Recently, I took a position as a car salesman. Admittedly, this was far from the career path that I had in mind, but it has been educational. I've learned many lessons that I never thought I would learn from a car lot and some that I could learn nowhere else. From the mundane and trivial to the essential.
Some of the things I have learned, as stated before, are not of too great value. I can back into almost any parking space. I can differentiate a Camry from a Corolla by sight almost effortlessly.
Some things have some small value to them, but only at certain times. Those times being, when you are shopping for a car. I can tell you the engine size of most of Toyota's models, along with horsepower, torque, and towing capacity. I can explain the benefits of a VVT-i transmission. I can elaborate on the Hybrid versus a regular gas engine.
Other things carry much greater weight even beyond the car lot. I have learned how important it can be to maintain a good credit history. I have learned that identity theft is still a very real thing and have seen it dash someone to pieces. I have seen how practical a good understanding of basic math can save a person, in some instances, thousands of dollars. My understanding of interest and money factors have expanded far beyond what I thought I had gained from my classes in school.
I have learned about treachery, but not from the source I expected. I have watched people, who most would consider to be "good" people, lie, back-stab, and undercut others over dollars and cents. I have seen far too many promises go unhonored. I have seen friends cheat each other. Surprisingly, I have seen this happen far more often at the hands of customers, than salespeople. All in the name of "getting a good deal."
I have learned about honesty, integrity and respect. Their value cannot be overstated. I have watched as people have tossed these aside to save a few dollars, or to earn a few more.
I have learned about communication. It is astounding how quickly a relationship can shatter because of some small information that goes unsaid, but is assumed to be understood.
However, there is one thing that surprised me to discover in a Toyota dealership. The importance of attitude. I have watched salespeople who have been successful, crumble from exhaustion and burnout. I have seen the opposite, as well. I have seen people who struggled and stretched everyday just to gain a mastery of product knowledge become great salespeople because every time they saw a new person walking onto the lot, they saw a car buyer.
Though I cannot change the winds that blast me, I can move my sails. Though I cannot stop the waves that thrash me, I stand at the helm. Though the sea may rage all around me and toss me to and fro, only I steer the ship. And I am unsinkable.
