In a high-pressure industry where success is often measured on a month-to-month basis, Roderick Hubble has taken a different approach. Over the past 25 years, he has built a career in automotive sales by focusing on one thing that many overlook, that is, doing the right thing, consistently and repeatedly.

Today, he serves as a Master-Certified Sales and Leasing Consultant at Performance Lexus in Cincinnati. His client base spans generations, and his referrals come without asking. While his name has appeared in GQ’s Men of the Year edition and on the cover of Millennium Magazine, he is far more likely to talk about a long-time customer than any headline.

The Beginning of a Steady Climb

 Roderick Hubble didn’t plan on staying in automotive sales. Like many in the business, he started with modest expectations. The job was straightforward, the environment was competitive, and the learning curve was steep. However, early on, something about the work stuck with him.

He liked the pace and that every customer walked in with a different story. More than anything, he liked figuring out how to make people feel comfortable in a space that often overwhelms them. Roderick says, “It wasn’t about pushing for the sale, it was about building a sense of trust in a place where trust isn’t always easy to find.”

Over time, that mindset turned into a method. Roderick became the person customers asked for by name. Without ever trying to stand out, he started doing just that. His move to Performance Lexus only sharpened those instincts. Surrounded by a team that valued service as much as sales, he found the right environment to grow and to stay.

The Philosophy Behind the Sale

There’s no script or rehearsed pitches on Roderick’s desk. When asked about how he approaches a sale, he generally says, “I listen first.”

That mindset has shaped every part of his approach. He pays attention to what people say and to what they don’t. Over the years, this has made him not just a reliable consultant but the kind of person customers return to and rely on.

The Spotlight That Followed

Over the years, Roderick’s work has earned attention well beyond the showroom floor. He has been named Regional Salesperson of the Year three times. He is currently the highest consumer-rated Lexus salesperson in the state of Ohio, certified through DealerRater, with the most 5-star consumer ratings. This achievement speaks directly to the trust he has built with clients over time. In 2024, he was nominated as Top Master Sales Consultant of the Decade by the International Association of Top Professionals.

In addition, national platforms have taken notice, too. He was featured in GQ’s Men of the Year edition and made the cover of Millennium Magazine in 2023. That same year, he received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition given to professionals who have demonstrated long-term impacting their field.

Setting the Tone Effortlessly

While his sales numbers stand out, his influence inside the dealership is just as visible. New team members often seek him out, not just for advice, but for his way of working, steady, attentive, and deeply intentional.

He doesn’t consider himself a mentor in any formal sense, but he’s the one people tend to learn from by watching. When things get tense, which they often do in sales, he’s the one who helps the team stay focused.

What he brings to the floor is consistency, not just in performance, but in tone, presence, and mindset. When it comes to business, he says, “That can shift by the hour, but quality work is a necessity.”

Adapting to Change

The industry Roderick entered 25 years ago doesn’t look much like the one he works in today. Buyers do their research before walking through the door. Paperwork has moved online, and expectations around speed and transparency are higher than ever. While the mechanics of the job have shifted, his way of working hasn’t needed to.

He uses digital tools where it makes sense. They help streamline the process, give people flexibility, and save time on things that used to take hours. But they don’t replace conversations. They don’t explain trade-offs or read a customer’s hesitation.

Change, for Roderick, hasn’t been about reinventing himself. It’s been about staying clear on what matters and adjusting around it. Customers still want someone to listen and to be treated with respect.

What Keeps Him Going

One thing that Roderick doesn’t chase is milestones. What keeps him going is much simpler – showing up, doing the work, and doing it well. The structure of a sales job appeals to him as there’s a rhythm to it, a clear measure of progress. But what holds his interest is the variety. He mentions, “No two customers walk in with the same needs. No two conversations are alike.”

After more than two decades in the business, he still pays attention to the details. He still follows up, and he enjoys the part of the job that can’t be taught. Reading the room, knowing when to step back, and knowing when someone just needs a bit more time.

He says he doesn’t get bored because the work never really repeats, “Every day, I get to fix something, explain something, or just make something easier for someone. That doesn’t get old.”

The Value of Staying Put

In an industry where movement is common and turnover is expected, Roderick has stayed. Not because of comfort, but because of alignment. He found the right environment early on. One that matched his pace, his standards, and his way of working. He says, “I chose to build within the same place rather than move from place to place looking for more.”

The work has never stopped evolving, and neither has he. But being rooted in one place has given him the space to focus on what really matters. The people, the process, and the long view.

A Legacy in the Making

For Roderick, legacy is not something he’s trying to define, but the shape of it is already there. It shows up in returning clients who now send their kids to him. In the colleagues who model his calm, structured way of working.

 

What matters to him is whether people remember how they were treated. Whether they felt heard and if they felt like they were in good hands. That’s the part he wants to get right every time.