Which leads me to the questions that continue to haunt me after ever failed sale, every failed deal. How do you hook a customer and keep them? How do you relay to a mildly interested car purchaser that, hey, some auto dealers do have your best interest at heart and aren’t just trying to squeeze a profit out of you? That some automobile companies don’t just want to sell you a vehicle but want to enter into a partnership with you—want to feel something reminiscent of a father or a mother when we hand you those car keys and give you a congratulatory pat on the back. And I know that most people don’t have sympathy for car dealerships or car sellers. They think that we’re all crooks with slippery tongues who only see potential money not people. And I’m not denying that some of my brethren haven’t played that crooked game and probably played a few car purchasers. But what about the goodies out there like me who really want to invest in selling a car? Who really believe in client first, self-interest second? How do we communicate to clients that we care and want to sell them the best vehicle at the best price for them? How do we keep those clients from giving us the look and walking away? I don’t know. It’s hard work guys (and girls) I tell you, and I’ve been pressed to find a solution since begging doesn’t seem to work (wow was I embarrassed by that one). But I’ve scratched my head and tried to come up with spectacular solutions for attracting clients, maintaining clients, satisfying clients, and until recently I was really disappointed by how lackluster my performance was. My sales were down, my self-esteem was down (did I mention that my feelings bruise easily?), and making a sale to a customer was becoming an event (seriously, we were starting to say, "Ooh, a customer sighting!").
So it was looking pretty bleak for us, but then I discovered, and by discovered I mean a really good friend mentioned it to me in passing (Thanks Roy!), automotive advertising. Pretty much you hire some outside company to come into your dealership and take over for a bit. (Wait, takeover sounds too totalitarian. Let’s just say that they co-lead. Yep, that sounds better). But this outside company comes into the dealership and they see where your business is and what kind of market you appeal to and whatnot and they format a marketing scheme just for you. They try to reach potential customers through direct mail or newspaper and television advertising. Then they hold these incredible staffed events (and I say incredible because they threw a barbeque at our event and the barbeque was incredible. Wowee good ribs!). Anyway, the outside company, or "co-leaders" pretty much try to generate business for you, and the company I used really did. Yeah my company had to put up some money, but we all know the number one rule of business right? It takes money to make money (or is that the number two rule?). No matter. The staffed event that we hosted was pretty successful and we were able to move about 80 units over five days. And, as I mentioned before, we had barbeque. You just can’t get better than that. But it’s been good. I’ve only done the advertising thing the one time and that’s all we’ve really needed: a little boost in the right direction. Some encouragement for those of us with bleeding hearts and shirtless backs. And you know the best part of the whole experience? It wasn’t moving 80 units or having the best ribs I’ve ever tasted in my life—it was reconnecting with the customer and handing them those car keys confidently. It was knowing that I was being a good seller and providing a good service at the same time. Yes sir. The best part ladies and gentlemen was doing all of that for my customers and still managing to avoid the look.**
**the previous was a fictional account of true events that happened at a well-respected car-dealership.