What is the MINI Salesperson Certificate?
The MINI Salesperson certification ensures that our MINI Centres are delivering a befitting experience of the respectable brand. While our team at Dick Lovett receive in-house learning and development, they also carry out training with the official manufacturers that we work with. MINI provide training to our Sales teams to ignite a passion for the brand and be able to converse enthusiastically with potential customers to showcase what MINI have to offer.
The course takes place at the BMW Group Training Academy in Reading. The impressive facility is home to all training for our BMW, MINI and Motorrad teams, including Sales, Service, Technicians, Parts and Apprentices.
To become a certified Salesperson, you cover essential consultation techniques and role-play real-life cases to ensure you are able to deliver a seamless customer experience, from initial contact through to delivery. MINI want customers to continue to “feel the love” after a sale.
What experience do you need for a car sales job?
There is no one specific pathway into a career in automotive sales, so we spoke to Cory, James and Jemima about how they got to where they are now, what the job is like, and what their hopes are for the future.
What is your favourite thing about working at MINI?
Cory – The best part of my job is getting to deliver the MINI which the customer has been dreaming of for months. You get to see the enjoyment on their faces when they collect it. It reminds me of taking delivery of my own personal cars, and I remember that very same feeling.
James – I love the quality of the cars and how much heritage is behind them.
Jemima – I love handover days as it’s the moment when the customer collects their perfect MINI. Together we have found out what is important to the customer and searched for the right car, or created it online, waited for the MINI to arrive...and then they get to drive it away!
What attracted you to this department?
I have always wanted to be in the sales department but never had the opportunity. I wanted to help guide customers throughout their sales journey right from the start of their enquiry, however with when last dealership I worked for closed, I was presented the perfect opportunity to start my sales career.
What does your automotive job involve?
Jemima - Every day is different; we take phone calls and greet customers. We are very hands on and have to move, price, fuel, and take pictures of cars! We also collect MINI’s from the transporter as they arrive.
If we have sold a new or used MINI, we make sure everything is ready for the handover and make sure the customer has everything they need to collect their car. After that, we follow up with customers to ensure they are happy with their MINI.
What does the certification involve?
James – A lot of knowledge! We learned about the efficient sales process by carrying out one-to-one training and role play. The multiple-choice assessment was my favourite part, just to see what I actually know!
What is your team like?
Cory - We are a very close knit team who always look out for one another. We all get on really well and share a great sense of humour, which makes working way more enjoyable.
James - The team are great, only being 4 of us, we are all very close and look after eachother well. We are all fairly new with the experience to Sales, but we are all do very well. We are only as good as our managers.
Jemima - Our managers Mark and Adrian are full of wisdom and knowledge, always wanting to help when they can. All the Sales Executive work well together. Whenever someone is off, we will always help each other out. We have a wonderful team.
How would you describe working at Dick Lovett?
Cory - Working for Dick Lovett has been fantastic. They really do look after their staff and despite the size it still feels very much like the family ran business which it has always been.
James - You can not fault the company. This was my tunnel vision company to work for when I started Sales. They look after you super well in work and outside of work. I plan to progress very far within the company and believe I can as I have the right support.
Jemima - It is very joyful, when I am at work I enjoy working and I really enjoy what I do.
What has been a highlight since you joined?
Cory - I still remember the very first sale which I made when I started. And of course, getting my certificate from the BMW Academy was a tremendous feeling to know that the past 18 months have all paid off.
James - I would say that the Charity football matches are up there, it’s so good to see everyone come together, but also be in a competitive manner. Just Working for the company in general is a highlight in itself.
What are you looking forward to in your role?
Cory - I look forward to progressing in sales and meeting more customers. I must say I am particularly excited about the introduction of our brand-new showroom in Hungerford.
James - The progression for sure. This is the company I tend to retire with, and I plan to become a Head of Business in the future.
Jemima - I am interested to see if MINI will move to an agency model, I pride myself with my customer service so I know I would enjoy it.
Looking ahead for MINI Hungerford
The team at MINI Hungerford are moving into a brand-new facility in July 2024 and have exciting changes from the Brand coming in 2025. Mark Connolly, our Sales Manager at MINI Hungerford is so proud of his team and their commitment to delivering great customer service.
“I have been at Dick Lovett for 3 years now and in May of this year celebrated 30 years in car sales. The three accreditations are a big deal for the team. It is like passing your driving test, you only really learn to drive properly after that, and I know their sales skills will continue to improve with the completion of their courses. The world is their oyster and the commitment they now give will develop and shape their careers.
I am looking forward to developing the team. I am keen for them to progress even further, for example one of them could become a Retail Manager here within the next 5 years!”
If you are looking for a career in automotive sales, you can sign up for job alerts service to be notified when an opportunity arises. Dick Lovett has four MINI centres located in Bristol, Swindon, Melksham and Hungerford, and we welcome applications from potential candidates who want to join our team and grow with us.
