Her Story
About Donna
Donna Sproles brings more than 25 years of experience in the automotive software industry. She began her career in her father's dealership, starting as a receptionist and handling every role except sales. After her father sold the business when she was in her early twenties, she leveraged her familiarity with software solutions to enter sales with the guidance of a mentor. She spent many years carrying a bag before advancing to sales engineer manager, where she handled presentations, and later to VP of Sales. Following a company restructuring that resulted in the layoff of 88 percent of the workforce, she joined Scan Solutions as a national rep and account executive. In this role, she is developing CRM tools and databases to enhance the company's profitability and operational effectiveness. Sproles attributes her success to hard work, the foundational lessons from her father, guidance from mentors, and her faith. She values integrity and always doing the right thing above all. Among the challenges she identifies in her field is the difficulty of connecting with decision makers amid widespread use of AI and automated systems that limit direct human interaction.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Donna
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it's a lot of hard work and being there, but it all comes from the beginning, and that's my father. And then the mentors along the way, his me successful. I have people you know, coach me, share with me, help me grow to be a better person. And I praise God that I was opened to those suggestions in order to succeed.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My father told me very early that whenever you hear a no, you're one step closer to a yes. So I have always taken that in my years of sales, and even into management, is that you know, this is tough. But you know, it's all numbers, and the more and more making those dials, making those stops, you're one, even though they say no, you're one step closer, because you know, it's in the numbers.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be persistent. If something's not working, change it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in the field is just really connecting with people. There are so many sales people, sales managers, but people call on dealerships in the automotive industry today that people just it's kind of falling on deaf ears, so you have to be creative in order to get in front of them. That's the biggest challenge, is getting in front of them, because now we have AI. If you don't have an appointment, they're not going to see you. Even they're going to automated attendance that is AI. So you can't even speak to a human being.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity. Absolutely integrity and always doing the right thing.
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