WEBVTT - Paula Katz with Tony McManus - Fri 06 Jun, 2025

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<v Speaker 1>I can just now imagine the phone call between one

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<v Speaker 1>d Okain and missus Okay, who is now on the

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<v Speaker 1>phone saying, you've done, what you're looking at, what you're

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<v Speaker 1>thinking about? What it'll let the proverbial good on your tennis.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for that. I had the pleasure a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of weeks ago of going into a beautiful land Rover

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<v Speaker 1>dealership just over here in Port Melbourne. Spoke to some

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<v Speaker 1>really lovely people there and they said, well, what you're waiting,

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<v Speaker 1>would you like to make yourself a cup of tea

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<v Speaker 1>or a cup of coffee? And I said that would

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<v Speaker 1>be very kind, so I made myself a cup of coffee.

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<v Speaker 1>I happened to notice that the sales manager, good morning

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<v Speaker 1>Ben Ben, was dealing with a client who looked to

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<v Speaker 1>be just collecting his beautiful new motor car, Albeard A.

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<v Speaker 1>Top of thea was a range Rover, large range Rover,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm thinking ballpark, probably two fifty, maybe as close as three.

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<v Speaker 1>And I just sat there watching the delivery process, and

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<v Speaker 1>I was so impressed with the idea, what the what

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<v Speaker 1>for us me immortals, What would that feel like for

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<v Speaker 1>somebody who's in a position to be able to do

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<v Speaker 1>that to go and spend two and a half probably

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<v Speaker 1>three minute, three hundred thousand dollars on a beautiful new

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<v Speaker 1>motor car. The whole ceremony of it was in chanting

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<v Speaker 1>just to watch it. And I did watch it for

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<v Speaker 1>about twenty minutes, and it looked really just a whole

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<v Speaker 1>lot of fun. So it occurred to me, what would

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<v Speaker 1>that be like and is that part of a tradition

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<v Speaker 1>and how important is that in these days? We thought

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<v Speaker 1>we'd find out Paul I miss Auto Kats, PAULA good morning.

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<v Speaker 2>Good morning, Tony and all tuning into three aw overnight.

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<v Speaker 1>It just seemed like a lovely thing to sit back

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<v Speaker 1>and watch that, And I think I mentioned to you

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<v Speaker 1>on the phone what a lovely sort of sense of

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<v Speaker 1>occasion that was.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, process, it's it's such an interesting topic when you

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<v Speaker 2>brought it up, actually, because we had a good long

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<v Speaker 2>chat about it, it did, Yeah, you brought it up.

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<v Speaker 2>And then of course I took that experience from Range

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<v Speaker 2>Rover Land Rover into other dealerships and started discussing the

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<v Speaker 2>topic again. Because one size doesn't sit all in dealership's time.

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<v Speaker 2>Every dealership and every brand actually has a completely different delivery.

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<v Speaker 1>Process and so whether you're dealing with somebody at a

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<v Speaker 1>Hendi dealership or in this case where you're dealing with

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<v Speaker 1>you know, a big range Rover jagu JL precinct to

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<v Speaker 1>rend the corner Import Melbourne. I guess the intention is

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<v Speaker 1>the same, is to make the customer feel very special.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's when we're going through sales training we actually,

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<v Speaker 2>I'll never forget years ago they they if I could

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<v Speaker 2>somehow highlight this for listeners that they say that the

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<v Speaker 2>excitement levels are actually reversed from salesperson to consumer. So

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<v Speaker 2>on sale, the salesperson's excited because they've made a sale,

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<v Speaker 2>and the consumer is a little bit nervous and apprehensive

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<v Speaker 2>because they're spending money and they don't know what's going

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<v Speaker 2>on and should they or shouldn't they, But they're on

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<v Speaker 2>the delivery process. The salesperson is a little bit stressed

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<v Speaker 2>out because they have to make sure that everything's perfect

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<v Speaker 2>for the consumer. They have to make sure all of

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<v Speaker 2>their paperwork is right because we don't have PDF electronic signatures.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, the automotive industry is full of paperwork, still

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<v Speaker 2>nothing is electronic. And the customer, the consumer is excited,

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<v Speaker 2>so it's a very interesting process.

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to find out, Paula, whether somebody listening who's

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<v Speaker 1>picked up recently, I don't know, say a Highlus from

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<v Speaker 1>Toyota or Ford Ranger or the equivalent from Forward as

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<v Speaker 1>the two leading contestants in terms of people that will

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<v Speaker 1>be listening right now driving to work and need much

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<v Speaker 1>love you the idea of purchasing that car, owning that car,

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<v Speaker 1>taking ownership or that car, would that be any different

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<v Speaker 1>to somebody who's just picked up on top of the

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<v Speaker 1>range Range Rover or I don't know, even a Porsche.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the question is should it be yes? Should it

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<v Speaker 2>be different? See when I was having a chat through

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<v Speaker 2>a couple of managers, actually because I took this question

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<v Speaker 2>to the industry because I think it's actually a brilliant question.

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<v Speaker 2>Should it be different? Should there be a variant in

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<v Speaker 2>the delivery, in the exclusivetivity of the delivery dependent on

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<v Speaker 2>the amount that you're actually purchasing.

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<v Speaker 1>The cut for the other thing that came up, and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sure you've looked at this too, Paula, is the

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<v Speaker 1>idea of how long a delivery takes. In the days

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<v Speaker 1>where the keys might have just been handed over and

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<v Speaker 1>was goodbye, Thanks for signing the check and off you

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<v Speaker 1>go and see when you come back for a service.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a fair bit of explanation there because some of

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<v Speaker 1>these things are so highly technical.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, when we discussed this, Tony was interesting because back

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<v Speaker 2>in the day, as you said, there was there was

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<v Speaker 2>very the features and the benefits of the vehicle just

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<v Speaker 2>weren't as filled or jam packed or loaded or whatever

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<v Speaker 2>terminology you'd like to use as what they are now.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, the car basically drives itself. So if you

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<v Speaker 2>can imagine, the salesperson has set standards from the manufacturer

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<v Speaker 2>to ensure that we've gone through everything with the customer.

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<v Speaker 2>So the customer will get a survey and say did

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<v Speaker 2>they explain everything? So it's not even just a matter

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<v Speaker 2>of trying to explain everything, it's ensuring that we explain

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<v Speaker 2>it and the customer understands. Now there isn't just turn

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<v Speaker 2>the lights on and also move the seat backwards and

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<v Speaker 2>forwards anymore. And there's the indicators and would you like

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<v Speaker 2>me to possibly pay your phone to the bluetooth when

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<v Speaker 2>that came out. Now we have to go through our connectivity.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, how does RDAR cruise control work? Boots doors,

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<v Speaker 2>everything's electronic, so where the delivery. I remember when I

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<v Speaker 2>was selling cars, the delivery could possibly take two thousand

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<v Speaker 2>and five and six, maybe fifteen to twenty minutes. Now

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<v Speaker 2>it's approximately at least forty five minutes to an hour

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<v Speaker 2>and a half.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, to go through it all thoroughly. So that presumably

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<v Speaker 1>customery is is somehow satisfied at endorsing the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>they've made this quite considerable decision.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. And then you know what's the most interesting thing

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<v Speaker 2>is the customers will generally Now in this especially, I've

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<v Speaker 2>noticed in the last year or two, with all of

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<v Speaker 2>the new cars coming out, the hybrids and all of

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<v Speaker 2>the new features, a lot of customers are coming back

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<v Speaker 2>to dealerships, and a lot of sales people actually venting

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<v Speaker 2>to me because they just do a lot of sales

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<v Speaker 2>people are actually venting to me saying this is just

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, we love our customers, but they're coming in

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<v Speaker 2>because they're just not understanding the features. They need to

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<v Speaker 2>be explained and shown time and time again. And it's hard.

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<v Speaker 1>Work, yeah, of course, but there's nothing wrong with that.

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<v Speaker 1>So in terms of based on your experience, in terms

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<v Speaker 1>of dealerships and the trends these days are there gifts?

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<v Speaker 1>There used to be things that be you know, I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know, you put a blanket on the back of

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<v Speaker 1>one seat or something, or to make that whole process

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<v Speaker 1>a little more interesting and take these home the kids.

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<v Speaker 1>Is that sort of also a thing with somebody buying a.

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<v Speaker 2>New co depend it's completely and purely dependent on dealerships.

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<v Speaker 2>So each dealership, generally, and I'll say generally every manufacturer

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<v Speaker 2>franchises their dealerships out to a prive entity, whether it

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<v Speaker 2>be a group or whether it be an individual or

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<v Speaker 2>like a McDonald's franchise, a dealership is actually privately owned,

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<v Speaker 2>so it's actually dependent on that corporate body that decides

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<v Speaker 2>whether they are going to give a gift or not.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, so that's separate to the agreement, if you like,

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<v Speaker 1>it's over and above exactly.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's funny because how to chat for a few

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<v Speaker 2>people about this topic, just different dealerships, and I just

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<v Speaker 2>wanted to pick their brain, and I said, oh, well,

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<v Speaker 2>how is you know, how is Tony's experience? You know,

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<v Speaker 2>he saw these beautiful gifts being given and one of

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<v Speaker 2>the comments from a particular individual, he said, oh, well,

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<v Speaker 2>you know they're buying a three hundred thousand dollars cars.

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<v Speaker 2>They've got lots of money to give all to give

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<v Speaker 2>all their pretty gifts. But now look gifts gifts every

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<v Speaker 2>dealership at different times. Too hard to set a standard, I.

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<v Speaker 1>Guess yeah, but you can imagine for anybody who's and

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<v Speaker 1>you could have, you know, could who what would it

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<v Speaker 1>be like to go and buy Rolls Royce. For example,

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<v Speaker 1>you're buying the fully electric Rolls Royce, which is going

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<v Speaker 1>to come in over one million dollars well and truly

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<v Speaker 1>these days for the fully electric version in Australia, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's before you've added any real bells and whistles. What

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<v Speaker 1>would that experience be like as the as the salesperson

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<v Speaker 1>is wandering around this incredible.

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<v Speaker 2>Car with you, we have to I say, Tony, you

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<v Speaker 2>and I go down too. I think this is the

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<v Speaker 2>Gami groups that have Roll's voice. I have to double

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<v Speaker 2>check and owns that one now, and we'll have to

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<v Speaker 2>go and find out exactly what they do.

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<v Speaker 1>We should.

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<v Speaker 2>Unless you're up for the purchase.

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<v Speaker 1>That's right? Or do you go in and say, look,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm thinking about I don't know where would you even

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<v Speaker 1>start that conversation?

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<v Speaker 2>I would probably just name drop we say, I'll say,

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<v Speaker 2>do you know who this guy is?

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<v Speaker 1>The information that's very kind of you, and that whole

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<v Speaker 1>delivery experience I find absolutely intrigue. And you can imagine

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<v Speaker 1>somebody who's probably buying their let's say a high end

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<v Speaker 1>Benz for example, you're out of Barrick and you're doing

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<v Speaker 1>the deal and it may not be your first, it

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<v Speaker 1>could be your third, fourth, fifth, or sixth.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, over a period. Yeah, and you probab this out.

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<v Speaker 2>I want another I don't want another drink, bottle or cap,

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<v Speaker 2>thanks mate, I want a sports bad thank.

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<v Speaker 1>You, that's right. Or I want tickets to the golf

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<v Speaker 1>or something along the line. As I don't know how

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<v Speaker 1>it works these days, but it is fascinating. Paula. It's

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<v Speaker 1>always good to chat. Thank you for getting up nice

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<v Speaker 1>and early, Paula, miss Auto Cats. We catch up with

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<v Speaker 1>Paula every couple of weeks of the program a straighter

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<v Speaker 1>every night.