Customers still walk into used car dealerships expecting to get stitched up. Craig Walker decided to let them in before they arrive. In this episode, Craig talks to Simon Bowkett about Dealership Diaries, the YouTube channel where the whole team films behind the scenes, mistakes included. Craig explains how pointing out every mark on a car calms a nervous buyer, how a customer flew up from Kent to buy an F-Type after watching the channel, and how a £24.99 a month service plan brings buyers back to the workshop. Craig puts take-up at around 40%. The conversation also covers using the workshop to buy stock, treating the appointment as the new sale, hiring for personality and running KPIs through Claude straight from a DMS export. Craig finishes with the challenge still to crack: finding a number two. What's covered: • Why Craig puts 'disarming the customer' in the brand book and how the team does it on every car • How Dealership Diaries got the whole team on camera and what it has done for sales • The difference between active and passive customers, and how to stay in front of both • Running a £24.99 a month service plan at break-even, and the take-up of around 40% that Craig reports • Using the workshop and service advisers to spot cars worth buying in • Why Craig sees the appointment as the new sale, and why trial closes matter after the test drive • Hiring salespeople for personality and training everything else • Dropping a DMS CSV into Claude to track KPIs and stock turn, plus Simon's tip for recording sales meetings with Wispr Flow Craig Walker runs The Walker Motor Group, which owns Culloden Cars on the outskirts of Inverness, and co-owns the Top Car Services workshop with business partner Liam Grant. Craig says the group employs 17 people, and that the workshop, which started with three ramps, is moving up to seven with an MOT testing station. Craig still loves being in the weeds of the business. If you run an independent or manage a used car or service department and want more repeat business out of every customer you sell to, give this one a listen. About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon's words 'real world', it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: <a title="www.symcotraining.co.uk" href= "https://www.symcotraining.co.uk" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">www.symcotraining.co.uk</a>

Customers still walk into used car dealerships expecting to get stitched up. Craig Walker decided to let them in before they arrive. In this episode, Craig talks to Simon Bowkett about Dealership Diaries, the YouTube channel where the whole team films behind the scenes, mistakes included. Craig explains how pointing out every mark on a car calms a nervous buyer, how a customer flew up from Kent to buy an F-Type after watching the channel, and how a £24.99 a month service plan brings buyers back to the workshop. Craig puts take-up at around 40%. The conversation also covers using the workshop to buy stock, treating the appointment as the new sale, hiring for personality and running KPIs through Claude straight from a DMS export. Craig finishes with the challenge still to crack: finding a number two. What's covered: • Why Craig puts 'disarming the customer' in the brand book and how the team does it on every car • How Dealership Diaries got the whole team on camera and what it has done for sales • The difference between active and passive customers, and how to stay in front of both • Running a £24.99 a month service plan at break-even, and the take-up of around 40% that Craig reports • Using the workshop and service advisers to spot cars worth buying in • Why Craig sees the appointment as the new sale, and why trial closes matter after the test drive • Hiring salespeople for personality and training everything else • Dropping a DMS CSV into Claude to track KPIs and stock turn, plus Simon's tip for recording sales meetings with Wispr Flow Craig Walker runs The Walker Motor Group, which owns Culloden Cars on the outskirts of Inverness, and co-owns the Top Car Services workshop with business partner Liam Grant. Craig says the group employs 17 people, and that the workshop, which started with three ramps, is moving up to seven with an MOT testing station. Craig still loves being in the weeds of the business. If you run an independent or manage a used car or service department and want more repeat business out of every customer you sell to, give this one a listen. About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon's words 'real world', it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: www.symcotraining.co.uk

Customers still walk into used car dealerships expecting to get stitched up. Craig Walker decided to let them in before they arrive. In this episode, Craig talks to Simon Bowkett about Dealership Diaries, the YouTube channel where the whole team films behind the scenes, mistakes included. Craig explains how pointing out every mark on a car calms a nervous buyer, how a customer flew up from Kent to buy an F-Type after watching the channel, and how a £24.99 a month service plan brings buyers back to the workshop. Craig puts take-up at around 40%. The conversation also covers using the workshop to buy stock, treating the appointment as the new sale, hiring for personality and running KPIs through Claude straight from a DMS export. Craig finishes with the challenge still to crack: finding a number two. What's covered: • Why Craig puts 'disarming the customer' in the brand book and how the team does it on every car • How Dealership Diaries got the whole team on camera and what it has done for sales • The difference between active and passive customers, and how to stay in front of both • Running a £24.99 a month service plan at break-even, and the take-up of around 40% that Craig reports • Using the workshop and service advisers to spot cars worth buying in • Why Craig sees the appointment as the new sale, and why trial closes matter after the test drive • Hiring salespeople for personality and training everything else • Dropping a DMS CSV into Claude to track KPIs and stock turn, plus Simon's tip for recording sales meetings with Wispr Flow Craig Walker runs The Walker Motor Group, which owns Culloden Cars on the outskirts of Inverness, and co-owns the Top Car Services workshop with business partner Liam Grant. Craig says the group employs 17 people, and that the workshop, which started with three ramps, is moving up to seven with an MOT testing station. Craig still loves being in the weeds of the business. If you run an independent or manage a used car or service department and want more repeat business out of every customer you sell to, give this one a listen. About Symco Training: Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon's words 'real world', it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal. To find out more visit: <a title="www.symcotraining.co.uk" href="https://www.symcotraining.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.symcotraining.co.uk</a>

How Craig Walker Uses His Workshop to Buy Stock

Owner of Specialist Cars Stoke, Harris Motor Company and The IMDA Chairman. We are delighted to have Umesh with us for the next two podcast episodes. He shares his personal story, his experience of running his own business for 25 years and being chairman on the IMDA. https://symcotraining.co.uk/podcast/

Owner of Specialist Cars Stoke, Harris Motor Company and The IMDA Chairman. We are delighted to have Umesh with us for the next two podcast episodes. He shares his personal story, his experience of running his own business for 25 years and being chairman on the IMDA. https://symcotraining.co.uk/podcast/

SMT808: Umesh Samani (Part 2)

SMT807: Umesh Samani (Part 1)

SMT806: Trial Close

SMT805: What is The Most Asked Question at Disney

SMT804: Reasons Customers Should Service Their Car at a Franchise Dealer

SMT803: Vehicle Health Checks Part 2

SMT802: Vehicle Health Checks Part 1

Let's try to maximise every deal, and put more tools in your sales team's tool box. <a href= "https://symcotraining.co.uk/podcast/">https://symcotraining.co.uk/podcast/</a> (c) 2022 Symco Training Ltd.

Let's try to maximise every deal, and put more tools in your sales team's tool box. <a href="https://symcotraining.co.uk/podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://symcotraining.co.uk/podcast/</a> (c) 2022 Symco Training Ltd.

SMT801: Remote Customers

SMT710: The Suit Story

Whats the best way to do a demonstration drive? Accompanied or unaccompanied? It's an important question now that restrictions are lifting? https://symcotraining.co.uk/podcast/ (c) 2022 Symco Training Ltd.

Whats the best way to do a demonstration drive? Accompanied or unaccompanied? It's an important question now that restrictions are lifting? https://symcotraining.co.uk/podcast/ (c) 2022 Symco Training Ltd.

SMT709: Demonstration Drive

Simon Bowkett, from Symco Training, shares tips and ideas on selling in the motor trade from a sales and aftersales perspective, as well as interviews with industry leaders sharing some of their best practices.

To find out more visit www.symcotraining.co.uk

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How To

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Simon Bowkett, from Symco Training, shares tips and ideas on selling in the motor trade from a sales and aftersales perspective, as well as interviews with industry leaders sharing some of their best practices. To find out more visit www.symcotraining.co.uk

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