NEW MIATA FOR A PENNY!
a short story by Sherry Masters
You wouldn't believe what I did on Monday, Sept. 27. Give up? I bought a Mazda speed Miata (red, of course) for one cent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not kidding. Lewis (sales manager at Don Miller Mazda in Madison) wanted to know if I wanted to finance the balance due, or if it would be a cash deal. I wanted to write a check...
Here is the story:
I ordered a MINI Cooper S in July and decided to sell my winter car to help pay for it. That would be my 2002 Honda Accord Coupe V6 EX with 12,000 miles on it. And a year left on the warranty. Easy right? Impossible! I didn't get a single call from 2 weeks of newspaper ads. And I was asking below Kelly Blue Book and lowered the price twice. Not a call. So I was getting nervous since I didn't want 3 cars (1990 Miata, Honda, and new MINI), especially since I only have a one car garage. I knew the MINI was going to be at the dealer this week so time was running out.
To make a long story even longer, Lewis offered to trade my Miata and Honda for a new Miata turbo. Even up. No money would pass between us. I took it!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I couldn't be happier. It really came to one cent.) Never thought anything would get me out of my beloved 1990 Miata, but am I glad I took the deal. This Mazda speed is simply awesome. I got up three times during the night to look at it and sigh...finally took the dog and blanket and slept in it! And then, the next morning I got a call from the MINI dealer that it had arrived and was ready for pickup. Holy cow! When it rains it pours.
So I got two fantastic new cars in 24 hours.
If you see my mind, let me know. All my friends are certain that I lost it.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Lewis Slawny and Team Put MAZDA on the Map in Madison
SOURCE: Mazda FUEL Jul-Aug 2003 Vol. 2 Issue 4 Reprinted with permission
Who would have thought a Mazda dealership in Madison, WI – a city covered in snow five months every year – would rank as one of the top in the country in Mazda sales? It’s strange but true. And that’s just one surprising fact about Don Miller Mazda, as shared by the dealership’s Sales Manager, Lewis Slawny.
When Don Miller acquired the Mazda franchise in the fall of 2000, Lewis jumped at the opportunity to become the Sales Manager. Although the completion of the new Mazda dealership was still a year away, Mazdas were sold from an adjacent GM store. Lewis got creative with displaying and marketing Mazdas and began handpicking his six-person sales team. After moving into the new facility in October, 2001, no time was wasted spooling up the team with aggressive product and sales training. And the results were remarkable.
Some Mazda team members, who had yet to complete their first year in auto sales, ranked second, third, and fourth in the district, and sixth, seventh, and tenth in the entire Midwest Region for combined sales/CARE scores. In addition, Lewis and four of his sales team earned the title of Mazda State Performance Champions of 2002.
“In terms of sales volumes, the new team’s efforts brought the Mazda brand in Madison from relative oblivion to becoming a top-10 store in the Midwest Region in 2002,” says Chuck Fallos, Midwest Region District Manager. “Plus, Lewis extends the Mazda image beyond the dealership through Miata Club activities.”
Pictured: the BMC at the annual spring tech session - Lewis & BMC founding member Jim Longo discuss the the longevity of the Miata
“We are supporters of the Badgerland Miata Club – one of the Midwest’s most energetic Miata groups – and we’re a Miata Preferred Dealer,” says Lewis.
Apparently those efforts have paid off. Don Miller ranked 47th in the country for Miata sales, as well as 25th in the country for Mazda Protege5 sales.
What’s the reason for his success?
“It starts with the right people,” says Lewis. “We also prospect frequently at the University of Wisconsin; we don’t shy away from S-Plan deals; and we never consider failure an option.”
Lewis also regards the dealership as a “work in progress.” His current project is a 70-foot mural of the city’s skyline, complete with superimposed Mazda products – a display that’s sure to boost the Mazda brand in the minds of all who visit Don Miller Mazda.
From polishing the Mazda Test Drive Experience to making sure every delivery is a memorable and positive event, Lewis and the Don Miller team strive to advance the Mazda brand and its value.
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