Research
Structured study of how customers are acquired, retained and re-engaged across the ownership lifecycle.
Driver Benefits Institute™
Learn. Lead. Transform customer relationships.
Executive education, business frameworks, industry research, strategic playbooks, certification programs, customer engagement methodologies and practical learning experiences designed for the future of customer engagement.
The Institute
- Divisions
- 401
- Audience
- Executive02
- Certification tracks
- 503
- Learning paths
- 1104
Research, education, certification and the executive library.
Dealer groups, OEMs, technology partners, producers and future industry leaders.
A common professional standard across dealer, partner and platform teams.
Foundation through advanced, structured by discipline.
Published material is added as it is verified. The Institute does not publish unverified research, statistics or case studies.
Mission
Thought leadership becomes practical application.
Why the Institute exists.
Mission
This is where thought leadership becomes practical application.
Driver Benefits Institute™ exists to improve how organizations think about customer relationships.
Every publication should help leaders make better decisions. Every course should improve businesses. Every framework should become practical. Every report should move the industry forward.
Editorial standard
Every publication released by the Institute must answer four questions before it is published.
- 01Why does this matter?
- 02How can this be applied?
- 03What business problem does this solve?
- 04How should executives think differently?
Each one closes with practical recommendations.
The Institute
Twelve disciplines under one standard.
How the curriculum is organized.
The Institute
Twelve disciplines under one educational standard.
Research, instruction, credentialing and applied practice — organized so leaders can move from understanding to execution.
Education
Executive-level instruction on customer engagement, membership strategy and lifetime value.
Certification
Credential programs that establish a common professional standard across dealer, partner and platform teams.
Frameworks
Repeatable models leaders can apply to their own operation, not abstract theory.
Playbooks
Operational guidance for the teams that execute daily — BDC, sales, service and marketing.
Executive briefings
Concise sessions for leadership on where customer engagement is moving and what it requires.
Industry reports
Periodic analysis of the forces reshaping customer relationships in automotive retail.
Interactive learning
Applied exercises, guided modules and assessments rather than passive reading.
The Customer Engagement Engine™
The methodology the Institute teaches: one continuous relationship across the ownership lifecycle.
Business transformation
How organizations move from transaction-driven operations to relationship-driven ones.
Leadership
Curriculum for the executives accountable for retention, experience and enterprise value.
Future trends
Forward analysis on AI, membership models and changing customer expectations.
Certification
A professional standard for customer engagement.
Tracks, levels and who they are for.
Certification programs
A professional standard for customer engagement.
Five credential tracks, each built for a defined role. Curriculum and enrollment open progressively.
01Curriculum in development
Certified Customer Engagement Professional™
Built for
BDC, marketing and engagement teams
The engagement methodology end to end: invitation, appointment, arrival and follow-through.
02Curriculum in development
Certified Membership Specialist™
Built for
F&I, variable operations and program managers
Designing, funding and presenting a membership program customers actually use.
03Curriculum in development
Certified Retention Professional™
Built for
Service and retention leadership
Keeping the relationship open between transactions and measuring what returns.
04Curriculum in development
Certified Customer Experience Leader™
Built for
General managers and experience owners
Aligning the whole store around one continuous customer experience.
05Curriculum in development
Certified Dealer Engagement Consultant™
Built for
Partners, agencies and consultants
Deploying and supporting the engagement model inside client organizations.
Certification architecture is in place and designed for expansion. Program detail pages are published as each curriculum is finalized and reviewed.
Executive Insights™
One publishing system. Twelve formats.
How the thinking reaches the market.
Executive Insights™
One publishing system. Twelve formats.
Everything the Institute publishes follows a single editorial system, so an executive guide and a research report read with the same rigor.
Executive guidesPublishing format
Research reportsPublishing format
Industry analysisPublishing format
PlaybooksPublishing format
FrameworksPublishing format
White papersPublishing format
PresentationsPublishing format
VideosPublishing format
Interactive learningPublishing format
DownloadsPublishing format
InfographicsPublishing format
Case studiesPublishing format
The Institute does not publish research, statistics, white papers or case studies that have not been verified. Credibility is its most valuable asset.
Published today
The BDC Playbook — inbound and outbound scripts, email and text templates, in use now.
Open the BDC PlaybookResearch & learning
Ten research tracks, structured journeys.
From foundation to advanced.
Research center
Ten standing research tracks.
The architecture is established now so verified findings can be published continuously into a consistent structure.
01Track established
Annual reports
02Track established
Industry benchmarks
03Track established
Customer engagement research
04Track established
Customer lifetime value research
05Track established
Membership research
06Track established
Retention research
07Track established
Technology research
08Track established
AI research
09Track established
Dealer performance research
10Track established
Future trends
Executive learning
Structured journeys from foundation to advanced.
Each path takes a leader from a working understanding of the discipline to the ability to operate it across an organization.
Customer engagement
01Build a reason to invite, arrive and return.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Customer lifetime value
02Measure value across the relationship, not the deal.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Membership strategy
03Structure, fund and operate a membership program.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Retention
04Convert one-time buyers into long-term service customers.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Leadership
05Lead an organization that competes on relationships.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Customer experience
06Design a consistent experience across departments.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Dealer growth
07Grow appointments, shows and repeat business together.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Technology
08Fit engagement into the CRM and tool stack already in place.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
AI
09Use AI to extend relationships instead of automating noise.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Executive strategy
10Translate engagement into enterprise value.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Platform leadership
11Operate the engagement layer across multiple locations.
FoundationPractitionerAdvanced
Bring the Institute to your leadership team.
Request an executive briefing on customer engagement, membership strategy and customer lifetime value — applied to your organization.
The Customer Engagement Engine™
Everything here runs on one methodology.
Every course, framework and research discipline maps back to a stage of the Engine.
Explore the Engine- 01Awareness
- 02Conversation
- 03Appointment
- 04Membership
- 05Purchase
- 06Protection
- 07Service
- 08Education
- 09Communication
- 10Referral
- 11Repeat purchase
- 12Customer lifetime value