Blenheim Toyota takes out top sales contest

Blenheim Toyota has taken out this year’s coveted Toyota Ult1mate Contest with their very own Malcolm Rush named as the top new vehicle sales consultant for 2015.

The Toyota Ult1mate Contest pits sales consultants from around the country against one another in a series of challenges to find New Zealand’s best and brightest new and used Toyota sales consultants. The competition acknowledges the exceptional passion and dedication Toyota sales staff professionals put toward providing the best customer sales and delivery experience for Toyota drivers.

Blenheim Toyota’s Malcolm Rush has taken out the grand prize in the New Vehicle category for the first time. His hard work, exceptional product knowledge and sales skills saw him top a strong field of more than 120 representing 76 branches from around the country.

“It was surreal to hear my name called out. It’s a huge challenge to be watched and critiqued by your peers but you just have to focus on what needs to be done, hone in on your training and listen to your customers,” says Mr Rush.

Rush attributes his win to his laid back approach with customers allowing him to draw on his extensive product knowledge and go beyond their expectations. 

“Ult1mate is all about constant improvement, refining service delivery and making sure that everything we do delivers the same exceptional standards that Toyota is known for globally.

Rush has been at Blenheim Toyota for nine years and has not previously entered the competition. He says the culture at Blenheim Toyota has given him the flexibility to utilise his strengths.

“Being a family business means you have a balance of meeting targets and following the Toyota way but have the room to perform as an individual at your own level and your own pace.

“I am so grateful for the support from Craig and Scotty who have given me the space to grow and refocus throughout the competition,” says Mr Rush. 

Malcolm was honoured with the 2015 Ult1mate award during an awards dinner held at the Awapuni Function Centre in Palmerston North, attended by finalists, dealership CEOs and Sales Managers, as well as representatives from Toyota New Zealand.

Steve Prangnell, Toyota General Manager of Sales and Operations, says the strong result from Blenheim Toyota is apt recognition of an approach that strives to put Toyota customers first.

“The Ult1mate Contest was conceived with the aim of acknowledging the hard work our national dealer network puts into delivering the best customer experience for purchasers of new and used Toyotas,” says Mr Prangnell.

“For Malcolm to pick up this year’s New Vehicle title speaks volumes for the Blenheim Toyota team’s commitment to outstanding customer service and ongoing improvement of their service delivery.”

He says the company’s Toyota Sales Programme, which administers the Ult1mate Contest, covers excellence in all aspects of the role, and is aimed at creating salespeople as good as any globally.

To be crowned the winner of the Toyota Ult1mate Contest, entrants are judged against a comprehensive series of criteria including: monthly sales targets, customer feedback, product knowledge tests, mystery shoppers, a written exam and a final skill proficiency test in a simulated customer based scenario.

Winners in the New Vehicle and Used Vehicle categories each receive a prize package valued at more than $12,000, while finalists in each category receive a prize package worth more than $2,000.