Sales offensive at Birner

Sales offensive at Birner

Automotive industry: Dear Mr. Birner, a quick review – how was the 2017 financial year for you?
Walter Birner:Exciting, fiercely competitive, a lot has happened on the market. Certainly not an easy year.

There is active support for this with Hans Lorenz as the new sales manager and you have expanded the Bosch range in terms of products.
Walter Birner:Hans Lorenz is a true sales professional. Since the announcement, there have been only positive reactions, be it from customers, suppliers or employees. During personal conversations, it soon became clear that there was a personal fit and that we were pursuing common goals. Hans Lorenz also knows organizations with large structures, which means he has a lot of know-how and a critical outside perspective. At Birner we have many ideas and concepts, now we can get a neutral opinion on them - an invigorating situation.

Mr. Lorenz, why Birner, and please don't praise the boss too much?
Hans Lorenz:Walter Birner has already mentioned it, many crucial factors simply fit together. I am very happy to be working as a sales manager at Birner and after just a few days I feel like I am in good hands. And my Bavarian mentality harmonizes very well with our Austrian customers. (laughs)

What will change under you as sales manager?
Hans Lorenz:Birner is the market leader for a reason. However, there is still room for improvement here and there. I have always known Walter Birner as a very future-oriented entrepreneur. Now we simply have to get a little more out of the abundance of in-house concepts, the wide range, the good logistics and the strong sales team for our customers and partners. This includes, among other things, supporting local workshops on their way to digitalization. The goal is to be able to offer tailor-made solutions for the digital future and to further strengthen the service concept.

Home workshops are visited by various field staff every day. How should the Birner employee stand out?
Hans Lorenz:It is clear to me that our field service should advise the workshops in partnership. It's not about trying to persuade the operator to do something, but rather recognizing what needs a workshop has in order to then use in-house solutions to improve processes and procedures in the company. For example, if the equipment is outdated, it is important to present the appropriate products. If there is a problem with the IT, our employee can help and present solutions that will save your nerves and make work easier.

Mr. Birner, you never tire of emphasizing that the parts trade is under pressure. Why?
Walter Birner:Improving logistics is a permanent, demanding process. In order to ensure rapid, comprehensive availability, know-how and experience are required. In this regard, we are very well positioned across Austria. Margins are under pressure. You can currently get the same product in different countries at completely different prices. I am of the opinion that the parts manufacturers could contribute something here if they harmonize sales prices. If they don't do this, their product becomes uninteresting because it no longer allows for a margin.

“Of course we hope that the full range expansion will result in an increase in sales.”WALTER BIRNER, OWNER BIRNER

Finally, let's talk about the Bosch range expansion. What does this step mean for Birner?
Walter Birner:We have already worked very intensively with Bosch in certain areas and, for example, sold most of the Bosch diagnostic devices on the domestic market. As a result, we have achieved an extremely high level of service and can provide our customers with advice and support. In addition to our existing workshop systems (ad Auto Service, Automobile Master Workshop and Autoprofi), we are now also a Bosch service concept provider. We have also replenished the Bosch spare parts warehouse in all 30 branches to guarantee the best possible supply. And of course we hope that the full range expansion will result in noticeable sales growth from this financial year onwards.