Perspectives

Most automotive marketing problems have more than one solution.
These are ours. If they resonate with you, we should probably chat…

Why good automotive sales meetings still go nowhere
Automotive Consultancy Marketing Chris Atkinson Automotive Consultancy Marketing Chris Atkinson

Why good automotive sales meetings still go nowhere

A good automotive sales meeting can be surprisingly misleading. The customer understands the product, the questions are positive and there is enough interest to talk about what happens next. Then the opportunity slows down.

Often, the explanation sits elsewhere inside the customer. Automotive buying decisions travel through engineering, programme, procurement, quality, finance and leadership, gathering new questions as they go. The person you convinced in the first meeting may now have to convince several people you will never meet.

Understanding those hidden conversations changes how you prepare for meetings, follow up, build sales material, support internal champions and respond to RFQs. At Six Lines, we call the people around those conversations the Decision Room.

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Ferrari’s making an EV: Let’s all take a deep breath
Automotive go-to-market Chris Atkinson Automotive go-to-market Chris Atkinson

Ferrari’s making an EV: Let’s all take a deep breath

OK, breathe in…

The Luce has arrived with the sort of reaction only Ferrari can generate. An electric car from any other manufacturer would be judged on range, charging speed, performance, price and whether the interior feels expensive enough. An electric Ferrari is judged against childhood posters, racing history, V12 thrums, resale anxiety, whether everyone involved in the marketing is a genius (or the opposite), and the rotational speed of Enzo Ferrari in his grave. This was always going to be a weird week on LinkedIn.

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Automotive Consultancies: How to survive OEM budget cuts
Automotive Consultancy Marketing Chris Atkinson Automotive Consultancy Marketing Chris Atkinson

Automotive Consultancies: How to survive OEM budget cuts

When budgets tighten inside OEMs, automotive consultancies are often the first line item to be questioned, because it is far, far easier to pause external support than cut internal headcount.

Suddenly projects get delayed, scope is reduced, spending gets deferred and your emails stop getting replies. From the outside, consulting looks flexible, but from inside the OEM, you start to look optional. You’re a luxury they can’t afford…

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