Employee Feature: James Walker | McLarty Daniel Ford

It took James Walker, a salesperson of new and used vehicles at McLarty Daniel Ford of Bentonville, over 25 years to get there. 

A former Navy corpsman, Walker spent six years in the armed forces as a young man, working in the ophthalmological department of large military hospitals and serving with a Marine Corps extraction team as a combat medic in the Middle East. It was tough work, Walker said. He was on call on October 11, 2000, for example, when terrorists bombed the American destroyer U.S.S. Cole as it was refueling in Yemen’s Aden harbor, killing 17 American sailors.

“I actually saw 275 of my fellow Navy sailors that night,” he said. “For 78 hours, I worked doing all those examinations… It breaks your heart, man. It really does.”

After leaving the military, Walker used his training in ophthalmology to transition into his next career, training doctors to do eye surgery with lasers and image-guided systems. Walker said he loved the work enough that he stuck with it for 23 years, but it kept him away from home a lot. “It got to the point where I was leaving Sundays at noon and getting home Fridays at midnight,” he said. “I’m a full time single father, so I said enough of that. I need to be home…. I miss it. But I’d rather be home with my kid.”

Always one with an analytical mind, Walker did his homework before putting in applications at local dealerships. McLarty Daniel Ford was soon at the top of his list. “Being the #1 Ford dealer in the state for a such a long period of time, the reputation it has, the no-hassle and no-pressure deals, I thought that would be a good little commitment for me,” he said. “That’s how I did my business before with the lasers and guidance systems.”

Another thing he likes about McLarty Daniel Ford is their willingness to hire veterans. He’s one of at least six vets on staff there.

Since signing on with McLarty Daniel Ford about five months ago, Walker said he’s learned quite a bit. “It’s a different lifestyle,” he said. “You get excited about what you’ve got going on, especially if you know the product. I’ve got a long way to go, but it’s still exciting. Every day, I find something new and something different… I like meeting people, all kinds of people. The good, the bad, the ugly. It’s a treasure hunt and I like that. There’s always something unique and different about each person or family that comes in here. You get to dive in a little bit to find out what’s going on and what their needs are. It’s a good challenge, and every day the challenge is different.”

Walker understands and respects the fact that he’s helping people make one of the biggest-ticket purchases they will ever make. He said he’s always especially glad to help younger buyers who may have never bought a car on their own. “The younger folks are my favorite,” he said. “They’re establishing themselves, so you get to help them into something that’s going to get them by. They don’t have to marry it. They can date it for a little while and build their credit up, so that when it comes time to buy the vehicle they want, they’ve got the money saved up. Then they can get into that ride that they really set a goal to buy. I like that part of it. You’ve got to start somewhere. We all do. Every one of us has to start somewhere, and it’s pretty neat to help someone do that.”

A long-time fan of Ford cars and trucks, Walker owns a 2010 Ford F-150 FX4 4×4, which is the first new vehicle he ever owned. “It’s my favorite truck in the world. They’re rugged. They’re tough. They’re dependable. They don’t break down,” he said. “You take care of a Ford and it’ll take care of you. Get the oil changed and do all the maintenance you need to do and it’ll last. I think that’s something most people don’t understand. A lot of people want to trade in every year and get something new. But you can get a long life out of Ford vehicles if you just take care of them.”

Though he still loves his 2010 F-150, he’s got his eye on a new model. He said the technological advances Ford trucks have made in eight short years are nothing short of incredible, a thought that gets him excited about what Ford may dream up in the next eight years. “What I have versus what we have on the lot today is night and day,” he said. “You can see the technology and the thought process of where we’re at, but it’s a huge difference. I think that’s pretty cool. You can see exactly where we’re going and where we are now. I mean, these things will park themselves. You can back up a trailer without touching the steering wheel… All you control is the gas pedal and the brake. You don’t have to worry about steering the truck to get your trailer where it needs to be. You watch the [rear-view] camera and you drive the trailer. It’s amazing.”

Walker said he doesn’t believe there’s a secret to being a good salesperson, other than truly listening to customers when they tell you what they need. “There are some customers you’ll have to spend three or four hours with,” he said. “But in helping them, you get to almost to be family by the time you’re done. That’s really neat. I’ve made some good friends. I’ve got a couple that I sold a car to two months ago who are actually on my kickball team now.” Beyond that, he said, there’s no real recipe to fit every customer and every deal.

“Just be humble and be honest,” he said. “Take pride in what you’ve got, and be excited about what you’re selling. If you don’t believe in your product, you shouldn’t be selling it.”

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