Digital Dealer - April 2018 - 20

A D V E RT I S I N G & M A R K E T I N G

Continued from pg. 18

them on a personal level, listen to their ideas,
and those thoughts with
your team. My friend Ted
sells several hundred
Hyundais every month.
He and three of his managers, each call at least
five customers a week to
discuss their experience,
asking if their expectations were met and
how they might improve.
They don't use Survey
Monkey, they don't let an
outside service call and
they don't send a form
letter. They call, often in
the evening when they
know the customers
are home. The owner
also spends at least two
hours a week talking
with customers in the in
the service lounge, often
inviting them for lunch.
That, my friends, is LISTENING.

UNDERSTAND
YOUR COMPETITION!

Anything that True Car,
or Fair, or Carvana, or
Car Lotz or Swap Lease
or any other automotive
entity can do, you are
in the best position of
all to do it better. Not
everyone wants to buy
a car online and have it
delivered to their door,
but if they do, why can't
you do that? Of course
you can! If a customer
wants to consign his or
her car, why can't you do
that? Have you taken a
look at Car Lotz website? Is there anything
they offer that you can't
do better? And who has
the better, most trusted
proven brand in your
marketplace... you or a
new entry? They won't
eat your lunch if you
20

APRIL 2018

don't let them.

TREAT YOUR INTERNAL CUSTOMERS
LIKE YOU WOULD
YOUR BEST EXTERNAL
CUSTOMER. Your team

is your greatest marketing
asset. You want a good
attitude and people who
are actually happy with
what they are doing and
feel like their life is on the
right track. A substantial
part of your marketing
focus should be treating your team the way
they want to be treated.
Ironically, that often
means a more disciplined
atmosphere and more

best customer is also the
most engaged customer. Whether you bring a
customer in your communication sphere through
a digital ad, a radio or TV
ad, a letter or an email,
the process needs to be
refined at every stage.
There's nothing worse
than sending a form letter
to a customer who has
asked for specific vehicle
information. At some
point, the communication
becomes direct and personal, with a choice BY
THE CUSTOMER of how
they want to pursue that
communication, wheth-

YOU WANT A GOOD
ATTITUDE AND PEOPLE
WHO ARE ACTUALLY
HAPPY WITH WHAT
THEY ARE DOING AND
FEEL LIKE THEIR LIFE IS
ON THE RIGHT TRACK."
and better training. But
you'll never know unless
you ask.

PLATINUM COMMUNICATIONS. Advertising

and marketing are all
about communication. In
the last 20 years, those
efforts have become
much more interactive,
allowing the chance for
the potential buyer to not
only listen but to talk back
and ask questions. The
Internet has opened up
unlimited research opportunities for customers.
While some dealers only
see the information age
as a decline in grosses,
others understand the
best customer is the most
informed customer. The

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

er it be text, phone or
email, with consideration
of THEIR schedule and
THEIR timing.

THE TOTAL EXPERIENCE. I shared some

thoughts on experiential
marketing in last month's
column, and if you
missed it, or would like
a copy, email me and I'll
send it along. Now, more
than ever, in virtually
every demographic and
sociographic identity, the
total experience is critical
to closing a deal, gross,
overall satisfaction and
brand loyalty (being your
brand...not the factory).
You need to look at your
operation through the
eyes of the customer.

How do they perceive
the treatment? Consider
your signage, vehicle
display, directions,
showroom, greeting,
lighting, background
music/noise, overall
cleanliness, the comfort
of furniture, etc.
A Chevy dealer friend
of mine has a 'ladies
day inspection' several
times a year. He invites
the spouses of six male
employees to visit the
dealership and rate their
experience on a form
which becomes the basis for a facilities meeting that has generated
a lot of improvements.
One idea that resulted
from this was to put a
button on the wall of
customer restrooms with
a sign that says, "We
take pride in keeping our
restrooms in excellent
condition. If you think
the room needs service,
please press this button." The buttons light up
at the receptionist so the
restrooms are kept spotless without constant inspections throughout the
day. But at the end of
the day, nothing is more
important than the perception of a welcoming
'feeling' by the customer
and recognition of their
importance and appreciation of their choice to
shop the dealership.
JIM BOLDEBOOK is

Founder of CBC Automotive
Marketing, an advertising/
marketing agency working
with some of America's most
successful dealerships. He
has been in the broadcasting,
advertising and marketing
fields for almost 50 years.
EMAIL: jim@cbcads.com
http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - April 2018
