Page 20 - TBN-2017-1

Over the years, Universal Motor received numerous awards from Isuzu for its out- standing performance and achievements. “We are very strong in the light truck seg- ment, accounting for about 70 per cent of Sabah’s mar- ket share, with the remain- ing 30 per cent in the heavy commercial sector. The D- Max is our top selling prod- uct and we sell 120 units on average per month.”
The company has 70 sales personnel, which Chok be- lieves is one of the major contributing factors for its ex- cellent performance.
“Unlike some companies that sell their vehicle through bro- kers, we have our own sales team that is made up of cli- ent-focused, committed and professional sales person- nel. Auto brokers normally sell a wide variety of brands, but our sales team focuses on a single brand. They are the brand ambassadors and help us to build and develop the Isuzu brand.”
Talking about the current market challenges, he point- ed out that commercial vehi- cle sales had dropped signif- icantly with banks tightening their lending standards for hire purchase. Even when the loan was approved, one might have to come up with a bigger down-payment and the repayment period was shortened. The sharp down- turn in oil and gas prices had worsened the situation.
“Our total sales in 2016 fell about 30 per cent compared to 2015. The future outlook is not promising; it will be even more challenging with the deprecia- tion of the Ringgit as that raises inflation and market uncertainty. However, I believe that we are more motivated in a challenged state and challenges make us stronger.”
When the going got tough, he stressed that it was important to stay positive and be proactive. Apart from maintaining sales, he revealed that the com- pany was looking at expanding its services to offer spray painting at the 3S Centre.
“We will look into the areas that we are not that strong. For instance, we plan to put more effort on the F Series and Giga. It is also in our pipeline to join forces with the Lorry Association to organise a truck show as well as set up a branch in Labuan,” he added.
18 truck & bus news 2017/1
域。D-Max是我们 最畅销的产品， 我们每月平均销 售120辆。
该公司拥有70名 销售人员，而卓 运强认为这正是 他们主要的成功 因素。
“我们有别于那 些通过经纪商来 销售车子的公 司，我们拥有以 客为尊，尽心尽 力的专业销售团 队。汽车经纪商 一般销售各种品 牌的车子，但是 我们的销售团队 只专注于一个品 牌，他们是我们 的品牌大使，协 助我们建立和发 展五十铃的品 牌。”
询及目前的市场 挑战，他指出， 商用车的销售量 因银行提高业者 商用车融资标准 而大幅下跌。即 使银行通过商用 车贷款，业者也 可能必须对更短 的偿还期和支付 更高的首次付款 金额挑战。石油 和天然气价格的 急剧下滑，更使 整个情况雪上加 霜。
“相较于2015 年，我们2016年 的总销售量下跌 了30%。未来的前
景并不乐观，马币的下跌将提高通膨和市 场的不稳定性。然而，我相信我们会在挑 战下变得更为强大。”
他强调说，当情况变得越来越艰难，更重 要的是保持乐观和积极。除了维持销售量 外，他透露说公司正计划拓展3S中心的服 务项目，也就是为车子提供喷漆服务。
“我们会注意那些表现缺佳的领域。 比如说，我们会将注意力放在F系列和 Giga。我们也计划与罗里公会联手主办 卡车展，以及在纳闽岛设立分行。”他 补充说。