For business owners that are not savvy with the internet, using social media as a medium to keep your business name in front of your customers as a marketing tool may seem like a daunting task. You may ask what does the word social have to do with my business marketing anyway. In today’s online plugged in world – everything!
Actually most dealerships and service facilities are already using BDC or internet sales marketing to compliment their marketing strategies, therefore using social media will take your marketing to an entirely new level. Check within your facility especially within your internet sales or BDC and find out WHO on your team knows how to set up your social media to showcase your dealership or service facility.
For example;
You can use Flickr to showcase your new and used vehicles, or display photographs of your service facility and its amenities to your existing and potential customers.
YouTube gives the benefit of showcasing your products such as performing a walk around on each model that you sell, videos show the benefit and value in each model. Videos are a powerful tool as a video creates excitement, especially when the presentation exudes passion and excellent delivery of product knowledge.
Writing a company Blog and having a weekly or monthly posting creates transparency for your business, transparency can go a long way to create and generate interest in your facility. You can create links on your blog to the causes your company supports, recounting special fundraising events you have held. You can post special sales events, servicing events and new product launch dates. A blog can be created to showcase your employees or the employee of the month or it can be used to post the name and picture of your latest addition to your staff. You can post service stories or customer testimonials on your blog. The best part is that writing a blog and keeping a blog site in most cases is free, the only items you need to bring to the table are your ideas.
Twitter can be set up with your personalized background and be ready for your first tweet in less than one hour.
Twitter also allows you to quickly and easily post updates from your phone using SMS text messages. Twitter can be used to tweet when you;
- Expanded your service department
- Hired a new employee
- Have a service special
- Have openings for service appointment that day
- Have a sales special
- Have a service or sales event
- Are looking to hire new employees
- Announcing a service campaign
- Want to convey a message to your customers
Facebook allows you to create a business page free! This is an HUGE benefit to your business for several reasons.
1. A few days after you’ve added a Facebook business page you will probably see your Facebook page right underneath (or sometimes above) your actual business website when you Google your business name. Creating a Facebook business page will instantly give your search rankings a boost which helps direct more traffic to your business.
2. Customers can become fans of your Facebook page. This allows you to send updates to all of your fans, (customers) and instantly send out updates to everyone including potential customers without spending a penny on marketing or advertising.
3. Every fan you have is like a little ad on the Facebook page. Each customer that becomes a fan of your Facebook business page has a link back to your page on their profile, this ends up being hundreds or even thousands of link ads throughout Facebook advertising your company for FREE.
4. The marketing idea is to keep your Facebook fans constantly thinking about your business, when they need your particular brand product or service, you are the first business they think of.
5. The best part of Facebook is that all of this service is FREE and drives more traffic to your business! Who wouldn’t want that, right?
It is imperative to make sure that people are thinking of your business when they are looking for a brand, product or service that you offer. Social Networking allows your business to keep in touch with your existing customers at the touch of a button and build new relationships with very little effort and it’s FREE!
To watch an exceptional dealership promotional video click here Video
To hear a podcast of twitter for business click here Twitter
Get busy socializing and get more customers in your door!
David
Friday, September 3, 2010
Coax Your Employee's Talents
Understand the fact that you cannot change your employees. You can only coax them to bring their talents to the surface. Do your employees know what you expect of them each and every day? Do your employees have the tools or materials required to effectively perform their duties or responsibilities? Do you as an owner or manager genuinely care about your employees? Do your employees see that you do care and are interested in them as valuable members of your team? Would your employees say that in the last week or two, you have given a thank you or some form of positive reinforcement for a job well done? Do you regularly encourage them in their professional and private lives? Have you made the investment of the time required, to actually know the people who ultimately represent you, and your business aspirations or visions?
You have to be willing to trust that your employees are acting in good faith, and in accordance with company policy, until such time as one of them has proved you wrong, then you can deal with situations on a case by case basis. If you penalize the entire staff for the fault of one individual, you could breed negativity into your organization which can lead to poor customer service, and poor productivity or performance.
You need to start thinking that a good customer service plan encompasses a good employee relations plan as well. A very wise older man once told me that you can achieve great customer service, simply by achieving organizational goals, structured around good employee relations combined with proper policies and procedures.
This is true, as long as the goals include customers and employees. You cannot have one without the other, as there is a certain synchronicity or correlation between the two. You cannot have one without the other. Therefore you need to take care of both aspects of good employee relations leading to good customer service.
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”
Winston Churchill – Prime Minister of England
David
You have to be willing to trust that your employees are acting in good faith, and in accordance with company policy, until such time as one of them has proved you wrong, then you can deal with situations on a case by case basis. If you penalize the entire staff for the fault of one individual, you could breed negativity into your organization which can lead to poor customer service, and poor productivity or performance.
You need to start thinking that a good customer service plan encompasses a good employee relations plan as well. A very wise older man once told me that you can achieve great customer service, simply by achieving organizational goals, structured around good employee relations combined with proper policies and procedures.
This is true, as long as the goals include customers and employees. You cannot have one without the other, as there is a certain synchronicity or correlation between the two. You cannot have one without the other. Therefore you need to take care of both aspects of good employee relations leading to good customer service.
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”
Winston Churchill – Prime Minister of England
David
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Customer Service - The Top Priority
Customer Service needs to be the top priority in the automobile repair industry, whether you’re a dealer or independent and regardless of the size of the facility. It is very easy to get caught up in the trap of trying to attract new customers and therefore you neglect customer retention. But, if you expect your business to grow and prosper, it is essential that you evaluate whether you're providing the absolute best over-all customer experience, providing the WOW factor.
The top items customers are looking for are as follows;
Customers want to know how your service and product will enhance their lifestyle or fulfill their needs. They want to know that your product or service will SOLVE their problem! Give your customers the knowledge they need in basing their decisions, show them the benefits and value in doing business with you.
Have your employees be themselves, the professional version! Keeping the customer engaged and building a relationship is a strong indicator to the customer that your business cares and empathizes with their needs. Be genuine in every interaction you have with a customer. Win them over!
Make it convenient for your customers to seek you out and do business with your facility! Offer convenience and ease of service. Help your customers continue with their daily business schedules by providing WIFI, a comfortable lounge, shuttle service, loaner cars, rental cars or whatever amenities you offer that ease their wait time or get them on their way.
Your customers want to know that you value them and their business, make your menu pricing accessible to all who frequent your dealership. Outline your guiding written policy or procedures for the business and post them for all to read. Instill a mission statement so everyone inside and outside the business knows exactly what your business offers and knows what to expect.
Customers do not like fear tactics for selling purposes. Customers want the straight goods and are entitled to clear concise communication stipulating what measures need to be taken to solve a problem.
Always-always- ALWAYS, fix the customer first and fix the vehicle second! If you follow this rule you are well on your way to exceptional customer service.
Have you ever wondered how long your upset customer stays upset at your service facility? It depends on how badly you were actually perceived to be. Remember, perception is reality! The ratio of length of time before forgiveness takes place and the customer frequents your facility again can be quantified by the following;
1. Does the customer perceive the problem as being intentional on the part of the servicing facility?
2. Is our perceived conduct ongoing, is it our company policy.
3. If the repair didn’t fix the problem and no help was offered, an employee was rude, price was not what advisor said, the business conduct was not justifiable, the vehicle was damaged while under your care and control or your facility is not executing good business practices, any one of these particular events may be remembered forever, especially if your facility didn’t take ownership of a real issue.
Remember – communication-Communication-COMMUNICATION! Exceptional communication is essential for creating and fostering prosperous customer relationships!
David
The top items customers are looking for are as follows;
Customers want to know how your service and product will enhance their lifestyle or fulfill their needs. They want to know that your product or service will SOLVE their problem! Give your customers the knowledge they need in basing their decisions, show them the benefits and value in doing business with you.
Have your employees be themselves, the professional version! Keeping the customer engaged and building a relationship is a strong indicator to the customer that your business cares and empathizes with their needs. Be genuine in every interaction you have with a customer. Win them over!
Make it convenient for your customers to seek you out and do business with your facility! Offer convenience and ease of service. Help your customers continue with their daily business schedules by providing WIFI, a comfortable lounge, shuttle service, loaner cars, rental cars or whatever amenities you offer that ease their wait time or get them on their way.
Your customers want to know that you value them and their business, make your menu pricing accessible to all who frequent your dealership. Outline your guiding written policy or procedures for the business and post them for all to read. Instill a mission statement so everyone inside and outside the business knows exactly what your business offers and knows what to expect.
Customers do not like fear tactics for selling purposes. Customers want the straight goods and are entitled to clear concise communication stipulating what measures need to be taken to solve a problem.
Always-always- ALWAYS, fix the customer first and fix the vehicle second! If you follow this rule you are well on your way to exceptional customer service.
Have you ever wondered how long your upset customer stays upset at your service facility? It depends on how badly you were actually perceived to be. Remember, perception is reality! The ratio of length of time before forgiveness takes place and the customer frequents your facility again can be quantified by the following;
1. Does the customer perceive the problem as being intentional on the part of the servicing facility?
2. Is our perceived conduct ongoing, is it our company policy.
3. If the repair didn’t fix the problem and no help was offered, an employee was rude, price was not what advisor said, the business conduct was not justifiable, the vehicle was damaged while under your care and control or your facility is not executing good business practices, any one of these particular events may be remembered forever, especially if your facility didn’t take ownership of a real issue.
Remember – communication-Communication-COMMUNICATION! Exceptional communication is essential for creating and fostering prosperous customer relationships!
David
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