Success Is Measured By The Customers Smile!
Born in Woodsville, NH in December of 1982, it wasn’t long before Charles Higgins and his family moved to Manchester, TN. Just over 10 years later, he found himself in his first dealership, as a sales consultant taking the first “internet leads” off a dot matrix printer and working with an index file as a CRM. He transferred industries and into a sales training role with a publishing company, before coming back to the automotive industry as an Internet Manager at his first dealership. He has also had roles such as General Manager, BDC Director, and an industry leader, receiving invitations to speak at special events for Cox Automotive.
Like many in the industry, Charles has worked at a couple of different dealerships, but he doesn’t view this as a weakness, but rather as an educational journey: each stop along the way has taught him his strengths and weaknesses, his desires for growth and success, and his evolving views of the industry as a whole.
He draws an analogy for us to understand that perspective: “The automotive industry to me is
like the person that refuses to get a new smartphone because they are so afraid of change. So, they stay with their ‘tried & true’ flip phone. I often ask myself and others… Why? It seems like a simple question, but it is perhaps one of the most loaded questions a person can ask.” As he has changed roles and positions, this is a question that he continues to ask and seek fresh answers for. From using social media and teaching those around him at Newton Ford South how to leverage their social media presence as well, to help find the best solutions for subprime customers--he is looking to meet the customers where they are, no matter what changes that may require of him and the dealership as a whole.
It all rolls into one common theme for Charles because his biggest desire is giving the customer the best experience, no matter what they have faced with their credit. He is always making sure that they are happy and satisfied. This is his measure of success in everything he does. He says his ultimate goal is to “be the number one consultant for drivers and automotive buyers.”
It doesn’t just take hard work and dedication to accomplish this goal, it also takes passions and pursuits after hours. For Charles, that begins by looking at his 3 children, Charlie (11), Jonathan (9), and Olivia (2). He asks himself how he wants them to succeed, knowing that they view him as a hero and an example. Then he strives to show them how to be successful by succeeding himself.
He also enjoys singing as a fun practice to release his feelings and has even sung on Church Street in Nashville. In addition, he started sailing as a relaxing weekend hobby, but the hobby became competitive quickly as he fell in love with the teamwork and balancing act it takes to keep the well-oiled machine working smoothly despite the forces out of their control as a team.
This teamwork and dedication rolls over into every part of Charles’ career, and it shows. But for Charles, this doesn’t mean selling the most or having the best role. He lives by what his father taught him: “Success is what you make it.” Above all else, Charles seeks to make success
about the happiness of others, which in turn, makes him a pretty happy guy at the end of the day, even the hard days.
Want to get to know more about Charles?
931-273-6793.