The American Dream – Easterns Automotive Group
Easterns Automotive Group founder and CEO Mr. Robert Bassam was recently featured on Bloomberg Television for the season premiere of The American Dream. This national television show features entrepreneurs across various industries and their struggles to become successful. The American Dream premiered in 2018 and is currently in its third season. The lovely folks from the network asked Bassam to be a part of their new season because the longevity of Easterns was truly fascinating to them. Most people don’t know that Easterns has been in business for over 30 years and was created solely by Bassam who came from humble beginnings. He started with a dream and built his company over time as he grew his wealth and resources.
On the show, Bassam gets super candid about the early stages of his journey as a car dealer and goes into detail about the obstacles and challenges that have occurred along the way. A major hurdle that Bassam touches on is the recession that happened in 2008 and how that caused him to not only close numerous Easterns locations but also restructure his business. What makes Bassam so special is that he never let the hard times get him down or take him away from his goals. Bassam also touches on the world-renowned Easterns jingle and how it was created. “At Eastern Motors, your job is your credit!” Never in his wildest dreams did he think it would still live on today and be known by people that have never even been to the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. This is all thanks to the commercials that feature players from the Washington Football Team, Washington Wizards, and a plethora of actors, comedians, and musicians. His son, Joel Bassam is the Director of Marketing for Easterns. You will see him take some time to break down the brand from a marketing perspective.
Our hope is that this episode of The American Dream will be an inspiration piece for many entrepreneurs out there to show them that success has many routes. To be a successful entrepreneur, one must have determination, motivation, and self-confidence. These characteristics will take you a long way especially on the days where things don’t seem to be working out. This is the first time that Bassam has been so transparent about his automotive journey as a businessman. There are currently 8 Easterns sales locations across the DMV metro area. Easterns even has an online express store for customers to shop and buy a car online. This option has become a success as customers are able to sit down in the comfort of their own homes and fill out all of the needed financial paperwork for their purchase. After everything is complete, a sales representative personally delivers the vehicle to the customer at their home. This is a perfect way to eliminate the nervous or jittery feeling that customers get when walking into a car dealership. The peace of mind of knowing that every vehicle has passed a rigorous multi-point inspection, comes Carfax certified, and has a 7-day return policy is priceless.
The various awards that Easterns has gotten over the years for their customer satisfaction truly separates them from their competitors. Easterns has been named a Dealer of the Year by Dealer Rater for the past 4 years. The Washington Post has recognized the work culture of Easterns and named them a Top Workplace for two consecutive years. The entire staff operates as one big family which puts customers at ease and makes them feel comfortable during their visit. Easterns has numerous partnerships with DC television networks where they give back to people doing great things in the community as well as those in need. Bassam has big plans to continue growing Easterns to be one of the top used car dealers in the country. We hope that you enjoy this episode of The American Dream on Bloomberg TV and learn more about how Easterns grew to what it is today.
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