Well Pretty Hard As It Turns Out!,,,,
Following on from our recent articles below, we thought now was the time to explore the recent closures of some used car businesses, especially those leveraging the “Used Car Supermarket Model.”
Our Used Car Business Development Advice For Franchised Dealers In 2020!
Looking To Grow Used Car Sales?,,,, Beware The “One Trick Pony” Solution!
Now whilst doing this it is important to say that every business closure is a tragedy for those involved and the purpose of this article is not to rake over the embers of these failures but to explore why they have happened and to learn the lessons moving forward, because in failures are hidden the most important and valuable lessons, especially for franchised dealers; those looking to grow used car retailing.
Of all the businesses suffering and closing down at the moment the one we wanted to look at, (without naming names because there is no need), is a network of used car supermarkets owned by one of the biggest dealer groups in the UK; why? Well, because we think it offers the most valuable lessons to franchised dealers. Now as we have said before, we are not privy to any financial or operational information on this business, (if they were a customer of ours we would not be mentioning them), so we are writing this article as used car business development experts and surmising; something we can do and because we are baffled, because on paper these used car supermarkets should have had an unassailable trading advantage.
And it is such a valuable lesson because as we have seen, an unassailable trading advantage doesn’t always translate into success; why? Well before we get to the “Why” let’s look at the trading advantages that this business appeared to have;
- Owned by a PLC owning vast swathes of franchise dealer networks in the UK.
- Prime sites in large conurbations.
- We assume, adequate funding.
- Well-funded marketing and advertising campaigns.
- Access to group used car stock holdings and part exchanges.
- Huge on-line presence.
So with all these trading advantages just how did we end up in a situation where the PLC owning these businesses made a statement advising that they anticipated closing 22 of the 34 businesses amid mounting losses?
Well there can be many reasons, some of which we will explore in this article, but at the heart of all the mistakes that were made will be the people tasked with making the investment decisions and then running these businesses, and this goes right back to what we have been warning about for years; the lack of investment in used car professionals by both manufacturers and the PLC’s owning franchise dealer networks.
Listen; it might be that the “Used Car Supermarket” trading model has run its course, (we suspect not), or probably just like many other businesses, this model has become a highly competitive and specialised business and that the real folly was in expecting it to work, when no investment was made in the professionals required to plan, launch and then drive these businesses to success. The “Used Car Supermarket” model and business is a completely different used car business to run, compared to a used car business attached to a franchised dealership; which will probably be the vast majority of the experience that the associated company have in running used car businesses. When you have no franchise attached to your used car business, you are in effect running marketing and advertising business first; and the first hurdle you must overcome, so therefore the first question to be answered must be; “Why Would A Customer Visit This Business To Buy Their Next Car?”
When you have no new car franchise or associated aftersales operation to leverage, running awareness campaigns and used car businesses that successfully answer this question, (first and foremost), will breed a sales and operational mind-set totally different from that required to grow used car operations assigned to franchise dealerships. Our worry about what went wrong for these businesses is encapsulated in the “Well How Hard Can It Be” mind-set and attitude, where big investment decisions leveraging lots of advantages, (except the right people), get made and there is an expectancy that you can succeed in market place when you have little idea of the challenges involved and what it takes to succeed in that market place.
However, the fact that they are only closing 22 of the 34 businesses suggests that in some locations the business model is still viable, but we will have to wait and see. So in both advising franchised dealers and in commenting on the outcome, our initial questions to the owners of these businesses would be as follows;
- This is a highly specialised price competitive sector of the used car market; had the individuals making these investment decisions had any success and experience running similar businesses?
- What was the USP, the reason why a customer should go to these businesses and buy their next car?
- Did no one realise and account for the fact that they may end up being competitors of their existing franchised dealer based used car businesses?
- Why was the stock going to these businesses not being retailed by the associated franchised dealer businesses?
- Whose used car purchasing solution were they solving?
- How was all the above translated into their marketing and advertising messages?
- From the outside it appeared that these businesses traded from sites with high overheads; who wrote the budget and cash flow forecasts for these businesses? Who built the business development and sales teams tasked with delivering success for these used car businesses?
Now in the answers to these questions is a recurring theme and therefore the most valuable lesson for franchised dealers in the UK; People! In fact The Right People! In many ways the PLC owning these businesses had all the things in place to succeed or, to at the very least, avoid the decision to go down this path, but everything goes back to the people making decisions and then those then tasked to deliver. We fear that the real problem here was both, a lack of the right people and the over reliance on technology to drive business success, and this trading and investment environment is proving to be “Toxic” for the used car sector at the moment.
Selling used cars on price, (and therefore tight margins), from sites with high overheads and no franchise model to leverage is not, (surprise-surprise), the business to be run by those who have no experience in running these businesses. It may be that at inception the business case just did not stack up in the chosen locations so the first important lesson is; what was the experience of the individuals who made the initial business case? Was it even viable?
And on the subject of people; you can have the best sites, great technology and big budgets for marketing, but our last question above is just as important as the first; what was the experience level of the sales teams running these businesses? We ask this because this will be paramount; even if the business case made sense up to this point, all the site locations, technology and marketing budget advantages you have will not drive sales in this or any used car business, it will only drive opportunities to your door.
It takes the right people with the right training and experience, (and by the way very rarely found within franchise dealer networks), to drive this business model to success! Maybe, just maybe everything made sense, right up to the people involved and their experience? We will never know and in reality it doesn’t matter that we do. What matters for franchised dealers is that when they are looking to build used car retailing they stop “Rinsing and Repeating” the mistakes of the past and of others!
Life has a habit of giving us all lessons wrapped up in a mistake and the used car sector is no different. The most damaging thing that any franchised dealers looking to grow used car retailing can do now, is to not learn from these mistakes; mistakes handed to you on a plate by someone else! Our advice to all franchised dealers looking to grow used car retailing have been discussed many times in our used car business development articles, but in summary would be;
- Stop trying to build used car retailing on the cheap!
- If you are not a used car professional, seek the best advice from the most experienced used car professionals you can afford!
- Do not over rely on technology; technology is a tool to be used by professionals who know how to get the most from it!
- Stop looking for the Quick Fix! Like everything success in the used car market will involve a lot of hard work!
- Develop your used car personnel succession plan!
- Choose your used car business development partners and mentors wisely!
- Stop looking at the new car business and the used car business in the same light!
Hopefully reading this article will make senior professionals based at franchised dealers think about used car retailing and to take the right steps moving forward; and to appreciate that the right people will lie at the heart of any used car retailing success that you require. Unfortunately with the under investment in used car business development and personnel training over the last 10 years, the professionals required to develop the used car retailing models you require are in very short supply at both manufacturers and within franchised dealer networks. And the inconvenient truth is that you will all need these professionals, and soon, because successful used car retailing is going to be required to underpin your growth ambitions, and for many of you there will be no proven and experienced used car professionals to draw upon.
Now we appreciate that finding genuinely successful used car professionals is very difficult for both manufacturers and their franchised dealer networks but luckily help is at hand. If this post has resonated with you and you would like to know more about our used car business development consultancy and personnel training programmes, because you would like to partner with an organisation of professionals who have faced the challenges of fast paced evolutionary markets and know how to develop a successful and profitable used car business on your behalf, (in order to keep your new car and total business objectives growing and on track), then we would very much like to hear from you.
The owners of Autoformance have owned and run successful used car operations and been at the forefront of the development of approved used car programmes for a host of manufacturers and franchised dealer networks. For an exploratory conversation regarding our services and how we can develop bespoke used car business development consultancy and personnel training programmes on your behalf, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Used Car Business Development Directors; Andrew Banning at ajb@autoformance.com or Malcolm Thomas at mgt@autoformance.com
Alternatively please feel free to call me on 07796 260261.
For more information about our services please visit our website at www.autoformance.com
Andrew Banning.
Used Car Business Development Director.
Well Pretty Hard As It Turns Out!,,,,
Following on from our recent articles below, we thought now was the time to explore the recent closures of some used car businesses, especially those leveraging the “Used Car Supermarket Model.”
Our Used Car Business Development Advice For Automotive Manufacturers In 2020!
Looking To Grow Used Car Sales?,,,, Beware The “One Trick Pony” Solution!
Now whilst doing this it is important to say that every business closure is a tragedy for those involved and the purpose of this article is not to rake over the embers of these failures but to explore why they have happened and to learn the lessons moving forward, because in failures are hidden the most important and valuable lessons, especially for automotive manufacturers; those looking to grow used car retailing within franchised dealer networks.
Of all the businesses suffering and closing down at the moment the one we wanted to look at, (without naming names because there is no need), is a network of used car supermarkets owned by one of the biggest dealer groups in the UK; why? Well because we think it offers the most valuable lessons to manufacturers. Now as we have said before, we are not privy to any financial or operational information on this business, (if they were a customer of ours we would not be mentioning them), so we are writing this article as used car business development experts and surmising; something we can do and because we are baffled, because on paper these used car supermarkets should have had an unassailable trading advantage.
And it is such a valuable lesson because as we have seen, an unassailable trading advantage doesn’t always translate into success; why? Well before we get to the “Why” let’s look at the trading advantages that this business appeared to have;
- Owned by a PLC owning vast swathes of franchise dealer networks in the UK.
- Prime sites in large conurbations.
- We assume, adequate funding.
- Well-funded marketing and advertising campaigns.
- Access to group used car stock holdings and part exchanges.
- Huge on-line presence.
So with all these trading advantages just how did we end up in a situation where the PLC owning these businesses made a statement advising that they anticipated closing 22 of the 34 businesses amid mounting losses?
Well there can be many reasons, some of which we will explore in this article, but at the heart of all the mistakes that were made will be the people tasked with making the investment decisions and then running these businesses, and this goes right back to what we have been warning about for years; the lack of investment in used car professionals by both manufacturers and the PLC’s owning franchise dealer networks.
Listen; it might be that the “Used Car Supermarket” trading model has run its course, (we suspect not), or probably just like many other businesses, this model has become a highly competitive and specialised business and that the real folly was in expecting it to work, when no investment was made in the professionals required to plan, launch and then drive these businesses to success. The “Used Car Supermarket” model and business is a completely different used car business to run, compared to a used car business attached to a franchised dealership; which will probably be the vast majority of the experience that the associated company have in running used car businesses.
When you have no franchise attached to your used car business, you are in effect running marketing and advertising business first; and the first hurdle you must overcome, so therefore the first question to be answered must be; “Why Would A Customer Visit This Business To Buy Their Next Car?”
When you have no new car franchise or associated aftersales operation to leverage, running awareness campaigns and used car businesses that successfully answer this question, (first and foremost), will breed a sales and operational mind-set totally different from that required to grow used car operations assigned to franchise dealerships. Our worry about what went wrong for these businesses is encapsulated in the “Well How Hard Can It Be” mind-set and attitude, where big investment decisions leveraging lots of advantages, (except the right people), get made and there is an expectancy that you can succeed in market place when you have little idea of the challenges involved and what it takes to succeed in that market place.
However, the fact that they are only closing 22 of the 34 businesses suggests that in some locations the business model is still viable, but we will have to wait and see. So in both advising manufacturers and in commenting on the outcome, our initial questions to the owners of these businesses would be as follows;
- This is a highly specialised price competitive sector of the used car market; had the individuals making these investment decisions had any success and experience running similar businesses?
- What was the USP, the reason why a customer should go to these businesses and buy their next car?
- Did no one realise and account for the fact that they may end up being competitors of their existing franchised dealer based used car businesses?
- Why was the stock going to these businesses not being retailed by the associated franchised dealer businesses?
- Whose used car purchasing solution were they solving?
- How was all the above translated into their marketing and advertising messages?
- From the outside it appeared that these businesses traded from sites with high overheads; who wrote the budget and cash flow forecasts for these businesses? Who built the business development and sales teams tasked with delivering success for these used car businesses?
Now in the answers to these questions is a recurring theme and therefore the most valuable lesson for manufacturers in the UK; People! In fact The Right People! In many ways the PLC owning these businesses had all the things in place to succeed or, to at the very least, avoid the decision to go down this path, but everything goes back to the people making decisions and then those then tasked to deliver. We fear that the real problem here was both, a lack of the right people and the over reliance on technology to drive business success, and this trading and investment environment is proving to be “Toxic” for the used car sector at the moment.
Selling used cars on price, (and therefore tight margins), from sites with high overheads and no franchise model to leverage is not, (surprise-surprise), the business to be run by those who have no experience in running these businesses. It may be that at inception the business case just did not stack up in the chosen locations so the first important lesson is; what was the experience of the individuals who made the initial business case? Was it even viable?
And on the subject of people; you can have the best sites, great technology and big budgets for marketing, but our last question above is just as important as the first; what was the experience level of the sales teams running these businesses? We ask this because this will be paramount; even if the business case made sense up to this point, all the site locations, technology and marketing budget advantages you have will not drive sales in this or any used car business, it will only drive opportunities to your door.
It takes the right people with the right training and experience, (and by the way very rarely found within franchise dealer networks), to drive this business model to success! Maybe, just maybe everything made sense, right up to the people involved and their experience? We will never know and in reality it doesn’t matter that we do. What matters for manufacturers is that when they are looking to build used car retailing they stop “Rinsing and Repeating” the mistakes of the past and of others!
Life has a habit of giving us all lessons wrapped up in a mistake and the used car sector is no different. The most damaging thing that any manufacturer looking to grow used car retailing can do now, is to not learn from these mistakes; mistakes handed to you on a plate by someone else! Our advice to all manufacturers looking to grow used car retailing have been discussed many times in our used car business development articles, but in summary would be;
- Stop trying to build used car retailing on the cheap!
- If you are not a used car professional, seek the best advice from the most experienced used car professionals you can afford!
- Do not over rely on technology; technology is a tool to be used by professionals who know how to get the most from it!
- Stop looking for the Quick Fix! Like everything success in the used car market will involve a lot of hard work!
- Develop your used car personnel succession plan!
- Choose your used car business development partners and mentors wisely!
- Stop looking at the new car business and the used car business in the same light!
Hopefully reading this article will make senior professionals based at manufacturers think about used car retailing and to take the right steps moving forward; and to appreciate that the right people will lie at the heart of any used car retailing success that you require. Unfortunately with the under investment in used car business development and personnel training over the last 10 years, the professionals required to develop the used car retailing models you require are in very short supply at both manufacturers and within franchised dealer networks. And the inconvenient truth is that you will all need these professionals, and soon, because successful used car retailing is going to be required to underpin your new car retailing ambitions, and for many of you there will be no proven and experienced used car professionals to draw upon.
Now we appreciate that finding genuinely successful used car professionals is very difficult for both manufacturers and their franchised dealer networks but luckily help is at hand. If this post has resonated with you and you would like to know more about our used car business development consultancy programmes, because you would like to partner with an organisation of professionals who have faced the challenges of fast paced evolutionary markets and know how to develop a successful and profitable used car dealer network programme on your behalf, (in order to keep your new car and total business objectives growing and on track), then we would very much like to hear from you.
The owners of Autoformance have owned and run successful used car operations and been at the forefront of the development of approved used car programmes for a host of manufacturers. For an exploratory conversation regarding our services and how we can develop bespoke used car business development and consultancy programmes on your behalf, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Used Car Business Development Directors; Andrew Banning at ajb@autoformance.com or Malcolm Thomas at mgt@autoformance.com
Alternatively please feel free to call me on 07796 260261.
For more information about our services please visit our website at www.autoformance.com
Andrew Banning.
Used Car Business Development Director.
The screenshot above should send shivers down the spines of all senior professionals based at franchised dealerships; why? Well this screenshot was taken from the used car section on the website of one of the tech based market disruptors currently targeting the used car market, and before we get into “The Meat” of this article, just let the picture above sink in for a moment!
To save some professional blushes I have left the car and dealership details out of the screenshot however, those of you who received our direct email covering and discussing this trading threat, will appreciate that every franchised dealer network actually has this problem! In effect what you see here is a tech based market disruptor whom, (from what we can see), have employed no successful and experienced used car professionals, deigning to tell your potential customers whether a car being offered for sale represents good value or not!
Excuse me! A company of, albeit very clever tech professionals, thinking they know used car values and are instantly experts in our market place!? However, be under no illusion that the threat is real; those of you who are subscribers to the used car business development articles taken from our Used Car Business Development Blog will have already seen our recent article, (The Fatal Mistake Made By Franchised Dealers Over The Last 10 Years?), when we last discussed the growing threat that these tech based market disruptors pose to your current trading model. And that is before we discuss the fact that no customer who is using this site to look for a used car, would then look to purchase a car described as “Overpriced” in bold red type; so effectively this tech based market disruptor is rendering a proportion of your used car stock holding as unsellable!
Now we will start by saying that if it is your choice to partner with these organisations, it is not our place to criticise decisions you have made in good faith and for the benefit of your trading model; and by these organisations we mean the likes of Carwow, Heycar, the soon to be launched Cazoo and many others.
However if you haven’t, and are too immersed in other issues to see the danger creeping up on your business, well please read on because if we have learnt anything from the last 2 – 3 years, it is that those with the power to manipulate mind-sets and buying behaviour hold real power over markets, and both the new car and used car markets are no different.
No doubt some of you reading this will go on to think that I am describing a world that doesn’t exist but for many of you, especially those with no effective and “Fit For Purpose” programmes of used car personnel and business development to take advantage of, the real power and influence in used car strategies is now coming from outside influences, not your associated parent manufacturer.
The lack of any real investment in developing used car professionals over the last decade has resulted in franchised dealer networks where unproven, under-developed and therefore under-skilled professionals are being influenced by tech based market disruptors and this trend will only be set to continue, unless you as the franchised dealer or your parent manufacturer come up with the answers. For many of you reading this, we will have been auditing used car operations contained within your franchise dealer networks, so have seen first-hand just how influenced by market disruptors the staff employed within some of your businesses are; and this includes the following practices, (including the consequences), taking place on a daily basis;
- The websites associated with these companies now being the first port of call for advertising used car stock, and in preference to the manufacturer’s approved used car website.
- These websites being used by your staff to value used car stock, because many do not possess the skills to value stock themselves.
- This in turn is creating a race to the bottom on used car pricing and will be reducing both profitability and residual values, therefore increasing the cost of new car ownership.
- The actions of your staff are resulting in these tech disruptors becoming the de facto first port of call on used car pricing for consumers.
So how can they own nothing, (in terms of used car stock), yet wield such influence? Well only because you, your fellow franchise partners and your parent manufacturer allow them to do so! And be under no illusion, the biggest threat to your trading model and that of your franchise partners today, is these tech based market disruptors and their ability to manipulate markets. Without owning a single piece of used car stock and with little or no actual previous trading experience in the used car market, they have targeted the weaknesses in your business model and are looking to manipulate the behaviour of both the consumer and your businesses.
We would ask your parent manufacturer why they have allowed a situation to occur where these market disruptors now offer opinions on whether or not a car represents good value, and more importantly why are you as the franchised dealers also allowing this to happen? In effect you and your franchise partners are supporting a group of businesses that are actually trying to undermine your own. With all due respect to those involved with these businesses, who are generally professionals from technology, marketing and data collation backgrounds, what on earth do they know about the used car market?
Yet they are successful! Their genius is in convincing the businesses making up your franchise dealer network that they need them, that they can only sell used cars and develop a used car business if they use their platforms; well this is fanciful, yet it goes on and all the while you and your fellow franchise partners are “Feeding The Beast” that will eventually consume yours.
More worryingly though is that we fear that there is an agenda here that hasn’t yet been identified, so our advice would be to stop these practices right now! If you want your business to survive, it would be our recommendation that you must do the following and without delay;
- Remove all used car and new car stock from their websites.
- Work with and support your parent manufacturer to develop your existing on-line used car offering, this is what consumers expect.
- Develop the used car business development and personnel training programmes required to secure your own future.
Now of the 3 points listed above the most pressing is the first! Do not allow these businesses to build the perception with your customers that they control used car stock; their whole business is undermined without stock and should fail within 6-12 months if they are seen as the “Busted Flush” they are by consumers, so take back control of your own destiny.
But you will have to develop your staff, who currently perceive these platforms as vital in terms of selling both new and used cars. But here’s the thing; one of the most important lessons we teach aspiring used car professionals is that the successful used car business is advertising and selling used car stock before it arrives into stock!
To some the above will seem old fashioned, impossible and/or draconian but all the above initiatives are both possible and required in the first instance, if you are to succeed in the battle against the used car market disruptors. You will all have different strengths and weaknesses so this article is not the platform to expand on our thinking and recommendations; but if you would like us to discuss strategies with you in greater detail, please feel free to contact us directly.
The owners of Autoformance have owned and run successful used car operations, been at the forefront of the development of approved used car programmes for a host of manufacturers and more importantly, are still trading and running used car businesses in specialised used car markets. For an exploratory conversation regarding our services and how we can develop bespoke used car business development and consultancy programmes on your behalf, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Used Car Business Development Directors;
Andrew Banning at ajb@autoformance.com or Malcolm Thomas at mgt@autoformance.com
For more information about our services please visit our website at www.autoformance.com
Andrew Banning.
Used Car Business Development Director.
The screenshot above should send shivers down the spines of all senior professionals based at manufacturers; why? Well this screenshot was taken from the used car section on the website of one of the tech based market disruptors currently targeting the used car market, and before we get into “The Meat” of this article, just let the picture above sink in for a moment!
To save some professional blushes I have left the car and dealership details out of the screenshot however, those of you who received our direct email covering and discussing this trading threat, will appreciate that every manufacturer actually has this problem! In effect what you see here is a tech based market disruptor whom, (from what we can see), have employed no successful and experienced used car professionals, deigning to tell your potential customers whether a car being offered for sale by one of your franchise partners represents good value or not!
Excuse me! A company of, albeit very clever tech professionals, thinking they know used car values and are instantly experts in our market place!? However, be under no illusion that the threat is real; those of you who are subscribers to the used car business development articles taken from our Used Car Business Development Blog will have already seen our recent article, (The Fatal Mistake Made By Motor Manufacturers Over The Last 10 Years?), when we last discussed the growing threat that these tech based market disruptors pose to your current trading model. And that is before we discuss the fact that no customer who is using this site to look for a used car, would then look to purchase a car described as “Overpriced” in bold red type; so effectively this tech based market disruptor is rendering vast amounts of your national used car stock holding as unsellable!
Now we will start by saying that if it is your choice to partner with these organisations, it is not our place to criticise decisions you have made in good faith and for the benefit of your trading model; and by these organisations we mean the likes of Carwow, Heycar, the soon to be launched Cazoo and many others.
However if you haven’t, and are too immersed in other issues to see the danger creeping up on your business, well please read on because if we have learnt anything from the last 2 – 3 years, it is that those with the power to manipulate mind-sets and buying behaviour hold real power over markets, and both the new car and used car markets are no different.
No doubt some of you reading this will go on to think that I am describing a world that doesn’t exist but for many of you, especially those with no programmes of used car personnel and business development, the real power and influence in used car strategies is now coming from outside influences, not yourself as the manufacturers.
Unproven, under-developed and therefore under-skilled professionals are being influenced by tech based market disruptors and this trend will only be set to continue, unless you as the manufacturers come up with the answers. For many of you reading this, we will have been auditing used car operations contained within your franchise dealer networks, so have seen first-hand just how influenced by market disruptors the staff employed by your franchise partners are; and this includes the following practices, (including the consequences), taking place on a daily basis;
- The websites associated with these companies now being the first port of call for advertising used car stock, and in preference to your manufacturer approved used car website.
- These websites are being used by your franchise partners to value used car stock, because many do not possess the skills to value stock themselves.
- This in turn is creating a race to the bottom on used car pricing and will be reducing residual values, therefore increasing the cost of new car ownership.
- The actions of your franchise partners are resulting in these tech disruptors becoming the de facto first port of call on used car pricing for consumers.
So how can they own nothing, (in terms of used car stock), yet wield such influence? Well only because you and your franchise partners allow them to do so! And be under no illusion, the biggest threat to your trading model and that of your franchise partners today, is these tech based market disruptors and their ability to manipulate markets. Without owning a single piece of used car stock and with little or no actual previous trading experience in the used car market, they have targeted the weaknesses in your business model and are looking to manipulate the behaviour of both the consumer and your businesses.
We would ask you why you have allowed a situation to occur where these market disruptors now offer opinions on whether or not a car represents good value, and more importantly why are your franchised dealers allowing this to happen? In effect you and your franchise partners are supporting a group of businesses that are actually trying to undermine your own. With all due respect to those involved with these businesses, who are generally professionals from technology, marketing and data collation backgrounds, what on earth do they know about the used car market?
Yet they are successful! Their genius is in convincing your franchise partners that they need them, that they can only sell used cars and develop a used car business if they use their platforms; well this is fanciful, yet it goes on and all the while your franchise partners are “Feeding The Beast” that will eventually consume them.
More worryingly though is that we fear that there is an agenda here that hasn’t yet been identified, so our advice would be to stop these practices right now! If you want your business to survive, it would be our recommendation that you must do the following and without delay;
- Remove all used car and new car stock from their websites.
- Develop your existing on-line used car offering, this is what consumers expect.
- Develop the used car business development and personnel training programmes required to secure your own future.
Now of the 3 points listed above the most pressing is the first! Do not allow these businesses to build the perception with your customers that they control used car stock; their whole business is undermined without stock and should fail within 6-12 months if they are seen as the “Busted Flush” they are by consumers, so take back control of your own destiny.
But you will have to develop your staff, who currently perceive these platforms as vital in terms of selling both new and used cars.
But here’s the thing; one of the most important lessons we teach aspiring used car professionals is that the successful used car business is advertising and selling used car stock before it arrives into stock!
To many the above will seem old fashioned, impossible and/or draconian but all the above initiatives are both possible and required in the first instance, if you are to succeed in the battle against the used car market disruptors. You will all have different strengths and weaknesses so this article is not the platform to expand on our thinking and recommendations; but if you would like us to discuss strategies with you in greater detail, please feel free to contact us directly.
The owners of Autoformance have owned and run successful used car operations, been at the forefront of the development of approved used car programmes for a host of manufacturers and more importantly, are still trading and running used car businesses in specialised used car markets. For an exploratory conversation regarding our services and how we can develop bespoke used car business development and consultancy programmes on your behalf, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Used Car Business Development Directors; Andrew Banning at ajb@autoformance.com or Malcolm Thomas at mgt@autoformance.com
Alternatively please feel free to call me on 0044 7796 260261.
For more information about our services please visit our website at www.autoformance.com
Andrew Banning.
Used Car Business Development Director.
As we are fast approaching the end of 2019, and the moment when used car retailing performance levels are set, (after all there is little opportunity to change things drastically for the better in the time that we have left), it is time for reflection and planning in earnest for 2020; a year that we predict will challenge the sector in the UK probably even more than 2019.
Just like you, (our readership base), this is a time for reflection for us as well, as we begin to plan how we are going to leverage our skills and our offering to UK based manufacturers and their franchise dealer networks during 2020; thus at this time of year we always publish our “Used Car Market Place Predictions Article” for the next year. This is a vital discipline for us as it forces a period of reflection upon us, therefore we avoid drifting through periods due to a lack of direction.
Normally we wouldn’t publish these predictions in too much detail but this year we have felt compelled to publish our thoughts in entirety to our readership base of over 5,000 senior motor trade professionals; purely because we fear the automotive sector as a whole is reaching a “Tipping Point” and a point when the current direction of travel cannot be altered.
We are blessed with motor trade professionals in our organisation who have traded through many markets, seen many challenges, invested in a host of successful businesses and regardless of the trading environment, have always succeeded; so we feel this entitles us to say that the current turmoil and the challenges involved are no worse than any other dips that the sector has seen since the 1980’s.
However, one thing has changed and we all agree that this is the most serious operational flaw in the businesses being run in the UK, especially when it comes to successful used car retailing. Now, this article will be a generalisation for the market as a whole; some of you reading this will be incredulous thinking well we are different, we have had a great year, so this doesn’t apply to us! Well we are going to warn those of you thinking this to be careful; being imbedded in, and had access to, many plans for growing used car retailing, we have watched and observed how the used car and new car markets have played out over the last 2 years, and in the majority of cases those succeeding and growing are doing so because of happy timing, in terms of product launches, not necessarily because you are evolving or doing anything ground breaking on an operational basis.
Anyway, back to 2019 and where we find ourselves; what is at the heart of our problems as a sector? Well quite simply, in our opinion it is people! We don’t want to sound like a bunch of grumpy old men, but in order to reflect on the sector we drew a comparison between now and when we all joined the industry and the difference in employment and personal development attitudes is startling!
Now of course some things haven’t and will never change; even 35 years ago we sold cars! From Dealerships! We sold finance from position of financial qualification! And we dealt with the public! All this with no internet, no websites and electronic CRM systems. But there has been a huge change in the professionals running and working within franchised dealer networks during this period of time.
If we go back to mid 80’s to the mid 90’s the automotive sector embraced entrepreneurial sales professionals; who were paid very low basics but had commission structures that left no ceiling on earnings for those who were exceptional achievers, and at any level within the staffing structure. In fact the industry as a whole championed successful professionals and this bread an upward career movement of these professionals, so there was a genuine succession plan without skills shortages.
We can only speak for ourselves and our own experience, but this far more pure selling environment bread an atmosphere of competition and the people running sales operations were “Big Personalities” who employed other “Big Personalities” because they were capable of managing them and because they realised that the business needed these professionals with this hunger in order to be a success.
But somewhere along the line something changed; suddenly these individuals were not in fashion and the drive to utilise technology to deliver sales success became the answer! But not to sales professionals, no; only to those decision makers who had never sold anything in their lives and this has brought us to where the industry is today; the trading landscape we see today and we are astounded that anyone thinks this can lead you to the Promised Land and secure your futures, whether that be in new car or used car retailing.
Now don’t get us wrong; the advances in technology are brilliant and this has led to evolving purchasing habits with consumers, (so we have to evolve with them), but these advantages are just tools to be utilised in the sales process by talented sales professionals! There is not one associate within Autoformance who wouldn’t have loved to have had these advantages when they were selling because it would have made us all so much more successful; but only because we would know how to utilise the technology and the data it provides within the selling process, in order to deliver higher levels of success.
Listen, we have seen these technology sales platforms and CRM systems, audited their capability with a fine toothcomb, during the process of building programmes of used car business development for our customers, and some of them are exceptional in their capability. But here’s the problem; as excellent as they are these platforms and systems will not result in a single sale!
What is missing is the sales professionals who know how to take these systems and platforms, as well as the data and advantages that they deliver, to grab it by the scruff of the neck and drive sales success. Sadly though every sales role without exception seems to have an OTE of £40 - £45K and you won’t get successful sales professionals for this level of remuneration! No; successful sales professionals will expect to earn much more by delivering much more, so unless you as a business match their ambition, all you will get is more of the same!
So where do we think this change in attitudes towards entrepreneurial sales professionals began? Well in our minds it began when the manufacturers began to fall out love with the private investor franchise holder and looked to flirt with the big PLC’s, in terms of investors in the franchise model. And listen we understand the rational here; limitless investment in the franchise and no longer being required to run development programmes, made the manufacturers life a lot easier. But here’s the problem; this process changed the dynamic at franchise dealer level and over time the professionals attracted to the sector.
Now sales professionals were no longer dealing with the owner of the business on a day to day basis; an owner who didn’t care how much they paid you because they made 5 times as much, so everyone was happy. An owner who enjoyed the sales environment and understood the importance of having BIG sales personalities within their business because this lead to a creative and entrepreneurial atmosphere when trading got tough; why?
Well these BIG personalities had lifestyles to match; there was a huge drive to keep standards of living, and egos, on the upward trend with these individuals, individuals who were always looking to make money! But now let’s fast forward to the franchise dealership of today. 9 times out of 10 it is run by accountants and from a head office of a PLC, and whilst we mustn’t undervalue the role that a good accountant and effective accountancy procedures play in a well-run business; business is about risk and sometimes you need the team required, in-line with entrepreneurial sales process and thinking, to get you to where you need to go.
We understand better than anyone that good sales professionals and accountants don’t always mix or have a lot in common, but the reality is that you need them both to work together in order to thrive! Sadly though for many reading this article successful sales professionals are now missing from your franchised dealer networks which are too sanitised now, in terms of an environment that will attract the top sales talent you are going to require; and more importantly most of you are not set up to change this overly sanitised selling environment and therefore take advantage of all the systems and technology that is now available.
In our next article we will explore what the diary and the day of a successful sales professional looks like; we will go into this in finite detail so you can draw a comparison between it and the diaries of the sales professionals employed in your franchise dealer network. Once you have this information you can ask yourself a couple of very important questions; the first will probably be why the sales professionals in your franchise dealer network don’t work in this way and/or have this level of productivity? But perhaps the most important should be the next question; why are the senior management structures in your franchise dealerships not coaching and insisting that their sales operations run this way?
Unfortunately one of the most damaging consequences of the last decade of under investment in sales professionals, especially used car sales professionals, is that there have been none making the move into senior management, so these sales skills have been lost from both the sales floor and the management structure.
Now we appreciate that finding genuinely successful used car sales and management professionals is very difficult for franchised dealer networks, we have covered this topic many times, especially in the article below;
Do Successful Used Car Professionals Exist For Franchised Dealers?
In reality only a lucky few will be able to employ the professionals they require, the rest will need to be developed and trained, and at a time when none of you are running, (or have access to from your parent manufacturer), the personnel development and training programmes required. Luckily though help is at hand; if this post has resonated with you and you would like to know more about our used car business development consultancy and personnel training programmes, because you would like to partner with an organisation of professionals who have faced the challenges of fast paced evolutionary markets and know how to develop a successful and profitable used car dealer network programme on your behalf, (in order to keep your new car and total business objectives growing and on track), then we would very much like to hear from you.
The owners of Autoformance have owned and run successful used car operations and been at the forefront of the development of approved used car business development and personnel training programmes for a host of manufacturers and franchise dealer networks. For an exploratory conversation regarding our services and how we can develop bespoke used car business development and personnel training programmes on your behalf, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Used Car Business Development Directors; Andrew Banning at ajb@autoformance.com or Malcolm Thomas at mgt@autoformance.com
Alternatively please feel free to call me on 07796 260261.
For more information about our services please visit our website at www.autoformance.com
Andrew Banning.
Used Car Business Development Director.
As we are fast approaching the end of 2019, and the moment when used car retailing performance levels are set, (after all there is little opportunity to change things drastically for the better in the time that we have left), it is time for reflection and planning in earnest for 2020; a year that we predict will challenge the sector in the UK probably even more than 2019.
Just like you, (our readership base), this is a time for reflection for us as well, as we begin to plan how we are going to leverage our skills and our offering to UK based manufacturers and their franchise dealer networks during 2020; thus at this time of year we always publish our “Used Car Market Place Predictions Article” for the next year. This is a vital discipline for us as it forces a period of reflection upon us, therefore we avoid drifting through periods due to a lack of direction.
Normally we wouldn’t publish these predictions in too much detail but this year we have felt compelled to publish our thoughts in entirety to our readership base of over 5,000 senior motor trade professionals; purely because we fear the automotive sector as a whole is reaching a “Tipping Point” and a point when the current direction of travel cannot be altered.
We are blessed with motor trade professionals in our organisation who have traded through many markets, seen many challenges, invested in a host of successful businesses and regardless of the trading environment, have always succeeded; so we feel this entitles us to say that the current turmoil and the challenges involved are no worse than any other dips that the sector has seen since the 1980’s.
However, one thing has changed and we all agree that this is the most serious operational flaw in the businesses being run in the UK, especially when it comes to successful used car retailing. Now, this article will be a generalisation for the market as a whole; some of you reading this will be incredulous thinking well we are different, we have had a great year, so this doesn’t apply to us! Well we are going to warn those of you thinking this to be careful; being imbedded in, and had access to, many plans for growing used car retailing, we have watched and observed how the used car and new car markets have played out over the last 2 years, and in the majority of cases those succeeding and growing are doing so because of happy timing, in terms of product launches, not necessarily because you are evolving or doing anything ground breaking on an operational basis.
Anyway, back to 2019 and where we find ourselves; what is at the heart of our problems as a sector? Well quite simply, in our opinion it is people! We don’t want to sound like a bunch of grumpy old men, but in order to reflect on the sector we drew a comparison between now and when we all joined the industry and the difference in employment and personal development attitudes is startling!
Now of course some things haven’t and will never change; even 35 years ago we sold cars! From Dealerships! We sold finance from position of financial qualification! And we dealt with the public! All this with no internet, no websites and electronic CRM systems. But there has been a huge change in the professionals running and working within franchised dealer networks during this period of time.
If we go back to mid 80’s to the mid 90’s the automotive sector embraced entrepreneurial sales professionals; who were paid very low basics but had commission structures that left no ceiling on earnings for those who were exceptional achievers, and at any level within the staffing structure. In fact the industry as a whole championed successful professionals and this bread an upward career movement of these professionals, so there was a genuine succession plan without skills shortages.
We can only speak for ourselves and our own experience, but this far more pure selling environment bread an atmosphere of competition and the people running sales operations were “Big Personalities” who employed other “Big Personalities” because they were capable of managing them and because they realised that the business needed these professionals with this hunger in order to be a success.
But somewhere along the line something changed; suddenly these individuals were not in fashion and the drive to utilise technology to deliver sales success became the answer!
But not to sales professionals, no; only to those decision makers who had never sold anything in their lives and this has brought us to where the industry is today; the trading landscape we see today and we are astounded that anyone thinks this can lead you to the Promised Land and secure your futures, whether that be in new car or used car retailing.
Now don’t get us wrong; the advances in technology are brilliant and this has led to evolving purchasing habits with consumers, (so we have to evolve with them), but these advantages are just tools to be utilised in the sales process by talented sales professionals! There is not one associate within Autoformance who wouldn’t have loved to have had these advantages when they were selling because it would have made us all so much more successful; but only because we would know how to utilise the technology and the data it provides within the selling process, in order to deliver higher levels of success.
Listen, we have seen these technology sales platforms and CRM systems, audited their capability with a fine toothcomb, during the process of building programmes of used car business development for our customers, and some of them are exceptional in their capability. But here’s the problem; as excellent as they are these platforms and systems will not result in a single sale!
What is missing is the sales professionals who know how to take these systems and platforms, as well as the data and advantages that they deliver, to grab it by the scruff of the neck and drive sales success. Sadly though every sales role without exception seems to have an OTE of £40 - £45K and your franchise partners won’t get successful sales professionals for this level of remuneration! No; successful sales professionals will expect to earn much more by delivering much more, so unless your franchise partners match their ambition, all you and your franchise partners will get is more of the same!
So where do we think this change in attitudes towards entrepreneurial sales professionals began? Well in our minds it began when the manufacturers began to fall out love with the private investor franchise holder and looked to flirt with the big PLC’s, in terms of investors in the franchise model. And listen we understand the rational here; limitless investment in the franchise and no longer being required to run development programmes, made the manufacturers life a lot easier. But here’s the problem; this process changed the dynamic at franchise dealer level and over time the professionals attracted to the sector.
Now sales professionals were no longer dealing with the owner of the business on a day to day basis; an owner who didn’t care how much they paid you because they made 5 times as much, so everyone was happy. An owner who enjoyed the sales environment and understood the importance of having BIG sales personalities within their business because this lead to a creative and entrepreneurial atmosphere when trading got tough; why?
Well these BIG personalities had big lifestyles to match; there was a huge drive to keep standards of living, and egos, on the upward trend with these individuals, individuals who were always looking to make money! But now let’s fast forward to the franchise dealership of today. 9 times out of 10 it is run by accountants and from a head office of a PLC, and whilst we mustn’t undervalue the role that a good account and effective accountancy procedures play in a well-run business; business is about risk and sometimes you need the team required, in-line with entrepreneurial sales process and thinking, to get you to where you need to go.
We understand better than anyone that good sales professionals and accountants don’t always mix or have a lot in common, but the reality is that you need them both to work together in order to thrive! Sadly though for many reading this article successful sales professionals are now missing from your franchised dealer networks which are too sanitised now, in terms of an environment that will attract the top sales talent your franchise partners are going to require; and more importantly most of your franchise partners are not set up to change this overly sanitised selling environment and therefore take advantage of all the systems and technology that is now available.
In our next article we will explore what the diary and the day of a successful sales professional looks like; we will go into this in finite detail so you can draw a comparison between it and the diaries of the sales professionals employed in your franchise dealer network. Once you have this information you can ask yourself a couple of very important questions; the first will probably be why the sales professionals in your franchise dealer network don’t work in this way and/or have this level of productivity? But perhaps the most important should be the next question; why are the senior management structures in your franchise dealer networks not coaching and insisting that their sales operations run this way?
Unfortunately one of the most damaging consequences of the last decade of under investment in sales professionals, especially used car sales professionals, is that there have been none making the move into senior management, so these sales skills have been lost from both the sales floor and the management structure.
Now we appreciate that finding genuinely successful used car sales and management professionals is very difficult for both manufacturers and their franchised dealer networks, we have covered this topic many times, especially in the articles below;
Do Successful Used Car Professionals Exist For Manufacturers?
Do Successful Used Car Professionals Exist For Franchised Dealers?
In reality only a lucky few will be able to employ the professionals they require, the rest will need to be developed and trained, and at a time when none of you are running the personnel development and training programmes required. Luckily though help is at hand; if this post has resonated with you and you would like to know more about our used car business development consultancy and personnel training programmes, because you would like to partner with an organisation of professionals who have faced the challenges of fast paced evolutionary markets and know how to develop a successful and profitable used car dealer network programme on your behalf, (in order to keep your new car and total business objectives growing and on track), then we would very much like to hear from you.
The owners of Autoformance have owned and run successful used car operations and been at the forefront of the development of approved used car business development and personnel training programmes for a host of manufacturers. For an exploratory conversation regarding our services and how we can develop bespoke used car business development and personnel training programmes on your behalf, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Used Car Business Development Directors; Andrew Banning at ajb@autoformance.com or Malcolm Thomas at mgt@autoformance.com
Alternatively please feel free to call me on 0044 7796 260261.
For more information about our services please visit our website at www.autoformance.com
Andrew Banning.
Used Car Business Development Director.
As we all now approach the time of year when finalising plans for next year is well underway, we have been giving some thought as to where the UK used car sector is heading; quite important really because it affects us too and therefore how we will be working next year.
Like every business we are looking at our target markets, looking to leverage our offering and to continue to grow, and the process made us all realise that the UK used car market is a bit of a conundrum at the moment; in fact we have all never known a time of such little direction as we are experiencing now!
During this process we always come up with a “One Liner” that sums up the problems in a national used car market and what our general advice to our target audience in that market would be. This is vital for us because understanding our target used car markets drives the tone of our content articles, articles just like this one that we publish every week in order to engage with our customers and readership base; and this year for UK Franchised Dealer Networks our used car business “One Liner” would be:
“It’s Make Your Mind Up Time!”
We say this because as we have watched the fracturing and breaking up of the used car market in the UK we have been left wondering “Wow,” some franchised dealer networks really are handing their used car business over to their competitors on a plate. In fact the only point we all struggled to agree on was when this process would reach a “Tipping Point” for UK based franchised dealer networks and their parent manufacturers, and could no longer be retrieved?
However, we all agreed that the “Tipping Point” was close, although some of you are nearer this point than others. The reasons for this are wide ranging and nuanced for every franchised dealer network, but we all agreed that no franchised dealer network, (as a whole), or the associated manufacturers in the UK, appeared to have the strategic thinking in place to secure used car market place share, and therefore protect the investments made in the new car trading model by both themselves and their franchise partners; and this caused us to then ponder on why a franchised dealership would not want to build a successful used car business? In reality it can only be down to one of two reasons;
Those Owning Franchised Dealers Don’t Know How To!
Those Owning Franchised Dealers Don’t Want To!,,,,,, Because It’s Too Much Like Hard Work!
Now of the two options above the most worrying would be that those owning franchised dealers don’t want to because it’s too much like hard work! Now this can be down to 2 reasons; it is a mind-set driven by the manufacturer because it is not part of the manufacturer’s business plan moving forward, probably because with evolving new car retailing models the manufacturer, (unbeknown to their franchise partners), is just not interested in supporting or having a franchised dealer network, in the same way as we have been used to them. Now this is serious for those invested in multi £million buildings which are worth far less with no franchise model and/or business attached. Sadly though and having been franchise owners ourselves, we realise that it is important to remember that, (even as a franchise partner), first and foremost you are always part of someone else’s journey and that the journey may not always be to your liking!
Worryingly for those owning franchised dealerships, we have read with concern how some new car trading models are evolving in the UK and what the ultimate direction of travel may be; the move towards the technology based new car sales and servicing models where sadly, the need for fully committed franchise partners and franchised dealer networks looks like it may be disappearing. We will not name names in this article but it has been interesting to read how some very big manufacturers in the UK are looking to evolve their trading model and how some long term invested franchise partners are now selling their associated businesses, because they don’t like what they see and they need to get out before everyone else realises what is going on! But this is for another article!
The second reason is genuine lethargy to making the investments required in both businesses and people, and we have seen this many times whilst auditing used car businesses this year; a realisation that it is going to be hard work for both the business as a whole and for the people tasked with driving used car retailing forward. At inception too many franchised dealers are trading as disposers of part exchanges and ex-demonstrators, with the job of driving used car retailing being either totally ignored or split as a dual responsibility for the Sales Manager.
The folly of this is staggering; firstly their “Disposer Of Part Exchanges And Ex-Demonstrators” business model is not an example of a business that can be grown, in fact it is the exact opposite; it is the best example of “The Law Of Diminishing Returns” business that we can imagine. Secondly, the decision to make the most specialised role in the business a part time job around new car sales, is about as naïve a business decision that it is possible to make. Again, this is a huge topic and for another article, but the role of the successful used car business development professional has been explored in our article; Do Successful Used Car Professionals Exist For Franchised Dealers? So you can make your own minds up as to whether or not you still think it is a part time role after reading it.
However, if you overcome this lack of will towards used car retailing we come to the second major reason listed above; Those Owning Franchised Dealers Don’t Know How To! However, for those tasked with growing successful used car operations at franchised dealerships at the moment we do have some sympathy. Over the last decade both manufacturers and the PLC’s owning vast swathes of franchised dealer networks have decided, (either by accident or design), to ignore the invested development of used car retailing.
At franchised dealer level, evolving new car purchasing habits and the desire to run a “Real Estate Investment Business” off the back of a franchise dealer network, has seen many drop all programmes of used car business development and sadly, with their 2 main business models now either failing, (the “Real Estate” model), and becoming ever more challenging, (the “New Car” model), these decisions are about to come back and haunt those owning franchise dealer networks; those without successful used car businesses to help them ride the storms that look like coming.
This is not the article to expand on “Why” in too much detail, but with regard to the “Real Estate” model; there is not an investment company or hedge fund around that is diving head first into commercial real estate at the moment, and those commercial buildings without a profitable business attached will only sell at a price that will keep the owners awake at night for a very long time; so if the new car business is not going to pay the bills?
In the long term your financial security can only be secured from a foundation of successful used car retailing but sadly, for many the realisation may have come too late. And be warned, at all costs avoid now the “One Trick Pony” approach discussed in our recent article; Looking To Grow Used Car Sales?,,,, Beware The “One Trick Pony” Solution! We won’t explore or expand on the points covered by this article again here, those wishing to read the article again need only click on the embedded link above to read it on our Used Car Business Development Blog.
But in brief, it warned against the fatal mistakes that are being made by some manufacturers and the big PLC’s owning vast swathes of franchised dealer networks in the UK. Because there is a “Well How Hard Can It Be” mind set to used car retailing and many of you have no comprehension of just how far the bar of used car retailing has been raised by the competition over the last 10 years. This has resulted in many of you opting for the quick fix solution, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” if you like; which as a process of used car business development is akin to trying to start a bonfire by flicking matches at a pile of wet leaves.
As an example of how to get things wrong you only need to look at the brief life of Car Store; now we aren’t privy to the internal records of what happened here and why just so many of these businesses had to close? It is extremely sad for all those involved but from the outside it just looked like an ill-conceived business being launched 10 years too late and without the expertise required to make it work! We will say no more on this for now as this will be explored fully in our next article, but it is lesson in how the used car and new car businesses are evolving, but very differently to each other!
Thus our statement that “It’s Make Your Mind Up Time!” 2020 will be a make or break year for many franchised dealers when it comes to used car retailing and of course there are going to be winners and losers, depending on the brand, your position in the market and the strength of your associated franchise dealer network, but one thing is for sure; those of you who ignore the importance of used car retailing moving forward will end up with a new car model that is struggling in the monthly budget purchasing age.
Unfortunately with the under investment in used car business development over the last 10 years, the professionals required to develop the used car retailing models you require are in very short supply at both manufacturers and within franchised dealer networks. Regardless of the course of action you decide upon, successful used car retailing will still be required to underpin your new car retailing ambitions, and your entire trading model. Unfortunately, for many of you there will be no proven and experienced used car professionals to draw from during this critical period.
Now we appreciate that finding genuinely successful used car professionals is very difficult for both manufacturers and their franchised dealer networks but luckily help is at hand. If this post has resonated with you and you would like to know more about our used car business development consultancy and personnel training programmes, because you would like to partner with an organisation of professionals who have faced the challenges of fast paced evolutionary markets and know how to build a successful and profitable used car business on your behalf, (in order to keep your new car and total business objectives growing and on track), then we would very much like to hear from you.
The owners of Autoformance have owned and run successful used car operations and been at the forefront of the development of approved used car programmes for a host of manufacturers and franchised dealer networks. For an exploratory conversation regarding our services and how we can develop bespoke used car business development and consultancy programmes on your behalf, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Used Car Business Development Directors; Andrew Banning at ajb@autoformance.com or Malcolm Thomas at mgt@autoformance.com
Alternatively please feel free to call me on 07796 260261.
For more information about our services please visit our website at www.autoformance.com
Andrew Banning.
Used Car Business Development Director.
