Autotrader reviews

Lack of Leadership, Slow to Market with products, Stability is very questionable, inconsistent messaging

Change in executive leadership in the last two years has resulted in changes in the overall focus of the company. The founder/CEO Chip Perry is gone, as well as Alan Smith, the developer of the consultative sales process they have used since around 2008. Both executives gave the impression of being extremely focused on the dealer customers and their AutoTrader.com employees. While the jury still seems to be out on the new CEO, sales commissions seem to be much smaller since his regime's arrival. The company now pays in line with other positions of this type, but they used to pay better for attracting the best available salesforce in the market. The work/life balance that corporate management so often speaks of is easier to achieve if you are in the corporate office, but barely exists in the sales arena. Before the changes in the monetary portion of the compensation plan, the lack of work/life balance was somewhat of a trade-off that could be more easily justified.