Ally Academy turns the spotlight on powerful auto dealership training.

Today, auto dealers are doing everything they can to stay competitive in a low inventory market. While dealer profitability is solid, many analysts predict that supply and demand will eventually level out, making now an optimal time to reinvest profits into dealership training. Joining us on Inside Automotive to discuss the importance of having proper training, is Nick Jackson, Dealer Training Manager at Ally Academy.

Jackson has been with Ally for a little over eight years but started his career in automotive on the retail side of things. Lately though, his focus has been on dealer training. Ally Academy offers a full suite of training opportunities for new hires, employees in leadership, and everyone in between. Ally Academy courses can also help employees brush up on specific topics of interest.

Ally Academy can help offset a variety of different needs for the dealership. Some of the most popular Ally Academy courses cover topics such as:

• Compliance and Legal Awareness: Helping you look at your day-to-day operations through a regulatory lens. 
• Business Planning: Learn tips for how to forecast and manage your expenses effectively. Discover how to understand operating reports and plan adequately for the future.

Predicting the future can be tricky, but Ally Academy courses like Forecasting Effectively help dealership employees better serve their customers and support business goals. Jackson explains that while forecasting may appear simple, Ally helps auto dealers learn how to take a holistic approach by tying their goals and objectives to future staffing needs, pay plans, marketing efforts, and more.

There are also Ally Academy courses that help auto dealerships improve the way they manage the financial side of the business. Cash Management offers auto dealers tips for managing their cash according to the short-term and long-term goals of the dealership. Expense Management is designed to help dealership teams stay on top of their expenses and adjust them as necessary.

“When dealerships are flushed with cash, and they are profitable, oftentimes they are not thinking about expenses,” says Jackson. “But one thing we teach is to take an initial deep dive on expenses and then implement an ongoing process to make sure the belt stays tight, so to speak.”

By investing in the Business Planning Bundle, auto dealers receive a complete 360° understanding of how to plan for the future and make the most of their bottom line.

According to Jackson, the feedback from Ally Academy users has been very positive. In fact, one attendee recently mentioned that he paid his own way through the course and said it was worth every penny.

The level of experience Ally Academy trainers have is high. Everyone on Jackson’s team has some corporate and/or retail automotive experience and strong facilitating skills to present information in an engaging way. In addition to in-person instruction, Ally Academy also offers virtual training options to give auto dealers flexibility for any circumstance.

Learn more about Ally Academy by visiting www.ally.com/dealer/training/.