Enter eMobility with BusStore
A used Mercedes-Benz eCitaro for Stadtwerke Eberbach.
Passionate bus expertise
Pepe Martinez Bueno: A lifelong commitment to selling buses and coaches
Pepe Martinez Bueno was, as it were, born to sell buses. For more than 32 years, the Sales Manager at the BusStore Center Madrid has worked in bus and coach distribution. A life full of exciting challenges – and full of passion for buses and coaches.
Pepe Martinez Bueno has been well acquainted with trucks and buses since childhood. After all, as a commercial director at the former Spanish commercial vehicle manufacturer Pegaso, his father dealt with buses and trucks every day. It must be said that Pepe’s great passion was always more for the buses and that meant that his later career path was mapped out from the beginning: “Even when studying, I already worked in bus and coach sales on the side,” Martinez explains. 32 years later, the 57-year-old Spaniard is still a passionate bus and coach salesman. As Sales Manager, he is head of pre-owned bus sales at the BusStore Center Madrid.
Whenever Martinez talks about the successes and challenges of his professional career, he practically always uses the words “we” and “us”. He knows only too well that bus and coach sales are not just a matter of the salesperson. “Success is never yours alone,” he emphasises. “It is always the success of the team that surrounds you. Without a team, there is not much you can get done.” And there is little doubt that Martinez and his team at the BusStore Center Madrid have achieved great things: after six years of continuous growth, in 2019 they set a new sales record for Spain.
Selling buses to Central Africa
However, Pepe Martinez finds that success is not just a matter of units shipped. Mastering difficult tasks also plays a role. “I remember especially well selling twelve units to Equatorial Guinea a few years ago, particularly because the task was so complex.” Before shipment, all the vehicles had to be completely reworked. Not just the chassis and engine, but also the air conditioning. In addition, all twelve buses had to be repainted and branded. The whole job had to be done in eight weeks – including customs and transport to the port. Also, these were models from different brands, meaning several workshops were involved. “A mammoth task,” says Martinez, “but we made it. And it paid off: the deal was the foundation for a strong friendship with the customer that still connects us both today.”
Good customer relationships are the be-all and end-all
A good customer relationship is definitely the most important basis for every pre-owned bus deal, Pepe Martinez says. “Only if we recognise and reflect the desires and demands of the customer can our relationship grow. Without this, every deal becomes more difficult and complex.” However, you can’t force a good relationship. “Customers want to be supported, but not overwhelmed,” Pepe Martinez says. This is why he is happy to let sales discussions go on for rather longer than usual. “My customers appreciate it when we discuss topics beyond business.”
However, the most important elements of pre-owned bus sales, by Martinez’ estimation, are honesty and reliability. “If you are honest and keep your word, customers will learn to respect you before long and keep coming back.” It is a matter of fact, no questions asked, from this experienced salesman. After all, Pepe Martinez Bueno has been in the bus business his whole life.
