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All Of Us In Automotive Need To Be…Less Automotive (At Least Socially)

One of the things that I love about IM@CS is the fluid nature of what we do. In consulting to different businesses (and thankfully contributing to different industries), we are involved in different aspects of attracting, engaging and retaining customers. One thing that is more than evident is the necessity to be more than single-track minded. And frankly, that is being screamed for in Automotive.

So as businesses skew, some forced, more into mainstream consumerism there is a natural shift to social engagement both online and offline. For some, CRM is a well-used tool. email has its proper place, social networking traction is gaining, true sourcing is an every-day activity, analytics are a way of life and e-Newsletters are not static. In fewer cases, reputation management and new technology like QR codes have started to garner true, distinguishing results.

Enter the reward game. Handfuls of dealers have gone into using dealership-exclusive offers within their marketing similar to many attempts made over the years. Except nowadays, there aer monumentally better ways to track and measure the effectiveness. But what are we offering? And how effective a reach could we be benefiting from if we just stopped to think about it?

Put it this way. Answer this: What do at least 25% of your clients do? Right now. Without looking at your CRM, 3×5 cards or notes. Now are you offering them something related to what they want to do away from your dealership? Why do people go to dealerships and dealership websites? Simple: shop, inquire, transact. Nearly nobody, save for the extremely loyal and enthusiasts (which we're all thankful for), wakes up in the morning and says "I'm going to hang out at the local BMW dealership today". I've never heard anyone say "my life will get better if I spend a few days a month at the local Ford store".

Let's say your store is utilizing Foursquare (meaning you've actually claimed your location which is similar to the process with Google Places) and have published your first offer. What is your offer for? 10% off service? A you making the first payment on any new lease? Awesome! You've made the jump and are hopefully tracking the results. How about 10% off the local hot spot's dining or drinks? How about 25% off green fees at the local golf course? How about tickets to a major sporting event (and the ones provided by your OEM don't count)? How about donating to a local charity that your customer chooses so everyone feels great?

Not to say that a discount for your loyal customers is not great. It absolutely is. Reward them and they'll continue to come back. So the dealership perk aside, are you doing something exciting for more of your customers and non-customers? Let's say 65% of the R.O.s created between 10:00a and 3:00p are for women. Do you have a Manicure Monday or Mommy Massages and bring in some popular local businesses that offer those businesses?

Better yet do you deploy cooperative or reciprocal marketing with local businesses so there is a mutual benefit? That seems to be a lost art in today's too-eager-to-grow and too-eager-to-cut environments. Have a (legitimate) Facebook page with at least a couple hundred Likes? Have you done a giveaway yet? It's great to do that as long as you follow Facebook's rules. Do yuo deploy technology that when people are ready to print the incentive/coupon, they must share it first on their Facebook wall? That has much more wide-ranging implications and people that are engaged are many more times likely to do that!

And be creative. No, more creative. No….even more creative! If you take a vacation and your resort offers you a $150 resort credit for using the restaurant and other merchants or a 10% off your next stay, which one are you likely to take?

It's time for all of us in automotive to be….well, less automotive. It's not hard. Yes, it takes some forethought, some work and extra effort to get the word out. But do you want a typical result or an amazing result? Do you want a few more people referring business or would you rather have a lot of local businesses referring business.

You don't need to answer now. Just think about it. After you put down the Bluetooth earpiece that you got free with the smartphone that your stock broker told you about, and turn off your big screen TV with DirecTv service that came with the free HD upgrade and take your car to get the free car wash that you earned with purchases from your local grocery store and finish dining at your kids favorite local restaurant with the free desert that your kids earned months ago with good grades at their school….

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

 

“That’s What She Said!”…and other lies since you’re just not listening

You were the class clown, your friends' center of attention, captain of the sport team, oldest in your family, standout of sorts in various jobs and now you lead the sales ranks…and you're flat out lucky! Considering the last time you listened actively was to get an extra scoop of ice cream in eighth grade, it is hard to understand what, outside of ambition, fortune and favor, has you topping the charts. As a passive listener, you can remember that your first customer ever made a nice comment about your tie…

OK, that was a little over the top, but hopefully the message hit home.  How do you know what he said, she said, they said, if you're not listening!?!? Consider the amount of leads that are not sufficiently handled, floor ups that aren't greeted correctly (let alone qualified), prospects that aren't followed up with in a timely, contextually relevant way (sending a pre-populated eNewsletter DOESN'T qualify) and you can start to understand how broken things are for consumers.

Most dealers pay for a CRM, typically in addition to their (substandard but used for 'oversight') factory lead management system, and don't even use it. Store by store, a visit can reveal that most of the notes in a customer's file (if there are any) are easily described as archaic. Ask a salesperson to explain the notes, you'll typically hear "I don't have time to put in more detail" and "I've spoken with them so I'll know what's going on when they come in to buy the dang car". You might even hear "it's my customer, not the store's" from a more honest staffer.

Task the same salesperson with fundamental questions about the customer, family, kids, how long they've researched/shopped for the car they're buying,what their third color choice or second option package preference is and you might get a more educated look from a deer looking at the front of your car in the middle of North Dakota on a desolate highway that you're driving 95 miles per hour on at 2:38 in the morning. You know that look…

"What she said" is so dang darn important that, gosh forbid the person actually felt you cared about them, they might recommend more customers for you in the next three months than you had from all your past customers in the last 12 months. People, it starts with really listening. No, REALLY listening. Look at it this way: you were so lucky to have it the way you do. Two ears, one mouth. Like mom said, use them in the same ratio.

Try listening for a week. You'll get some interesting changes in your business., Do it for a month, you'll actually create a trend. Make it happen for six months and you'll likely never be held back like you were in the past. Take notes. Document how your business has shown you new opportunities. That might happen when you listen to your customer talk about something that they're passionate about. You'll actually pick up on it, share it with your boss before they leave in their new car…next thing you know your dealership is involved with an amazing event in your market that helps sell another 25 cars. All because you listened.

Listen, confirm, validate, document, review, share, store, leverage…and then listen again. It's the greatest tool you'll ever have, besides that whosimawhatsie you have our your desk that you've not taken the time to use once since the seminar you received it at 11 years ago!

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

Success: A Four-Letter Word? Not Today

It used to be, by common knowledge, that success was defined by work (and how much you did). Now days it seems success is defined by smaller multi-million dollar losses, one more gizmo sold than the competition, not spending anything compared to what you did last year and more or the like.

I'm not the first to remind everyone not to lower the bar too far or get to the point where goal setting is replaced by complacency. But I may be one of the first to say: just remember why you got into business in the first place! Now, you may have been fortunate to fall into a highly profitable business/niche just because you had the money to get in. Good job (not great, though).

If you have built your name, presence and equity with a solid foundation, it's time to kick yourself into high gear. Maintain your business plan, don't create a new one for hard times. Adjust, don't start over. Keep your edge and aim to do better than 'just maintain'.

Right now it's more important than ever to:
1. Talk with EVERY prospect and client (don't talk at them)
2. Validate EVERY opportunity you have (people do things for their reasons, not yours)
3. Set goals and write EVERY one down (you can't hit what you can 't see)
4. Follow up with EVERYONE (the ones you don't stay in touch with become someone else's best client)
5. Support EVERY aspect of your business (not just what you're most comfortable with)

Hard work is more important than ever, just remember why you're doing it and what kind of results you're looking for. If you're determined to succeed, have all of your employees, vendors and clients supporting you, continually deliver products/services and great value on time and per your commitments, chances are you'll win.

What ever you decide to do, do it well and do it every time. Here's to success!!

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Power Results