Day after Christmas: A time for reflection and looking ahead
2 januari 2025, PaulIt’s the second day of Christmas, and like every Thursday, it’s time for a new article. I’ve been posting these articles on Thursdays for years, but publishing on a Friday once in a while is fine too. Finding a topic remains a challenge at times. After more than 200 articles on lead follow-up, each with a different perspective, the core remains the same: follow up quickly, schedule an appointment, and sell the car during the appointment. Not, as some trainers claim, by building a “relationship” in the first conversation. That might work in a few cases, but not on a scale of 100 leads. Is that a mistake or just a difference in perspective?
The foundation of lead follow-up remains the same: follow up quickly, schedule an appointment, and sell the car during the appointment.
Ligier Store Doesburg: Lessons from Entrepreneurship
At Ligier Store Doesburg – Experience Center, I’m personally responsible for the decisions – and therefore also for the mistakes I make. Looking back on the past year, I see that we have accomplished a lot. We’ve grown tremendously and are in a much better position than a year ago. But I have to be honest: I’ve also made many mistakes. Mistakes I thought I was “too good” to make, but the market punishes arrogance and ego mercilessly. The market decides what works, not me.
Mistakes I thought I was “too good” to make, but the market punishes arrogance and ego mercilessly. The market decides what works, not me.
Starting Without Customers, History, or a Database
It all started on my 50th birthday with the launch of Ligier Store Doesburg. We first went online with a website, and only a month later did we open the showroom. In that first month, I immediately noticed that the number of leads was extremely low. They were expensive, difficult to convert into appointments, and even harder to turn into sales. Our first sale came after more than eight weeks. That should have been a warning sign for me: writing about lead follow-up is easier than implementing it in practice.
What was missing? An existing customer base that regularly returns for maintenance, service, and new purchases. If I were to start over, a “goodwill” payment for an existing database would be a no-brainer. Starting from scratch is extremely difficult.
Many New Microcars Sold
In the past 30 months, we have sold many new microcars. For a new dealer, that’s quite an achievement. Although we’re not yet the number one in the Netherlands – which was my goal – we are in the top three. Next year, we want to take the next step.
However, we missed opportunities. We had the leads to sell 50% more, but we didn’t succeed. That’s my fault. I wanted to turn it too much into a traditional dealership, whereas the original idea was to have an online-oriented approach. This shift in focus was a mistake. That’s why we have now found a solution for all aftersales aspects in collaboration with AutoTrust. This way, in 2025, we can fully focus on leads and sales.
The Step Towards Pre-Owned Cars
Over the past 30 months, we have also started selling pre-owned cars, primarily Lynk & Co models. This idea came from Frank Moormann, and we opened a separate store: the Experience Store Doesburg, alongside the Ligier Store, under the same company. The advantage of selling pre-owned cars is that you don’t need an extensive customer base or history. If the purchasing is done well, the inventory sells quickly.
Still, I made mistakes here too. I saw that it was working, but I didn’t react quickly enough and missed opportunities. It’s nice to say that you sell your inventory 12 times over, but if you only have 8 cars in stock, that limits you to just 96 cars per year.
Thanks to DFM and Remko van der Meer, we’ve realized there is more potential. In 2025, we will stock more cars, and with the same focus on lead follow-up—combined with our collaboration with Autotrust—it should be possible to once again sell our inventory 12 times over.
Looking Ahead to 2025
2025 will be a year where I want to recognize mistakes more quickly, keep them smaller, and respond more efficiently. I must not cling to how I want things to be but focus on how the market wants them. By learning from past mistakes, I look to the future with confidence.
