25/06/2013
Stevenson Is Here To Stay
To effectively promote and successfully gain the confidence of customers for a brand, one has to have a strong conviction and belief in the superiority of the product. And there is no doubt that Matthew Stevenson has all these facets covered.
Almost a month since he took up the post as brand manager for Suzuki - one of the flagship brands of Stewart Motors, Stevenson is a proud ambassador.
"This brand is highly reputable, tried and tested. And I take it as a privilege to be given the responsibility to work with the brand," he told Flair.
A native of Zimbabwe who spent a number of years living in the United Kingdom, Zambia and South Africa, Stevenson took up a request from his parents, who were living in Jamaica, to visit them for three weeks. This visit was to allow him to spend time with them, as well as to refocus and carefully plan his life's path.
"I was living in South Africa at the time, and I was struggling to find a job there. So my parents suggested that I visit them to clear my head, regroup and get a game plan."
But those three weeks have so far turned into three years, with Stevenson never permanently returning home to South Africa.
It would appear that the trip to Jamaica gave him the perfect break he was aggressively looking for.
"My father organised a job interview with the Sandals Group. I got a job there as a management trainee in the Human Resource and Training Services Department, where I worked for two years."
Following that career starter, he took up another offer at ATL Automotive where he was the manager of group customer experience.
Now at Stewart Motors, charged with the responsibility of increasing visibility, recognition and trust for the Suzuki brand, Stevenson is ready for the journey ahead.
Competitive edge
One of the major tasks for him is really to effectively compete with all the major automobile brands while ensuring that there is always that competitive edge. But how does he propose to do this without giving away too much?
"You have to be aware of what the competition is doing but not focus too much on it. We will come up with our own great plan because if you get too caught up with the competition you will become reactive rather than proactive."
High on his agenda, he noted, is to always ensure that owners of the brand are able to and are willing to speak highly of the brand. This strategy, he noted is to turn customers into fans, which is a way of always promoting the brand.
"Customers are very price sensitive and do not necessarily spread the word on a good buy readily. Fans though are very loyal; they talk about the brand and say how great the brand is and are very forgiving."
To realise this goal, Stevenson highlighted the importance of working with his team to make it a collaborative effort.
"I want to create and build a winning team. It is really about motivating everyone and to get the best out of everyone."
The automotive industry was one that was never foreign to Stevenson prior to coming to Jamaica, as he got his first introduction to the field when he decided to work with his father at Toyota Zambia.
This stint came after he dropped out of university in Australia.
"I moved to Australia to study entrepreneurship. I left on my own and didn't know anyone in Melbourne and the university was just not what I expected. I lasted only four months before going back to Zambia where my parents were."
After securing a space at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, Stevenson moved to study for his undergraduate degree in labour, organisational psychology and human resource management. And later, a post-graduate degree in enterprise management.
While not necessarily in the field of his studies, the brand manager noted that the degrees have proven beneficial to how he views his jobs and operates.
"Organisational psychology is fascinating because it makes you look at what makes organisations work well and problem solving to improve in certain areas. The human resource element shows you how to get the most from team members as internal customer service is the key to giving great external service."
The thirty-year-old, who has no plans of leaving Jamaica in the near future, is according to him, 'envied' by many of his friends, because of the opportunity he got to relocate to Jamaica.
"My friends back in South Africa are very jealous. They see Jamaica as the coolest country on earth."
He also admitted that he was quite a fan of the island even before he took up residence. And this has certainly not changed
"I love the uniqueness. For a small island, there are so many impressive things."
A fan of cricket, he quipped how he has always been a supporter of the West Indies cricket team.
"I love cricket and I am also rooting for West Indies even when they play against South Africa. In fact I used to say to myself that if I ever got the chance to play, I would definitely want to play on the West Indies team," he joked.
Well-travelled, and not afraid of new adventures, Stevenson is keen on finding the right gears, to ensure a smooth ride for all his customers.
"Stewart's has a sense of urgency and we want to make sure we sell cars while still ensuring our customers are happy.
