Nicholas Oakley, Strategic Growth Manager
Location: Spokane, WA
I have been working in the Automotive industry since 2013. I have two children and another on the way!
What do you do at Dealersocket?
As a Strategic Growth Manager, I partner with dealerships to help them fully utilize the DealerSocket CRM and Inventory+ software to their advantage.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work?
I love my industry. Every day is something new and this has been one of my favorite jobs of all time. The interactions we have with our clients and the relationships we build based on mutual experiences within the industry are unmatched.
What has been your favorite project so far?
One of our auto groups had asked for a series of systematic training across each store within the eight-rooftop group. At every training the sales staff went into it completely unmotivated and having an “I already know this” mindset. However, by the end, everyone learned something new and had new inspiration for using the tool. It gets me excited to see how dealerships get motivated when they realize how much they had in front of them but not knowing quite how to use it until after training sessions.
What is an embarrassing, green pea moment you had when you were starting out?
I upped the General Manager of the dealership I worked at. Not kidding I had never met the guy and one of the veteran sales staff told me to “go get that up”. The GM, Ash, had a hilarious sense of humor and didn’t tell me who he was until I got to the four square and brought it to the desk. The managers finally had the heart to tell me and it was one of the most embarrassing moments I can remember in this industry.
What is your favorite, or a secret, inventory management tip?
Never buy something you think is cool. Your taste may vary greatly from your customers taste resulting in you stuck with a vehicle for a very long time. Know what sells and buy that. There is a white Lincoln Continental that still haunts me to this day…