How long have you been working at CMI Hino Adelaide?
I have been working at CMI for around 18 months. I started as a Sales Consultant and was promoted to Sales Manager around 5 months ago.
Why did you choose the Transport Industry?
In my previous role, I purchased and sold Hino trucks with specialised bodies, so I already trusted the quality and reliability of the brand. When a position become available as a Sales Consultant, it was a no brainer.
The industry is fun and challenging – you are providing a solution for your customers and I love providing great customer service, I get a lot of satisfaction out of it. No two days are ever the same, there is a lot of variety, and you get to meet new people every day.
What have been some of the challenges you have faced in your role?
Being a female in a male dominated industry can have its challenges at times, but there are so many inspirational women in the industry that are changing the mentality. There is a lot to learn, particularly if you’re in a sales role. As far as challenges go, learning so many truck specifications takes time, but it helps if you have great mentors to guide you, which I’m blessed to have.
What have been some of your career highlights?
The biggest highlight of my career would be my promotion into the Sales Manager role at CMI Hino Adelaide. I didn’t anticipate ever working in the Transport Industry so to earn the role after just over 12 months was a huge achievement and something I am extremely proud of. Hard work and determination pays off!
What is the process of getting the right truck for your customers?
In short, the goal is to understand your customer’s needs and provide the best solution for them.. There are questions we ask the customer in our initial conversation, which includes how much weight they need to carry, what types of material they are carrying, whether they prefer auto or manual, spring or air bag suspension etc. Then, from their answers we can guide the customer towards the best solution for their business.
Quite often customers come in with an idea of what they want, but it is not achievable for various reasons. It’s our job to educate and guide them, this includes drawing up weight diagrams of the truck with a body, so they can get a visual of what their truck might look like and an approximate final payload.
What are some of the skills you suggest are needed in your role?
People skills! People are our business – from our customers or our staff. Look after your people and your people will look after your customers. Attention to detail, customer service skills, organisational skills, and being a good communicator are priceless in this industry.
Hino has spent the last five years introducing new products. How do you stay up to date with new product features and SPECS?
Hino provides us with more training than any other company I have worked for, and I am so grateful for that. We have regular online training and now that we are out of lockdown, we have started having face-to-face training sessions which are invaluable. Hino are also great at sending out communications to dealers via bulletins, so no one misses out on any announcements or changes in specs.
We are seeing an increase in car licence light-duty trucks, and wanted to get your opinion on why there has been this increase?
I think there are a few reasons; finding people to drive light-duty trucks is easier, as they only need a car licence, so it opens up employment opportunities. There is also a huge appetite for our light-duty 300 Series trucks, with our beloved tradies. They are quickly working out that they can get a bigger payload, larger towing capacity and carry longer lengths of materials. A lot of our customers are upgrading from their Ute to a 300 Series Built-to-Go truck, for these reasons.
In your experience, which Hino truck is the most popular and why?
Great question! Every dealership is different. Our CMI Hino dealership in Adelaide sells a lot of medium-duty trucks, and our biggest seller is probably the Hino 500 Series FE1426 – it really is a jack of all trades. You can mount just about anything on this truck, from a standard steel tray to a street sweeper body or a concrete agitator. It is also available in both 12 and 14 tonne options. It has state of the art safety features including, Vehicle Stability Control, Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning System and much more! It’s a very capable truck, but more importantly, it provides the operator with safety and ergonomics like no other medium-duty truck available in the market.
What would you say to women considering a career in the industry?
I would say absolutely go for it! We, as women, can make such a valuable contribution to the industry, and there are so many opportunities for career progression too.
Knowing what you now know, is there anything you would do differently?
To be honest, I do not think there is. I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason. If you put in the work and conduct yourself with honesty and integrity, you will always end up right where you’re meant to be!
Dani is living proof that hard work, determination, and a genuine love for your job can lead you down some unexpected roads. With the right training available, no matter your skill level, knowledge or expertise, the Transport Industry has a role for you. So, what are you waiting for?
We love your positive outlook on life Dani and are proud to have you representing us at CMI Hino Adelaide.
