Li Meng, born in 1998, became a member of the HR Department of Weilai Shanghai city company after graduating from the University of London in March 2020. At that time, she did not expect that she would transfer to the sales post in a year and become the sales champion of Shanghai Weilai store.
To some extent, Li Meng caught up with the “free ride” of Shanxi Guoxin Energy Corporation Limited(600617) car sales taking off. According to the data of the passenger Federation, the retail sales of Shanxi Guoxin Energy Corporation Limited(600617) passenger cars reached 2.989 million in 2021, with a year-on-year increase of 169.1%. Shanghai is one of the five markets with the highest acceptance of new energy vehicles in China. In the first half of 2021, the market of new energy vehicles in Shanghai has developed by leaps and bounds, and the insurance volume of new energy vehicles has reached 109000, accounting for 33% of the market. In 2021, the insurance volume of Weilai automobile in Shanghai reached 16989, with a year-on-year growth rate of 135%.
In January 2021, Li Meng began to be a trainee fellow in stores, became a regular employee in April, and became the sales champion of all stores in Shanghai in May. After that, although there were fluctuations, it was still the top three in Shanghai. Compared with her classmates in the financial industry, her salary can be 2-3 times higher.
Li Meng told reporters that the peak sales of new energy vehicles in Shanghai is from May to June every year, and 30 groups of customers are received at most one day. The sales peak of traditional 4S stores is usually at the end of the year. Dealers will hoard vehicles before the end of the year, increase discounts and shock a wave of sales peak. New energy vehicle enterprises generally maintain price stability and transparency, which also leads to a lower heat at the end of the year than from May to June.
Li Meng’s colleague Jiachen once worked in Tesla store. He felt the changes and changes of Shanghai’s new energy vehicle market more truly.
In 2018, Jiachen was also the sales consultant of Tesla store. At that time, the acceptance of new energy by users in Shanghai was not very high, and Tesla‘s popularity was also very low. Many customers didn’t know whether it was “Tesla or Tesla“. After arriving at the store, they asked whether Tesla’s car was an oil car or an electric car. The vast majority of people who come to buy Tesla are middle and high-end people. They have one or several luxury brand cars at home. They don’t just need to buy Tesla, but experience trendy products with a geek attitude. The sales volume and user group are very low. At that time, Jiachen also doubted whether the electric car was the product of the next era.
Since the start of Tesla’s Shanghai plant, a large number of media reports and the downward exploration of Tesla’s domestic price have impacted on some markets and affected some people’s ideas. More and more people buy Tesla slowly. In Shanghai, especially female customers, usually the second car at home. Later, ordinary Lbx Pharmacy Chain Joint Stock Company(603883) family children also buy Tesla’s first car after graduation.
Jiachen said that in the early years, when customers came to buy electric vehicles, they usually asked about the insecurity and inconvenient charging side. Now few people ask these questions. There are many charging piles in communities and shopping malls in Shanghai, and many people drive new energy vehicles, so there are no worries.
Jiachen told reporters that may and June last year were the busiest time. She got up at 7:30 in the morning and couldn’t go to bed until 1:00 to 2:00 in the morning. The content of the work is not only selling cars, but also a lot of coordination and service work. After the customer pays the deposit, Weilai’s staff will set up a multi person work group to answer any customer’s questions 24 hours online. Although Jiachen only needs to answer questions related to sales business, he still takes time to open the chat group every day to see what customers ask and reply in time.
Li Meng said that the most tired thing is the heart rather than the body. Due to the impact of the epidemic and chips last year, it happened that he promised the customer to pick up the car in 6 weeks, but only mentioned the car in 10 weeks. Although users are very tolerant, they feel very bad.
Compared with other systems, the concept of the company is the deepest to ensure the landing of users. Weilai internal encourages fellow to give priority to the rights and interests of users rather than the interests of the company. When a matter needs cross department collaboration, employees can pull work groups across departments and levels (including VP level) to coordinate and respond quickly.
In the interview, the reporter found that the relationship between Weilai’s fellow and customers is generally harmonious, which is rare in traditional automobile 4S stores. The customer usually has distrust of the traditional 4S store. The sales consultant of the traditional 4S store almost cut off the relationship with the customer after the transaction is concluded. The customer only has a relationship with the 4S store during maintenance or repair.
Li Meng told reporters that Weilai users and fellow are more like friends. Some users will send moon cakes and flowers to fellow in the Mid Autumn Festival. She has a car owner who is the owner of China welfare lottery. Once she flashed 50 scraps. She scraped out 260 yuan and invited her colleagues to drink milk tea.
Li Meng once visited some traditional luxury brand 4S stores as a user. She found that the work content and mode of traditional automobile sales consultants are very different from Weilai automobile.
The first is the difference in working hours. NiO house and space in Weilai are generally opened in shopping malls, and their business hours are the same as those in shopping malls, that is, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The working hours of traditional 4S stores are generally from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The second is the work content. In addition to receiving customers, Weilai’s fellow also needs to carry out daily customer maintenance, such as writing hand cards and giving gifts on customers’ wedding or birthday. We also need to communicate with product experts to learn product and technical knowledge. Weilai hopes that fellow can be very familiar with his own products.
When receiving customers, Weilai’s fellow will introduce Weilai brand and service system more, and pay more attention to customers’ acceptance of new energy vehicles and Weilai brand. Li Meng believes that traditional luxury brand sales consultants are more direct when facing customers. They will ask customers about their budget and purchase time, but they do not introduce enough brands and products. Some sales consultants are not even familiar with product parameters.
The test drive of traditional luxury cars and Tesla, Xiaopeng and other brand products is troublesome, and usually requires an appointment. Some 4S stores are not fully equipped with test drive vehicles. In contrast, the test drive of Weilai products is much more convenient. Weilai taikoohui store along Shimen road is equipped with a number of test drives and product experts. Even if the customer suddenly puts forward the demand for test drive, you can wait up to 20 minutes to experience the vehicle.
Tesla next door strictly implements the process of making an appointment for a test drive. In Tesla’s concept, the action of making an appointment for a test drive can screen out some customers with weak intentions, which is also one of the manifestations of Elon Musk’s “first principle”.
The story of Li Meng and Jiachen is just the tip of the iceberg of the unprecedented situation in the automotive industry in a century. More and more traditional car enterprises begin to learn the marketing and service methods of new forces. Almost all traditional car enterprises will hold high the banner of “user enterprise” when transforming into intelligent electric vehicles.
“The automotive industry should particularly thank Tesla and velai for changing the definition of automotive products and velai for changing the relationship between enterprises and users,” a marketing executive of a foreign auto enterprise told reporters
