Your friend in the trade
We have talked many times about how much of a pivotal role a business manager now plays in a car showroom, and this year that role is set to take on even more importance. Car buyers are now prepared for the fact that they could spend just as long talking about finance and insurance products than about the right car and, of course, the best … [Read more...]
A new year and a brand new competition. It’s time once more for the Car Makers Premier League where each and every month we examine the top 20 manufacturers by number of units registered and see just how they look when compared with the previous month. At the end of the year who will be crowned champion? Who will drop out of the top 20 as the … [Read more...]
The various challenges facing dealers this year are well documented but the customer experience is seen by many as the key to keeping ahead of the competition. Many dealer groups are investing heavily in training for sales personnel and a good number are meeting the aftersales challenge by acknowledging the need for more sales oriented staff in … [Read more...]
With used cars likely to be in short supply this year and prices rising as a result, dealers could well be looking at a return to the days of buy backs and self registrations to generate used car stock. The last time we were at this stage it nearly caused the whole business to go into meltdown, and who can forget the fields full of brand new cars … [Read more...]
I have heard lots of sorry stories over the years about buyers who thought they had nabbed themselves a bargain but which later turned out to be a nightmare. We still hear on an almost daily basis in the trade of well intentioned husbands and partners who think it would be a great idea and a lovely surprise to buy their loved ones a lovely car only … [Read more...]
Being part of a merry band of 'insiders' can be quite fun at times and gives us an opportunity to tell tales and give away some trade secrets, and unlike the magic circle we hopefully won’t get thrown out for revealing the more darker examples. We have thankfully not sworn an oath to never disclose tricks and sales techniques, and at the end of … [Read more...]
Decembers’ new car registration figures are in so we can take a look at the final table for 2010. Who won the league? Who made it into Europe? Who got relegated? All will be revealed but firstly let’s take a look at the Car Makers Premier League for December 2010. This month’s Car Makers Premier League (based on the SMMT figures for UK new … [Read more...]
There is a genuine feeling among some dealers that bullish estimates from manufacturers about the size of the new car market in 2011 will ultimately be made up of too many forced registrations. One of the good things that came from the initial downturn was the realisation that having fields full of unsold cars was not really the answer and … [Read more...]
Well there is only one thing to say about the current climate, buy used! I’m not sure this will be the long term view but with VAT on new cars a cost manufacturers simply have to pass on, they are more likely to be flexible and take a smaller profit on a used car which is not vatable but of which the extra VAT will cost them only £25 for every … [Read more...]
With every man and his dog predicting tough times in the trade next year and not to mention more bad weather in the short term at least, dealers are gearing up for the pre-new year sales in the hope that they at least get the year off to a flyer. Despite the gloom there are still buyers out there but they are being choosier than ever before and … [Read more...]
Understanding your market is perhaps more important than ever and the ability to match cars with customers has never taken on such significance. As dealers begin to comprehend that they cannot quickly and easily provide the exact model with the exact spec for every customer, they need to understand the need to be more creative and “switched on” … [Read more...]
Cuts and rises in costs affects us all in some way or other, whether we are employed, work in the public sector, are students or retired the down turn will have some bearing on our attitudes towards spending any spare cash we have. However, if you look at many businesses, especially in the retail sector, they continue to post healthy profits in … [Read more...]
The bad weather is upon us, albeit a little earlier than normal, and already the predicted enquiries for 4x4’s have begun in earnest. Dealers are reporting values rising at auction and are stocking up expecting a severe winter ahead of us. As we said in our recent Tiguan feature the rise of the soft 4x4 is ensuring that whilst 2 years ago … [Read more...]
It’s time once more for the Car Makers Premier League where each and every month we examine the top 20 manufacturers by number of units registered and see just how they look when compared with the previous month. At the end of the year who will be crowned champion? Who will drop out of the top 20 as the year unfolds and which high achievers will … [Read more...]
Finding the exact used car you are looking for has not been easy this year and those that have found the car they wanted had to pay a premium to get it. The trade buyers have been in the same boat and it doesn’t seem to matter how bad the economic news has been the values of certain models has remained high with motor traders shaking their heads … [Read more...]
The dynamics in the car showroom have changed beyond all recognition in recent years and despite the likes of Which? and the Daily Mail still believing and reporting that the car trade is full of spivs and ankle tappers (still baffles me that one) trust me it is not like that anymore. Of course there are still sales techniques and closing … [Read more...]
When travelling around the dealerships of the UK, it fascinates me how differently they all run and it is almost always the busy happy ones that are the most successful. It may seem obvious but smiling happy personnel who actually look like they enjoy being there can make the world of difference, especially in tougher times like now. I was in … [Read more...]
Whilst talking to a sales manager incognito at a local main dealer earlier this week, I asked him how business was generally and about his fears for the coming months. “It is what it is” he replied somewhat dolefully, “we will just have to face whatever comes at us and deal with it”. Clearly customers who have become so much more … [Read more...]
The storm before the lull is how one of our car dealer colleagues describes what is happening at present. He suggests that the rise in showroom traffic and unseasonably high sales order take is basically down to squeezing the last bit of goodness from the success story of last two years. With all the offers about and the hype surrounding the VAT … [Read more...]
Let’s face it, few dealers have ever admitted to business being brisk – a ‘cup half empty’ mentality pervades the industry and always has done. Given the knocking the industry has taken over the years (block exemption, emissions-based company car taxation and showroom tax to name just a few) it is hardly surprising that many dealer … [Read more...]
Despite the threat of a double dip recession, many of our sources are reporting unseasonably good showroom footfall and fairly strong demand. The rental companies are selling plenty of cars to the network and the auctions appear to be bustling with buyers. Of course this does not apply to everyone and I’m sure there will be many scratching their … [Read more...]
The economies in China and India are the shining lights amid global economic darkness and companies have embraced the stunning growth happening there. None more so than car companies and at the pinnacle of this growth are the German car makers, especially VW. We have seen here, amidst the doom and gloom and without the security blanket of … [Read more...]
When the economy is suffering like it is right now, we all look for more value, and as much as we can get for our pound. We don’t like wasting money and we certainly don’t like giving it away for poor quality products or services. In the car business it’s really not that difficult for a good situation to turn bad quite quickly, all it … [Read more...]
It’s time once more for the Car Makers Premier League where each and every month we examine the top 20 manufacturers by number of units registered and see just how they look when compared with the previous month. At the end of the year who will be crowned champion? Who will drop out of the top 20 as the year unfolds and which high achievers will … [Read more...]
In challenging trading conditions we do tend to see the cream rise to the top so to speak. In car retailing as less customers are in the market sales people have to work harder to generate sales from a smaller lead base. Converting enquiries to appointments is a skill which requires training and experience and relies on everybody in the chain … [Read more...]
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