TIPS FROM THE TOP
If you’re thinking about getting into the trucking industry or maybe you need to upgrade your truck(s) we spoke to Luke Bennett from FRM Hino Hobart, this year’s Hino Skills Contest Sales winner, to give us some insider tips of the trade.
1. What are some great tips you would recommend to someone looking to buy a truck for the first time or upgrading?
Do your research before going into the dealership, maybe talk to someone in the same industry as you and ask them what spec truck they use, discuss this with your sales rep and get their opinion too.
If you are upgrading your existing truck, have a think about what you like and dislike about the current truck. Your sales rep can address these issues when talking to you about the new Hino and possibly offer you alternative options.
2. How do you spark the initial conversation to get you on the right path to get the truck you need?
Buying a truck is different to purchasing a car, while some cars are purchased for businesses, 100% of trucks are purchased as an asset for the business, full-filling specific needs to get the job completed.
Walking into a dealership with an open mind is important and understanding that the sales representative is there to assist you. Start by talking about your business and what your needs are.
3. What do you need when walking into a Hino dealership?
The best thing to bring to your dealer is information about your business and what you want to achieve out of buying a truck, the more information you can provide the better the sales rep can begin building a picture of what you need to offer you the best truck options.
4. What are three initial questions to ask your Hino dealer?
• Do you offer after hours support?
• What finance deals can you offer?
• Talk to the service Department and see what services they offer. Do they offer capped price servicing? This will give you an indication of maintenance costs.
5. To get you the right truck for your needs, what are some other questions you should ask?
What is important to one customer might not be for another. It is important to talk to the sales rep about what is important to you, so they can focus on giving you the correct information you require.
During the qualifying needs analysis stage, talk to your sales rep openly about what you are wanting to achieve within your business and what your expectations are:
• Payload you require
• Fuel economy
• Driver safety
• Type of product you will be carrying
• Type of body you require (this will also be suggested by your sales rep after getting a better understanding of your needs)
• How are the goods loaded and unloaded? Are the goods palletised?
• Driving conditions the truck be operating in eg. Only metro, only country or a mix of both
6. So, everyone wants to know how to get the best price for the truck you need, how do you do that?
When it gets to the quoting stage of the sales process, my advice is to be honest with the sales rep and tell them you don’t want to go back and forth on pricing. Do your homework before coming into a dealership so that you have an idea of pricing and know that you are getting a competitive quote. Hino Finance is very competitive and it is very beneficial for the sales rep to introduce you to the dealership business manager, to assist you in getting the best finance package.
Building trust with your Hino dealer is critical in creating a long-lasting business relationship. It will benefit your business as the sales rep will learn your’ trucking needs and can better help you with follow up enquiries and your next truck purchase. Already having this past knowledge will make the process easier and simpler.
7. You want your truck now and ready to go, what’s the best approach to get your truck in a faster time frame?
Hino has a great range of Built to Go (BTG) trucks, from factory Tippers to Steel and Tradeaces. Not to mention these models are usually on the shelf, ready to go and you can drive away with the support of Hino Advantage. Working with your sales rep may lead to one of these models, they are usually on the shelf and ready to go. If a BTG does not suit your needs, having the correct information to assist the sales rep will help them determine the right truck for you and advise you of an accurate delivery schedule.
In my opinion the only silly question is the one that’s not asked.
Stop by a Hino Dealer today and enquire about which truck may suit your business needs.