"And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow." Gilbert K. Chesterton
The North American economy has changed drastically in the past ten to fifteen years. There is one industry, though, that may have changed more than any others and that is auto sales. College curriculums, fortunately, are keeping pace with the changes, preparing prospective dealers and sales staff for a new reality affected by the 2008 market crash, the Japanese tsunami and other factors that at first glace, may sound impossible to overcome.
Indeed, according to one recent article in Automotive News, it's harder than ever for first-generation car dealers to set up shop. But harder doesn't mean impossible. It just means that prospective dealers and salespeople need to work differently - smarter! That's why so many curriculums at mechanic colleges now include sales courses. Students who study the evolving landscape before they set foot on a dealership floor have a competitive advantage impossible to be parted from: knowledge.
Auto sales college equips students with strategies for dealing with five aspects of the new reality.
1. Stock market crash
The past four years have seen stock prices fall for most automotive manufacturers. As a result, many people who aspire to careers in auto see more of a need to study specialized programs at mechanic colleges to increase their chances of success.
2. Social media tools
Auto sales college programs teach prospective salespeople about the importance of social media. Increasingly, people with careers in auto sales are reaching out to their prospective clients online. Some dealers report that most customers have narrowed their choice down to two or three vehicles before coming in person for a test drive. Increasingly, decisions about whether or not to purchase a new vehicle are being researched online.
Some dealerships outsource their social media campaigns to communications professionals. A sales person who has learned social media skills in auto sales college may help their organization save time and money.
3. Tsunami
Japan's tragic 2011 tsunami has had an enduring effect on the North American car market. North American dealers have had difficulty stocking their lots with new Toyotas, etc. This had an impact for graduates of auto sales college working in used car sales, who have experienced an increase demand for used Japanese cars. (The used car market is one of the careers in auto that has enjoyed a boost in recent years.)
4. Rising gas prices
The North American auto manufacturing industry had been focusing its efforts on producing more trucks and SUVs, when fuel prices suddenly rose, and household incomes fell, leaving a market flooded with over-sized vehicles and customers seeking more fuel-efficient models. Mechanic colleges today that prepare sales people for careers in auto teach students to pay attention to the changing demands of their target market.
5. New technology (hybrid, etc.)
Mechanic colleges are also uniquely placed to prepare students for new niche careers in auto sales, such as specializing in new electric vehicle technology.
The changing landscape in careers in auto sales presents new challenges, but also new opportunities, opportunities that auto sales college can help aspiring salespeople grasp more quickly.
