Admittedly, when you hear the words " mechanic colleges, " social media training may not be the first apprehending that springs to ingenuity.
But the actuality is that many colleges today are branching out from the traditional transmissions, auto body repair, diagnostics, etc., to teaching the fine art of auto sales. College programs in this increasingly multiple field must, amongst other things, teach the car salespeople of tomorrow how to convert " likes " into revenue. Mechanic colleges must teach sales students how to serviceability developing social media apparatus to fuel sales.
Social media to drive auto sales?
As students at auto sales college are bushy-tailed placed to prepare, new research suggests that consumers base their decisions of what car to buy based on information gleaned from social networking and other websites.
One recent North American study fix that as many as 38 % of respondents reported having used this to research their upcoming vehicle purchases. Mechanic colleges give students the skills to craft the information that prospective customers can find on their vehicles and services.
Strategies to help careers in auto sales now taught at auto sales college include:
- offering coupons for " liking " a dealership
- offering another incentive, such as a prize, for " liking " a dealership
- maintaining a blog
- setting up a Facebook fan page
- encourage your customers to review you online
- engage with your customers online
- create content ( e. g., post behind - the - scenes pics of new models )
By teaching students social media skills, the college is essentially teaching salespeople how to control the online reputation of their organizations - an important skill in today ' s economy.
Doing it yourself?
Some dealerships outsource social media, but there is something to be said for doing it yourself. Graduates of auto sales college know how important it is for a dealership to be sincere and honest in its online interactions, to only present itself as it is. That is one reason why many students seek social media training as a complement to their preparations for careers in auto sales or repair. Others seek this kind of training so that they can better manage their relationships with social media professionals.
Where to start?
People with careers in auto sales who want to experiment with social media to drive sales, may want to start slow, with the basics: perhaps a Facebook page, a Twitter account or a blog.
Salespeople with a session or two of colleges under their belt may have the information to craft a communications plan that nurtures their dealership ' s reputation online and strengthens relationships with existing and potential customers.
