DrivingSales University Launches to Build Dealership Profits: 24/7

SAN FRANCISCO, February 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DrivingSales, the fastest-growing auto trade media property focused on actionable profit-building information, today announced the launch of DrivingSales University (DSU), a fully interactive online training platform with curriculum available 24/7 to subscribing dealership professionals. An official NADA University Partner, DrivingSales University is dedicated to uncovering the most pertinent profit-building information and delivering it – in real-time and/or on-demand – through multiple channels, from a team of top digital automotive experts.

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"DrivingSales University gives dealerships access to a constantly updated curriculum that provides them with the information and tools they need to stay profitable and grow into the future," said Jared Hamilton, president and founder of DrivingSales, which owns and operates DSU.  "With the digital world changing at lightning speed, we believe we are filling a significant information gap for dealerships – and making learning both easy and engaging.  This is not yesterday's warmed over not-so-best practices, but tomorrow's smartest tactics to keep dealerships up with the times -- and running ahead of them."

According to Hamilton, the DrivingSales University interactive platform is specifically structured to enable dealerships to get the information they need in a digital marketplace that can demand a change in business or marketing practices overnight -- one in which Google's algorithms can shift with no warning, sending shockwaves through a marketing strategy, or a new app can rise up and change the way consumers receive content, demanding new dealership process.

The Three Pillars from Industry Experts

The subscription-based DSU is designed to help dealer principals and GMs develop digital strategies across every department, while also providing their staff with the "hand-to-hand" combat instruction and skills to execute it.  Curriculum pivots around the three key operational pillars of a dealership: 1. Marketing – how to increase walk in, phone and web traffic, 2. Process – how to handle and close that traffic, and 3. Structure – how to structure the dealership to scale, including hiring, testing, compensation, job responsibility, etc.

Over 150 DSU classes, in segments from two to fifteen minutes each (perfect for daily sales meetings), cover topics such as How to Leverage Facebook for ROI; How to Run an Effective Pay Per Click Campaign; How to Get a Web Page Organically Ranked; Dynamic Inventory Marketing Strategies; Managing Your Online Reputation; and Microsites and Blogs that Generate Leads, etc.

The DSU faculty consists of an evolving roundtable of digital market leaders and experts who have actually done it (and with results!), not just talked about it. Comprehensive testing and reporting is a critical component of the university, giving dealership leaders full accountability for team learning.  Ongoing access to course segments to train up new personnel, as well as to polish the skills of the more advanced practitioners, ensures continuous improvement.

"Our philosophy is to encourage the learning of the methodologies of all aspects of digital marketing across the dealership," continued Hamilton.  "Even if our dealership students plan to outsource, DSU will have armed them with the knowledgebase to be better able to choose and communicate with vendors on a level-playing field, and, most importantly, achieve solid ROI."

Powered by Lightspeed, DrivingSales University integrates with the collaborative information-sharing functionality of the DrivingSales.com social media network, as well as with its newly launched web TV channel, DSTV, providing users with opportunities to consume and interact with university content across channels.  The platform also provides for interactive Q&A and reporting functionality that helps dealerships detect information weaknesses and opportunities for skills improvement across departments.

About DrivingSales

DrivingSales is the auto industry's fastest-growing, most influential trade media property focused on delivering actionable profit-building information to auto retailers and industry professionals.  DrivingSales' media network includes flagship property DrivingSales.com (www.drivingsales.com), the world's largest car dealer social network where thousands of dealership professionals collaborate and share best practices in a 20-group style setting; DrivingSalesTV (www.drivingsalestv.com), an interactive web channel which helps car dealers and auto professionals keep tabs on their industry and emerging technologies 24/7; DrivingSales University, an on-demand training platform where dealerships learn the latest web strategies from top e-commerce experts; DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES) the industry's leading conference where progressive dealers collaborate and learn from world renowned experts, and DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide, a quarterly free publication featuring case studies of the industry's most innovative dealerships, solutions and best practices. 

DrivingSales encourages innovation and excellence in the industry with its annual Dealer Satisfaction and Innovation Cup Awards, whose winners are determined solely by the dealer community. Founded by Jared Hamilton, a third generation car dealer, DrivingSales was named one of ten social media gambits for 2009 by Automotive News and one of the Top 10 Companies to Watch by Auto Success Magazine. 

SOURCE DrivingSales