Total honesty is the name of the game. Customers should know exactly what the situation is, especially these days with unpredictable stock availability.
This is the motto of Daryl Naidoo, Sales Manager at Suzuki Zululand in Richards Bay. Daryl received the Sales Manager of the Year Award from Suzuki Auto South Africa as the top salesman in the country.
With a career and extensive experience in the trucking industry, he joined the independent Suzuki and GWM/Haval multi-franchise dealership about four years ago as a Sales Executive. Soon afterwards, he became the Sales Manager with a team of four Sales Executives.
“Clients need to know exactly what the status of vehicle availability and delivery is. When a potential customer approaches you, you need to be on the ball with product knowledge from specifications to the pricing of the different models. People do their homework before buying a new vehicle, so you need to be sharp.
“Today everyone is doing business all over the country, and I personally deliver vehicles as far afield as Johannesburg and Mpumalanga. It is important to stay in contact with your customers. I will contact them regularly afterwards to make sure they are happy and attend to any issues that might arise.
“For me it is also important to keep in contact with customers who bring their vehicles for servicing and repairs and, when possible, I will be present when they collect their vehicles afterwards. It is just as important to keep customers up to speed about when the vehicle they bought will be available. We contact those customers once a week,” Daryl says.
“The way you treat a customer is the foundation for your next customer. We have a lot of referrals that emphasise the point of good customer retention. We also try to assist customers who have paid a deposit upfront with a demo vehicle if there is a delay in the delivery of the new vehicle,” he tells Dealerfloor.
“I was surprised and honoured winning this award. It means we are doing something right, and I am proud of our team, dealership and our Dealer Principal, Roland Witthoft, for rising to the occasion and been recognised,” Daryl says.
Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) has announced leadership changes within the DTSA Board of Directors, the Executive Committee and the Finance & Controlling Team by welcoming Piérre Kriek as the incoming CFO of the DTSA Group, effective 1 November 2025.
Satish Ranchod is the new Human Resources Director at VW Group Africa, effective 1 November 2025.
The milestone 10th edition of Automechanika Johannesburg attracted 307 exhibitors and facilitated 2 959 business-matchmaking meetings, connecting buyers and suppliers from across the continent and beyond.
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Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.
Daniel Pink
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