With dealers and manufacturers spending over 21 Billion dollars (yep, that is the number) annually to put clients in front of salespeople, why then is everyone complaining that business is not what it should be?
Traditional methods aren’t working
Newspapers: Do you know that the average newspaper reader, in this ever declining market, is in their 50’s? (Yep, that is the correct number too.) If you want to motivate someone other than this small group, newspapers may not be the way to go.
How about the internet: All dealers have websites, but they all look the same, feel the same, and touch the same. There is no call to action? Asking for the client’s business or them to do anything.
Social media: That is what we are on now. The problem is how do we use it properly to grow our business? It's new and can be tricky. In addition, how many social media experts are there to help the dealers with this “transition” to the new world. (Yes there are experts to help us with this, Such as Persuasive Concepts and I firmly believe you need to use them or someone similar. If you think that social media is just another venue for advertising, you are sadly mistaken.)
Personal Prospecting: Be creative, locally, to get your name out.
- Place brochures in your doctor’s waiting room,
- Use bird-dogs (where legal) to empower others to help you develop business, and
- Use your warm market to spread the word.
The problem with any of this, is making sure that it gets done. How many of you ACTUALLY prospect?
My question is to you all is, because I have several hundred more, is what are you doing to develop YOUR business?
(Knowing newspaper advertising, probably won’t work, internet will take time, your social media skills need to be refined and you are probably (not you personally, but it is the others who are not you) too lazy to prospect. What are you willing to do to succeed?
Comment below
Nice job, Bob! How about TV commercials? Who doesn’t flick through the channels with their hand held remote when a commercial comes on?
Introducing yourself to the community as a trusted friend is the answer, and like any other relationship, the intro is not where it stops, you need to nurture that relationship!
Nancy, you are so right. Nuturing relationships, building trust and respect. This is so important in what we do and what should be happening at dealerships. Spoken as the true professional you are.
Great post, great question.
I am sure most dealers would say all of the above. They are doing all of those things and anything else they can think of, but it all takes time. We all know from experience that it is a process of developing, testing, measuring and improving everything we do to attract more customers. But if your sales staff or BDC (the first contact with your dealership) is not up to speed you are wasting your money.