My name is Marcel Belanger, and along with my sons, Luc and Marc, am proud to invite you into the Belanger Automotive family.
We realize what a privilege it is to get to work with the great customers we have and after more than four decades in the business, it’s safe to say the Belanger’s are car people, through and through.
Along with our main dealership, where we offer a superb selection of new and recently used vehicles, we have also launched Belanger RV dealership right next door. Marc and the team at Belanger RV invite you to drop by and check out the great selection of some of the nicest RV’s in all of Ottawa, with something right for everyone and every budget.
Again, welcome to the Belanger Automotive Family. We look forward to seeing you and I assure you that we will work incredibly hard to make sure you’re glad you joined us.
Sincerely,
Marcel, Luc and Marc Belanger
SHARING OUR THOUGHTS
In business, it’s important to know who you’re dealing with, so we thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves to you though a short series of interviews we recently held.
Marcel Belanger, President, Belanger Automotive Group
Q. How old were you when you started in the automotive business?
A. I was 21 when I got my first job from Mr. Conrad Belisle. I was a young guy, but luckily for me, he saw something in me and gave me a shot. I’ve been involved in the business ever since.
Q. Over the past four decades and then some, the world has certainly changed, especially with technology touching everything we do. Has the way that cars are sold changed?
A. Actually, I have a yes and no answer for you. Yes, the ways cars are sold has changed, and I’ll explain how, but what hasn’t changed are the fundamentals of being exceptional at your job or what needs to be done in order to provide winning conditions for the customer.
Today’s consumer is very smart. Actually, they are smarter than they have ever been, and as a result, they are also more demanding that they ever been. They have access to details and pricing that never existed before, and that makes them very well informed when they walk through our doors. If you practice a sales approach that is based on anything but transparency, you’re in big trouble – today, more than ever. Of course, that suits us just fine and this is where I touch upon the idea that the fundamentals haven’t changed.
In the end, it’s not about a sale for a sale’s sake. That’s just too expensive, for if you don’t take care of the customer in the sale, they will make it their mission to punish your reputation at every turn.
My sons and I have collectively spent more than four decades operating a successful business. We’ve been allowed to do this, not because we are the best sales people, but because our reputation has been so consistently solid and trustworthy. There is no amount of money in the world that I would exchange for reputation, for you spend a life time building it and something as small as greed or insensitivity can unravel a lifetime of work and responsibility. No thanks.
Q. So fundamentally, the art of responsible sales hasn’t changed?
A. No, fundamentally, the business of being a good sales person hasn’t changed at all. The same rules that applied when I was 21, apply today. I’ll sum it up for you in a short lesson. These are my rules. There are plenty of other ideas that can be applied, but I’ve found these four rules have never failed to help me achieve more.
Rule 1: Be happy
This is not a business for someone who is not fundamentally happy. It’s too hard on the person who isn’t generally a happy person. There’s a lot of rejection in sales, and if you don’t know how to process this properly, the business will eat you alive. Also, when you are unhappy, it shows in your face, your body language and ultimately, in your wallet.
Rule 2: You better love people
As obvious as this might sound, you really need to like people and more importantly, like helping people. When someone walks through your door, they do so for a reason and with a purpose. There is nothing a client wants to experience less than indifference when they grace your firm with a visit. Buying a car is a big commitment for anyone, so you better show sincere appreciation and interest immediately. If you don’t, you should count on someone else at a different dealership doing it for you.
Rule 3: get smart and trust your instincts
You don’t have to have all the answers. You just need to be willing to get them. Answers don’t walk towards you. You may need to do some work, make some calls and do a bit of digging, but you’ll find them. The result: A better served client, a smarter employee and much greater chance for success. Trust your instincts and just blow away your customer with the little service extras that always leave an incredible lasting impression. Success is in the details, and when you manage the details, you will be rewarded.
Rule 4: Stay humble
This is the most important rule of all. We are very fortunate to be working in this business and have had the pleasure of serving individuals and families for decades. Consumers have untold choices at their feet. They can get a vehicle from a host of dealers. Never ever take a customers support or loyalty for granted. Humility demonstrates appreciation and keeps you sharp for your customers benefit. It lets people know that you care, and in the end, the car may be the item the transaction centers around, but the customer’s experience is the thing that determines whether the relationship is one time or long time. Which do you think is more beneficial?
Q. I had some other questions, but I think I’ll save them for another day. This is a great place to stop. Thanks Marcel.
A. My pleasure.
Luc Belanger, General Manager, Marcel Belanger Pontiac Buick GMC
Q: What does being General Manager mean?
LB: It means the buck stops here! It means that my family’s name hangs above the door and that the people that work within these walls, including me, represent both the Pontiac Buick GM brands as well as the great reputation and Belanger brand that my father, my brother and myself have collectively spent more than four decades building.
Q: Is that a lot of pressure?
LB: Some days it sure is. I’ve been essentially working in this business my whole life. I have done every job imaginable in the dealership. Marcel (my dad) is a great guy and I’ve had a great life to this point, but in Marcel’s book, there’s only one way to run things and that’s with a commitment and understanding and he made sure I understood every corner of this business from the ground floor up. Humility is an important trait to have, especially in these times.
Q: He sounds like a smart guy. Is he?
LB: He’s very smart, but more importantly, he’s exceptionally courteous and humble. He knows how important it is to reward customer loyalty and that fact was drilled into my brother and I at an early age. Customers may, or may not know how a vehicle works, but every single one of them knows what respect and appreciation feel like.
Q: What’s your favourite part of the car business?
LB: No two days are ever the same and the fact that we get to meet and work with some many different customers makes this job pretty exciting. I don’t think I could ever work in a traditional job. I love the pace of this business too much.
Q: What’s your least favourite part of the business?
LB: Any time we get a customer complaint. Luckily it doesn’t happen a lot, but no business is perfect and sometimes clients can get annoyed or put out. We totally appreciate hearing from any happy customer, and we especially appreciate hearing from people who were less than satisfied by their experience, for by sharing their thoughts with us, we get the opportunity to learn, and fix the problem. It’s a reminder to all of us when we get a complaint that everyone needs to work even harder, every day, for if we don’t someone else might.
Q: What’s the last thing you want folks to remember about you?
LB: I am incredibly proud and fortunate to be in this business. It’s a business I love and we will continue to work at creating better experiences for customers.
Marc Belanger, General Manager, Belanger RV
Q How did you wind up taking on the very fun and more importantly, growing RV and sector of the Family business? That’s usually associated with somewhat older audiences.
A. It’s kind of funny when you put it that way. I’m certainly not your prototypical RV person when it comes to age and experiences on the road, when you grow up in an automotive family, you learn the business fast, and you realize at an early age that like most businesses, it’s a people business first.
My dad is a fantastic businessman and great people person, and a good teacher. Looking back, I can see that he was always trying to create great conditions for employees and customers so that everyone would be successful and happy. When you’re younger, you don’t always see that stuff in literal terms. I was fortunate to work in a family business with a culture of service. One thing I did learn was that anything you surround yourself with can become habit forming. Luckily for me, I grew up surrounded by a culture of service.
Back to your question: I’m really a people person, and in the RV business, that’s an asset. It’s really a business of enthusiasm. It’s filled with people who love to travel and meet people. It’s just the nature of the business.
And in this business, you really get to know your customers. Here’s why: when buying a car, a customer might drop by for two or three visits before that person decides to purchase. On the RV side, it’s more like five to seven visits. They really study the purchase and as a result, we all really get to know one another well. RV customers are very serious enthusiasts and incredibly smart. They are always willing to share their knowledge, and it’s nothing out of the ordinary to drop by our dealership and find staff and customers engaged in great discussions about particular RV’s or about trip experiences they have had. It’s the most personal community I’ve ever been a part of.
Another myth I’ve seen turned upside down here, and this addresses your question directly, is that RVing is something really left to seniors. I’m regularly amazed at how many younger families are coming in to our showroom. The truth is that when you crunch all the numbers for fuel, hotels and airfare, RVing is an unbelievably affordable way for any family to really travel and see places you simply can’t see in this much comfort, any other way.
Q. I can tell that this stuff really is fun, isn’t it?
A. It really is. After all, every person we deal with is planning for a getaway, and vacations are something we can all use more of. The best part is when people come back and share their great road trip stories with us. It’s a ton of fun here, and no two days around here are ever the same, so we are always hopping.
Q. Are you planning any road trips for yourself?
A. You know it. I’m like everyone else, when the time is right, and I’m not so busy, I love to be able to pack up the family and take the opportunity for us to get away from it all. If you like meeting people, seeing new places, and spending quality family time together, I don’t believe there’s a better way to do it than in a Belanger RV.
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