Selling In The Motor Trade

We return to our ‘5 Key Touch Points’ in service with Darren Bedford. In this episode we focus on the VHC Call.  When it comes to this,  planning is everything and structuring your call will increase your chances of success, whilst ensuring you give all relevant information to the customer. We discuss various techniques to aid with tyre sales and being mindful of the language used to describe red and amber work. Darren also explains how to present amber work in way that gives the customer the choice of convenience. In closing we leave you with some top tips for service managers. Here are the highlights: {03:20} Structure the call {05:45} Credit Card {18:55} Percentage worn {26:38} Language {32:46} Presenting amber work {41:21} Top tips for Service Managers 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

The podcast dives into tackling the common customer remark, 'I'm just looking.' Innovative techniques like the Columbo method and signposting are shared to encourage customer engagement. Listeners learn how to create a low-pressure environment, fostering open conversations that can lead to sales. The importance of preparing for objections is emphasized, with insights on adapting approaches in a showroom context. It's all about enhancing those essential objection-handling skills in the world of auto sales!

Meeting customers at a car dealership is like a job interview, and first impressions matter! Discover techniques to break the ice and start meaningful conversations. It’s crucial to introduce yourself to everyone involved in the buying process. Explore the art of reading customer cues, like when they’re ‘just looking,’ and how to effectively engage through active listening. The focus is on connecting personally to enhance the sales experience and make every interaction count.

We are very pleased to announce our podcast association with Carwow, and look forward to working with the team. Estelle Miller, the inspiring Co-Founder of EV Experts Ltd, has been kindly introduced to us by Carwow, and we are delighted to share her interview in this episode.   Estelle and her husband Martin, established the business in 2017,  with the aim to help customers make informed decisions about moving to EV.  They had experienced difficulties themselves when trying to source a second hand EV and thought there was a GAP in the market. She explains that customers can take longer in the buying process moving to electric, and to start with its often not about the car, but seeking information on range and charging. Ensuring your systems are in place to keep in contact with those customers is key. We go on to discuss everything from sourcing electric vehicles to depreciation curves and the disposal of the batteries. Here are the highlights: {01:14} The start of the journey {17:20} VAT rate at public charging stations {18:58} The drawbacks of hybrid technology {31:51} Depreciation on electric vehicles {58:21} Is Hydrogen the future? {01:03:22} Advice for selling EV’s 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 inspiring 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 continue with the second instalment of our much requested series on the 5 key touch points in your service department.  Darren Bedford joins us again, to provide expert guidance for your team with the vehicle drop off. What does a good vehicle drop off look like these days?  We have self-service options with 100% of upsells offered to 100% customers, 100% of the time. Is the human interaction still needed? Although we are not talking about the vehicle health check in this episode, it’s important that the VHC is explained and it’s the last thing the customer is left with at the drop off. Some simple actions explained in this episode that can made a big impact in your productivity and upsell success.  The next instalment of this series will be the VHC. Here are the highlights: {00:55} 5 Touch points refresh {08:28} What is a good number of people for service advisor to see in a day {14:08} Look at the previous VHC {17:05} Explain the VHC, build trust in amber work {22:52} Air Conditioning Service {33:02} Desk Aids 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 inspiring 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 is with great pleasure that we interview John Veichmanis, CEO of Carwow.   John certainly has admirable credentials, with 30 years experience working for global brands including Dell, Apple and Skype. The second half of his career has been focused on helping to build scalable marketplaces for Expedia, Farfetch and Carwow. We delve into some of the myths around Carwow. How they have grown and changed in the last four years to become a marketplace that is trusted by customers, dealers and OEMs alike. The future is very exciting for them: developing Ai to improve listing quality on auctions and building new capabilities on dealer facing tools. An insightful conversation for all. 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 inspiring 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  

Matthew Elwell, co-founder of Elite Closing Academy, shares his dynamic sales journey, from door-to-door to training others. He emphasizes the distinction between selling and closing, highlighting the importance of integrity and customer trust. Elwell discusses learning from the All Blacks and the value of taking your time with prospects. He also stresses the necessity of earning the right to close, alongside building genuine relationships with customers to transform transactions into lasting loyalty.

We welcome back our Operations Director Andrew Clark, to have a discussion round EV’s, pay per mile, OEM’s and tariffs. There is a lot of discussion around pay per mile at the moment, as the government looks to replace their lost revenue from electric cars. Obviously, that raises questions around how this would be managed, and the technology in our cars.  This then leads us onto looking at the manufactures, and how they are going handle their zero emission production targets for new cars, the future and used car values. Lots to think about. Here are the highlights: {01:26} Pay per mile {07:30} ZEV Mandate {19:51} Changing landscape of OEM’s {18.13} 2030 {22:59} Chinese brands {33:01} Value of used EV’s 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 inspiring 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 our pleasure to introduce Richard Keeney, Co- Founder of the Markee Group, who were pioneers of bite sized video training modules in the United States. Richard has been in the industry for 46 years and he talks us through his journey, from car sales to starting the Markee Group with David Martin. There is a lot he’s learnt on the way, and we delve into what makes a great dealer,  a great sales person or service advisor. Here are the highlights: {04:19} Don’t prejudge {15:34} Prove the naysayers wrong {16:53} Recurring income {19:26} Drip feed ideas {22:40} Strong standards and structures {37:05} Take your time to hire {50:45} Communication Skills 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 inspiring 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 first part of a series on the 5 key touch points in your service department.  We are joined by Darren Bedford to discuss the first point, which is the booking and pre-call. We hear from a lot of service advisors that they just don’t have enough time.  Well one of the first things you can do to improve this, is to have a robust system in place for bookings and pre calls. Don’t miss this episode if you are looking to fine tune your service department. Here are the highlights: {01:18} 5 Touch points {03:50} Where problems can start {05:40} Rugby pass {07:15} Bookings compared to service work {11:09} Other garages problems {15:45} Good pre-call {25:00} Top Tips 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 inspiring 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