Ally Financial has expanded its training program that’s intended for dealership personnel, yet doesn’t exclude anyone else.
Online registration is required to access Ally’s Performance Development Center, but “anyone can go in, not just dealership people,” Jim Whiteford, Ally’s executive director-learning and development, tells WardsAuto.
Such potential outsiders could include dilettantes interested in such things or a prospective dealership worker who wants to get a head start in learning the ins and outs of the business.
The new courses cover topics such as selling skills, customer loyalty and retention, social-media marketing, compliance education and finance and insurance management.
Content includes real-world examples, role-based learning and practical techniques applicable to daily operations, Whiteford says.
The performance center is an education platform designed to provide both online and offline training sessions for dealership employees at all levels.
Since its launch in 2013, more than 10,000 people have registered for more than 70 different courses.
Those range from 24/7 online programs with on-demand modules to instructor-led training at dealerships and regional locations.
The new material includes:
- F&I management training that teaches effective customer-needs assessment and menu-presentation skills.
- A vehicle-selling course designed to help showroom staffers consultants develop a consistent and professional approach.
- A new series of compliance-focused courses on current rules and regulations. Instruction covers the Truth in Lending Act, Fair Lending, Regulation M and federal advertising laws.
The center’s courses are infused with practical examples, tips and techniques that automotive lender Ally has assembled through its experience with dealers of all sizes across the country, Whiteford says.
By regularly adding courses, “we are creating an important resource for all dealers, offering valuable, real-world knowledge and tools to help them sharpen skills and increase efficiency and effectiveness throughout their organizations,” he says.
More courses are to come, based on feedback and demand.
The platform offers about 30 on-demand and instructor-led courses and about 45 on-demand modules. Most modules are under 20 minutes, tailored for busy dealership personnel.
“There’s also blended learning that combines online modules with instructor-led sessions,” Whiteford says.
