This post is attributed to my colleague Tim Rose at AM Magazine in the UK http://www.am-online.com. It poses some very interesting views on the future direction of retail outlets as a result of some major research carried out in the UK regarding solus vs multi-franchise outlets....

"Research from a global automotive consultancy is likely to add weight to some carmakers’ demands for solus dealerships when dealers’ current…

What do you do when you have a customer in the showroom, you’ve done the presentation and the test drive and got some degree of commitment from them, then they turn around and tell you that they “just need to go and see the Audi first, to put it out of my mind”?

It’s a tricky one – because…

In the most challenging economic climate in a generation, the influence of the media on the consumer’s attitude to spending has made the job of the auto dealer that much more difficult.  The advent of social networking, such as Twitter and Facebook have not only empowered consumers with information but also provided a global outlet for feedback both positive and negative.



Whilst many of the principles of selling in the automotive sector remain valid, the industry has needed to…

Aussie ‘trust survey’ shows car sales ranked lower than the 'oldest profession'

The credibility of the Australian retail motor trade is at an all time low it seems. But why?

According to the findings of the annual ‘Trust Survey’ 2010 carried out by Reader’s Digest Australia, the car sales sector was rated less trustworthy than the oldest ‘profession’ in a poll that asked respondents to rank forty professions in order of perceived…

How often have you asked a customer, ‘when are you looking to buy’? 

If you are like most car salespeople, probably a lot.  But how often do you get an honest answer?  I’m guessing the answer is ‘not very’.

Genuine buyers tend to hide the fact that they are looking to change.  They’ll tell you it’s “early days,” or “I’m just looking”.

Different approach

So perhaps we should phrase the question differently as we certainly want to…

Sales managers: help your sales staff to gain customer commitment!



When was the last time a salesperson came back from a demonstration drive and told you (the sales manager) that he or she has gained commitment from the customer, so you stacked up a 4Square presentation (or whatever it is that you use) – only to see the prospective customer walking out the door a couple of minutes later?



Do you find this happens quite a lot or even some of the…