3:38 pm, November 11, 2008
SKODA is to embark on a national focus for business car sales – and has made some key appointments to the department in anticipation.
Andy Thomas has become national contract hire and agency manager, Helen Grand is contract hire and leasing account manager, while Jane Roxburgh is the new business sales support manager.
Why the changes? Martin Burke, head of Skoda business sales, explained. ‘The fleet market has woken up to Skoda, and we are seeing this directly in sales and feedback from major leasing partners.
‘We have changed our business sales focus this year, and moved away from retailer-led business to a more national approach, to help us capitalise on the success of our cars in the sector and prepare for future growth.’
For dealers, this means a shift in emphasis, from retail to corporate sales. Already, fleet sales outnumber private ones, and it sounds like Skoda is happy for this to continue: already, a 2007 fleet share of 1.5 per cent has grown to 1.8 per cent.
Skoda is now actively channelling more resources to the business sales department – with, says the Czech maker, a more national focus and closer liaisons with the fleet industry.
