RICHMOND, Va. -

With the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance Summer Roundtable fast approaching, I am personally eager to reconnect with those in the remarketing industry after more than a year of virtual meetings.

This industry is built on relationships, and it is more important now than ever before that we take time to invest in those relationships and focus on what matters most.

As a woman who has been in the auto industry most of my career, I look forward to this event as an opportunity to connect with and offer mentorship to young, up-and-coming women in the industry — something critical not only in a male-dominated industry, but across all sectors.

Mentorship is a valuable tool within our industry that I continue to benefit from, even at the SVP level. We all need a mentor who listens, encourages and supports our growth, both personally and professionally. Mentors can offer us new perspectives, and becoming a mentor gives you a new appreciation for those who have helped you in your own career.

This is the time to show support to our colleagues, who often become friends, as we re-engage in the in-person world. Relationships with mentors, mentees, clients and vendors play a part in our growth and success — and very often in the growth of our companies.

This opportunity to meet and speak with clients face-to-face is crucial, and it will be helpful for us to understand their needs and what we can do to support them. My goal is to have conversations that will create better relationships, help us develop new capabilities and pivot in ways we hadn’t previously thought of.

There is also new business development involved in the remarketing industry, and that work paired with building relationships is two sides of the same coin. There would be no relationships without clients and no clients without existing relationships. While business development and relationship management are different, our teams work in lockstep to get clients the best results, support them as needed and offer them unrivaled benefits through concierge level service.

People often ask me how to be successful in my role. While the complete answer is a complex one, it really comes down to a few key components that create successful relationships. Here’s how I do it:

  1. Partnerships: It’s no secret that the remarketing industry is relationship driven. We offer concierge level service for clients and will always go the extra mile to make the deal as seamless as possible. Beyond that, however, we also pride ourselves in how we speak with our clients to help strengthen these ties. We’ve heard it all at this point — from happy moments to sad news — and have shared some of our highs and lows as well. We celebrate together. While we know that a vehicle is just a mode of transportation to some, it can also be a place where memories are made. Along the road it is all about the people and the relationships.
     
  2. Retention: Clients work with us because we offer the best value, and we are committed to increasing their retention year-over-year. To that end, we aim to retain clients for the long term to show them how their bottom line can rise as the partnership keeps growing. While the interpersonal interactions in our industry play a huge part in building relationships, we all have a job to do and results to show our company leaders. We aim to do the best work possible so our clients can receive the praise and recognition they deserve from their leadership teams.
     
  3. Respect: We firmly believe that all business transactions — just as relationships — deserve respect, as any deal puts both sides in a vulnerable position. While a contract binds the deal, it is the follow through that matters. We respect that we may not always be the best fit, and we understand that business is not personal, so you can expect kindness no matter the outcome. We also respect the personal stories that come with the relationships we build with you.

As you prepare to travel to the IARA Summer Roundtable in San Antonio, ask yourself what you need and how your relationships in the remarketing industry can help get you where you want to be. The entire CarLotz team and I look forward to connecting with you in San Antonio. We would be happy to discuss relationship building further and to learn more about how we can work together in the future.

Holly Vollant is the senior vice president of retail remarketing account management at CarLotz.