DETROIT — Ally Financial has added new training courses to its Performance Development Center, further expanding the scope of its educational offerings for dealers.

The new courses address important topics like selling skills, customer loyalty and retention, social media marketing, F&I management and compliance education. Course content leverages nearly 100 years of Ally's auto industry experience, and includes real-world examples and practical techniques that can be applied to daily operations.

Ally's Performance Development Center is an education platform that provides innovative and easily accessible training sessions for dealership employees at all levels, officials said. Since its launch in 2013, more than 10,000 learners have registered for more than 70 different courses. The Performance Development Center offers the flexibility to learn online 24-hours a day with on-demand modules, or in a classroom setting with instructor-led training that takes place in-dealership or offsite.

The new courses will be introduced to dealers beginning January 22 at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention and Expo. They include comprehensive F&I management training that teaches effective customer needs assessment and menu presentation skills, a vehicle selling skills course designed to help sales consultants develop a consistent and professional approach, and courses designed to help dealerships learn customer loyalty strategies and social media management. The courses are infused with practical examples, tips and techniques that Ally has assembled through its extensive experience with dealers of all sizes across the country, according to the company.

A new series of compliance-focused courses will also be added to the Performance Development Center later this month that aims to educate dealership employees about current rules and regulations. The compliance training courses are being provided in connection with the Enterprise Governance, Risk & Compliance Solutions division of FIS, which specializes in risk management, regulatory training and consulting services for the automotive and financial services industries. FIS provides risk management, including compliance training, to more than 5,000 financial services companies across the country as well as all major regulatory agencies. The compliance training courses will cover topics such as Truth in Lending Act, Fair Lending, Regulation M and Federal Advertising Laws, and provide role-specific eLearning training for sales and finance professionals.

"As a leader in the auto industry, Ally believes that the combination of best-in-class products and services paired with a knowledgeable sales force is a winning combination for dealerships," said Jim Whiteford, executive director, Performance Development at Ally. "By continuously adding courses to our Performance Development Center, we are creating an important resource for all dealers, offering valuable, real-world knowledge and tools to help them sharpen skills and increase efficiency and effectiveness throughout their organizations. We are proud that our platform has reached 10,000 learners and we will continue to add new courses based on feedback and demand."

Ally's Performance Development Center was launched in 2013 to provide dealers with convenient access to comprehensive education and training. The platform offers more than 29 on-demand and instructor led training courses with more than 44 on-demand modules covering a wide range of topics. Most modules are under 20 minutes, specifically tailored for busy dealership personnel. The Performance Development Center is available to all dealers and is continuously updated with new courses and content.