TORRANCE, Calif. -

At Toyota, Brad Heagy — the retail sales & operation manager for TCUV/TRAC programs — emphasized that a great deal of the company’s success in certified pre-owned over the years can be attributed to the fact that “our dealership business partners have invested in the TCUV brand.”

And that includes the training that has been implemented to keep the automaker’s stores fresh when it comes to the CPO sales process.

“To promote TCUV program continuity and consistent benefits presentation to our customers, Toyota dealership sales consultants are required to complete an annual TCUV program re-certification test,” Heagy explained to Auto Remarketing late last month. “In addition, we feature our TCUV program information on our University of Toyota certification websites, as well as our dedicated internal and external TCUV websites.”

He added: “Our most successful TCUV dealerships focus on TCUV brand value-story selling and consistent sales training. By reinforcing the peace-of-mind that the TCUV brand offers, customers feel more confident in the used-vehicle purchase.”

Likewise, the CPO leadership at BMW also stressed how training is paramount to success in certified. This is particularly vital in a market like today’s, where ups-and-downs are common, said BMW’s Thomas Kurz in July.

“Training is a very important component to keep our sales manager and client advisers up to date, especially in the volatile market situation we are currently experiencing,” said Kurz, who is the pre-owned manager – sales at BMW of North America.

“Ensuring that our dealer personal has the skills to sell CPO vehicles in the current market environment, is one of the key elements to ensure the success of the CPO business,” he continued.

“We do update our instructor led courses frequently and compliment them with workshops covering current topics and enhancement,” Kurz continued. “In addition to the in- person training, we offer a wide range of online training courses, allowing us to add new training content in a very short time period to the training schedule.”

Providing the perspective of a Big 3 automaker, Larry Pryg — national manager of GM Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Operations — discussed the various certified training items available for General Motors dealers. These include online classes, dealership visits and more.

“Our successful CPO dealers keep their staffs fresh and up-to-date by using the best practices and tools we’ve provided to them,” Pryg noted late last month. “The training and tools we offer include convenient online classes, local dealer workshops, an online dealer portal for information and frequently asked questions, and in-person CPO process trainer visits to dealerships.

“Constant training on selling CPO vehicles is enormously important to keep both new and seasoned salespeople apprised of our latest products and offerings,” he added.