Resources, resources, everywhere!

Happy Monday! Now that the government has decided to move forward with the bailout, there seems to be less unrest among the general public. Dealers I've been talking to seem to be happy there is some kind of conclusion to the nightmare that began a couple of weeks ago, and regardless of how they feel about it politically, they're just hoping this is the move needed to get the credit situation under control. Obviously, things won't change overnight, but it seems to be a step in the right direction. Lately due to the economic situation and the effect it's had on me personally, and also the automotive industry I've become a nut for information. I'm on and off of CNN, MSN and the Drudge Report all day, along with the Automotive News website. I want to know what's going on and how it's going to change tomorrow. I've also found lots of industry experts use the Internet in different ways to share FREE knowledge! Here are just a few I've found helpful, and just by using search engines you can find so much more! If you're planning a new marketing campaign, sales training technique, looking for more creative lenders, looking to kick start customer relations, etc. etc....why not check hear what the experts have to say before jumping right in. The best part is, you can do some research without spending a dime! Direct Mail Expert podcast (one of my colleagues): http://web.me.com/larryacraig/Marketvision/Podcast/Podcast.html Sales & sales training podcast & blog by Caskey One: http://caskeyone.com/blog/category/the-advanced-selling-podcast/ Automotive Marketing Advice - I love this one: http://www.automarketingadvice.com/blog These are just a few I check out frequently. If there are others you like, please leave them as a comment, I'd love to check them out.

How much are ups costing you?

A colleague got an email today from a competitor. This competitor was touting 11x17 tri-fold self mailers for "cheap." The price really wasn't all that cheap but you do get something free with purchase! Boy does that sound familiar :) With the market as it is it's important that the money you are spending on marketing is actually bringing in results. Some dealers are religious about collecting data about what brought people into the dealership, others go by a gut feel. The gut can be a dangerous thing. Through our recent MarketVision data we can prove that the 11x17 tri-fold is, simply, the worst direct mail product on the market (an average sale yields a .046% response)...yet so many dealers call asking for it because it's cheap. But is it? How do you find out?

• First, you have to know the true traffic count of the sale. Many dealers use the registration cards that most companies send out to do this, make sure you note if they came in from the mailer on the card though. Not every up through the door is from the mailer. If you or the sales guys struggle doing this with every person that comes in you can also utilize MarketVision to get a precise count.
• Second, do some basic math. If you need help with this--do not call me. Even with a calculator I still manage to mess up the most simple math problem! Figure out how much each up cost you on the sale. (Total sale price divided by number of ups). Once you have that number you'll know how much the mailer actually cost you.

In some markets the 11x17 tri-folds can still be effective. These are typically very rural markets with little to no aggressive direct mail marketing. In these markets the tri-fold is still a great value! In markets that have seen this product since Pat Gunning was a child, it may be time to start looking at the more sophisticated products. You'll only know what's best for you when you do the math for your store. Happy calculating!

New Month-Fresh Start

After getting the Automotive News email yesterday, as I'm sure many of you did too, I was disheartened to hear that September looks to be the worst month in 10 years for the automotive industry. It got me down, especially with thoughts of the winter months looming in the near future. I went home, after closing out the month and belabored the point with Andy (my husband to be) for 20 minutes before he told me he was done listening. But today is October 1. It's no longer September and it is no longer one of the worst months in years. It's a fresh start and hopefully a fresh outlook. Here's some surprising news, last week when the country was in turmoil, with the news anchors squawking about failing banks and possibly $700 billion bail out plans...dealers were selling cars. Monday morning I got four or five emails from colleagues about GREAT sales! I'm not talking about 1% traffic and a 5% closing ratio, I'm talking about close to 3% foot traffic and two sales over $200,000 gross profit in a weekend. This makes me so excited about October! This week, try to make that month end process at short as possible and start looking into what you're doing next. There are some very neat, new products out in the direct mail world right now. New premiums, pieces, and themes. Think about adding/replacing an extra zip code in your list this month--maybe your competitor down the road is "pulling in his reigns" making it a perfect opportunity for you to snatch up some extra business. Get in contact with your media consultants and start brainstorming for the future! Now is the time to differentiate yourselves from the rest of your market. It's true, the gut reaction in times like these is to just stop spending...but that may just be what everyone else is doing. Kids are still turning 16, "old reliables" are still breaking down, and the "Jones's" are still driving nicer cars than the neighbors--people still need cars. Make sure your dealership is the one they go to first. So there's my "rah-rah" for the month. A little positive thinking and a good attitude goes a long way, I know I'm not the first to say it, but we all forget it from time to time. PS: To get your brain going, here are the top 5 direct mail ideas from Tri Auto right now (as reported by our MarketVision sales data): http://www.triauto.com/products/index.php