IDENTIFYING AND USING STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP DEALERS BETTER CONNECT WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS AND MOVE MORE METAL
It’s the second day of the month and you’re excited to get to the dealership, this is the day you’ve got new incentives from your manufacturer.
So far, the year has been strong and this month is going to be a big one with aggressive incentives. Everyone is motivated to finish the year in a strong position and you can hardly wait to send the incentives to your agency so ads will start immediately.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE
Were you sure to mention the dealer cash, loyalty cash, conquest cash, CPO APR and term?” Did you show the original MSRP and the new discounted price?”
If you said yes to any of the above you have made the same mistake as every other dealer trying to reach the same shoppers as you. You are limiting your sales opportunities. You are probably wondering why I say this. You are speaking a foreign language and doing what every other dealer is doing.
The simple fact is, you’re not connecting with your shoppers. If you’ve ever heard me speak at a conference or if you are a subscriber to the free strategy tip video series Think Tank Tuesday, you have heard me say many times “focus on the
shoppers’ wants and needs and not your own — great marketing must tell a story. You must reach shoppers’ emotions with great copywriting.”
What motivated a person to begin the shopping process? What motivated them to even consider a new car? First let’s all agree it was not “price.” A shopper did not wake up and think, “today I am going to purchase a vehicle but I must have $2,500 in dealer cash and I will take advantage of the loyalty program.”
Shoppers don’t even know what any of those terms mean and many are asking “what kind of car do I want?”
WORDS ARE THE MOST POWERFUL FORM OF MARKETING
When I speak I am always asked: should I be on radio or TV? The answer is you should not worry about the delivery tool until you have mastered the delivery message.
If you have a weak message and brand identity it will take eight times the money to reach your audience.
With the following bullet points I am going to share some strategies our firm uses to convert shoppers to buyers. Make notes and share this article with everyone on your sales and marketing team. Yes, we did mean sales!
• Don’t be just a “Potratz Used Cars”;” become “Potratz Used Car Super Centre;”
• Don’t waste headlines that don’t tell what’s to come. Did the headline of this article make you want to read it?;
• Remember: Advertising is a salesperson in print. A great salesperson will build rapport and so must your advertising;
• Place headlines under a visual and it will increase conversion;
• Don’t say: $16,390, do say: You can own it for $378 with no money down, Have a trade or money down and your payment will be even less;
• Get personal with the “you” factor. “Is your car safe for your child? See the highway safety reports”;
• Great advertising must possess these qualities: Self-interest, news, curiosity, quickness;
• Use abundance and scarcity: Only two left or 17 available to choose from;
• Headlines should be short — eight words or less. When headlines grow, conversion
decreases;
• Put the biggest benefit in the headline: “Fuel Efficient Vehicle, Waiting For You;”
• Reputation and redundancy: Run ads for a minimum of three months. Keep the fonts,
colours, music and talent the same — it’s called branding;
• Talk about safety, performance, technology and look different from the rest;
• Communicate clearly: You own a Nissan? Receive an additional $2,000 conquest cash during our national program: Ends Nov 30th;
• Judge a book by its cover: You have done it so think about your own personal presentation, words, and actions;
• Stand out: When you enter a room you see the tallest and shortest people. Why? Because they are different! So become different and stick to it. I personally choose a respected different, not the shock value different but you have to decide what is right for you.
Often, we think the reason for success or failure is in the type of marketing we purchase and while it can definitely affect reach, it is not the cause for success or failure. It all starts with your core message and what you want to become known for.
Think about the different companies that are successful. What do they have in common? When you hear their name you instantly know who they are, what they offer and what they stand for. You must do the same in your own strategy.
