• DD-Square-Logo_resized
  • ATTEND LAS VEGAS
    • Attendee
      • Registration & Pricing
      • Agenda At-A-Glance
      • Exhibitor List/Floor Plan
      • Sponsor List
      • Hotel & Travel
      • Hosted Dealer Program
      • FAQ
      • Mobile App
    • Exhibitor
      • Exhibit/Sponsor
      • Advertising Opportunities
      • Exhibitor Resources
      • Exhibitor Tips
    • Education
      • Overview
      • Show Schedule
  • ABOUT
    • Conference Overview
    • Best Of Awards
    • Become a Speaker
    • Press Inquiries
    • Partnership Programs
    • Health & Safety
    • Contact Us
    • Get Updates
  • RESOURCES
    • Webinars
    • Downloads
  • NEWS
    • Auto Retail News
    • Digital Editions
    • Press Releases
    • Submit Editorial
    • Subscribe
  • .
  • ATTEND LAS VEGAS
    • Attendee
      • Registration & Pricing
      • Agenda At-A-Glance
      • Exhibitor List/Floor Plan
      • Sponsor List
      • Hotel & Travel
      • Hosted Dealer Program
      • FAQ
      • Mobile App
    • Exhibitor
      • Exhibit/Sponsor
      • Advertising Opportunities
      • Exhibitor Resources
      • Exhibitor Tips
    • Education
      • Overview
      • Show Schedule
  • RESOURCES
    • Webinars
    • Downloads
  • ABOUT
    • Conference Overview
    • Best Of Awards
    • Become a Speaker
    • Press Inquiries
    • Partnership Programs
    • Health & Safety
    • Get Updates
  • NEWS
    • AUTO RETAIL NEWS
    • PRESS RELEASES
    • DIGITAL EDITIIONS
    • SUBMIT EDITORIAL
    • SUBSCRIBE

Las Vegas: Oct 17-19, 2023

REGISTER NOW EXHIBIT / INQUIRE
Q

NEWS:

Dealer/GM News | Digital Dealer | Leadership | Pre-Owned Sales & Marketing Strategies | Sales & Marketing | Sales Management | Sales Strategies | Technology
July 1, 2014

Do Your Customers Brag About You Behind Your Back?

Posts:
Dealer/GM News | Digital Dealer | Leadership | Pre-Owned Sales & Marketing Strategies | Sales & Marketing | Sales Management | Sales Strategies | Technology
July 1, 2014

Do Your Customers Brag About You Behind Your Back?

bragI recently moved to Southern California from Florida, and one differentiating feature is the sheer amount of people. It’s very populated here. Not in a bad way. Just a “bustling” kind of way.

Dense population brings culture, vibrancy, things to do, triggers a strong need for organized information, and trustworthy sources to get you to places you need or want to be. Such as properly marked road signs, or easily accessible review apps on your smartphone to tell you whether or not to patronize an establishment.

There are so many restaurants, clubs, and activities in Southern California that it’s a bit daunting. I can fully understand why California is the epicenter for technology advancements, because people are just trying to simplify basic needs like figuring out where and when things are happening. When you’re here you realize just how valuable Yelp and FourSquare really are. You’re listening to the online voice of the community tell you “yes, go to this supermarket” or “no don’t go to this restaurant.” It takes the guesswork out of going to a place just because it looks glamorous from the outside. Essentially bringing technology to “word-of-mouth” advertising.

Word-of-mouth has always been the most important form of advertising. It is total peer credibility. You are more likely to trust your friend saying, “Hey, this place has great food” opposed to a commercial saying, “Come here, we have great food.”

In fact, 84% of people (according to Nielsen) trust word-of-mouth advertising. 68% trust consumer opinions online. Whereas 48% trust a banner ad you’ve placed somewhere.

Now lets transpose this to our car business:

We all know that good sales involves good relationships, and good relationships are worth talking about. Do you know why a salesperson-less car dealership is even worth inventing? Because there is no hassle. That’s right. Face the facts…we “car people” have a reputation of hassling the customer. We’re like the grandmother that insists that a kid eats the brussel sprouts. We don’t get resounding yes’ from our customers we just get them to say the word “fine!”. We wash our hands of the sale, and walk away.

Until…The aftermath. Sure we made the sale. Congrats. But what did they tell their peers? That they felt hassled? That they didn’t feel that their best interest was in mind? What’s worse is that now these folks aren’t just telling their buddies over a beer, they’re jumping on their phones and desktops and saying it to absolutely everyone that searches for you online through reviews! Scary. Don’t panic. The answer is really simple. Put yourself in their shoes (Do unto others..).

I’ve sold stuff to car dealers at NADA and Digital Dealer, and each one of you know what a good sales experience feels like. You’re just as disinterested as the next customer if you don’t need the product. But if you do, you’ll vet the product or service thoroughly just like anyone else.

You have a distinct advantage in your store–people are generally interested in the brand. That’s why they’re there. Chances are, they’re just disinterested in giving you their phone number because you’ll call them non-stop.

I’m not saying leave them alone. You have to make sales. But try making yourself more than just a salesperson to them. Make yourself more than just a dealership. Make yourself a trusted advisor who is as interested in seeing them drive off the lot in the right vehicle as they are. Make yourself the kind of dealership that delivers award winning service no matter the awards you’ve won. Prove to your customer and yourself that you do, in FACT, provide the best automobile experience, hands down, in your competitive landscape.

Lastly, allow your reviews to shape the future of your business. If you have people complaining about tire service, take a hard look at the operational side of that facet of your business and work to correct it.

Remember, it’s not just about making a “customer for life”, it’s getting their friends and family to be “lifers” as well. In return you’ll begin to reap the benefits of being credible and caring about your customers, as your Google, Yelp, and other review ratings begin to climb.

Here’s your cliffnote: When it comes to your reputation management, manipulate your business to meet the needs of the reviewer and not the reviewer to meet the needs of your business. If you’ve had success stories in getting your reviews up, let me know I’d love to hear about them!

Dealer/GM News•Digital Dealer•Leadership•Pre-Owned Sales & Marketing Strategies•Sales & Marketing•Sales Management•Sales Strategies•Technology

SHARE

Share on Email
Share on Linkedin
Share on Facebook
Share on Pinterest
Share on Twitter
← Previous Article Next Article →
Posts Industry Press Releases

One View Integrates with Autosoft to Enhance Document Digitization for Auto Dealerships

One View becomes certified partner of Autosoft’s Partner Program – providing seamless integration between both systems One View, an auto industry-specific data solution specialist, announced the integration of its document management system with
Posts Marketing & AdvertisingTrending Industry News

How Does Google Analytics 4 Impact Call Monitoring?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is here, and Universal Analytics (UA) is a thing of the past. So, what is the big difference between GA4 and UA, and what does it mean for dealerships and their automotive call monitoring solutions? Universal Analytics (UA) o
Posts Industry Press Releases

One View Integrates with Autosoft to Enhance Document Digitization for Auto Dealerships

One View becomes certified partner of Autosoft’s Partner Program – providing seamless integration between both systems One View, an auto industry-specific data solution specialist, announced the integration of its document management system with
Posts Dealer Ops & LeadershipTrending Industry News

Three Key Areas to Focus on for Fixed Ops Success

A well-managed BDC can significantly impact sales, raise service profits, and increase retention, but achieving success in this field requires three key ingredients: Focus, People, and Consistency. Without these elements working in tandem, even the m
Posts Dealer Ops & LeadershipTrending Industry News

Astroturfing: What it is and Why Your Dealership Should Avoid it

Astroturfing is organized activity that is intended to create a false impression of a widespread, spontaneously arising, grassroots movement in support of…something…that is in reality initiated and controlled by a concealed group…or corpora
Posts Uncategorized

Cracking the Code: Driving Team Action Post 1-on-1s

Ever left a meeting whether it’s with your team or a 1-on-1, on cloud nine, believing your team was all set to conquer the world, only to find their enthusiasm fizzling out days later? The challenge lies in converting intentions into actions amidst
Posts Sales & Variable OpsTrending Industry News

How End-Of-Year-Sales May Impact Auto Finance Digital Transformation Strategies

Following a challenging sales environment in 2022, a noticeable recovery in the automotive sector has stabilized in 2023. This year, even as supply chain problems subsided, new challenges emerged, such as the persistent risk of a potential recession,
Posts Industry Press Releases

Mopar and Petra Automotive Products Partner to Launch New Maintenance Products to Dealers Across North America

Petra Automotive Products, the fastest growing premium automotive products manufacturer in the world, is proud to announce 11 of their best-in-class products will be launched under the Mopar® brand for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram and FIAT® dealers

NEWSLETTER

SUBSCRIBE

DEALER MAGAZINE

Dealer Magazine March/April 2023 Issue Featuring an Interview with NADA 2023 Chairman
MAGAZINE
Digital Dealer Logo White
FOLLOW US ON
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
ABOUT    CAREERS    AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS   DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION   TERMS OF USE   PRIVACY POLICY