Jim Dollinger, "Buickman", was Buick Motor Division's
Top Salesman for six years. He achieved this success by offering
his customers unequalled personalized service.
After a record breaking year in 1996 where he delivered 970
retail units, Jim left the Williamson Buick dealership to
form his own Real Estate firm, Dollinger & Company. After
a five year absence he was hired to come back and revive the
dealership whose sales had slipped significantly since his
departure.
Remember 2002 was the year the City of Flint recalled the
Mayor and the State of Michigan took over the City due to
fiscal crisis. Concurrently, the largest GM facility in North
America, The Buick (known as Buick City), where tens of thousands
of employees were laid off, was physically
demolished, permanently displacing the workforce. It was
into this environment that Jim began running the dealership
on February 2, 2002. Within six months, the dealership averaged
a 60% increase, going from a previous 12 month average of
70 units to 160 in August of the same year. Having accomplished
his goal of returning the dealership (now renamed Patsy Lou
Buick) to its previous glory, Jim left to return to Real Estate.
Once again pulled back into the car business, Jim began
consulting work at Suski Buick Chevrolet in Birch Run Michigan
this year. Needless to say sales have skyrocketed. Unit deliveries
were up 80% in March '04 and 60% in April. The dealership
is on pace to more than double May of last year - more than
100% increase!
Great things happen when a plan comes together!
Feeling that he could make recommendations to General Motors
that would benefit everyone from the customers to the employees,
Jim traveled to Delaware for GM's Annual Meeting of Shareholders
in 2000. Hurried along by then Chairman J. Smith, the Buickman
quickly summarized his ideas. Retail Insights Magazine would
later publish these comments under "The
Elephant Can Dance".
The following year, 2001, Jim returned to the Annual Shareholders'
Meeting, only this time with a full-scale presentation to
shareholders at a Hotel duPont luncheon. Market Share on Market
Street I was favorably received by those stockholders in attendance.
In 2002 Jim again spoke at the annual meeting and announced the
creation of a plan to increase domestic market share by 5 percentage
points with no capital investment.
Unable to reach an understanding with management, in 2003
Jim once more headed East with another rendition of Market
Share on Market Street and this time actually detailed The
Plan - Five Points. The response was overwhelming support.
This year the presentation, Market Share on Market Street
III - Corruption vs. Ineptitude, will focus on revealing the
reasons for the decline in market capitalization as well as
diminished market share.
Following the Shareholder Meeting, the presentation will
be posted on this site. |
