The Motor Trade has been having a great autumn, sales are strong and profits are up year on year in many sites. Lets make sure we convert as many of those enquiries as possible. Now. While the market is strong.

A long time ago I made my living selling Ford Escorts and Sierra’s. But I and virtually every sales exec’ I worked with knew exactly where we wanted to be.

We wanted to be in the Porsche showroom selling 911’s.

As far as we were concerned Porsche salesman did absolutely nothing. The customers walked in and if they had the money, they ordered a car. “You would like a test drive? Have you got your cheque book?”

I know the reality was slightly different, but how many times have we heard in the past few years – “Oh they are just order takers now, they don’t do any real selling.”

I am sure a large part of this is the older generation looking back with rose tinted glasses, and there is certainly more paperwork, professionalism, and legal hoops to jump through, but the sentiment is certainly still with us.

Take this summer. A bloody awful summer. But again, the message I am getting back from our dealers is that it has been the best Autumn in years. One Volvo site confirmed that it has been the best September they have EVER had.

I have lost count of the number of dealerships that have told me that they are ahead of 2019 budget year on year. Which is fantastic. And doesn’t look like easing up yet.

It’s difficult to argue with the numbers. Sales are up. Admittedly still more on the used side, but at least the profit is really good on used.

The reason for my comparison in the opening couple of paragraphs is to ask the question – “Are we being order takers at the moment?”

Our showrooms are certainly enquiry rich, and with retailers running very lean to keep costs down, the sales exec’s are doing what any sales exec’ would do when there are only so many hours in the day. They cherry pick.

Which is great. Sort of. We are certainly selling cars, so this is definitely not a complaint.

But a lot more customers are saying that their enquiry hasn’t been followed up. To be fair, perhaps the sales exec’ has looked at both the enquiry and the customer and decided that A) the car is to hard to find, B) there is not enough money in the deal or C) It’s a new car, forward order, that won’t pay him any commission for 5 months.

As a company, for 25 years, Cymark has followed up lost sale records to ensure that customers that are actually still looking to buy a car and flipped back into the showroom.

With as much information about what, when and how serious they are.

For 25 years these customers have been buying cars and generating much more income than our own nominal costs. (that and we are good at it).

But today, how can we fault a sales exec that is flat out and hitting his numbers. He has enough enquiries to go at.

As one Sales Director said recently.

“Guy. In the showroom I have two execs’ off, self-isolating, you are sending these customers back to us that are still wanting to buy a car from us. But I don’t have anyone to give the record to!”

But I would still have to ask, “Wouldn’t you want to know?”

I know time is the problem at the moment. Sales exec’s and sales managers are running around left and right trying to sort out orders, click and collect hand overs and virtual sales videos. But I still go back to my Ford days –

“I can sell these Fiesta’s all day long. But they only bring in £100. Or I can convert that Cosworth enquiry and make £2,000.”

I know which one my sales manager would want me to follow up this afternoon.

Good luck everyone. At least this lockdown seems more manageable than the last.