Selling In The Motor Trade

Most dealers are still valuing used cars the way they did ten years ago. Buy it at auction, add a margin, put it on the forecourt and hope the price holds. That approach does not work in a market where Chinese brands have no residual history, EV prices have swung dramatically, and live data can tell you within minutes what a car will actually sell for in your postcode. Derren Martin spent years as one of the key voices at CAP and now consults for Cazana, a retail-down pricing platform that gives dealers a transparent look at what comparable stock is doing in their area right now. This episode is for the used car manager who wants to know exactly how to value stock in 2025, not how it was done in 2015.
What's covered:
• The donor vehicle method for valuing Chinese EV brands that have no UK pricing history to work from
• Why retail down beats trade up, and why relying on what you paid at auction first is the old way of doing it
• What Cazana surfaces that CAP and Autotrader do not, including full vehicle history and MOT advisories
• Why used EVs still sell at the right price and why the dealers avoiding them entirely are taking the bigger risk
• The 30 to 40 day speed-to-sell benchmark, and the signals that tell you it is time to adjust
• Why a used EV always has a floor value, because the battery pack holds secondary-use worth even at end of life
• How Chinese brands are reshaping dealer footprints and what a mixed stock strategy looks like in this market
• Where AI is already being used in valuations and the limits it still runs into with low-volume or new-to-market 
   vehicles
Derren Martin was the voice of CAP's used car valuation operation for a number of years, working with dealers, leasing companies and OEMs across the UK market. He now consults for Cazana, which was rebuilt after Cazoo collapsed and is competing with CAP and Autotrader on both data depth and price.
If you are a used car manager trying to stay ahead of EV pricing shifts and the Chinese brand wave, this is the episode to put on.
Darren Martin spent 12 years at CAP HPI, eventually directing the full valuations and forecasts operation across all vehicle types. Before that, 17 years at Vauxhall across fleet, van sales and residual value management. He now consults independently through Black and Gold Consulting, with clients including Chinese brands, legacy OEMs and large retail groups.
If you are responsible for used car buying, stock policy or forecasting in any form, Darren's view on where the market is heading is the kind of context that is hard to get anywhere else.
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

There is a number that should get every used car manager's attention.
The OMODA J5 7 was the biggest selling car in March. The deal was around £299 down, £299 a month. That is an extraordinary amount of car for that payment, and it is working. The problem is that car becomes a used car in three years, and the used car market for Chinese brands does not really exist yet. Derren Martin ran the entire forecast and valuation portfolio at CAP HPI for several years. He knows better than most what happens when new car volumes are not matched by a credible used car strategy. He is not predicting disaster. But he is clear that the residual value risk is already being built in, and most people in the trade are not thinking about it yet.
What's covered:
• How CAP HPI valuations are built and why human editors, not algorithms, are still making the calls 
• Why Chinese brands have grown at a speed the legacy manufacturers genuinely did not expect 
• What happens to residual values when PCP deals are driven by interest rates rather than real demand 
• The channel management decisions, daily rental, Motability, fleet, that either protect or destroy used car values 
• Why Stellantis carrying too many brands in the same market segment is a long-term structural problem 
• Which smaller Japanese brands face the biggest risk of losing UK relevance 
• What a dealer should be doing right now to think ahead on used Chinese brand stock 
• Darren's prostate cancer diagnosis at 48, how a locum nearly turned him away, and why men in the trade should   
   ask for the test rather than wait
Darren Martin spent 12 years at CAP HPI, eventually directing the full valuations and forecasts operation across all vehicle types. Before that, 17 years at Vauxhall across fleet, van sales and residual value management. He now consults independently through Black and Gold Consulting, with clients including Chinese brands, legacy OEMs and large retail groups.
If you are responsible for used car buying, stock policy or forecasting in any form, Darren's view on where the market is heading is the kind of context that is hard to get anywhere else.
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

You'd back central London as prime EV territory. Josh Apps from V12 can't move them. He'll sell a red-on-red Range Rover faster than a well-specced Tesla every time. That counterintuitive reality is one of several sharp observations from a dealer who built a credible high-end business in one of the most expensive places in the UK to operate, with no forecourt, no showroom, appointment only, and overheads that would make your eyes water. On top of that, why the Auto Trader Deal Builder rollout felt like a bully move, what Google entering the market actually changes, and practical advice for any sales manager weighing up whether to leave the main dealer world behind.
What's covered:
• The Deal Builder rollout, why dealers felt steamrolled and what Auto Trader got wrong
• Auto Trader's data play: why the transactional data is the real long-term asset 
• Google entering car retail and why it could give dealers genuine leverage for the first time in years 
• Why used EVs still do not move in central London, even at low price points 
• Social media targeting as an emerging channel for specialist stock 
• The honest advice Josh gives anyone thinking about going independent 
• The V12 model, appointment-only, no showroom, high-end stock, central London overheads 
• Why starting small with cheap, easy-selling stock is still the right move for new independents

Josh is the founder of V12, a central London independent operation built from nothing in 2022. He runs it appointment-only with no glass box, high overheads, and a reputation built entirely on relationships and knowing what to buy. He came into the trade from outside the main dealer world and has grown the business into something talked about well beyond where it sits geographically.
If you want an honest view of where independent retailing is heading, the platforms, the EVs, the overheads, and the margins, this is the episode to listen to.
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

What happens when a former professional footballer and football agent walks into the motor trade… and decides to build a dealership with "more care, more style, and a lot less ego"?
In this episode, I'm joined by Josh Apps, founder of V12 Automobil in Central London. Josh didn't grow up in the trade. He's built V12 from scratch since 2022, and he's straight-talking about what actually works when you're buying and selling everything from a £20k GLC to a £1m+ hypercar. 
We get into the real mechanics of his business, like underwriting stock, consignment done properly, why some dealers go bust with SOR, what he's seeing on Carwow and Motorway, and how he thinks about margin, risk, and stock turn in a market where plenty of people are trying to make £5k the easy way instead of £9k the stressful way. 
Episode highlights:
The mindset shift from football + agency life into running a dealership, and what skills actually transfer.
Josh's take on consignment/SOR: why it can work, why it often blows up, and the process that stops you "playing with other people's money".
How he sources stock day-to-day (dealers, auctions, Carwow/Motorway, LinkedIn, banks) and why access to stock is both easier and messier now.
The uncomfortable truth about online buying platforms: inflated offers, knock-backs, cars reappearing, and how it creates friction for customers and dealers.
A proper "car dealer war story": the Range Rover that turned into an engine rebuild, a transport job, and a stress test in customer service.
The simple but rare philosophy that's kept his reviews and referrals strong: do the right thing even when it costs.  
Finding this useful? Follow the show
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

Most salespeople wait for the dealership to hand them customers… then wonder why they're stuck at "average". 
In this episode, I'm joined by Ali Reda, one of the highest-volume salespeople I've ever spoken to, to break down the mindset shift that changes everything: you don't "work for the dealership", you run your own business inside it.
Ali explains how he builds trust through community work (so customers come looking for him, not "a price"), why he refuses to sell from panic, and how he's built a small team that generates its own customers without touching dealer-provided walk-ins, phone-ups, or internet leads. We also get into what dealers and managers need to change if they actually want elite performers to flourish.
Episode highlights:
Why "30-day thinking" kills long-term growth, and what to focus on instead.
The community-first approach that makes customers loyal to the salesperson, not just the brand.
How Ali built a team under him and trained them to generate their own business.
What to measure when you're building a career, not chasing this month's number. 
Why managers should give top performers more autonomy (and how to trial it properly).
A simple way to "post-mortem" every deal. What went right, what went wrong, and what to fix next time.
If you're a salesperson who wants more repeat and referral, or a manager who wants your best people to stop getting boxed in by process… this is for you.
Finding this useful? Follow the show
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