It was awarded the top performing vehicle dealerships in the country at the 2021 MSX/NADA Business of the Year (BOTY) Awards, winning the category for Private Group Dealerships and the overall title.

What makes NTT Toyota Groblersdal’s achievement so much more remarkable, is that it outperformed all other dealerships in the country for a third time, winning the much sought-after award for a third year in a row.

Dealerfloor spoke to the new Dealer Principal (DP) at NTT Toyota Groblersdal, Reynier Cronjé, about what it takes to win a competition that is regarded as the toughest and most prestigious in the industry. Reynier worked at this dealership as the New Vehicle Sales Manager for eight years before being promoted to DP a year ago.

“Each year we had a theme that we focused on. During the height of the pandemic and the changing business conditions in terms of customers’ ability to travel freely, the emphasis was on “doing it and doing it now” and everything that entails in a business sense.

“For the past year with COVID-19 still a serious factor influencing business and people’s lives with the uncertainty it brought, we decided to shift the focus to our staff and their well-being. It may sound a bit like a cliché but there is much to say about taking your staff’s well-being seriously.

“There is a concerted effort to really know each employee in all respects. What makes everyone ‘tick’ so to speak, what drives them, their fears, aspirations and circumstances. Once you walk down this path with your people and pay attention to the above-mentioned, you establish a winning team. A team like this drives the success and profitability of the dealership across all departments, creating a winning formula and not the least satisfied customers.

“I also follow an open-door policy for my staff and our customers. I took down the blinds in my office so people can see me and come and speak to me about anything,” Reynier tells us.

About business conditions in Groblersdal, which is located in Limpopo right on the doorstep of Mpumalanga, Reynier says it is still a mixed bag. “We are in a predominantly agricultural community with a number of smaller rural communities in the wider region.

“We had good rainfall, and the farming activities are doing very well, which include maize, tobacco, grapes, blueberries, citrus and beans. In Groblersdal and the broader region, we are involved across the spectrum with schools, churches and sport institutions.

“On the downside, which affects everyone in our business across the country, is still the lack of new stock and the influence it has on the pre-owned market with extremely high prices. We trust the situation will improve every month and in the meantime we have adapted our strategy to get clients the vehicles they need,” Reynier says.

“One aspect of winning a title like this also has a lot to do with profitability. In this regard, managing your overheads is a crucial aspect of the business and making each transaction materialise and profitable is part of the strategy. As part of this process, we are also looking at managing our infrastructure the best way possible with plans to drill a borehole, saving energy by using LED lights and switching lights on or off depending on the needs of an area.”

And what is next? “The development and training of our staff to prepare them for climbing the ladder of success whenever the opportunity arises within the NTT group,” Reynier concludes.