Nissan launches a dedicated LCV database and customer contact centre this month as part of its bid to increase commercial vehicle sales.

The investment is being made in order to support dealers who have been tasked with tripling van and light truck registrations by 2012 (Nissan to make push for commercial sales, AM October 31).

Tony Lewis, LCV sales and marketing director at Nissan Motor GB, said customers had confidence in the product, but dealers wanted more support in managing leads and building customer relationships.

“This is all about customer relationships, not cold calling,” said Lewis.

“Often an LCV customer could be in the market in six months’ time.

"A lot in the industry don’t see them as current prospects, but it can take three months to make a specialist van conversion so we need to be prospecting them ahead.”

Nissan wants to identify how and when its LCV customers want to be contacted, so it can meet their needs but leave them to focus on running their business.

The LCV specialists in Nissan’s retail network will be trained in commercial vehicle knowledge.

This includes a range of training programmes brought in from Nissan Europe, including e-learning modules for sales and aftersales.

However Nissan also wants all sales staff to have an understanding of its van and light truck range.