Regional Wholesale Parts Trainer Cheryl Law believes we all have a book inside us—we just need to put the information out there. For Cheryl, this meant gathering the valuable knowledge she’s accumulated throughout her career and making it easily accessible to others. Her first book, Managing an Automotive Parts Department, was published in March and shares her deep knowledge of the automotive parts industry. In a car dealership, parts managers are responsible for managing both parts inventory and the department’s staff.
At MarketSource, Cheryl’s auto parts knowledge is critical. She’s lives in Central Alberta, Canada, and is responsible for the Western Canada region for one of our clients, covering Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Manitoba. She recalls a “steep learning curve” earlier in her career without being given any training necessary to succeed. She decided to write her book to aid others in similar situations.
Cheryl’s book is exceptionally well timed—many long-time parts managers are retiring and taking their expertise with them. This book is aimed at new parts managers who will be filling their shoes. Cheryl hopes the book will help these new parts managers experience a smoother transition into their new role than she had.
Her favorite part of working in the automotive industry is the people and it’s clear to see how she’s prioritized them throughout her career. After working as a service technician right out of high school, she craved more human interaction and decided to move to the parts and service departments. She continued her people-centric career path by accepting her current role at MarketSource.
Coaching and mentoring others is Cheryl’s favorite part about her current job. She says, “There is no better feeling than seeing others’ growth and success.” And her people-centric mentality has led her to recognize the importance of kindness and relationships: “The best advice I’ve ever received is that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”