TRACK RESULTS, NOT ACTIVITY

Relationships are the heart of results-based marketing. And just like your personal relationships with your spouse, parents, siblings, or friends, relationships with your customers take work.

Trust can’t be bought—it must be earned. When new customers bring their vehicle into your shop for the first time, they are trusting you and your team to take care of it. Everything you do must earn and sustain that trust. From the things that you say to the work that you do, every interaction with your customers is an opportunity to build the relationship or break their trust.

Relationships don’t happen overnight. But with the right marketing message, you can lay the foundation for a long-term relationship before a new customer ever walks through the doors of your shop.

Before you send your next marketing piece, think about the goals you have in your shop. Do you need cars fast in order to drive activity up in the shop now? Does your message work to build long-term relationships or is it slowly burning the trust of your customer base?

You can’t know unless you turn to the numbers. Don’t just consider coupon redemptions or ROI. Look at retention, customer loyalty, and the health of your customer base. Don’t fall for flashy, short-term activity. Plan your marketing to build the trust, value, and quality of your customer base.

Click HERE to continue reading David Rogers’ MOTOR AGE article outlining relationship-based marketing techniques that produce real results!