Week after week we have the same meeting at the dealership. That is the GM sitting down with each department manager to review where they are at, projections, and things that need attention. Anything needing attention is then addressed individually with each department manager, which seems harmless but can cause tension and animosity. More often than not, it just means that the department managers involved need to sit down and work it out. However, that cannot happen in individual meetings. Here are some of the top reasons to avoid the Island approach, and how to have a productive, actionable meeting.

First, What is the Purpose Of the Meeting? Too Often the Manager Never Gets Past the Day to Day Dealings

The meeting is often seen as a hassle or waste of time. Knowing that for every minute they are trapped in the GM’s office the less money they will make at the end of the month. So to avoid the meeting taking up to much time, they quickly go through the same checklist. Once the checklist has cleared, they rush the door and get back into the lane or on the desk; all while the GM thinks all is good. But that is not usually the case. Instead, there are underlying issues that need to be addressed. Ones that are often not discussed with the GM, but are discussed among the employees, which can cause for frustration and tension between the various departments.

If You Have A Group Meeting Stick to the Agenda. Give Everyone A Chance. Do Not Interrupt.

The purpose of having an agenda is to ensure that all topics are covered; along with making sure no one goes down an endless rabbit hole that leads to nothing other than forty minutes of wasted time. That having been said if you do have an agenda make sure everyone turns in ahead of time what they would like to speak about. This gives the GM the time to review the request making sure it is in alignment with the meeting. If the topic is deemed personal and/or a conversation to be held privately, it takes away the chances of the meeting going from good to bad. Another reason to have an agenda - that is planned - is that it gives each manager a chance to voice their concerns, or questions effectively. More often than not, an argument between departments could have been avoided had there been better internal communication. This cannot, however, be accomplished if the manager is not given the time of day. As interrupting or talking over another manager is not only disrespectful, but it can also show that you do not support that manager.

Do Not Use the Meeting to Attack Your Co-Manager. Not All Issues Need to Be Made Public.

It is no secret that there is a lot of competition on the dealer level. It is a dog eat dog world, but there is nothing worse than bringing your co-worker down in front of everyone else. Especially given that while you might not care for them - what they are allegedly doing wrong might not even be wrong. However, as the GM if you allow the employee to bad mouth their co-worker in front of their peers it can in many ways send a signal that the behavior is not only allowed, but encouraged. All of which can and will create an eggshell environment. So, if you do have issues with your co-worker it is best to speak with them first. If you are unable to handle it with them directly, at that point you need to meet with your GM.

Bottom Line: Take a minute to get with each one of your managers, and allow them to contribute to the meeting's agenda. In doing so, each one of your managers will feel as if they are apart of the team. Having group meetings amongst management will also help ensure that there is no miscommunication amongst the various departments.

How do you handle manager meetings? Do you review the same agenda each time?  
 

At one point or another, we have all experienced the moment where the sales manager or GM asked us to put together a sales blast on a moments notice! That is their wanting us to send the entire database an email campaign regardless of whether or not the data is good. And while they will argue until you are blue in the face, we all know that doing campaigns in that manner can and will have negative consequences. Everything from mistakes in the email campaign, compliance issues, broken links, no alt text for images, and/or worse you get flagged for spam or blacklisted. Frankly, so many of today's CRM’s make it way to easy for the above to occur. Here are the top things to consider before hitting the send button! 

Quality over Quantity. What is the Purpose of the Email Campaign? 

More often than not the GM or Sales Manager will tell you “just send it to the whole CRM” to which we offer that not all emails in the CRM are valid, but in my previous case we were not allowed to ‘delete’ bad emails nor were we allowed to remove emails that have opted out. So each time an email list was pulled it was thought that I was deleting emails off the list, but in reality, it was because the customer had opted out. The point is, though, that sending an email blast to the entire database does not make sense. Nor will sending the email blast to the whole database get you the results you are hoping for! If anything, it will cause the customer to opt out! 

So before you go hit send on an email blast to the entire database, it is essential to understand the purpose of the email. For example, if your GM or Sales Manager is worried that the leads are down and the weekend appointments are low then sending out an email blast to 8,600 people on a Thursday is not going to do much good! Instead, you could create an email for the customers who have been quoted or have visited the store after having reviewed the deals, and send them an email or better yet give them a phone call. In doing so, you have a much better chance of securing a deal versus sending the entire database an email campaign; especially if the email went to one of your customers who has just quoted. Knowing that your email might have a lower price, which might upset the customer making it that much harder to secure the deal. 

Scrub Your Email Lists! A Customer Who Inquired A Year Ago on A Used Car Might Not Still Be in the Market! 

This is not saying that you should not email a customer if they have had correspondence with you within the last three to six months. But if the customer inquired a year or so ago, and never responded to your emails, calls or text messages than chances are they have either already purchased and/or they are not in the market. So sending them yet another email for the hopes and chances of selling them a car does not make much sense. That and it runs your dealer the risk of getting flagged for spam! 

Bottom Line: While sending out the email blast might seem tempting or the right thing to do, it is best to have a clear plan of action. Understanding the purpose of the email blast having a clear message for the customer. Otherwise - as outlined above - the campaign can cause more damage than good. And the whole purpose of sending out an email blast is to increase business, no? So before you send out the next email blast to the entire database review the customers who fit the criteria, get with your sales managers, and make sure that the pricing is correct and that the links are set up correctly in the email. In doing so, you will have more success. But most importantly, it is essential to review which customers have engaged with the email whether that is having opened it and/or replied. If your BDC or Sales Consultants take the time to follow-up with the customer your chances of selling the customer become that much greater! 

How do you handle email blasts at your dealership? Do you allow your sales managers to send out email blasts on their own accord? 
 

There is always hype in retail when it comes to the holidays. That is our mindset as an industry - the idea that our customers are eager, ready to shop for that fantastic deal. And while several studies suggest the holiday weekend can be quite successful, it is essential to keep in mind that your dealer sets realistic goals for a holiday. To do so, it is best to follow the following guidelines!

What did you do last year? Are sales generally up year over year?

One of the things we need to do more - on the dealer level - is to look at year over year reporting. Looking to see what the sales trends are making sure that the reporting you are reviewing is accurate. One of the best ways to get accurate reporting is to use your OEM’s online sales data. Using the sold data with your OEM will ensure it was an actualized deal. As for the pre-owned sales, you can easily review your DMS system, and pull your sold data.

The purpose of reviewing your year over year sales is to set a realistic sales goal. Wherein, if you want to increase your sales by ten or so percent (which sounds excellent), then you need to plan accordingly. Namely, perhaps there is one brand model that you are lacking in sales. Those units might also be aged. That said, you can look and see if there are any additional OEM programs to help absorb the discount. If there are programs available, then it’s the perfect opportunity to offload that inventory. 

For you to sell that inventory, however, it’s more than just setting the price. You will also need to make sure you have the right marketing in place to support the campaign. One of the most effective means of campaigning your inventory is to do so via social media. As the cost to run the campaign is still relatively low. You will also want to put together an email blast. One that is directly marketed to the customer. Such as a customer who has not yet otherwise purchased, but expressed interest in the vehicle. That very list, though, should be different than of the email list of customers who expressed interest but did not respond back to the dealership. In doing so, you will have a highly organized call list.

Holiday Hours. How Late to Stay Open?

Every dealer has their own standards as to what the hours are for the holidays. The best way to approach this scenario is to - as mentioned above - review your year over year sales. If you have low sales numbers and did not spend additional money to “market” holiday offers then you can expect for your sales to be light. If that’s the case, it is also best to not have a full staff at the dealership. As fully staffing your dealer - on a slow day - for a holiday can actually wind up costing the dealership money! This is especially true for those who are hourly and (depending on the state) require time and a half.

Bottom Line: this is not to say that your dealer should be closed for the holiday. But what this is offering is that if you are choosing to be open, there are best practices to follow to ensure that your dealer will have a successful sales day. That is making sure to review reporting, strategize an effective marketing campaign, and make sure that you are not overstaffing your dealership.  The last thing you ought to check - and make sure is accurate - is your stores hours! You would be surprised to see how many dealers forego updating their hours - leaving their customers unsure as to whether or not your open.

Is Labor Day a successful sales holiday for you? Do you also keep service open?

Let’s face it. We have all had that one employee that has jammed every one of our last buttons. Pushing us to the edge as we question ourselves. Asking why we thought getting into management was a good idea. Yeah, that employee. The one that seems to interject at the wrong time. The one that oversteps their boundary disrespectfully. The one that seems to never be happy no matter what. The one that thinks every little, minor, detail is a huge deal. That very employee can make or break you as a manager. Where it is easy to just give up or simply fire them. But as we know, the easy way out is never actually easy. In fact, it can make things worse. That said, that same employee might not get along with us because we might actually see a bit of our old selves in them. So instead of giving up here are eight tips to help you unjam your buttons, and get back to work!

Set Clear Expectations. Avoiding Loose Ends That Can Lead to Misinterpretations.

As a manager, it is sometimes easy to assume that your employee knows what it is you are asking for - however, that is not always the case. We have to remember; there is a reason you are in the management position. Noting that the employee might not think the way we do. Namely, just because s/he processes, information differently does not make them a bad employee. Instead, it means that instead of getting frustrated because they are not on the same page we have to take the time to ensure that there are clear expectations regarding the task at hand. This will allow you to focus on what is most important, the results!

What Jams Your Buttons?

We all have distinct personalities. Afterall, that is what makes us unique, no? Well, so do your employees. Where because we have our own unique personalities and there are some things will drive the living daylights out of us. That otherwise is a non-issue for others. That said, we cannot expect our employees to comply with our line of thought. Instead, it is best to balance our expectations. Being careful in the way we approach our employees. For example, if you see your employe completing a task - taking much longer than they should - it is best that we take the time to explain why it is we are asking them to do it a certain way. Knowing that is not about explaining it as “the right way,” but a more efficient way that will not only benefit the employee - as they have increased their productivity - but also the dealer.

The Know it All.

There is nothing - and I mean nothing - more frustrating than dealing with the “know it all,” but guess what? Sometimes that can be the mindset of the manager, too. Now imagine how the employee must feel if that is how you manage them? Especially if (as mentioned above) everything jams your buttons. One of the best ways to handle this sort of employee is to sit them down. Offering that while they believe that offering their “expert” opinion is both vital and necessary that there is a time and place to offer their ideas.

Think about it. The purpose is not to crush their “go-getter” energy. But rather harness and align that energy into something meaningful. For example, if they are an expert on social media then take the time to work with them - allowing them to assist others. This way their “know it all” effort is constructive and productive. As even other employees can find that mindset frustrating.

The Unmotivated And Disinterested. The Procrastinator. The One That Cannot Prioritize.

The sun could be shining, breeze in the air, showroom busy and they would still find something to complain about. You want to look them square in the face and say “really?” - However, we both know that approach will not work. Deep down inside, there is something that motivates this employee. Finding that source that motivates them is no easy feat. But when you do come across that source of motivation, it will peel back those unproductive layers! To find that motivational “source” you have to sit them down and have a conversation. The way in which you handle that conversation, however, can make or break that employee. Knowing that the goal is not to beat them over the head because your buttons are jammed. But rather, offer them support and encouragement in a meaningful way. Asking the hard question “what motivates you. For some, it is money, success - what is yours?”

If they cannot give you an answer and or are unwilling to make an effort to work with your team, then it becomes time to make the hard decision. That is whether or not to keep them on board. As you know that ill-productivity breeds ill-productivity.  You do not need them walking around playing You-Tube videos distracting your A-team as they are trying to make phone calls. But if you do not give them a chance - trying to work with them - figuring out what makes them want to work harder then shame on you.

The Negative Nancy. Everything is a disaster. Or a Primetime News Cycle. Shut. it. Down.

All they need is a microphone and a TV crew, and they would be the prime time news anchor. You know it is terrible - when as a manager - you purposefully avoid that employee when you come in. Or find every excuse known to man to avoid their presence. Where your eyes glaze over as they spill the beans on what you already knew giving the story a new edge and spin. One worthy of being on ENews. The problem with not dealing with the jammed button. Is that, well, they - the negative nancy - are stuck on their own channel. As a manager - whether you like it or not - have to deal with the situation. As you very well know that negativity can spread like wildfire. And while they might be a good person, the drama is not needed.

As far as handling this employee, there is a delicate balance that is needed. Given that they love negative attention. So pulling them into a “private” meeting gives them a means of creating a new storyline once they leave your office. Knowing full well that they will make their rounds making up a new saga, which was simply a meeting to shut it down. That said when you do speak with the negative Nancy be to the point and honest. Offering that certain conversations are not appropriate within the work-place. And if you hear they are discussing confidential or otherwise inappropriate information, they will be written up, suggesting that not everything needs to be shared. Where if they continue to bring in personal dramas be sure to offer them resources that are available within HR. Offering a solution. Or rather, a more appropriate outlet to discuss their dilemmas.

They can be a great person. It just takes a good manager to be able to differentiate an anomaly vs. everyday behavior. But as the manager, you have to make sure you handle it. Otherwise, they can wreak havoc on the morale of the company. All which can have detrimental consequences to your dealer's overall performance.

The workaholic. So Many Hours. Little Results. What Happened? The Company Martyr. They Do Everything. And According to Negative Nancy, Its a News Worthy Event.

Agh, the employee whose time card looks the like average front-end gross of a new vehicle. The company Martyr. The one who works 65 hours a week, but sells less vehicles than the sales consultant that works 40 hours (which is not limited to just the sale consultants. There are managers who are guilty of this too), thinking that the reason the other sales consultant is selling more vehicles must be because they were given all of the leads. When in all actuality, it is because the sales consultant - who works 40 hours a week - better manages their time. Knowing that just because you work longer hours does mean that they are better or more productive.

That said, as a manager, it is best to pull activity reports from the CRM. Noting how many calls each of them made, emails, texts, etc. Showing the Company Martyr that sales rep B actually made more phone calls, emails, and texts. If that does not wake up Sales rep A, then there are more issues than you thought. But the biggest thing to take away with this is that instead of getting frustrated with the employee lashing out at them. Figure out and understand why they want to spend so much extra time at the dealer? Encouraging them to find a healthy outlet to relieve their stress. This way, they are not only happier but they are more productive.  

So, How to make it All Happen?

So how to keep all of your buttons from jamming? Well, that depends on you - the manager - and how you work with your employees. Where if you ignore the elephant in the room or do not set clear guidelines and boundaries than you only have one person to blame. You. Management is not easy. If it were easy, we would all be managers, no? So before you lash out at an employee, it is best to figure out why they are acting or engaging in a behavior that is otherwise not conducive to the dealer. Taking the time to work with them. As the more effective you are in communicating with your employee the more likely they are going to work with you, bettering themselves. All of which can and will have a positive impact on the dealership.

When is the last time you searched for your dealership in a search engine? If you cannot remember. Perhaps it is time to take a minute and search for your dealership. Making sure that the information that comes up is correct. Such as, but not limited too, phone numbers, dealer hours, contact information, and photos!

Here Are Some of the Top Things to Review When Managing Your Online Presence Starting With Vendor Accountability: 

Vendor Accountability

It is sure easy to point the blame at an outside vendor - for those with marketing companies - however, at the end of the day it is the dealer's responsibility to ensure that the information they have provided is correct. Wherein, if you give the marketing vendor the wrong contact information they can only go off of what you have given them.

To make sure they have the correct information, it is best practice to double check the information before providing it to them. Where you take an extra minute to make a phone call verifying the number. One of the best ways to handle this is to have one main point of contact that handles all correspondence with the vendor. Otherwise, when too many people are in contact - aka too many hands in the cookie jar - then it can lead to miscommunications.

Business Pages

While the dealer website may be updated with the correct information - it does not matter unless the business page, too, is corrected. As the customer - before clicking through to the site - will see the search results.

That said, it is best to review the hours, phone number, and information. Where in many cases there is not a distinct difference in the sales/service hours. Making it confusing for the customer as they are not sure as to when service or sales close. Where if they were to think - based on the hours - that service is open until 8 PM. To come in and find out that it is not open. That they closed at then, it most likely will not go to well.

Phone Numbers | Contact Information

Routing the phone call correctly is a crucial component in ensuring that the customer has the best experience. However, this can go south if the customer were to call the number (that is within the search results), to only get transferred to the wrong department. To then call back in and get hung-up on when the call was transferred. All of which takes away from the customer's experience. However, if the appropriate phone number were listed, then the call would have been routed correctly.

Bottom Line: there is always the saying “will this sell me more cars? If not, I am not interested,” which does have a direct correlation to making sure that the dealer information is correct. Despite it often being overlooked. That said, for those who have regular staff meetings. Take an extra minute to make sure that all information is correct. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by having the BDC - for those who have one - keep their eyes peeled on the website as they are viewing it every day. Allowing you to update/fix issues. All of which will offer the customer a better experience.

When is the last time you checked your hours? Do You Have a Single Point of Contact for Outside Vendors? 

There is nothing more frustrating - or so it seems - than to search something, get a result, but once you clicked through the page does not have anything to do with what it was you searched. It happens all the time. Where you exit out and go to the next page. That said, the same thing happens in the auto industry. 

Just this last week I searched “credit assistance for car purchase,” and while several dealer websites popped up, there were many whose websites - when clicking through - offered no relative content on their landing page as to what the process was regarding the “credit approval” program. This can cause the customer to exit without completing the credit application. 

Here Are Some of the Top Things to Consider When Optimizing the Landing Page 

Relevant Content 

As a customer, when you click on a link, you expect the page to provide the answer you are looking for when clicking through to the page. If the page does not have that information available you then most likely exit moving onto the next page. And while that is not to say that the website did not have the information the customer is not always going to spend their time roaming the site trying to find the information. 

For Example: if the search is “credit approval for bad credit,” and the landing page says nothing about “credit acceptance” than the customer might feel as if you are unable to help them. Even though in the finance section of the website you have a landing page that explains the “credit acceptance.”

Landing Pages 

The right landing page can be pivotal in increasing conversion. Where if the customer can find the information s/he is looking for then they will most likely convert. One of the ways to accomplish this is by having strong Call to Actions. Explaining to the customer what the steps are. Even offering them a testimonial video on how your dealer works with bad credit!  

Message After Conversion 

Once you get the customer to complete the pre-approval, where does it go? Does the BDC Agent (or sales consultant) know that it is a “credit challenged” lead? If not, it can cause for confusion and frustration on the customer end. As s/he are expecting to discuss the options they have, which while you always offer the same level of customer service to each customer. The way in which you approach the customer service varies. All the more reason to ensure that the team is aware of the lead source; as you might not want to approach this customer with “thanks for submitting your credit application! We have excellent deals this month including 0% APR! What time works best for you to come in?”

Bottom Line: There is more to the campaign process and strategy than of what meets the eye. Where having the AdWords targeted correctly is only one step to the overall process. And to “convert” that traffic, the content on the landing page has to be relevant to what it is the customer is searching - If it is not then they will most likely exit without converting. 

The other thing to consider (as mentioned above) is ensuring the team is aware - whoever is answering the leads - of the source in which the lead came from so that they handle it correctly. Otherwise, that could hurt the chances of selling the customer! 

Dealers spend hours planning marketing campaigns and coupons months (even business quarters) ahead of when they will be released. With the hopes that there will be surges in traffic all of which adds to the bottom line. One thing though that I offer we have yet to approach is the harsh reality that the customer is no longer waiting for an email sent to them or (even worse) a mailer with coupons to make a purchase. 

Instead, the customer is searching Google (and other search engines) when it comes time to service their vehicle or make additional purchases. One of the searches is "Oil Change Coupon," and to my surprise when I searched that within my zip code 0 dealerships populated within the search results on the first couple of pages. 

What did populate was Groupon (one of the largest coupon generators around), and guess who offered the top downloaded coupon for an oil change with over 5k+ positive reviews? Not a dealer. It was a big box store. That said, it was an eye-opener as the customer - while it might seem like a novel idea - is not waiting for the 4th of July to get the 17.76 oil change. Nor are they going to wait for the $20.18 oil change offer. They are going to search Google when it comes time to get their oil changed (or whatever another browser they use), and whoever comes up with the best coupon and reviews will earn their business. 

This is not to say that there are not those customers (the best ones) that will continue to do their business with the dealer. But what it does offer is that we have to change the way we approach coupons. And if we want to be on the cutting edge capturing more business (that makes sense) than we have to ensure our specials are visible when being searched. 

One of the other biggest takeaways from this search experience was that when we focus on the “smaller” picture by offering an oil change that is “seasonally” referenced, then we cannot expect to see a sizeable marginal increase. As we are only targeting a small group of customers versus offering continued, successful, coupons that are visible in the search engine. 

Lastly, the coupon available for the oil change with over 5k+ downloads was not even cheaper than most dealers. In fact, it was $15+ more, which goes to show that a customer (in some cases not all) honestly does not go to the 5th, 6th, or 7th search results page. Instead, they see a coupon in the search results, and click on it! If it has good reviews and it makes sense, they’ll use it. 

Bottom Line: First and foremost, if you want to build and or increase business with coupons, which is the point other than internal OEM retention campaigns than we have to start thinking globally ensuring that the offer can also work as a conquest program. Not to mention, it is essential, too, that the coupon is visible on the dealer website along with good content for the customer to easily be able to book the appointment! All without having to give the oil change away! 

So do yourself a favor and Google “Cheap Oil Change” or "Oil Change Coupon," and see what comes up. And this is not to say that you will get hundreds more oil change opportunities, but what it does offer is the ability to build the business because you are in front of more people. Think about it, too - most customers do not think about taking their vehicle to a dealer for an oil change. Unless of course, the sales consultant builds that rapport with the customer during the sales to service handoff, which is a whole other conversation! 

Do you put coupons on Groupon? If so, have you see success with it? Are Your Coupons Visible to New Customers?

It is hard sometimes to imagine what the average customer searches for regarding services when you are on the dealer level every day. But if you take a step back for a moment - looking at it from the customers perspective - they want to know what is included in the service, cost of service, and when they can book the appointment! Sounds relatively simple, no? Yet more often than not many dealers fail to provide information regarding their pricing or repair descriptions. Not to mention scheduling the appointment, itself, can be quite the chore! 

Think about it. Each dealer has its own definition of “service” plans other than of what the OEM offers for service intervals.  For example, when the customer searches “20 thousand mile service” they may or may not get the dealer that they purchased from because the dealer fails to have that information on their site. 

Just this past week I searched “(OEM) 20k mile service (location),” and to my surprise, the dealership did not even show up until the 5th page! Yet service is the money the maker, no? Instead, other dealers that were well over an hour away populated. And as you can imagine, why would I call the dealer 1-2 hours away for service? I wouldn’t. So why would any other customer? Are we forgoing business opportunities for the sake of not providing them with information? 

That said, here are two top tips for ensuring that when a customer is searching for service with your OEM (in your backyard) that your dealer not only shows up BUT offers relevant content with a strong call to action! 

Service Landing Page 

When is the last time you updated your service landing page? What does it even include? For the OEM I used as an example when I searched “OEM service” their dealer did show up. But not when I did “OEM 20k mile service.” However, when I clicked on the “OEM Service” link the landing page was for the 5k, 10k, 20k and 30k mile interval service? That did not make much sense given the search was simple “OEM Service.”  The other alarming issue was the “information” about the service intervals were “images” with “text” vs. actual text. It also failed to offer other services they did. 

One thing you can do to improve this situation would be to offer appointment Scheduling where the customer can “select” vehicle, “estimated mileage,” and “have you serviced with us before?” all of which would guide the customer to completing what we all want:  “the service appointment!” 

But make no mistake, if you ask them questions, but then fail to provide any relevant information they will not the only exit. They will become frustrated. All without having booked their appointment. 

Service Blog 

Having a service blog might seem daunting, but it could be advantageous. Only if it offers relevant content such as services, OEM maintenance schedules, and their importance, what service amenities are included, customer reviews, customer workshops, etc. The goal is to offer relevant content. The other advantage of having a service blog that explains services in a meaningful way is if a customer were to search “xyz” service, and you are the only dealer that offers the cost, what it does, and when the next available appointment is - you might just pick up another customer! Again, people just want some answers. 

Bottom Line: It is always best to search your “dealership service” to see what comes up! Looking at the results from a customers perspective. Making sure that your content is relevant. 
When is the last time you searched your service center? Do you offer the ability to schedule a service appointment on your blog? 
 

At first glance sending an automated email seems like the perfect thing to do! Where it becomes turn-key, and you do not have to rely on your sales manager, BDC Agents,  or consultants to do the job! Sounds perfect, right? Well that all might sound well and good but the fact of the matter is that many auto emails fail.

Here are some of the top reasons they fail!

The Customer Opt’s Out Before They Open an Actual Email

Think about this for a moment. You spend all of this money to acquire the customer through AdWords, PPC, Social Media, OEM Marketing, Retargeting, etc. All for the customer to finally convert on your website (VDP) only to then opt out because you sent them multiple auto emails before actually answering their lead!

This happens far more often then you would believe! As a customer, can you imagine that you spent all this time researching? Asking what seems to them as a simple question to only receive an automated email that does not even answer their question? Wouldn’t that frustrate you? Especially if the email is made to look like it came from the sale consultant? And please, no one cares anymore whether or not it was sent from your iPhone or that you want to excuse your spelling errors. Seriously. People do not even think about it. I mean, when is the last time you specifically noticed that an email was sent and/or responded to from an iPhone?

Headers & Footers That are Not Responsive

Branding is very important. We get that, but what is concerning, though, is that when you do take the time to brand the store - make sure that the email is legible on mobile devices. I encountered a situation recently where the dealer had great verbiage but failed to make sure the email was responsive!

The email was not readable on the mobile device, which in turn meant that very few people responded. Where you only saw the image (if it loaded), and they failed to include any alt text. Meaning the customer only saw red x’s. Offering abysmal results. In order to have successful headers & footers (which are not always necessary) the design has to be mobile first! No one is pinching or zooming! You also want to take a moment to make sure that all of the images (as mentioned above) have alt text. So if the photo does not load the customer can at least identify what it is they are supposed to be viewing. Lastly, make sure all of the links are correct! If the customer clicks a broken link they are most likely to exit without converting.

Subject Lines!

Subject lines are an integral part of creating a successful email! Where depending on the client's mail system, the email could be sent to a promotions folder (p.s. Mobile devices like iOS do not auto filter them like the desktop), essentially making it invisible to the customer. The subject line should be short to the point! Namely, it should spell out what it is in the email giving the customer a reason to want to open it! Giving a strong sense of “fear of missing out” - FOMO!

Thank You We’re Closed

Believe it or not, customers are not actually always expecting to be responded to when they inquire. Where many of them - at the time of inquiring - just happen to have a few minutes to spend online. That said, if it is off hours - instead of sending a canned, useless email reminding them of what they already know - consider a custom landing page, which offers that you are currently closed but that you will be in touch the following business day.

This way you save yourself an email. And if you do actually respond to the lead after hours it is a surprise. Where the customer can appreciate your having taken the time to work with them despite the fact that you are closed.

Bottom Line: If you are paying hundreds of dollars to acquire a new customer why risk the unnecessary chance of their opting out before you have even had the chance of speaking with them?! Take a minute to review the autoresponders you currently use. Asking yourself “what - if any - value does this add to the customer's experience?

If it takes a moment to answer that question than perhaps it is time to let it go! Remembering that customers do not often read more than the second email. And if the first two emails are irrelevant or do not answer their questions the chances of them opting out are that much greater!

How do you handle autoresponders? Do you have a successful one that gets great results?

OEMs and Dealers have yet to idealize or define what social media means in regards to the brand identity or reputation management. So it is no surprise given the article in the NY times that Dealers still refuse to understand or embrace social media. Several Dealers have yet to approach social media from an angle that will leverage sales using ads with a tangible ROI, which is more important than the happy customer campaign. Hence, Dealer Rater is still the most trusted source for dealer reviews. Generating leads to the dealer using happy customers.

It is apparent; too, that some dealers believe that it is not their job or purpose to be wasting their staff’s time posting on social media.

Is taking a selfie in front of the store smiling as effective as a direct marketing ad that’s paid? 

No. So yes, while it is advisable that your employees not be posting selfies at the dealer highlighting their wild weekend binges. It is, however, essential that your dealer brands ads that are consistent with the vision of the dealer. Taking the OEM’s current marketing to their advantage. Creating an ad that sells itself through word of mouth and past customer experiences. Especially given that customers in today's market are far less loyal than they used to be. The offerings by the dealer have to be more relevant. Most importantly, relatable – promoting a post about a happy customer does not mean the next customer will say, “Well if she was happy purchasing there I will be happy too” 
Instead, the consumer is thinking “what kind of deal did s/he get” 
Instead, of using faces use a vehicle - one that has a good offer. One that will encourage the consumer who has read the good reviews a reason to inquire more information about the dealer and its current inventory. 

It is evident that the main point of this article was to say many Dealers do not understand how to develop content. Highlighting, that for the most part dealers do not have a dedicated content team. The OEMs have also done a less than satisfactory jobs explaining social media. Much less execute their ideology on a dealer level. There is no doubt that the disconnect caused disinterest, frustration, and complete boycotting in some cases. 

Instead of boycotting social media, or worse – having the OEMS control the social media on a dealer level much like they control the sites. They need to educate the managers on how to develop a marketing strategy. 

Wherein, the OEM has the dealer focus on non-thrust months. Knowing that the dealer should not be spending hundreds of dollars on marketing in a month, the OEM has spent millions. Rather, working toward developing a campaign that centers with their demographic area. In so far as leasing deals, services (weather condition specific), etc. 

One example of how an OEM can assist the dealers is to assist them in both approaching and executing a social media marketing campaign. And no, I am not talking about the happy customer campaign. What I am saying is let’s focus on a customer who is in the market based on Polk data. Letting Facebook do the rest of work. Sending the message to the right audience. 

In order for marketing to be successful in social media, the content has to be relatable to the consumer. It is like sending retirement home information to a 21-year-old. 

Beyond a simple campaign – there has to be a purpose. Inviting the customer back to your dealer website to complete a form will just lead to a massive increase in your bounce rate. In addition to frustrated customers. 

Instead, have a coupon or giveaway where the customer gives you their second most prized position – the cell number. A number that gives you their undivided attention. Knowing that 98% of text messages are read within 2 minutes. 

The coupon could be as simple as $25 for giving their “opinion” on a newly designed model. Understanding, that for this campaign to work there has to be “proof.” In so far as customers post their opinions online. Receiving instant gratification. 

Once people see the ‘transparency,’ and this is not another scratch-off scam where the dealer mails out a letter where everyone wins $3,000 to only then win gold coins. It was tragic. They will be much more likely to respond to the dealer. 

Direct marketing via social media – if done efficiently with a purpose – can be incredibly effective. However, make no mistake – throwing out a loose underdeveloped vision that has not been explained or made known to the staff will in no way help the dealer. It will only lead to mass confusion. More confusing and clustered than your website already is screaming “CONTACT ME I AM DESPERATE.” Asking your customer to chat with a robot. 

I challenge dealers to look at their social media page. Reviewing the last campaign they did. Developing a new campaign centered on a local community event such as a pet adoption day, carnival day – even a safety awareness event before school starts.

Taking small steps, and planning according to your OEM calendar will help make transitioning into social media much less complicated.