Not sure what was in the water last week, but I ended up having several conversations regarding our TaskTeacher grading tool (a patented software that measures ISM/BDC performance), and how the grades are justified. As always, I’m happy to have a discussion regarding an individual’s performance. I truly value the feedback, and treat every objection as a way to learn how to improve the service. After discussing it with some friends at a Christmas party, I had one of those moments of clarity, best demonstrated in Fox’s now-defunct show, House.

Student grading varies widely from state to state, and district to district, for that matter. For instance, some schools will not give students an F grade. Other schools, use a 5.0 grading scale. One of the few common threads is classifying “average” (normally a C mark), “above average” (B or better), and “below average” (anything less than a C). Points, pluses, minuses, “A”s, “N”s, and “U”s vary widely from there. It was during this discussion of variance that the House moment hit me: an A+ is not a grade at all, but a mark of distinction.

No matter what industry you work in, some people are going to perform as expected, a few will perform worse than expected, and a smaller few will perform better than expected. In factories, most will just make their rate, even if it means slowing down throughout the day. Many retailers will have the lights off, and the doors locked, one minute before closing. Try calling your doctor’s office five minutes before they close. You’ll probably get the answering service, or worse yet, go straight to voicemail. We live in a world of average.

Most of us are content with average. Sticking with the education analogies, based on 2010 census data (round numbers), only 30% of Americans have a bachelor’s degree. One in three of those people have a master’s degree. One in thirty of those people have a doctorate (<1% of the total population). At some point in time, nearly all of us decide that “good enough” is good enough.

I can’t say we’ve all been guilty of settling, but I know I have been. I was an awful student in high school. I had to nearly 4.0 my last two years of school just so I could graduate with a 3.0 (the bare minimum to get into college). I was also guilty of mailing-it-in during undergrad. I was happy to take a "B" if attendance wasn’t required (which would’ve been an easy "A" if I showed up). I placed way too much value on my work and social life. I still graduated cum laude, and I know several people hated me for getting exceptional grades with half-assed effort. Sadly, the same trend continued into grad school. I can tell you I wish I tried harder then, but it’s too late to change that.

I’m sure many of us feel the same way. Whether it was school, sports, military service, or prior work experience, there is part of us that wishes we earned that mark of distinction. We lament the fact that we did not study, train, sweat, or sacrifice enough. Unfortunately, Doc Brown did not invent the Flux Capacitor. The past will always be the past.

The good news for all of us is the future is whatever we want it to be. This very second, you can be more than you are right now. You can get that promotion. You can get that bonus. You can be a better spouse. You can be a better parent. You can run a marathon. You don’t need to read books, listen to CDs, or attend expensive conferences. You just need to commit to giving 100% everyday. Stop cutting corners. Better yet, stop letting others cut corners. Don’t wait for someone, or something, to tell you to do something you know you should already be doing.

No matter how you measure performance, don’t settle for average. Just because the bar is low, does not mean there isn’t a massive upside to achieving more. Set your own goals, achieve them, and then set higher ones. If you fall down, get back up again. Make a commitment to yourself, your clients, your team, and your family. The marks of distinction will come.

                   
 

PS— This piece had several titles. Here are a few of them:

• We’re #3 and We Don’t Even Try!
• Grades are for Meats and Eggs
• The Only American Standards are Toilets
• I’ve Only Listened to Four Minutes of Tony Robbins in My Entire Life!
• Coffee is for Closers
• To “B,” or not to “B”
• It’s always Legionnaires', Amyloidosis, Lupus, Sarcoidosis, or Heavy Metal Poisoning
• Merry Christmas!!!

Not sure what was in the water last week, but I ended up having several conversations regarding our TaskTeacher grading tool (a patented software that measures ISM/BDC performance), and how the grades are justified. As always, I’m happy to have a discussion regarding an individual’s performance. I truly value the feedback, and treat every objection as a way to learn how to improve the service. After discussing it with some friends at a Christmas party, I had one of those moments of clarity, best demonstrated in Fox’s now-defunct show, House.

Student grading varies widely from state to state, and district to district, for that matter. For instance, some schools will not give students an F grade. Other schools, use a 5.0 grading scale. One of the few common threads is classifying “average” (normally a C mark), “above average” (B or better), and “below average” (anything less than a C). Points, pluses, minuses, “A”s, “N”s, and “U”s vary widely from there. It was during this discussion of variance that the House moment hit me: an A+ is not a grade at all, but a mark of distinction.

No matter what industry you work in, some people are going to perform as expected, a few will perform worse than expected, and a smaller few will perform better than expected. In factories, most will just make their rate, even if it means slowing down throughout the day. Many retailers will have the lights off, and the doors locked, one minute before closing. Try calling your doctor’s office five minutes before they close. You’ll probably get the answering service, or worse yet, go straight to voicemail. We live in a world of average.

Most of us are content with average. Sticking with the education analogies, based on 2010 census data (round numbers), only 30% of Americans have a bachelor’s degree. One in three of those people have a master’s degree. One in thirty of those people have a doctorate (<1% of the total population). At some point in time, nearly all of us decide that “good enough” is good enough.

I can’t say we’ve all been guilty of settling, but I know I have been. I was an awful student in high school. I had to nearly 4.0 my last two years of school just so I could graduate with a 3.0 (the bare minimum to get into college). I was also guilty of mailing-it-in during undergrad. I was happy to take a "B" if attendance wasn’t required (which would’ve been an easy "A" if I showed up). I placed way too much value on my work and social life. I still graduated cum laude, and I know several people hated me for getting exceptional grades with half-assed effort. Sadly, the same trend continued into grad school. I can tell you I wish I tried harder then, but it’s too late to change that.

I’m sure many of us feel the same way. Whether it was school, sports, military service, or prior work experience, there is part of us that wishes we earned that mark of distinction. We lament the fact that we did not study, train, sweat, or sacrifice enough. Unfortunately, Doc Brown did not invent the Flux Capacitor. The past will always be the past.

The good news for all of us is the future is whatever we want it to be. This very second, you can be more than you are right now. You can get that promotion. You can get that bonus. You can be a better spouse. You can be a better parent. You can run a marathon. You don’t need to read books, listen to CDs, or attend expensive conferences. You just need to commit to giving 100% everyday. Stop cutting corners. Better yet, stop letting others cut corners. Don’t wait for someone, or something, to tell you to do something you know you should already be doing.

No matter how you measure performance, don’t settle for average. Just because the bar is low, does not mean there isn’t a massive upside to achieving more. Set your own goals, achieve them, and then set higher ones. If you fall down, get back up again. Make a commitment to yourself, your clients, your team, and your family. The marks of distinction will come.

                   
 

PS— This piece had several titles. Here are a few of them:

• We’re #3 and We Don’t Even Try!
• Grades are for Meats and Eggs
• The Only American Standards are Toilets
• I’ve Only Listened to Four Minutes of Tony Robbins in My Entire Life!
• Coffee is for Closers
• To “B,” or not to “B”
• It’s always Legionnaires', Amyloidosis, Lupus, Sarcoidosis, or Heavy Metal Poisoning
• Merry Christmas!!!

Initially, I intended on giving you all a day-by-day account of the sessions from the 2011 South by Southwest Interactive Conference. After going through four and a half days of notes, I realized one common thread linked all the presentations to together: to do. Not wait. Not over analyze. Not ask for permission. Just do. Nike was on to something.

Many of the panelists and presenters started with just an idea. Contrary to popular belief, they didn’t have access to tremendous amounts of capital. Not all of them were trust-funded super geniuses that went to Harvard or MIT. In fact, many acted, looked, and spoke just like you and me. The key difference is that they were willing to take an idea, and do what it took to get there. When they got there, they hired and inspired those around themselves to continue to take it to the next level.

Before those who embarked on their idea spent any money, they took the time to create a fundamental vision of what they were going to do. They made sure to think through every dimension of the space they were planning to enter. They reached out to others for mentorship. They wanted to understand how, and in what context, the end user was going to take advantage of the product or service. They weren’t worried about the technology or the mechanics because those would come along later. They focused on how the product or service would reach the customer, and how it would improve the customer’s life. For some, it took years. For others, it was a eureka! moment.

When that vision was crystallized, there was no hesitation to begin development. Prototypes were developed, tested, measured, and scrapped until the kinks were worked out. Failures do happen to even the very best. In fact, quick failures were considered a blessing. The results could be meticulously dissected so that the successes would be repeated, and mistakes would not be repeated. As development continued, testing left the developers, went to family and friends, then focus groups, and then the general public. The testing never stopped. The products and services continued to evolve to better serve the needs of the end user.

As many watched their ideas come to fruition, they never lost sight of who they were. They didn’t conform to the culture common in their line of work. They didn’t water down their personality, their ideas, or even their language. They were honest with their partners, coworkers, in their presentations, and in their writings. They were honest with themselves. That honesty reflects in their company’s brand, and what they do.

This is just a small piece of what I’ve taken away from the conference. Sharing more thoughts is some of what I am going to do. Giving my clients what they deserve is what I am going to do. Being a more effective teammate is something I am going to do. Making time for those important to me is something I am going to do. I’m going to act on a plan, and continue to move forward.

What are you going to do? Are you going to laugh this off as some feel-good excrement, or are you going to think about it? Are you going to push aside your ideas? Are you going to play it safe? Are you going to ignore that feeling in your gut? Are you going to go through the motions? Are you going to quit? Are you going to take the easy route? Are you going to keep lying to yourself and those around you? Or, are you going to do more?

Initially, I intended on giving you all a day-by-day account of the sessions from the 2011 South by Southwest Interactive Conference. After going through four and a half days of notes, I realized one common thread linked all the presentations to together: to do. Not wait. Not over analyze. Not ask for permission. Just do. Nike was on to something.

Many of the panelists and presenters started with just an idea. Contrary to popular belief, they didn’t have access to tremendous amounts of capital. Not all of them were trust-funded super geniuses that went to Harvard or MIT. In fact, many acted, looked, and spoke just like you and me. The key difference is that they were willing to take an idea, and do what it took to get there. When they got there, they hired and inspired those around themselves to continue to take it to the next level.

Before those who embarked on their idea spent any money, they took the time to create a fundamental vision of what they were going to do. They made sure to think through every dimension of the space they were planning to enter. They reached out to others for mentorship. They wanted to understand how, and in what context, the end user was going to take advantage of the product or service. They weren’t worried about the technology or the mechanics because those would come along later. They focused on how the product or service would reach the customer, and how it would improve the customer’s life. For some, it took years. For others, it was a eureka! moment.

When that vision was crystallized, there was no hesitation to begin development. Prototypes were developed, tested, measured, and scrapped until the kinks were worked out. Failures do happen to even the very best. In fact, quick failures were considered a blessing. The results could be meticulously dissected so that the successes would be repeated, and mistakes would not be repeated. As development continued, testing left the developers, went to family and friends, then focus groups, and then the general public. The testing never stopped. The products and services continued to evolve to better serve the needs of the end user.

As many watched their ideas come to fruition, they never lost sight of who they were. They didn’t conform to the culture common in their line of work. They didn’t water down their personality, their ideas, or even their language. They were honest with their partners, coworkers, in their presentations, and in their writings. They were honest with themselves. That honesty reflects in their company’s brand, and what they do.

This is just a small piece of what I’ve taken away from the conference. Sharing more thoughts is some of what I am going to do. Giving my clients what they deserve is what I am going to do. Being a more effective teammate is something I am going to do. Making time for those important to me is something I am going to do. I’m going to act on a plan, and continue to move forward.

What are you going to do? Are you going to laugh this off as some feel-good excrement, or are you going to think about it? Are you going to push aside your ideas? Are you going to play it safe? Are you going to ignore that feeling in your gut? Are you going to go through the motions? Are you going to quit? Are you going to take the easy route? Are you going to keep lying to yourself and those around you? Or, are you going to do more?

Normally, I have the topics of my blog posts picked out well in advance of posting, however this month I can’t stop thinking about the events that are happening right now. During the last few months of last year, and the first couple weeks of 2011, I’ve been involved in some eye-opening conversations. The subject matter of these conversations is now a matter of public discussion (or amusement?). Whether you’re pointing and laughing, or disappointed, we need to realize that we can be our own worst enemy.

One of the reasons I got involved in the car business is that I wanted to help improve the negative reputation car salespeople have. A variety of polls conducted over the years have shown car salespeople to be viewed among the least honest and ethical of any professionals. While some of the sources are questionable, the granddaddy of pollsters, Gallup has shown in a recent poll that car sales people are tied with lobbyists as the least trusted of professionals. Congratulations us.

I’ll admit it’s bad form to send someone off a blog post before it’s finished, but do me a favor: run a Google image search for car salesman (or just follow this link). What do you see? Is that you? Are you the guy smoking the Grenadier? Are you the guy with the Mr. T gold chains? Are you the guy with the plaid suit? Didn’t think so. Unfortunately, this is how people see us.

So, what are we doing to fix it? Apparently, we’re adding more fuel to the fire.

I’ve certainly seen some questionable car sales practitioners over the years, but I’ve also seen a lot of good ones, too. The funny thing is that you don’t hear much about the good folks. Certainly the nefarious ones have customers who are more than vocal about their dissatisfaction (their customers are friends and family to everyone else, by the way). For some reason or another, you don’t hear much about the sales people with strong moral fiber. Or the sales people, who are youth ministers, involved in 4H, participating in Relay for Life, volunteering at animal shelters, or have served their country overseas. Or how about the professionals who have not only read the blogs, but have developed their own expertise, created their own strategies, and have shared their own success with others. We all work with people like this, or at minimum, have made their acquaintance. Why don’t we hear more about them?

Instead of learning more about exemplary sales people, we get to hear and read about new consultants who seemingly pop out of the woodwork. Unfortunately, the term consultant is a bit ambiguous in the retail automotive world. In the rest of the business world, as well as in health care and the public sector, a consultant typically possesses subject matter expertise and pedigree that is well beyond what can feasibly be attained in-house. Look at the executive leadership of Accenture, Deloitte, and Booz Allen Hamilton, to name a few. These folks are among the very best the world has to offer. Our industry, on the other hand, is wrought with empty-chested, fly-by-night “experts”, who glorify the negative stereotypes, charge exorbitant fees, plagiarize material, and seem to multiply by the month.

This is what I find most troubling. The dealerships who have recognized the need to change, and decided to commit considerable resources to bringing in a consultant have to choose from “experts” who fit the negative stereotypes they need to change.  How exactly do you expect to overcome these pejoratives if you continue to contract the same type of people who ruin reputations in the first place? Moreover, how can dealers hire them in good conscience when there are videos on YouTube of them publicly flaunting their jewelry, McMansions, and sports cars?

The true measure of a consultant’s success is not what they have financially accomplished themselves, but what their clients have financially accomplished on their behalf.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I too possess some of the above items. I wear a (1) gold chain, and, from time to time, wear an aspirationally branded Swiss watch. The gold chain (and the gold crucifix that hangs from it) was given to me by my deceased grandfather after I went on a pilgrimage to see the Pope sixteen years ago. I’ve only taken it off for medical reasons. The watch I purchased several years before I was in the car business when I was doing due-diligence at a venture capital firm during the go-go dot-com days. I’ve acquired my fair share of material possessions over the years, but you won’t see me flaunting them on YouTube (you’re welcome). I take far more pride in the results I have achieved on behalf of my clients.

Whether you are new to the business or have been involved at multiple levels for many years, it is our burden to overcome these stereotypes. How do we do that? We can start by:

• Offering consistent and outstanding service.
• Overwhelming customers with honesty.
• Educating customers with information that is not available online.
• Adding so much value that we are indispensable to our customers.
• Sharing personal details about ourselves.
• Participating (regularly) in our communities.
• Supporting causes.
• Hiring manageable people.
• Working with skilled trainers that produce verifiable results.
• Resembling the nurses, military officers, pharmacists, and teachers who have strong professional reputations (and who are our customers).

If we do these things every day, we can surely start to chip away at the negative reputation we’ve given ourselves.

If you want to keep reinforcing these stereotypes, just keep dressing yourself like a Kay Jewelers vomited on you. Keep asking customers if they are calling about the (nonexistent) specials. Keep practicing the underallow/overallow numbers game. Keep on not using your CRM/ILM to capture important personal information. Keep flaunting your material wealth (and general douchebaggery) on YouTube. Keep winking sweet nothings at the camera.  Keep promoting yourself as an expert when you haven’t been recognized as one.  Keep doing these things… and let those of us who want to be recognized as respected professionals blow right by you.

 

Normally, I have the topics of my blog posts picked out well in advance of posting, however this month I can’t stop thinking about the events that are happening right now. During the last few months of last year, and the first couple weeks of 2011, I’ve been involved in some eye-opening conversations. The subject matter of these conversations is now a matter of public discussion (or amusement?). Whether you’re pointing and laughing, or disappointed, we need to realize that we can be our own worst enemy.

One of the reasons I got involved in the car business is that I wanted to help improve the negative reputation car salespeople have. A variety of polls conducted over the years have shown car salespeople to be viewed among the least honest and ethical of any professionals. While some of the sources are questionable, the granddaddy of pollsters, Gallup has shown in a recent poll that car sales people are tied with lobbyists as the least trusted of professionals. Congratulations us.

I’ll admit it’s bad form to send someone off a blog post before it’s finished, but do me a favor: run a Google image search for car salesman (or just follow this link). What do you see? Is that you? Are you the guy smoking the Grenadier? Are you the guy with the Mr. T gold chains? Are you the guy with the plaid suit? Didn’t think so. Unfortunately, this is how people see us.

So, what are we doing to fix it? Apparently, we’re adding more fuel to the fire.

I’ve certainly seen some questionable car sales practitioners over the years, but I’ve also seen a lot of good ones, too. The funny thing is that you don’t hear much about the good folks. Certainly the nefarious ones have customers who are more than vocal about their dissatisfaction (their customers are friends and family to everyone else, by the way). For some reason or another, you don’t hear much about the sales people with strong moral fiber. Or the sales people, who are youth ministers, involved in 4H, participating in Relay for Life, volunteering at animal shelters, or have served their country overseas. Or how about the professionals who have not only read the blogs, but have developed their own expertise, created their own strategies, and have shared their own success with others. We all work with people like this, or at minimum, have made their acquaintance. Why don’t we hear more about them?

Instead of learning more about exemplary sales people, we get to hear and read about new consultants who seemingly pop out of the woodwork. Unfortunately, the term consultant is a bit ambiguous in the retail automotive world. In the rest of the business world, as well as in health care and the public sector, a consultant typically possesses subject matter expertise and pedigree that is well beyond what can feasibly be attained in-house. Look at the executive leadership of Accenture, Deloitte, and Booz Allen Hamilton, to name a few. These folks are among the very best the world has to offer. Our industry, on the other hand, is wrought with empty-chested, fly-by-night “experts”, who glorify the negative stereotypes, charge exorbitant fees, plagiarize material, and seem to multiply by the month.

This is what I find most troubling. The dealerships who have recognized the need to change, and decided to commit considerable resources to bringing in a consultant have to choose from “experts” who fit the negative stereotypes they need to change.  How exactly do you expect to overcome these pejoratives if you continue to contract the same type of people who ruin reputations in the first place? Moreover, how can dealers hire them in good conscience when there are videos on YouTube of them publicly flaunting their jewelry, McMansions, and sports cars?

The true measure of a consultant’s success is not what they have financially accomplished themselves, but what their clients have financially accomplished on their behalf.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I too possess some of the above items. I wear a (1) gold chain, and, from time to time, wear an aspirationally branded Swiss watch. The gold chain (and the gold crucifix that hangs from it) was given to me by my deceased grandfather after I went on a pilgrimage to see the Pope sixteen years ago. I’ve only taken it off for medical reasons. The watch I purchased several years before I was in the car business when I was doing due-diligence at a venture capital firm during the go-go dot-com days. I’ve acquired my fair share of material possessions over the years, but you won’t see me flaunting them on YouTube (you’re welcome). I take far more pride in the results I have achieved on behalf of my clients.

Whether you are new to the business or have been involved at multiple levels for many years, it is our burden to overcome these stereotypes. How do we do that? We can start by:

• Offering consistent and outstanding service.
• Overwhelming customers with honesty.
• Educating customers with information that is not available online.
• Adding so much value that we are indispensable to our customers.
• Sharing personal details about ourselves.
• Participating (regularly) in our communities.
• Supporting causes.
• Hiring manageable people.
• Working with skilled trainers that produce verifiable results.
• Resembling the nurses, military officers, pharmacists, and teachers who have strong professional reputations (and who are our customers).

If we do these things every day, we can surely start to chip away at the negative reputation we’ve given ourselves.

If you want to keep reinforcing these stereotypes, just keep dressing yourself like a Kay Jewelers vomited on you. Keep asking customers if they are calling about the (nonexistent) specials. Keep practicing the underallow/overallow numbers game. Keep on not using your CRM/ILM to capture important personal information. Keep flaunting your material wealth (and general douchebaggery) on YouTube. Keep winking sweet nothings at the camera.  Keep promoting yourself as an expert when you haven’t been recognized as one.  Keep doing these things… and let those of us who want to be recognized as respected professionals blow right by you.

 

Like many of you, I have sat through multiple presentations and webinars regarding social media. While some may touch on it, and others may focus on it, the term “brand building” comes up quite frequently. While on the phone with a dealer recently, it occurred to me that a good portion of our peers may not quite understand brand building, and hence, have a hard time applying it in the real world. For social media, this is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse.

Simply put, a brand is the identity of a business, product, or service. What comes to mind when you think of Coca-Cola? How about Nike? Now maybe Apple? I’ll bet somewhere in your mental imagery, classic white script across a red background came up, along with a swoosh, and a glowing white apple with bite taken out of it. These companies have done an extraordinary job of marketing a consistent brand image, and have created a culture surrounding their businesses. If you need more examples, just walk into your showrooms. You will see brand imagery everywhere.

What comes to mind when you think of your own dealership? (Note: this works best when you think of the positives.) Is it a dedicated, veteran sales staff? Is it consistent OEM recognition? Is it community involvement? What makes your store different from the one down the road? Hopefully, multiple things come to mind. Take those thoughts and jot them down.

Now think about how you want your customers to perceive your dealership. When they think about your store, what images do you want them to conjure up? How are they perceiving your identity on your website’s homepage?  If you are drawing a blank, then it’s time to start working on that. Ultimately, it’s up to your business to craft that identity.

I think we are all well aware that Coke, Nike, and Apple have millions of dollars to commit to advertising agencies, not to mention the top-notch marketing talent they have available to them in-house. They are global brands competing on a global scale. Should you aspire to have their type of brand awareness? Absolutely! Do you need their millions of dollars to reach your market of 30,000 people? Absolutely not!

You have the advantage over national advertisers. You understand your own market better than they do. You understand how your closest consumers talk, think, and dress. If you are using your CRM properly, you may even have notes on where people go to church, where their kids attend school, and how much their fifth-wheel weighs. This information is available to you for free!

Speaking of free, those commercials you normally fast forward through are full of free inspiration. Try actually watching some commercials. What messages are you taking away? What tag lines are you hearing? Tune-in the next time you see commercials from mega-brands like IBM, Microsoft, GE, Red Bull, Starbucks, and UPS. Pay extra attention to what your OEMs are advertising and the images they are reinforcing. Take note of the fact they are not advertising “the largest inventory,” “rock-bottom prices,” or “(region’s) number one (whatever)…”

When you are ready to start coming up with brand ideas, talk to others. Bounce ideas off your spouse. Ask your friends. The wider the variety of people, the better. Then, sit down with your coworkers over some pizza and start brainstorming. Try to come up with one sentence that best describes your dealership (or department).

When you feel good about what your network has to say, have the same conversations with your most loyal customers. In fact, take a walk down to the service department and have that conversation with customers while they are having their maintenance performed. Find out if your brand identity is in line with a perceived value (be prepared for the worst). Compare notes. If the messages are the same, fire up the marketing machine. If they are not, you need to dedicate yourself and your teammates to bringing the ideas closer together. This is when you employ brand-building efforts (like social media, video marketing, and dare I say, a TV ad) to distill your message down for consumption by the masses.

Sounds like hard work, right? It can be, but it’s well worth it. Your customers will know what separates you from the competition. You will attract customers who are looking for an alternative to their local dealer. You will create a value proposition beyond price. Best of all, you and your teammates always have a guiding principle to fall back on in times of question. Trust me, you’ll forget about the hard work when you immediately start reaping the benefits. It’s “time to change everything,” “have a Coke and a smile,” and “just do it.”

Post Script

There have been several great books that have been published about brand building or indirectly touch on the subject of branding. One that immediately comes to mind is the Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for turning Ordinary into Extraordinary, by Joseph Michelli. While it wasn’t written specifically about branding, it caused me to evaluate my business practices and offered some great perspective. It’s a short and compelling study so you should have no trouble finding the time read it. (I read it in one plane trip). If you have some books that have been inspirational to you, please share. Now that the gift-giving holidays have begun, we can add some books to our wish lists.

Like many of you, I have sat through multiple presentations and webinars regarding social media. While some may touch on it, and others may focus on it, the term “brand building” comes up quite frequently. While on the phone with a dealer recently, it occurred to me that a good portion of our peers may not quite understand brand building, and hence, have a hard time applying it in the real world. For social media, this is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse.

Simply put, a brand is the identity of a business, product, or service. What comes to mind when you think of Coca-Cola? How about Nike? Now maybe Apple? I’ll bet somewhere in your mental imagery, classic white script across a red background came up, along with a swoosh, and a glowing white apple with bite taken out of it. These companies have done an extraordinary job of marketing a consistent brand image, and have created a culture surrounding their businesses. If you need more examples, just walk into your showrooms. You will see brand imagery everywhere.

What comes to mind when you think of your own dealership? (Note: this works best when you think of the positives.) Is it a dedicated, veteran sales staff? Is it consistent OEM recognition? Is it community involvement? What makes your store different from the one down the road? Hopefully, multiple things come to mind. Take those thoughts and jot them down.

Now think about how you want your customers to perceive your dealership. When they think about your store, what images do you want them to conjure up? How are they perceiving your identity on your website’s homepage?  If you are drawing a blank, then it’s time to start working on that. Ultimately, it’s up to your business to craft that identity.

I think we are all well aware that Coke, Nike, and Apple have millions of dollars to commit to advertising agencies, not to mention the top-notch marketing talent they have available to them in-house. They are global brands competing on a global scale. Should you aspire to have their type of brand awareness? Absolutely! Do you need their millions of dollars to reach your market of 30,000 people? Absolutely not!

You have the advantage over national advertisers. You understand your own market better than they do. You understand how your closest consumers talk, think, and dress. If you are using your CRM properly, you may even have notes on where people go to church, where their kids attend school, and how much their fifth-wheel weighs. This information is available to you for free!

Speaking of free, those commercials you normally fast forward through are full of free inspiration. Try actually watching some commercials. What messages are you taking away? What tag lines are you hearing? Tune-in the next time you see commercials from mega-brands like IBM, Microsoft, GE, Red Bull, Starbucks, and UPS. Pay extra attention to what your OEMs are advertising and the images they are reinforcing. Take note of the fact they are not advertising “the largest inventory,” “rock-bottom prices,” or “(region’s) number one (whatever)…”

When you are ready to start coming up with brand ideas, talk to others. Bounce ideas off your spouse. Ask your friends. The wider the variety of people, the better. Then, sit down with your coworkers over some pizza and start brainstorming. Try to come up with one sentence that best describes your dealership (or department).

When you feel good about what your network has to say, have the same conversations with your most loyal customers. In fact, take a walk down to the service department and have that conversation with customers while they are having their maintenance performed. Find out if your brand identity is in line with a perceived value (be prepared for the worst). Compare notes. If the messages are the same, fire up the marketing machine. If they are not, you need to dedicate yourself and your teammates to bringing the ideas closer together. This is when you employ brand-building efforts (like social media, video marketing, and dare I say, a TV ad) to distill your message down for consumption by the masses.

Sounds like hard work, right? It can be, but it’s well worth it. Your customers will know what separates you from the competition. You will attract customers who are looking for an alternative to their local dealer. You will create a value proposition beyond price. Best of all, you and your teammates always have a guiding principle to fall back on in times of question. Trust me, you’ll forget about the hard work when you immediately start reaping the benefits. It’s “time to change everything,” “have a Coke and a smile,” and “just do it.”

Post Script

There have been several great books that have been published about brand building or indirectly touch on the subject of branding. One that immediately comes to mind is the Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for turning Ordinary into Extraordinary, by Joseph Michelli. While it wasn’t written specifically about branding, it caused me to evaluate my business practices and offered some great perspective. It’s a short and compelling study so you should have no trouble finding the time read it. (I read it in one plane trip). If you have some books that have been inspirational to you, please share. Now that the gift-giving holidays have begun, we can add some books to our wish lists.