Our 250th episode! For over 5 years, we've been the No.1 podcast for automotive sales and management training. In total, we’ve delivered 5 days, 3 hours, 55 minutes and 33 seconds of advice, news and stories from some of the biggest names in automotive.

Today, we’re back for part 2 of my conversation with Chris Cormier, Mercedes-Benz Head of Sales. We’re talking about what keeps customers coming back for their 2nd, 3rd and 4th car, and how to lead a veteran team without burning them out.

We discuss radical transparency on numbers, a culture of two-way feedback, and “wow” test-drive moments that buyers never forget.

We also get honest about AI. Where it helps (data in, insight out), and where humans still win (trust, handovers, accountability).

If you’re stepping into your first leadership role or looking to get the most out of a seasoned team, this one’s a must-listen.

Episode highlights:

• Celebrating a 25-year service award and multi-purchase customer relationships
• Making performance visible by sharing budgets, weekly results and auction data with the whole team
  Creating “wow” moments
• AI in the showroom. Useful for analysis, not a replacement for people (yet)
• Culture > meetings. Scrapping Monday sales meetings and easing into the week
• Coaching for loyalty. Star-expert handovers, name-on-the-wall deliveries, and earning forgiveness when hiccups happen
• Leading without ego. Servant leadership, psychological safety, and inviting constant feedback
  

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

Inside Mercedes-Benz Brooklands. Test tracks, heritage floors, AMG experiences and all. Chris Cormier breaks down the leadership techniques he uses to keep a prestigious site performing. From apprentice technician to head of sales, Chris shares the non-negotiables (effort, accountability, humility), why “what you tolerate, you condone,” and how to create a culture where performance feedback is safe, specific and data-led.

We dig into hiring for attributes over CVs, the difference between motivation and discipline, and the story of building a whole sales team from industry newcomers, what worked, what didn’t, and how they tuned the model as the market shifted. If you lead a sales floor (in autos or anywhere), this is a masterclass in fair, calm leadership that still delivers.

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

I sit down with Symco Training’s Operations Director, Andrew Clark, to tackle the question every dealer is asking…

Where do we find clean, well-specced 3–4-year-old cars when auctions are thin and prices are high?

We unpack the post-COVID supply hangover and share a simple, repeatable playbook to source the right cars from your service lane, without burning your database or relying on “beer & pizza” events.

You’ll get the exact word tracks, the timing that doubles pickup rates, and the incentives that get your team fighting over the service diary.

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

When we firehose customers with features, we don’t add value, we average it down.

In this short solo episode, I break down the Dilution Effect (hat-tip to Cialdini) and show how “less but better” wins car deals.

I unpack real-world examples, from the broken dinner-set paradox to why listing every safety acronym backfires, and turn them into practical word-tracks you can use today.

You’ll hear how to find a buyer’s 3-4 hot buttons, present to value (not volume), and stop feature-dumping on walk-arounds, videos, and emails.

If you sell cars, manage a team, or record product videos, I really recommend giving this a listen before your next presentation.

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

New starters don’t wash out for lack of process or product. It's fear of rejection. In this solo episode, I explain how to toughen that muscle.

• Why “shy salespeople raise skinny kids,”
• How to use trial closes and mental-ownership questions to stack “little yeses”
• A simple habit that desensitises you to “no.”
• I also unpack the viral Krispy Kreme “Olympic rings” story and the “burger refill” ask to show why one word - “Why?” - turns brush-offs into conversations.

You’ll leave with word-tracks you can use today, tight trial closes, and practical ways to coach rookies so they ask for the business (and then shut up).

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

I break down the most-quoted sales scenes from The Wolf of Wall Street and Boiler Room to Jerry Maguire, Joy and Rocky.

“Sell me this pen”

“ABC: Always Be Closing”

“Show me the money”

I’m separating cinematic hype from practices that actually build long-term repeat and referral business in the motor trade.

In this solo episode, I unpack the ethics line (influence vs. manipulation), why short-term “smash and grab” tactics burn your brand in a Google-reviews world, and the fundamental skills that win.

We’ll use the films to illustrate what to copy (process, numbers, resilience) and what to leave on the cutting-room floor.

Featuring takeaways from Wall Street, Glengarry Glen Ross, Used Cars, The Pursuit of Happiness, Jerry Maguire, Joy and the true story behind Rocky.

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

When should a manager step in, what should they say, and how do you do it without burning trust? In this episode I sit down with trainer (and ex-sales manager) Stuart Wallbanks to break down “second-facing” the right way - why it must feel organic (never “before I can let you leave”), the quick “first-face” intro that makes later manager conversations effortless, and the exact language that keeps deals (and relationships) intact.

We cover praising your salesperson in front of the customer, using authority without ego, and simple word-tracks like “we work within a market” that reset expectations fast.

If you’ve been buried in reports, this is your nudge to get back on the floor and enjoy the bit of the job that actually moves the needle.

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

I sit down with I sit down with one of our lead trainers, Stuart Wallbanks, to fix the dealership walk-around.

We unpack why the best presentation starts after qualification, swap “it’s got…” for the simple has–which–so framework, and show how to pick 3–5 customer-specific hot buttons that create real desire before numbers.

We talk Apple-Store-level questioning, when a demo drive should do the presenting, how to make videos entice (not replace) the visit, and the one manager check that upgrades every sales exec: “What 3–5 features are you presenting—and why?"

Real examples include Tesla’s showroom misfire, Hyundai IONIQ 5’s remote-park wow, Euro NCAP child-safety proof points, and small touches (hello, Skoda ice scraper) that tip decisions.

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