Independent dealers can explore stock, margins, technology, EVs and customer expectations at Automotive Management Live.
The free-to-attend event returns to Birmingham NEC on November 11, with content addressing the commercial and operational challenges facing independent businesses alongside franchised dealer groups and car supermarkets.
Some of the UK’s best independent dealers will be there to share their experience on the day, including AM Award winning Anchor Motor Group, as well as Independent Motor Dealers Association (IMDA) chairman Umesh Samani.
Samani said the event should be a priority for independents, rejecting the perception that its content is primarily aimed at larger businesses.
He said: “Automotive Management Live is a day that every independent dealer should make a priority in their diary.
“And no, it’s not just for the franchise groups or larger dealer groups.
“There is plenty that is directly relevant to today’s independent dealer, from buying and appraising stock, margins and preparation, to EVs, customer expectations and the challenges we’re all facing in the current market.”
Protecting used car profit
The show features a packed schedule of content and expert peers and dealers sharing their experience.
Sessions will examine how used car profitability is determined before a vehicle reaches the forecourt.
It will also consider the potential risks, capital tied up in stock and whether an individual vehicle is right for the dealer’s customer base and business model.
Samani believes independent dealers can respond more quickly to changing market conditions than larger organisations.
He said their focus should be on “buying discipline, stock selection, preparation, speed, pricing, reputation and knowing exactly where their profit is being made or lost”.
Technology, customers and aftersales
Other sessions will help dealers assess whether technology and artificial intelligence (AI) can deliver measurable improvements without adding unnecessary cost or complexity.
The programme will cover technology return on investment, vehicle imagery, pricing, digital marketing, customer communication and the use of data to identify sales and aftersales opportunities.
Independent dealers can also attend sessions on customer retention, technician recruitment, training and workshop efficiency.
Samani said networking remains one of the Automotive Management Live’s biggest benefits.
He said: “Getting to meet other independent dealers, sharing ideas, talking openly about what is and isn’t working, and learning from people who are actually out there running dealerships has been invaluable to me and my business.
“I’ve also made genuine business connections through people I’ve met at Automotive Management Live, connections that have gone on to become customers, suppliers, partners and people I can simply pick up the phone to and ask, ‘How are you dealing with this?’”