Digital Dealer Now (DDN), a new virtual learning platform, offers streamlined access to more than 80 relevant sessions from the most recent Digital Dealer Conferences, as well as new web-exclusive content, rolled out monthly. Since DDN sessions are available on-demand, you can learn when and where it’s convenient.

“With this platform, Digital Dealer Conference education comes directly to you, says Digital Dealer Show Director Matthew Ramirez. “The learning path for each user is customizable. You can handpick sessions and essentially build a virtual program based on your needs and schedule. You can start, pause and pick your learning back up whenever you choose. With information at your fingertips, you’re in control of when and where you access it.”

Educational sessions on DDN cover various topics in three categories: Dealer Ops & Leadership, Sales & Variable Ops, and Marketing & Advertising. You’ll find actionable sessions on consumer behavior, emerging technologies, best practices and proven approaches to support all facets of dealership operations.

Here are just a few of the topics that you can learn about right now:

• Fixed Operations Process Improvements
• Core Performance Drivers: Accountability, Culture and a Mindset of World-Class Service
• Digital Retailing: What It Is, What It Isn’t and How to Use It
• Website Optimization in the Age of Digital Retail
• Social Media Advertising
• Continuing the Digital Experience: From Online to In-Store
• Brand Loyalty & Reputation Management

Some new sessions coming to the platform this month include insights from:

• Erich K. Gail (CEO, Cardinale-Group of Companies), Maureen Bailey (Asst. General Manager, Subaru of Moon Township) and Melanie Borden (VP of Marketing, Celebrity Motor Cars). During Dealer Executive Q&A: “Our Time Is Now” (a live session broadcast on April 10), each shared what their dealership is doing in response to the pandemic, as well as best practices to help other dealerships.
• Robert Donovan (CEO, DOM360) and Jennifer Moritz (CMO, DOM360). In a 50-minute session, Robert and Jennifer discuss in-house marketing vs. outhouse and how to maximize your digital advertising spend. This topic especially critical, as everyone is looking at expenses to determine how to spend more wisely, generate more leads, and get more showing appointments.
• Greg Gifford (VP of Search, SearchLab). In a 50-minute session, Greg will outline the new signals that influence how you show up in local searches and which signals will become increasingly important. This will completely change the way you look at SEO and help you to optimize online visibility in your local market.

Enhanced Learning & Getting Started

If you’re looking for a more collaborative learning approach, consider a virtual “study group” with your dealership team. A study group/collaborative learning approach can help you to connect and engage with your team, no matter where they are working. Discussing the material presented in the session can bring out more new ideas and well-thought-out action plans while keeping everyone on the same page, informed and working together.

Here are a few tips on how to facilitate a “study group” with your team:

• STEP 1: Pick a session in the portal. Choose from a wide range of session topics and select one (or several) that align with your dealership’s learning needs/interests.
• STEP 2: Set the “watch window.” Make a flexible schedule for your team to access the Digital Dealer e-learning portal and watch the selected session. Try to keep it to a day or two so that the content remains fresh.
• STEP 3: Set the online meeting date. Send your Zoom/Google hangout information to your dealership team, and make sure everyone has their browser/app needs figured out before the meeting date.
• STEP 4: Discuss the content. Assign a meeting/moderator and guide the discussion around the group. Get each person’s thoughts on the session, as well as where they felt it was most helpful or insightful to themselves or the dealership.
• STEP 5: Hold a 10-minute brainstorm. Ask the group to come up with action plans based on what they learned, what takeaways they could leverage and what they could expect as a result of using a new strategy in the dealership. Challenge the group to see how many ideas they can fire off in just 10 minutes.
• STEP 6: Pick the winning idea. Take the ideas from the brainstorm and have your group select their two or three favorites. Together, determine which idea resonates with everyone. You can use this as the basis for a new strategy that the group can work on, either in the future or right away. Remember to keep each meeting documented to keep track of the ideas and strategies shared.

To learn more about Digital Dealer Now, please visit digitaldealernow.com. Dealership personnel can try DDN with three free days to check out the sessions.

Have a topic that you would like to learn about? Please send content requests/recommendations to [email protected].