Mobility Alliance CXO (Chief Experience Officer) once said “I started selling cars a few decades ago, There was no formal training with two of the leading car importers in the country. Come Toyota next, where I was exposed to some training, somewhat beyond the “figure it out” thing. There was some sales training by prominent figures at the time, which was outdated even for the time, in our business of selling sort of a luxury, in a country where per capita income is below 4,000 USD.”
Fast forward, it is a situation that persists in many Sri Lankan organizations, even today.
Sujeeva further elaborated, “I became the best salesman of Toyota within a year of joining, beating many experienced colleagues, by mastering the art of selling myself first. Then instead of shifting to cold calling or practicing product pitches etc, I focused on learning the needs of others.”
This is even more valid now!
In the modern automotive sales landscape customers are often more informed and online purchases are becoming mainstream, car salespeople need to adapt their strategies to remain relevant and effective.
Be it individual or corporate, any new or used vehicle buyer will be loaded with information about vehicles, from the online universities of YouTube to Facebook! But most of this information could be paid, biased, applied only to a different country, or more especially to a different person’s or company’s needs.
We are shifting Sales to the Virtual era!
Our 5-Step Shifting
1. Selling Self & Tools – 25%
- Killing the Salesmen within
- Soft Skills: Active listening, Empathy, Adaptability
- Technology: Digital Tools / CRM systems
- Personal grooming
- Focus on Customer Experience
- Becoming a Consultant
2. Product Profiling – 45%
- Classifications – Hatch, Sedan, SUV, Keicar, Pickup and its subdivisions
- Classes for Comparisons
- Knowing the Competitor
- Drivetrains: ICE, Mild Hybrid, Hybrid, PHEV, EV,
- Energy, Environment & Sustainability
- Continuous Learning
3. Virtual Showroom – 10%
- Virtual Showrooms and Test Drives
- Online Communication
- Customer Reviews
- e-Commerce / Online Sales
- Social Media
4. Sales Process – 15%
- Corporate & Personal purchase decision-making
- Efficient Paperwork / digitally
- Basic Taxation and Financing
- K.I.S.S.
- Closing in Style
5. Friends Forever – 5%
- Build Long-Term Relationships
- Follow-Ups
- Loyalty Programs
For Whom
Automotive Franchises, Dealer principals, Managers, Sales and Marketing Staff, HR personnel
The Presenter
Sujeeva Premaratne started his career as an automobile technician, qualifying from CGTTI and City & Guilds. After a couple of years overseas stint as an auto tech, he moved on to automotive sales, whilst learning CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing). Then he needed to manage sales, although Salesmen earn more than the Managers in the ideal settings.
Sujeeva mastered all functions in the automotive dealerships, from Sales, Service, Parts, Administration, Logistics, Marketing, and Costing to Product portfolio development. He is a Certified Automotive Dealer Evaluator, trained at the Global Training Center of Daihatsu Motor Co.; Ltd. He was further trained at NIBM for Financial Management.
During his career, Sujeeva handled many global brands for varying dealerships including Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Ford, Jaguar, and Volvo. Sujeeva was instrumental in setting up new Auto Dealerships for global brands Skoda, Volvo, and BYD, meeting corporate compliances.
Sujeeva ended his full-time corporate career as the Chief Operating Officer of Softlogic Automobiles to pursue his dreams, shifting to EV in 2015. He is the Director / CEO / CXO of Mobility Alliance, a Social Enterprise, Towards Sustainable Mobility.
He advocates and liaises with the Government of Sri Lanka on Mobility, Sustainability, and policy-related matters. Sujeeva is an invitee to many global forums to speak on Shift to Electric and Smart Mobility.
Program Duration
We live in a fast-paced world, it’s a one-day program! A sheer salesmen should be able to grasp it all within a day! A certificate of participation is to be awarded to participants.
Delivery & Structure
Powerpoint presentations with live interactions. Questions are permitted within the sessions by raising the hand, instead of waiting to end.
We limit the participation to 20 personnel, to ensure personal interaction with each participant, having differing skill and talent levels.
Customization of the program / changing the weightage % of the 5 modules are available (costs may apply).
Feedback forms after the event and follow-up forms after four weeks will be executed and analyzed.
Investment:
LKR 250,000. (Venue and Refreshments for participants to be supplied by the client)
It’s not just tech sales and service training. By participating actively, dealership management and salespeople will be able to navigate the challenges posed by competitive products, knowledgeable customers, and the shift towards online and alternative purchasing, ultimately driving sales whilst building lasting customer relationships.
