Why you should be entering
‘We are delighted to be the headline sponsor for the second year running’ Chris Sutton, managing director, Black Horse
Why should dealers enter? Are you a dealer who really knows your onions when it comes to used cars? Do used cars form an important part of your business? Do you want industry recognition for your hard work? Well, the Car Dealer Used Car Awards are perfect for you, so read on. For the past two years, the event has become THE awards do for the used car industry with winning dealers and sponsors proud to shout about their successes – and keen to have a party too! And winning a Used Car Award is a big thing. The awards celebrate and recognise all the different areas of this vital backbone of the motor industry. From the smaller independents to the larger groups, every dealer who has an involvement with the used car business can take part. On the night we will be handing out gongs in a variety of categories – from Used Car Sales Manager of the Year to Used Car of the Year, so there will definitely be something you can enter. And if you reach the final shortlist, you will be invited to our sparkling awards night, hosted by TV’s Mike Brewer and held at The Brewery in London on December 1, 2014. You’ll be able to enjoy a three-course meal, free table wine and beers, a disco and live band. If you missed out on last year’s event, don’t delay in entering 2014’s Used Car Awards. Judging by last year, tickets and sponsorship packages sell out quickly. I hope to see you there. James Batchelor Editor Car Dealer
3
What is it? The Car Dealer Used Car Awards celebrate every part of the used car industry. For every new car sold in the UK, three others are used – which explains exactly why these awards are so important. Once again the awards will be hosted by Mike Brewer and they’ll be held at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London, on December 1. Where is it? At The Brewery. This amazing venue is large enough to hold all our winners but small enough for the event not to feel too vast – a complaint many people have about other industry awards ceremonies. This year the theme for the venue is The Circus – absolutely perfect for our beloved car industry! When is it? Once again this will be an excuse for a Christmas party you can put on expenses. It’ll be held on December 1. What’s the running order of the night? Guests are treated to welcome cocktails and wine. Then we take our seats for the first half of the awards. Mr Brewer does his stuff then it’s time for dinner. After that we announce the final winners, then it’s time for a live band with the night topped off with a disco. There’s plenty of time to enjoy the night with industry colleagues and get busy with some networking in a convivial environment. How do I enter? Entry is FREE and easy. Simply type bit.ly/UsedNoms14 into your web browser and enter as many categories as you wish. There’s no limit to the number of categories
4
you can enter. The only thing we ask is that you provide as much detail as you can to support your nominations. Alternatively you can enter on page 15 of this booklet. How can I sponsor an award? There are a number of sponsorship packages. Turn to page 12 for details or call the team on (023) 9252 2434. How can I book a table? Anyone can book a table at the Used Car Awards. Sponsors get tables as part of their packages, but there’s nothing to stop other suppliers to the industry taking a table for £1,995 to entertain clients. Car manufacturers and dealers can come along too – bring your staff, your customers, anyone you’d like to wine and dine during the festive season. They are sure to have a ball. All tables get unlimited beers and wine from the party opening at 6.30pm with a welcome drink. We politely ask you to find your carriage at 12.30am. To book, simply contact the Car Dealer team on (023) 9252 2434. We are taking bookings now
5
Award categories Used Car Dealership of the Year (Under 50 vehicles) We’re looking for the best dealership that stocks up to 50 used cars. Used Car Dealership of the Year (50-100 vehicles) This award will mark the best dealer that stocks between 50 and 100 cars. Used Car Dealership of the Year (Over 100 vehicles) This one is for the larger dealers and car supermarkets stocking more than 100 cars. Used Car Dealership of the Year Group Aimed at those with more than one site, this award marks the best used car groups. Dealers’ Dealer of the Year There’s nothing like recognition from your peers in any industry, which is why this award is so special. We’ll be taking nominations from dealers as to which of their peers they feel is truly deserving of this special gong before Mike and the judging panel help decide the winner. Used Car Sales Team of the Year Always a fiercely-fought category, this award is likely to again be a tough battle in 2014. Behind every great dealership, there is a great team – and it’s that team this award is for.
6
Used Car Sales Manager of the Year Good salespeople don’t necessarily create the best managers – but some manage to make the transition. This award marks those brilliant managers who juggle the pressures from on high with ensuring their teams are doing their jobs brilliantly. Used Car Dealer Principal of the Year Running a successful used car dealership isn’t easy. This award will recognise those that not only manage it, but absolutely excel in this competitive arena. We’ll take nominations from their teams and peers to ensure we find the best of the best. Upsales & F&I Performance of the Year Selling a used car is only one part of a great sales person’s mission. With every sale, there is the opportunity for selling other products and services – and it’s often these add-ons that make the real difference to a dealer’s bottom line. Our winner will be a salesperson who truly excels in this area. Best Used Car Customer Care Canny dealers know that cultivating a used car customer can create a punter for life – a loyal supporter who’ll return year after year for a new car. But it’s only those dealers who manage to look after their customers who succeed here. This award recognises those dealers who pull it off with every sale.
7
Award categories Used Car Product of the Year This award is for the used car suppliers out there. Whether that’s a brilliant online sales portal or a clever warranty scheme that helps dealers sell more cars, this award will celebrate the very best. We’ll look at nominations from dealers very closely to help find our winner. Outstanding Achievement of the Year This special award looks to recognise the dealer or dealership personality who has achieved something truly remarkable. Whether it’s amazing sales figures, brilliant upsales or outstanding customer service, this award will be handed to a truly talented individual. Lifetime Achievement Award Previous winners include John Tordoff of JCT600 and Ray Sommerville of Perrys. For 2014, the judging panel will once again be looking for a motor trade big hitter to reward for their lifetime of service to the used car industry. Manufacturer Used Car Website of the Year This award will recognise the car manufacturer with the most innovative used car section on its website. It needs to do the job for its dealers but more importantly service its customers brilliantly. Dealer Used Car Website of the Year This award is focused on the car dealers who present their used cars perfectly online. Our judges will look for the ease of use, design and functionality of the website before handing over this coveted award.
8
Social Media User of the Year Social media websites, like Twitter and Facebook, are getting more and more important in the car-buying process – but not every dealer uses them well. This award will look to mark the achievements of a dealer who has mastered their digital direction. Service and Repair Outlet of the Year It’s not just the sales side of the used car business that we will be celebrating at these awards – our light shines on the service department too. We’ll be looking for the garage that specialises in repairing and maintaining used cars and truly excels. Manufacturer Used Car Scheme of the Year This award honours the best official manufacturer-backed Used Car Scheme of the Year. Nissan and Kia are previous winners. Used Car of the Year Using data from the industry trade bibles as well as advertising portals, we’ll reward the most popular used car. Residual values, popularity, profit opportunity and more will be considered by Mike and his judging panel when choosing the winner. Best Performing Used Car of the Year Again, using data from the trade price guides as well as other sources around the remarketing industry, this award will mark the very best performing used car.
9
Headline sponsor Black Horse We are delighted to be the headline sponsor for the second year running. The Car Dealer Used Car Awards are quickly becoming THE awards for the used car sector. All too often, this vital part of the industry is overlooked, but the Car Dealer Used Car Awards rightly give it the recognition it deserves. We didn’t want to sponsor the awards just because it is a great night, but also because it fits well with our business. Car Dealer Magazine is a respected trade journal and reaches out to more than 18,000 car dealers and manufacturers. This sponsorship comes at a great time for our business as we have a clear growth strategy and aim to continue offering an award-winning proposition for our dealer customers, backed up by great products and market-leading technology. This year’s Car Dealer Used Car Awards evening promises to be another fantastic event. Dealers can look forward to a great night at The Brewery in London. Like last year, 2014’s Used Car Awards will be a superb networking opportunity and cause for celebration. You can nominate yourself in one or more of the award categories, and if you make the shortlist, you will be invited to the awards ceremony where you could take home a coveted trophy. There’s nothing better than being able to show your customers that you excel in the industry. I look forward to toasting your success this December. Chris Sutton Managing director Black Horse
10
11
Individual award sponsorship packages We received nothing but fantastic feedback from our award sponsors at the 2013 Used Car Awards. The companies that supported the gongs loved the relaxed atmosphere and found it far easier to network and do business on the night as the guests were in excellent moods. Not only is the awards night a fantastic opportunity to network, but as a sponsor it’s a great way to entertain your clients at Christmas and thank them for their support over the year. Each award sponsor gets a table of 10 included in the package – worth £1,995 alone – which is a great place to entertain your clients or celebrate a brilliant year with your colleagues! Every award sponsorship package comes with the following: n Your company logo engraved on the winner’s trophy. n Your company logo placed alongside all publicity of that award in the run-up to the awards. n Your chance to nominate winners for the judging panel to consider for your award. n Table of 10 at the Used Car Dealer Awards evening, worth £1,995. n Full-page advert in the results issue of Car Dealer Magazine, worth £1,495, placed next to the editorial about your award. n Your company logo included in web promotion of the Used Car Dealer Awards.
12
Cost: £5,995 plus VAT per award sponsorship What do you do next? Act quickly. In this booklet, you’ll have read details about the individual awards available for sponsorship. Choose which you’d like to put your name against and get in touch with the team at Car Dealer Magazine to secure it. We expect sponsorship packages to sell out quickly, so it’s worth getting in touch now to avoid disappointment. The sooner you sign up, the more publicity you’ll receive in the run-up to the awards night.
13
How do I enter? Entering the Car Dealer Used Car Awards couldn’t be easier. We’ve made sure it’s as simple and straightforward as possible and you can do it in one of two ways. On the opposite page there’s a nomination form which you can fill out and send to us in the post. If you want to enter more than one category, that’s absolutely fine – just photocopy the page however many times and pop them in the post. But by far the easiest way to enter the awards is online. Type bit.ly/UsedNoms14 into a web browser and you’ll be taken to an online nomination form – it’s great if you’ve spotted a number of categories you’d like to enter. Please give as much detail on why you should enter, as it really helps when it comes to creating the shortlists. If you’re struggling to think of nominations for a specific category, don’t worry – you can leave them blank. Do get your thinking caps on as we are counting on you to nominate yourself or others! Shortlists for each category will be drawn up by our panel of judges which will be chaired by Mike Brewer. The winner and two highly commended places will be invited to our gala awards night. And if last year is anything to go by, winners will be going home with a very special award indeed.
14
Nomination form Please fill out the following details, or alternatively visit bit.ly/UsedNoms14 to enter online My name:......................................................................................................................................... Preferred contact telephone number:.................................................................................... My email address:......................................................................................................................... The category/categories I’d like to enter:.............................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... My reasons for winning are: ..................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... Want to enter more categories? That’s fine – just photocopy this form. Please send your form to Blackball Media, Haslar Marine Technology Park, Haslar Road, Gosport, PO12 2AG. If you’d like to send supporting information, that’s fine too.
15
Awards video 2013
See the video of the last year’s gala awards night by scanning the QR Code or go to
bit.ly/usedcarawards 8