Waylands Automotive has scooped the AM Awards trophy for Dealer Group of the Year (up to 10 sites) in 2022, narrowly ahead of Hatfields, which was highly commended.

A strongly contested category this year, but our winner takes the trophy with its strong growth, positive and supportive culture and recent investment in digital capabilities.

This is the third time running that Waylands Automotive, headed by chief executive John O’Hanlon, has won this award, and the judges felt it had moved forward strongly yet again in 2021.

Continued investment in its digital capabilities are a key objective as it ensures this complements its showrooms, and it is increasing its digital sales team to be able to extend the hours the business can help online customers without sacrificing any quality of service.

Focus on digital sales response was a key driver in 2021 for Waylands. Enhancements to its website and virtual sales appointments process helped improve customer satisfaction and sales conversion, and more improvements stem from the launch of a call scoring program, which reviews inbound calls to the dealerships for manner, rapport and enquiry capture. A group sales induction and training in remote selling techniques ensures new starters hit the ground running.

Waylands staff know that “customers who visit a Waylands business should truly feel the difference” whether they’re on site or online.

Now representing Volvo, Kia and MG – all of which have battery electric vehicles in their ranges – Waylands has achieved EVA (electric vehicle approved) accreditation across every business.

The group is run like a larger organisation in terms of the controls and processes and therefore providing strong financials however its scale allows an entrepreneurial approach from each of the businesses, which is actively encouraged.

This allows a dynamic blend between balance sheet and business operation, said its entry.

The young business has continued to invest in talented people, strengthening its management structure in the year to appoint head of sales, digital sales, marketing and HR, and thereby re-enforcing the approach of running controls tightly alongside an entrepreneurial business.

 

Highly Commended:

Hatfields

 

Finalists

• Hatfields
• L&L Automotive
• Porsche Retail Group
• Stephen James Automotive
• Waylands Automotive