Hopefully, you have not missed the fact that the new Black Horse brand name which replaces the Lloyds UDT and Chartered Trust brands was launched on July 5. A strong advertising campaign in both the trade press and on national television has certainly ensured the launch has not gone unnoticed – and the new name is already making an impact in the market.

Designed to unify the Lloyds UDT and Chartered Trust motor and leisure finance operations, Black Horse emphasises strong links to the parent Lloyds TSB Group. The new brand will be rolled out in a phased programme over the next few months.

As it is introduced, all the product literature, signage and other promotional material will change.

A detailed communications programme has been put in place to ensure all our dealers in each area – motor, caravan and motorcycles – understand what it means to them and when changes will happen.

The strength of the Black Horse brand gives the company a new, innovative, approachable look and feel which emphasises its depth and commitment to all our customers. It underlines our link with the LTSB Group, representing our solidity and dependability as a company, and sends out a positive signal about our future intentions and support for the market.

The new brand reflects how the Lloyds UDT and Chartered Trust sales structures have been integrated and refocused to operate more efficiently as one organisation, with streamlined reporting systems and business processing technology.

At the same time, it marks the completion of the merger of the two businesses, a period which has seen new strategies and initiatives introduced that are already starting to pay dividends.

Being in such a dynamic market however, this does not signal the end of all changes to the way we operate. We will continue developing our business to ensure our products and services make us even more attractive to our dealers in the future.

One major strength of Black Horse will be our renewed commitment to training and personal development. In a busy dealership it is all too easy to forget how important these two elements are to both new business and profit growth.

Dealer sales staff who are not confident in their product knowledge will find it hard to sell successfully – that's as true of finance products as it is of the cars themselves. And even if they are selling successfully, are they selling to best effect? The opportunity to maximise profit while still creating customer loyalty should never be lost.

At the same time, training and personal development can be a valuable tool in staff retention.

So, in the run-up to the busy September period, perhaps now is a good moment to reassess your training needs.

Black Horse has a full range of training and F&I programmes which can be brought into play – either at your own premises or our state-of-the-art training centre in Nottingham.

Courses can be tailored to suit individuals and geared around specialist subjects.

Just contact your Black Horse account manager or business development specialist for more details.