Did you know that 95% of car sales today are made at the dealerships? However, despite this, one of the biggest challenges automotive marketers face is to gain the trust of their customers. Why should someone buy a car with you versus at the car dealerships down the street? Why not choose a dealership that is more conveniently located, or maybe even better priced?
Your automotive business needs to have a reason that ensures that your prospects will choose you over your competitors. But in such a competitive industry—one where the consumer is making a rather large financial decision that will affect their everyday life—how do you gain people’s trust? How do you ensure that people will come back for more?
1. Reward Your Customers Personally
The coffee shop where people remember your name and your usual order is likely to be the one that is your favourite. Personalising the experience people have with your brand means that they will remember you. And in a fast-paced environment bustling with competitors, being memorable is a goldmine. The best way to reach people on a personal level is to call them by their names whenever possible.
This is why variable data is so handy when printing a wide variety of marketing material – you can be sure to personalise each customer’s experience without any extra hassle. (See: Variable-data Printing – How to Personalise Print Marketing). There is automatic trust built when someone knows your name. When customers feel like you know and like them as a person, they will trust you more readily than if they were treated like a stranger.
2. Be Human
The best way to gain people’s trust is to be seen as more than a corporate entity. After all, people relate best to other people. But how do we achieve this?
- Trade shows are the perfect opportunity to meet people and make a real connection with them. Setting up a booth or arranging for meet-and-greets in your industry is how you put a face to your business name. Dismissing a business is easier if you’ve never met a real person who worked there. Check out our brand new gazebos and business cards, and be ready for your next trade show!
- Face-to-Face. Nothing beats real, actual face-to-face meetings. Being helpful to a customer in your brick-and-mortar business will form a lasting positive impression of your brand. This one memorable experience could be what makes this potential customer loyal to your business for any future automotive needs.
3. Send Out Seasonal Postcards
Stay top of mind when an emergency strikes by sending out mail postcards to your prospects before a major weather change. This way, when someone’s radiator or air conditioner breaks down, car owners will think of you rather than your competitors. Make sure your targeting is spot on when sending out your postcards by targeting people within a certain radius of your car dealership, and then take it one step further by targeting people demographically similar to your existing customers.
4. Celebrate Your Car Dealership’s Anniversary
This may not seem intuitive to the businessman concerned with generating revenue. However, if your business is turning 10 years old, for example, it’s important that people know about it. Being in the industry for a certain amount of time comes coupled with years of expertise and industry knowledge.
Celebrating the dealership’s birthday will create unique marketing opportunities such as promoting one-time special offers, and will also give your employees a boost in morale.
5. Use Well-placed Signage
Signage can be an affordable and effective tool for any small business.Is the road leading up to your business full of political posters? Why not use that space to promote your dealership instead with eye-catching telescopic banners?
That waiting room where customers sit awkwardly and page through magazines while waiting for their cars is the perfect place for an informative pull-up banner informing them about the free car wash they can get if they buy a new set of tires. A colourful banner will advertise your automotive shop for far longer and cheaper than any other method will.
Did you know? Printulu offers a variety of banners. We have affordable Pull-up Banners, X-Banners, PVC Banners, Telescopic Banners and more!
6. Install Window Decals
In a complete marketing strategy, you need to reach your customers multiple times to get them to purchase from you. This means that you need to grab onto any possibility of getting people’s attention focused on your brand. Install colourful and stylish window decals on your storefront to get people to come into your shop.
Decals are very cost-effective for their size and are able to grab the attention of any passers-by easily. This is why one of Printulu’s most popular orders from car dealerships is decals. Remember that Printulu offers professional in-house graphic design services if you need help designing a jaw-dropping print-ready decal. Just drop us an email at [email protected] and we’ll assist you immediately!
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- Large Format Printing for Big Thinkers
