AkzoNobel remains stable

AkzoNobel remains stable

Automotive economy: Mr. Kapeller, you have been sales manager at AkzoNobel Austria for almost two years. What conclusion do you draw?
Daniel Kapeller:We remained stable and achieved slight growth in volume. Given the highly competitive market situation, this result is good, but for me it is not entirely satisfactory, especially since I have personally set myself much higher goals.

What are the reasons for this?
We wanted to grow organically. This means, among other things, that we do not engage in a price war that comes at the expense of quality and service. In addition, regardless of the desire to expand, the existing customer must not be lost from view. Our focus is on keeping our existing business stable and providing our existing customers with optimal support. The second step is about acquiring new customers. Of course, this means that fewer successes will be visible in the short term, but in the long term this strategy is efficient and customer-oriented.

To what extent have you deepened existing partnerships?
We have systematically deepened our Acoat Selected partnerships. This also includes a certified quality standard for our partners, which makes them more interesting for companies involved in claims management - this standard is called Acoat Selected Intense. As part of this, we carried out extensive audits. Our partner companies must meet the highest requirements, for example completing numerous mandatory training courses. This is essential for our certified quality standards. Good things take time - and that's why it was important to us to open up new opportunities for our existing customers with the Acoat Selected Intense status and thereby further protect them. With the current stability, we are now ready to acquire new customers and pursue our goal of growing organically.

What expectations were you confronted with when you became Sales Manager at AkzoNobel Austria?
I was expected to bring a breath of fresh air into sales. Times have changed drastically. Today we have to actively sell, create demand, manage our customers and support them economically. We have to explain to our customers clearly and in detail the products we sell to them, including in terms of payback. We offer much more than just paint. The customer receives a complete package of products and service and, in addition to the paint area, also a quality-tested range of accessories.

How large is your field sales team currently?
There are eleven of us in total. The field staff have now become district managers and have full responsibility for costs and sales. This means more flexibility and of course the authority to act.

How did you manage to implement the so-called breath of fresh air internally?
At AkzoNobel, employee turnover is extremely low, which is a seal of quality for any company. This means that I have employees who have sometimes been with the company for 20 years or more. Convincing people of new ways is not always easy. But we'll manage it. In return, I learned from my long-term employees that good things really take time. This gave us time to think so that we put the right strategic activities in place at the right time. For example, we found the right trading partner in ABW in October 2015.

“Today we have to actively sell, create demand and manage our customers.”Daniel Kapeller, Sales Manager AkzoNobel Austria

New employees have also joined?
Yes. We also celebrate successes with these. The employees e.g. B., which took over the Upper Austria and Salzburg areas a year ago, is already recording significant growth and has gained many new customers.

You have previously emphasized that customer service today means much more than just delivering paint. How can you imagine the care?
When a customer calls, we are there. This service is highly valued by us everywhere and is also our promise of success. We have a very good trading structure with now eight trading partners. That is our essential advantage. Of course, with them we also have extreme main power and can provide our customers with optimal support. This is important because we have many mixed customers who carry all brands. Of course, they need more care. Our main field is the independent workshops. And that's what makes us so strong. The support here is particularly intensive, especially since new vehicles and new colors are constantly being introduced, creating a major challenge.

How many partners do you currently have at Acoat Selected Intense?
We are currently in the transition phase because a high-quality audit is simply required. This is all very complex and involves numerous training courses, from digital damage photography to color matching. We currently have five Acoat Selected Intense partners and our goal is to reach a number between 15 and 20 by the end of the year.

“We are confronted with conditions from competitors on the market that we reject.”Daniel Kapeller

To what extent is the market currently competitive?
I have the feeling that people are currently acting very irrationally. We are confronted with conditions from competitors in the market that we reject for many reasons. For example, we definitely don't want to create a two-class culture, because for us every customer is worth the same, regardless of how much sales they make. To put it bluntly: We don't take part in everything and we can't take part in every prize because we uphold our values: winning together and striving for excellence. We can only keep our promises if we maintain our high service criteria.

Will this path prevail in the long term?
Yes definitely.

What makes you so sure about this?
Because we stand out through first-class service and at the same time actively support our customers. I was with two customers this morning. Both have independently said that it is so difficult to find good employees. In fact, the demands placed on a painter these days are enormous. And the products – regardless of the brand and no matter how user-friendly they may be – require explanation. This is where service comes into play, because teaching correct handling means maximum efficiency.
Another point is to make complex things in the painting process understandable and simple. For example, with our digital color measurement. Regardless of whether the painter speaks Turkish, Hungarian, Czech or German: the technologies work the same in every country and the process is always the same.

What is important for a young painter today?
It is essential that you are curious during your apprenticeship and want to know what is new. Information is the most important thing. And the requirement to continually improve yourself and ask yourself: Where can I become faster, where can I optimize processes, save pick-up and delivery times, etc.

What are the so-called “essential” pillars of your training and services?
The key is always process optimization. This applies to both the seminars and the on-site operations. Every year we expand and optimize our training offerings - we are currently pushing the topic of digital color matching. We offer so-called workshop scans for operations. One of our technicians, who is specially trained, goes to a company, analyzes all processes, takes photos and evaluates them. After 14 days, he contacts the company again and makes concrete suggestions for optimization.