As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Morgan Nissan Lydenburg recently won the title as top dealer in the manufacturer’s Dealer of the Year awards for small dealerships.

Adelene was appointed as the Dealer Principal at Morgan Nissan in Lydenburg (nowadays called Mashishing) when the motor group bought the dealership. Dealerfloor reported on her appointment as DP towards the end of the COVID period in 2020.

And a mere two years later, walking away with a top award outshining others, was no small feat as the category champion for 2022.

She was tasked to revive the brand in this important tourism, fly-fishing and agricultural town in Mpumalanga, close to neighbouring Limpopo province. And seeing that the opposition is well established in the town and broader region, Adelene had a specific plan to achieve the group’s goals with the new dealership.

After a successful career as a Sales Manager at another well-established motor group in Lydenburg, Adelene decided to take on the challenge and accept the new job offer.

“First order of business was to get everyone on the same page. We had to change direction to survive. Some individuals left but the majority stayed and bought into the plan to make it work. I can only lead and assist, but the success of the dealership and specific good customer relations, will always be up to each team member.

“Our success is not my success, but the team’s success. I am only a part of that team, and my position is to lead and motivate them. In this regard, I cannot stress enough the importance of the assistance I received from the group’s owner, Hugh Morgan, and my regional manager, Dicky Roux,” she says.

Faced with the strong position of competitors, she decided to win back the trust of the people. Making the customer king again.

“We started with small things like painting the dealership, making it neat to show potential and existing customers that something is happening on the Nissan side. We also consolidated and slowly but surely got all our ducks in a row in terms of processes and how we would move forward,” Adelene tells Dealerfloor.

“For us to gain ground, we had to bring a new focus and attention to customer service. We contacted all our existing customers and potential new ones, we ran campaigns relating to service and after-sales, safety checks before holidays and went out of our way to assist customers like never before.

“We also realised that we had to be involved in the community in various forms and got the message out that Nissan is back and that we mean business. We have a product range that suits a variety of needs.

“Although one of our best sellers, the NP200, will be no more soon, we have other products that can do the same and better. Yes, the price difference between the Navara single cabs and the NP200 is vast. The Navara is not only bigger, but safer and offers a lot more in terms of specifications and equipment. We have no choice but to make this work,” according to her.

She says they want to retain the title and expand on it, doing even better. “Our team knows what to do, and we will execute our plan with precision to stay profitable and grow more. Our message got out and the results are more than promising,” Adelene says.