Complete Dealer Solutions

Is your marketing solely consistent of vain advertising?

Vain advertising is when your only promotion is trying to sell something.

I see dealerships solely doing this.  Many of whom have 1,000s of customer’s e-mail addresses, and they only send them advertisements.  While this works well for stores like Best Buy who every week publish ads of what’s on sale, dealers have a different type of industry that could be better supported by keeping yourself in contact with your existing customers until they are ready of their next purchase.

While it takes a little time and effort to create a newsletter without any selling, the positives exponentially outweigh the inconvenience.  For example, people will continue to read when you offer them information over sales.  Does that mean you cut out the sale completely?  No, they can both co-exist.

For example, you publish a newsletter with a short article about the importance of summer (or winterizing) your car.  If your A/C is running up to snuff, it could be a hot summer. If you coolant is clean, it will be even harder on your engine (and who wants to be the person pulled over with steam coming out of their hood).

While your articles just explains why your car needs these tune-ups, backed by experts in the field and the manufacturers maintenance plans you state your case.  Then along the bottom, you strategically place coupons for just that type of work.

Now, you have just informed the customer.  You’ve also offered your service in case they need it.  I particularly don’t need any, but knowing that I need to pay attention to my coolant may have been calling and asking questions later.  It wasn’t an in-your-face come buy a new car advertisement that after one or two I’ve had enough and click the dreaded opt-out button.

Think of your customers as not just an immediate sale. 

- Aaron

One term that’s consistently thrown around as being synonymous is marketing and advertising.  They are not.  Marketing is not advertising.  Advertising is a part of marketing.

Marketing is mostly controlling what people perceive as your business.  And advertising plays an important role in this (if done properly).  But there is so much more.  It’s how your business is kept up.  It’s the attitude of the entire staff.  It’s what you do within the community.  It’s how you treat your customers.

Think of two men trying to sell a brand new, $100K BMW.  Both place ads in the newspaper and on the radio.  (So they are advertising).  When you arrive to look at the car, man #1 is in ripped jeans, hair all matted like he just woke up, and smells of booze and body odor.  The other man (#2), is dressed in a fine shirt, well kept and has a pleasant smell about him. 

#1 talks as though he doesn’t want to be there, refuses to unlock the car.  #2 gives you a complete walk around telling you of all the great features.  He hands you a business card and writes his cell phone # telling you to call him if you have any questions anytime of the day.

Both men have advertised, but only one is truly marketing himself.  #2 has considered everything from his appearance, to his presentation of the vehicle, to his ‘customer service’ going beyond the distance.

If your marketing solely consists of coordinating your advertising and press releases, then you need to stop and re-evaluate (and probably develop) your overall marketing plan.

- Aaron

I’ve noticed some legitimate companies starting to send off e-mails like phone calls, using phrases like “Good Morning Aaron” or “Hey Aaron” in the subject lines of e-mails.

While it may seem ok, you’re circumventing what everyone has begun to expect from e-mails.  Unless it’s a friend or family (someone you know) it doesn’t work. 

Why?  Because every spammer does the same thing.  Sounds great because you calling to the person by their name.  That should show them you have a relationship established already right? Have you ever received junk snail mail addressed to you from a company you’ve never worked with?  E-mail spammers have the same e-mail lists most of us do: our address books. 

How?  Because most people keep an address book, and everyone loves to open up attachments.  Many people will open attachments containing viruses, which will send the address book to spammers, and then send its self along to everyone in it.  So they know your name too.

What should be used?  Telling the customer’s the reason for your e-mail.  If you’re confirming my order, state that.  If you have questions about my order using something like “Company XYZ - We have questions on your recent order”.  Did I submit a quote request to you?  “Aaron I have your quote on printing costs”.

You only have a few moments to convey to the customer why you are sending the e-mail.  If it’s something they have requested, make sure they understand this e-mail is in response to their request.  Remember, the spam button is only a click away.

- Aaron