Daphne Prevatte brings experience and hometown goodness

ELIZABETHTOWN – The Bladen Journal is growing in subscriptions, interest and personnel.

To fully accommodate the people of Bladen County and to give them another avenue to become visible in the local community, we introduce to you, veteran salesperson, Daphne “Dee Dee” Prevatte.

Prevatte was born and raised in Robeson County and graduated at a “Pirate” from Lumberton High School. She was not your usual girly-girl, but had that attractive quality to the male population in that she grew up everything automotive.

After high school she went to UNC-Pembroke where she went two years to study accounting and business administration before working for the hospital for a short time. The majority of her life was spent working in the family business selling auto parts until 2015.

The business was Prevatte Auto Parts and Prevatte Auto Supply.

“My grandfather started his auto parts business in 1952,” Prevatte said. “He ran it and then sold it in, I believe 2015. So I worked there until he closed the business. We had stores in Lumberton, Pembroke, St. Pauls and Elizabethtown. He ended up selling out to Southeastern Automotive in Fayetteville that bought the business where they ended up growing their business to 14 stores before selling out to NAPA Auto Parts.”

Although she started in Robeson County, she moved to Bladen County where she’s been for the past 30 years.

Her grandfather ran the business for 63 years and while Prevatte was growing up she did it all for her grandfather who is still thriving at 101 years old.

“I did every aspect of the business, really,” she said. “I did the office work, accounting, working the counter selling parts, outside sales, working the retail end and the warehouse end. I did it all. When we opened the location on Elizabethtown Road, I went from working in the office after 30 years, to working in that location. I did outside sales and got to be around more people.”

She had much experience in selling to the customers who came into the shop and with the jump to the new location, she gained more exposure in selling to those who weren’t necessarily looking to buy parts. She said that she sold to people who didn’t really know they needed anything.

As the business eventually sold out to the bigger chains, Prevatte reinvented herself and used the experience she had to stay in a related industry.

“After we closed, then I went into automotive chemical sales,” she said. “That’s when I started selling to dealerships selling automotive chemicals and decal supplies. It was harder breaking in with the dealerships because when they buy parts, they buy from the auto manufacturers. But it’s different with their detail end. I had a lot of competition with Majestic and places like that. I sold in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.”

Some sales people have challenges selling certain things, but Prevatte has grown with the sales trends, learning initially from one of the best. An old-school salesman who first sold auto parts out of a truck and didn’t how to give up when times got hard.

Sales is an art and if you can believe in the product you are selling and feel that you have the customer’s best interest at heart, sales becomes a joy because it’s not just taking, but it’s giving. Prevatte said that there is nothing she hasn’t been able to sell in the span of her illustrious career.

“I learned how to sell from my grandfather,” she said. “He started his business out of an old corn crib on his property. He was my No. 1 inspiration. His secret was honesty and taking care of your customers. You have to be honest no matter how hard it hurts. If I have to lie to a customer for a sale, they will just have to hurt my feelings. I will not lie to a customer.”

Prevatte said that her favorite thing about sales is meeting the people. The new ones and the old. She is working for Champion Media on the borders, selling to Robeson, Columbus and Bladen Counties. It is a busy job and although she is on the road quite a lot, she is in her element standing tall in her grandfather’s shadow.

To reach Dee Dee Prevatte you can call her at the Bladen Journal office at 910-862-2253.