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This year’s Black Friday chaos and record-breaking Cyber Monday sales created quite the stir around the Potratz lunch table. Sharing pictures of our weekend steals and comparing our shopping lists, my co-workers and I discussed 2013’s hottest items over our cups of soup and sandwiches. Remembering the Tickle Me Elmo craze and iPod madness of holiday’s past, we each pointed out our favorite “must haves,” but were sure to mention that the best gifts were the ones we didn’t even think to ask for. There will always be big-ticket items to market each holiday season, but retailers and dealers need to remember that those forgotten wants will also sell.  For dealers, this means promoting service.

When creating incentives for this upcoming holiday season, it’s important to focus both on sales and service. You might not find a mother looking to buy three new vehicles for her sons, but she could go home with Oil Change certificates as stocking stuffers. Promoting both vehicle specials and service specials provides gift options for all price-points. This season, take the time to create a menu of services that your dealership would be willing to offer for gift-hungry customers, bonus points go for creativity. Bundle together a fuel injection and throttle service for the ultimate Gas Saver or “Holiday Brake” Special for college students home on break. From snow tire deals to a detailing package, busy holiday shoppers will understand the value of these needed gifts, especially if they are being offered at a discounted rate. 

When it comes to planning these specials, be sure to keep your customer’s schedule in mind. For example, the day after Christmas finds many scheduling the “to do” items that they never have time for. Why not offer a free state inspection for those who need to get their vehicles renewed? Doing a little extra work in tailoring your specials will stand out in a sea of flashy “hot item” advertisements and it adds value to your dealership. As we’ve discussed in past blogs, service is what builds customer loyalty. Maybe when that lucky gift recipient brings in her oil change coupon, she realizes she’d like to browse the New Year models or get her tires rotated.  Service allows customers to interact directly with your sales team and technicians and opens up opportunities for future sales or services. Like a perfectly knotted bow, those small service specials can create lifelong customers and make the holidays merrier for dealers and customers alike.

In case you missed the live broadcast yesterday you can check out the show with @marktewart on U-Stream bit.ly/19lRwWd

Our customers in this business today can smell insincerity like a shark senses blood. From the moment that they first meet you, and all through our sales process, they are looking for any hint of insincerity that may have seeped from you. This creates both the challenge for us, and the opportunity.

I like to think of sales as nothing more than the transfer of emotions. I also like to think of closing as making simple sense - basically justifying the emotions logically in the form of a car deal.

The reason that people are so sensitive to insincerity from car sales people is because of the high number of average and insincere sales people that are out there. Many of our customers have dealt with one of these annoying sales people at one time or another. These are the sales people that seem more interested in making their commission than anything else. These are the sales people that tend not to follow up with their customers, and keep in touch with them over the long term. Even though their customers trusted them to guide them though spending 20-30-or 80 thousand dollars, they neglect to continue serving that customer. This only reinforces the mentality that people tend to have about car sales people - because there are so many of us out there that are proving their preconceived notions to be correct.

Ask any person you know what they think in general of lawyers, and more often then not you will get some sort of negative explanation about their line of work in general - and the same goes for lots of other sales people out there in other industries. But not their lawyer. This is what creates the opportunity.

People want to deal with people that believe in the value of the services they provide. They want people that don't just believe at a general level, but at a level that is so great that this emotion is transferred to them. They want to feel your passion come through. Anything less than that is perceived by many people as insincerity - and rightly so.

People don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.

What we need to do is make sure we are not only keeping our attitude in check each and every day, but that we feel great about our line of work. We need to feel deep down that we are not only offering the very best quality of service, but also that if we allow that customer to leave and purchase from an average salesperson down the street - we are then doing them a great disservice.

If we are able to transfer our emotion and passion for what we do to our customer during our process, more often then not we will not only gain a customer and a commission, but also a friend and long term business relationship.

Remember, people don't buy what we do, they buy why we do it.

I think at one time Digital Dealer was relevant, just as MySpace was relevant. But that time is over. The Automotive Internet Sales, Business Development, Digital marketing... "Digital Dealer" will be better served at the Internet Battle Plan.

*** I want to make this crystal clear. I am NOT a partner of Jim Ziegler's Internet Battle Plan. I do NOT make ANY money from Internet Battle Plan. I don't even get paid to speak at the Internet Battle Plan. I have been asked by numerous Dealer Principals and GMs about my thoughts of sending their employees, managers and sales consultants to the Digital Dealer Conference. So I decided to shoot this quick video. I DO NOT think Digital Dealer has any relevance anymore. I think it was relevant back in the day but Dealers need to evolve and find education and information that is relevant today. The quality of the Speakers and the instructional design is superior at the Internet Battle Plan. PERIOD

Use These Two Tactics To Increase Conversions
► You Won't See This In Brick-and-Mortar
► Create A Hard-To-Ignore Call To Action
► Get Customers Taking Action Sooner
► Attract Those Looking To Buy Right Now

Today, I have two proven tactics for you to increase your conversions. One tactic appeals to those shopping to buy now and the other will bring in those with selective interests. That's this week on Think Tank Tuesday.

Attracting Mobile Shoppers
► Over 80% Shop For Vehicles Online
► Numbers Are Decreasing For Desktop Users
► More Customers Are Turning To Mobile
► Tune Your Message To These Customers

Automotive shopping habits have evolved rapidly over the past 18 years. Customers quickly adapted to shopping on the internet and now those habits are changing again. Are you prepared to keep up? That's this week on Hard Facts.

http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com 856-546-2440
Make Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - Car Sales Is Like Owning Your Own Business

What business are you in? “The car business” would probably be your normal answer. I would invite you look deeper into that question. Rarely, is your first answer to that question your most accurate answer. The majority of businesses fail, or fail to reach their potential, because the owner and managers haven’t figured out the most important and most basic question: “What business are we in?”

Saying you are in the car business seems logical. However, that answer does not stir emotions in you, your team or your customers. It’s kind of like saying Disneyland is in the “theme park” business. The general answer is that you are in the “problem solving and emotional relationship” business.

People don’t sell or buy cars. They solve problems. Those problems may be wants or needs based problems or perceived or real problems, but they are problems nonetheless. If a customer gets the itch for a new car and, even though they may not need the new car, the emotion of the desire creates an incredible pull that becomes a problem for the customer until it is solved. Therefore, you are always in the emotions and problems business and the vehicle just becomes a part of the answer. Stop selling cars and start creating relationships based upon solving problems and matching answers to your customer’s emotional desires.

Your product knowledge, sales skills nor any other skill will help you accomplish solving the customer’s problem more than people skills. The old adage that “People buy form people” is true. People buy you first, before they buy the car. In order for the customer to buy you, you must make a memorable impression. In most cases, you have about 15 seconds to two minutes to create a connection that creates trust and respect. However, most sales people treat the meet and greet as if it’s no big deal.

Try the following meet and greet, “Hi folks, welcome to our dealership. Are you out beginning to look and shop around a little bit?” This question is a universal truth statement. It’s a universal truth that people are looking and shopping. If you don’t believe it, just greet them the way you normally do and see how they reply 99 percent of the time.

If you know how the customer usually replies to your standard greeting and you know that all customers share certain unexpressed fears, all you have to do is proactively remove those fears and you have at least a 70 percent greater chance of the customer buying from you than someone else.

Most all customers are afraid of getting the wrong vehicle, wrong price, wrong  information or the wrong sales person. Somewhere in the beginning of the sales process, I invite you to make a Job Mission Statement that proactively addresses the customer’s fears and concerns. This Job Mission statement will position you as a person, not a sales person. Try the following Job Mission Statement, “Mr. Customer, I try to help every customer of mine find the right vehicle at the right budget and give them all the right information and just make it an easy, fun and painless experience, fair enough?”

Addressing the customer’s fears up front creates trust and allows you to create cognitive dissonance. That’s just a fancy term for saying you have in the customers mind mentally distanced yourself from the other sales people they have experienced, or even their perceptions of sales people in general.

Don’t get caught up in the “best price wins” trap. It’s a loser’s game played by people losing in the sales game. Everyday people are buying goods and services and paying premiums for them because of their perceptions created about the product, service or lifestyle change. If all things are equal, then price becomes the final decision. Your mission is to make everything that you offer and the way you offer it so unique that you completely change the decision game.

Selling is a game of positioning. You must create leverage for yourself with the customer. If there is no leverage, then you are doomed to play the best price game. In other words, without a strong position and leverage, you are begging for the sale.

The 80/20 rule applies to sales people. Eighty percent of sales are made by 20 percent of the sales people. The reason the top 20 percent of sales people thrive is because they have figured out what business they are in, and it’s not the “car” business.

How involved is your connection with each of your customers? Excellent personalized customer service is what sets a great dealership apart from others. Providing superior customer service is an essential part of gaining repeat business. If you routinely followed up with every customer, in a way that would not increase your workload, how much more business could you do? Let's take a look at the customer experience process, from the perspectives of two different customers.

Without Automated Targeted Communication

The online lead (Buddy): Buddy is viewing vehicles on the dealership website. He wants to purchase a truck, and he sees two that he likes. He reads about them and views pictures on the website, then signs up for the dealership's email newsletter in case they are having any good deals.

Buddy forgets his search for a few days, then decides to check out another dealership website. He also views their trucks, and does so on a variety of other local dealership websites as well. After several months of searching, no one from any of the dealerships has contacted Buddy and he has not made a purchase.

The customer who has purchased (Minnie): Minnie purchased a car about a year ago. She received a call from the dealership three months after her purchase, letting her know that her car was due for an oil change. Minnie has not heard from the dealership since, and has discovered a shop that can do her regular maintenance for slightly cheaper than the dealership.

These situations are common. Most automotive customers now research vehicles online before visiting the dealership. In many cases, dealership staff do not have the tools to reach out to all the online leads they receive.

Once customers purchase vehicles, they require ongoing maintenance, and routine appointments are a great way to drive repeat business back to the original dealership. Does your staff contact every customer to let them know each time that their vehicle requires routine maintenance? Oil change notices, appointment reminders, updates about winter tires and special promotions... Are you contacting each customer with this important information?

If you are contacting each customer, that requires a lot of time, effort and organization. You could spend your whole day just calling customers. Is there a way to simplify the process of reaching out to customers, while still effectively connecting with them and enhancing the level of customer service that you provide?

With Automated Targeted Communication

Now let's imagine how the customer experience could be enhanced with the help of an automated communication solution.

The online lead (Buddy): Buddy views the trucks that he likes and signs up for the dealership's email newsletter. He immediately receives a welcome message: “Hi Buddy! Thanks for signing up. Use the promotional code TIRE2014 to get 20% off your purchase of windshield washer fluid or gas line antifreeze.” He receives another email the next day, with a list of “deals of the month” and he spots a truck. He clicks the link to view more information.

Two days later, he gets an email entirely focused on trucks, with links to pages highlighting the features of each of the dealership's trucks that are currently in stock. He sees the truck he likes, and clicks the link. The next day, he receives an email “Hi Buddy, would you like to test drive a Brand X 2014 truck? If you find the truck of your dreams, we will throw in three months of satellite radio free, just for you!”

Buddy goes to the dealership and tests out the truck. The salesperson is friendly and helpful and soon Buddy has decided to purchase.

The customer who has purchased (Minnie): Minnie just purchased her car. She told the salesperson that the best way to reach her is through text messaging. Two weeks after the initial purchase, Minnie receives a text message: “Hi Minnie, we hope you're enjoying your new car! If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know. You can always text us or call us at ---.”

Every three months, Minnie gets a text message letting her know that her car is due for an oil change. She even books her appointments through text messaging. On the day of each appointment, she receives a text message reminding her of the appointment time.

Every few months, Minnie receives messages and promotions that are tailored to her car type and purchase date. She always receives routine maintenance notices so her vehicle stays in top shape, and she also gets reminders when she should put on and take off her winter tires. Each year on Minnie's birthday and on the anniversary of the day she purchased her vehicle, she gets exclusive text message discounts and promotions. The communication process is quick and easy, and Minnie has never been so satisfied with customer service, so she continues to return for her maintenance and has recommended the dealership to friends.

Conclusion

Automotive salespeople and customer service representatives provide the most important connection to customers, and their hard work and friendly attitude encourage customer loyalty. Yet it is difficult for staff to contact each customer on every important date with updates about their unique vehicle and personalized promotions.

With the assistance of automated software that is currently available, staff can contact hundreds of customers with a single click. They can set up a communication plan at the beginning of the year to ensure that every customer receives maintenance reminders based on their purchase date and date of last appointment, a special promotion on their birthday and more. Automatic messages are sent on the customer's preferred mode of communication. All messages are sent from a single automated solution.

Imagine how much more new and repeat business you could gain if you could follow up with every online lead and in-store customer, and provide information that is directly relevant to each unique individual. Your daily workload is reduced, yet you are able to provide more personalized service to each of your customers.

http://www.dealersynergy.com 856-546-2440
"Make Your Own Weather" - Sean V. Bradley - Millionaire Car Salesman (4/23/12)

There is a startling way for most dealers to double their business – fire their advertising agencies. Dealerships spend an enormous amount of money on advertising for new customers. Unfortunately, often that money is wasted. The money is wasted because the agencies are strictly placing ad dollars in media and doing production. Often, the ad dollars are spent without any knowledge and use of direct response marketing, and the game plan that will be used towards keeping those customers.

Before you spend one dime on getting new customers, try putting a fence around the ones you’ve got. First define who your active and inactive customers are. Your active customers bought from you and service with you. Nationwide, these active customers only account for an average of 19 percent of your total customer base.

Next, identify who your inactive customers are and begin a campaign to make them active. You may send a cycle of three letters with the same theme. Maybe the first letter is something to the effect of “We Miss You,” the second might be “You Must Have Not Gotten Our First Letter,” the third would be “We Are Sending Out a Search Party.”

Each letter would contain a significant reward and bonus if they become your customer again. It’s not enough to sell them every four or six years; we have to create a continual relationship with contact that encourages and creates servicing and purchasing other goods and services.

Don’t spend one more penny toward new customer acquisition until you have designed an ongoing continuity program to keep them active by rewarding them. You can keep those customers by actively designing an ongoing automated contact and reward system. Don’t buy a Business Development System or a Customer Relationship Manager System and expect this to be a magic button to do this for you.

You must first decide what results you want and work backwards to design the steps to accomplish it. Let’s say that you want to reward your customers and create an ongoing personal relationship. Design a whole year’s worth of contacts based upon a theme or several themes, offers and added value.

Use multiple media to deliver the message, such as postcards, letters, dimensional mail, e-mail, e-mail newsletters, voice broadcast, free recorded messages, special reports, coupons and others. All the media should have what my colleague Nido Quebin calls “Intentional Congruence.” Each choice of media should feed the other and connect the dots between each other. Each department should intentionally feed the other.

Many dealerships contain four or five different businesses within a business, such as new vehicle sales, used vehicle sales, F&I, service, parts, and body shop. Each department in your dealership should have its own marketing messages, tailored to fit its unique services. Try breaking your database down into active, inactive, different departments, different make buyers, different model buyers, different year purchases and more. Segment your database and talk to them differently.

It costs seven times the amount of money to acquire new customers as it does to keep the ones you have. It is also the surest and best way to grow your business exponentially while also insulating your company from so-called bad economies, mistakes from manufacturers and new buyer behaviors and patterns.

When you have designed a system that touches your customer base a minimum of 48 times a year, you can now begin to work on your mass merchandising. Mass merchandising for new customer acquisition is also vital to the health of your company.

I would invite you to think first in ways that cost a lot less dollars. Try creating coupon swaps with other businesses such as dry cleaners, coffee shops, restaurants, car washes, etc. Try creating alliances with other companies where you can do a mailing to each other’s businesses that introduces each other as a trusted source and offers a large inducement to take action.

Think lead generation in your mass media advertising at first. Create a “Free Special Report: Seven Things Everyone Should Know Before They Buy a Vehicle.” Create an e-mail, fax or toll-free telephone line auto-responder system to deliver this report to people who request this from your ads. This will create a two-stage lead generation source that asks potential customers to raise their hand and show interest instead of asking them to make an instant buying decision.

If you use an advertising agency and they are not talking to you about your overall marketing plan that contains elements for your existing customers, lead generation and how to create continuity programs, you should fi re them and get someone who has the correct knowledge of marketing. They should create a plan that creates a healthy and wealthy business for you now and in the future.

http://www.dealersynergy.com 856-546-2440

Mid-Week Motivation with Joe Cala - Encourage One-Another - Automotive Sales - Car Sales 

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440
Jim Flint, President Of Local Search Group Reviews the Internet Sales 20 Group in Los Angeles, Ca

Sean V. Bradley Wishes You A Happy Thanksgiving & Shares What He Is Thankful For- 2013

After returning home form a speaking engagement in New York, I wanted to relax a little and flipped channels on the TV until I came to a movie called “Beyond the Sea.” My intention was to just watch and enjoy the movie and just release all the tensions of work and travel. It was time to veg-out and not think. Then – boom – it happened. A line from the movie hit me like a thunder bolt: “People hear what they see.”

“Beyond the Sea” is a movie about the life of Bobby Darin. Darin was a singer and actor from the 50s and 60s. Darin was part of the so-called crooner-style singers such as Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra. He had a very successful career that included many hit songs, two Grammy Awards and a nomination for an Oscar Award for one of his movie performances.

Even with his success, Darin, like many of the crooner-style singers of that era, became obsolete overnight. The British invasion and the Beatles came to America and rock music and folk music swept the culture. The Vietnam War was in full swing and the protest movement, along with “Peace, Love and Drugs,” was the common theme. Music was being played in large concert halls and not the nightclubs that had made Darin popular. He was suddenly old news at a young age.

In a scene from the movie, Darin discussed his frustration with his career with his wife, movie star Sandra Dee. Then, Sandra Dee delivered the line that woke me from being drowsy: “People see what they hear.”

Darin had been trying to suddenly play war-protest songs while playing the guitar to now-younger audiences in traditional clubs like the Copacabana. Although still young, Darin was playing to younger audiences that distrusted anyone older, and because he was rapidly balding, he appeared that much more out of date to the audience. He had changed his song delivery to sitting on a stool while singing intense war protest and political songs. His message, which mirror-imaged the message of many popular singers of the times, was falling on deaf ears.

Because of the observation of his wife, Darin switched gears and moved his act to Las Vegas. Vegas audiences were used to big shows and lots of production. He incorporated his new songs into his act but delivered them in a different manner. He gave them something to see while they listened. The changes in Darin’s act changed the perspective and the acceptance of the audience. He became popular again but in a certain niche delivered in a different method.

What exactly was the “aha” moment or “writer-downer” thought that hit me when I watched this movie? Two things. First of all, think about the line “People hear what they see.” How do your customers see you and how does that influence what they hear from you? How are the fi rst impressions of you and your dealership influencing your customer’s trust in you, belief in you and the establishment of a buying relationship with you? Visual impact can be huge in delivering your desired message.

Second, how are you delivering your desired message in your dealership and your marketing/advertising? Are you delivering a message that is not matching your market anymore? Is your message worn out? Is the delivery mechanism or media choice for your message successful?

Careers, businesses and everything and everybody face constant change. The question is what are you doing to understand that change and adapt to it? Traditional advertising is dead. Traditional sales techniques are outdated. Are you making the necessary changes, or are you waiting for the market to change back to the old times?

TLC – Think like a Customer. Listen to and observe your customers and marketplace. Read as many various types of magazines as you can. Go the mall, sit down and just watch people and their shopping habits. Dinosaurs do things the way they have always done them. One day, they wind up extinct.

Go over the 3 M’s of your sales and marketing with a fine tooth comb – Message, Marketplace and Media. Don’t hold any existing knowledge or so-called truths to be universally true. Adapt, niche and be bold in doing so. Look and listen intently for keys to success everywhere. You never know when a lightening bolt will hit you and someone will say something such as, “People hear what they see.”

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440
Congratulations Kristen Buckley For Winning The Internet Sales 20 Group's "Best Idea Contest" $1,000 CASH Prize Sponsored By Dealertrack Technologies