Aaron Rhodes

Independent venture providing AI-assisted phone handling, follow-up automation, and marketing services to blue-collar and trade small businesses: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping.

• Developed the brand identity, sales collateral, pricing model, and go-to-market plan from zero.
• Built a prioritized list of Durham-area target accounts and the outreach motion to work it.
• Designed the service around the single biggest revenue leak in the trades: the unanswered call.

Managed internet sales operations for a high-volume Ford dealership in the Raleigh-Durham market, owning lead activity from first inquiry through appointment and handoff to the sales floor.

• Oversaw all internet lead activity: appointment setting, customer response, and pipeline management across multiple inbound channels.
• Ran the dealership's social media presence and content, holding a consistent brand voice and driving visibility.
• Owned the AI-powered sales tooling and made sure the team actually used it to respond to and convert leads.
• Managed additional channels including Facebook Marketplace and retail programs to generate incremental opportunities.
• Tracked and reported monthly performance: closing rate, show rate, and appointment volume.

• Guided customers through the full purchase: needs assessment, product walkthrough, test drive, pricing negotiation, and close.
• Consistently met or exceeded monthly targets, earning promotion to Internet Sales Manager in seven months.

On-site liaison between corporate clients in pharmaceutical, automotive, and financial services and the local event staff executing for them.

• Owned transportation, food and beverage, hospitality, VIP services, room blocks, and billing reconciliation for events ranging from 50 to 12,000+ attendees.
• Part of the 8-person team behind the largest coffee tasting in the world: 12,357 simultaneous attendees at the United Center in Chicago, a Guinness World Record.
• Six years self-employed with repeat corporate clients, where the referral engine was the business.

• Managed CRM-driven follow-up for inbound internet and phone inquiries, coordinating with sales managers through the full customer journey.
• Maintained Customer Satisfaction Index scores above the Ford national average.

• Mortgage Sales Specialist, Wells Fargo. SAFE-licensed.
• Lead Sales Specialist, Bose. Trained and coached retail staff.
• TV & Home A/V Lead, Sony Electronics. Consistently a top-three store seller.