Read the latest blog by Kimberly Roselle of Potratz as she talks all about her latest experience while at the dealership.

Simple fact: I take care of my cars. In the 17 years I have been driving, I have only had three cars. I am currently driving a 2005 Chevy Cobalt. I bought the first run of this car during Employee Pricing. Despite some issues with the fit and finish I have no serious complaints. But now after seven years and 120 thousand plus miles there are some issues. I can no longer ignore the fact that it’s time for a new car, and therefore the hunt has begun.

This weekend I test-drove three cars: The Chevrolet Cruze, The Ford Focus, and The Honda Civic. My experience at each dealership was as varied as the cars.

Lets start with Chevy Cruze. My husband and I drove onto the lot and quickly found the Cruze. We walked through and peeked in at a few. Then the salesman arrived. I will call him Junior Joe. He was full of energy and knowledge and was very excited; he actually reminded me of a puppy. I went for a test drive and I was honest that I was not looking to buy today. Today was all about test drives and gathering info. Junior Joe never pushed me, and before I left he gave me a brochure and his business card.

At the next dealership, we drove around and did not see a single Focus, so we decided to walk around and look at Fusions. While we were perusing, no one came over, so we walked next door to the Honda dealership. We barely stopped at the Civic when salesman Safari Sam approached. He was not overly knowledgeable about the car and barely knew any incentives. Before I left Safari Sam gave me a brochure and his business card.

While at the final dealership of the day, we found one Focus. We hadn’t even gotten out of the car when the salesman came over. I’ll call him Mafia Max. He kept pushing me to drive it and then during the test drive tried to insist that we stop so my husband could also drive it. This was problematic to me because I had made it very clear to Mafia Max that this was to be my car. We got back to the dealership and he tried to push for the sale but I stood my ground informing him yet again, that I am only researching. Before I left he gave me a brochure and his card.

We arrived at home and that’s when the true comparisons began. Of the three brochures. Ford was the worst, containing no specs and no details. Chevy and Honda were both comparable.  As I was looking at the brochures I realized the Honda wasn’t for me and I quickly crossed the Civic off my list. Now it’s a duel between the Chevy and Ford.

As of now I have yet to make up my mind, but there are various factors to weigh before making my decision. Obviously this includes the features available for each of the vehicles, including fuel economy and safety. But, I have found myself also analyzing my decision based on the salesmen themselves and the experience they provided me while I was at their dealership. I have many factors to consider, but after reading this I’m wondering, which dealership would you choose?

Read the latest blog by Kimberly Roselle of Potratz as she talks all about her latest experience while at the dealership.

Simple fact: I take care of my cars. In the 17 years I have been driving, I have only had three cars. I am currently driving a 2005 Chevy Cobalt. I bought the first run of this car during Employee Pricing. Despite some issues with the fit and finish I have no serious complaints. But now after seven years and 120 thousand plus miles there are some issues. I can no longer ignore the fact that it’s time for a new car, and therefore the hunt has begun.

This weekend I test-drove three cars: The Chevrolet Cruze, The Ford Focus, and The Honda Civic. My experience at each dealership was as varied as the cars.

Lets start with Chevy Cruze. My husband and I drove onto the lot and quickly found the Cruze. We walked through and peeked in at a few. Then the salesman arrived. I will call him Junior Joe. He was full of energy and knowledge and was very excited; he actually reminded me of a puppy. I went for a test drive and I was honest that I was not looking to buy today. Today was all about test drives and gathering info. Junior Joe never pushed me, and before I left he gave me a brochure and his business card.

At the next dealership, we drove around and did not see a single Focus, so we decided to walk around and look at Fusions. While we were perusing, no one came over, so we walked next door to the Honda dealership. We barely stopped at the Civic when salesman Safari Sam approached. He was not overly knowledgeable about the car and barely knew any incentives. Before I left Safari Sam gave me a brochure and his business card.

While at the final dealership of the day, we found one Focus. We hadn’t even gotten out of the car when the salesman came over. I’ll call him Mafia Max. He kept pushing me to drive it and then during the test drive tried to insist that we stop so my husband could also drive it. This was problematic to me because I had made it very clear to Mafia Max that this was to be my car. We got back to the dealership and he tried to push for the sale but I stood my ground informing him yet again, that I am only researching. Before I left he gave me a brochure and his card.

We arrived at home and that’s when the true comparisons began. Of the three brochures. Ford was the worst, containing no specs and no details. Chevy and Honda were both comparable.  As I was looking at the brochures I realized the Honda wasn’t for me and I quickly crossed the Civic off my list. Now it’s a duel between the Chevy and Ford.

As of now I have yet to make up my mind, but there are various factors to weigh before making my decision. Obviously this includes the features available for each of the vehicles, including fuel economy and safety. But, I have found myself also analyzing my decision based on the salesmen themselves and the experience they provided me while I was at their dealership. I have many factors to consider, but after reading this I’m wondering, which dealership would you choose?

Procrastination

We all know about it– continuously pushing things off until the last possible moment, always saying tomorrow, next time etc. Well one Argentinean publisher says no more, recently developing special ink that will disappear within two months time of coming into contact with the sun and air, allowing a reader a limited time to complete the book before all the ink vanishes.

I believe this is a very effective way to ensure the product is seen and used. It’s very easy to make a purchase and then never use it. I mean I know I have lots of outfits in my closet still with the tags on them; but given the idea that they would dissolve within a few months time, I might consider wearing them especially since the alternative would equate with having just thrown my money away in the trash. I’m sure there will be many people who will not purchase the product knowing it won’t last, but I think there will be a lot of people who will purchase and subsequently use said product in order to beat the constricting time limit.

I think it’s important to apply this way of thinking to your car dealership; how can you make something non-lasting? Now I’m obviously not suggesting we develop dissolving cars; that would just be crazy, but I am saying providing some serious incentives to your customers. Why should they buy this now? Most people purchase a vehicle when they need one, not because they want one but if the deal was really sweet wouldn’t you consider the purchase a little bit sooner?

What Customers Want

Offer your customers something worthwhile. Now, I know you can’t just go out on the lot and decide the prices of vehicles, but you can provide really strong incentives for why they should buy now. The words ‘for a limited time’ are extremely effective because let’s be honest, nobody wants to be the one who missed out. Establish programs that only run for short periods of times such as come in before 3pm to save x amount of dollars on a selected service.

In addition, you could develop contests such as the 100th person to come in a test drive this car today wins an iPad. The opportunities are endless; depending on your dealerships location you could work with a local organization to help promote an event such as free tickets to a theme park, the movies, or even a gift certificate to a popular restaurant.

Have you given your customers a reason not to wait? What are you waiting for?

Procrastination

We all know about it– continuously pushing things off until the last possible moment, always saying tomorrow, next time etc. Well one Argentinean publisher says no more, recently developing special ink that will disappear within two months time of coming into contact with the sun and air, allowing a reader a limited time to complete the book before all the ink vanishes.

I believe this is a very effective way to ensure the product is seen and used. It’s very easy to make a purchase and then never use it. I mean I know I have lots of outfits in my closet still with the tags on them; but given the idea that they would dissolve within a few months time, I might consider wearing them especially since the alternative would equate with having just thrown my money away in the trash. I’m sure there will be many people who will not purchase the product knowing it won’t last, but I think there will be a lot of people who will purchase and subsequently use said product in order to beat the constricting time limit.

I think it’s important to apply this way of thinking to your car dealership; how can you make something non-lasting? Now I’m obviously not suggesting we develop dissolving cars; that would just be crazy, but I am saying providing some serious incentives to your customers. Why should they buy this now? Most people purchase a vehicle when they need one, not because they want one but if the deal was really sweet wouldn’t you consider the purchase a little bit sooner?

What Customers Want

Offer your customers something worthwhile. Now, I know you can’t just go out on the lot and decide the prices of vehicles, but you can provide really strong incentives for why they should buy now. The words ‘for a limited time’ are extremely effective because let’s be honest, nobody wants to be the one who missed out. Establish programs that only run for short periods of times such as come in before 3pm to save x amount of dollars on a selected service.

In addition, you could develop contests such as the 100th person to come in a test drive this car today wins an iPad. The opportunities are endless; depending on your dealerships location you could work with a local organization to help promote an event such as free tickets to a theme park, the movies, or even a gift certificate to a popular restaurant.

Have you given your customers a reason not to wait? What are you waiting for?

The More Information, The Better!

What makes a good SEO Video? It has to be informative! The more information you provide, the more effective the video will be. If someone is going to spend time watching a video about a specific car, that means they are a potential customer!

Give Them What They Want!

Show everything there is to show on the car inside and out. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to say, “here’s the tire” but it wouldn’t hurt to mention, “this car has alloy wheels, and 17” tires”. Focus on the technology and features the specific vehicle offers; that is what customers are looking for. They want to know what the car offers.

It’s also important to talk about gas mileage and safety, which are possibly the most important purchasing factors for a car buyer.

I Want It, And I Want It Now!

You might think the SEO videos don’t add much value or aren’t worth the time it takes to make them. After all, the specfications on each vehicle are on your website and the manufacturer website. But let’s face it. We live in a society in which we are used to instant gratification. We don’t want to have to search for the information we are seeking; we want it provided to us in an easy and efficient matter.

SEO Videos are a great opportunity to provide potential car buyers with specific information about a precise vehicle in your inventory. So what are you waiting for? Do you provide these videos for your customers? 

The More Information, The Better!

What makes a good SEO Video? It has to be informative! The more information you provide, the more effective the video will be. If someone is going to spend time watching a video about a specific car, that means they are a potential customer!

Give Them What They Want!

Show everything there is to show on the car inside and out. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to say, “here’s the tire” but it wouldn’t hurt to mention, “this car has alloy wheels, and 17” tires”. Focus on the technology and features the specific vehicle offers; that is what customers are looking for. They want to know what the car offers.

It’s also important to talk about gas mileage and safety, which are possibly the most important purchasing factors for a car buyer.

I Want It, And I Want It Now!

You might think the SEO videos don’t add much value or aren’t worth the time it takes to make them. After all, the specfications on each vehicle are on your website and the manufacturer website. But let’s face it. We live in a society in which we are used to instant gratification. We don’t want to have to search for the information we are seeking; we want it provided to us in an easy and efficient matter.

SEO Videos are a great opportunity to provide potential car buyers with specific information about a precise vehicle in your inventory. So what are you waiting for? Do you provide these videos for your customers? 

Check out Kimberly Roselle's latest blog as she talks all about how your body language can or cannot help you make that sale!

The human body is capable of so many incredible things. Recently I watched a TV show called Lie to Me. It reminded me of how I used to try and watch actors on stage to see if their “true selves” could be seen or if they could fully embody the character. Most people are capable of lying with their words, but not with their body language. So, what does this have to do with sales?

Without realizing, your body language might be sending the wrong signals. You might be communicating mistrust or offending your potential customers without meaning to. If you know how to use body language, you will be able to avoid sales pitfalls and convey body signals that make your customers say “yes!”

I recently found this fascinating infographic: http://dailyinfographic.com/improve-attractiveness-with-body-language-infographic

Some important take aways from this infographic are:

• Words account for only 7% of our overall effective communication
• Body language accounts for 55%

How can you apply this information to your sales technique? When a customer comes onto the lot, don’t rush out to them. First, read their body language and take your cues from them. Do they have a closed posture or are they open? Are they keeping their head down and moving quickly or are they looking about and lingering over vehicles? Understanding your customers’ unspoken signs can go a long way to helping you build trust and a positive relationship with them.

In the first four seconds, people will make judgments about you and will subconsciously decide:

• I will (or will not) buy from this person.
• I will (or will not) like this person.
• I find this person kind (or not).
• I find this person intelligent (or not).

As you approach your customer they are also unconsciously reading your body language. Are you standing tall? Do you look them in the eye? Is your smile genuine? Be aware of yourself. While you can’t lie with your body, you can project the confidence and friendliness the majority of customers are looking for while shopping.

Check out Kimberly Roselle's latest blog as she talks all about how your body language can or cannot help you make that sale!

The human body is capable of so many incredible things. Recently I watched a TV show called Lie to Me. It reminded me of how I used to try and watch actors on stage to see if their “true selves” could be seen or if they could fully embody the character. Most people are capable of lying with their words, but not with their body language. So, what does this have to do with sales?

Without realizing, your body language might be sending the wrong signals. You might be communicating mistrust or offending your potential customers without meaning to. If you know how to use body language, you will be able to avoid sales pitfalls and convey body signals that make your customers say “yes!”

I recently found this fascinating infographic: http://dailyinfographic.com/improve-attractiveness-with-body-language-infographic

Some important take aways from this infographic are:

• Words account for only 7% of our overall effective communication
• Body language accounts for 55%

How can you apply this information to your sales technique? When a customer comes onto the lot, don’t rush out to them. First, read their body language and take your cues from them. Do they have a closed posture or are they open? Are they keeping their head down and moving quickly or are they looking about and lingering over vehicles? Understanding your customers’ unspoken signs can go a long way to helping you build trust and a positive relationship with them.

In the first four seconds, people will make judgments about you and will subconsciously decide:

• I will (or will not) buy from this person.
• I will (or will not) like this person.
• I find this person kind (or not).
• I find this person intelligent (or not).

As you approach your customer they are also unconsciously reading your body language. Are you standing tall? Do you look them in the eye? Is your smile genuine? Be aware of yourself. While you can’t lie with your body, you can project the confidence and friendliness the majority of customers are looking for while shopping.

Check out this great blog by our Social Media Manager Julie Powers, as she informs you about what changes you'll notice when logging into Facebook.

Facebook is starting June out with a bang!

The social media platform has rolled out some great new features that are sure to help dealerships improve their social media marketing strategy.

Facebook Admin Roles

When Facebook Pages first began, each page had administrators and fans. This meant that users of a certain page either had all the control or none of the control. Well, the all or none option just wasn’t cutting it and Facebook has thankfully introduced the addition of ‘admin roles’. Now, there are essentially five different classifications available to Facebook admins – Manager, Content Creator, Moderator, Advertiser and Insights Analyst. This means you can add people to your page to help with content, moderation, advertising and insights but they won’t be able to fundamentally change the page. For example a content creator can do anything except change admins, which is particularly helpful so that a Page owner can not be accidentally kicked off as admin .

All admins start out as Managers by default, and you can change them by heading to ‘edit page’, then ‘admin roles’ and setting the different roles there.

Scheduling Facebook Posts Without Third Party Platforms

Previously, dealerships (and any person marketing a Facebook page) had to rely on third-party platforms to schedule out future Facebook posts. Now admins not only have the ability to construct a post for a page, but also to schedule it to be posted some time within the next six months, without the use of a third party platform. Being able to schedule future posts without a third party platform also means that pesky little “via company xyz” is no longer sitting below your scheduled posts. Scheduling posts can be helpful, but you do have to use caution. Since social media reflects real time, you want to make sure you are reflecting what is current. For example, you wouldn’t want to schedule a post for two weeks in the future, and by the time it’s sent out, it’s not only old news, but maybe isn’t even correct anymore! Hmm…can you say awkward?

Promoted Posts

This feature lets you promote a specific Facebook post on your Page to more people so that your reach is extended. Previously, this option was limited to advertising a specific post on the left or right of a page. Now, this option will actually extend the reach of your post to your own fan community and their friends if they interact with it, meaning that it will last longer in the Facebook newsfeed. When you input your budget, Facebook will tell you the estimated number of users this post will potentially reach. With all of these great changes in place, now is a great time to use Facebook to interact with your customers. If you and your dealership aren’t already taking advantage of these tools, now is the time bring your Social Media Marketing Strategy into the 21st Century!

Check out this great blog by our Social Media Manager Julie Powers, as she informs you about what changes you'll notice when logging into Facebook.

Facebook is starting June out with a bang!

The social media platform has rolled out some great new features that are sure to help dealerships improve their social media marketing strategy.

Facebook Admin Roles

When Facebook Pages first began, each page had administrators and fans. This meant that users of a certain page either had all the control or none of the control. Well, the all or none option just wasn’t cutting it and Facebook has thankfully introduced the addition of ‘admin roles’. Now, there are essentially five different classifications available to Facebook admins – Manager, Content Creator, Moderator, Advertiser and Insights Analyst. This means you can add people to your page to help with content, moderation, advertising and insights but they won’t be able to fundamentally change the page. For example a content creator can do anything except change admins, which is particularly helpful so that a Page owner can not be accidentally kicked off as admin .

All admins start out as Managers by default, and you can change them by heading to ‘edit page’, then ‘admin roles’ and setting the different roles there.

Scheduling Facebook Posts Without Third Party Platforms

Previously, dealerships (and any person marketing a Facebook page) had to rely on third-party platforms to schedule out future Facebook posts. Now admins not only have the ability to construct a post for a page, but also to schedule it to be posted some time within the next six months, without the use of a third party platform. Being able to schedule future posts without a third party platform also means that pesky little “via company xyz” is no longer sitting below your scheduled posts. Scheduling posts can be helpful, but you do have to use caution. Since social media reflects real time, you want to make sure you are reflecting what is current. For example, you wouldn’t want to schedule a post for two weeks in the future, and by the time it’s sent out, it’s not only old news, but maybe isn’t even correct anymore! Hmm…can you say awkward?

Promoted Posts

This feature lets you promote a specific Facebook post on your Page to more people so that your reach is extended. Previously, this option was limited to advertising a specific post on the left or right of a page. Now, this option will actually extend the reach of your post to your own fan community and their friends if they interact with it, meaning that it will last longer in the Facebook newsfeed. When you input your budget, Facebook will tell you the estimated number of users this post will potentially reach. With all of these great changes in place, now is a great time to use Facebook to interact with your customers. If you and your dealership aren’t already taking advantage of these tools, now is the time bring your Social Media Marketing Strategy into the 21st Century!