North B

York, North Yorkshire, Friday 13th August, Day 21

A fantastic end to the North B tour, with a brilliant turn-out in York. Customers were of a high calibre, wanting top of the range MINIs regardless of any extra costs. There were lots of gentlemen generously buying them for their wives. A man came in who owned a leasing company, and had already ordered not one, but a staggering 18 Countryman cars.

Malton, North Yorkshire, Thursday 12th August, Day 20

A nice relaxed day in Malton, as it's a more rural area with a lower population. This also meant that the customers all knew each other, and sat on the lovely lounge benches for hours discussing the benefits of the ALL4 models of the Countryman, while reminiscing not-so-fondly about getting snowed in last winter. The lounge area also meant I had longer with each customer to talk to them about the features, and find out their needs. As most of the customers had dogs, or needed space to transfer lots of things, the Luggage Compartment Separating Net was given numerous demonstrations (a couple even added it onto their order).

Bradford, West Yorkshire, Wednesday 11th August, Day 19

The whole showroom had been cleared at MINI Bradford ready for the arrival of the Countryman - apart from one familiar little character. Sat in a side section of the showroom was a classic Mini Cooper, cowering in the shade of its newest family member. As people arrived to see the new part of the MINI range, they reminisced about their first Mini being similar to the original one on display.

As guests entered, they were greeted by the glamorous Sophie, who ticked their names off the guest-list and directed them towards a spread of MINI canapés, MINI sandwiches, and an array of MINI desserts. Simon and his team were very enthusiastic about getting sales locked in, with customers still building their cars well after the event finishing time.


Manchester, Tuesday 10th August, Day 18

An amazing day at Manchester today, with Graham Reedy planning and executing a fantastic event. Graham made sure his guests were greeted with a welcome pack, complete with information about the Countryman. From the door, they were then greeted by an amazing spread of food provided by the luxurious Malmaison hotel, and served by well-dressed catering staff. Alongside bouquets of fresh flowers, a multi-tiered stand of hand-made cupcakes brightened up the reception desk and went down a treat.

Customers came down in droves to check out the new car, and the range of colours. A staggering 12 pre-orders had been placed prior to the event. There was a constant crowd around the Countryman, with people queueing to sit inside the car, and picture themselves behind the wheel on the open roads.

Graham had provided a large guestlist, but there was one name on the list that really stood out - Manchester legend, Inspiral Carpets member and XFM DJ, Clint Boon. Clint turned up in his specially branded Boon Army MINI Clubman, and really looked at home behind the wheel of the Countryman in his shades.

The launch event was a massive success, with a record amount of test drive appointments set up. All the staff worked really hard, and it's clear that they are a very close team.

Blackpool, Lancashire, Monday 9th August, Day 17

Manager James at Blackpool really got into the spirit of the event - he even planned a fancy dress outfit, in the form of a "country man", complete with wax-jacket, flat cap and wellies.

The light white Countryman was given pride of place in the showroom, with a blue hatch and red clubman on either side - a nicely patriotic spread of colours to show off a great range of British cars.

As things got underway, there was a constant crowd gathered around the car for the duration of the event. An abundance of food was on offer to the constant crowd of people, who were being well looked after by a really friendly team of sale staff. The atmosphere was relaxed and people appeared really comfortable.

A couple came in wanting to check the back of the car and the separating net, as they were buying the car as a present for their dog, and wanted to check it was suitable.

Warrington, Cheshire, Saturday 7th August, Day 16

As you walk into the hexagonal Warrington MINI dealership, the first thing that will strike you is how friendly the staff are. With a sales team made up with an equal amount of men and women, the astmosphere is really nicely balanced. Within minutes the team made me feel like I'd been one of them for years. The manager Alan was very charming with the customers and seemed to thrive in his interactions with them. He really worked the room, making sure all customers were spoken to. Alan also made sure that all his team were gathering customer details to update the computer systems, so they could follow up potential leads. Talking of leads, the team put in a fantastic effort, with numerous people building their cars on the screens, and commenting that they will definitely be buying a Countryman.

The team at Warrington have a really good laugh with their customers too. Craig and Lee are like the MINI version of Ant & Dec, choreographing dances which they involve customers with, and were filming each other doing Top Gear style presentations about the Countryman. Alan also appeared in the showroom at one point, with arms full of chocolate bars that he'd popped out to get for us all.

It was good to see David Beattie, the North West Regional Manager for MINI, who came along again. At every event he attends, he interacts really well with customers, and reels off masses of information about the Countryman. He takes a keen interest in how all of the dealerships are getting on.

Wilmslow, Cheshire, Friday 6th August, Day 15

The welcome at Blue Bell Wilmslow was first rate, and this level of excellence continued throughout the entire event. The whole team introduced themselves as soon as I entered, and Matthew, the manager, made me feel at home immediately. It was clear from the start that a huge amount of effort and planning had gone into the event. Matthew and his team had fully researched all aspects of the car, and had print outs of all the literature and Countryman facts. Schedules had been printed out ready to allocate slots to customers for test drives, and another to book a time to come in and spec their cars.

Matthew had also arranged for Bang and Olufsen to provide big television screens to play a selection of MINI videos on, and a soundsystem to provide the backing music.

Guests were given a choice of times to arrive, and as each party of customers turned up, they were greeted by trays of specially ordered M&S sushi and mini bottles of bubbly. The guests were then gathered around the Countryman ready for Matthew to give a welcome speech and introduce the new car - which he did with charisma and enthusiasm. The baton was then passed to one of the sales team to present the exterior features of the car, and then again to another for the interior demonstration. Guests were then given the chance to discover the car for themselves, with the sales team answering all their individual questions and pushing them for test drive appointments.

The whole team were fantastic throughout - professional, helpful and approachable. MINI are very lucky to have Matthew and his team representing the brand.

Liverpool, Merseyside, Thursday 5th August, Day 14

After a morning of rain, the sun came out from behind the clouds in time for a lovely afternoon at Williams Liverpool. Fresh flower displays had been ordered for the entrance tables, and the showroom had been cleared for us to take our pick on where to place the Countryman for best effect.

As guests arrived, they were greeted at the door, and their names ticked off the guestlist - making them feel like they had privileged access to an exclusive viewing. There were wines, beers and soft drinks on offer, and waitresses circled the room with trays of MINI burgers and MINI fish & chips in MINI newspaper cones.

Southport, Merseyside, Wednesday 4th August, Day 13

The Countryman was given its own VIP treatment in Southport, with the whole showroom cleared to make it the sole focus of attention. The more intimate showroom meant that customers could be given more time and attention, and spec their own cars on the system.

Bolton, Lancashire, Tuesday 3rd August, Day 12

A decadent arrival for guests to Bolton, as they were greeted at the door with a celebratory glass of champagne to set the scene that they were privileged invitees to a special launch. This was balanced really well against the friendly and approachable staff, who made all the customers feel really at home. The atmosphere was that of a very nicely bonded team. There was a very varied selection of guests on the day, ranging from vets to firemen, and business men to retired couples.

Rochdale, Lancashire, Monday 2nd August, Day 11

Any dealership wanting to know how to run the perfect preview event should look to Paul and his team at Williams Rochdale. Paul had planned the event to perfection - with a hand-selected soundtrack, briefing packs for his team, fun catering, and waitresses circling the crowd with canapes and drinks. All the staff got really involved, with the marketing team also on hand. As guests arrived, they were greeted at the door by their salesman, and given a guided tour around the car, allowing them to really show off the product. The atmosphere was really exciting and fun, and this really added to how special people felt to be invited down. Paul really encapsulates the MINI brand, and is an asset to the company.

Blackburn, Lancashire, Friday 30th July, Day 10

The event in Blackburn went really well, with a fantastic amount of space to set up the car and set. Lots of people were commenting on the practical aspects of the car being bigger, such as "it's a MINI for families" and "it's a big 'small car'!". The staff were all friendly, and had a real bond with their customers, which was evident in their interactions.

Colne, Lancashire, Thursday 29th July, Day 9

The salesmen all gathered around the haulage truck in anticipation of the first glimpses of the Countryman, and were all very impressed. As soon as it was unloaded from the truck, the guys all hopped in to check out the features.

Today has been a very 'technical data' based day, with many enquiries about vehicle weight, length, and trailer towing weights. Luckily I had all this information readily available to pass onto the customers who were very happy to know their trailers would be able to be pulled along by the car.


Preston, Lancashire, Wednesday 28th July, Day 8

A gentleman came down to the launch today to see the MINI Countryman, as he is a self-proclaimed "MINI fanatic". He took me outside to show me his customised MINI hatch - complete with decal design he created himself, based upon the Mini Cooper that won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, with permission from the rally driver Paddy Hopkirk. The gentleman is also currently in talks to set up a local 'MINI club' with the dealership.

The marketing and PR managers from Bowker MINI came down to make a film of the Countryman for their youtube channel.

A family turned up 45 minutes before the official event start time, and immediately bought a Countryman.
 

 
Stockport, Cheshire, Tuesday 27th July, Day 7

A record amount of guests at the Stockport event today, with lots of people going through their desired specifications on the computers to build their ideal car. A gentleman from Oregon, USA arrived before the event started to take a look at the Countryman, and he was also the last to leave at the end of the day - waiting for the car to leave the showroom so he could get some pictures of the car in the daylight. He currently drives the MINI Cooper S hatch in America, so is looking forward to the early 2011 US launch of the Countryman for a bigger car that will be more at home on the big Stateside highways.

Grange over Sands, Cumbria, Monday 26th July, Day 6

An amazing turn-out in Grange over Sands today, with a more mature audience turning up with tales of their original Mini Countryman cars. They were very impressed with the new MINI Countryman, with 7 pre-orders put in prior to the event. A couple came down to test the boot size for their pram, and to see how well the child seat would fit onto the back seat with the front seats pushed back. They were over the moon with the amount of space, especially as they are currently using a MINI One Convertible - which means that the 2 adults and baby can't fit in the same car, and that they have to put the soft-top down to get the pram in and out of the back seat.

Lloyd Cockermouth, Carlisle, Friday 23rd July, Day 5

A lovely sunny day in Cockermouth for Day 5 of the North B tour. The dealership manager was very enthusiastic about the car and managed to sign up a massive amount of people for test drives. As we were loading the car back into the truck and locking the doors, a couple came over the car park where they had been looking for a 4WD BMW. Without missing a beat, we told them all about the Countryman being available in 4WD, and got the car down for them to look at. They'd been looking for a cheaper alternative to the BMW 4WDs, with the same level of quality. After signing up for a test drive, they left saying they thought they had finally found what they were looking for.

Cooper Sunderland, East Boldon, Monday 19th July, Day 1

There was a buzz of excitement as soon as we arrived, with all the dealers and some members of the public eagerly waiting around the van for the Countryman to be unloaded from the haulage truck. Camera phones were out and ready, with people eager to be amongst the first with pictures of the vehicle.

The event went well, with customers who have pre-ordered their Countryman coming to see what it is that they have actually bought. They were all overly excited upon seeing it "in real life" for the first time.

Elvet, Durham, Tuesday 20th July, Day 2

Invites were sent by post and emailed out ready for the event, catering was ordered, and customers were kept updated with details of the launch. So on the day there was a good turnout, with excited customers who were well briefed on the product.

Preston Hall, Stockton on Tees, Wednesday 21st July, Day 3

The sales people at Preston Hall gave their clients set appointment times, so that they arrived at staggered intervals. This gave them structured time to dedicate to their customers and develop personalised price plans for them. This worked well as people were putting their orders in on the day. One family even upgraded the MINI Cooper that they bought only 5 months ago. Another couple made an impulse buy, when they had planned to just come and look at it. The phrase of the day was "it looks like a MINI on steroids" - overheard being said by 5 different customers.

Lloyd Carlisle, Cumbria, Thursday 22nd July, Day 4

Today has been very exciting. A film crew met us in the North East and filmed us driving across to Carlisle - me in my MINI Cooper D and Steve the haulage driver in his 52 foot long truck (with the precious Countryman in the back). It was like Top Gear meets MINI. Then we had a great day at the Carlisle dealership, with customers being interviewed about what they thought of the car. Every response was extremely positive, with two customers admitting that they didn't want to like the car, but after seeing it couldn't find a bad word to say about it. One man came into the dealership to buy some £25 windscreen wipers for his hatch, but was so impressed that he left with a deposit placed on a £19,000 Countryman.