No quick fix for 2013

Doyle admits there will be no quick fixes this year for the automotive industry.

He said: “I think there will be some growth in 2013, probably around 1% on GDP. 

"I don’t think we’re going to get to any one year and see a sudden take up.

“We’ve been working pretty hard for the last four years getting ourselves out of the recession and I can see it continuing that way for another four years to come.

“For the brands we represent, I know 2014 will be an incredibly strong year for us due to the product cycle in that period.”

The group is currently considering opportunities for expansion and one option will be resolved in Q1.

Customer relationship management

HR Owen is still using the ADP dealer management system for all of its transactional data, but its Salesforce system handles all of the group’s customer management.

One of the key advantages to using the new system is the ability to bolt on additional items. HR Owen’s telephony is run through Salesforce.

When a customer calls, the screen displays all of the customer’s details to the sales executive before the phone is even answered.

The group now has all of its systems in one place and can draw from a centralised database.

Doyle said: “You could have been a very good customer of Bentley in our group, walked into a Ferrari dealership and we wouldn’t know you.

“We’ve got one of the UK’s best high net worth customer databases and the power of being able to pull that all together for future prospecting and customer management is significant.”

There is also a campaign module which manages email and postal campaigns, as well as event management.

Everything is captured and traced, making it easier for the group to
identify prospects and communicate with them correctly.

This allows Doyle to develop a formula for the many  leads it needs to turn into prospects, that turn into test drives which generate sales.

He said: “We’ve now properly worked that funnel out across the business and I can now divide that information by franchise, account manager, dealership and division.

"It helps the sales guys and sales managers day to day.

“It helps me to direct the marketing spend more effectively across the business too.”

Bugatti is a work of art

At £840,000 to £1.5 million a piece, it’s not surprising the average Bugatti sales executive sells just two cars a year.

HR Owen’s Bugatti UK sales specialist Anita Krizsan sold 10 in 2012, which puts her clearly in the lead for global sales.

It’s the best performance for Bugatti in HR Owen’s history and demonstrates how well insulated the super-rich are from the economic woes of the world.

Krizsan explains that the key to success is her absolute enthusiasm for the product.

She said: “Getting to show people this work of art is exciting.

"The key is sharing that enthusiasm and expert knowledge about the car, but also making things as easy as possible for the customer.”

The majority of communication is by text message and test drives are rarely requested.

If the customer does not already have a car collection, Krizsan knows they’re unlikely to buy. She will only deal with the customer directly – no brokers or fixers.

Krizsan said: “These customers want the absolute minimum of fuss and they want you to be completely straight with them at all times.

“I have answered texts at 3am because they might be in a different time zone.”

Due to the rarity of the product, there can often be multiple people interested in the same model.

An invitation to a three-day factory tour in Molseim where customers can spec their Bugatti in the atelier, which is surrounded by rolling hills and prancing deer, usually convinces billionaire customers to sign on the dotted line.

Luckily HR Owen allows payments in three large instalments, rather than the full £1.5m in one go.