Is there any place to get some food around here?

[BHM 994]

19 minutes ago, trade vet said:

Everyone does their own thing.Not only do I not take deposits,I also refuse them.Works well for me,I have done this for years.I tell them I don’t need one just shake hands and to settle up on collection.I also tell them to give us a call should they change their mind.Up north Punters appreciate that because a lot of dealers want a deposit before they can have a test drive......We have also done 7 day money back guarantees for over 20 years ( some of you must be horrified).....

I thought it was just me not taking deposits. Well, I don’t take them from punters who aren’t here, I just tell them to phone when they set off because everything’s for sale until it’s sold - some punters can’t believe I’m not desperate to take a deposit.

If a person’s here & want it reserving for a day or two then I do take a deposit.

I’ve got to say though, I’m horrified by the 7 day money back guarantee. If you haven’t had one or two already you’ll soon get them with today’s punters.

[trade vet 697]

5 minutes ago, BHM said:

I thought it was just me not taking deposits. Well, I don’t take them from punters who aren’t here, I just tell them to phone when they set off because everything’s for sale until it’s sold - some punters can’t believe I’m not desperate to take a deposit.

If a person’s here & want it reserving for a day or two then I do take a deposit.

I’ve got to say though, I’m horrified by the 7 day money back guarantee. If you haven’t had one or two already you’ll soon get them with today’s punters.

Of course you get them,but not many and often they just swap to something else.Several weeks ago we had 2 straight refunds in a week and from a small pitch.That has never happened before even on the old big pitch.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

6 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

Simon, 

I don't assume anything. In used car sales I am as good an analyst as any (maybe not on TV's level but you know what I mean)

We've been forum buddies for years, I've watched your videos, I've studied (sounds creepy but I have) your model, your stock selection, your website, when a car goes on sale, when it goes off and I know where they come from and that they come with auction fees and transport costs etc etc and while it's innovative in a way I see the limitations that it has and have decided that it simply isn't for me. 

My strategy is to make the customer want my car. 

Yours is to filter the possibles down to the confirmed definite and that's fine but means a lot of people simply won't buy. This will certainly mean lower than max possible turnover (of stock not just money) and certainly lower margins. Pre-agreeing a part ex value unseen will also have to lead to a lower margin eventually. You simply can't offer £800 on the phone when all guides, WBAC etc say £2000. 

I envy you for the time waster free life but as John Murphy used to say on the other forum: Sometimes we get paid to have our time wasted :-)

Nik, I know we’ve been “comrades” as David used to say, and I equally can see how you have grown  and developed. Believe me I’m not criticising how you operate. 

Since having childen (two) at 45 I seriously don’t have any time to waste. Managing my time is my priority and believe me when you have to be selfish with your time and take on further responsibilities like 3500ft showroom you have to make it work.  

You are looking at how I operate negatively, just like you look at video negatively. Video is fantastic, it’s probably the best thing to enhance and enable car sales  since the start of the internet. 

Believe me, my whole strategy is positive, and designed to make my customer want to buy the car, that is the whole purpose of my videos.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

1 hour ago, David Horgan said:

What works in one life will not work in another , thats life and always will be .

Aufur I adore your work ethics I really do , but it wouldn't work for us as we are open 7 days to the public to wander and I have sold 4 today to just that method . They saw us on AT and wandered in . All 4 bought . 

Nick has a similar approach but from home and it works , I can see why as its free and easy for the customer with Nick being very flexible in his approach to customer service . I am just a another approach were I do all 3 methods , Deposit is taken on 40% of my sales , Tel appointments to see when they can come without deposits are also in my methods , Wander in and catch me unawares is also very acceptable , I'm way infront of the customers in the prep stages . 

So it works for our Lifestyles . 

My turn round is 18 days while holding 35 stock from 25k to 3k , so that's the reason for my approach , Finance is supplied and heavily marketed for more customer capture and the commissions too , Bolt ons are heavily marketed too , detail polishing , paint coatings , warranties , Service Packages to name a few . 

Top and bottom what i do doesn't suit you , what you do wont work for me and what we all do  wont suit Nick . But you know what we all make money , have a life , and we love it .

Be happy , stay friends , have fun , but best of all were all good at what we do . 

Have a great week ahead , make money , and best of all laugh while we do it . 

David, thanks  I’m strictly selling “buy it now”. I’m not a forecourt and not wanting to act like one. 

[EPV 631]

AD, how many more do you think you’d sell if you didn’t operate as you do? 5 more a month? Less?

[Arfur Dealy 823]

No difference really, I’m always around 130 to 150 a year. I’m not shy in making a profit and have increased my margins since solely offering BIN. 

[EPV 631]

1 hour ago, Arfur Dealy said:

No difference really, I’m always around 130 to 150 a year. I’m not shy in making a profit and have increased my margins since solely offering BIN. 

I think it must be your stock type or something then. I know for a fact if I tried to operate the same way I would have lost sales, despite being very good (though i say so myself) with online advertising. The amount of times i’ve spoken about the video on the advert to someone and they have said “yeah but I need to see it and drive it” and they have seen it and driven it and bought it, if I hadn’t allowed them that opportunity and insisted on a deposit first they would have walked. 

[Row 71]

30 minutes ago, EPV said:

I think it must be your stock type or something then. I know for a fact if I tried to operate the same way I would have lost sales, despite being very good (though i say so myself) with online advertising. The amount of times i’ve spoken about the video on the advert to someone and they have said “yeah but I need to see it and drive it” and they have seen it and driven it and bought it, if I hadn’t allowed them that opportunity and insisted on a deposit first they would have walked. 

Or simply not phoned in the first place.

[trade vet 697]

11 hours ago, EPV said:

I think it must be your stock type or something then. I know for a fact if I tried to operate the same way I would have lost sales, despite being very good (though i say so myself) with online advertising. The amount of times i’ve spoken about the video on the advert to someone and they have said “yeah but I need to see it and drive it” and they have seen it and driven it and bought it, if I hadn’t allowed them that opportunity and insisted on a deposit first they would have walked. 

Exactly,but AD has this skill which is rare at our end of the market to get punters to commit with a deposit before viewing.

[andymc1973 199]

different strokes for different folks

[Arfur Dealy 823]

4 hours ago, trade vet said:

Exactly,but AD has this skill which is rare at our end of the market to get punters to commit with a deposit before viewing.

LIKE 

Nail on head 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

1 minute ago, tradex said:

Not wishing to blow smoke up his ass, but Simon has that certain X Factor for videos, not something you can learn, a big, big plus, comes across soooooo well. 

Where would you like me to send the cheque...... 

[David Horgan 564]

1 hour ago, Arfur Dealy said:

Where would you like me to send the cheque...... 

 

[Dealer 54]

3 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

Where would you like me to send the cheque...... 

It must be the "yes, here i am, an honest motor trader".......... This goes totally against everything that people think about car dealers. Perhaps it's that bit that assures them to pay that deposit! 

[Mark101 536]

8 hours ago, trade vet said:

Exactly,but AD has this skill which is rare at our end of the market to get punters to commit with a deposit before viewing.

I think it was you TV that told me to watch AD’s videos when I first joined the forum, you were in Thailand at the time AD.

You came across as very friendly with big rosey cheeks, someone that could be trusted and certainly someone I would enjoy a beer with.  The West Country accent is also amoungst the most friendly too IMO.

Of course now I know what you’re really like  but seriously, first impressions are important and I can see exactly why people trust to leave a dipper with you.

 

[Mark101 536]

One question though as my website says appointment only too:

What do you do/how do you handle people who do just turn up unannounced?  One of your old videos gave directions to your unit.

I reckon I get 2 or 3 per week walk in unannounced and I just deal with them to the point I only enforce appointment only at weekends.

[andymc1973 199]

most people only read what they want

[Arfur Dealy 823]

9 hours ago, Mark101 said:

One question though as my website says appointment only too:

What do you do/how do you handle people who do just turn up unannounced?  One of your old videos gave directions to your unit.

I reckon I get 2 or 3 per week walk in unannounced and I just deal with them to the point I only enforce appointment only at weekends.

I only go to the unit for photographing or meeting a customer for collection. The rest of the time it’s locked up. I’ve not had a walk-in. 

[Del Boy 76]

2 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

I only go to the unit for photographing or meeting a customer for collection. The rest of the time it’s locked up. I’ve not had a walk-in. 

Do they ever phone and say I’m outside, where are you? 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

1 hour ago, Del Boy said:

Do they ever phone and say I’m outside, where are you? 

Funny that, I had one a couple of weeks ago... I was 100 miles away buying stock..... 

[It's me 612]

3 hours ago, tradex said:

How's this.

Had a family, mum, dad, two young kids drive up from Dartford, or do he said. They turn up on a Sunday for a Fiesta......that had "deposit taken" listed on the ad' five days previously....that's got to be two hour drive and tolls too? And, I NEVER OPEN SUNDAYS.

...... didn't even know where I was located, called from Norwich trying to find me. 

No earlier call, no txt, no email not even a carrier pigeon with note around it's ankle. 

Strange thing, we must have passed each other on the M11 as I was going down to Maidstone when my wife took the call

 typical motor trader

and we came all this way

come on martha were off.........................................

[Arfur Dealy 823]

On 17/02/2019 at 6:36 PM, Mark101 said:

 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

On 16/02/2019 at 10:28 PM, EPV said:

I think it must be your stock type or something then. I know for a fact if I tried to operate the same way I would have lost sales, despite being very good (though i say so myself) with online advertising. The amount of times i’ve spoken about the video on the advert to someone and they have said “yeah but I need to see it and drive it” and they have seen it and driven it and bought it, if I hadn’t allowed them that opportunity and insisted on a deposit first they would have walked. 

Since having children, I’m not prepared to have an hour of my life wasted by someone who doesn’t trust me, doesn’t know what they want, is researching 20 cars or is simply wasting a Sunday afternoon browsing.

Its not about being a slave to the job for me James anymore, I’ve been there done it and written the book. Now, for me it’s quality of life and spending time with my family, it’s all about making the job work for me and on my terms. Nothing less....

[EPV 631]

43 minutes ago, Arfur Dealy said:

Since having children, I’m not prepared to have an hour of my life wasted by someone who doesn’t trust me, doesn’t know what they want, is researching 20 cars or is simply wasting a Sunday afternoon browsing.

Its not about being a slave to the job for me James anymore, I’ve been there done it and written the book. Now, for me it’s quality of life and spending time with my family, it’s all about making the job work for me and on my terms. Nothing less....

I understand mate I do. I’m saying it works for you for whatever reason, stock profile, location, customer profile etc. It wouldn’t work entirely for me, I would have lost sales. One day maybe! 

[Mark101 536]

It obviously works for Simon and he has clearly had a gut full of tyre kickers and test pilots.  For me (and I guess Simon too), I am always at the unit organising prep, taking cars to workshops, Smart repairer, valeters, doing paperwork, photos etc; So, I don't see an issue being "open" and letting people come and window shop - test drives and weekends are the only exception to that rule where someone has to admit whether they intend to buy or look but even then I don't insist on a deposit just old fashioned handshake.

80% of my sales are appointed, 15% are walk ons unappointed from seeing adverts online, the other 5% of repeat customers whom simply keep an eye on my webpage.