Continuing the theme of sales execs in the modern world, it is interesting that whilst looking at how effective they are in terms of producing for their companies we often overlook how the customer really view today’s crop of sales people. In my role I get to observe many different sales execs across the board, both in a main dealer … [Read more...]

Although it’s not quite carrmageddon at present there are certainly some serious concerns in the used car market with many dealers holding ageing stock which they cannot achieve a satisfactory margin on. These things are not new and there are always periods of slack trading and lacklustre sales but the fusion of the euro crisis with the time … [Read more...]

Whilst chewing the fat (which was mostly contained within a particularly greasy bacon roll) down at the auction recently I got talking to a couple of sales managers I recognised from way back when who were taking a day out to check prices (and take advantage of the free breakfast on offer). We got onto the subject of the modern day sales exec … [Read more...]

The process of building trust in a business relies on having the right people coupled with a great vision statement. It entails setting out the stall and having all staff engage with delivering the same consistent message and level of service at every level of the business. With the increase in the utilization of social media within the motor … [Read more...]

Valuing cars in the trade is again proving a challenge when the market is so uncertain. We are again witnessing massive disparity between the two trade heavyweights Glass and CAP only they seem to have completely crossed to the other side compared to the values they were publishing earlier in the year. Without getting into the specifics there … [Read more...]

As we move into perhaps the most challenging time of the year for car dealers, it is perhaps worth considering that this is probably a very good time to actually be buying a new or used car. The reason being that dealers will look to thin down their inventories in anticipation of re-stocking for the inevitable December and January sales, so they … [Read more...]

If you listen to some people you would probably end up believing we are entering meltdown. Although I have to admit things are pretty tough out there, if you do the job correctly and work hard there are still rewards to be earned. If there are fewer customers around and enquiries are scarce then how do car dealers keep the kettle … [Read more...]

In car buying, whether new or used, habits have certainly changed for today’s consumer. This has largely been driven by the net but also by change itself; from the perspective of how car dealers wish to be viewed by their customers. The days of putting a few lines in the classifieds and having a half page spread in the motoring section of the … [Read more...]

You know what they say; if you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win the prize. I don’t know who first said those words but they are true, especially in the car business. Doing everything possible to convert enquiries into traffic is what it’s all about, and today, the way things are, it’s unforgivable if there is a lot of showroom traffic but … [Read more...]

The car industry is bracing itself for the seasonal downturn and although SUV’s will continue to rise in price at the onset of winter, in general there will be fewer customers around. Car dealers therefore will need to sharpen their pencils if they want to tempt whatever potential buyers there are out there into parting with their cash. In other … [Read more...]

What makes a successful car sales team? I’m sure there are many different opinions and theories based on different experiences over time; however the one thing that I think everybody would agree with is people. The right kind of people will promote the business and attract more customers while the wrong ones can be total blockers (or a … [Read more...]

Well September is done for another year and, although new car registrations are down slightly, considering we are in a little bit of schtuck globally – and all the good news is confined to the welsh rugby team - the motor trade is certainly doing its bit in encouraging a feel good factor. The thing is that in car sales we are used to being … [Read more...]

Dealers are bracing themselves for a difficult last quarter. Whilst that should have traditional winter buyers licking their lips at the thought of some great bargains, the climate indicates that this may not be the case. We spoke to a couple of dealers and asked what was happening in their world and they explained that, despite the tropical … [Read more...]

The social media conundrum continues to be topical in the world of the car retailing. More dealers than ever now have a Facebook and Twitter presence, but not many have made the impact that converts this presence to actual sales. Facebook in particular is used by nearly 30 million people in the UK and as such is a huge opportunity for savvy … [Read more...]

It is constantly being argued that online sales will eventually take over from the high street as the first port of call for consumers. The acceleration of investment by companies looking to expand that aspect of their business clearly demonstrates this. It will also consistently be argued that big ticket items such as cars must always have some … [Read more...]