Few people are as busy right now as Chris Lindamood, the Corvette Sales Manager of Rick Hendrick Chevrolet in Duluth, Ga.
The all-new eighth-generation Corvettes have finally started arriving by long haul carriers from Bowling Green to their Atlanta area dealership. The new owners are understandably eager to take delivery of their pre-ordered beauties.
Truth be told, Chris is always busy. This elite Duluth Chevrolet dealership is routinely ranked as one of the top 10 sellers of new Vettes in the United States. They’ve been the #1 new Vette dealership in Georgia for over eight consecutive years now.
The lofty sales volume ranking clearly shows the trust and confidence people have across the country in this location and its professional team.
As the Corvette Sales Manager of the Duluth location, Chris Lindamood is an essential reason for their continued success. We caught up with him in between his C8 deliveries to find out more about one of the top Corvette salesmen in Georgia.
The Need For Speed In Michigan
The best place to start is always at the beginning. For Chris Lindamood, the need for speed and love of cars began at an early age. He grew up doing a lot of racing in Michigan.
As he said to us, “What better place is there for a young guy who is into cars than the birthplace of American automotive manufacturing?”
Anything he could take apart, put together, and make faster, he was into it. As long as it had an engine, it didn’t matter whether it was a car, motorcycle, or snowmobile.
“It seems as though I’ve always been in the automotive industry in one form or another,” Chris told us. “I went to school for automotive technology and engineering at Lincoln College of Technology in Indianapolis.
After graduation from school, I moved back to my home town in Michigan. While there, I spent just shy of five years servicing vehicles and building race cars.”
Building race cars was one of Chris’s real passions. He told us, “I had a tight-knit group of friends and we all drag raced our cars in the summers. We all had cars…everything from late ’60’s muscle cars to ’80s/’90s Mustangs to the late model GM platforms.
I even did a little bit of racing with my motorcycle (sportbikes).”
“We all helped our good friend Tom, build a ’69 Mustang into a drag radial/grudge/no ET car, and got him into the racing side of things. Together as a team, we all had a hand in building, tuning and maintaining his Mustang. I know, I know….not a Corvette, but it was still some of the best days with friends I’ve ever had,” he recalls fondly.
When he was about 25 years old, Chris had the opportunity to work for Subaru. During his time at Subaru of America, he ran an R&D endurance testing team for them.
Coming To Rick Hendrick Chevrolet In Duluth
As Chris recalls, it was early in his tenure at Subaru that his best friend got a position with Rick Hendrick Chevrolet straight out of college.
“Not long after that,” Chris said, “The Rick Hendrick dealership in Duluth Georgia began recruiting me, and in Sept of 2012, they flew me down to Atlanta to interview with them.”
Chris was impressed with the professionalism of the dealership and the position they offered. He was excited to have the opportunity to work with their incredible, award-winning team. So he took a leap of faith, went home to Michigan, and sold everything that he owned and moved down to Atlanta.
It was October 2012 when he started on their sales team. By April 2013, the General Manager asked him to step up to selling the prestigious Corvette line.
For many salespeople, the thought of selling a Corvette is intimidating. For Chris, he quickly learned the key to success was to first build a relationship with the client before talking about the car.
Selling Corvettes Is All About The Relationship
When we asked Chris about how he has been so successful selling Corvettes, he was quick to say, “It’s all about establishing a relationship. You have to form a connection with the client. You can’t be the stereotypical car salesman and expect to have success.”
“This is a relationship purchase, pure and simple. For many clients, it’s a dream car they’ve wanted to own from their childhood.” Yes, you need to know what you’re talking about, but many times the car sells itself if you have taken the time to establish a relationship first.”
Chris also shared, “Making that genuine connection with the client is important. They’re the people who will come back to you to buy their son or daughter a car.”
“I get what being a Vette owner is all about, and how they want to be treated because I’ve had two of them myself,” he added with a smile.
What’s Been In Your Garage?
Some questions you just have to ask, especially if you’re talking to the Corvette Sales Manager of one of the largest volume Corvette dealerships in the country. So we had to ask, “What’s been in your garage?”
“I’ve had two C6 coupes over the years,” he replied. “My favorite was a 2012 Blade Silver Metallic Grand Sport with chrome wheels. I love that wheel & body-color combination.
Of course, for me, it had to have the 6-speed manual transmission.”
Chris went on to say that he didn’t modify the 2012 Grand Sport very much because he was going to use it as a daily driver. Though he did lower it a bit, installed a short-throw shifter, and a performance intake.
When pressed on which generation of Corvette he enjoyed the most, the answer took us off guard. “Growing up in Michigan,” Chris replied, “I’d have to say my favorites are the C1s and C2s. A lot of my Dad’s friends had older ones.
They were either modified for racing or had been in the family for a while.”
He went on to say, “If push comes to shove, I’d have to say my favorite generation is C2. The C2, 1963 to 1967 generation is my favorite by a landslide. From there, I’d have to say the sixth-generation. Though, very specific C6s.
The 2008 to 2009 Z06, and potentially the 2011 Z06 Carbon Limited Edition in Inferno Orange.”
He was also quick to point out one of his favorite job perks. Throughout the week, he often gets a chance to get behind the wheel of various generations.
Nice perk indeed, Chris!
There Is A Reason Why
Anytime you meet someone who is one of the tops in their field, it doesn’t take long to understand why. Spend a few minutes with Chris Lindamood, and you know why he has devoted clients across the United States.
Premier Corvette dealerships like this one, and an experienced sales manager like Chris, understand what today’s client needs. There are real, tangible reasons why they’re ranked in the top 10 every year in Corvette sales. No games, no gimmicks, just experience, top-flight service, and the desire to help.
Savvy Corvette buyers have long since utilized the volume-selling power of this top dealer to save thousands of dollars, especially for out-of-state buyers.
In the market for a new or used Corvette? You owe it to yourself to give Chris Lindamood a call before you make your decision to buy.
Chris Lindamood – Corvette Sales Manager – Rick Hendrick Chevrolet in Duluth. The address is 3277 Satellite Blvd, Duluth, GA 30096. The phone is 678-957-5400.
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