Since 1973, Joe Girard has held the title for most cars sold by a salesman in one year: 1,425. Others have claimed to have outsold him, but those claims failed to hold up when investigated.

Enter Ali Reda, a salesman at Les Stanford Chevrolet and Les Stanford Cadillac, both in Dearborn, Mich. He claims to have shattered that record, selling 1,582 last year. General Motors backs him up, although tallies of Reda's new vs. used sales have changed, and Guinness World Records is conducting its own investigation.

Both men amassed sales by using multiple assistants. Both believe deeply in the value of word-of-mouth marketing and in going the extra mile for their customers.

But they sold in different eras, with sharply different styles. Here are their stories, which show the similarities and differences of two men who know how to move the metal.

Reda entered the car business after 10 years at Michigan Industrial Belting, leaving when "there was no more advancement," he says. "Next in line was the owner."

Reda sold cars for 10 years at Bill Wink Chevrolet in Dearborn, until that franchise was terminated in June 2010 as part of GM's bankruptcy. He has been at Les Stanford for seven years.

Reda attributes the bulk of his success to his team. Assistant Merna Beydoun handles the paperwork. Sam Awada, says Reda, is his "young legs."

Reda, who says he read Girard's books and absorbed the lessons, swears by a hands-on approach to selling.

"I have a specific process in place that allows us to be efficient: I handle the deal from beginning to end," Reda says. "I do F&I; I do everything. A lot of dealers are not going to agree with that. You have to earn that later in your career."

The thrill of closing a sale, Reda says, takes a back seat to the joy of putting customers in cars that are right for them. "It doesn't feel like a job at that point," he says. "You're affecting lives, and first-time buyers. We as car salespeople sometimes forget how exciting it is to purchase a vehicle because we do it all the time."

Reda's success, he says, comes from building relationships in the largely Arabic community of Dearborn. Many shoppers entering his dealership are already his friends, he says. Getting out of the dealership and spending time in community centers and at social events makes all the difference.

"Earn the business, earn the trust of your community. Dearborn — we're a tightknit community. I can throw up a billboard at a local community center, but me being physically at that center is what's real," Reda says. "They would rather deal with someone that's real than just a face on a billboard."

Famous, but not popular

When Girard was introduced at Chevrolet's annual meeting for top salespeople as 1966's top seller, he recalls, "there was one guy in the back who booed me. And I looked at him, and I said, 'I'll give you $500 if you're willing to come up here and let me shake your hand.' " He didn't come forward.

The second year, there were more boos. And each year afterward.

Never before had a salesperson won the top-selling title two years in a row. Girard would be No. 1 for 12 consecutive years. The title made him famous, but not popular.

The fifth year, he was introduced by "this great guy, [then-Chevrolet General Manager] John Z. DeLorean." After the usual volley of boos, DeLorean "cleaned their face like you won't believe."

After 44 years, five books, and countless speaking engagements, Girard's sales techniques are well known in the industry. But few can emulate his determination, discipline or results.

As a salesman at Merollis Chevrolet in what is today Eastpointe, Mich., Girard stayed in the store and ignored distractions, such as co-workers.

Salesman Ali Reda, foreground, with 
Les Stanford Chevrolet owner Gary Stanford, left rear, and General Sales Manager Scott Montgomery. Photo credit: GREG HORVATH

'Don't come near me'

"I had a rule: Don't come near me. I'll say 'good morning' to you, but the rest of the day, don't come up to me, don't come near me. I don't want to hear nothing," Girard says. "I don't want to have lunch with you. I don't want to come to your house. You ain't coming to mine."

Girard reserved his charm for two groups: customers and the service department.

To customers, he handed out pins inscribed "I like you," and made sure he always beat other stores' prices. He hired three people to manage his customers, and paid them out of his own pocket. If a loyal customer's car needed a minor repair, he picked up the tab himself. As his reputation grew, he began seeing customers only by appointment.

Every third Wednesday, he wined and dined the dealership's technicians at an Italian restaurant. Once a year, he hosted a barbecue at his home for service department members and their families. This ensured his customers received priority in the service department.

"I fed them. I fed their family. What made me was service and giving people a good price," Girard says. "And don't cheat people. That's what made Joe Girard."

Though the first of his five books wasn't published until 1977, the year he retired as a salesman, Girard began capitalizing on his legacy before then. In 1975, he sold a seven-volume series of audiovisual tapes for $725 detailing his methods in reaching the top.

The tapes, which ran 2½ hours, were reviewed in Automotive News at the time.

"Some of Girard's points — don't waste time drinking coffee, reading newspapers or gossiping — are pretty obvious," the article read. "Others — like feigning a wrong phone number to elicit a new name on your mailing and follow-up list, are uniquely Girardian, the kind you'll never find in any conventional sales training manual."