Last month, I attended General Motors training at the Texas Motor Speedway. I was there to learn about the new Malibu, Cruze and Camaro, as well as the competitors to these cars. We got to ride in a 2SS Camaro, going 155 MPH on the oval track and we drove other models through winding courses to experience acceleration and handling of both the Chevys and the competition.
Part of the training took us through a small “car show-like” setting, where we could learn about performance add-ons for the cars as well as Chevrolet’s lineup of trucks and SUVs (and the Bolt!!!). It was during one of my stops, in this area, that a General Motors rep asked me how long I’d been selling cars and why I changed my career so late in life.
I told him my Volt story.
To my surprise, he said, “You’re exactly what GM’s been looking for, for our Volt Voices campaign!” He went on to say that General Motors has struggled with how to spread the word about the Volt. Should they focus on the “green” qualities of the car? The fuel economy (gas is relatively cheap right now)? Or the torque and acceleration of the electric drive? To address this, they were planning a “Volt Voices” campaign, wherein Volt owners upload their Volt story with photos. He thought my story would resonate. He also mentioned GM would actively publicize some of these stories and he thought my Volt story would probably be promoted. He said to expect a can from GM Marketing in a few days.
That evening, I attended a reception for the training attendees, at a hotel near Classic Chevrolet. I didn’t know anyone, so I was having a snack and drink, when this fellow walks up to me with another gentleman from General Motors. The first guy said, “Tell him your Volt story.” I did and the 2nd man got as excited as the first. He said, we’ll be emailing GM tonight, with your story. Expect a call.
After a week or so, as I was pulling into my driveway, my iPhone rang. It was a woman named Stephanie, telling me she’d heard my story but wanted to hear it from me. After my usual spiel, she told me I would be interviewed, first by GM and then by a team from GreenCarReports.com, a blog I regularly read about efficient vehicles.
About a week after that, a conference call was scheduled and I was interviewed.
Well last Friday, the story got published on Green Car Reports! Let my 15 minute timer begin! The link to the story is a generic link that will be superseded, in the future. When that happens, you can still see the article, as I printed it to a pdf for you. You can find the pdf here.
