VIRGINIA AUTO DEALER vada.com 14 Honoring 2021’s TIME Dealer of the Year Nominee, Dan Banister As part of this edition of the Virginia Auto Dealer, VADA also wants to recognize the 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year Nominee. Because we did not publish our magazine during the unusual times brought by the pandemic, we were unable to spotlight Dan Banister of Banister Nissan of Chesapeake. However, we are happy to share this interview as we offer our heartfelt yet belated congratulations to him on his well-deserved nomination. (This article has been edited for length and content.) How did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? When I first got a job at a dealership in 1992, I expected working at the dealership was going to be temporary. I was right out of college, and I wanted to get into federal law enforcement. My first month at the dealership, I was the Salesperson of the Month. I got promoted about a year later, and the car business wouldn’t let me go. I caught the car business bug. I have a motto: “Learn the job before you get the job.” With each promotion I received, I hit the ground running. I didn’t need on-the-job training because I learned the job before I got the job. As a result, I always learned the next job before stepping into it. I kept getting promoted, and I worked my way up through almost every position in sales. Eventually, I found a business partner who allowed me to buy them out over a 10-year period. I bought them out three years ago. Describe your educational background. What did you study? I studied criminal justice at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I use the sociology, psychology, and timemanagement classes I took there almost every day. I’ve also taken NADA automotive courses. Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career? For example, who were your mentors, and what did each mentor teach you? My mother and father taught me to respect my fellow human beings no matter what our differences may be, never judge, and always try to help those in need; always stay humble; believe in myself; and never take no for an answer. I developed a strong work ethic while I was growing up by watching them. During the long 12-hour days at the office, my wife supported me and then continued to support me after I came home too tired to do anything. She was a single parent for the first few years of our lives together because I was at work ALL the time. My pastor, Bishop Kim Brown, has given me and continues to give me the spiritual guidance and spiritual covering I have needed for the last 20 years. It keeps me focused on my dreams, has taught me work/homelife balance, and I’ve learned to leave the boss hat at the office and wear the husband and father hat at home. Thanks to God, I saw success most of the time. When I had an opportunity, I made sure I was prepared for it. There wasn’t a lot of training when I started in the car business, so you had to hit the ground running when the opportunity came. The manager didn’t want to sit and hold your hand if you weren’t ready to run. If you failed, most likely, you were out. Today, I develop my staff. I want to get them ready for the next position while mastering their current position. I use my experience when I sit down with my people who want to grow. I
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