The Contour of Luxury Spring/Summer 2018 | Page 199

quickly destroyed whatever equity the owner had in their home, and as a result, many families found themselves facing foreclosure. When I started “Walter Wayne” named after my late father, I did so with the purpose of helping families stay in their homes. I had a conscientious team alongside me during that time, and we helped many property owners get back on track. I always believed that by putting people first, success and opportunity would naturally follow as a byproduct of doing the “right thing.” AD: You are currently working in the luxury mar- ket in the position of sales manager at Mercedes Benz South Bay. Although real estate and auto sales are both sales related, what shifts in your approach to managing, if any, did you find were needed go- ing from real estate to luxury brand auto sales, being that you are accommo- dating a completely different clientele base in this role? GS: While in real estate I worked with a client base that faced foreclosure; mostly families in distress and in great need of someone to help them navi- gate their way through that challenging period of life—and I was glad I could help. However, when I entered the luxury world of Mercedes Benz, I found the majority of my clients were both successful and financially independent, and this allowed me to fo- cus my time and attention on the details of provid- ing an excellent customer experience while getting to know my clients better. AD: With Mercedes being a luxury brand, as sales manager of the South Bay location, what are some of the ways you go above and beyond to cater to your clientele?