Automotive News - October 17, 2016 - Supplement - S14

14 ❙ OCTOBER 17, 2016 R O L L S - R O Y C E M O T O R C A R S PA L M B E A C H , W E S T PA L M B E A C H , F L A . MARKETING WITH EXCLUSIVITY Rolls-Royce store does events, customization and home visits Printed in Automotive News Feb. 15, 2016 Diana T. Kurylko dkurylko@crain.com S elling cars to ultrarich consumers requires a very personal approach - you can't lure them into your showroom with traditional advertising. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Palm Beach has a successful game plan for attracting new buyers that includes small, posh events and dinners, and visits to potential buyers' homes or offices, says Ralph Ⅲ Personal approach for Avila, general sales manager. ultrarich For instance, the West Palm consumers Beach, Fla., dealership invites 10 couples who are customers to a private dinner and asks each to invite another couple who doesn't own a Rolls-Royce. Dinner is often held on Palm Beach Island, a wealthy area whose residents "have a per-capita [income] that is probably the most affluent in the U.S.," Avila said. The dealership's location in a vacation hot spot for the wealthy means that "people are more relaxed," which makes selling cars easier, Avila said. That's why the store sells more than 60 percent of its stock off the showroom floor to "impulse buyers," he said. Rolls-Royce track day The least expensive Rolls-Royce is the Ghost sedan, with a base price of $298,350. The most expensive is the extended-wheelbase Phantom sedan at $494,925. Both prices include shipping. A favorite spot to entertain prospects is the exclusive Mar-a-Lago Club, an estate resort owned by billionaire and presidential candidate Donald Trump. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Palm Beach celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Spirit of Ecstasy - the ornament that sits on the hood of every Rolls-Royce - with a private dinner in a lush garden setting. Such events are "where we attract clients," Avila said, noting that respecting the privacy of Rolls-Royce owners and potential owners is key when dealing with them and selecting venues. This month, the store sponsored its second annual track event at Palm Beach Interna- Ralph Avila of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Palm Beach says events such as private dinners in lush garden settings are "where we attract clients." tional Raceway with drivers and cars from headquarters in England teaching and riding with customers who wanted to test the potential of a Rolls-Royce. Dealers from the South and Northeast were also invited, Avila said. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Palm Beach sold 68 new Rolls-Royce cars last year and is targeting sales of 75 in 2016, expecting the increase because of the Dawn convertible that goes on sale this year. Most of those sales were to cash buyers, Avila said. The store often ranks among Rolls-Royce's top three in U.S. sales, he said. Last year, the dealership was the first in North America to win Rolls-Royce's U.S. and global dealer of the year awards. Results were based on 2014 performance; 2015 awards will be announced in the coming weeks. RollsRoyce has 127 worldwide dealers and 41 in North America. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Palm Beach marked its 30th anniversary in 2015. The store is owned by privately held Braman Motorcars, which sells BMW, Porsche, Mini, Bentley and Rolls-Royce vehicles in West Palm Beach and Jupiter, Fla. Avila says the awards reflect the store's performance, selling the most customized cars and having the highest aftersales of any U.S. Rolls-Royce dealership in 2014. Custom features The dealership orders many cars from the factory with custom features because of the high rate of purchases off the showroom floor. "Remember, we do more cars than the normal dealerships here - sometimes you have to have something on the shelf," Avila said. "We have some clients that are so impulsive." And that's a "stressful process," because the staff must carefully choose color combinations that will appeal to male or female buyers, he said. For women, the dealership looks to fashion, choosing more pastels and light colors with detailing on the piping of the veneers to "enhance the interior," Avila said. Men generally prefer darker shades. If a potential buyer wants to special order a car, dealership employees will travel to a home or office with color, leather and wood samples. Among popular options: ventilated seats, monograms or family crests on the headrests, tread plates, and special interior and exterior colors. The average bespoke Wraith fastback or Ghost convertible is equipped with $30,000 to $60,000 in options and customization. The range-topping Phantom - the pricier Drophead Coupe convertible variant is more popular in Florida - has considerably more, Avila said. The store has only five salespeople and five technicians. It shares a building with Bentley because the two brands were owned by the same company. Today, Rolls-Royce is owned by BMW AG and Volkswagen Group owns Bentley. c

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