Friday, March 26, 2010

Selling to Socialites


This week I had the opportunity to share the company of a few very established and credible Internet Consultants in the car business on a conference call including one dealer who had reached out for help, and (I think) 100 more across the country just to listen in. 

In the 'car biz', that is a huge leaping bound of success to be able to come together and share information to help each other.  In the rest of the 'social media' world, these things happen every day, but for car dealerships (not all, but a lot) that once denied the importance of the Internet with every last shed of their being, it's an awesome step forward. 

The following is a synopsis of what I shared on the call.  I hope that all of the knowledge and success I've had as a BDC Manager and now Social Influence Marketeer shone through to offer up some helpful guidance...and sell more cars!

Rocket Science.
 Seems like an untouchable subject unless you're a
science geek, right? Feel the same way about your Internet process
on a slightly smaller scale? What about Social Media?...GASP!
Well, you shouldn't. Here's why.
Good salespeople thrive on connecting with their customers and
providing great customer service in order to gain repeat business. Oh,
and to earn referrals! That's social media, in a nutshell.
Social Media is going to help you create a community again. To
"humanize" your brand/dealership and engage with your customers to
that they spread the word about why it's good to buy from you.
No one should be captalizing off of the social media surge more than
car dealerships.

Social Media = Buyers
 Social Media and Blogging have taught me the importance of information sharing. "Free" information.
There are plenty of big name players in the social media community (Brian Solis, Chris Brogan) that share oodles of free information without losing ground in their extremely successful careers.
Same rings true for brands/business...and car dealerships across the board: the more free information you are willing to give, the more people will follow you...the more customers will trust and buy from you...the more they will spread word of your value.

Action Plan:
1. Be accessible: Someone needs to be in charge of keeping your social media content current, and
consistantly pointing that traffic back o your website.
2. All customers are Internet Customers: Don't separate the process. Be transparent throughout
3. Process: Everything you want to accomplish must be written down, mapped out, and passed out.

Action Plan in Action...some examples.
*To increase a marketable fan base from your Facebook Page:
1. Create an engaging landing tab.
2. Design an opt in form to collect E-mail addresses.
3. Make customer surveys routine.
4. Provide engaging content: contests, video, photos, blog posts,
discussions, etc.
5. 10% of the Facebook Page should be "Deals" and "Sales"
6. Involve Management, Sales, Finance, Service, and Parts.

*Twitter:
1. Attracts a different audience, therefore requires separate update strategy.
2. Use Hashtags, Tweet-Ups, etc. to promote events and sales.
 

*Track it all back to your website:
1. Google Analytics.
2. Bit.ly for all social media links.
3. SEO
*How many of these people are buying? Consider all sales "Internet"...are they increasing?

Internet Leads...what's in a lead?
*The most common problem I ran across as a BDC Manager was lead crossover...leads that had 2 or more different lead sources. It can make it difficult to determine which source handed you the sale. If a lot of those leads are duplicated with leads from your own website, drop them. Try to capitalize on leads from your website first and foremost. I found that those are the most valuable, because they are statistically the most likely to buy from you. That's why all efforts on social media should be pointed back to your website in order
to convert that customer to a lead.

*The process for Internet Leads should be the same in concept as any other lead. Be transparent. Give the customer the information they ask for, and then engage them. Avoidance is standoffish, and in the age of smartphones, will make you look stupid. They'll stand right in front of you, now, and look up the information.
That's why every customer needs to be considered an Internet customer, even if not an official "Internet Lead." Don't let a salesperson take an up without knowledge of how your customer got to your lot in the first place. I guarantee you they did research online...on you...on the brand you sell...what their friends think...and they are all just a click away in their pocket, now. Not sitting at home on their desktop computer. Same goes for finance, service, parts...dude...they know. BUT...are still willing
to pay for quality service.

The 5 P's (Key Processes to Success)
1. Website:
a. engaging content
b. transparency (i.e. inventory with prices listed. put someone in charge, or hold everyone accountable as part of your process.)
c.social media buttons- be legit.
d.is it human? photos/videos/spotlight on human involvement.
e.SEO-are you doing the "free" stuff?

2. Tracking: you have to actually KNOW what's working.
a.Google Analytics on your website.
b. bit.ly for social media links.
c. Facebook/Twitter fan/follower increases
d. Your sales! They should increase overall!

3. Marketing: consistency amongst all channels
a. website
b. social media
c. Email campaigns
d. traditional media (tv, radio, newspaper,mail, signage)
e. your dealership.

4. Social Media: Be there and make noise.
a. Facebook, Twitter
b. Blog (depending on amt. of content)
c. You Tube, StumbleUpon, Digg...
d. SEO: can people find you right now?(Google Live Search/Google Buzz.)

5. People
a. First Response Team
b. Sales Staff
c. Follow Up Team
d. Management Accountability

Process 101
How do you create these processes? And how do you keep up with the ever-changing-by the minute element of social media? Well, that's why geeks like me exist. To take the time you don't have to pick it all a part and put it back together. I live in my (what I consider to be pretty awesome) world of connectivity to stay up to date with social media trends...so that you know how to apply it to your business before the next thing comes out and it doesn't matter anymore. 

It works, but so do you. You know your business better. Just a fact. I'm here to be an aid to your success with what I know is best, not replace what your doing with what I think might will work.

I never use ALL CAPS because it's unnecessary and ensues rudeness most of the time, but I will here just to stress (not in a berating tone...but rather a picture-me-jumping-up-and-down-on-a-trampoline-with-a-megaphone-and-a-smile tone...or a picture-me-running-alongside-you-at-every-moment-with-a-sign-that-reads-this tone) the importance of a couple of points I'll leave you on.

WITHOUT GOOD LEADERSHIP, NO PROCESS WILL EVER BE SUCCESSFUL.

From the top down, hold your team accountable. Realize that what you do know is more than what you don't know.  Involve your people in creating the process, in the training...approach them with some predetermined
basics that can't be changed, and mold the rest together from there.

EVERY CUSTOMER IS AN INTERNET CUSTOMER.

You'll do great.
And if you still need my help, here's where you can find me:

Megan E. Bucher, Social Influence Marketeer
meganebucher@bex.net
meganebucher@gmail.com
Twitter: @MeganBucher
Google Profile
Facebook

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