Martin Střecha: How Prospector Helps Car Dealers Simplify Their Work and Become Far More Successful

Today we introduce our colleague Martin Střecha. It could be said, with slight exaggeration, that he practically leads the automotive section within the BizMachine sales team. He has been focused on using company data in this segment at BizMachine for almost six years. His insights into leveraging corporate fleet data are deeper than almost anyone else's. We spoke with him about the challenges car dealers and fleet service providers must overcome, and how data is changing and simplifying their work.

It was an enlightening conversation, and we can already promise you that we'll return to the automotive segment soon. But for now, let's explore the trends and changes in how corporate fleet data can be obtained and used in your business.

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I've been at BizMachine since January 2019. I primarily focus on the banking, insurance, and automotive segments. I understand other verticals and can help with them, but I definitely don't have the same depth of knowledge as some of my colleagues. But mainly, I really enjoy automotive and finance.

Let's jump right in. How are B2B data currently being used in the automotive segment?

I'd say that the vehicle dealer segment is still learning to work with data. While we at BizMachine already work with a certain portion of the automotive market and definitely see the first signs of so-called "power users" of data, mainly among premium passenger vehicle brands or commercial vehicle dealers, this is still not the norm across the overall market. Dealers often don't see the reason or feel hesitant about working with publicly available information, even about their own clients. I think we're running into some caution around using information about a client's vehicle fleet or connected companies. But we're gradually managing to change this and shift the mindset so that this publicly available data can serve where it truly makes dealers' daily operations easier.

Have you noticed any change in data usage in this sector in recent years?

I definitely think we've made progress. Given that there are about 2,000 vehicle dealers in the Czech Republic, I'd dare say the top third of them are already accustomed to working with some source of customer or potential market data. But at the same time, even they still don't take it for granted to use available data regularly when contacting customers. The market hasn't shifted significantly in this area in recent years.

What data do salespeople in the automotive segment already work well with?

When I look at larger car dealers, most of them already have some kind of CRM tool. At minimum for managing their own client data and for active communication with them. They most often use this infrastructure for marketing purposes. I'd say most car dealers already understand that they can't do without their own marketing and CRM tools — they can't be successful long-term in a highly competitive market without them. And once they have this infrastructure, they're just one step away from connecting to our source of knowledge, information, and signals to become even more successful in their sales.

Where can BizMachine, or specifically Prospector, help companies that already have their clients mapped out in a CRM?

Many dealers have a broad client base — sometimes thousands gathered through sales or service over many years of honest work. But I often encounter dealers who don't realize they may not be the only ones selling vehicles to their clients. So the added value is immediately visible when a vehicle seller looks at a client's current fleet in Prospector. They can simply discover, for example, that this client buys passenger vehicles from them but purchases commercial vehicles from a competitor. That helps open their eyes — and perhaps get business moving.

"Many dealers have a broad client base — sometimes thousands gathered through sales or service over many years of honest work. But I often encounter dealers who don't realize they may not be the only ones selling vehicles to their clients. So the added value is immediately visible when a vehicle seller looks at a client's current fleet in Prospector. They can simply discover, for example, that this client buys passenger vehicles from them but purchases commercial vehicles from a competitor. That helps open their eyes — and perhaps get business moving." Martin Střecha, BizMachine

So you're saying that good data is also key for acquisitions in automotive?

Yes. And there's a big challenge in that. This market is learning proactive acquisitions because until recently, there wasn't really a need to approach new customers. Previously, dealers relied mostly on personal client visits to their showrooms, but now far fewer clients come in person. Clients have no problem researching vehicles online and then simultaneously sending quote requests to several dealers. And procurement officers at large companies do the same. So salespeople now have to be much more proactive to reach the right customer. That's why new acquisition positions have been emerging within dealerships in recent years. Their primary task is to reach new customers and create a new market. And those who aren't afraid to work with data will simply be more successful. I see this as one of the big changes in this segment in recent years.

OK, so that's how data can help car dealers with new activities. What about activities they already do? How can data help them there?

Let's start with what every dealer does. They vet every potential customer, every showroom visitor, or incoming inquiry. They simply want to know who they're dealing with — not just in terms of sales potential, but also possible risk. Just browsing websites or business registers, insolvency registries, and execution lists and gathering information about a company from multiple sources may no longer be enough to build a good price offer. Not to mention how much time it takes. All of this can be done much more easily with online Prospector — essentially in one click. I type the company name and search. And in Prospector, I get a much more comprehensive picture. I immediately learn a lot about the company's purchasing behavior, such as the current fleet size, the ratio of new vehicle purchases vs. used cars, how long individual vehicles have been in operation, or the number of vehicles in the fleet that are "ripe" for replacement based on mileage or age.

How many cars a given company can buy from you often can't be determined just from their website. You need to know how many vehicles the company currently has in its fleet.

• Are they used cars, or does the company predominantly buy new vehicles?
• Does it buy or lease them?
• Is it part of a larger group, or is it connected to other companies that might also use vehicles that are purchased or financed through leasing or credit?

You'd struggle to find all this anywhere other than Prospector. Yet these are the basic parameters you need to get a picture of the collaboration possibilities, or to make your offer relevant to the client." Martin Střecha, BizMachine

What specifically do you mean?

How many cars a given company can buy from you often can't be determined just from their website. You need to know how many vehicles the company currently has in its fleet. Are they used cars, or does the company predominantly buy new? Does it buy or lease? Is it part of a larger group, or connected to other companies where they also use vehicles, whether purchased or financed through leasing or credit? You'd struggle to find all this anywhere other than Prospector. Yet these are the basic parameters you need to understand the potential of your collaboration or to make your offer relevant. Or perhaps to surprise them with an interesting volume discount if all connected companies or group members use your services. In short, our data helps you prepare well for negotiations.

But also from the other side. If I'm a premium brand dealer and need to be sure I'm not selling a car to some reseller, I need to thoroughly vet the company they represent. Is there a risk that the purchased vehicle will just be resold abroad, for example to Russia? Prospector can effectively help with this too. And these are activities that I dare say every car dealer already does.

OK. So Prospector saves me time on activities I already do when vetting new customers and helps me find new business potential. What else can it help with?

A salesperson's job is mainly to prepare well for client meetings on a given business case. And you need data for that. Insights from data actually help you with sales from any possible angle you can think of. Want to reach clients at the right time? Alert them that their financing expires in six months and that inventory of their brand is running low — make them an offer so they have their vehicles by the financing anniversary. You can see commercial vehicle mileage from the data and know from statistics that the highest failure rate is at 200,000 kilometers? Offer a service inspection and replacement vehicle in time. Does a company buy one commercial vehicle every two years? Is the next potential fleet renewal date approaching? Reach out exactly when they need you. Our data can do all of this. And there's much more! I could talk about this for hours.

I see :) And what makes our data different from what's commonly available on the market? What advantage do dealers who work with us have?

I have many reasons why companies should work with BizMachine. We track the truly current state of corporate vehicle fleets. We don't just look at first registrations. We see both what cars a given company has bought and which vehicles it currently holds. Especially for those selling used cars or specializing in their service — no one else can help them prepare as accurate a list of potential leads as BizMachine. An updated view of the fleet and its history also allows dealers to learn from a given client's past purchases. Do they buy 10 commercial vehicles every year? They probably will this year too, and you can see fleet entry dates, so you know roughly when they'll be buying this year as well. You can't get this precise information from first registrations alone. In Prospector, you can see who currently operates your brand. Currently, not once upon a time. Only with a current view of the vehicle fleet can you invite the right client for a service at an introductory price or sell them spare parts. You're not writing to someone who already sold their vehicle of your brand, making your offer irrelevant.

The second reason to choose BizMachine is the work of our account managers. We work with approximately 170 entities that actually sell vehicles on the market right now. We're in daily contact with them, so we have an absolute knowledge base of what's happening in the market — like when there aren't enough cars available. Plus, we actively work with individual dealers. We're a partner to every dealer, sharing our know-how and proactively bringing solutions to questions they may not have even thought to ask yet. And I probably don't need to say that we help set up processes (not just integrating data into B2B car sales) individually based on the current needs of each dealer.

Great, and who is your partner within the company?

I firmly believe that a salesperson's primary job is to be with the client, selling. Therefore, the salesperson's primary task is to prepare well for meetings with every company. In practice, this means essentially checking the profile of any company the seller is entering negotiations with. They also have various pre-selected market views in Prospector — or another tool connected to Prospector — prepared by the marketing team with our help, which help them approach clients with better sales arguments. These help them sell what the client actually needs. We help salespeople succeed in the actual meeting, simplifying the sales approach and process.

In my opinion, access to Prospector and segmentation should be primarily with marketing and sales management. That's the brain of the organization that defines where to target. It then distributes individual opportunities across sales teams, to the right people and teams, and creates the right messages to help salespeople succeed.

And when you combine that with the fact that everything in Prospector is available in one, maximum two clicks — so data isn't a mystery but directly offers insights that help you understand the client's needs and current as well as past situation — then cars and related services practically sell themselves. (Martin smiles knowingly — editor's note).