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Honestly, to Tell You the Truth, the Honest Truth is that We Aren't Here to Rip You Off!
"Negotiation is the art of reaching agreement by trust while lying." -- Keith Shetterly, 2011
Wow! My friends have pointed out that I needed another article for "trust-eroding" words and phrases--spoken or written--that can kill sales, so here comes Part 2 of what is now a series. What do I mean by "trust-eroding"? Well, that's best explained by going right to the first example:
Honestly. You're eroding trust directly with the use of this word--because when you reach a point in a conversation where you say, "Well, honestly, . . .", does that mean to the customer that you were lying the entire time before you said that phrase? YES. My opening quote is true of negotiation, in that the customer knows things like the dark history of their trade and/or their credit score that can kill a deal, while the dealer knows the invoice, holdback, step money, bonus motivations, etc. that can make a deal happen. And nobody wants to reveal any of that right out at the front. It's hard enough to establish trust in any negotiation because of that situation, so you don't need to call yourself out in some mistrustful way while you are negotiating! Using "honestly" puts you backwards immediately and erodes trust.
The Fix: Instead of saying "Well, honestly, . . . ", say "Let me share something more with you . . . ". The first says you're a liar, the second says to the customer that they've successfully negotiated and corned you into revealing more information--and it's usually a very good idea to stroke the customer's ego during a sale. So, "Let me share something more with you . . . " is now your trust mantra! And, as well, never, ever, use the next phrase . . .
To Tell You The Truth. This sounds a lot like "honestly", and there is certainly that full aspect for this phrase, so if necessary please read the previous item on "honestly" again. However, there's even more for this phrase: It's often mis-applied as a bonding-with-the-customer moment, as in "I'm breaking a rule here to reveal this . . .", but "To tell you the truth" actually says to the customer that, not only have you perhaps been lying up to this point, but that you also might lie again in the future! You'd have to beat this phrase to death as a preface to every statement you make in order to theoretically offset that, but that repetition in reality would just erode trust even further. Avoid "to tell you the truth", even as a preface phrase like "To tell you the truth, I don't know." Really? Thank goodness you didn't give another lying answer to the other questions I asked already or as you will to the next ones I'm going to ask!
The Fix: Use the phrase "Let me tell you one of our secrets . . ." instead. Again, you're stroking the customer's ego, bonding with them, and telling them (again) that they've cornered you in the negotiations into revealing more information. And NOT eroding trust!
The Honest Truth Is. Yep, here's the "Ultimate Trust-Eroding Combo Pack" built on the last two phrases. Are you saying there is a "dishonest" truth? And, whatever that is, the customer is now thinking, again, that you're a liar, that you're going to be a liar--and, additionally, that the very next words you are now about to utter after this phrase are most certainly a lie. "The honest truth is that my sales manager has done as much as he can, and this is the lowest price he can offer." Sure it is.
The Fix: Say, instead, in this case "The fact is . . ."--because facts are evidence, and truth is philosophy. You are telling them a fact they can choose to believe because they know you've worked hard on their behalf with your sales manager. You've let them know that, right? You're not using "The honest truth is . . ." because you're shortcutting the sales process, are you? Exactly. Use "The fact is . . ." because your work on their behalf is a fact, your sales manager has negotiated fairly, and your dealership does treat its customers the best in the area.
We Aren't Here to Rip You Off. Ugh!! Really? If you're not here to do that, why did you have to tell me that?? Alert! Alert! Trust erosion ahead! This phrase, and those like it, attract customer suspicion like honey attracts bees.
The Fix: Just learn that real trust is built, not on what you aren't, but on what you are--and say instead: "We are an honest dealership . . .". Simple and says it all. And back-able by appropriate additions such "our online reputation with our customers shows", "our fifty years in business means", etc. Trust is built on positives, not negatives!
Now, hit your sales floors (phone, UPs, Internet, email, etc.) knowing how to get, and keep, trust from your customers with the words you use. Honestly, they're very important! :)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011, www.keithshetterly.com
All Rights Reserved
TurnUPtheSales.com
Irregardless, the Copacetic Analyzation of, Like, Per Se is &@#%!
Want to make more sales or maybe just sound smarter? Then learn which words make lots of people--from your peers, to your bosses, to your CUSTOMERS--cringe. Spoken or written, these words lose you sales!
Irregardless. It's a common word now that is most often misused as a synonym for "regardless"--and it is not. It's a double negative of "regardless"--instead of meaning "in NO regard" to something, like "regardless", it means "NOT in NO regard" to something, or actually then IN REGARD to something! So, saying "Regardless of the high interest rate, you got a new car!" is not the same as "Irregardless of the high interest rate, you got a new car!" The first sentence says to the customer that he or she is getting a new car and just ingore the minor pain of the interest--the second sentence says the customer got a new car AND the interest rate is painful.
The Fix: Just use the proper word "regardless" whenever you would say "irregardless", and you will be correct! However, if you are mentally stuck needing an "ir-" word for what you mean by improperly using "irregardless", then properly use "irrespective"--which is an "ir-" word that actually has the same meaning as "regardless". And is a likely culprit for the historical slip-up that led to the modern mis-use of "irregardless"!
Footnote: Yes, despite claims to the contrary, "irregardless" is a word accepted even by Merriam-Webster now. It's the way it is used as a synonym for "regardless" that is wrong! Which is why many grammar/spell-checks alert on it.
Copacetic. It's a word. And it may sound to you like it comes from some education--however, the very origin of the word is not clear. It means "very satisfactory", but it shows up quite often as a synonym for (of all things) the common (but also of mysterious origin) word "okay". As in "Are we copacetic?", "Things here are copacetic.", "We're all very copacetic.", and so on. Is it a word much seen in educated speech? No. It sounds, perhaps, lofty and powerful, and someone using it often blazes out with "copacetic" like it's a code word for the phrase "smart folks like me will know this word".
The Fix: Just use "okay" instead! Or be specific, when it makes sense, as in "Are we selling enough GMCs?" or "Is the department morale good today?"
Analyzation. You mean "analysis", don't you? Yes. "Analyzation" is, again, a real word to Merriam-Webster, though even as I type it the grammar/spell-check of this site alerts on it. It's a really pompous and uneducated-sounding way to say "analysis". So . . .
The Fix: Just learn to always use "analysis" instead. This one's not that hard.
Per se ("per say"). Ugh. It's a latin phrase for "in itself" and is sometimes defined as "as much". And it's the one phrase that get's littered across some conversation almost as much as the word "like" (see next entry), as in "Well, I'm not saying, per se, that you stole my customer. Or that, per se, you're a snake. However, you did, per se, end up with a commission on a $6,000 gross that you didn't, per se, share with me." Even if you read that sentence back and mentally substitute "in itself" or "as much" for "per se", you'll understand that this is just speech that only sounds irritating, not educated.
The Fix. Stop saying it. Period. Ever. You'll feel better. And soon laugh at anybody you hear saying the phrase. As it is almost as irritating as . . .
Like. "Oh. My. God. Like. Totally..." The use of "like" as an idiotic-sounding "bonding pause" in speech has a long, long history, as in "Yeah, like, I was, like, going to, like, the store, and, like, my Mom, like, wouldn't, like, give me any money!" So, it's been around the speech of teens for decades. And it's use this way is, hands down, the most obnoxious mis-use + over-use of any non-profane word I can think of in the English language! Luckily, many teens grow out of the need for it. However, some job applicants are headed to a sales floor near you, still in their early twenties, using it. Or maybe you use it yourself.
The Fix: ABSOLUTELY STOP! This mis-use + over-use of "like" has been scientifically demonstrated to melt the brains of lab mice, stop the hearts of anyone over 40, and absolutely and totally end the career of anyone in sales.
&@#%! (Profanity). Don't use it. At least not to sound professional. And certainly not in sales.
The Fix: You know what to do.
Now, everybody, either &@#%! go forth and copacetic-ally perform some, like, analyzation of, like, your professional usage of English.
Or instead just remember this article . . . per se. :)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011, www.keithshetterly.com
All Rights Reserved
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
Irregardless, the Copacetic Analyzation of, Like, Per Se is &@#%!
Want to make more sales or maybe just sound smarter? Then learn which words make lots of people--from your peers, to your bosses, to your CUSTOMERS--cringe. Spoken or written, these words lose you sales!
Irregardless. It's a common word now that is most often misused as a synonym for "regardless"--and it is not. It's a double negative of "regardless"--instead of meaning "in NO regard" to something, like "regardless", it means "NOT in NO regard" to something, or actually then IN REGARD to something! So, saying "Regardless of the high interest rate, you got a new car!" is not the same as "Irregardless of the high interest rate, you got a new car!" The first sentence says to the customer that he or she is getting a new car and just ingore the minor pain of the interest--the second sentence says the customer got a new car AND the interest rate is painful.
The Fix: Just use the proper word "regardless" whenever you would say "irregardless", and you will be correct! However, if you are mentally stuck needing an "ir-" word for what you mean by improperly using "irregardless", then properly use "irrespective"--which is an "ir-" word that actually has the same meaning as "regardless". And is a likely culprit for the historical slip-up that led to the modern mis-use of "irregardless"!
Footnote: Yes, despite claims to the contrary, "irregardless" is a word accepted even by Merriam-Webster now. It's the way it is used as a synonym for "regardless" that is wrong! Which is why many grammar/spell-checks alert on it.
Copacetic. It's a word. And it may sound to you like it comes from some education--however, the very origin of the word is not clear. It means "very satisfactory", but it shows up quite often as a synonym for (of all things) the common (but also of mysterious origin) word "okay". As in "Are we copacetic?", "Things here are copacetic.", "We're all very copacetic.", and so on. Is it a word much seen in educated speech? No. It sounds, perhaps, lofty and powerful, and someone using it often blazes out with "copacetic" like it's a code word for the phrase "smart folks like me will know this word".
The Fix: Just use "okay" instead! Or be specific, when it makes sense, as in "Are we selling enough GMCs?" or "Is the department morale good today?"
Analyzation. You mean "analysis", don't you? Yes. "Analyzation" is, again, a real word to Merriam-Webster, though even as I type it the grammar/spell-check of this site alerts on it. It's a really pompous and uneducated-sounding way to say "analysis". So . . .
The Fix: Just learn to always use "analysis" instead. This one's not that hard.
Per se ("per say"). Ugh. It's a latin phrase for "in itself" and is sometimes defined as "as much". And it's the one phrase that get's littered across some conversation almost as much as the word "like" (see next entry), as in "Well, I'm not saying, per se, that you stole my customer. Or that, per se, you're a snake. However, you did, per se, end up with a commission on a $6,000 gross that you didn't, per se, share with me." Even if you read that sentence back and mentally substitute "in itself" or "as much" for "per se", you'll understand that this is just speech that only sounds irritating, not educated.
The Fix. Stop saying it. Period. Ever. You'll feel better. And soon laugh at anybody you hear saying the phrase. As it is almost as irritating as . . .
Like. "Oh. My. God. Like. Totally..." The use of "like" as an idiotic-sounding "bonding pause" in speech has a long, long history, as in "Yeah, like, I was, like, going to, like, the store, and, like, my Mom, like, wouldn't, like, give me any money!" So, it's been around the speech of teens for decades. And it's use this way is, hands down, the most obnoxious mis-use + over-use of any non-profane word I can think of in the English language! Luckily, many teens grow out of the need for it. However, some job applicants are headed to a sales floor near you, still in their early twenties, using it. Or maybe you use it yourself.
The Fix: ABSOLUTELY STOP! This mis-use + over-use of "like" has been scientifically demonstrated to melt the brains of lab mice, stop the hearts of anyone over 40, and absolutely and totally end the career of anyone in sales.
&@#%! (Profanity). Don't use it. At least not to sound professional. And certainly not in sales.
The Fix: You know what to do.
Now, everybody, either &@#%! go forth and copacetic-ally perform some, like, analyzation of, like, your professional usage of English.
Or instead just remember this article . . . per se. :)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011, www.keithshetterly.com
All Rights Reserved
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
The Day the Internet Stood Still
I don’t know whether GoogleBots suspending a dealer's Google Places (GPs), or incorrectly merging their GPs, or automatically creating dealer GPs that the dealers don’t know about, qualifies for this dramatic article title (also the title of my new movie script!) or not. However, they can definitely cause as much havoc on your dealership GP as the robot “Gort” did in the 1951 science fiction classic “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (I didn’t much like the 2008 remake). And there’s no “lone alien" to listen to your pleas and perhaps Save the World (or just your GP) from Gort The GoogleBot: Uttering the famous phrase “Klaatu Borada Nickto” isn’t likely to work.
I want to note here at the beginning of this article that I believe that speaking too authoritatively about Google Places’ direction (much less Google!) is especially risky at this time. I’m using the term “GoogleBot” here, for example, but that’s MY assumption that Google is a wiz at automation, especially in the face of the massive GP effort they are making.
However, authority or not, I want to share my latest experience chasing issues with Google Places. I’m also, by the way, participating in their Request for Ideas at this link www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=ba1ca&v=23, but I still feel some GP misunderstandings occur and want to share my experience and issues with GP
Some background: Since Google launched GP, the sheer size of the work (cost) caused for businesses to create/manage GP and also to keep the effects positive to searches for businesses may well be without precedent in the modern age. GP affects EVERY business across the globe and requires attention from EACH of them. And remember while reading this article that Google is AUTOMATICALLY creating GPs RIGHT NOW from business directories—so you will have a GP whether you like it or not! And you may get tangled up because there can be MORE THAN ONE old Google Maps, or several directory listings for your dealer, and all that can compete for validation with Google for your new GP.
By the current “rules”, my experience is that--in order to ENSURE you keep a dealership’s GP as “safe” from GoogleBots as possible--you MUST begin with doing AT LEAST these five things:
- Have a unique, local ph #
- Have a unique address
- Use the same business name as various other online business listings
- Have a unique website per each GP
- GAIN GOOGLE REVIEWS!
What can happen if you don’t do these five, at least? A store I’m working with lost their current GP because an old GP gained a more-recent Google review and the old GP matched ph # and address with the new GP—and so the GoogleBot over-rode the newer and more-complete GP because of a more-relevant REVIEW. So, understand that my recommendation is that you MUST seek reviews in order to remain most relevant to Google on your GP. Did I mention that “Google Places Hijacking” is a real problem? (though not related to this article’s attention on GoogleBots). You need to get your GP going and keep it relevant.
And next, at the same dealer, a GoogleBot evidently decided that the pics and videos for the GP were some SEO hoakum and deleted them. So, this means to me that Google is using these GoogleBots to keep businesses from gaming GP for better SEO—a VERY good thing, because GP show automatically on most page one searches for your business. Especially those by brand. This advantage is VERY valuable in SEO.
And so just try launching, and keeping, a separate service GP on your same physical address. Apparently, in Google’s view at the moment we are dealerships and dealerships have service as a component of their business—so it shouldn’t have a separate GP. That doesn’t mean you can’t “get away” with it and create one . . . except if a GoogleBot clues in, you can have your whole GP suspended, reviews and all. The same thing can happen with multiple makes using the same physical address.
I’ve discussed and argued about these “Five Things” on my list with some very prominent SEO experts. And not only in Automotive. A very few—sadly and surprisingly—don’t have a clue about how to integrate GP into their SEO work. And others have shown me their very good work on a dealer’s GP that has multiple makes in the business name (instead of their directory-matching normal business name) and said “Ha! SEE!!” Or they’ve noted that they believe that Google will allow a separate GP for service. Or multiple suites in an address to handle multiple GPs for multiple makes at what is really the same physical address.
All that tells me is that SEO has changed with GP and that a few experts haven’t followed those changes. And that Google’s policing—and POLICIES!—aren’t perfect with GP, either, so, yes, you can “get away” with different GP strategies. For a time, anyway. There’s more changes ahead, I’m sure.
In the meantime, you can try “Klaatu Barada Nickto” in the text areas of your GP. Or you can be cautious, work within Google's rules, pay attention to changes, and do at least The Five Things listed above.
Personally, that is how I'll handle Gort The GoogleBot when he shows up again!
P.S. Here’s some links on Google Places information that are helpful to learn and also give Google some feedback:
https://www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=ba1ca&v=23 (ideas for GP, thank you Scott Falcone!)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
The Day the Internet Stood Still
I don’t know whether GoogleBots suspending a dealer's Google Places (GPs), or incorrectly merging their GPs, or automatically creating dealer GPs that the dealers don’t know about, qualifies for this dramatic article title (also the title of my new movie script!) or not. However, they can definitely cause as much havoc on your dealership GP as the robot “Gort” did in the 1951 science fiction classic “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (I didn’t much like the 2008 remake). And there’s no “lone alien" to listen to your pleas and perhaps Save the World (or just your GP) from Gort The GoogleBot: Uttering the famous phrase “Klaatu Borada Nickto” isn’t likely to work.
I want to note here at the beginning of this article that I believe that speaking too authoritatively about Google Places’ direction (much less Google!) is especially risky at this time. I’m using the term “GoogleBot” here, for example, but that’s MY assumption that Google is a wiz at automation, especially in the face of the massive GP effort they are making.
However, authority or not, I want to share my latest experience chasing issues with Google Places. I’m also, by the way, participating in their Request for Ideas at this link www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=ba1ca&v=23, but I still feel some GP misunderstandings occur and want to share my experience and issues with GP
Some background: Since Google launched GP, the sheer size of the work (cost) caused for businesses to create/manage GP and also to keep the effects positive to searches for businesses may well be without precedent in the modern age. GP affects EVERY business across the globe and requires attention from EACH of them. And remember while reading this article that Google is AUTOMATICALLY creating GPs RIGHT NOW from business directories—so you will have a GP whether you like it or not! And you may get tangled up because there can be MORE THAN ONE old Google Maps, or several directory listings for your dealer, and all that can compete for validation with Google for your new GP.
By the current “rules”, my experience is that--in order to ENSURE you keep a dealership’s GP as “safe” from GoogleBots as possible--you MUST begin with doing AT LEAST these five things:
- Have a unique, local ph #
- Have a unique address
- Use the same business name as various other online business listings
- Have a unique website per each GP
- GAIN GOOGLE REVIEWS!
What can happen if you don’t do these five, at least? A store I’m working with lost their current GP because an old GP gained a more-recent Google review and the old GP matched ph # and address with the new GP—and so the GoogleBot over-rode the newer and more-complete GP because of a more-relevant REVIEW. So, understand that my recommendation is that you MUST seek reviews in order to remain most relevant to Google on your GP. Did I mention that “Google Places Hijacking” is a real problem? (though not related to this article’s attention on GoogleBots). You need to get your GP going and keep it relevant.
And next, at the same dealer, a GoogleBot evidently decided that the pics and videos for the GP were some SEO hoakum and deleted them. So, this means to me that Google is using these GoogleBots to keep businesses from gaming GP for better SEO—a VERY good thing, because GP show automatically on most page one searches for your business. Especially those by brand. This advantage is VERY valuable in SEO.
And so just try launching, and keeping, a separate service GP on your same physical address. Apparently, in Google’s view at the moment we are dealerships and dealerships have service as a component of their business—so it shouldn’t have a separate GP. That doesn’t mean you can’t “get away” with it and create one . . . except if a GoogleBot clues in, you can have your whole GP suspended, reviews and all. The same thing can happen with multiple makes using the same physical address.
I’ve discussed and argued about these “Five Things” on my list with some very prominent SEO experts. And not only in Automotive. A very few—sadly and surprisingly—don’t have a clue about how to integrate GP into their SEO work. And others have shown me their very good work on a dealer’s GP that has multiple makes in the business name (instead of their directory-matching normal business name) and said “Ha! SEE!!” Or they’ve noted that they believe that Google will allow a separate GP for service. Or multiple suites in an address to handle multiple GPs for multiple makes at what is really the same physical address.
All that tells me is that SEO has changed with GP and that a few experts haven’t followed those changes. And that Google’s policing—and POLICIES!—aren’t perfect with GP, either, so, yes, you can “get away” with different GP strategies. For a time, anyway. There’s more changes ahead, I’m sure.
In the meantime, you can try “Klaatu Barada Nickto” in the text areas of your GP. Or you can be cautious, work within Google's rules, pay attention to changes, and do at least The Five Things listed above.
Personally, that is how I'll handle Gort The GoogleBot when he shows up again!
P.S. Here’s some links on Google Places information that are helpful to learn and also give Google some feedback:
https://www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=ba1ca&v=23 (ideas for GP, thank you Scott Falcone!)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
"Free", Like Freedom, Ain't Free!
Google Places. Facebook. Twitter. Foursquare. Etc. All free. Car dealers have to love that price, right?
My caution is not about whether to use these services, as YOU MUST USE THEM. It’s not an option any longer—it’s just a matter of when you can get to using them with the attention they deserve for the result you need.
My caution IS, however, about knowing what you’re getting with “Free”. With “Free”, you have no contract , you have “Terms of Use”. And you don’t have a platform you bought with agreed-to deliverables and some controls, you have a service you are gaining whose deliverables CHANGE. And whose data presentation and on-screen arrangement is NOT up to you!
The latest case in point is Google Places. Your GOOGLE business reviews are prominently displayed there, but previously your business “star rating” included 3rd Party review stars. You might agree with Google’s business decisions on changing that, but it still impacted dealers who went from hundreds of reviews in the star rating to a handful. Dealers who invested in 3rd Party sites for their reputation, and dealers who could use their 3rd Party sites in their burgeoning “Reputation MARKETING” efforts, were left out of the direct impact of the Google Rating Stars.
SEO, for example, has been like this for years, constantly changing, and so that has made SEO companies viable because there’s always a new twist to getting the dealership high in the search rankings. So, it appears this story is not new, right? Except you bought SEO services to chase this rabbit around Google’s “free” search engine race track, and it was always a fight to the top. With Google Places, now it’s also—VERY importantly—a fight for reviews in a system that the shopper sees on SERP ONE but that are arranged in a presentation YOU DON’T AND CAN’T CONTROL. And that changes without notice: Talk to some dealers who have had their Google Places “pulled” because GoogleBots thought they were gaming the system. YES, Google, this dealer really has SEVEN manufacturers under one address (more than five categories), and YES they all share the same main phone line. And so on. Well, maybe you've won that one for now—until something else in this “Free” service changes, whether for information, presentation, search results, or reviews. Or whatever else becomes “Free”.
You can only stay on top of this part of your advertising if you dedicate the time to use them AND to get and stay educated on what all these “Free” services are doing. And what they may be planning. PCG Consulting (Brian Pasch) is on top of it. Tier 10 (Ralph Paglia) is on top of it. And there are more educators and consultants that I don’t know about who are on top of it. They can educate you, but in the end be sure YOU are on top of it. And that you get what you need from it.
Because “Free”, like Freedom, Ain’t Free!
by Keith Shetterly, www.keithshetterly.com
Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved
keithshetterly@gmail.com
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
"Free", Like Freedom, Ain't Free!
Google Places. Facebook. Twitter. Foursquare. Etc. All free. Car dealers have to love that price, right?
My caution is not about whether to use these services, as YOU MUST USE THEM. It’s not an option any longer—it’s just a matter of when you can get to using them with the attention they deserve for the result you need.
My caution IS, however, about knowing what you’re getting with “Free”. With “Free”, you have no contract , you have “Terms of Use”. And you don’t have a platform you bought with agreed-to deliverables and some controls, you have a service you are gaining whose deliverables CHANGE. And whose data presentation and on-screen arrangement is NOT up to you!
The latest case in point is Google Places. Your GOOGLE business reviews are prominently displayed there, but previously your business “star rating” included 3rd Party review stars. You might agree with Google’s business decisions on changing that, but it still impacted dealers who went from hundreds of reviews in the star rating to a handful. Dealers who invested in 3rd Party sites for their reputation, and dealers who could use their 3rd Party sites in their burgeoning “Reputation MARKETING” efforts, were left out of the direct impact of the Google Rating Stars.
SEO, for example, has been like this for years, constantly changing, and so that has made SEO companies viable because there’s always a new twist to getting the dealership high in the search rankings. So, it appears this story is not new, right? Except you bought SEO services to chase this rabbit around Google’s “free” search engine race track, and it was always a fight to the top. With Google Places, now it’s also—VERY importantly—a fight for reviews in a system that the shopper sees on SERP ONE but that are arranged in a presentation YOU DON’T AND CAN’T CONTROL. And that changes without notice: Talk to some dealers who have had their Google Places “pulled” because GoogleBots thought they were gaming the system. YES, Google, this dealer really has SEVEN manufacturers under one address (more than five categories), and YES they all share the same main phone line. And so on. Well, maybe you've won that one for now—until something else in this “Free” service changes, whether for information, presentation, search results, or reviews. Or whatever else becomes “Free”.
You can only stay on top of this part of your advertising if you dedicate the time to use them AND to get and stay educated on what all these “Free” services are doing. And what they may be planning. PCG Consulting (Brian Pasch) is on top of it. Tier 10 (Ralph Paglia) is on top of it. And there are more educators and consultants that I don’t know about who are on top of it. They can educate you, but in the end be sure YOU are on top of it. And that you get what you need from it.
Because “Free”, like Freedom, Ain’t Free!
by Keith Shetterly, www.keithshetterly.com
Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved
keithshetterly@gmail.com
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
It's Reputation MARKETING!
To me, we’ve all clearly moved past the Reputation Management phase: Now, it’s “Reputation MARKETING”. Before I explain that, let’s talk about where we have been so far with Reputation Management.
Reputation Management is the ability to monitor and defend your online reputation. And, although folks gaming the system have been rightly and roundly condemned, some companies still try and sell some type of “review ballot-box stuffing” service much like Black Hat SEO companies still try and sell their schtick. I think we all know, or can learn now, however, how to get the best reviews ourselves from our customers. And, SURPRISE, they can do the review at the dealership. I see it done every day, even for Google Places. In my case, Presto Reviews (which we still use) taught me that.
Reputation Marketing, as they say, “begins at home”: Are you pressing folks to your review sites and your Google Places throughout your media efforts? Does your print point to the review site, does your TV/radio mention it, and are you making efforts on your website, review site, and Google Places to show videos, pics, and positive customer reviews? And do all your email efforts—from responding to Internet Leads to email blasts—have a link to all your best online reputation? Finally, but more importantly than you realize, are you marketing your reputation to your social media like Facebook? Do you capture short videos of happy customers to share?
So, put your reviews on your social media and website. Blog about them. Talk about them in your print, TV, Radio, and email efforts. Marketing makes online and store traffic through hope-inducing advertising—REPUTATION Marketing makes you and your advertising look REAL to your shoppers. After all, other real customers said real things about you.
We will all still certainly manage to a positive reputation, but to get "bang for the buck" we must now MARKET the result. Don’t just let your online reputation sit there to be found as part of an SEO strategy, advertise it! Blow your horn, folks, and let it be known: NOBODY in your market sells better or treats customers better.
And Reputation Marketing will make sure everyone knows that!
by Keith Shetterly, Copyright 2011
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TurnUPtheSales.com
It's Reputation MARKETING!
To me, we’ve all clearly moved past the Reputation Management phase: Now, it’s “Reputation MARKETING”. Before I explain that, let’s talk about where we have been so far with Reputation Management.
Reputation Management is the ability to monitor and defend your online reputation. And, although folks gaming the system have been rightly and roundly condemned, some companies still try and sell some type of “review ballot-box stuffing” service much like Black Hat SEO companies still try and sell their schtick. I think we all know, or can learn now, however, how to get the best reviews ourselves from our customers. And, SURPRISE, they can do the review at the dealership. I see it done every day, even for Google Places. In my case, Presto Reviews (which we still use) taught me that.
Reputation Marketing, as they say, “begins at home”: Are you pressing folks to your review sites and your Google Places throughout your media efforts? Does your print point to the review site, does your TV/radio mention it, and are you making efforts on your website, review site, and Google Places to show videos, pics, and positive customer reviews? And do all your email efforts—from responding to Internet Leads to email blasts—have a link to all your best online reputation? Finally, but more importantly than you realize, are you marketing your reputation to your social media like Facebook? Do you capture short videos of happy customers to share?
So, put your reviews on your social media and website. Blog about them. Talk about them in your print, TV, Radio, and email efforts. Marketing makes online and store traffic through hope-inducing advertising—REPUTATION Marketing makes you and your advertising look REAL to your shoppers. After all, other real customers said real things about you.
We will all still certainly manage to a positive reputation, but to get "bang for the buck" we must now MARKET the result. Don’t just let your online reputation sit there to be found as part of an SEO strategy, advertise it! Blow your horn, folks, and let it be known: NOBODY in your market sells better or treats customers better.
And Reputation Marketing will make sure everyone knows that!
by Keith Shetterly, Copyright 2011
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TurnUPtheSales.com
FREE BEER!
Made you click from the title or the picture, didn't I? Well, this article is about Pay-Per-Click (PPC), but a short story first to explain my point: When I had my entertainment company ten years ago, we always laughed at the long-standing joke that naming a band “Free Beer!” would make all the honky-tonk signs read “Free Beer Tonight!”—ensuring strong attendance. I still grin at it, because it’s so damned true. And impossible to do, because no bar would book you.
PPC campaigns that focus only on Click-Thru-Rate (CTR) are a very similar “high click attendance” effort, but they’re no joke. Just a few years ago, people fought for audience, and anybody clicking your ad was a win: It was All About the Click. All about yelling "Free Beer!" for attendance.
NOT true any more. It’s all about “conversion”. Want to have some PPC companies turn as white as a sheet? Ask about conversion. And also know that saying “conversion” is like saying “religion”: Which one do you mean? Conversion is divergent the same way.
So, back to the start here, what do we want for a CTR? I’ve had everything now from one percent to OVER FIVE percent, depending on the line of cars I presented. And the offer, of course, and the inventory. So, essentially, for CTR it depends. If a PPC company trashes another PPC company I’m using based only on CTR, then they get shown the door. CPM (cost per thousand impressions) is a very handy number, too, but don’t just talk to me about that, either.
The Click-to-Conversion-Rate (CCR) is now my clearest measurable of the PPC campaign. Of any PPC campaign I run. And my PPC vendors know it. What should a good CCR be? I'm tracking that data for my campaigns right now, and I'll let you know in a future article.
For conversions, ask yourself and your PPC vendor these questions: Do you have a compelling text ad relevant to the search you’re targeting? Once shoppers click to your conversion page, do you have a strong offer for them and show them the inventory—and with real pictures, not stock? Do you have aggressive pricing (or a clear “Call for Best Price!” might work in your area) on your conversion page inventory, with a sense of urgency to contact and/or print the car they want and bring that with them?
Ask all that and more. CTR isn’t the “thing” any more, it’s CCR. And it sounds very sad to write it, but for PPC, remember . . .
No More Free Beer!
by Keith Shetterly, Copyright 2011
All Rights Reserved, keithshetterly@gmail.com
www.KeithShetterly.com
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