IADMA Members To Receive Sales Training & Management Tools
28 November 2000
IADMA MEMBERS TO RECEIVE SALES TRAINING & MANAGEMENT TOOLS FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE SATELLITE TELEVISION NETWORK DENVER-The Internet Auto Dealers Marketing Association (IADMA) will offer satellite or videotape sales and management training services to its national network of more than 3,000 automobile dealers through its new partnership with the Automotive Satellite Television Network (ASTN). A subsidiary of Primedia, ASTN provides comprehensive training to automotive personnel nationwide through its daily satellite services. ASTN will offer IADMA members a satellite uplink that can be dropped into training conference rooms, and executive offices. The satellite antenna, installation, maintenance and upgrades are included in a monthly fee. For those who prefer a video tape format, the network also offers Training on Demand (TOD), which gives dealers the convenience of renting from a library of more than 500 titles with topics ranging from improving sales skills to warranty audits. Moreover, Training on Tape provides a broad selection of professionally produced video series from industry experts at an affordable price. New live Internet and e-commerce programs have been added to ASTN's programming schedule, the most recent of which is "Net Gain: Success on the Internet." "Our member-dealers will appreciate the ease and effectiveness of ASTN training," said Rod Couts, executive director of the IADMA. "They can access ASTN's satellite or video training to supplement their regular staff meetings or professional development efforts. As a result, they can more efficiently educate themselves or their staff on the business fundamentals of the auto industry." Each hour, ASTN broadcasts two, 25-minute management training courses through its satellite system designed to be informative and concise to help managers effectively manage their sales, finance and insurance, parts or used vehicle departments. From Doug Dohring, president of The Dohring Company, North America's largest provider of custom market research to the retail automotive industry to John Traver, CEO of Traver Technologies that provides support services and training to the automotive industry, ASTN has attracted national experts to host daily segments to provide automotive specialists with new techniques to improve sales, productivity and customer satisfaction. For staff who wish to earn advanced certification in sales, management and fixed operations without having to leave the dealership, ASTN formed The ASTN Academy as a training and education resource. The Academy uses a sophisticated computer system that tracks the viewing and participation of its members. ASTN's system will track the category for the show (i.e., sales, management, or fixed operations) and the credit hours towards each show watched. Once IADMA members have completed and called in a minimum of 10 hours in any one category, a certificate will be awarded to them. Additional certificates are awarded as the number of hours viewed increases.