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One CV Show exhibitor went to the NEC with a
Page 52
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plan to buy rather than sell, which generated interest and business for EM Rogers Trucks and Trailers.
Words: Kevin Swallow Traditionally, visitors to the CV Show go with the intention of meeting industry people, looking at new products and leaving with several bags of freebies.
Many spend the three days trying to avoid stands with pro-active sales teams, but there was one exhibitor at the show that had a sales team with a difference. They were trying to buy things from you. The idea of going to the CV Show and purchasing from its stand visitors came from John Rogers, the managing director of EM Rogers Trucks and Trailers.
He wanted to buy all makes of used trucks for its export market. "Every other stand was selling something, so it's hard to stand out. As soon as people realised we wanted to buy, and we weren't selling, we had their attention.
Making contacts "We made some great contacts and hope that everyone we met at the show remembers us when they have trucks to sell. We'll quote for everything," he says.
Rogers says it was a useful experience for the team. "It was a baptism of fire for our new sales team member Shaun Boyson, but we all learnt a lot, pulled together when it got busy and had a lot of fun," he says.
David Hawkins, commercial sales manager at the Northampton-based company, says the sales element of the company, which started out in 1940 as a haulier, has grown organically.
The business sold 600 vehicles last year, with 90% going overseas to eastern European and Russian markets, Africa, Cyprus, the Middle East, and South America. "We buy tippers registered in the mid-90s, and tractor units from the mid-90s to mid-00s.
"With the Euro strong at the moment, exports have boosted. We are always after left-hand-drive vehicles. The CV Show was an ideal opportunity to buy the right stock from operators and main dealers. Just about everyone from the industry is there during the three days.
"Once we had explained we were buying, their guard dropped. We made more than 100 contacts at the CV Show, but how many will turn into transactions is hard to quantify at the moment,he says.
Hawkins has already had referrals from main dealers, and attended Truckfest 2008 at Peterborough, where many owner-drivers were on hand. Hawkins, though, reveals that a number of owner-drivers are approaching the company to sell their trucks because they are keen to get out of the business. •