DaimlerChrysler Services Tries To Get Into Mind of the Dealer

Getting into the mind of auto dealers is the goal of a financial workshop that DaimlerChrysler Services North America LCC has created for its staffers.

DaimlerChrysler bills its “Mind of the Dealer” workshop as an industry first. It tells dealer relations managers, sales managers and retail credit analysts how to align sales efforts with dealers' needs to create maximum value.

The first day of the two-day workshop focuses on helping participants better understand dealers' expectations of the DC sales people, how the dealer is involved in major decisions and what challenges dealers face in expanding their business.

Day two provides tips on how to quantify the value of the financial and service offerings Chrysler Financial provides to dealerships.

“We are continuously increasing our understanding of the dealers' concerns and needs in this highly competitive and rapidly changing market,” says DaimlerChrysler Services' Dietmar Exler, vice president-Chrysler Brands Marketing.

He adds, “To strengthen our value proposition, our sales team must align their goals with the dealers' needs.”

In determining how to structure the workshop, the team compiled feedback from more than 100 dealers, ranging from single-point retailers to megadealers.

DaimlerChrysler Services North America provides brand-specific financing for dealers and their retail consumers, and does business as Chrysler Financial and Mercedes-Benz Credit.

The company has more than 5,000 employees, an $82 billion portfolio and nearly 5 million contracts.