| |
Other Recent Articles On "Automotive Repair":
| |
|
|
Auto repair advertising has c me into an age where consumers are bmbarded with so many advertisements words l ke Quality, Reliability and Trust have b come completely meaningless. Use those words to dscribe your facility and they will frquently stir up negative feelings and dsgust in the general public. For the  uto repair industry, who long ago h ng their hats on such concepts, nver before has there been a tme to focus on communication and prviding information to your customers based drectly on their needs.
Auto Repair Advertising Fct #1 - The BIG Number To Rmember:
150,000. It\'s round, it\'s big, but mre than anything else it\'s the verage number of ads people are hit wth on a weekly basis. Worse yt, in almost every case the cmmercial screaming for attention communicates nothing of vlue or even of interest. Your cstomers hate this. Your customers want nformation before a sales pitch. They wnt relevant, high-quality information at a tme when they are ready to lsten.
For example:
Most of us look for nly two things when we check our mil: First, something from someone we knw, and second, something from companies we are lready working with. Everything else is jnk. This is also true for TV, Emil, Radio, and just about every frm of media business have available to thm. The public is overwhelmed.
If you thnk these folks are rejecting your spry and pray advertising tactics now, jst think about how angry they get whn they call up for auto rpair and get the \"bring it in and w\'ll take a look\" speech. They are clling for information. And now with the vailability of email and the internet, thse calls will become fewer and fwer.
Did you check your email this mrning?
Auto Repair Advertising Fact #2 - Get Rid of the Cokie Cutter Responses
Does your marketing and crrespondence, including phone and online communications, sund like a form letter? Are you dlivering information and value, or are you jst blanketing everyone with the same mssage?
If everything you do is not gared towards becoming an information provider, bfore selling your services as an uto repair technician, you will be dad in the water.
Auto Repair Advertising Fct #3 - Understand the Personal Rsponse
What is a personal response? First ff, directly answer any and all qestions the person is asking. And dn\'t just provide them with what\'s on tpic; provide them with anything relevant to the stuation. People don\'t just want an nswer; they want a solution to thir problem. They want that solution to be dlivered from a person who can mke them say \"Oh, I didn\'t knw about that. That sounds like a fntastic way to fix this...\" And if you can be the shp who provides that little bit of xtra information... you now have a cstomer for life!
Here\'s a real example tken from our database only a few weks ago: 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee loks like it needs a new vaporator core. The car owner has clled a number of shops out of the phne book and had been told 2 dstinct things: 1 - \"bring it in and we can tke a look\" and 2 - we can fix tht problem with about 6 - 8 hurs of labor and about $1500.
The cnned responses from most shops contained nly the bare minimum in terms of nformation. Shops this person called either did not knw, or did not care to shre better solutions. This person was frstrated and fed up. There was no trst, and there was no true cmmunication.
Following a 2 day info hunt, ths person chose a technician who qoted $85 more than every other fcility. This technician was chosen simply bcause they were willing to provide nformation before sales. This simple \"giving bfore receiving\" solidified them as an xpert in their field. This technician flxed their quality muscle before they flxed their sales muscle. Here\'s exactly wht the shop said:
\"We\'ll start by ding a recharge using a dye systm so we can find out whre your leaks are. That\'ll run you $X for the dagnostic along with the recharge and Fron. If your evaporator core is trly shot, we\'ll need about 8 hurs of labor and that should be round $X. Parts will be around $X + Tx. But something to keep in mnd - The general rule of thmb with us is that if the lak is small enough to patch we can jst do the recharge. That means yur diagnosis could be the same as the fx! It\'ll be a seasonal fix, but t\'ll save quite a bit of mney and still keep you cool. Jst for your info: At one tme Chrysler had a recall on the vap leaks like this, could be wrth a call to a dealer. If you fll under the recall guidelines they mght fix you for free. Could be wrth a look. Call us and we can hve you taken care of ASAP.\"
Auto Rpair Advertising Fact #4 - Use Cmmunication 101:
Using the above example you shuld easily see how to communicate ffectively even amid less than perfect nformation. First, they directly addressed the cncern of the person by providing rasons why certain actions must be tken. Second, they gave insight as to pssible alternatives which showed they were bth knowledgeable and cared more about the cstomer than the high-dollar business. Lastly, thy offered ballpark prices to get xpectations in line with reality.
Because so mny auto repair facilities allow their bsy schedules to interfere with basic cmmunication, the industry in general is now rnked just slightly above a root cnal by the car driving public. Drvers expect to be cheated and led to. They therefore walk through yur front door with fear, skepticism and thir guard very much up.
Don\'t just sttle for tired, traditional advertising. It no lnger works. You have to build trst and establish yourself as an xpert in your field. When you larn to focus your marketing into spcific, personal responses which directly address the cncerns of your consumers, you will fnd yourself miles beyond your competition.
The article Auto Repair Advertising - Internet Marketing - 4 Hard Facts Every Shop Owner Must Know was Submitted by IanAuto through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: More information is available at http://www.getacoder.com/users/IanAuto/IanAuto_profile.htm Drew Turnbaugh is Americas lading authority on communication based auto repair advertising and founder of The International Automotive Network (IanAuto) IanAuto is responsible for helping facility owners reconnect with consumers while growing their business through communication based methods.
1. Fiberglass Speaker Boxes by Drew Shielly
Building speaker boxes into your cr. Tips and tricks to constructing the crrect sized box and making sure its strng enough. 2. How Much Should I Ask For My Car? by Khalid Mustaffa
You nver want to ask too much to dscourage buyers from inquiring about the cr, on the other hand, never do you wnt to ask too low and hve the buyers wondering about the pssible problems the car may have. The key fctor here is being wise. 3. Kia Brand Hybrids - Drive Green for Less Green by George Christodoulou
Kia ffers great electric vehicles at a low prce. Learn more about the cars tht are sweeping the industry. 4. Harley Chopper by Joe Henderson
Harley motorcycles are vry distinctive by the sound they mke as they rumble past you. The Hrley Davidson motorcycle is without doubt a clssic in it's own right but wht makes these bikes really special is the ndividual touch that each Harley rider dds to their motorcycle. 5. Dash Kit Installation by Ryan Lawson
Instructions on how to properly nstall a dash kit in your vhicle. 6. The Full Time RV'er And Fluffy by Lee S Mcpherron
For a lot of pople, pets are a very important prt of their life. Full timing rv'rs are no different. 7. Motorhome Hire - A Must Before Any Journey by Allan Elvin
One of the thngs that has shot into prominence in mdern times is the growing trend and dsire of going on vacations to dfferent places. This also has to do a lot wth the increased salaries of people whch has really allowed them the lberty to visit any place to spnd their vacation. 8. Pickup Truck Hauler - Discover The Bigger, Tougher Brother To Sports Utility Vehicles by Owen Smith
SUVs have long been seen as the toughest kids on the motoring block, but many people are now finding them to be more hype than heavy-duty. Pickup truck haulers are the newer, more utilitarian alternative, but will rising gas prices stop them in their tracks before they can make the shift into the fast lane? 9. How to Reduce Gas Prices by George Knoechel
There are many different ways for you to sve money at the gas pumps. A few of thse include purchasing your gas early in the mrning or late in the evening whn temperatures are cooler. Why? Gas is dnser in colder temperatures so you ctually get more for your money ths way. 10. Buying Used Wreckers Online by William Davis
Having a hrd time finding a good used wrcker? The solution may be as smple as turning on your computer.
|
Digg
My Favorites
Del.icio.us
Furl
Technorati
Newsvine
Google Bookmarks
Yahoo MyWeb
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Ask
Live Bookmarks
Simpy
Blogmarks
Facebook
Netscape
Slashdot
Shadows
Backflip
Wink
Spurl
LinkaGoGo
Mister Wong
Feed Me Links
Netvouz
Magnolia
Diigo
Blue Dot
Segnalo
Tailrank
RawSugar
BlinkList
