Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Now doing it online is the best way to hone any names or copy that you will use elsewhere. It's fast. The results will escalate the results from any other style of advertising.

now the hard bit: which is what your customers think of all this! Believe me, it's the one thing that marks exceptional marketers from ordinary ones. More importantly, doing it for yourself is even harder as you already see yourself in the mirror each morning - and you never see the person other people see.

Let's start with what you already have. For one - a company that you're proud of. That, by the way, is simply fantastic. That you're so proud of your vehicles that you have a no-quibble guarantee is a marketer's dream. So what can we do with it? You have customers, and satisfied ones too. So look through all their reviews and isolate the salient points they make. Take the lot, spend an afternoon (or several?) and just note a word (three at most) that describes their comment. It doesn't matter what words right now, just go through beginning to end. Don't go back and start again: go through this process. By the end you'll have a good idea of what your customers are telling you - so please DO THIS YOURSELF! Don't get someone else to do it. Now go through the list again, repeating what you did. You'll have a much better idea about the good comments, the good words now. What's more the good points about your business will begin to take a real shape in your mind. So will your best kind of customer. If this hasn't quite gelled - do it once more, skimming poor quality comments if you wish.

You now have a good idea of how your best clients see YOU. Now sit in their shoes, you've worked at it and this won't be so hard now. Your taglines, copy and the things to portray will reveal themselves as if a bolt of lighting has struck you! That's when you test them online to see which ones your customers like best - and that's when you go for the TV ads.

As to strategies. Take a review from a client that wasn't happy with their car. Whatever you did it broke down. just tell it straight, and tell how much time you took over them to keep them happy. A lot of people - especially those who will appreciate a company going to such lengths will like hearing how you tried everything possible to get them going.

You've been in business long enough to know that the better quality client is serenaded by your going through the essentials of your guarantees and conditions. They like to know you're a professional who goes into sensible detail. The ones who stop you mid way through and demand a cheaper price want something else - they want to be the boss, the expert and more importantly they don't have any faith in your expertise. They are the ones to be wary of - and the ones you don't want too many of (need I tell you this??).

Does this help any? Let's hear from you. In the mean time, I'm off to bed and it's only 6pm Eastern. Mind you, it's midnight here in NL :-)

If you're going to do local TV, do NOT:

1. Feature a cute girl walking through the showroom, talking to the camera, telling us where you are and how great your deals are.

2. Use lots of BLOCK CAPITALS to give a sense of your MASSIVE OFFER.

3. Feature your staff telling the viewer that they have a message from the manager.

4. Have a voiceover artist speaking at a thousand words per minute.

5. Use cheesy special effects.

6. Play for laughs.

7. Feature children, babies, puppies, or kittens.

8. Use BOOMING VOICE OVER man!

Simply state your offer, as you've done above, and focus on benefits, values to the customer, and your honest to goodness, no BS approach to selling cars and offering your customers the best they can afford.

You might also want to offer extended warranties on cars above a certain price thresh hold, warranties of a year or more: possibly even up to three years. No other dealer will be offering
THIS kind of value and other dealers will think you're INSANE for doing so.

Follow the next 12 people who purchase used cars from you (on video) and see what problems they have (if any). Record their interactions with your staff. Show the experience they have, don't simply say what it'll be.