Dad’s advice about car sales pays off
Before succumbing to his dad’s wishes and entering the auto business, Ken Willard has a fairly eclectic professional career. He started out raising cattle and farming on the family’s spread in Oklahoma.
“I tried that for a year and didn’t like it,” Willard said. “Then I moved back to Texas, Dallas. I was a welder and an iron worker. And I was in the oil fields, offshore drilling rigs from 1981 to ’87. I worked for Lockheed as a welder and a mechanic then I moved up here.”
Willard moved here with his wife before the couple divorced.
“My ex-wife was a gold and silversmith so we opened up a jewelry store,” he said. “I didn’t want to do that. That’s when I went looking for a job. The pay scale around here was pretty low for construction and stuff so when I talked to my dad, I decided to try the car business. My dad was in the car business for years after he got out of the Air Force. And he retired as a (general sales manager) from the dealership.”
As an old hand in the business, Willard’s dad offered some sage advice.
“He told me to stay in sales,” he said. “He said don’t go into management, because ‘You’d be a highly paid baby sitter. Just sell a lot of cars and you’ll meet a bunch of wonderful people. And you’ll have fun.’”
And that’s pretty much the way it’s worked out for him as he has been a sales executive at Don Chalmers Ford for 18 years after several years at a few other dealerships.
“This is a great place to work,” Willard said. “I liked the way Don was always running things. He didn’t allow salesmen to stand outside and attack you when you came on the lot. It’s more of a family business. I know they really care about you. They have an on-site nurse, so the family won’t have to go see a doctor. I work with a lot of people who I’ve known for over 20 years.”
And he’s built up a clientele that keeps on growing.
“Not only am I selling my customers, but I’ve met their kids, and I’m selling them cars now,” Willard said with a smile. “I’m even meeting their grandkids now.”