Blacklocks Isuzu’s Richard Pineros has been crowned Isuzu Australia’s National Champion Sales Consultant of the year.
Designed to foster continuous improvement and industry-leading customer care, the sales component of Isuzu’s Team Elite program sees three finalists tested across a broad range of disciplines including product knowledge, sales capability, customer service and business support.
Alongside Pineros, this year’s finalists also included Ben Deane from Dwyers Truck Centre in Wollongong and Jacque Semerjian from Patterson Cheney Isuzu in Melbourne.
For Pineros, the prestigious national Isuzu title marks the culmination of close to a decade of dedication and steady progression and development through the competition ranks.
“It’s amazing,” said the Wodonga-based Pineros.
“To be honest with you, it’s something I’ve been working hard for over the past 10 years.
“Winning this award is not just a feeling of achievement and pride, but also a feeling of relief in a sense.
“I work hard to provide solutions for my customers, and I’ve really focussed on delivering the best customer service possible – this is paramount to me.”
IAL Head of Sales, Craig White, said the Team Elite program continued to play a critical role in developing high-performing dealership professionals across the Isuzu network.
“The Team Elite program reflects Isuzu’s ongoing commitment to excellence across every aspect of the customer experience,” said White.
“Our dealer network is one of the great strengths of the Isuzu brand and people like Richard embody the professionalism, product knowledge and customer-first attitude that Australian truck buyers value so highly.
“Richard has consistently featured amongst our top three salespeople for several years now and has demonstrated exceptional consistency throughout the competition process.”
A highly competitive national program, Team Elite National Champion event challenges participants across multiple areas of technical and practical knowledge, rewarding individuals who consistently demonstrate the highest standards of sales and customer engagement.
For Pineros, competing against previous finalists and experienced sales professionals only strengthened his determination to improve year after year.
“Competing against seasoned sales professionals like Shane Hilder (Webster Trucks) and Josh Tuddenham (Westar Trucks) over the past few years…it’s all about learning from my mistakes and watching what they’ve done well and seeing how I can apply it myself,” he explained.
“I always ask myself, ‘What can I improve year on year?
Pineros said the strong culture within the broader dealer group had played a major role in his development and success.
“The Tony White Group has been fantastic,” he said.
“Through our Dealer Principal, Michael Dixon, they’ve always offered every support and I feel thankful for having that.
“Michael is always encouraging us and helping us improve our day-to-day here at the dealership and there’s been a wealth of experience that I’ve been able to tap into since day one.”
Beyond the award itself, Pineros said his journey into the Australian truck industry carried personal significance.
Having arrived in Australia from Colombia in 2007 with limited English and no prior industry experience, he credits hard work, continuous learning and surrounding himself with the right people as key drivers behind his success.
“I started in the industry with no experience at all,” he said.
“It’s about always excelling in everything you do and learning from the people around you.
“I came to the country in 2007 with zero English, but the beauty about Australia is, if you work hard, there’ll be a reward. I genuinely believe that.”