When I was approached by the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) for some advice on what can be done to help EV residual values by increasing [Independent] dealer engagement, my answer was training and making dealers more confident and better at selling EVs.
Having been a leading retailer of EVs for the last 10 years I have long believed that there is a lot more consumer demand out there than is being realised by the wider industry, and encouraging retailers to not only stock EVs, but to do a good job of helping and advising customers, is what I have always thought was key.
I think there is a lot more we can be doing as an industry to boost EV demand and sales, rather than relying on government policies and incentives. It would be great to see retailers doing a better job of selling EVs and realising the demand that is already there, for the benefit of the EV market as well as their respective businesses.
Talking to other retailers it became apparent that many viewed selling EV as a dark art that they were scared to try and tackle let alone master.
And yes it is true there is more to selling an EV than retailers and their sales staff are typically used to, but I have long thought it really shouldn’t be the barrier that retailers think it is, and the secret is understanding the products you are selling as well as understanding what it is like to live with an EV, and having answers to the common questions and concerns consumers have.
As a result I think training and education is key. Training for the dealerships and their sales teams, to mean they are more confident and better able to advise their customers to help them choose the right car for their individual needs.
What the BVRLA team have put together is excellent and gives retailers a great foundational knowledge around EVs and the common myths and questions likely from consumers. Once a sales team has this basic knowledge they will be much better able to confidently and appropriately advice customers as to what is the right EV for them.
Its launch is now perfectly timed as EV demand is so strong many retailers now see it as the right time to start stocking EVs, and thanks to the training course they can now have the confidence to do so.
I can honestly say that the EV Retail Ready course will make it much easier for retailers to get their staff appropriately trained to be able to sell EVs, giving them the confidence to stock them.
This is think is a great step towards more retailers stocking EV’s and perhaps more importantly doing a good job of selling them and looking after their customers, as what we all want is more consumers happily and successfully making the transition to electric driving.
The retail ready course is going to make a big difference to lots of retailers and consumers.
Richard Norris is MD of Drive Green and the Used EV Retailer of the Year at the Motor Trader Independent Dealer Awards
