Don’t miss out!
Get the latest resources sent directly to your inbox.
Lessons from the Road: How Top Account Managers Build Trust with Dealers
At IDS, our Account Managers spend a significant amount of time on the road visiting dealers.
It’s one of the unique ways we strengthen relationships and stay closely connected to the real-world challenges dealers face.
Our Account Managers have firsthand experience working in RV dealerships themselves, so they understand the ins and outs of the dealership business. Over time, they’ve gathered valuable insights.
In this series, we’ll share what they’ve learned—the key challenges dealers are facing today and how they’re using IDS Astra G2 dealership management software to overcome those challenges and thrive in a competitive and rapidly changing market.
First, let’s talk about strengthening your relationship with your dealership management software provider.
A fully integrated DMS like IDS Astra G2 can serve as the central hub of your dealership, streamlining operations across all departments and locations, while housing a wealth of valuable data.
To truly maximize the value of your system, it’s best to work closely with your DMS provider to uncover how the software can be tailored to your unique business needs.
When you approach this relationship as a true partnership, you not only unlock the full potential of your software but also gain the opportunity to collaborate with your provider in shaping and improving the system itself.
Here’s how the Account Management team at IDS takes a unique, consultative approach to building long-lasting relationships with the dealers we serve.
"I would say that the two most important things are being present and being accountable. If you aren't able to make it onsite, at the very least, you're reaching out to them on a regular basis. You're ensuring that they're getting the best customer service that IDS can provide, and you're setting them up to be successful with the DMS. So just being present is really important.
And with that, being accountable—if they reach out to you, answer. Get back to them in a reasonable amount of time. If you tell someone you're going to do something, do it. That is important."
We foster open, transparent communication with the dealers we support.
"The appreciation that we get from the dealers when we're actually there—they know we care. We're at their door, talking to them, understanding how they work. Because you're going to talk to every single dealership that you walk into, and they're all going have their own special sauce—how they do things and what makes them think they're different.
And if you're there, actually seeing it and understanding it, then you're going to be able to provide even more value—keep that special sauce, but also fix some other things on the side. "
We share best practices garnered from working closely with dealers.
"The sales team takes a consultative approach when we're onsite to help dealers find key efficiencies that they may not be using in their daily operations. That way, they can maximize their workflows and ultimately improve the customer experience, which can greatly impact their bottom line."
We are passionate about helping dealers solve problems.
"I truly enjoy helping solve problems for people and businesses. I work hard to build trust through not just industry and product knowledge, but a deep understanding of their business processes, pains, people, and culture, all while operating with a high degree of integrity, and doing what I say I will do, when I say I will do it."
We live and breathe the RV industry.
"One of the things that makes us unique is that this is all we do. We don’t do anything else. We don’t do motorcycles, we don’t do cars, we don’t do point-of-sale systems, we don’t do grocery stores. All we do is RVs.
And that’s important, because it’s not the same. It’s not the same as a motorcycle dealership or a car dealership. That’s a big deal if you think about it, because everyone in the RV industry has hired someone from the auto industry or a powersports shop and thought it would work, and that person usually washes out almost immediately. It’s because the RV industry is more like houses than it is cars. That’s just the reality, and it has to function that way.
Long story short: we don’t do anything else. We are only building for RV dealers. This is what we do. The fact that we do targeted building for one vertical is actually pretty crazy—no one else does that."
Want to learn more about how IDS can be your trusted partner?
Let’s discuss your dealership’s goals and how IDS can get you there.