A Call to Action: Planning a Customer-Centric Sales Strategy
By Ed Pierce, FMW Brand Acceleration
With advances in customer relationship management tools that incorporate every milestone in the buying cycle, companies can obtain more information about buyers and buying habits than ever before.
Many sales budgets are prepared on the basis of either incremental percentages or a number agreed with the team.
Neither method is as effective as customer-centric budget planning.
For companies that never viewed their business health from a customer-flow perspective before, it is eye-opening compared to the traditional approach.
Feds Revise EV Tax Credit Rules So More Vehicles Can Be Called SUVs
The latest update to the federal tax credit rules that involve EVs, allows more models to now classify as SUVs, raising their MSRP price limit from the $55,000 cap used for cars up to $80,000.
The Treasury Department had been classifying vehicles using the EPA's CAFE standards, but it will now switch to a system based on the Fuel Economy Labeling standard. The Treasury Department said, "This change will allow crossover vehicles that share similar features to be treated consistently."
Ford, GM, and Tesla all supported changing the former rules. GM told Car and Driver in a statement that tax credits are "a proven accelerator of electric vehicle adoption" and said the Treasury "aligning" with the CAFE standards "will provide the needed clarity to consumers and dealers, as well as regulators and manufacturers."
via Car and Driver
Electrify America is Increasing Prices at its DC Fast Charging Stations
Starting on March 6th, Electrify America will be increasing electricity rates at its fast charging DC stations, charging US customers a standard rate of $0.48 per kilowatt hour.
Electrify America also is increasing per-minute charging rates in applicable states like Massachusetts and Texas, where companies aren’t allowed to directly bill customers by the kWh. Users in those states will now be paying $0.19 per minute for sessions with peak charging speeds up to 90kW, up from $0.16. For quicker charging cars, up to 350kW, the rate is increasing from $0.32 per minute to $0.36.
Customers paying for Electrify America’s $4 per month Pass Plus subscription will also be affected. The company had advertised that Pass Plus saves “about 25 percent on charging” with the monthly fee plus a reduced $0.31 per kilowatt hour rate. Now that rate is increasing to $0.36 per kilowatt hour.
You Don’t Need an Electric Vehicle With a Long Range — Buy One You Can Afford instead
When car-buyers consider going electric, they typically wonder about the vehicle's cost, charging setup, and how far it can go on a full battery. Even with better batteries, range isn't necessarily the best factor by which to select an EV.
Prospective EV-buyers can dive into other variables instead, like ease of charging, cost, and vehicle particulars. Whether a vehicle qualifies for federal EV tax credits might be another factor.
"We estimate that roughly a half of American car buyers could plausibly install and control a home charger sometime over the next five years," Patrick Anderson, founder of Anderson Economic Group, said.
This is About You!
Last April, Ted Roberts and I had the pleasure of participating in RTA Fleet’s Fleet Success Summit. Afterwards, Ted said, “I was impressed by how seamlessly RTA’s Four Pillars of Fleet Success were explained and underscored by a carefully chosen group of experienced, accessible fleet leaders — leaders who listened closely to the concerns and challenges of the fleet professionals who were in the room, and then offered actionable insights.”
Registration is still open for the 2023 Fleet Success Summit – Las Vegas – March 21-22. RTA Fleet president Josh Turley says, “The Fleet Success Summit is focused on giving fleet professionals the leadership, business, and technology skills they need to advance their own careers and help their fleets succeed.”
Mike Pitcher, former CEO of LeasePlan USA, spoke at the 2022 Fleet Success Summit and is speaking again this year. If you have not heard Mike speak, he is a master. He’s right: You Are a Leader. You Have Influence!
Have you taken this week's poll? Vehicle Shortages Today
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
