The objective, according to the CEO of HPE Automotores, Mauro Correia, is to understand the demands of this audience and then provide specific solutions for them.
São Paulo – With the aim of strengthening relationships with agribusiness customers, the fastest growing business segment in the country and which accounts for around 20% of GDP, Mitsubishi Motors established a project through which it will visit large farmers and companies in the sector and plants in twelve areas where this chain is very strong, in order to understand not only how to sell but how to provide services to this public.
In an interview with AutoData Agency the CEO of HPE Automotores, representative of Mitsubishi and Suzuki in Brazil, Mauro Correia, stated that the initiative has brought very rich information to the company, both about the product in question, the L200 pickup truck, and about the capillarity of the network, where it is needed reinforce service, such as improving the program that exchanges pickup trucks for grains and the offer of financing lines, in which there is the possibility of payment not being monthly, but biannual or annual, during harvest periods.
In other words: the idea is to understand what these customers really need, not only in terms of the product but also in terms of services, training and financing:
“Our concern stems from the fact that one of our flagship vehicles is a pickup truck. And most of these routes are covered on dirt roads. It is often necessary to think about how to take maintenance to the customer’s property, if they have a number of pickup trucks and are far from the maintenance center. Because it is not possible to have a dealership in every city, it is necessary to have a minimum population and a circulating fleet. So sometimes it’s 150 kilometers or 200 kilometers away and I can take a lift and do the inspection on the farm.”
Another challenge highlighted by the executive is making small adjustments to the product, which requires some development, but which was not thought of at the time of its launch. The color of the vehicle’s interior is a point, for example, as is the type of rug or carpet. Since the project began in June, it has been possible to hear from farmers that the carpet is beautiful, but that it could be replaced with a rubber one, because with mud on boots it is more viable and easier to clean.
“We often look at the urban use of pickup trucks and forget about this more practical side of the agricultural business. In the bucket we also thought about offering a specific device to place a suitcase for short trips, at the same time as it transports cargo. And, in terms of financing, when looking at the first quarter it is always a big challenge because smaller producers, members of cooperatives, do not have the planning of the larger ones, and until they know what the harvest will be like they do not invest in vehicles.”
Correia summarized by saying that, although this is a very thriving segment, it is equally diverse. Another situation he mentioned was that of a large company that works with sugarcane plantations and the person responsible reported that, when a smaller vehicle passed over the straw, due to the lack of protection, the car caught fire.
“So, how do I protect the customer from this and prevent this from happening with my product meeting their need? It is often necessary to develop specific equipment. For example: we have a vehicle that is very well accepted in mining with its own kit so that it runs in severe conditions. Do I also need to think about an agricultural kit? In a pickup truck more suitable for the sector and create a special series? These are big challenges.”
Women who drive large pickup trucks are also a focus for Mitsubishi. The CEO of HPE reaffirmed his concern about also offering comfort and meeting demands such as a mirror and a place to put makeup.
Correia pointed out that the aim is to absorb learning and even what the company needs to train and improve. An example he cited that applies not only to women, but to any customer, was the use of the 4×4 feature, present in the L200 Triton.
“Does she know how to use this function in a reduced form? On what terrain is this used? How much can you pull with this function? Many times there was a technical explanation at pick up, but due to lack of knowledge the person did not use the vehicle’s resources to their fullest. We want to change that.”
The team dedicated to the project, made up of five professionals, heard from a producer with more than 20 thousand hectares that the most important thing is training, as the products have cutting-edge embedded technology, but, in the workplace, there is no one who can master That’s right, whereas there are people who know the land very well, but you have to connect one thing to another.
“What else does the pickup do on his property than transport the person from A to B? It can help untangle an animal. Does it have a winch? Do you have 4×4? I need to develop this type of service.”
The plan is also to increase market share and reach 8%
In this context, and as a consequence of the series of changes that must be obtained at the end of the action, Mitsubishi aims to increase its market share with its pickup truck. Data from Fenabrave indicate that 9,600 units of the L200 were registered by October, which placed it in tenth place in the ranking of best-selling light commercial vehicles. The position was maintained last month, 1.2 thousand.
When looking at the selection of large pickup trucks, the L200 occupies seventh place and has a market share of 5.1%. The perspective, according to Correia, is to end 2023 with around 6% participation:
“Our point with agribusiness is not wanting to be the biggest in volume and market share, but to offer the best product and service for the segment. As a result, you will have an increase in sales. And we can go to 7% to 8%.”
An action like this will not have a quick return, he considered, since visits are still being made and most of these consumers have kept a pickup truck so they can test it. “It takes a while to chew through all this, absorb all this information and come away with new things, this will probably be possible from next year onwards. The most important thing now is to create loyalty.”
São Paulo – With the aim of strengthening relationships with agribusiness customers, the fastest growing business segment in the country and which accounts for around 20% of GDP, Mitsubishi Motors established a project through which it will visit large farmers and companies in the sector and plants in twelve areas where this chain is very strong, in order to understand not only how to sell but how to provide services to this public.
In an interview with AutoData Agency the CEO of HPE Automotores, representative of Mitsubishi and Suzuki in Brazil, Mauro Correia, stated that the initiative has brought very rich information to the company, both about the product in question, the L200 pickup truck, and about the capillarity of the network, where it is needed reinforce service, such as improving the program that exchanges pickup trucks for grains and the offer of financing lines, in which there is the possibility of payment not being monthly, but biannual or annual, during harvest periods.
In other words: the idea is to understand what these customers really need, not only in terms of the product but also in terms of services, training and financing:
“Our concern stems from the fact that one of our flagship vehicles is a pickup truck. And most of these routes are covered on dirt roads. It is often necessary to think about how to take maintenance to the customer’s property, if they have a number of pickup trucks and are far from the maintenance center. Because it is not possible to have a dealership in every city, it is necessary to have a minimum population and a circulating fleet. So sometimes it’s 150 kilometers or 200 kilometers away and I can take a lift and do the inspection on the farm.”
Another challenge highlighted by the executive is making small adjustments to the product, which requires some development, but which was not thought of at the time of its launch. The color of the vehicle’s interior is a point, for example, as is the type of rug or carpet. Since the project began in June, it has been possible to hear from farmers that the carpet is beautiful, but that it could be replaced with a rubber one, because with mud on boots it is more viable and easier to clean.
“We often look at the urban use of pickup trucks and forget about this more practical side of the agricultural business. In the bucket we also thought about offering a specific device to place a suitcase for short trips, at the same time as it transports cargo. And, in terms of financing, when looking at the first quarter it is always a big challenge because smaller producers, members of cooperatives, do not have the planning of the larger ones, and until they know what the harvest will be like they do not invest in vehicles.”
Correia summarized by saying that, although this is a very thriving segment, it is equally diverse. Another situation he mentioned was that of a large company that works with sugarcane plantations and the person responsible reported that, when a smaller vehicle passed over the straw, due to the lack of protection, the car caught fire.
“So, how do I protect the customer from this and prevent this from happening with my product meeting their need? It is often necessary to develop specific equipment. For example: we have a vehicle that is very well accepted in mining with its own kit so that it runs in severe conditions. Do I also need to think about an agricultural kit? In a pickup truck more suitable for the sector and create a special series? These are big challenges.”
Women who drive large pickup trucks are also a focus for Mitsubishi. The CEO of HPE reaffirmed his concern about also offering comfort and meeting demands such as a mirror and a place to put makeup.
Correia pointed out that the aim is to absorb learning and even what the company needs to train and improve. An example he cited that applies not only to women, but to any customer, was the use of the 4×4 feature, present in the L200 Triton.
“Does she know how to use this function in a reduced form? On what terrain is this used? How much can you pull with this function? Many times there was a technical explanation at pick up, but due to lack of knowledge the person did not use the vehicle’s resources to their fullest. We want to change that.”
The team dedicated to the project, made up of five professionals, heard from a producer with more than 20 thousand hectares that the most important thing is training, as the products have cutting-edge embedded technology, but, in the workplace, there is no one who can master That’s right, whereas there are people who know the land very well, but you have to connect one thing to another.
“What else does the pickup do on his property than transport the person from A to B? It can help untangle an animal. Does it have a winch? Do you have 4×4? I need to develop this type of service.”
The plan is also to increase market share and reach 8%
In this context, and as a consequence of the series of changes that must be obtained at the end of the action, Mitsubishi aims to increase its market share with its pickup truck. Data from Fenabrave indicate that 9,600 units of the L200 were registered by October, which placed it in tenth place in the ranking of best-selling light commercial vehicles. The position was maintained last month, 1.2 thousand.
When looking at the selection of large pickup trucks, the L200 occupies seventh place and has a market share of 5.1%. The perspective, according to Correia, is to end 2023 with around 6% participation:
“Our point with agribusiness is not wanting to be the biggest in volume and market share, but to offer the best product and service for the segment. As a result, you will have an increase in sales. And we can go to 7% to 8%.”
An action like this will not have a quick return, he considered, since visits are still being made and most of these consumers have kept a pickup truck so they can test it. “It takes a while to chew through all this, absorb all this information and come away with new things, this will probably be possible from next year onwards. The most important thing now is to create loyalty.”
Tags: Mitsubishi seeks closer ties agriculture improve services expand share
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