subject: Five Social Media Tools To Master In Auto Sales College [print this page] Auto sales college? Since when do you need to go to school to learn how to sell cars? Since the Internet arrived and everything changed! Young people who aspire to careers in auto sales can now attend sales programs at mechanic colleges to get up to speed on how dealerships use social media tools to drive sales.
1. Why phone when you can tweet?
Savvy new grads of auto sales college are keeping in touch with their customers - letting them know when a new model is in or when their car is ready for pickup - over Twitter.
Listen up, mechanic colleges, there is a new era for customer service in auto sales. College curriculum must reflect this.
Takeaway tip: New graduates of mechanic colleges who are well versed in Twitter salesmanship may be particularly attractive to dealerships, many of which are beginning to realize that a micro social media account can be maintained in just five to ten minutes a day.
2. Getting the most out of your social media tools.
According to CNW Research, more than 40% of automotive dealers now have their own Facebook pages. Some believe that the Facebook page is the new newspaper ad. Consequently, some dealerships are cutting the amount of money they spend on costly print ads, and focusing, instead, on developing a Web 2.0 strategy: Car of the Week, Weekly Car Maintenance Tips, photos of dealership team engaging in charitable activities, etc.
Takeaway tip: New graduates of auto sales college would be well advised to connect with customers over such social media networks as Facebook and Twitter when they are gathering contact information from new customers.
3. Use professional social networking sites such as LinkedIn to connect with corporate clients.
After auto sales college, you will realize that you have a choice. You can try to sell one car at a time to an individual customer - and many successful careers in auto sales have been built on this - or you can nurture another kind of client, and sell a fleet of cars at the same time to a business. Just as you would tailor your showroom banter to each kind of client, so must you tailor your social media communications.
Mechanic colleges with sales programs may integrate an overview of professional social networks for future salespeople and dealers.
Takeaway tip: Graduates of auto sales college can use professional social networks to connect with decision makers in local businesses.
4. Encourage non-professional reviews.
People with successful careers in auto sales know that a good dealership with a good reputation is one that is willing, eager even, for customers to share their experiences online. Volkswagen, for instance, organized a contest for The Peoples Review, looking for an everyday consumer to comment on one of its compact cars. Applicants competed for the position.
Takeaway tip: New grads of sales programs at mechanic colleges should monitor the web to see what people are saying about their products and services. Auto sales college should prepare students to respond (when appropriate) to online complaints. Many dealerships are finding that the web is a tool to strengthen relationships that seem on the point of breaking.
by: Rima Hammoudi
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