The methods described below represent the best practices of our most successful clients who are selling 50 or more additional units per month.
Have no fear! This works!
If your current advertising was bringing you the results you wanted then you probably wouldn't be reading this page. In order to succeed you must get out of your comfort zone and have the courage and confidence to try this proven new and innovative way to advertise.
Our Average Dealers
In an average size market our dealers using the following techniques increase their overall sales by 25% or more and average an additional $105K gross profit per month to their bottom line each and every month they use our service.
Works long term!
This is not the direct mail or tent sale of the month. This will bring you additional customers everyday, month after month, year after year using the same consistent advertising.
How do the best dealers advertise?
We noticed our dealers having the most success who have increased their sales by 25% or more allocate 60 to 90 percent of their current ad budget to electronic media, primarily television.
Why Television?
If you take a look around you ....the majority of top selling dealers in nearly every market do primarily television advertising because they know it gives the best return on investment ..... Top dealers know the key is to have a unique different look or message in their commercial making it stand out from the rest of the pack.
The best dealer commercial we've seen yet
This commercial (please click here to view) was played with frequency on network and cable television stations in Syracuse, NY and it generated over 1,000 dealer leads in August 2007. The dealer/owner Dan Knoblock may be contacted at 315-380-7607.
Making a commercial super-effective
Repitition is the key ingrediant necessary to producing commercials that will achieve results. The featured monthly payment should be mentioned at least seven times in the script and displayed prominently on the screen a minimum of seven times or in 70 percent of the commercial's scenes. The remaining portion of your commercial should be used to brand your logo, dealership and franchise(s).
The 70/30 rule
The dealers who have increased their sales 25% or more focus 70 percent of their ad budget on television and focus the remaining 30 percent on either radio, billboard or print ads. They also incorporate point-of-sale materials such as banners, signs and car-toppers (click on links to view samples).
Instant results you can track
Immediately after your television commercials play, in the market viewers will go to their computers and simply enter in the featured monthly payment they just saw advertised. We will then direct them into your website where our specially designed web pages compel them to submit leads. 10 to 30 percent of visitors who type the advertised payment into their computer will submit a lead either by phone or email. Everything can be tracked using the counters and forms we provide for you.
Why they are contacting you
The prospects who submit leads contact the dealership to either purchase a vehicle, to get more information, to have their trade-in appraised, to ask questions about or receive help with their financing, to request a list of vehicles to consider, or to schedule an appointment.
How many leads can you expect...
Dealers in an average size market, playing a TV commercial with frequency, normally generate 30 to 60 email leads per day plus numerous phone calls. You can view all the traffic being generated yourselves using the traffic counters we provide to you.
...And drive in traffic
Our dealers also experience increased drive in traffic from individuals who go online after viewing a commercial only to choose not to contact the dealership by email or phone call, but rather by visiting the dealership directly having seen something they were interested in possibly purchasing.
The lead follow-up system
For dealers who don't currently have a BDC center or lead management system in place for lead follow up, copy the following simple but effective method that our best dealers use.
Find someone with a great personality and telephone skills
Our most successful dealers employ a dedicated person whose primary responsibility is to track and follow up on every lead immediately after they are emailed or phoned into the dealership. It is critical that the leads are responded to and called back as soon as they arrive at the dealership. These are not salespeople but appointment makers. They are friendly, personable individuals trained in telephone skills to sell the appointment, acquire customer information, and get the prospect into the store.
Performance based pay plan
This appointment maker is paid a small base salary with the majority of their income coming from a flat bonus paid for each appointment that shows and/or results in the purchase of a vehicle. Once the appointment maker schedules the appointment they turn the information over to the appropriate sales manager who is responsible for making sure the appointment shows and for reporting the results back to the appointment maker.
The best of the best
The best single monthly performance we have ever seen was from one female appointment maker who had 102 delivered units sold directly from the appointments she scheduled by calling back phone numbers on the emailed lead forms.
High closing ratios
The people submitting these leads went out of their way to type the payment they saw in the dealer's TV commercial into their computer because they are interested in purchasing a vehicle. Most appointment makers report delivery closing ratios of 60 to 65 percent of the appointments that show.
Buyers ready to purchase
Our best appointment makers say closing ratios are high because the leads they get are mostly people who are going to purchase within 30 days and not people doing research in the early stages of the buying cycle.
Be quick
The longer you wait to respond to the email lead, the greater the chance of them being away from their phone. These people want you to call them back quickly because they are ready to buy something or they would not have submitted a lead form to begin with.
Think positive
Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be". Masura Ibuka, co-founder of Sony said it best, "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others".