Before he came to Honda, King had never considered a career in sales. In fact he was busy running a pub when a friend first encouraged him to give it a go. From the moment he walked in, however, he seemed to have found his calling. Now 11 years and 3000 sales later, he shares the secrets of his success.
Photography by Jack Prebble
“When I first started, it was all new to me so I just focused on building up my base,” says King, whose repeat customers now run well into the hundreds. From people he’d never met before to patrons of the pub where he used to work, King quickly discovered he had a knack for finding the right vehicle at the right moment for every person.
And although his numbers grew rapidly over the next few years, King says he’s never been in a rush to make a deal. In fact giving people time is a key part of his success.
“I never book lots of people on the same day,” says King. “If you’re juggling commitments, then your customers can feel it too. It makes them stressed.
"I try to treat every customer as if they’re the only one I’ve got, and this is my only sale. I always say to myself, ‘Spend 100% of your effort and don’t cut any corners’".
When he’s not connecting in person, King’s on the phone, chatting to former customers and catching up on their news. “We end up talking about their lives and their families. I remember stories about their children and their grandchildren, and where they all live. Of course you need to know that they’re happy with the vehicle they’ve purchased, but other than that the conversation is not really about the car.”
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While it might sound like he’s having to do a lot of talking, King says, actually not so much. “Mostly I’m listening to people and learning from them. You need to pay attention to the details that they tell you. If you do all the talking then they don’t get a chance to share what they want.”
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So where did he learn this approach to success? Does he come from a long line of salespeople? “No, not at all,” says King. “When I decided to try sales, my dad said ‘Are you sure? You probably won’t make any money,’” he laughs. “Nobody taught me a specific technique. I just worked it out for myself, asking myself every day, what could I do better?”
And despite the inevitable pressure that most people would feel when it comes with this type of role, King says most of the time he finds it “relaxing and fun”’.
Of course, some days are harder than others, but “I never feel down,” says King, who was awarded the title of Honda Master Sales Ambassador last year, for the highest sales volume from 2013 - 2023. “If a customer doesn’t want to buy on that day, or they decide to opt for another brand, I still help them out. One time I helped a customer buy a car privately through Trade Me and then a year and a half later they traded it back with me.”
And although he’s self taught in his style, King says his key mantra actually came from a customer. “One of my buyers, who is 95 years old, gave me some good advice. He said, ‘Never go back on your word and what you tell people. If you say you’re going to do something, then you need to do it.”’
Not only does King follow through on his promises, he also likes to see the whole process through - from selling the car to delivering it to its new owner. “The happiest time is when the people actually pick up the car so you want to be there for that.”
Not surprisingly, work takes a lot of King’s focus but when he gets home it’s all about the family - his wife and three sons, two of whom are twins. None of them are showing clear signs of being sales people yet, though King says he has no expectations for them in that regard.
In fact, in many ways his approach here is the same as with his customers, “I don’t ever give my kids pressure,” he says. “They should trust their own way. They don’t have to be who I want them to be. They have to be happy. I say to them, ‘I can’t teach you too much - just do your best.’”
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Nobody taught me a
specific technique. I just
worked it out for myself,
asking myself every day,
what could I do better?
You can reach King at Honda Store Christchurch.
