The Panel"

• Bryan Gossel, BG Automotive, Fort Collins, CO
• Sue Morsching, Elysian Auto Service, Elysian, MN
• Heather DePriest, American Garage Chinook, Montana

https://youtu.be/4KC11NYHW40

Talking Points

•  The CEO’s responsibility is to make the phone ring.
• You must create a year-long marketing calendar to help prepare (anticipate) for special events, seasons, holidays, etc
• Compare your numbers from each year
• Plan the year but allow for flexibility
• Marketing Tools: If you were not built to do this; delegate.
• Facebook/Social Media Trends. It must be organic and not industrial. Localized and personal. If you have a service that does your social media marketing you must provide content.
• What is going on in your shop, your life, your community
• Make it fun
•  Mailers
• Make it human and not institutional with a picture of your shop
• Family, team, local
•  Google Reviews
•  Email blasts
•  Phone calls (personal touch) – people in small communities love and expect this
•  Provide the Ultimate Customer Experience with DVI’s
• Customers appreciate knowing what is wrong with their car in a high-tech format
• Transparency - proves what we are telling them is true, especially when you circle the issue in the photos.
• Showing the car’s overall health - gives them a good feel for whether or not they are going to need to budget for repairs.
• Heather markets DVI as a ‘Complimentary Courtesy Check’
• Marketed as a comprehensive vehicle health record
•  Pickup and Drop-off/Loaner Cars
• Making the process easy for the customer (remember its not their favorite day when their vehicle breaks)
• Taking the stress off of them by giving them a vehicle to drive or pick up/drop off services
• It gives them value in what they are spending with you.
• Important when you are in the country and long distances between towns
• Be their transportation solution
• You need to have a good website that is welcoming to people
• It cannot be institutional. Pictures from your place and environment
• You have 3 seconds to sell to them
• Phone scripts necessary to keep a consistent relationship building
•  A good AdWords campaign, Use Google My Business, Google reviews.
• Track your investment in Adwords and discover your ROI
•  Facebook and Yelp post and responded to questions, Geo-targeting with Facebook.
•  Build relationships with Businesses that are close to you. Like any services, you would use plumber’s, HVAC, Electricians and so on.
• Go to the Gym that is closest to your shop and get to know people there.
• Get to know the people at the gas station, coffee shop, liquor store, body shops and so on, so when they need something or someone asks them who they use it is you.
•  If you aren’t a people person then hire one who is.
•  Hire Happy people, once you have done all the work to get customers in the door they need to want to come back and spread the word that you are the shop to go to.
• Always have a business card on you
• EDDM mailing 3 times per year - New Customers, replace moved or passed away customers.
• Marketing with your local schools - foam fingers sold by the volleyball team School logo on one side and your logo on the other side. Two pictures to post to social media weekly from the volleyball team.
• Google - reviews, weekly posts, and ads
• Ask for a review
• Consider a service that will send a text or email to complete a review
• Make it easy for the customer to leave a review
• Doughnut Fridays - every Friday at Elysian Auto Service donuts for anyone that stops in. Photos for social media for everyone.
• Red carpet - small gifts left in vehicles for customer’s cookies, candy, car coasters, and air fresheners. (Business Card asking for google review)
• Local bike give-a-way at school
• Ask the charities or community programs you are helping to provide you pictures you can use on social media
• Use text to pay as another convenience

Resources:

• A special thanks to Sue Morshing, Heather DePriest and Bryan Gossel for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
• Listen to all Remarkable Results Radio, For The Record and Town Hall Academy episodes.

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Thanks to Shop Ware and Jasper:

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