28 November 2011

Tuesday’s SMMT dinner was a much improved event over previous years’ status as ‘dry-but-essential networking do’. Sure there was still the standard call from the SMMT for greater (and more consistent) tax breaks from Government for the automotive industry, but comedian Dara O Briain had tailored his routine for the audience. Something few after-dinner speakers do.

O Briain mentioned he was an Audi fan, and that he’d been to the showcase Audi centre on the A4 in west London to buy a car. But after much wandering of the showroom and looking interestedly at cars, he couldn’t get anyone to serve him, so he said he nipped next door and bought a Mercedes.

I imagine those in the audience from Audi just wanted to disappear under their table at that point, especially given Audi’s high-profile push into the celebrity market over recent years.

However, there was some redemption. Later in his routine he said he did eventually buy an Audi, but had to visit a different showroom to find a salesman.

But the point is, a shiny showroom and a good brand isn’t enough to succeed. Great cars and a flash premises may bring potential customers into the showroom, but it’s still vital to have a top-notch sales team. And only the best retailers are going to survive in the current economic climate.
Good luck to you all.

Tristan Young

Got something to share with us? Get in touch at Tristan@auto-retail.com

Tags: Audi, Braian, Breen, Dara O Briaiain, Dealers, dinner, event, Mercedes Benz, SMMT