Tamika Scott on Loving Life and Lincolns
By Meg Hale Brunton
“I’m a people person,” says Beach Automotive Group’s Lincoln Specialist Tamika Scott. “That’s why, I think, I’m good at what I do.” Tamika has now been working in automotive sales for eleven years, a role she never predicted she would find herself in. What she loves most about her job is that she gets to meet new people everyday and build relationships with them. Her previous professional endeavors as a real estate agent and CNA also reflect her enjoyment of meeting new people.
Born in Beaufort, South Carolina, Tamika studied both Cosmetology and Child Development in school before she decided to go into real estate. “I just love all sales,” she says of her professional leanings. When the economy crashed in 2011, real estate sales slowed down, too. Seeking a more steady income, Tamika got her CNA license and began working with patients who were suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. She explains that she was able to creatively balance working in real estate with working with her patients. She would often take her patients on ‘field trips’ to the houses she was showing after getting permission from their families, of course.
After a few years, her CNA job became less focused on individuals and more so on groups of patients. This change did not suit Tamika, as it interfered with her ability to form a deep bond with the people she cared for. “I didn’t think I could keep up my mental status, working with multiple patients,” Tamika explains. She began to look for other job options.
Her ex-husband had been a sales manager at an auto dealership and had told Tamika a lot about how the industry worked. “I knew all about the business,” she says, “but I had never done it.” She interviewed at a local dealership and was immediately offered a job. From there, Tamika went on to accept a sales position at Beach Automotive Group in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Last year, she became the first woman ever to be made Lincoln Sales Specialist for the dealership. In that position, she says her days are often long, and her daily routine can be a bit erratic. “It’s kind of spontaneous,” she says, laughing. “I’ll have a day that’s planned, but it doesn’t always work out!”
Even though they can sometimes make it challenging for her to maintain a consistent schedule, Tamika says her customers are definitely her favorite part of the job. “I love my customers, and I go one-hundred-percent above and beyond for them,” she says, adding that her commitment to them does not end when they drive off the lot. “As long as you are in that vehicle, I am indebted to you. That’s true for all my customers.” Tamika often gives her customers her personal cell phone number, and has even been known to exchange gifts with them from time to time, whether it is flowers, a gallon of tea, or even a home-cooked meal.
Despite her love of the people she meets on the job, Tamika admits to having one big drawback as a salesperson. “I’m horrible with names,” she confesses, “but I remember details. So, I’m intrigued by the details of people’s lives.” She shares that, though she often forgets the name of a customer she has worked with in the past, she can usually remember what was going on in their lives that they spoke about the last time they met.
As far as having a secret to her sales success, Tamika explains that it’s all in treating people with kindness. “Being personable - that seems to go a long way. Don’t treat a customer like a customer,” she advises. “If you treat me well, I’m going to reciprocate. That’s just me.”
For more information on Beach Automotive, visit their website: https://www.beachautomotive.com/