Hard to believe we are halfway through the year already. It won’t be long before we are goal setting for 2011. If you are falling short of your 2010 goals so far, there is still time to turn things around and end the year as a winner!
The Don’ts
- Don’t stop marketing to save money! There are so many marketing choices out there today…truly every business owner can afford to market. If you don’t know which choices are the right ones for you, please contact me!
- Don’t give services away! Lowering your prices to level the competition may become your downfall. Remember, it isn’t the sales…it’s the profits that keep you in business!
- Don’t spend top dollar on newspaper, television or yellow page ads…PLEASE don’t do this!
The Do’s
- Mix up your marketing methods to save money. A mix gets your message out there and keeps your message out there. Always include your telephone number, an email address and a website in all your marketing campaigns.
- Customers are shopping for VALUE. Show value in your ads. Show the benefits, safety, and fuel efficiency of maintaining their vehicles.
- Newspaper sales are way down (last year 17% and so far this year an additional drop of 20%) TV is expected to drop 20% this year as well as land-based radio and yellow pages are so far down why bother? If you plan to advertise in any of these venues, you are doing them a favor. Make sure you get a bargain! Negotiate!
Get to know your customers. How do your customers want to be contacted? Do you really know? Don’t assume something just because they are of a certain age, have a certain address or gender. Find out! For example, I am a baby boomer woman. I prefer to be contacted by email. Do all baby boomer women prefer this? Of course not! That is assuming way too much. Find out! Ask!
I just asked one of our millennial (Gen Y) women here in the office how she would prefer to be contacted about services due. She said email. Because of her age most would assume she would prefer a text! Just goes to show you can’t assume.
Too many businesses try to pigeon hole customers based on a zip code, their age, their address and their gender but you really can’t do that. To capture the loyalty of your customers,
- Do a great job each and every time
- Help your customers understand the value of consistent vehicle maintenance
- Ask what their preferred method of communication is
- Deliver relevant messages
- When they actually visit your shop face-to-face take time to say hello
These items will connect you with your customers and gain their trust, their referrals and their dollars for services rendered. When your customer base grows your profits do too. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Please contact me if you need help in mixing up your marketing!
Rhonda Hiltbrand, NWZ WORx Multimedia
NWZ WORX is a Repair Shop Websites industry partner.