THE iPod and Facebook generation of dealer managers is starting to emerge, says technology expert Pinewood.
The emergence of a new breed of more IT literate senior dealer managers is one of the key emerging trends in the dealer management software sector.
DMS specialist Pinewood says that these mostly younger managers are now appearing in much larger numbers. They are typified by their comfort and aptitude with the idea of using technology as a key tool in the running of their businesses and fully understand the possibilities of the latest DMS systems.
Managing director Neville Briggs said: ‘The best dealers have for many years made intelligent use of the technology available to them, recording information about customers diligently and applying it to effective CRM strategies. However, they have been in the minority.
‘Now, we are increasingly dealing with dealer managers in their 20s and 30s – you might call them the iPod generation – who grew up with PCs, own an MP3 player and have a Facebook account. Technology holds no mystery for them – it is simply another tool at their disposal.’
The company adds that these managers have tended to come to the fore during the last year because they are often more nimble and dynamic than more traditional peers, making better use of opportunities presented by the market.
Briggs said that these dealer managers had helped to enable Pinewood’s considerable growth over the last year.
He added: ‘Dealer managers are becoming much more aware that their DMS system can be used as the core tool in managing customer relationships and used in all kinds of creative ways.
‘They still use some traditional marketing methods but the main methods they use for attracting customers are the Internet and the CRM capabilities of their DMS.’
