April
4 -- In 2012, Stihl announced the retirement of its longtime vice president of
sales and marketing, Peter Burton, and the appointment of Northeast Stihl
branch manager Nick Jiannas to the vacated position. In his new role as vice
president of sales and marketing at Stihl Inc., Jiannas will draw from his vast
experience working in many areas of Stihl.
In
his time with Stihl, Jiannas has learned the value of the independent servicing
dealer, and what pairing that with effective marketing can do for the success
of Stihl and their independent dealer network. He hopes to further grow market
share and strengthen the company's mutually beneficial relationship with their
dealer network.
In
almost 20 years with Stihl, Jiannas' experience has touched on many areas of
the outdoor power equipment business, giving him a breadth of knowledge to
build off of in his time as vice president of sales and marketing. Jiannas also
speaks fluent German and works well with Stihl colleagues at their worldwide
headquarters in Germany.
"This
is going on my 18th year with the company. I spent eight years out in the
field, eight years in the head office in Virginia Beach, and a small stint in
Germany as well," says Jiannas. "My experience has included almost
every position you can possibly do under the umbrella of sales and marketing. I
have gained a strong understanding of what makes a Stihl dealer tick, and what
kinds of things resonate with our independent retailer channel."
Jiannas
says he understands the challenges independent dealers face, and plans to work
closely with them to find solutions. He regularly attends dealer meetings and
strives to keep the dialogue going throughout the channel.
"I'm
someone whose Stihl career grew up in the dealer network," says Jiannas.
"These folks are down-to-earth, hard-working Americans that give honest
feedback, and that’s how we have become better at our job as a manufacturer. I
will continuously reach out to them."
Stihl
and Jiannas have long spoke about the power of retailing through the
independent servicing dealer network. The company works with their dealers to
ensure customer and brand satisfaction.
"Independent
dealers help us as a manufacturer to ensure a positive ownership experience for
the customer," explains Jiannas. "They qualify the customer's product
needs and then provide parts and service after the sale. They also provide
information and feedback to us, the manufacturer, on our products so we can
always improve. The dealer provides that critical connection between the
manufacturer and the end user on how we can improve our product offering."
The
dealer's relationship with their customer isn’t the only thing that helps Stihl
find places to improve. The passion and demands of independent dealers also
push the company to make improvements to their products and overall operations.
"Stihl
dealers demand the best and have really caused us to heavily invest back into
our business," says Jiannas. "Whether it is research and development
in Germany, or the production facility here in Virginia Beach, we want to
ensure we keep providing the best product and maintain our commitment to
continuous improvement. They encourage us to be a better manufacturer."
Stihl
continues to invest in their technical support structure, training programs
like iCademy and Stihl MasterWrench Service, their distribution network and
marketing efforts. These investments, along with aggressive marketing to consumers,
helps Stihl maintain their dealers' margins.
Moving
forward, Jiannas hopes to help Stihl gain market share and help dealers gain
the recognition of consumers. Educating the consumer on the benefits of
choosing an independent servicing dealer and the Stihl brand will help grow the
company's presence in the homeowner market.
"It
has been a rewarding challenge for us, but it is a challenge at the end of the
day because the average consumers still think of the mass channel as the place
for all of their outdoor power equipment needs," says Jiannas. "We
really have seen positive results when we spend the energy and money to reach
out to the consumer and say, 'Hey, there is an alternative. There is a better
choice with your Stihl dealer.'"
In
addition to connecting with the homeowner customer base through their
marketing, Jiannas plans to assess Stihl marketing efforts to be sure they are
in line with the changing market and company goals. The ideal result would be
continuously improving the effectiveness of the marketing efforts and
maximizing the ROI of every marketing dollar.
"I
hope to review and refine our advertising spending by looking at each line item
and making sure we remain relevant in today's ever-changing marketplace,"
says Jiannas. "The marketplace is changing at an accelerated pace, so I'm
challenging our team to ensure that our media mix is optimal and that our
messaging continues to resonate with our target audience. Those are key
questions that I will ask myself all the time."
One
of the first objectives on Jiannas' list is to keep developing relationships
with, and supporting, the people that he works with at Stihl. Those
relationships are what give him the confidence that they have the resources and
ability to get their message out there in front of dealers and consumers.
"From
the inside out, we really have a unique story to tell," says Jiannas.
"So my job and my challenge is educating the American consumer that we
have a good product to offer, come check us out."
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