NATM Connect is Coming
An important part of any affiliation is the opportunity to connect with those who best understand your interests and challenges. One of the new benefits included in the NATM Dealer Affiliate Program provides exactly those opportunities.
NATM Connect is an online community forum where Dealer Affiliates can engage in discussion and receive feedback and resources from other professional peers around the trailer industry. The community forum is private and provides a space for authentic discussion that doesn’t include pushy sales pitches or outsiders with unclear motives.
NATM Dealer Affiliates are encouraged to share successes and challenges, bring questions, give constructive feedback, and provide perspective in all manners related to operating and working at a trailer dealership.
The community forum is structured like any other discussion board. Users can post topics and pose questions under industry specific and relevant categories. This includes categories that align with other dealer program benefits, such as sales, parts, and service department operations, leadership development, financial management, office management, and talent and HR management. In addition, users can create categories to really make the forum their own.
I enjoy the opportunity to connect with fellow dealership owners across the country to have group discussions on various topics. It’s also helpful to be able to look up conversations that other dealers have had about specific topics. And I can send private messages to individuals to have one on one conversations. -Ronnie Enns, NATM Connect User
Why should you and your dealership staff use NATM Connect?
Support and Collaboration
If you operate with a small team, NATM Connect allows staff to gain support and opportunities to collaborate that potentially they are unable to do with just their coworkers, which could aid in improving their job functions and help them succeed. This is a great chance to talk to others because they may have had similar experiences and be able to assist in providing different solutions and points of views.
Access to Knowledge and Expertise
NATM Dealer Affiliates represent the core knowledge base of the industry and decades of crucial experience. NATM Connect allows you to instantly tap into that expertise. Whether you keep running into supply shortages or just want to try a new product or company for your business, you can get expert advice from your fellow dealers.
Opportunities for Networking
NATM Connect allows you and your staff the opportunity to build your network, forming bonds and relationships for both professional and personal growth and development. We understand that the trailer industry is a tight knit community, and it can be hard to connect with all dealers. This is a great chance to expand your network and resources.
Increased Staff Motivation and Engagement
Sharing experience and commonality of interest can lead to greater staff motivation and engagement as it helps your staff learn and grow in their jobs. This means your staff gets the chance to connect with others in similar situations and can be inspired by others to try new and innovative practices. When you and your team have a consistent support system to look to when in need, you are guaranteed to look at problems in a different light as well as find solutions with more ease.
We are excited to say that we are hearing positive feedback about NATM Connect and the beneficial impact it is making.
Being able to connect instantaneously with other, more experienced dealers that are willing to help share best practices and answer questions I otherwise wouldn’t be able to answer on my own. -Shane Ehrsam, NATM Connect User
We are looking forward to the community and networking this newly released benefit will offer! Dealer Affiliates will have access to this new platform starting next week. If you are a Dealer Affiliate, you will be receiving an e-mail on how to access the forum and get started. We can't wait to see all the exciting conversations you start!
If you have any questions or need further assistance, contact Andrea Boetticher, Dealer Programming Specialist, at andrea.boetticher@natm.com.