The ten best car dealerships in Germany have been chosen. The editorial teams of the trade media "kfz-betrieb" and "Gebrauchtwagen Praxis" have presented the Germany-wide, neutral and cross-brand "kfz-betrieb" Sales Award 2014. The award ceremony with more than 150 industry experts from trade, commerce and industry took place at the Vogel Convention Center in Würzburg. First place went to the Grampp dealership from Lohr am Main.
The two trade media "kfz-betrieb" and "Gebrauchtwagen Praxis", together with their partners CarGarantie and Santander Consumer Bank, have chosen the ten most innovative sales professionals in the motor vehicle trade. The competition is cross-brand and Germany-wide. "The ten selected winners are the top dealerships in the German motor vehicle trade - this is where customers find the best conditions for buying a car," says "kfz-betrieb" editor-in-chief Wolfgang Michel.
The representatives of the manufacturers and importers were also impressed by the performance of their sales partners. Axel Wellmann, Head of Product and Sales Management Mercedes-Benz Sales, congratulated the two Mercedes-Benz dealerships Grampp and Kunzmann on their first and third places. He said: "It is no coincidence that you have made it onto the winners' podium. In our organization, too, you and your teams repeatedly achieve top performances." He was delighted that two Mercedes companies had made it into the top ranks of the Sales Awards this year.
Steffen Herrwerth, Sales Manager Region Volkswagen, emphasized that it was a great honour and pleasure for him to convey the congratulations of Volkswagen AG to the Koch dealership in Schwäbisch Hall on winning second place in this year's Sales Award. He emphasized: "This is a great achievement that you and your team have accomplished. We are delighted with you for this award."
Gunther Riedel, Head of Sales at Skoda Germany, emphasized the great achievement of Autoforum Koch in Berlin in his laudatory speech. He added: "We are delighted with the award you have received today with the Sales Award and thank you for your commitment not only in applying for the award but also for your dedication to the brand and our shared customers."
ZDK President Robert Rademacher also praised the achievements of the participating companies: "The award-winning car dealerships stand for exemplary sales ideas. They deserve to be rewarded with the Sales Award, which has a very high status for good reason," and congratulated the winners on behalf of the German motor vehicle trade.
Another highlight of the event was the keynote speech "Emotional selling and customer amazement" by trainer and author Daniela A. Ben Said. The book author was awarded the Coaching Award in 2008 and has been voted one of the top 100 "Excellence Speakers" every year since 2006.
She convincingly explained that customer acquisition and service today means much more than just having good offers and products. With questions such as "Why don't you put a dog treat in my car when I pick it up from service? Why is buying a car still so masculine? Why do I get letters in which I am addressed as "Dear Sir or Madam"? Why don't you inspire me?", she asked the audience. In her opinion, when it comes to customer acquisition and service, the motto today must be: "Put people at the center and they are suddenly more than just a customer." The prerequisites for customer enthusiasm are personality, humanity and the courage to be different.
The winners of the "kfz-betrieb" Sales Award 2014:
1st place: Autohaus Grampp GmbH, Lohr a. Main
2nd place: Autohaus Koch GmbH, Schwäbisch Hall
3rd place: Autoforum Koch GmbH, Berlin
3rd place: Autohaus Robert Kunzmann, Aschaffenburg
4th place: Autohaus Gotthard König GmbH, Berlin
5th place: B & K GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg
6th place: Max Moritz GmbH & Co. KG, Hagen
7th place: Autohaus Schinner e.K., Weimar
8th place: Enders Automobile + Service GmbH & Co. KG, Fulda
9th place: Autohaus Renck-Weindel KG, Ludwigshafen
10th place: Autohaus Dorn GmbH, Ergolding
The prize money for the top three places is 2,500 euros, 1,250 euros and 750 euros respectively.
"kfz-betrieb" is the most widely read trade magazine in the automotive industry and has been informing the automotive trade and service sector for over 100 years. "kfz-betrieb" is the official organ of the German automotive trade (ZDK), the professional interest group for around 38,000 car dealerships and workshops. News from the entire automotive industry is available at www.kfz-betrieb.de and in the daily newsletter. The parent company Vogel Business Media is one of the leading German providers of specialist information with 100+ trade journals, 100+ web portals, 100+ business events as well as numerous mobile offerings and international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. The company celebrated its 120th birthday in 2011.
