Top of Mind Awareness is one of those terms you hear thrown around a lot by marketing reps. Wikipedia defines it as "Owning the space that your product or service occupies between your prospects' ears. That way, when they're ready to buy they think of you first." One of their definitions anyway, and the one I liked the most!

When a brand, service, or product is able to achieve top of the mind awareness they ensure that when a consumer comes into the market for their particular product or service, they are able to mentally push aside all of the current advertising they are seeing and think of them. Traditionally, this was done by being memorable, consistent and by repeatedly marketing their unique selling position or USP. Given that traditional advertising breeds mistrust (Neilson did a study and found that we trust only 14% of the ads we see) can you imagine how expensive a traditional top of the mind awareness campaign can be? That's where social media comes and why it's the new top of mind.

SEO Is Super Important, But...

Let's face it. When people go to Google or other search engines it's because they are searching for an answer. It could be the answer to the question, "Where can I find the best deal on a 2010 Ford Fusion," or "Where can I find financing, my bank turned me down?" Whatever it happens to be they are searching because they DON'T know the answer.

What would happen if they did know the answers to those questions and instead of typing in a search query in some search engine somewhere they typed your URL into the address bar? Not only would there be a bigger chance that they would submit a lead but they would close at a higher rate as well, that's because you have already built trust with them by creating top of the mind awareness.

Of course you should ALWAYS optimize your website for search but you should also include social media induced top of the mind awareness strategies into your online marketing mix. Here are 5 tips to get you started in the right direction.

1. Start A Blog

There is no better way to create authority, top of the mind and influence than through the creation and authoring of your own blog. As I stated in the previous paragraphs the only reason somebody goes to a search engine is because they want an answer to a specific question but if they already know the answer before the need for an answer surfaces then you have done your job in creating top of mind awareness.

2. Create A Facebook Fan Page

Okay, I know, you've heard this before and you have a fan page but it's not all that you thought it would be, or what you were lead to think it would be. Most people will tell you that you should pitch on your fan page, and odds are you're probably not. In fact you're probably using it to showcase your customers, the exciting stuff that's going on in your world but still you're not seeing any return on time investment, its worthless right?

Of course it is, if you're NOT doing it the right way that is. What's the right way you ask? Engagement. Spend your time asking though provoking questions, running contests and giving stuff away. You want your fans (or likers?) to "like" your posts or better yet comment on them. Talk about local news, showcase that you're part of the community, in fact you can even allow other local business to start discussions on your fan page, this shows you are one of "us" instead of one of "them."

3. Don't Pitch, Let Others Do It For You

Strange isn't it? Strange that the less you pitch the more you sell from your social media efforts, but it's true! Look at what Ford has done with the Fiesta Movement, what can you do to get your fans, followers, customers, or other types of connections to create content for you? What if you did an ongoing, monthly contest where customers created videos about their experience with their sales person.

The rules could be that the sales person with the most videos got a bonus at the end of the month and each customer that created a video could win dinner for two. Of course they would have to label the video with the businesses name and upload it to YouTube to enter the contest but just think about how many videos you could have in just a few short months, these videos would most definitely build top of mind by influencing everybody that watches them.

4. Know Today's Customers

Customers today are too busy, skeptical, cautious, tired of all the sales pressure, and confused about all the choices available to them, you should adjust your marketing accordingly. What I mean by that is everything you do should address one or all of those. Social media is a great tool to do just that!

Battle Skepticism With: As I mentioned in the second paragraph, consumers only trust 14% of the ads they see but 78% of what a peer recommends. That's why it's essential that you get your customers to talk about you on their own social graphs, not only will that defeat skepticism it will build top of mind.

Addressing Cautious Customers: Answer every question, don't hide behind half answers because you just want to get them in the store. Know that today's customer wants to know ALL the facts before they comment. You could address this through blogs and FAQ's.

Forgo The Sales Pressure: You could have the least amount of sales pressure of all your competitors but if you talk about yourself too much on your social networks people will equate that to sales pressure and will cost you business and top of mind.

Helping Busy Customers: We're too busy these days to spend time haggling price, searching for the right deal or shopping around. Showcase the fact that you willing go the extra mile by getting your past customers to comment about or create videos on, how much time you saved them.

End The Confusion: Choices are everywhere and its easier than ever to shop around with the click of a mouse. But, with that, comes confusion. While we all like choices, the more there is the more confused people become. Most people don't have the time to research all their choices but there are a lot of things you can do to help them with that. For instance you could do a video showcasing your product, taking the time to explain exactly what it is, what it does and the many features it has. Don't use these videos to pitch but to showcase your products.

5. Top of Mind By Association

Being part of the clubs, groups, or associations your customers are part of is a great way to build top of mind. I don't what you to think of social media as just ONLINE, take away the technology aspect of it and you are left with people, people talking to people. Of course there are many different online groups you can be part of as well but think about where you can go in your local market and network. If you really want to create top of mind get out there and talk to people. When somebody has the need for your product they will think of you because you are already being accepted by their peers. That's influence by association.

Social Media Is Top Of Mind

Use it wisely, create a strategy and stick to it. Social marketing won't happen overnight but one day you will wake up see a ton of leads in your inbox, a ton more traffic to your website and dozens more calls and think that it did happen overnight. Embrace the new media but embrace it smartly, take advantage of it and give, give, give. Top of mind will be yours!

David Johnson is the Digital Marketing Strategist for PersuasiveConcepts.com and Next Generation Dealer Services.

Top of Mind Awareness is one of those terms you hear thrown around a lot by marketing reps. Wikipedia defines it as "Owning the space that your product or service occupies between your prospects' ears. That way, when they're ready to buy they think of you first." One of their definitions anyway, and the one I liked the most!

When a brand, service, or product is able to achieve top of the mind awareness they ensure that when a consumer comes into the market for their particular product or service, they are able to mentally push aside all of the current advertising they are seeing and think of them. Traditionally, this was done by being memorable, consistent and by repeatedly marketing their unique selling position or USP. Given that traditional advertising breeds mistrust (Neilson did a study and found that we trust only 14% of the ads we see) can you imagine how expensive a traditional top of the mind awareness campaign can be? That's where social media comes and why it's the new top of mind.

SEO Is Super Important, But...

Let's face it. When people go to Google or other search engines it's because they are searching for an answer. It could be the answer to the question, "Where can I find the best deal on a 2010 Ford Fusion," or "Where can I find financing, my bank turned me down?" Whatever it happens to be they are searching because they DON'T know the answer.

What would happen if they did know the answers to those questions and instead of typing in a search query in some search engine somewhere they typed your URL into the address bar? Not only would there be a bigger chance that they would submit a lead but they would close at a higher rate as well, that's because you have already built trust with them by creating top of the mind awareness.

Of course you should ALWAYS optimize your website for search but you should also include social media induced top of the mind awareness strategies into your online marketing mix. Here are 5 tips to get you started in the right direction.

1. Start A Blog

There is no better way to create authority, top of the mind and influence than through the creation and authoring of your own blog. As I stated in the previous paragraphs the only reason somebody goes to a search engine is because they want an answer to a specific question but if they already know the answer before the need for an answer surfaces then you have done your job in creating top of mind awareness.

2. Create A Facebook Fan Page

Okay, I know, you've heard this before and you have a fan page but it's not all that you thought it would be, or what you were lead to think it would be. Most people will tell you that you should pitch on your fan page, and odds are you're probably not. In fact you're probably using it to showcase your customers, the exciting stuff that's going on in your world but still you're not seeing any return on time investment, its worthless right?

Of course it is, if you're NOT doing it the right way that is. What's the right way you ask? Engagement. Spend your time asking though provoking questions, running contests and giving stuff away. You want your fans (or likers?) to "like" your posts or better yet comment on them. Talk about local news, showcase that you're part of the community, in fact you can even allow other local business to start discussions on your fan page, this shows you are one of "us" instead of one of "them."

3. Don't Pitch, Let Others Do It For You

Strange isn't it? Strange that the less you pitch the more you sell from your social media efforts, but it's true! Look at what Ford has done with the Fiesta Movement, what can you do to get your fans, followers, customers, or other types of connections to create content for you? What if you did an ongoing, monthly contest where customers created videos about their experience with their sales person.

The rules could be that the sales person with the most videos got a bonus at the end of the month and each customer that created a video could win dinner for two. Of course they would have to label the video with the businesses name and upload it to YouTube to enter the contest but just think about how many videos you could have in just a few short months, these videos would most definitely build top of mind by influencing everybody that watches them.

4. Know Today's Customers

Customers today are too busy, skeptical, cautious, tired of all the sales pressure, and confused about all the choices available to them, you should adjust your marketing accordingly. What I mean by that is everything you do should address one or all of those. Social media is a great tool to do just that!

Battle Skepticism With: As I mentioned in the second paragraph, consumers only trust 14% of the ads they see but 78% of what a peer recommends. That's why it's essential that you get your customers to talk about you on their own social graphs, not only will that defeat skepticism it will build top of mind.

Addressing Cautious Customers: Answer every question, don't hide behind half answers because you just want to get them in the store. Know that today's customer wants to know ALL the facts before they comment. You could address this through blogs and FAQ's.

Forgo The Sales Pressure: You could have the least amount of sales pressure of all your competitors but if you talk about yourself too much on your social networks people will equate that to sales pressure and will cost you business and top of mind.

Helping Busy Customers: We're too busy these days to spend time haggling price, searching for the right deal or shopping around. Showcase the fact that you willing go the extra mile by getting your past customers to comment about or create videos on, how much time you saved them.

End The Confusion: Choices are everywhere and its easier than ever to shop around with the click of a mouse. But, with that, comes confusion. While we all like choices, the more there is the more confused people become. Most people don't have the time to research all their choices but there are a lot of things you can do to help them with that. For instance you could do a video showcasing your product, taking the time to explain exactly what it is, what it does and the many features it has. Don't use these videos to pitch but to showcase your products.

5. Top of Mind By Association

Being part of the clubs, groups, or associations your customers are part of is a great way to build top of mind. I don't what you to think of social media as just ONLINE, take away the technology aspect of it and you are left with people, people talking to people. Of course there are many different online groups you can be part of as well but think about where you can go in your local market and network. If you really want to create top of mind get out there and talk to people. When somebody has the need for your product they will think of you because you are already being accepted by their peers. That's influence by association.

Social Media Is Top Of Mind

Use it wisely, create a strategy and stick to it. Social marketing won't happen overnight but one day you will wake up see a ton of leads in your inbox, a ton more traffic to your website and dozens more calls and think that it did happen overnight. Embrace the new media but embrace it smartly, take advantage of it and give, give, give. Top of mind will be yours!

David Johnson is the Digital Marketing Strategist for PersuasiveConcepts.com and Next Generation Dealer Services.

Are they? I think, in a way, they are. You hear about it all the time, in every forum, every dealer twenty group and in all the industry magazines. Best practice this, best practice that, this is what you should be doing if you want to sell more cars!

I say, take it with a grain of salt. Look at where the auto industry is today, we're behind the times, it's always been that way, many times it has been said, "The auto industry is a late adopter of any new technology." I think the reason why this is, is because there are too many auto dealers out there that are always looking for industry best practices without thinking about their own dealerships best practices.

Wikipedia defines best practices as a technique, method, process, activity, incentive, or reward that is believed to be more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. when applied to a particular condition or circumstance.

Wow, that doesn't sound bad, now does it? No, it doesn't. In fact, it's not the actual best practice idea that I want you to think about, it's about the idea of blindly following what another dealership has done with the assumption that it will produce the same results for you. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't look into these so called "best practices," because you should. But instead of looking at them as the holy grail, use them to create practices that are best for your particular dealership. In other words, test, measure, test some more, measure again then rinse and repeat. This testing process should never end, in fact, you should make it a habit to continually improve upon your own numbers by measuring and testing on an ongoing basis.

The 5 Fundamentals Of Developing DEALERSHIP Best Practices

Embrace The Chaos and be proactive. Times change, people change, and culture is always shifting. The most important aspect of any marketing strategy is to make it flexible enough so that it won't break when things don't go according to plan. Adhering to industry best practices and not developing your own dealerships best practices is the quickest, surest way to failure.

Be a student, but surpass the teacher. Be proactive in your pursuit of knowledge but a master of adaptability.

Don't Let Fear Stop You from taking on new challenges and trying new things. I see a lot of dealers that won't try anything new because they fear they will lose market share, they are content with doing what has always worked, then lose their minds when it doesn't. In order to grow your business and take over market share, don't be afraid to adjust industry best practice by testing and measuring what works best for your particular dealership.

Use industry best practice, but mold it to fit your needs. Being fearful prevents growth, proceed with caution but don't let fear overtake you.

Put Your Ear To The Wind and pay attention to what it says. Predicting what's going to happen, in most instances, is near impossible. But if you listen to the constant change that is going around you and adjust business practices accordingly your dealership will always stay relevant. People are buying differently, mediums have changed and they put more emphasis in what their peers think than ever before, are you listening to them? If you are, then creating dealership best practices will be a much easier task!

Listening is one of the greatest business practices not being utilized today, what are you listening to?

Communicate Up and Down and Inside and Out. Open communication has been preached on forever but it's something that rarely occurs, good communication anyway. Instead of this being about internal dialogue I want you to think about external dialogue and listening to what your customers have to say. I encourage you to open up dialogue with them, get their opinions on what you can do better, believe me, if you ask they will tell! The best way to turn an industry best practice into a dealership best practice is by asking your customers how THEY would like to purchase a car, get service, or buy parts, then adjust accordingly.

Effective communication is more than a fundamental, it's the bedrock upon which ALL successful businesses are built.

Add Value. Everything you do, every email you send, phone call you make, ad you place and every time you talk to a customer should add value to their lives. If you care passionately about your customers it will become much easier to add value. Take a look at what you're doing now, which processes can be adapted so that they add value?

Adding value builds a stronger win-win relationship with your customers. Stronger relationships equal more sales, more referrals and more repeat customers.

Conclusion

While these fundamentals will get you started never forget that you must always test, measure, then test again. Never be comfortable with where you're at, always push the envelope, be creative and grow. Keep in mind that just because a specific email is working now doesn't mean it will ALWAYS work, the same can be said for a phone script, a liner ad, or a radio spot. Adapt and grow.

David Johnson is the Social Marketing strategist of PersuasiveConcepts.com and Next Generation Dealer Services.

Are they? I think, in a way, they are. You hear about it all the time, in every forum, every dealer twenty group and in all the industry magazines. Best practice this, best practice that, this is what you should be doing if you want to sell more cars!

I say, take it with a grain of salt. Look at where the auto industry is today, we're behind the times, it's always been that way, many times it has been said, "The auto industry is a late adopter of any new technology." I think the reason why this is, is because there are too many auto dealers out there that are always looking for industry best practices without thinking about their own dealerships best practices.

Wikipedia defines best practices as a technique, method, process, activity, incentive, or reward that is believed to be more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. when applied to a particular condition or circumstance.

Wow, that doesn't sound bad, now does it? No, it doesn't. In fact, it's not the actual best practice idea that I want you to think about, it's about the idea of blindly following what another dealership has done with the assumption that it will produce the same results for you. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't look into these so called "best practices," because you should. But instead of looking at them as the holy grail, use them to create practices that are best for your particular dealership. In other words, test, measure, test some more, measure again then rinse and repeat. This testing process should never end, in fact, you should make it a habit to continually improve upon your own numbers by measuring and testing on an ongoing basis.

The 5 Fundamentals Of Developing DEALERSHIP Best Practices

Embrace The Chaos and be proactive. Times change, people change, and culture is always shifting. The most important aspect of any marketing strategy is to make it flexible enough so that it won't break when things don't go according to plan. Adhering to industry best practices and not developing your own dealerships best practices is the quickest, surest way to failure.

Be a student, but surpass the teacher. Be proactive in your pursuit of knowledge but a master of adaptability.

Don't Let Fear Stop You from taking on new challenges and trying new things. I see a lot of dealers that won't try anything new because they fear they will lose market share, they are content with doing what has always worked, then lose their minds when it doesn't. In order to grow your business and take over market share, don't be afraid to adjust industry best practice by testing and measuring what works best for your particular dealership.

Use industry best practice, but mold it to fit your needs. Being fearful prevents growth, proceed with caution but don't let fear overtake you.

Put Your Ear To The Wind and pay attention to what it says. Predicting what's going to happen, in most instances, is near impossible. But if you listen to the constant change that is going around you and adjust business practices accordingly your dealership will always stay relevant. People are buying differently, mediums have changed and they put more emphasis in what their peers think than ever before, are you listening to them? If you are, then creating dealership best practices will be a much easier task!

Listening is one of the greatest business practices not being utilized today, what are you listening to?

Communicate Up and Down and Inside and Out. Open communication has been preached on forever but it's something that rarely occurs, good communication anyway. Instead of this being about internal dialogue I want you to think about external dialogue and listening to what your customers have to say. I encourage you to open up dialogue with them, get their opinions on what you can do better, believe me, if you ask they will tell! The best way to turn an industry best practice into a dealership best practice is by asking your customers how THEY would like to purchase a car, get service, or buy parts, then adjust accordingly.

Effective communication is more than a fundamental, it's the bedrock upon which ALL successful businesses are built.

Add Value. Everything you do, every email you send, phone call you make, ad you place and every time you talk to a customer should add value to their lives. If you care passionately about your customers it will become much easier to add value. Take a look at what you're doing now, which processes can be adapted so that they add value?

Adding value builds a stronger win-win relationship with your customers. Stronger relationships equal more sales, more referrals and more repeat customers.

Conclusion

While these fundamentals will get you started never forget that you must always test, measure, then test again. Never be comfortable with where you're at, always push the envelope, be creative and grow. Keep in mind that just because a specific email is working now doesn't mean it will ALWAYS work, the same can be said for a phone script, a liner ad, or a radio spot. Adapt and grow.

David Johnson is the Social Marketing strategist of PersuasiveConcepts.com and Next Generation Dealer Services.

I was forwarded a blog post by a colleague of mine the other day, thank you Rob, it was titled The 3 Types Of Social Media Strategy, I encourage you to read it before reading this post, it is spot on! In summary, the author of the post, Tac Anderson, talks about 3 different types of social media strategies, they are:

Bolt On

Bolt on, or what I refer to as Phase 1, is where most businesses are. It's the stick your toes in the water form of social media strategy. Most auto dealers are here, they create a fan page on Facebook or sign up for a Twitter account with the intention of doing nothing more than talking about themselves. Of course, those that learn from their mistakes and start to see some success will move on from here but the only reason they are on social networks in the first place is because everybody else is.

Optimizing Social Media For Your Business

In this strategy you have clear decision makers and goals put into place. Certain people have certain responsibilities and you have the right resources allocated to optimize social media for your dealership. While this is a more advanced strategy and you have done some internal adjustments they are mostly tactical in nature and have nothing to do with the overall culture of the dealership.

Optimizing Your Business For Social Media

Tac Anderson says that this is "Holy Grail" of social media strategy and one that no business has yet to reach. He says, "A business strategy that is optimized for social media will use social technologies to build collaborative relationships across all company stakeholders." Stakeholders being customers, employees, shareholders, partners and competitors.

Optimizing Your Dealership

While the author states that there isn't any business that is optimized for social media I think it's one that, as an auto dealership, we need to take a closer look at. To better understand what I mean by that take a look at the current relationship the general public has with auto dealers. Lets face it, they hate us. We're the enemy, they loath having to go through the process of buying a car and break out in hives with the thought of having to deal with a car salesperson. While that last sentence may have been a little dramatic I think you get my point.

In order for a dealership to really use social media, and I'm not talking about the way it's used now, but in such a way that the entire culture of the dealership is one based on transparency and trust, then a huge cultural shift must occur. What that means is that the way auto dealers are doing business today goes against everything social media is.

We've heard it time and time again, auto dealers are late adopters of any new technology. But, it's this newest technology, social media and web 2.0, that is going to cause the most trouble. You see, it's not the technology itself that will cause the problems but the cultural shift behind it. Take away social networks, the internet and computers and you are left with people, in fact the ONLY reason why social networks are so huge is because it allows us to do what we've wanted all along and that to be social.

This shift in our culture is one that was started by and ran by people, not businesses. Any dealership that continues with the old ways of conducting itself runs the risk of becoming irrelevant. In order to stay relevant a dealership must have an equal shift in culture. Just take a look at Madonna and her ability to stay relevant for so long, how is she able to it? She does it by changing her style when the culture shifts, she understands that in order to stay on top that she must adapt or she runs the risk of dying, professionally that is.

Culture is constantly shifting, whats true and correct today wont necessarily be true and correct tomorrow. The challenge then is to be aware of, and understanding the moment when the shift happens. Because, if you don't, then you run the risk of being irrelevant. In fact, auto dealers have been irrelevant for a long time and the ONLY reason they are still in business is because the need for an automobile is so profound that it transcends the shift of culture. That's isn't to say auto dealerships are immune to the passage of time, quite the contrary, what that means is that because the need for an automobile is so powerful that people will put up with the "crap" only because they have to, trust me, if there were any other way, they would.

I know this post has gotten deep but it's in the value of knowing when the shift is occurring, where the forward thinking dealership can ride the shift and be part of the new dynamic. Simply put, it's time to change the way we think. It's time to change the normal, adversarial relationship we have with our customers and turn them into one built on mutual trust and respect.

Takeaway

If we are going to change and influence a new way of doing business then we have to change ourselves before we can ever influence the change that is needed. Always remember that you can't give what you don't have. In other words, embrace the chaos, embrace the changing times and adapt along with it. Imagine if yours is the dealership that optimizes themselves for social media, what do you think that would do for your business?

What do you think, what do auto dealers need to do to stay relevant?

I was forwarded a blog post by a colleague of mine the other day, thank you Rob, it was titled The 3 Types Of Social Media Strategy, I encourage you to read it before reading this post, it is spot on! In summary, the author of the post, Tac Anderson, talks about 3 different types of social media strategies, they are:

Bolt On

Bolt on, or what I refer to as Phase 1, is where most businesses are. It's the stick your toes in the water form of social media strategy. Most auto dealers are here, they create a fan page on Facebook or sign up for a Twitter account with the intention of doing nothing more than talking about themselves. Of course, those that learn from their mistakes and start to see some success will move on from here but the only reason they are on social networks in the first place is because everybody else is.

Optimizing Social Media For Your Business

In this strategy you have clear decision makers and goals put into place. Certain people have certain responsibilities and you have the right resources allocated to optimize social media for your dealership. While this is a more advanced strategy and you have done some internal adjustments they are mostly tactical in nature and have nothing to do with the overall culture of the dealership.

Optimizing Your Business For Social Media

Tac Anderson says that this is "Holy Grail" of social media strategy and one that no business has yet to reach. He says, "A business strategy that is optimized for social media will use social technologies to build collaborative relationships across all company stakeholders." Stakeholders being customers, employees, shareholders, partners and competitors.

Optimizing Your Dealership

While the author states that there isn't any business that is optimized for social media I think it's one that, as an auto dealership, we need to take a closer look at. To better understand what I mean by that take a look at the current relationship the general public has with auto dealers. Lets face it, they hate us. We're the enemy, they loath having to go through the process of buying a car and break out in hives with the thought of having to deal with a car salesperson. While that last sentence may have been a little dramatic I think you get my point.

In order for a dealership to really use social media, and I'm not talking about the way it's used now, but in such a way that the entire culture of the dealership is one based on transparency and trust, then a huge cultural shift must occur. What that means is that the way auto dealers are doing business today goes against everything social media is.

We've heard it time and time again, auto dealers are late adopters of any new technology. But, it's this newest technology, social media and web 2.0, that is going to cause the most trouble. You see, it's not the technology itself that will cause the problems but the cultural shift behind it. Take away social networks, the internet and computers and you are left with people, in fact the ONLY reason why social networks are so huge is because it allows us to do what we've wanted all along and that to be social.

This shift in our culture is one that was started by and ran by people, not businesses. Any dealership that continues with the old ways of conducting itself runs the risk of becoming irrelevant. In order to stay relevant a dealership must have an equal shift in culture. Just take a look at Madonna and her ability to stay relevant for so long, how is she able to it? She does it by changing her style when the culture shifts, she understands that in order to stay on top that she must adapt or she runs the risk of dying, professionally that is.

Culture is constantly shifting, whats true and correct today wont necessarily be true and correct tomorrow. The challenge then is to be aware of, and understanding the moment when the shift happens. Because, if you don't, then you run the risk of being irrelevant. In fact, auto dealers have been irrelevant for a long time and the ONLY reason they are still in business is because the need for an automobile is so profound that it transcends the shift of culture. That's isn't to say auto dealerships are immune to the passage of time, quite the contrary, what that means is that because the need for an automobile is so powerful that people will put up with the "crap" only because they have to, trust me, if there were any other way, they would.

I know this post has gotten deep but it's in the value of knowing when the shift is occurring, where the forward thinking dealership can ride the shift and be part of the new dynamic. Simply put, it's time to change the way we think. It's time to change the normal, adversarial relationship we have with our customers and turn them into one built on mutual trust and respect.

Takeaway

If we are going to change and influence a new way of doing business then we have to change ourselves before we can ever influence the change that is needed. Always remember that you can't give what you don't have. In other words, embrace the chaos, embrace the changing times and adapt along with it. Imagine if yours is the dealership that optimizes themselves for social media, what do you think that would do for your business?

What do you think, what do auto dealers need to do to stay relevant?

Under Frederick the Great, the Prussian army was considered by many to be the finest fighting force in Europe. To behold their perfectly honed war strategies and flawless battle march was to strike both fear and awe in their enemies. In fact, many would consider the Prussian army to be one of history’s most prolific fighting machines.

Under Frederick the Great, the Prussian army was considered by many to be the finest fighting force in Europe. To behold their perfectly honed war strategies and flawless battle march was to strike both fear and awe in their enemies. In fact, many would consider the Prussian army to be one of history’s most prolific fighting machines.

I'm not a scientist. I don't get a kick out of doing research to find out what environmental conditions promote a healthy fruit fly population, but I do like to look at things in ways that most people don't. Take yesterday as an example, when my 7 year old daughter asked me why there is always Diet Mt. Dew in the house for her mom and dad to drink, when on most days there is nothing but water for her and her brother.

Of course, a typical answer would be, "because you and your brother drink up all the juice/milk/kool-aid as soon as it's brought into the house." In fact, that's what my wife said, but my answer was completely different.

"Isn't cool that your mother and I have the money to buy Diet Dew, whenever we are running low?" I said.

My daughter gave me a crazy look but said nothing, "It's because we have the monetary capitol, or money, to make the purchase, but you have the ability to get stuff bought for you too, it's called social capitol."

"Oh, God." My wife groaned. (yes I talk about social media at home too!)

"You see Katie, you have the ability to take the initiative to do things around the house. To contribute to the family and be part of the team. Each time you do something to help out around the house you get something worth more than money, it's called social capitol.

Social capitol can then be used to influence your mom and I to do stuff for you, like buy you gum (her favorite thing in the world). In fact you can get so much social capitol that when you do something bad, that would normally get you grounded, you'll get nothing more than a slap on the wrist."

I wasn't really sure if she got the gist of what I was saying but not an hour later, while I was sitting in my office, she brought me a drink. Later, without being asked, she starting putting away the dishes and even cleaned up after dinner.

I was so proud of her! I gave her big hug and said, "See, that's social capitol!"

"Can I have some gum now?" She asked.

"Katie, while it's okay to ask for the "sale" you use less of your social capitol when you don't ask."

"Huh."

"Okay, let's say that you have 10 social capitol bucks and you ask me to buy gum that costs 1 social capitol buck, you are then left with 9 bucks. But, because I feel so impressed about what you've done and I feel so good about rewarding you, that same pack of gum wouldn't cost you anything, all because you didn't ask for it!"

Don't worry, I bought her the gum and I assure you, it didn't cost her one social dime!

Conclusion

In teaching my daughter the value of doing things for other people, I taught her a valuable lesson, one that she won't soon forget. But, let's take a look at your dealership, what are you doing to earn social capitol? I assure you, what I taught my daughter will work for you as well, after all social capitol is the new currency and relationships run our new social economy.

I know it's a stretch for any business, and one exceptionally tough for a dealership to grasp, but the more you're able to give to your community the more you will get in return. If you work to engage your community in a positive manner the less you will have to pitch yourself because people will feel good about sending people to buy from you, after all you will be "One of Us", instead of the dreaded "One of Them."

David Johnson is the Digital Marketin Strategist for PersuasiveConcepts.com and Next Generation Dealer Services.

I'm not a scientist. I don't get a kick out of doing research to find out what environmental conditions promote a healthy fruit fly population, but I do like to look at things in ways that most people don't. Take yesterday as an example, when my 7 year old daughter asked me why there is always Diet Mt. Dew in the house for her mom and dad to drink, when on most days there is nothing but water for her and her brother.

Of course, a typical answer would be, "because you and your brother drink up all the juice/milk/kool-aid as soon as it's brought into the house." In fact, that's what my wife said, but my answer was completely different.

"Isn't cool that your mother and I have the money to buy Diet Dew, whenever we are running low?" I said.

My daughter gave me a crazy look but said nothing, "It's because we have the monetary capitol, or money, to make the purchase, but you have the ability to get stuff bought for you too, it's called social capitol."

"Oh, God." My wife groaned. (yes I talk about social media at home too!)

"You see Katie, you have the ability to take the initiative to do things around the house. To contribute to the family and be part of the team. Each time you do something to help out around the house you get something worth more than money, it's called social capitol.

Social capitol can then be used to influence your mom and I to do stuff for you, like buy you gum (her favorite thing in the world). In fact you can get so much social capitol that when you do something bad, that would normally get you grounded, you'll get nothing more than a slap on the wrist."

I wasn't really sure if she got the gist of what I was saying but not an hour later, while I was sitting in my office, she brought me a drink. Later, without being asked, she starting putting away the dishes and even cleaned up after dinner.

I was so proud of her! I gave her big hug and said, "See, that's social capitol!"

"Can I have some gum now?" She asked.

"Katie, while it's okay to ask for the "sale" you use less of your social capitol when you don't ask."

"Huh."

"Okay, let's say that you have 10 social capitol bucks and you ask me to buy gum that costs 1 social capitol buck, you are then left with 9 bucks. But, because I feel so impressed about what you've done and I feel so good about rewarding you, that same pack of gum wouldn't cost you anything, all because you didn't ask for it!"

Don't worry, I bought her the gum and I assure you, it didn't cost her one social dime!

Conclusion

In teaching my daughter the value of doing things for other people, I taught her a valuable lesson, one that she won't soon forget. But, let's take a look at your dealership, what are you doing to earn social capitol? I assure you, what I taught my daughter will work for you as well, after all social capitol is the new currency and relationships run our new social economy.

I know it's a stretch for any business, and one exceptionally tough for a dealership to grasp, but the more you're able to give to your community the more you will get in return. If you work to engage your community in a positive manner the less you will have to pitch yourself because people will feel good about sending people to buy from you, after all you will be "One of Us", instead of the dreaded "One of Them."

David Johnson is the Digital Marketin Strategist for PersuasiveConcepts.com and Next Generation Dealer Services.