Selling In The Motor Trade

Alistair Horsburgh, Group Chief Strategy Officer, from CitNOW Group, returns this week to chat about everything from Artificial Intelligence and Sales Agency to looking at future investments. One of the biggest challenges to sales and service staff is time, and we discuss that there will always be opposing views about AI, but it should be used to help staff and bring efficiencies.  When looking for future investments Alistair explains that you need to understand how you current offering helps your customers, where the gaps are and look to fill them. Here are the highlights: {02:13} The Disruptors Wil Always Be There {03:00} Artificial Intelligence {05:30} AI Not Good Enough for Front of House {13:48} Sales Agency {16:57} When You Buy a Business What Are You Looking For? {29:38} Advice for Investors About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

Kenneth joins us again to look at the agency model, customer confidence, emerging brands and the ownership journey. Under the agency model, how are the OEMs going to value trade-ins,  deal with pre-registrations and are they going to proactive or reactive? Something for everyone in this episode, whether you’re a sales executive, manager or investor. Here are the highlights: {02:50} Emerging brands {03:48} Pre-registrations {07:00} Cheaper staff costs {10:06} Trade-in values {13:14} Used car prices About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

It’s a pleasure to have Alistair Horsburgh, Group Chief Strategy Officer, from CitNOW Group, with us this week to tell us about the group and his career path so far. We discuss how a dealer’s digital presence is key but also presents challenges in how  to differentiate a business. This then leads us on to examine the ever evolving decision journey a consumer makes when buying a vehicle. Alistair will be back with us in a couple of weeks to chat about everything from Artificial Intelligence to Sales Agency. Here are the highlights: {03:04} Valuable Lessons Learnt {06:03} People Don’t Earn Their Stripes the Same Way {08:44} How Did Video Sneak Up on Us {18:45} Digital Presence {19:53} Consumer Decision Making {27:17} Video Opened Up the Showroom to the Customer in Their Front Room About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

Delighted to have Kenneth Purdon from The Specialist Car Buyer Ltd with us this episode.   We discuss where the market is at the moment, what direction its going in, stock levels, and whether the Chinese Manufacturers will increase their presence in Europe and the UK. This then leads us on to talk about electric vehicles with the challenges and advantages they bring. Kenneth will be back with us in another episode to discuss the hot topic of the agency. Here are the highlights: {01:38} Arnold Clark {08:40} Uncertainty {12:18} Residual Values {14:46} Chinese Market {20:09} MG  {23:30} Volvo About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

This week we have the second part of our interview with John O’Hanlon, CEO of Waylands, looking at everything from acquisitions to agency and beyond. John explains that the Waylands strategy for acquisitions focuses on region and brand, with a very strong emphasis on electric vehicles. The group is working with brands that can achieve volume and growth, whilst also believing there is strength in dominating an area. They are more prepared than most for agency and trusting in their partners to get it right.  There are real wins for the customer with agency, but the downside is a bumpy few quarters  for the dealers, before percentages begin to recover. A lot of great advice and insights to the future. Here are the highlights: {00:55} Acquisition Strategy {12:58} Employ future leaders {17:45} Agency – The customer has to be front and centre {29:03} Electric Vehicles and changes to the dealer {32:08} Is the dream of mouse to house over {35:45} Advice to new recruits About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

This is the third instalment of our discussions round aftersales with Darren Bedford and Colin McAllister. Are your service advisors struggling with upselling?  Sometimes it’s not what we say but how we say it. How facts are presented to the customer can make all the difference. From what the Tech says in the VHC video to how that is followed up by the advisor. After listening to this episode, you will have some ideas to put in place in your department, or role, that will build you or your team’s confidence when talking to customers about recommended work. Here are the highlights: {01:25} Get into the workshop {06:50} Pictures create a thousand words {10:42} Promise me {13:37} SWOP {17:35} Expert recommended work  {27:25} Plan your day About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk  

We welcome John O’Hanlon from Waylands to the podcast this week.  John started his career as a chartered accountant with Grant Thornton, specialising in consultancy in the motor trade.  He then set up Ridgeway Garages with David Newman, and built it to a 30 dealer group which was subsequently sold to Marshalls. John believes that great dealerships and groups all have a culture that cares, with their staff taking pride in the business and having a ‘can do’ attitude. He also emphasises that its important to be visible, showing your team that you care about the little things, which then becomes part of the ethos.  If your dream is to own your own dealership, we delve into how achievable this is in the current market. This is the first instalment of a two part interview that is full of insightful tips and strategies. Here are the highlights: {04:42} Recovering accountant {11:10} Know your numbers {13:43} You control what happens in your world {20:50} Be visible {26:00} Peach {30:30} Owning Your Dealership About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

We are joined by Darren Bedford and Colin McAllister again following on from our discussion last time and look at how we can implement good processes in the service department. How can your technicians get all the work done, how can your service advisors get time to upsell and how do you keep your customers happy? These are just some of the questions we look at and pass on our we have learned. From setting the agenda to separating the customer appointment from the vehicle appointment and more. Here are the highlights: {02:35} Don’t hear form me that’s good news {04:00} Lasting Image {09:37} Build in comparison {17:00} Educated decision, rather than an ignorant risk {17:35} Is there a danger we over upsell? {24:00} Tyres are the only thing holding you on the road About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

Dale Wyatt, Director Automobile – Suzuki GB PLC, continues his discussion with us and this week we move on to agency. From Dale’s perspective the dealership is the physical embodiment of the brand, and the dealer is where the value is. Agency is a huge culture change, which is underestimated by a lot of OEMS. There are upsides for the dealer in agency, from stocking to debts, but do theses outweigh the disadvantages? What delivers success, and what should you focus on to achieve it? Here are the highlights: {07:20} Upside for dealer {07:40} Downside for dealer {11.01} Pull rather than push {16.25} The dogs don’t like it {24:15} Emotion leads to reason, logic leads to conclusion {30:55} Fuel shortage About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

In this episode Simon, Darren Bedford and Colin McAllister look at the service department and strategies for the ‘Golden Hour’. With current financial pressures, customers are delaying servicing their vehicles. Then when the cars eventually come in to the dealership, more work needs to be done due to the delay.  Also, as previously discussed,  finding Technicians is becoming increasingly difficult, and we need to be more inventive in our recruitment processes.   These circumstances and others put pressure on the ‘Golden Hour’ and we then loose efficiencies once a vehicle is off the ramp. How do we make sure this doesn’t happen? Here are the highlights: {02:35} Service Plans and VHC’s {05:22} Communication after diagnostics {11:08} Tech recruitment {15:23} Mix of work to skill levels {17:38} Time Targets for the ‘Golden Hour’ {20:07} Get in life, what you focus on About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk