Becoming the general manager of the largest Ford dealership in the Southeast USA is a long and winding path. While the list of traits it takes to reach his position is extensive, a few of the more obvious are perseverance, strong work ethic, and above all else, flexibility. Wayne Hammond, General Manager of Brandon Ford has all of these traits and then some. His career in the automotive industry started in an unusual way as a race car driver. Much of the competitiveness and tenacity he showed working his way up the career ladder had its roots on the race track. In fact, while he was still a regular behind the wheel of his sprint car, he beat eventual NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon in 1989.

“Now I climb behind the wheel just enough to know that I’m not as good as I used to be,” Wayne Hammond said. “Every year I get to be a better car dealer and less of a race car driver.”

Becoming a better car dealer by the day is just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to philosophies about selling cars, he teaches his sales staff at every opportunity. To put it bluntly, as the General Manager of Brandon Ford, Wayne Hammond preaches and practices the old tried and true “Golden Rule.”

I’ve been successful from the start in the car business because I’ve always done the right thing for the customer,” Hammond said. “I teach my people to do the same thing: To treat the customer right.”

Treating the customer right has more to do with attitude and actions than it does with putting on flashy ties and blinding people with a smile. To sell cars the right way, especially the Wayne Hammond Brandon Ford way, means going the extra mile to learn a customer’s exact needs. It means being honest above all else.

“One thing I’ve learned is that if you do the right thing, this business is very easy,” Hammond said. “Always listen to the customer, and above all else, conduct business the way the customer wants to do business.”

While Wayne Hammond might still yearn for the glory days behind the wheel of a sprint car, he understands that as time marches on so must we. In his rare time off from running one of the most successful Ford dealers in the Tampa Florida area, Wayne Hammond, a Tampa native himself, owns and operates a race team with Kyle Bronson behind the wheel. It appears he has taken his own words to heart.

“I’ve always done both, racing and working (at Brandon Ford),” Hammond said. “But I had to focus on running the business.”