Ford's Recent Moves Could Mean Big Changes At The Dealer Level

Ford's recent decision to internally split its ICE and EV businesses promises big changes in the way that the company handled various aspects of its business. That includes an experience that some customers might not realize, the dealership.

Dealership Employees Prepare For Resonating Change

Step inside a Ford dealership right now, and it becomes apparent that many of them operate on a system that was put in place long before EVs made the leap into the mainstream. That includes a strong emphasis on ICE sales which often make up the bulk of a dealer's business. This author worked in dealerships owned by all three members of the Domestic Big Three and the focus on ICE sales was on full display. That included training that did little to build EV knowledge and personnel that were not interested in selling EVs.

Ford is promising that will no longer be the case, and will be expecting dealerships to make major changes. While the company is still ironing out some of the finer details into a new set of standards that dealerships can opt-in to over the next few months, look for some key things to stick out once they fully kick in. For starters, look for customers to have more charging stations to take advantage of when they stop for a visit. While dealerships here in the Metro Detroit area have done a good job in providing stations, there's often only a handful to choose from, with these spaces sometimes being filled by managers and their demo vehicles.

The new standards could have dealerships build more of these stations, and also enact policies that would see these areas used for EV use only versus being parking spaces for managers. That would not only make the dealership more inviting to consumers but also encourage more EV sales especially if new buyers choose to plug their car into a station at the dealership, then buy an accessory or another item for their vehicle during their visit.

Enhanced Training To Generate More Sales

In addition to the addition of charging stations as well as other structural updates to the dealership, look for the salespeople to also benefit from enhanced EV product training and sales courses. Customers buying an EV will expect the salesperson to be a knowledgable source of information both during the actual purchase process, as well as the subsequent ownership experience if they have any questions about the EV.

This training will also help the salespeople feel more confident about selling an EV to a consumer and that, in turn, will help them be more willing to embrace the EV side of the business which in turn would help generate more EV sales for the dealership and Ford as well. That will be especially important as Ford tries to transform itself into a green-focused car company with EVs and other alternative-fueled vehicles being a key cog in its sales machine as the company works to incorporate the internal split into its operations amid fighting off a growing pool of rivals.

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company

Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. In addition to his specialization with Ford, he grew up in a General Motors household and is extensively familiar with their products too. Contact Carl on Twitter at @CarlMalek3, on Instagram and Facebook for automotive news to send news tips.