Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

What a tough biz. If I was in this market-- I'd work the Pword out of referrals and repeat biz. Every single person you have sold a car has to buy again..every single one of them has a neighbor or relative looking. I dont like to refer Joe Girard. His methods are dated. But he kept touch with his clients and (excuse my language) worked the pword out of existing clients and referrals.

Your sales people are slacking. Instead of expecting the company to spend more-- get them working -- you are sitting on a goldmine with past customers.

If they are expecting a WII to sell a car-- think again. You are right, you are one of a herd. Logically, sit back and think, would I buy a car because of a WII or because I knew the dealership is giving me the right price and will back me up??

Make your client go back to basics and earn the biz the old fashioned way'

And

Sell Well and Prosper tm

Can you offer a free fill up or $xx.xx valued gas card promotion with every purchase or another value-added service such as discounted oil change, simplified tagging or registration service, bonus on trade-in, and again beef up our mission statement as Carol mentioned, a fair price backed up by warranty, service, etc.

Marketing-Riot

I have questions for you -

What makes your client different from the others? What value do they provide, beyond the car itself, that the competition may be lacking? (Note that when I say value, I mean what the customer really finds valuable, not what your client thinks they should find valuable.) What part of the car buying or car owning experience do you make less stressful for the customer? Find the answers to these questions and you will also find your focus. Once you find your focus, use it to build a brand and a reputation.

Example: If your client has a great service department with honest, rock star mechanics, promote that. Invite people to enjoy a great experience with no risk before asking them to spend another $30,000. How? Send all of your previous customers a coupon for a free inspection or oil change. Make sure the mechanics are honest, on-time and reliable. Once the great service is provided and the customer redeems the coupon, give the customer a small promotional item so they remember their great experience. It doesn't need to be big like a Wii - check out these Micro-Engine Pens, which are fun and memorable: https://www.pleg.com/product_detail.jsp?pid=1102. (You can double your potential by sending a second coupon for customers to give to a friend for a $2.00 inspection. Print a code on the back of the friend coupons so you can keep track of who they came from. When those are redeemed, send a thank you card along with the promo item to the original customer as well.)

Next: Follow-up by starting a program where anyone buying a car receives free oil changes or free inspections for as long as they own the vehicle. Have the sales person send them a note or give them a phone call as a reminder when either is due. This will also help them to stay in front of their customers regularly and form a positive relationship with them. People would always prefer to work with a trusted friend than a stranger. They also introduce friends to their other friends!

Looking for something relatively free? Start a blog or a newsletter for your client where people can ask questions about buying a car, maintenance or the industry itself. Offer free, expert advice and an insiders look "from one small town guy to another". Tell people what kind of questions they should be asking, the answers they should be able to expect and keys to knowing they are getting a good deal. Expose the flaws in the industry. Doing this instead of trying to sell everyone will make people view your client as both knowledgeable and trustworthy.

Just keep in mind that, with buying a car, HONESTY is extremely key. Everyone dealership says they are honest and very few dealerships actually are. You will have to find a way to prove it.

Now, go out there and make some friends!