Can you confidently say you’re always at the top of the game within the retail dealership industry? Even if you feel like you’re progressing well in your career, there might be a few things you could be doing better to ensure you never miss a beat in an ever-changing environment.
If you want to ensure you’re always ‘in the know’ with everything dealership-related, here are some valuable tips that will help you get, and ideally stay, at the top of your game.
Get across the latest industry news and trends
To generate growth and long-term success within your career, a good understanding of the environment you’re operating within is integral. Without an intimate knowledge of the latest industry news and trends, you’ll struggle to adapt and pivot to meet the market where it is right now and where it’s likely heading in the future. While there’s no crystal ball that can predict exactly where the industry is going, there’s a lot you can do to improve your understanding of industry trends.
Here are a few of our suggestions:
- Follow the social media accounts of any prominent industry leaders, your key competitors, and any other industry influencers to see what they’re posting about.
- Monitor conversations happening on industry-related threads on community discussion websites like Reddit.
- Read newsletters and media releases published by professional industry associations both locally and globally, such as the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia (TMA), Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) or the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) in Australia, the MTA or Motor Industry Association (MIA) in New Zealand, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) in the United States, or CECRA, CLEPA and ACEA in Europe.
- Subscribe to trade publications. There are plenty of niche publications you can subscribe to that focus exclusively on reporting on everything from trucking and transportation, to earthmoving or agricultural machinery, motorcycles, 4x4s, mining and even buses and coaches!
Whatever channels you decide to tune into, make it part of your daily or weekly routine to check in on what’s happening so you never miss the latest updates.
Listen to what other industry experts are saying
If you’re not already into podcasts, it’s time to give them a try. With a quick search you’ll find plenty of podcasts produced by passionate industry experts who take deep dives into various topics relevant to the automotive and dealership industry.
Here are a few you might want to check out:
- Adding Fuel to the Hire – A careers and recruitment-focused podcast developed in-house by yours truly, Teamrecruit.
- Beyond the Wrench – Stories and insights from industry professionals to help you build a better dealership business.
- Service Drive Revolution – Strategies and tactics to help supercharge your service department.
- Dealership Digest – Tips and tricks for dealerships looking to enhance their digital marketing activity.
- dealership fiXit – Interviews with industry experts sharing their experience and advice for overcoming challenges in your dealership.
Podcasts are also relatively easy to fit into your schedule. Whether you choose to listen to them while you’re exercising, taking your lunch break, or commuting to and from work, do whatever works best for you!
Fill in any knowledge gaps
Very few of us can claim to know everything about our industry; but a small handful would come close. If you want to be part of that select group, it’s important to fill any skill or knowledge gaps that might hold you back.
The environment we operate in is in a continual state of change, and as the industry evolves to suit, so does the demand for certain skills and knowledge. If you want to stay at the forefront and develop a competitive edge, you’ll need to start with some research. Browse through job advertisements to see what skills dealerships are looking for, then formulate a plan to build a skill set to match.
Dedicate a small part of each day to your personal and professional development to expand your skills and knowledge, whether that includes completing some short courses, participating in online workshops, or catching up with a mentor. There is also a wealth of videos and webinars (many of which are entirely free) that will help you get up to speed on a variety of topics. Digital Dealer, Dealer.com or Automotive Mastermind could all be good places to start. Despite being more automotive focused, there’s certainly some fantastic information available you can use to improve your business.
Start networking
Professional networking is not a new concept, but it is one that has stuck around—and for good reason. Speak to almost any successful senior executive, and they’ll almost always credit their network for helping them to get where they are.
In addition to keeping in touch with people you’ve met or worked with throughout your career, some other things you can do to continue to build and expand your professional network include:
- attend industry conferences and events where you can hear from, meet, and chat with other industry professionals
- visit industry expos to see the latest products and services on show and speak with business representatives
- become a member of industry professional associations or hook yourself into various industry groups where you’ll get the chance to connect with other like-minded people
Teamrecruit is Australia’s most established recruitment agency specialising in truck, earthmoving and agricultural machinery dealerships in Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. Find out more about Teamrecruit and how we support employers and candidates in the dealership industry.
