As I scanned through my local Sunday paper (yes I am one of the few remaining newspaper readers) I decided to hit the automotive section. It sure was thin compared to what it used to be. I remember in 1996 when I first got into the automotive business it would be at least 5-6 sections...some almost 18 pages thick...filled with ads. Today it was 2 sections, maybe 6 pages each. But I didnt bring this topic up to discuss dwindling readership and the decline of the automotive newspaper ad. What I did want to bring up was the ads themselves. Not one ad in the newspaper read "Currently there are no specials available, please check back later."
It really is a shame that too many dealer websites are guilty of this. I think back to that Sunday paper and the hundreds of inserts and coupons that are in there (really its the only reason we even get the newspaper). All those specials...just an incentive to get us the consumer to purchase or at least consider their products. Internet Spec...

I’ve done a lot of mystery shopping, emailing and calling hundreds of automobile dealers on a consistent basis just to discover more about their process. In my findings, over 70% of my email leads were answered by an auto-responder. Personally, this drives me crazy. I don’t need an instant response. I need a response with value…not one that tells me how great you are, and where you are, and when you are there. Besides, 8 out of 10 of those auto-responders went right to my junk mail box anyway. If I wouldn’t have specifically hunted for them, I would have never seen them at all. In my opinion, if you’re auto-responder is going to prospects junk mail folders then you are probably better off anyway.
Take the time to write a quick, yet personal email. Add a photo of yourself, add a photo of the car they inquired about (not a stock image), and also put a coupon in there. Be creative…you’ll stand out from the 8 other dealerships that have to email...