Hometown: Plattsburgh
Occupation: Sales Manager, Della Honda
Community Involvement: Adirondack 46’er, past service on the 46’er Board of Directors, current Chair of the Education Committee, Ambassador for the American Cancer Society
Passionate about helping people — whether it’s helping people purchase a car, raising funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society or helping preserve the pristine natural beauty of the Adirondack Park, Ben Bradford has been making a difference in the North Country for the past 20 years.
Growing up in a military family, Bradford struggled during his recent interview with Strictly Business to claim one place as his hometown. He was born in Okinawa, Japan, and spent most of his childhood between Florida and New York. Following high school graduation, he was uncertain about what career path to follow. “I chose not to go to college,” he explained, “I knew I needed to get out and do the self-discovery thing, because I had no direction at that time.” After a false start out of state, Bradford found himself starting over in Plattsburgh in 2003 where he got a job working in a local convenience store. While there, he found it easy to befriend regular customers. He discovered he enjoyed sales, and developed an interest in the auto industry.
His friendly personality, bright smile and charisma caught the attention of a Honda sales executive who gave him his first big break. In 2004, a grateful, motivated, yet inexperienced new salesman hit the floor of Della Honda in Plattsburgh. Twenty years — and countless sales awards and accolades later, Bradford recently became the dealership’s Sales Manager. “In 2023 I achieved the Platinum sales level,” Bradford explained, “That is a level that no one in this market has ever reached.”
Outside of work, Bradford is an ardent supporter of the American Cancer Society and an Ambassador for its ‘Men Wear Pink’ annual campaign. Outdoors, he is an Adirondack 46’er, an ardent environmental conservationist and a Leave No Trace Master Educator supporting outdoor and environmental ethics.
Only a few weeks into his new role at Della Honda, Bradford sat down with Strictly Business recently to share his insights.
SB: Who was your most influential mentor?
BB: In 2004, I walked into this business knowing nothing about the industry. Jean Worland, who is now retired, was one of the salespeople on the floor and she took me under her wing. In every bit of my adult life, Jean has played a role in my success. We trained for and hiked the Grand Canyon together, which was what set me on the path to becoming a 46’er.
SB: What do you look for when you hire?
BB: Someone who has a passion for helping people, is outgoing and is involved in the community.
SB: What advice would you offer to someone starting his or her business career?
BB: When new people come here, I try to make it clear that they are truly building a career. When you start here, we give you a desk to work from. It’s on you to plant the seeds, grow your garden and work hard to maintain what you have. You are like a farmer. taking care of your fields. In sales we do that by making sure that our customers are well taken care of. That doesn’t just mean right now — we take care of them for years to come. If you are going to make a career out of sales, you will be taking care of your customers’ other family members and maybe even their children someday.
SB: Tell us about your approach to management and leadership.
BB: As a leader, I try to dig into people’s talents and multiply them. Sometimes that means finding what they don’t yet know they are truly talented in. If there is someone on my team who is meant for greater heights than sales, I encourage them to go for it. Della is a big company so hopefully they can rise within the company. Even if feeding their talent means they end up going elsewhere, I try to unselfishly help that person reach their goal.
SB: If you could start your professional career over again, what would you do differently?
BB: I would have read more books about the industry and studied what other successful people have done. Since I started, I have come to realize that this is a huge industry to be a part of. Looking back, I would have explored that more.
SB: What are you most proud of professionally?
BB: Achieving the Platinum level status. This level is the top 10% of all Honda sales consultants across the country. I was able to achieve this level right here in Plattsburgh. I sold over 230 Hondas in one year, which was a huge goal. I do all of my own deliveries, insurance and paperwork. So that was a lot of work to push out. I am incredibly grateful to the Della Auto Group and the DellaBella family for their support and for believing in me throughout my career.
SB: What is your favorite quote and how does it speak to you in your life?
BB: “When the tide rises, all ships rise with it.” I always try to be the tide and raise the ships. At work, I do this by role modeling and being the energy behind the sales team.
SB: If you could have dinner and spend an evening with any well-known person, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
BB: Bob Marshall. He was a pioneer for nature conservancy back in a time when people were not even considering the wild world around us. He was one of the first 46’ers. I’d like to talk to him to find out what sent him down that path of nature, conservation and wilderness.
SB: Where did you get your passion for wilderness and conservation?
BB: I didn’t get into going out in the woods until I was 30 years old. In 2011 I hiked the Grand Canyon with a former colleague and mentor. To condition myself for that experience, we went for hikes in the Adirondacks. I didn’t realize until then how very lucky we are to have a place like the Adirondacks right in our backyard. I got hooked and became passionate about it. I decided to do volunteer work with the 46’ers, and that led to educating others.
SB: What is something no one would guess about you?
BB: In spite of being an avid hiker in the High Peaks, I am uncontrollably afraid of heights. I am more comfortable with natural heights, but ladders or bridges make me really uncomfortable.
SB: What podcast would you recommend to a friend or colleague?
BB: I love listening to Simon Sinek’s, A Bit of Optimism. The reason I started listening to it was because of his book, Start with Why. Each podcast episode features a special guest with incredible insight, and that makes it really powerful.
SB: What was the best piece of advice you ever received?
BB: “Never judge a book by its cover.” In sales that is really important. A long time ago someone told me to imagine that everybody you meet is wearing a backpack that is invisible. Nobody knows what each person is carrying on their back, so we cannot pre-judge those people based solely on what we can see. Throughout my career I have held onto that image. I keep reminding myself that I can’t see what people are carrying around, so I need to be sure to bring the same excitement for every person who comes through the door. Now I pass that philosophy on to my team.
Comments