Who Are You?

There’s a great moment at the beginning of the first Batman movie, (the one with Michael Keaton as the Batman) when a bad guy yells at Batman, “who are you?” This comes after he beats two guys up, jumps twenty feet through the air and lands unharmed and after bullets bounce off his chest. Any one would ask the same question. Many times your clients wonder the same thing about your dealership. Who are you? How can I find you? What can I expect when dealing with you? Are you willing to treat me the way I deserve to be treated or will my perception of you be one of abuse and manipulation?

‘Who are you’ may seem to you like of a silly question, but it becomes a very appropriate one as it pertains to the Internet. In the Virtual World of the Internet, you are what your web site and your emails say that you are. Increasingly, you will have clients whose primary and sometimes only impression of you is what you present in your web site. They will make the decision of whether they wish to deal with you or visit your store based solely on how you present yourself on your web site. Establishing a clear image of who you are entails three related topics; A] Build a web site that informs, entertains and welcomes the guest. B] Get the word out! Let everyone know your web address. C] Make sure your selling philosophy is conducive with your overall message that you want to convey.

Sometimes I think that the CIA is the primary producer of web sites in America. The reason I say that is that many dealerships treat their web address as if it were a national secret. It’s amazing to me how many places we go to train, and ask what their web site address is and no one seems to know. Everyone from the receptionist to the General Manager knows that they have a web site but couldn’t say how to get there. One of the central keys to success on the Internet is to dive traffic to your web site. The URL, {web site address such as http://www.smalltownmotors.com/} should be listed everywhere imaginable. EVERYWHERE! Everyplace your phone number appears, your web address should appear. All your classified advertising should feature it, and not in tiny print like a lease disclosure, but BIG and BOLD. Your key fobs, windows, license plate frames and every piece of stationary from business cards to parts and service tickets should have your web address. Your sales person’s uniform shirts should have you web address. Your radio, and of course your TV ads should feature it. Every employee should not only know what your web address is but should be very familiar with what’s on your web site so they can explain it to their friends and relatives. Make your people proud of their dealership. At one store, they had an evening at the dealership for all dealership employees and their families to familiarize them all with the web site and they went through it with several computers to educate over a hundred people in how to find things using the Internet. Each one of them becomes an ambassador of good will for the Virtual Dealership.

Remember, the Internet, as a marketing tool for automobiles, is still very new, barely ten years old. No one has a lock on the only way to make it work. Like any type of selling, there are lots of ways to sell using the Internet. Some are effective, some much less so. You need to find the way that works for you and make a plan to accomplish it. Many of our clients are experiencing tremendous growth and success through their Internet services. Closing ratios above 25% are becoming much more common and gross profit levels equal to those of the traditional shoppers are being enjoyed by those who are taking this effort seriously and dedicating themselves to it. We hope you will as well.