European Football Championship 2008: Castrol Professional

Castrol Professional is designed to help dealerships increase their after sales profit. A number of programmes have been developed to target a variety of dealership revenue streams and help them maximise customer potential in more than just oil. When Castrol teamed up with some of the biggest names in football to support their UEFA EURO 2008™ sponsorship, they discovered that there are more similarities between running a successful dealership and succeeding in football than you might think…

It’s all about him and his business

Arsène Wenger is one of the most successful domestic managers in English Football. Nicknamed ‘The Professor’, Arsène has a degree in Engineering and a master’s degree in Economics. As manager of Arsenal Football Club since 1996, he is the only non British manager to win both the FA Cup and the Premiership in the same season, having done so in 1998 and 2002. In 2004, he became the only manager in FA Premier League history to go through the entire season without a loss.

One of the keys to his success lies in his approach. It’s more than just a football team to Arsène: “It is interesting to look at the issues a manager experiences in a workshop, because they’re basically the same as mine. When you are a manager, you have to make people perform and they perform well when they are happy. Every business wants to get the best out of people, and I feel a good manager is about that.”

Looking at the little things that make a big impact

But being successful in football isn’t just about putting the best players on a pitch. Picking the team is perhaps just 10% of the job. It’s about understanding the other 90% and working out what needs to be done to achieve those goals.

“Many businesses work without having a clear vision of where the company is going. I am convinced of one thing: when a group of people has a real vision, they take off. It is as simple as that and as quick as that. But you need to be able to communicate that to your team as it’s much easier to achieve a common target. From then, you need to look at all the areas where your team perform. Perhaps you look at how fit your team are – how far they can run during a game. If they’re fitter than their opponents, then you have the opportunity to benefit. Maybe you need extra training on basic things such as how the players defend together – if you don’t get this right and concede a goal, it doesn’t matter how well the rest of the team perform.

Working to a common goal

“What is amazing is that people who do not always speak the same language can still behave like a real team. That is the magic of the vision for me. Once you give them an opportunity to share in a vision, it can take off and ‘together’ in a team sport or business is a powerful quality.

“A very important factor for a manager is to keep communication going. When you manage a group of people you always have an appreciation of the distance between you and your players individually. I always try to establish the right level of communication and trust between the players and me. Of course, that is more difficult when players do not play, but you can still show them respect and esteem.”

Financial planning for the future

In a similar way to how a Dealer Principal invests in training of young talent to watch them develop within the business over time, football managers also require an ability to plan for the future. Knowing his team had invested heavily in a state of the art, multi-million pound stadium, Arsène Wenger knew that over the 2005/6 & 2006/7 seasons, Arsenal would be struggling to match the spending power of the other top European clubs. To combat this, Wenger invested in young, unproven talent – choosing to nurture and develop youth players rather than try and compete for multi-million pound signings. The result? A UEFA Champions League Final place in 2006 and a team flying high in the FA Premier League in 2007/8.

Uniting the team both on and off the pitch

Nicknamed ‘The Gentleman’, Emilio Butragueño joined Real Madrid in 1981, spending the next 10 Years at the heart of one of the club’s most successful sides. In the domestic game Butragueño helped Real Madrid win the Primera Liga several times, coupling this success with 69 international caps in a prominent time for Spanish football. Butragueño marked the end of his playing career with a return to Real Madrid as Vice President in early 2002.

With modern football clubs increasingly resembling global businesses and through his association with one of the world’s biggest clubs, Emilio Butragueño is perfectly placed to provide Castrol and its customers with an expert insight into the demanding nature of running a global business practice.

“‘Every level of a football club has its own individual objectives but the important consideration is that all of these objectives are aligned to a common goal. My time at Real Madrid as both a player and as a member of the board was characterised by ensuring that everyone from the backroom staff through to the players on the pitch believed in this common goal and were all contributing towards it.

“Having met and talked to some of Castrol’s customers about their business, I believe they can follow a similar approach. Aligning all members of the team behind a common goal - from the reception team to the mechanics – means that everyone plays a part in delivering improved business performance and better communication with the customer.”

Making balanced decisions

Pierluigi Collina is perhaps one of the most recognisable faces in football. In 1984 he graduated with a degree in economics but within three years he was officiating at the highest level. By 1988 after three seasons, he was promoted to officiating in Serie A. and in 2002, he reached the pinnacle of his career when he was chosen for the FIFA World Cup Final between Brazil and Germany. Respected by players and fans alike, Collina now works with UEFA on their Referee Committee.

“There is great affinity between professional sports, at the top level, and any businesslike approach. The methods used to manage and control a sporting and business teams are very similar.

“In a company, the leader has to make vital decisions which have far reaching implications for their staff and their bottom line. This is exactly what a referee on the field has to decide in a split second regarding an episode that can certainly be very significant for the future of a game as it develops.

“A referee’s decisions have to be accepted by the players which means strong leadership but also fairness which generates respect. Similarly, the decisions a dealer principal makes need to be respected and implemented at the workplace. Nowadays people are not respected for who they are or what their position is, but for what they succeed in showing to people around them.”

Be ready in every situation

Ottmar Hitzfeld has now managed FC Bayern twice – from 1998-2004 and 2007-2008. Following UEFA EURO 2008™, he will take control of the Switzerland National Team. As a trained maths teacher, Hitzfeld has not only methodically plotted his way to securing almost every top flight honour available but has built this success upon employing a simple formula for managing his players. Just as a Dealer Principal will develop and train their front line team to perform at their best, Hitzfeld focuses his efforts upon innovation and research into both his players and his opponents, ensuring that nothing is left to chance.

“At the professional level, coaches and managers can use data to develop unique training regimes for the whole team or individual players to improve performance.”

Hitzfeld’s philosophy comes from his team being 100% mentally and tactically prepared fro each game: “If you want to have a winning attitude you have to be ready to win in every situation – even in training.”

Understanding your business

Having seen the parallels between business and football through its UEFA EURO 2008™ partnership, Castrol Professional can help your business take advantage too. According to Insert Local CP spokesperson’s name here: “You may think football is all about talent and skill, but the modern team, just like your business, is nothing without planning, commitment and analysis. Success comes from an understanding that getting the little things right can be the difference between winning and losing.

“If you are serious about your business then Castrol Professional can help your after-sales department make more profit in more ways than you might think.

“It’s more than just oil...we understand that your after-sales business generates most of its profit from parts and labour and customer satisfaction. Castrol Professional offers a range of targeted products and programmes that will address the individual issues of your business.”

For more news on the European Football Championship 2008 please visit http://www.castrolindex.com

Motor Oil and Lubricants Castrol UK and Ireland
Castrol UK Ltd, Wakefield House, Pipers Way, Swindon
SN3 1RE United Kingdom
http://www.castrol.co.uk
Press contact: Caroline Topping
Phone: +44 (1793) 452781
eMail: Caroline.topping@uk.bp.com

Castrol is the world's leading specialist provider of lubricant products. Most people know Castrol oil for vehicles such as car oil, engine oil and synthetic oil as well as motorcycle oil. But there's not just Castrol motor oil, we also produce lubricants for vehicles in transport and construction industries, such as heavy goods vehicles, buses and earth moving machinery. Castrol UK feature the brands EDGE, Magnatec, GTX, SLX Professional, Elixion, Enduron and Tection among others.

This release was published on openPR.