Richard (Rick) Eilts is a sales consultant at Currie Motors Ford of Valpo and has been for the past three decades. Eilts found his love for sales through a friend who was a salesman, and the rest is history.
“At the time, I was not sure I wanted to be a salesman. But I met a very nice fellow named Larry Huck and talked to him. I found out that you can be a nice guy and salesman. That's how it all started,” said Eilts.
Eilts enjoys the relationships he gets to make with the people who he sells to, as well as finding the perfect car for someone.
“I like helping people find the right vehicle that meets their needs and their budget. I like finding something that I think would be a good vehicle for them and helping them purchase it,” said Eilts.
While working at Currie Motors Ford of Valpo for so many years, Eilts has made many memories.
“I had sold to a girl who was a teenager and a guy who was probably in his 20s and they were getting married. They had ordered a two-door Tempo. They were waiting for the car to come in to go on their honeymoon. The car was in Chicago, but it was delayed as far as getting it shipped to our store. So, I actually got permission to go to Chicago so they could have it in time for their honeymoon, and they have come back and bought many vehicles from me since,” said Eilts.
Another memory Eilts recalls is when he won a trip to Las Vegas. Eilts was given three months to outperform the other salesman that worked with him. Him and three other co-workers were able to sell more cars than the other salesmen. Ford then gave Eilts and the three other co-workers the opportunity to take a vacation to Las Vegas.
Eilts likes to stay in contact with his customers. He is able to build a relationship of trust with many customers and families.
“It's nice to have a connection with families. I've been in the business long enough that I've sold to grandparents, parents, and even their kids. I've been able to take care of three generations of a family,” said Eilts.
Other than being a salesman, Eilts is also an artist and likes to draw different Christmas cards with birds on them.
“I've drawn birds for Christmas cards. A lot of customers get them framed on their walls. Every Christmas there's a new bird. There's people that have told me that they've collected all the cards,” said Eilts
It takes Eilts about four to five hours to create his holiday cards.
“I'll sketch it with pencil and finish it in ink. When I’m done I take it to a printer in town and they reduce it and make the Christmas cards. We have done as many as 900 cards. It is quite a project,” said Eilts.
From birds to cars, Eilts knows it all.
For more information on Currie Motors Ford of Valpo, visit its website at www.fordofvalpo.com.
