathy as a skill, not a slogan. Role-play three scenarios weekly: negative-equity calls, delayed service parts, and tech confusion. Score on clarity, tone, and next steps.

• Tighten the baton pass. Build a two-way SLA between BDC and sales/service: response times, status updates, and what “ready for handoff” means. Fewer dropped balls, faster yeses.

• Simplify choices. Borrow a retail best practice—curate. Present 2–3 financing paths and 2–3 protection options. Decision speed goes up; anxiety goes down.

• Mentor with intent. Pair rising talent with leaders who share their lived experience. As Martha put it, “I’ve already bumped my head so you don’t have to.”

Martha is candid about the valleys, too. There was a moment she considered leaving the industry. Community pulled her back—and pointed her forward. She’s still leading internet teams, but with a refreshed mindset: same purpose, new pathways. That’s a model any dealership can use right now: hold the purpose tightly, hold the process loosely.

Final word to the up-and-comers (and the leaders who champion them):
Don’t let old voices set your ceiling. Invest in the rooms that refill your purpose. Then turn that energy into better calls, clearer handoffs, and customers who feel cared for—because they were.