WIA
Women’s Buying Network
Did you know that in 2018 only 16 women were executives in the top 20 motor vehicles and parts companies in the Fortune Global 500?
A team of us from Procon Analytics’ subsidiary companies, CDS and Advantage GPS, attended the #WIA conference yesterday in Palm Springs, CA. It was inspiring to see so many amazing women together in one room and to hear story after story of mentorship, support and success.
One of the breakout sessions I attended was hosted by a panel of women executives from Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG). This group not only continues to mentor and strengthen women’s roles in the industry, they fostered a culture of collaboration based on core values and it’s contagious. For example, it’s not out of the ordinary for a DGDG car-buying customer to inquire about career opportunities within one of their dealerships.
Watch the discussion at WIA Winter Conference on Facebook here.
DGDG’s #WIA has made it their mission to empower and support customers during the car buying process. They established the Women’s Buying Network as resource of DGDG, which serves six locations around the greater San Francisco Bay area, sells 17 makes and has access to more than 5,000 vehicles.
The Women’s Buying Network is comprised of experienced, knowledgeable and trustworthy women whose goal is to empower and support customers during the car-buying process. Women who wish to feel more at ease during the buying process by working with other women who they feel better understand their needs can log into to the website, locate vehicles they want and then choose the woman with whom they wish to work.
It’s a simple idea really, but one that is way over due in the marketplace. Women influence about 80 percent of car buying decisions, and are personally responsible for 45% of all purchases. Those numbers are tremendously strong, but not reflected at all in the automotive retail marketplace. Typically only 5% of women serve on a dealership sales force. DGDG has made it its mission to hire capable professional women in positions of leadership in sales, finance, management, and service, and has now leveraged that competitive advantage to meet the needs of its female customers.
Female car buyers can now work directly with women who understand and listen to their concerns, both before and after they arrive. In addition, when it comes time to go to the F&I office, they can work with a woman again if they wish. They can work with a female service advisor if they when it comes time for scheduled maintenance or service.
Interestingly, DGDG makes a special note that the service not only engages women in the business transaction, but it leads to building connections in the community, which can last a lifetime.
Impressive!
