Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Dealer Relations Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Dealer Relations Coordinator is the primary operational contact between the manufacturer/brand and its dealer network. This role focuses on onboarding new dealers, managing ongoing dealer support and communications, tracking dealer performance and compliance, coordinating warranty and parts processes, administering incentive and training programs, and escalating complex issues to cross-functional teams. Success is measured by dealer satisfaction, timely resolution of escalations, adherence to program requirements, and improvements in dealer sales performance and retention.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Customer Service Representative (Automotive / Manufacturing)
Sales Coordinator or Inside Sales Associate
Parts Advisor / Inventory Coordinator

Advancement To:

Dealer Relations Manager
Channel / Distribution Manager
Regional Sales Manager or Field Sales Manager
Director of Dealer Operations or Head of Channel Management

Lateral Moves:

Key Account Manager or National Account Coordinator
Field Support Specialist or Technical Support Coordinator
Dealer Training Manager or Marketing Coordinator (Channel)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for assigned dealers, responding to inquiries, solving operational issues, and ensuring high dealer satisfaction and retention.
Onboard new dealers by coordinating paperwork, dealer agreements, user access to portals, initial training schedules, and introductory sales materials to ensure a smooth launch.
Manage dealer account setup and maintenance within CRM and Dealer Management Systems, including contact records, sales territories, contractual terms, and authorization levels.
Coordinate and process dealer warranty and parts claims: validate submissions, liaise with technical teams, ensure accurate claim coding, follow up on approvals, and track resolution timelines.
Monitor dealer performance KPIs (sales volume, conversion, lead follow-up, CSI scores) and prepare weekly/monthly performance reports with recommendations to improve productivity.
Administer dealer incentive and rebate programs: explain program rules, validate eligibility, process claims, reconcile payouts, and communicate changes or updates.
Facilitate dealer training programs (virtual and in-person), including curriculum coordination, scheduling, tracking completions, and distributing training resources and certifications.
Manage lead distribution and routing processes: qualify leads, hand off to dealers, monitor lead response SLAs, and audit lead follow-up for compliance and performance.
Act as escalation manager for complex dealer issues—coordinate cross-functional resources (sales, service, logistics, finance, legal, product) to resolve high-priority cases within defined SLAs.
Coordinate parts allocation and inventory communication with logistics and warehouse teams to minimize backorders and ensure timely dealer fulfillment.
Prepare, distribute, and present dealer-facing communications, product bulletins, policy updates, sales tools, and promotional assets to keep network informed and engaged.
Conduct dealer compliance audits and store visits (physical or virtual) to ensure adherence to brand standards, merchandising guidelines, contract terms, and regulatory requirements.
Support product launches and regional rollouts by coordinating dealer readiness checklists: training, inventory, promotional materials, and go-to-market resources.
Maintain and optimize the dealer portal: update content, troubleshoot user access issues, run usage analytics, and collect dealer feedback for improvements.
Reconcile dealer billing, credit and account disputes with finance: research discrepancies, provide documentation, and ensure timely resolution to maintain strong dealer relationships.
Track promotional and pricing approvals: review dealer requests, ensure policy compliance, and coordinate with pricing and legal teams for exceptions.
Generate executive-level summaries and data-driven analyses to identify trends in dealer performance, product uptake, and program ROI; present recommendations to management.
Build and execute dealer development plans for underperforming dealers, including action plans, milestones, training, and follow-up cadence to drive incremental sales and compliance.
Coordinate dealer-facing marketing support: approve cooperative marketing funds, help design local campaigns, and measure campaign effectiveness relative to dealer goals.
Maintain up-to-date dealer documentation and records including contracts, dealer certificates, training completions, warranty authorizations, and compliance evidence.
Schedule and manage dealer events, conferences, webinars and regional meetings — logistics, agendas, speaker coordination, and post-event follow-up to maximize network engagement.
Work with legal and compliance teams to review dealer agreements, ensure regulatory compliance in territories, and support investigations related to contractual breaches or fraud.
Implement process improvements in dealer support workflows (ticket triage, SLA tracking, knowledge base updates) to reduce response times and scale support operations.
Collaborate with product, engineering and service teams to feed dealer feedback into product roadmaps, service bulletins and product enhancements.
Manage dealer termination and reinstatement processes: document reasons, execute contractual steps, coordinate asset returns, and oversee reactivation when applicable.
Maintain strict confidentiality and data security when handling dealer financials, contracts and personally identifiable information (PII).

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc reporting requests and build custom dealer performance dashboards for sales leadership and regional managers.
Assist marketing with dealer-specific campaigns, collateral development, and local co-op programs to drive regional demand.
Participate in product launch readiness meetings and coordinate dealer communications and training materials.
Provide back-up support for national account inquiries and help desk escalation during peak periods.
Assist in preparing RFP responses or contract renewals that involve dealer network considerations.
Support trade show and field event logistics, including booth coordination, dealer invitations and follow-up lead qualification.
Collect and synthesize dealer feedback on pricing, product features and competitive activity to inform commercial strategy.
Assist with dealer financing and lease program inquiries by coordinating with internal finance partners and external lenders.
Participate in continuous improvement projects to streamline dealer onboarding, claim processing and incentive administration.
Maintain and update knowledge base articles and SOPs for dealer support teams to improve consistency and training.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) for account management and case tracking.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, advanced formulas and data cleansing for performance reporting.
Experience with Dealer Management Systems (DMS) or channel-specific platforms used to manage parts, warranty, and service workflows.
Familiarity with business intelligence and reporting tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker) to build dashboards and executive reports.
Knowledge of warranty processing systems and claim adjudication workflows.
Experience with ticketing/issue tracking systems (Zendesk, ServiceNow, Jira) and SLA management.
Basic understanding of contract administration and dealer agreement terms, including dealer onboarding and termination procedures.
Ability to read and interpret financial reconciliations, commission schedules, and incentive payout rules.
Comfort with cloud collaboration suites (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) and document management.
Basic data analysis skills, including trend analysis, segmentation, and KPI tracking.
Familiarity with distribution, logistics, and inventory allocation principles relevant to parts and product supply.
Experience managing lead distribution workflows and marketing automation integrations (Marketo, HubSpot) is a plus.

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication tailored to dealer audiences and internal stakeholders.
Outstanding relationship-building and stakeholder management skills; able to influence across levels and functions.
Strong problem-solving and triage skills with the ability to coordinate cross-functional resolution plans.
High attention to detail and ownership over account documentation and process adherence.
Time management and prioritization skills to handle multiple dealer escalations and projects simultaneously.
Customer-centric mindset and a service orientation focused on proactive dealer enablement.
Negotiation and conflict-resolution skills for handling disputes and complex contractual issues.
Analytical mindset with the capacity to turn data into actionable recommendations.
Adaptability and resilience in dynamic, fast-paced channel environments.
Presentation skills for both small training groups and executive briefings.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent; relevant associate degree acceptable.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain, Supply Management, Automotive Technology, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Sales / Marketing
Supply Chain Management / Logistics
Automotive / Mechanical Technology
Finance or Accounting (preferred for rebate/billing reconciliation roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of experience in dealer relations, channel support, account management, customer service, or parts/warranty operations.

Preferred:

3+ years supporting a multi-location dealer or channel network, ideally in automotive, powersports, industrial equipment, or manufacturing distribution.
Demonstrated experience using CRM systems, DMS/warranty platforms, and building dealer-facing reports.
Proven track record of managing escalations, coordinating cross-functional teams, and driving dealer performance improvements.