We spoke with Chris Singleton about his experience in the industry. He shared his background, experiences, and insights about the industry's future. Here's a recap of our conversation:
Chris, welcome, and thank you! I won't waste your time; let's jump right in. How did you get into the automotive industry?
Well, I got into the industry after seeing an ad in the paper that said you could make $2,000 a month. I had sold Kirby vacuum cleaners and Cutco kitchen knives door-to-door, and I even detailed cars. So I started detailing cars and thought, "Let me see if I can apply all of the sales skills I learned from door-to-door sales to the automotive industry." So I got in and have been hooked ever since.
How many years have you been in the industry?
Since 2006, so 17 years.
When did you move into the COO position?
January of this year. Before that, I was the Executive General Manager at an individual store. And before that, I owned a sales training company for six years, traveling the world to train some of the top dealerships and even people outside the automotive industry. I also wrote a book called "All Is Fair in Love and Sales" that became a bestseller and allowed me to travel and do those things.
As the COO, do you feel like you're utilizing the same skills that you built over the previous years, or has it been a significant change for you?
It was a natural progression. Owning a sales training company and being an Executive General Manager allowed me to learn organizational restructuring and implement processes. Of course, as a COO, I have to do all that but also manage the structure and processes on a day-to-day basis for the entire retail operation.
What is an essential rule you bring into the training aspect of your work?
Training is not a one-size-fits-all. You have to learn your audience and ask thought-provoking questions or make powerful statements at the beginning of the training to open their minds and hearts, allowing them to listen to you.
Where do you see yourself and the industry heading in the next couple of years?
My objective is to be part of something much bigger than me and help as many people with aspirations to be dealers become dealers, especially those marginalized or disenfranchised. We aim to create the largest minority-owned dealer group with people of all shapes, sizes, colors, creeds, and genders leading it.
As for the industry, it is going towards transparency, electrification, and individuality. The buyers dictate how they want to be sold to, and we must listen as an industry to make the adjustments.