Developing a brand new car starts from a Concept to Research & Development (RND) to Manufacturing and ends at Sales. Typically it takes a manufacturer 3-4 years to bring the new model to showroom. Those years are spent , to constantly study and improvise all issues found at early stages of prototype build and tests. A greater challenge is, when a competing manufacturer introduces new model with better technologies for an irresistible price, and we engineers are pushed to develop better technology for almost similar price. Words such as, “COST DOWN”, “VAVE”, are thrown frequently in order to compete with “rivals”.
But, at the end of the cycle, do Sales personnel pitch all these outcomes to customer? Are they aware of these development or merely focusing to hit targets with false information told to customer? This writing is to give some ideas on how to pitch the hard-work of engineers to customer in a layman language.
1. Do your homework!
Before selling the car to a buyer, ensure that you know what are technical features included in the model/variant. I once dealt with a seller telling me that the Proton Iriz has automatic braking. He was not aware of who I was. He misunderstood the Brake Assist feature as AEB. I however forgiven him. Imagine what could happen if a buyer drives his car and believing it has automatic braking and confidently crashes into another car at front. GG.
2. Point out what’s positive about the car.
There was as salesperson, whom hsd my zero knowledge on the particular model, Proton X50. She was not aware that, the X50 is an EEV (Energy Efficient Vehicle). She confidently said the car would consume more petrol as it has a turbocharged engine. Damn. She could’ve talked about the safety features, especially structural wise of the car. An X50 has more than a dozen HPF reinforcement panels to protect passengers in the body shell after a serious crash. Wonder why they’re lazy to know this and pitch it to customers.
3. Benchmarking
Stop promising and giving fake hopes to customers. A customer could be very picky while selecting a car. She may say a H brand is better than P brand. T brand is more high-tech than M brand. Do your research. Make a simple table of comparison to show customers what your car is pioneering in while the others don’t.
Once again, I am not a sales person, but a sincere engineer trying to ensure our efforts of making great cars are being sold based on the efforts contributed to it, not some forward messages la ah. Adios.
DV-Drives 