The other day I was honored to be visited by my good friend and Industry Professional Micah Birkholz. Now I could share with you here a variety of stories and analogies, from his refreshingly sarcastic posts that make me laugh and think to the reality that two people who met “In Real Life” for the first time already had a well-established bond and friendship built entirely through Social Media, but it was his comment about his t-shirt that inspired me.

You see he had on an “I Yelp” shirt and told me that one day he intended to write an article about it but that I should go ahead and do so if I chose. He then said that he and his wife (who is absolutely gracious and charming) were going shopping. Classic Micah. Who else would wear so brazenly a shirt into a Retail establishment that say’s “I’m going to tell everyone about how I’m treated.”?

Think on this. If you had a Customer walk into your showroom carrying a sign reading “I’ll give you 100% CSI on your insanely worded OEM survey AND I’ll rate you on-line, fan you on Facebook, share your posts with my friends and recommend you to every stranger I meet” either every Salesperson would help them or none would because the Manager would insist on doing so! The reality is, every day you DO have that Customer…you just may not know it.

How many of us bother to ASK our Customers if they participate in Location based Platforms such as Yelp or Foursquare? If they do, ask them to “Check In” as there are sometimes Specials on there that could be worth checking out. You may want to have a Service Special active so the next line could be “See we’re saving you on your New Car and you haven’t even picked it out yet!” If nothing else, showing you’re Socially connected and listening will not harm your sale at this point.

For years we have been told to try and “weed out” if there is another decision maker in the process. Have your Customer post a photo to FB BEFORE they buy asking if the Silver or Black is a better choice? It may back-fire on occasion, but overwhelmingly those people we are connected to in our Social Graph support us and wish us well in our new endeavors, right? Wouldn’t an “Ooooh, I’m so jealous!” post help you close a deal?

Above all, the survivors in this business are going to be those that provide the exemplary Service that merits those reviews, not those that game them. As I and others predicted years ago, Reviews and Social ARE impacting search and conversion. Don’t be afraid to engage your Customer as if they had an insane Klout score, serious Kred, 80,000 Twitter Followers and 5,000 FB friends…After all they might. J

 Doing the right thing for the right reason will always lead you down the right path and the Golden Rule has never steered anyone wrong but if you don’t ask you may not receive.

Happy Selling!

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

The other day I was honored to be visited by my good friend and Industry Professional Micah Birkholz. Now I could share with you here a variety of stories and analogies, from his refreshingly sarcastic posts that make me laugh and think to the reality that two people who met “In Real Life” for the first time already had a well-established bond and friendship built entirely through Social Media, but it was his comment about his t-shirt that inspired me.

You see he had on an “I Yelp” shirt and told me that one day he intended to write an article about it but that I should go ahead and do so if I chose. He then said that he and his wife (who is absolutely gracious and charming) were going shopping. Classic Micah. Who else would wear so brazenly a shirt into a Retail establishment that say’s “I’m going to tell everyone about how I’m treated.”?

Think on this. If you had a Customer walk into your showroom carrying a sign reading “I’ll give you 100% CSI on your insanely worded OEM survey AND I’ll rate you on-line, fan you on Facebook, share your posts with my friends and recommend you to every stranger I meet” either every Salesperson would help them or none would because the Manager would insist on doing so! The reality is, every day you DO have that Customer…you just may not know it.

How many of us bother to ASK our Customers if they participate in Location based Platforms such as Yelp or Foursquare? If they do, ask them to “Check In” as there are sometimes Specials on there that could be worth checking out. You may want to have a Service Special active so the next line could be “See we’re saving you on your New Car and you haven’t even picked it out yet!” If nothing else, showing you’re Socially connected and listening will not harm your sale at this point.

For years we have been told to try and “weed out” if there is another decision maker in the process. Have your Customer post a photo to FB BEFORE they buy asking if the Silver or Black is a better choice? It may back-fire on occasion, but overwhelmingly those people we are connected to in our Social Graph support us and wish us well in our new endeavors, right? Wouldn’t an “Ooooh, I’m so jealous!” post help you close a deal?

Above all, the survivors in this business are going to be those that provide the exemplary Service that merits those reviews, not those that game them. As I and others predicted years ago, Reviews and Social ARE impacting search and conversion. Don’t be afraid to engage your Customer as if they had an insane Klout score, serious Kred, 80,000 Twitter Followers and 5,000 FB friends…After all they might. J

 Doing the right thing for the right reason will always lead you down the right path and the Golden Rule has never steered anyone wrong but if you don’t ask you may not receive.

Happy Selling!

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

One of the greatest challenges we face in this Industry is the attrition of our Service Customers after their warranty period.

When your non-lease Customer’s begin to get the bills and Service recommendations that are Customer Pay items, many will consider trading or start looking at another Brand or local Shop.

One of the most effective ways I have found to combat this is to “Lay-em-Away”.

It works like this:

Every declined Op Code generates a call from either the Service Writer or better yet a BDC Rep. They’ll explain that we want to help and offer to set them up in our V.I.P Program. They’ll then set up their next Service appointment to do the Oil Change as well as the top 2 most important Service recommendations. This cost should be equal to approximately $100. The next appt. is scheduled as well with the same formula used.  By the time the 4^th appointment is completed (assuming a 3,750 interval and 15,000 a year) not only will you have completed that 30,000 service, but the 45,000 as well. The biggest benefit is it’s all at a cost to the Customer of approximately $1 per day, you have their gratitude, maintain loyalty, and they feel cared for rather than preyed upon.

Of course if your smart and you have a Communications Center that communicates well between Service and Sales, the second kept appointment will also include a complimentary surprise “Demo for the Day” and a hang tag on the mirror of their car when they return with what the payments would be on the New under-warranty vehicle they just enjoyed all day would be.

Everyone wants to be a VIP and feel valued and understood.

What are you doing to meet your Customer’s budgetary constraints on the Drive? If it’s only crossing off services or lowering your margins, you’re missing opportunity and gross profit.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

One of the greatest challenges we face in this Industry is the attrition of our Service Customers after their warranty period.

When your non-lease Customer’s begin to get the bills and Service recommendations that are Customer Pay items, many will consider trading or start looking at another Brand or local Shop.

One of the most effective ways I have found to combat this is to “Lay-em-Away”.

It works like this:

Every declined Op Code generates a call from either the Service Writer or better yet a BDC Rep. They’ll explain that we want to help and offer to set them up in our V.I.P Program. They’ll then set up their next Service appointment to do the Oil Change as well as the top 2 most important Service recommendations. This cost should be equal to approximately $100. The next appt. is scheduled as well with the same formula used.  By the time the 4^th appointment is completed (assuming a 3,750 interval and 15,000 a year) not only will you have completed that 30,000 service, but the 45,000 as well. The biggest benefit is it’s all at a cost to the Customer of approximately $1 per day, you have their gratitude, maintain loyalty, and they feel cared for rather than preyed upon.

Of course if your smart and you have a Communications Center that communicates well between Service and Sales, the second kept appointment will also include a complimentary surprise “Demo for the Day” and a hang tag on the mirror of their car when they return with what the payments would be on the New under-warranty vehicle they just enjoyed all day would be.

Everyone wants to be a VIP and feel valued and understood.

What are you doing to meet your Customer’s budgetary constraints on the Drive? If it’s only crossing off services or lowering your margins, you’re missing opportunity and gross profit.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

We’ve all heard the expression “inspect what you expect” and granted there is great power, insight and learning to be had by monitoring your processes through thorough reporting. However, when is the last time you inspected the data from which those reports are compiled?

The power of inspection lies primarily on the focus those actions will receive because everyone knows they are being monitored. This very knowledge however can backfire when your basing the reports on false data. For example, we know there is a direct correlation between closing percentages and response times. There is also not a manager worth their salt that does not keep a keen eye on this metric. When was the last time you took the extra step and looked at the quality of those responses? Better yet, have you ever picked up the phone and simply asked the consumer “I know you just spoke with my I-Net manager, but I wanted to personally thank you for giving us this opportunity. Have you received all the info you requested?” The answer may shock you. I know it did me!

                This last 2 weeks I have been thoroughly engrossed In processes long before they normally escalate to my desk and I can say that salesmen still “cherry-pick” and form judgments and opinions about who is a “buyer” and who is a “shopper”. The worst are from customers who have contacted your store within the last 90 days but have not yet purchased.

Inevitably, the notes on the contacts become redundant and I marked more than sale “lost” and “bought elsewhere” because the salesman said they were waiting 6 months (oddly enough that was the original note on the show room visit event).

Prejudices form and the easy way out and next and newest beckons more enticingly to most.

                Don’t just look at your reports, get involved! Shop your own store, or get a friend to, and quit delegating every task thinking that some are “beneath” your level and what you have to do is more pressing. Inspecting what you inspect will most certainly raise your expectations and provide insight into your business that no report can show.

                Good selling!

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

We’ve all heard the expression “inspect what you expect” and granted there is great power, insight and learning to be had by monitoring your processes through thorough reporting. However, when is the last time you inspected the data from which those reports are compiled?

The power of inspection lies primarily on the focus those actions will receive because everyone knows they are being monitored. This very knowledge however can backfire when your basing the reports on false data. For example, we know there is a direct correlation between closing percentages and response times. There is also not a manager worth their salt that does not keep a keen eye on this metric. When was the last time you took the extra step and looked at the quality of those responses? Better yet, have you ever picked up the phone and simply asked the consumer “I know you just spoke with my I-Net manager, but I wanted to personally thank you for giving us this opportunity. Have you received all the info you requested?” The answer may shock you. I know it did me!

                This last 2 weeks I have been thoroughly engrossed In processes long before they normally escalate to my desk and I can say that salesmen still “cherry-pick” and form judgments and opinions about who is a “buyer” and who is a “shopper”. The worst are from customers who have contacted your store within the last 90 days but have not yet purchased.

Inevitably, the notes on the contacts become redundant and I marked more than sale “lost” and “bought elsewhere” because the salesman said they were waiting 6 months (oddly enough that was the original note on the show room visit event).

Prejudices form and the easy way out and next and newest beckons more enticingly to most.

                Don’t just look at your reports, get involved! Shop your own store, or get a friend to, and quit delegating every task thinking that some are “beneath” your level and what you have to do is more pressing. Inspecting what you inspect will most certainly raise your expectations and provide insight into your business that no report can show.

                Good selling!

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

Chicken Little created a crisis that was, though real in his mind, totally false. However, it spurred others into frivolous action in a well-known Fairy Tale. In the next few weeks and Months many Dealership personnel will confront the same thing as they interact with Vendors at the Dealership, in on-line forums and at Conferences. 

And thus my friends will begin the Zero Moment of Bullsh**.

We get it every day in our inboxes “we have done a quick study of your website and found several areas you should be concerned with”, “Google 3.4 will make your website invisible unless you ACT NOW”, “Get our Free whitepaper on why you need our service and a free 30 Day trial”… and on and on it goes.

“Create a Crisis Marketing" is not new. Bomb shelter Companies made millions during the red-scare era, and look at the health supplement market! That’s NOT to say there was never a possibility of being attacked as a Country nor that Vitamins aren’t good for you.

However, a good Vendor Partnership should be like a good marriage so maybe follow the same steps:

1. Determine what you are looking for that will complement your current strengths and shore up your weaknesses.
2. Get involved in Communities that foster education and interaction. Don’t frequent bars as a primary hunting ground. I have 4 Sisters and Mom always told them “you’ll never find a Stallion in the Donkey corral”.
3. Long courtships and engagements are good. Love at first sight DOES happen, but it’s RARE and a cooling off period won’t deter it if it’s real.
4. Commit. Totally and completely. It’s a lasting thing and may be rough but even the best relationship can sometimes go through a rocky patch. Communicate often and openly and don’t start looking for the next best thing before you’ve exhausted all channels with your current spouse.

 Don’t wake up next week with a ring on your finger and no idea how it got there.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

Chicken Little created a crisis that was, though real in his mind, totally false. However, it spurred others into frivolous action in a well-known Fairy Tale. In the next few weeks and Months many Dealership personnel will confront the same thing as they interact with Vendors at the Dealership, in on-line forums and at Conferences. 

And thus my friends will begin the Zero Moment of Bullsh**.

We get it every day in our inboxes “we have done a quick study of your website and found several areas you should be concerned with”, “Google 3.4 will make your website invisible unless you ACT NOW”, “Get our Free whitepaper on why you need our service and a free 30 Day trial”… and on and on it goes.

“Create a Crisis Marketing" is not new. Bomb shelter Companies made millions during the red-scare era, and look at the health supplement market! That’s NOT to say there was never a possibility of being attacked as a Country nor that Vitamins aren’t good for you.

However, a good Vendor Partnership should be like a good marriage so maybe follow the same steps:

1. Determine what you are looking for that will complement your current strengths and shore up your weaknesses.
2. Get involved in Communities that foster education and interaction. Don’t frequent bars as a primary hunting ground. I have 4 Sisters and Mom always told them “you’ll never find a Stallion in the Donkey corral”.
3. Long courtships and engagements are good. Love at first sight DOES happen, but it’s RARE and a cooling off period won’t deter it if it’s real.
4. Commit. Totally and completely. It’s a lasting thing and may be rough but even the best relationship can sometimes go through a rocky patch. Communicate often and openly and don’t start looking for the next best thing before you’ve exhausted all channels with your current spouse.

 Don’t wake up next week with a ring on your finger and no idea how it got there.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

Almost a year ago, I gave a presentation on Digital Marketing and stressed the importance of sites like Foursquare, Yelp and urged all to re-evaluate their push-style Marketing techniques on Facebook. Now, not to toot my own horn (*beep, beep*) you see Siri looking to Yelp for answers, Foursquare becoming ever more relevant and within the next 30 days every Brands FB page will be forced into the new timeline format.

Now would be a great time to look at the photos (which dominate the timeline format) that you’ve posted since you began Facebook. Will it be a conglomeration of puppy photos and best caption contests? Will it be a successive progression of Inventory you don’t even have? Worse yet, will it end up that your “friends and fans” see the inane plethora of your weekly ad claiming one sale after another? How effective will the next ad be when everyone can scroll back and see that it’s the “same old same old” that you’ve re-hashed again and again? I believe the term I used was “it will look like Sesame Street threw up”.

So here’s my two-cents now: Use the next 30 days to clean that rubbish heap you thought was buried. It will look like you have big holes in your presence, but fill them with events such as New-hire announcements, Birthdays, Anniversaries; Fund-Raising and Community events…the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. It’s what I’ll be doing too.

Also, start integrating your Social Media the right way. Use it for conversation and feedback and integrate it into your Traditional advertising efforts. Don’t put “LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/DEALERNAME” instead try “join the conversation” or “Get Involved” by texting: like VWSouthtowne to 32665

Go ahead…I’ll wait… :)

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

Almost a year ago, I gave a presentation on Digital Marketing and stressed the importance of sites like Foursquare, Yelp and urged all to re-evaluate their push-style Marketing techniques on Facebook. Now, not to toot my own horn (*beep, beep*) you see Siri looking to Yelp for answers, Foursquare becoming ever more relevant and within the next 30 days every Brands FB page will be forced into the new timeline format.

Now would be a great time to look at the photos (which dominate the timeline format) that you’ve posted since you began Facebook. Will it be a conglomeration of puppy photos and best caption contests? Will it be a successive progression of Inventory you don’t even have? Worse yet, will it end up that your “friends and fans” see the inane plethora of your weekly ad claiming one sale after another? How effective will the next ad be when everyone can scroll back and see that it’s the “same old same old” that you’ve re-hashed again and again? I believe the term I used was “it will look like Sesame Street threw up”.

So here’s my two-cents now: Use the next 30 days to clean that rubbish heap you thought was buried. It will look like you have big holes in your presence, but fill them with events such as New-hire announcements, Birthdays, Anniversaries; Fund-Raising and Community events…the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. It’s what I’ll be doing too.

Also, start integrating your Social Media the right way. Use it for conversation and feedback and integrate it into your Traditional advertising efforts. Don’t put “LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/DEALERNAME” instead try “join the conversation” or “Get Involved” by texting: like VWSouthtowne to 32665

Go ahead…I’ll wait… :)

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy