NADA University unveiled the launch schedule for online social networking communities for Next Generation ATD (American Truck Dealers), NADA-ATD Academy and NADA-ATD 20 Group.

The first of the three comes on board in April with the remaining two going up in May and June. Officials gave more details about each of the three NADA University social networking community sites that will focus on specific business areas:

—The Next Gen ATD Community is set to launch at the ATD Convention and Expo in Phoenix on April 15-18. Officials explained this site will focus on helping the next generation of truck dealership owners with the information they need to make a smooth transition when it’s their time to run the family business.

—Academy Community is scheduled to launch in May. NADA University said this site will allow current and future dealership operators to take the intensive, hands-on training beyond the ATD-NADA Academy classroom to continue building strong leadership and management skills. Current Academy students and all alumni will be invited to participate in this community.

—20 Group Community is set to go online in June. Officials highlighted this site is based on the industry’s gold standard in performance improvement among small teams of non-competing dealers sharing best practices with the capability for ongoing discussions and learning between meetings. 

As many in the industry know, NADA University is the National Automobile Dealers Association’s comprehensive online education and training resource for dealers and their staffs. Officials believe these three new networking communities will offer Web access to discussion groups and topical videos so dealership professionals can stay connected, share information and collaborate on issues of interest to each group in a private environment.

NADA insisted the initiative is designed to expand upon and sustain the dealer dialogue, ideas and learning already occurring during scheduled classes and meetings.

Members can participate in discussions with the full group in their community site, or narrow the dialogue down to a sub-group of the community that’s most closely focused on their specific interests.

Officials stressed that access to the communities will be limited to registered members of each group, and all participants will be expected to follow the “rules of the road” posted in the user agreement for their group.

DrivingSales.com, the social network created by NADA University partner trainer Jared Hamilton, is providing the online platform for the new initiative.

Officials recapped Hamilton — a former dealership manager and now a leading industry expert in social media strategies — built his site exclusively for dealership professionals to share and discuss best practices and strategies. He developed the idea of online dealer communities while attending a Dealer Candidate Academy class at NADA headquarters several years ago.

The association pointed out Hamilton’s workshop at the recent NADA Convention on social media strategies was among the most highly attended, demonstrating a strong interest by dealers in advancing their social networking capabilities.

“With the market moving at 100 mph, dealers can’t afford to move at just 20 mph,” Hamilton explained.

“I believe the best ‘real-world’ information for dealers comes from the actual experiences of other dealers,” he continued. “That’s why NADA University and I have teamed up to help dealers build on the strong collaborations that already exist to make them more efficient and continuous using a 24/7 social network.”  

For more information on NADA University resources, and all of its training and educational programs, visit: www.NADAUniversity.com or call (800) 557-6232.