7 Easy Steps to Help Sales People Stand Out!

There has been a subtle shift in advertising and marketing, and it's becoming more noticeable. Marketing is going from mass messages blasted for all to hear to more and more personalized one on one type advertising. The average customer is also relying on the Internet and technology to get their information--creating a whole new definition of "word of mouth." One way to immediately increase business is to start encouraging your sales staff to differentiate themselves. Below are 8 easy ways to begin this process: 7 Ways to Stand Out in the Sales Person Crowd 1. Find your Niche. What do you know most about? Who do you enjoy working with? What do you enjoy selling? In what area are you an expert? 2. Use the Internet. Everyone else is! Find a way to market yourself and your knowledge online. Blogging, Podcasting, email newsletters and even networking allow you to share your knowledge and your personality. 3. Social Media. If you are already familiar with Social Networking sites like Facebook & MySpace, why not start using them to your advantage? Also, check out Twitter & LinkedIn. The more people that know you, the more people you can be introduced to. 4. Work yourself into your company's marketing. Many dealerships include their most "well known" sales people in their advertising. Others will include the entire sales staff. If you can brand yourself as the "go to" guy or gal when looking for a car, that is something the entire dealership can market. 5. Keep your heart in the right place. The person I look up to in sales calls this "intent." If your intent is truly on helping people (and not on "closing" or "slamming the deal") that comes through to the customer. This will give them the type of experience they want to tell their friends about. If you'd like the last 2 steps shoot me an email at sthompson@triauto.com. I love brainstorming about things like this, if you or any of your sales guys want to chat please feel free to have them give me a call 317-644-5729!

Using MarketVision to lower your costs & increase response

It's been a while since I've specifically blogged about MarketVision, and I suppose for the past few months I've been sitting back to see what real gains dealers were experiencing by using it with their direct mail campaigns. After several really great conversations this week I decided it's time to at least talk about how some dealers are lowering their costs and increasing their response using this technology. I've been working with a Cincinnati area dealer for several years. They are a large, domestic dealer and have typically blasted their market with 100,000 pieces for several months in a row. The first few sales were always very good, and then results would start to dwindle and they'd take a break for a while. These sales were successful for them and they were always pretty happy until it was time for a break again. Three months ago it was time for them to start doing mail again. This was the first time they used the MarketVision kiosk with their mailer (http://www.marketvisionauto.com/). Three months later they have 3 sales worth of data.

So how does MarketVision help me lower advertising costs & increase results?

I know - sounds like an infomercial - but here's the deal:

1. Gather data-start using MarketVision on all your mailers. It's cheap and includes free follow-up letters to everyone who comes in.
2. After several sales do some analytics on the information. This is something I can certainly help with.
3. Eliminate zip codes you've been mailing to that just don't perform (Savings!)!
4. Make a list of zip codes that do perform.
5. Make a list of some areas that could hold opportunities. New markets you've never or rarely hit, your competitors market, new carrier routes, etc.
6. Divide your high performing zip codes into equal parts. For instance-3 parts so you can hit your entire list once per quarter, 4 parts so you can hit it all every month, etc.
7. Here's the fun part-this list will not contain the zips that don't perform so you will send out less mail, but you'll be concentrating on the people that are likely to respond so your response will go up. You're also being careful to spread out who you are hitting so the results don't dwindle as you have to move farther away from your store. Sprinkle in a few of those areas you'd like to try each sale, and you can start determining NEW MARKETS to add to your "responders" list.

I'll even do your first MarketVision analysis for you-free! Give me a call if you want to talk about the data we've already collected, or if you want to start measuring what your mail is doing for you in 2009.

Thinking "Off the Lot" -Creating new automotive advertising ideas

It's begun. Finally, we've been able to put 2008 to bed, and although 2009 isn't expected to save us all in its first few weeks--there are signs of better times. Edmunds is reporting a huge gain in online traffic the last week of December & our local paper here in Indy just ran a great article on a possible upcoming boom after the bailout (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901040321). If the media is starting to actually be positive, that has to be a good sign! Have you already sat down to lay-out your 2009 advertising plan? The dealers that have the most successful marketing & branding are those that strategize and think of their year as a whole--instead of week to week and month to month. Consistent presence in your market & within your messages is key. This year, as you meet with the experts that help you with all your advertising, why not try to come up with some new ideas? With all the price cutting & incentives out there how is your dealership going to stand out above the rest? Here are some ideas I've heard and thought about, maybe it'll spark a new event or offer at your dealership.

• Buy one get one free-This has been done - and the media loves it! If you go this route be sure to advertise it in all your marketing and call the news and the paper to let them know-this promotion has been gaining a lot of attention. Just make sure you are doing it the right way.
• "Closing" the dealership-I had a client run newspaper story ads in the paper saying that the dealership was 'closing' in the title. In the fine print it went on to say it was just for a day to prepare for their sale. The day the dealership "closed" he hired a security guard to walk the lot telling them they couldn't look at vehicles, they roped off the lot with police fencing, and made a big spectacle of it. It took a little planning & some creativity but they had a FANTASTIC event and you know the whole town was talking about that dealership.
• Personalize your staff-We know for years that personal contact from your salesperson after the sale is always a great way to stay in touch with your customers. How can you use that to your advantage with new customers? Personal branding. I'll probably do an entry on this alone, but think about taking advantage of the slow talking cowboy customers seem to love, or the kind mother of 2 that people just gravitate toward. Towbin Dodge is a perfect example of this with their infomercials--who wouldn't want to work with the "Blue Genie" or "Chilly Willy?" Below is a commercial from one of my clients, Dan Porter Motors. All their TV always features the staff & are very entertaining. It seems like Dan Porter is a place you'd want to hang out. Is it possible purchasing a vehicle could be...ahem...FUN!?

• Make your next event entertainment-I'm not talking about the Slasher showing up or Repo Joe (although those do quite well for the right market & dealer), I'm just suggesting making your events stand out. As your drive down auto row everyone is having an event. They are ballooned & bannered up with some catchy slogan. How can you stand out? In a recent brainstorming here at Tri-Auto I threw out a theme of "Kiss Your Clunker Goodbye" and said we could put huge Fathead stickers of lips on two clunkers out front. Maybe lipstick isn't your thing--but there has to be a new way of getting attention as people drive by.
• Be Timely-All the Time!-You have to think about what is important to the public today. So many GM's and Sales Managers fall into the trap of doing what has worked in the past--gas incentives are not going to do today what they did this summer when prices are double what they are now--and what worked in February '07 is likely to not in February '09. Try to think from the consumers point of view & rely on your advertising experts for what they've seen working.

We've been working hard on getting ready for what's to come with the new President and beyond for 2009. I love brainstorming based on a specific market-please give me a call if you'd just like to talk through some ideas...direct mail or not!