2024-04-27 03:30:35
[위클리 리포트] Meet the four ‘gods of automobile sales’
Visiting customer congratulatory messages several times a day… Village Sports Council – Networking at community events
Selling a car by making your name known through an acquaintance’s introduction
Physical and mental hard work, endure while watching family… I calmed down by looking at car parts that resembled my own.
The man in the black suit rode around the village on a 100cc 88 motorcycle. To beat the cold winter wind, I put a wad of newspaper under my shirt. Kim Chang (58), who later became a Hyundai Motor Company sales leader, recalled his first day of business this way. He achieved cumulative sales of 5,000 units this year and became the 19th person to be named a sales great.
It was November 1989, around the time I was just discharged from the military. I saw an advertisement for Hyundai Motor Company salespersons in the newspaper. He put on a new suit and went to Daejeon. He entered the interview room with great enthusiasm, but the interviewer did not even glance at him. Kim Chang did not wait for questions. He stood up with his hands raised and asked. “But why don’t you ask Ji a question? “The target to lose is the president of Hyundai Motor Company.” This is the secret story of the birth of activist salesman Kim Chang.
Although he started his career in sales with enthusiasm, it was never easy for a new salesperson to increase his performance. It was because there was no connection. He chose to go to the customer instead of waiting. His first car was the Presto, the successor to the Pony, released in 1985, and the dashboard showed over 100,000 km in the first year alone.
On the 22nd, I met Sales Manager Kim Chang at the Hyundai Motors Asan Tangjeong branch in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. The sight of him going about his business carrying 10 boxes of walnut snacks on his hydrogen car ‘Nexo’ is not much different from 35 years ago. During the two-hour interview, his cell phone rang more than 10 times.
What is the secret to car dealers still being active in an era where everything is sold online? Is the car sales industry an area where the ‘sincerity’ of dealers resonates? We asked four ‘Gods of Sales’ from Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors.
Customer-tailored service has many regular customers and a high repurchase rate.
The 19th Hyundai Motor Company Sales Master Kim Chang, Sales Manager of Asan Tangjeong Branch, the 18th Hyundai Motor Company Sales Master Hong Eun-pyo, Sales Director of Cheonan Northern Branch (61), the 8th Kia ‘Great Master’ Jeong Seong-man, Senior Auto Consultant at Gyeongnam Ulsan Branch (54), the 29th Kia ‘ I met ‘Grand Master’ Song Woong (58), a senior auto consultant at the Busan Nampo branch.
‘Sales Master’ and ‘Great Master’ are titles given to employees who have sold more than 5,000 units, and ‘Grand Master’ is a title given to employees who have sold more than 4,000 units. I thought there must be a hidden secret behind sales kings. They all cited regular customers and a high repurchase rate.
It is basic to treat customer congratulations and condolences as if it were your own business. Four years ago, Senior Song visited the funeral home of the president of a transportation company who was his first customer. Senior Song said, “Even after 35 years, I still vividly remember the boss who only rode a 1-ton bongo.” His wife expressed her gratitude, saying, “Even though we only met through a car, I am grateful that we shared our grief with more than just relatives.” Senior Song attends up to three congratulations and condolences a day. Recently, he spent about 1 million won a month on congratulations and condolences alone. Of the over 4,000 vehicles sold by Senior Song, 3,000 were sold through referrals.
“I almost lived in a directly managed business. From changing engine oil to after-sales service, I drove the customer’s car and did a lot of errands. “I once had a car with a broken windshield repaired at my own expense.” Manager Kim worked at the Seonghwan branch for 25 years and at the Jiksan branch for 9 years before moving to the Asan Tangjeong branch in October last year. Since they were branches outside the city center, after-sales service was not smooth. He jumped on both feet for the customer’s convenience. “I’m not selling a car, I’m selling myself.”
Four sales gods, all ‘meeting management masters’
The gods of sales were ‘masters of meeting management.’ From village sports clubs and gyms to Facebook. They did not care about the location or type of meeting. The sales gods agreed that the number of customers introduced to Al-Eum-Al-Eum has increased thanks to their passionate group activities.
“Have you ever heard of a gym selling cars?” Director Hong’s love for gatherings is extraordinary. She even formed a group at the gym she went to for rehabilitation purposes after suffering a ligament injury. She also met regularly with Cheonan Livestock Agricultural Cooperative officials, whom she met at the golf driving range about 10 years ago, and became friendly friends. Director Hong still leads local sports club meetings. When a local event is held, we take the lead and help supervise the management.
“Managing money is so cumbersome that no one wants to do it. I raised my hand and said, “I will take charge.” Manager Kim explained that this is to quickly memorize member names and communicate more. Director Kim, who participates in 11 meetings, including the Residents’ Autonomy Committee, has made all the police station chiefs he met while serving as a local crime prevention leader his customers. When it comes to gatherings, they don’t care whether it’s offline or online. Senior Jeong has been running a Facebook group called ‘Postman Community’ with 1,000 members for 8 years. Businessmen from all over the country are members. Senior Jeong also holds discussions directly for members who are concerned about poor business performance and provides solutions.
The tireless driving force behind sales is ‘family’
Sales is famous for its arduous work. You can survive only if you have physical strength and mental strength. What is the driving force behind these people who have run tirelessly for decades? There was ‘family’ behind their backs.
Manager Kim saved 120,000 won out of his monthly salary of 200,000 won when he first joined the company. Since his remaining living expenses were only 80,000 won, he worked without weekends. There were many days when I was exhausted late at night dealing with customers and had to enter the front door password. However, seeing the faces of sleeping children always gave me strength. “I raised him tenaciously. My son got married two years ago and my daughter is getting married this year. “Thanks to my hard work, I was able to add even a small house to my home.”
“Our generation feels pressured to take responsibility for their children until they grow up.” Director Hong said. “The thought of having to cover the cost of studying abroad motivated me to work tirelessly in sales.” Senior Jeong, who sent his son to study abroad in Canada with his wife when he was in the second year of middle school eight years ago, spent three and a half years as his father. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t lonely, but he persevered while thinking of his family.
The responsibility of being the head of a family was a burden that weighed down on both shoulders, but it was also fuel that allowed me to take another step forward. In this way, they became proud fathers, husbands, and sales kings.
Gods of sales who resemble car parts
It wasn’t enough. There was clearly a special move, and he even revealed his ‘personal trade secret’ that the sales gods had kept secret. Is it because we have been working with cars for decades? The secrets of sales kings resembled car parts.
“It’s been rolling for 35 years without stopping, like a wheel.” Director Kim is proud that he has lived his life in a rounded way. Thanks to his easy-going personality, people always gathered around him. Manager Kim is an errand boy who takes care of the customer’s feet like a car wheel. He hopes that his business will serve as a foundation for customer happiness.
Director Hong is like an ‘engine’. The speed was gradually increased to avoid putting a strain on the engine. When he first joined the company, he focused on recruiting prospective customers (customers expected to buy cars), but after sales picked up speed, he expanded his scope to include shipping customers. Just as he comforted his car by regularly changing engine oil, he did not neglect existing customers either. Director Hong said, “Customers should be treated gently and delicately just like cars,” and “I won’t stop running until the engine stops.”
“Seongman Jeong’s sales strategy resembles a side mirror.” Senior Jeong explained that the side mirror goes beyond simply looking back and shows where to go in the future. Right after the foreign exchange crisis, the movement to make 100 million won became popular. Senior Jeong, who realized that annual sales of more than 120 units would exceed 100 million won, concentrated on increasing the number of units sold. We were busy going back and forth between the early morning market and road greeting promotional events. However, due to being chased by sales, the performance was not satisfactory. Changing direction and focusing on people became a breakthrough. Even when dealing with just one customer, he was very considerate. Naturally, more than 100 supporters were gained, and sales followed.
When senior Song gets lazy, he looks at the steering wheel to calm himself. Senior Song has the belief that we must move forward consistently and straightly. Even if the steering wheel is slightly crooked, the car will deviate. Vehicles that cross lanes are at risk of accidents. This is why Senior Song conducts business with the four-character idiom “consistently consistent” in mind. His attitude toward customers has remained the same for 35 years. Although he is approaching 60, he still calls his customers “aunt, uncle, father, and mother.”
Reporter Jong-ho Han [email protected]
2024-04-27 03:30:35