McHenry County Pillars: John Reichert

To be a good car salesman, you must have broad shoulders.

That’s something John Reichert has learned in more than four decades selling cars.

As the 71-year-old president of Reichert Chevrolet and Buick in Woodstock, Reichert has been a McHenry County mainstay, raising his family here and over the years giving back as a donor to nonprofits such as the Lions Club.

Much of what Reichert has learned came from his father, Roger Reichert, who died in 2001 at age 87.

He bought the family’s first Chevrolet & Buick dealership in 1951 and created a pathway his son followed in the 1970s.

John Reichert recently sat down with the Northwest Herald at his Woodstock dealership, 2145 S. Eastwood Drive, to talk about what he has learned on his journey as a salesman, community member, husband and the father of three successful children following dreams far from the car business.

On what makes a good car salesman:

John Reichert: He has to have broad shoulders. Anything in retail, you’re going to get beat down, but it’s so rewarding when all of a sudden you sell something. It’s retail – you’ll hit a stride and two or three will come together, and you’re on cloud nine, but then all of a sudden you’re beating yourself down. A salesman’s position is very difficult because you have the ups and downs, but you have to have the broad shoulders, and a good salesman has a nice procedure in how he goes about doing things. It’s a lot different now than what it was when I got started. People would come in and get brochures, you’d sit down with them. Now they come in and they’re already as educated as I am as a dealer. They’ve done the internet. They’ve done all the research. They know what the car costs. They know what the trade-in approximately is. You’re only in here because you’ve got something they want, or you have something they’re interested in. It’s changed so much. Sixty percent of our leads are internet leads. If you want to sit in your desk and wait for someone to come in and buy a car, you’re going to go broke.

On changing clientele in the car business:

Reichert: The millennials are on the internet. My experience with the millennials – and I hope it changes – they have no loyalty to anybody. If anything is going to change, that’s something the millennials need to do is if they’re treated right, they should have a loyalty. Don’t sell people out to sell people out. We present our program to different people and especially through my lease company, where you’re going in and explaining the program. You’ll have millennials sitting there and they’re playing on their laptops. So whatever that thing says, that’s gospel. There’s more to it. You have the service. You have the personality. There are other things to a sale. There are other things to retail than whatever your computer screen tells you. They don’t look at it that way. In their mind, whatever that screen says is truth. They should think about what’s the overall package? Where am I going to get it serviced? They’re assuming everyone is going to be the same. No, probably not. There’s a relationship. The millennials don’t quite get the idea that there’s a personal relationship that you need to have. During good times, that’s fine. During bad times, the personal relationship is going to make a difference. That person you might have sold out for the $25, he might help you out during tough times. You may have all of a sudden lost your job, and you need help getting out of your car – obviously that person is going to try to help you a little more than the one that’s 200 miles away.

On the importance of relationships
in life:

Reichert: You need to have a relationship with who your supplier is, if it’s in business, if it’s in personal life. You have to sit there and say, “The machine isn’t always right.”

On keeping his motivation and staying competitive:

Reichert: Ninety percent of my time is trying to keep the salesman’s attitude up. We’re human. We hate to lose. When you lose one, you’re upset. I hate to lose. Once in a while you lose a sale and you kick yourself. “What did I do wrong?” It’s very personal. When you let that persona of “I don’t care” out, you’re a loser. Every sale I lose I die two or three deaths. And you should. Otherwise you’re not competitive.

On the first sale he made:

Reichert: He still comes in every so often. He bought cars from us for a very long time. He still comes in. The woman he married still comes in and buys cars every so often. It was like
9 p.m. at night, when we were closing, and I stayed with him. Nice guy. I've had some beautiful customers over the years.

On what the car business has taught him about life and business:

Reichert: You have to be adaptable. You have to realize your limitations. You have to live in those limitations. Don’t let your ego get you. Try to work with them and hope it comes to the best, and it did. Things change. That’s why I always say you have to be humble.

On his father, Roger Reichert:

Reichert: He taught me a lot about the ordinary business, watching what’s going on. General Motors was so hot back then. Dad said after [World War II] if you had product, you could sell it. There was no competition. You just had Ford, Chrysler and GM. If he was around today, he’d probably roll over. It’s so different now.

On what he believes sets him apart from other dealerships:

Reichert: We try to treat people fair. In a community the size that we are, we have to treat people fair. We're as competitive as any of the bigger dealers, and we can give the service. My office manager has been with me 40-something years, the leasing manager has been with me 40 years,
service people have been with me
40 years. When I moved from Crystal Lake, I brought a lot of people with me. I try to treat them fair.

On the secret to a successful marriage:

Reichert: We both respect each other’s limitations. I always sat there and said if it wasn’t for her, I don’t think my children would be as successful as they are. She made sure they all went to the right schools. I respect her immensely. It was my job to pay for it. She would always support me in business but never really told me what to do because she didn’t know it. She knew her limitations. I respect her that way. And if you want to know what makes it work, that’s what makes it work. Next year will be 50 years. I respect Judy immensely. It works.

On his biggest mistake:

Reichert: I worked too much. That was my biggest mistake. But the defense, to a degree, is that was my dad’s generation. Remember, he came back from World War II, so all they knew was how to work. There’s more than work. You have children. You want to spend time with your children. My regret is I didn’t have time to spend with my children.

On what he believes makes him successful:

Reichert: I look at my life, and I’ve been successful because of my children. I did my job; Judy did her job. We can look at it and say we have two M.D.-Ph.D.s and one son that’s high up with the Minnesota Twins. So guess what? I did my job. I’m happy for them. You always want your children to do better than you did, and I think these will.

On what his gravestone will say:

Reichert: “I did my job.” My feeling is my children got on with life, and I’m very proud of them because they’re on their own.

• Note to readers: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.