An interview with John Olsen
How do you usually find new dealers?
Most of our new partners actually contact us themselves after seeing our social media videos or learning that we are looking for reseller partners. We also have a dedicated page on our website where workshops can read more about becoming a dealer and submit their interest.
Which marketing activities work best?
Social media has become one of our strongest marketing channels, especially Instagram. Besides that, we are present at automotive events throughout Sweden. Many of our dealers attend local car meets where they distribute promotional material, discount vouchers and ATM merchandise. Being visible within the local car community has helped us build trust and brand awareness over the years.
How do workshops respond to the pricing?
Professional workshops understand that high-quality tuning files require engineering, testing and ongoing support. Our pricing reflects that quality while still allowing dealers to maintain healthy profit margins. Customers who focus purely on the cheapest solution are generally not the type of long-term partners we are looking for.
What questions do potential dealers ask most often?
Most workshops want to know:
- What kind of training is available?
- How is the technical support?
- What makes your files different?
- What warranty do you provide?
- How quickly can you help if something goes wrong?
According to John, these are exactly the questions workshops should ask before choosing a tuning partner.
Why do dealers ultimately choose ATM-Performance?
According to John, the reasons are quite consistent.
Dealers value:
- High-quality tuning files
- Fast technical support
- Professional training
- Reliable warranty
- Official tuning certificates
- Working with an experienced organization
Those factors create confidence for both the workshop and the end customer.
What is the biggest challenge when supporting new dealers?
Knowledge. Many new dealers have little or no experience with tuning and therefore receive many technical questions from customers.
That's why continuous support is essential. Email support, telephone support and practical guidance help new dealers become confident much faster.
Do you share customer leads?
Yes. Every day we receive new enquiries through our website. These are forwarded directly to the most suitable dealer within that region.
According to John, this helps new dealers build their customer base from day one.
How important is personal contact?
"Trust is everything." The first contact is almost always a phone call.
If both parties feel there is a good fit, an in-person meeting follows before making a final decision. Building long-term partnerships starts with building trust.
How do you keep dealers active?
Regular communication is key. John stays in close contact with his dealers by providing:
- Technical support
- Commercial advice
- Training
- Marketing materials
- Product updates
- Information about new opportunities
The objective is simple: Help dealers grow their business so the entire network grows together.
Lessons learned
Looking back, John says he made one important mistake. "In the beginning I focused too much on growing the network as quickly as possible." Some new dealers lacked the necessary experience, resulting in a high demand for support and training.
Today the strategy is different. Quality comes before quantity.
New dealers are carefully selected based on:
- Experience
- Technical knowledge
- Professional attitude
- Customer focus
This has resulted in a much stronger network.
What is your experience with the DCF-Performance reward system?
"The system is transparent, easy to understand and works exactly as expected.
It gives us a clear overview of dealer activity and allows us to monitor the growth of our network."
John's advice to future Country Heads
"Don't focus on recruiting as many dealers as possible. Focus on finding the right dealers. A smaller network of professional partners will always outperform a large network without the right knowledge and commitment."
Interested in becoming a Country Head?
Every successful DCF-Performance Country Head started with a single workshop. Today, John supports a network of 15 active dealers throughout Sweden.
Would you like to build the DCF-Performance network in your own country?
Become a country head
