NEW HORIZONS Chairman Steve Hood on Shifting Trustford’S Strategic Focus Toward Used Cars, Online Sales and Fleet
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www.am-online.com AM LIVE REVIEW / P21 January 2017 £8.00 Expert advice on how to run a better dealership AUTOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT TRUSTFORD / P30 NEW HORIZONS Chairman Steve Hood on shifting TrustFord’s strategic focus toward used cars, online sales and fleet SQUARE DEALS / P37 BEST PRACTICE / P54 CITROËN C3 / P80 The critical ‘Treat social media Looking for a elements to like you are running bump in the seal the sale Netflix – put on a show’ B-segment AMA17_FPAD(Windows).qxp_Layout 1 21/11/2016 10:29 Page 1 An evening dedicated to acknowledging exemplary performance and innovation is fundamentally important to our industry; high achievers deserve their time in the spotlight. But the AM Awards is much more than a glitzy night out among friends and colleagues. An AM Award brings with it the respect of the industry and publicly acknowledges the importance of your people and helps to strengthen the confidence of an individual or teams – as well as provide an independent mark of quality in your business that can be incorporated into your marketing strategy. February 9 2017 To book your tickets, please visit Limited sponsorship The ICC, Birmingham www.am-awards.co.uk opportunities now available, contact us for details Sponsors For more information contact Paige Phillips on 01733 395133 or email [email protected] WELCOME am-online.com [email protected] @amchatter am-online.com/linkedin facebook.com/automotivemanagementUK am-online.com/ami/ IN THIS ISSUE Is 2017 going to be another “It’s really important that we have year of shock and surprise? e-commerce to add to what hinking back on 2016, it has been a year of shocks and we’re doing, surprises. But it has also been a period of a fair few not make it a innovations. replacement At the beginning of the year, it seemed possible that the opportunity” UK’s referendum on its membership of the European Union Bek Hassan, Citroën Twould merely send a strong message that we expected changes to the and DS, Page 6 organisation. However, instead, we are set to leave. It also probably seemed unlikely back then that America would choose Donald Trump to be its next president. “We should In our industry, there have also been a few surprises. Marc Matthew not be feeling and Peter Isted sold their AM Award-winning dealer group, Lifestyle as though Europe, to Hendy Group. Wessex Garages was taken over by Japanese- there is any owned VT Holdings, and US-owned Group 1 Automotive grew its UK kind of crisis footprint rapidly by acquiring Spire Automotive. under way. Innovations have included SsangYong embedding sales-focused Conditions are ‘customer champions’ in authorised repairers around the M25 after simply likely struggling to fill open points in London, and Group 1 partnering with to become Seat to open a permanent retail ‘store’ at Lakeside Shopping Centre near London. a little Away from the capital, Peter Vardy has developed its second CarStore more difficult” customer-centric used car outlet at Dundee, and Pendragon continues Rupert Pontin, Glass’s, Page 13 to roll out its Car Store sites to secure a national footprint for its Evans Halshaw Move Me Closer online car purchase service. With all of that in the background, who knows what the next 12 “Keeping our months have in store? more ‘senior’ In any case, I and the AM team wish you a Merry Christmas, and a customers prosperous 2017. happy may have a bigger impact than we fully realise” Jim Saker, Page 36 Tim Rose Editor am-online.com January 2017 3 In this issue January 2017 DEALERS AND SUPPLIERS FACE TO FACE: TRUSTFORD IN THIS ISSUE: STEVE HOOD ON WHY TRUSTFORD WILL FOCUS ON USED CARS, FLEET AND ONLINE SALES Alphera Financial Services ............................... 27 30 ASE ............................................................................ 15 Auto Trader ..............................................................11 Barclays Partner Finance ................................. 47 BCA .............................................................................17 Bolton Kia ................................................................ 42 Call It Automotive ................................................. 38 Cambria Automobiles .....................................8, 54 CAP .............................................................................13 Car Care Plan ........................................................ 27 CarGurus ..................................................................11 CDK Global .............................................................. 39 CitNow ...................................................................... 22 Citroën ..................................................................6, 80 Consumer Credit Advisory Service ............... 26 Contact Advantage ............................................... 39 Cooper Solutions ..................................................24 Cox Automotive UK .............................................. 10 Customer Plus....................................................... 49 DealerWeb .............................................................. 39 DealTrak................................................................... 47 DS Automobiles........................................................7 Edynamix ................................................................. 25 37 Electric Dog ............................................................54 Gforces .....................................................................24 Glass’s ........................................................................13 Hendy Group .......................................................... 42 Honda ........................................................................ 10 HR Owen ..............................................................8, 42 Independent Motor Auctions ............................ 10 Ivendi ......................................................................... 23 Jaguar Land Rover .............................................. 10 JudgeService .................................................. 25, 51 Luscombe Motors .................................................61 Mapfre Abraxas ............................................. 23, 47 Marketing Delivery.................................24, 38, 54 Marriott Motor Group.......................................... 10 Marshall Motor Group ..................................11, 54 Mercedes-Benz Retail Group ........................... 26 Mitsubishi ................................................................83 Motorline ....................................................................8 Mussay ..................................................................... 49 21 NFDA .....................................................................8, 22 Nissan ....................................................................... 82 Ogilvy & Mather ....................................................54 RA Creamer & Son .............................................. 10 RAC ............................................................................ 10 SMMT ....................................................................8, 13 Sturgess Motor Group .........................................61 80 Swansway Group .................................................. 10 CITROËN C3 Symco ...................................................................... 38 LOOKING Sytner........................................................................ 39 FOR A BUMP Taylor Wessing ...................................................... 27 IN THE TestDrives2U ..........................................................43 Thompson Motor Company .............................. 10 B-SEGMENT Thurlow Nunn .........................................................61 TLT ............................................................................. 26 Toyota Financial Services .................................. 47 Trusted Dealers .................................................... 49 TrustFord ................................................................. 30 Vee24......................................................................... 39 Vertu Motors .......................................................... 10 Volkswagen ............................................................ 10 Volvo ..........................................................................54 4 January 2017 am-online.com For the latest motor retail industry news, visit am-online.com Sign up to get AM news daily by email: am-online.com/newsletter YOUR NEWS 36 Profof JimJim Saker’sSaker’s viewview fromfrom the business school 6 Newws insightinsight Why car buyers trust family and Citroën banks on new products and friends more than Facebook. online sales platform for rebound in dealer sentiment. 38 Handling enquiries Training staff to engage customers 8 Newws digestdigest efficiently on every communication The NFDA announces it will meet channel will minimise lost sales. with Government ministers in February; Cambria posts 53.2% rise 42 The test drive in pre-tax profit; Swansway takes over In-depth knowledge and flexible Thompson Motor Company; and Auto service can help the test drive Trader says direct car sales are its to redress the shift to digital. biggest threat. 47 Finance Many suppliers see self-service as MARKET the key to compliant F&I sales. INTELLIGENCE 49 The handover SQUARE YOUR SALES 13 2017 market predictions More of the customer purchase THE FOUR CRITICAL ELEMENTS Analysts agree that the new car market journey