Phil Williams is Managing Director, Direct Affinity, Customer Experience Experts.
Forget horsepower, it’s people power that drives success: Eight lessons from my career in the automotive industry
If you’d told 20-year-old me I’d be working in the automotive industry, I’d have laughed and told you ‘Don’t be daft, I’m no petrolhead’. But here’s the secret no one told me – automotive isn’t about horsepower or engine specs – it’s about people. Which suits me because cars aren’t my passion. People are.
Selling cars is about building relationships, learning about your customers’ needs and making every interaction count. Of course, a great vehicle helps…
So here I am, more years in than I care to count, and loving it. Here are 8 things I wish I’d known from day one:
- Invest in in-person relationships. Yes, we live in a digital world, but nothing replaces human interaction. A video chat, a phone call, a face-to-face meeting – it’s the only way to build strong relationships.
- Put the customer at the heart of everything. Sounds obvious, but it’s easy to lose sight of your customers when you’re focused on tracking sales and service plans. Prioritising their needs, their experience, and their journey is essential to build lasting relationships.
- You don’t have to be a car expert, but you must know your stuff. When I first began working in automotive, I worried my lack of knowledge might hold me back. The reality is that customers don’t expect you to know it all, they just want you to listen, understand their needs and offer the best solution.
- Technology is only as good as its users. Our industry is driven by incredible tech. Direct Affinity’s predictive CSI tools, for example, help dealerships anticipate customer service issues long before they arise. But even the best tech is only as effective as the people using it.
- Really get to know your customer – Time spent learning about your customers is never, ever wasted. It allows you to gather insights that will help you anticipate their needs, improve their experience and increase the quality of your interactions with them.
- Don’t forget the bigger picture. Whilst we might live and breathe cars, most people’s time in a dealership is a tiny moment in a much larger life. They have jobs, families, hobbies, worries, holidays to plan and food shopping to do!
- People do business with people they know, like and trust. It’s an old adage, but it’s true – I’ve built a career on it! Human relationships will always trump brands, products or price points. If you can bring integrity, openness, and humanity into your interactions, you’ll build trust and loyalty in a way no sales or marketing campaign ever will.
- Outsource to experts. One of the smartest moves a business can make is to know when to bring in outside expertise. Acknowledging your team’s capabilities or capacity is key. Whether it’s lead generation, aftersales engagement or customer experience strategies, specialists really can lift performance far beyond what’s possible in-house.
Put people first, at the heart of all your decision-making, and everything else will fall into place. I might not be a petrolhead, but I love the automotive trade.
Want to find out more about building strong customer relationships? We’d love to talk to you: www.directaffinitycx.com