Well, it’s that time of year again. Don’t blink.

In this business, it’s sometimes easy to forget everything we should be thankful for and much easier to think of everything that bothers us. Now, it’s time to catch your breath and look at what the automotive industry is truly all about.

The hardest thing to do in our business is to remember what it’s like to be a consumer. Buying a car is a moment that EVERYONE remembers. Most people have an emotional connection with vehicles. It’s a big deal and it’s supposed to be fun!

In the business, vehicles are just a stock number, a commodity, a good or bad business decision. To the consumer they’re much, much more. Vehicles in America represent everything from a basic daily need to a status symbol and everything that life offers in between. All of these matter in a person’s life. Remember: A life change is the No. 1 reason that people buy vehicles.

We should be thankful to work in an industry that means so much to so many, to work in an industry that creates so many fond memories. There is a reason that car sales are the No. 1 economic indicator.  I, for one, am what is commonly referred to as a lifer. I’ve spent almost my entire adult life in the automotive retail business. I’ve sold vehicles to people for a lot of reasons:

  • For some, it was their first car; for others, it was going to be their last.
  • Because they were single and wanted to impress someone.
  • Because they were married and having children, or because they were getting divorced.
  • Because they got a raise and wanted to upgrade or because they lost their job and needed to reduce their expenses – or they just plain needed the money.

I have sold cars that have been graduation, birthday, and wedding presents, marking some of the biggest moments in a person’s life.

Don’t lose that emotional connection just because you work in the industry. Know that every day represents a new opportunity to matter or make a difference in someone’s life.

The ability to mean so much to so many is truly a privilege for us all — and something to be grateful for!

 

–Just The Fax

By Robert Grill, Carfax Senior Partner Development Manager

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