Personality Over Looks
Chief Operating Officer Renault India, Sudhir Rao
I am working on my son’s physics teacher now. I have been trying really hard; this is my fourth month at Renault India and I have already sold three Logans. Let’s see if he will be persuaded. I have given myself a target to sell at least one Logan a month. I really want to sell the car to people who are close to me so that I can get feedback directly. I have sold one to my cousin, another to my wife’s uncle and these are people whom I have known for almost all my life.
I know what the weakness of the Logan is. People would have preferred if the car looked more dynamic; it does not stand out in a crowd.
However, it is not that I am always successful. In one incident, while I was talking to a person about the car, suddenly her kid came online and said don’t buy that car, it’s a boring car! That’s all right because in India the decision to buy a car is taken by the entire family and what each member of the family is looking for in a car will be different.
But, then as I told my cousin when I was recommending the Logan to him, you are a man of substance; the car must take on your personality, not the other way round. How the car behaves while driving and feels on the inside is for you, how it looks from the outside is for other people.
I make phantom calls. My pseudonym is Shashi Reddy. That is my second persona when I visit some of the car dealers, both ours and competitors’. Sometimes I disclose my identity; sometimes I don’t. I just give them my personal mobile number and wait to see if they call me back. By the way, almost a decade ago, I was also known as the 41st dealer in a previous job! Even here, I would like to believe that I am the X+1 dealer.
I know that sometimes you can be a pain to friends, because people may see you as a salesman, but then I have been in this business for 25 years now and I know where to draw the line.
Talk to Me
President M&M, Pawan Goenka
I never let go of an opportunity to pitch for a Mahindra product. I succeed in selling a vehicle more often than not. This success is sweeter when I have been able to sell Mahindra vehicles to persons who had decided to purchase products from the competitor’s stable!
My three brothers own at least one Mahindra product. Almost everyone that I have sold a vehicle to - and this includes my carpenter, plumber, neighbours, social acquaintances, cousin, nephew and brothers - are happy customers.
But what really excites me the most is to sell my vehicle to someone I don’t know. For instance, I met somebody for the first time at a social gathering and he mentioned casually that he was on the verge of buying a certain product from a competitor. I asked him to try out the Scorpio Automatic. He tried it and five days later went ahead and bought it.
The only time I have made a sales call was to a famous Bollywood actor. Just meeting him was reward enough but it did also result in a sale.
I have realised that sometimes people hesitate to ask directly, but once one begins an open conversation with them, it often results in an opportunity. That’s how I got to sell our vehicle to a plumber who worked on my house five years ago. I offered him a small discount of Rs. 3,000 and today he and his friends have three Mahindra pick up trucks. Though the plumber knew that I was a senior executive at Mahindra, he was hesitant to ask for my help.
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All Hands On Deck
President and CEO Fiat India, Rajeev Kapoor
Both my sons are car fanatics. Only last evening my younger son, Shishir, who is 16 years old, told me that I need to pay him a commission or sign a contract with him. He has sold 19 Grande Puntos till date to his friends in Delhi and Faridabad. I am wondering if I should get him to talk to our marketing team. Earlier, at the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce event I sold a Fiat Linea Emotion Plus to the Italian Ambassador for his wife. Now, that’s a high profile customer.
At the Grande Punto launch in New Delhi I met five ladies discussing cars and now each one of them has bought a Punto Emotion Plus from me. I am always on the go. After the launch of the Punto, I visited my dealerships in South India; 12 of them covering four cities in four days.
But, I do come across people who are sceptical. Sometimes people question on parts, build quality, service and also say that Fiat cars do not have enough power. I tell them be my guest at the Ranjangaon plant, test drive the car, visit my dealers and then decide. If they still don’t like it, no hard feelings.
By the way I need to catch up with you soon. Have you driven the Punto?
Wearing the Car on His Sleeve
President and MD GM India, Karl Slym
I wasn’t sure how taking on the role of brand ambassador for Chevrolet on TV was going to go. But, on the first weekend after the airing I did manage to get a free haircut. There was a need for us to provide clarity on our brand, our name. Some people think you are General Motors, some people think you are Chevrolet, some people even think you are General Electric which was the most surprising.
I always travel with my jacket which has the Chevrolet badge. The badge is like an invitation to talk cars. If I see someone get out of a Chevrolet vehicle I go and talk to them. I am waiting to be picked up in a hotel, someone drives over in a Chevrolet, I walk over and ask ‘How’s your Chevrolet?’ It is the only way. There is no point in being shut off from what real customers are feeling about my car.
We have to attract the person to get into the car. I can’t go to someone’s house, put them in handcuffs and get them to get into the car. In India that means, is there a value proposition for them? Be it a Rs. 2.66 lakh Spark or a Rs 20 lakh Captiva, customers want to know what the fuel economy is.
Find this article in Forbes India Magazine of 14 August, 2009
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