In the US, Detroit is the home of automobile manufacturers (but some other states, particularly in the south, have some major auto operations as well). Dianne Craig, who recently joined the Ford team as the director of US Sales in the month of January, has seen a consistent drop in demand of new vehicles here. Add to the fact that there is an increase in incentives and she has her hands full.
Where Craig comes From
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Before joining office, she was head of Ford's Canada division where sales were on the rise. The period of 2011 to 2016 was the height of her career, when sales were good. Ford has been the number one selling brand in the region for the past 8 years. Even though Ford has refused to share any metrics with anyone, Craig revealed some internal metrics which shows that Ford recorded top customer satisfaction and dealer profitability score in the region.
Craig is now looking to repeat the same feat in the US, which is going to be a harder market to crack for her. The conditions are different, sentiments are low, and ride sharing economy is booming. Craig is however positive and says that the answers they are looking for are in the "market". Many people believe Ford will be doing much better one year from now.
It is to be noted here that it has been only 80 days since her first promotion took effect, and she is already busy meeting with Ford dealers in New Orleans and Georgia apart from some other states. Craig has a very strong bond with dealers and they are happy that Ford chose her.
The Dealers
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"She has a great reputation with dealers," Tindol, a prominent dealer said. "She cares and seems to have the best interest of all top of mind. We are partners and she understands that."
So what does Craig have in her mind? The initial meetings that were setup by Craig are meant to understand the needs and requirements of the dealers. Craig basically wants to change the incentives program with a more regional rather than national approach. So what this means is that future incentives programs would be based on local and regional level competition, demand, and some other carefully selected metrics and statistics.
What works in Seattle may not work in Atlanta.
Moreover, when you compare this approach with other programs that are currently running like the Volume Growth Bonus which awards dealers on a per vehicle basis, and you will immediately realize that the two contrast each other.
Optimism
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She is really very optimistic when it comes to Ford picking up sales in the year 2017, and it shows her confidence in not only Ford's superior product and customer support, but also in her dealers. According to a recent forecast made by Ford research team, the industry will see a sale of 17.7 million new vehicles which also includes sales of medium and heavy duty trucks.
Craig believes that the industry can do a lot better than this. As far as light vehicles are concerned, Craig says that there are several macro-economic factors at play here.
As far as Craig is concerned, discipline and incentives are two pillars that will define their success in the coming years.
So where is Craig getting her confidence from? It comes from Ford's strong product portfolio. Craig believes that the current lineup of Ford is the best it has been in over 30 years which is no mean feat. Only time will tell whether what Craig believes turns out to be true.