Not interested?

Last week I made a follow-up call to a service manager at a Ford Dealership who had shown interest in our PassChecks® service retention solution. After being connected with the service department, one of the owners told me that the person I was asking for was no longer working there. He asked me what I was calling about, so I proceeded to tell him the main selling points that I had previously been discussing with the service manager. About a minute in, he cuts me off and says “Is this Ford marketing you’re talking about”? I explained that it wasn’t. “Then I’m not interested!” He said. “I want manufacturer marketing only.”

Manufacturer Marketing Only? That’s all you have interest in?

This blows my mind. Truth is, it’s not an uncommon thing to hear. While I realize there are certainly blow off’s in this industry – and trust me, I know the difference – this guy was serious.

This tells me that he is only interested in cookie-cutter, run of the mill, same-is-lame, marketing, that every other dealership around him is doing.

Why? Why would any business who is looking to increase sales, retention and dominate their market only be interested in something that doesn’t make them stand out?

All markets are a little different, but it’s pretty safe to say that the top dealerships that are kicking ass and taking names, aren’t sticking with cookie-cutter marketing from the manufacturer, or anyone else for that matter.

When you’re saying “no” to something, it’s important to know what you are actually saying “yes” to.

Why is this type of marketing so bad for your dealership?

Lots of reasons. For one, cookie cutter or templated marketing does not give the customer a buying preference. No reason to choose your dealership over another. It especially doesn’t give you the edge over another dealerships that sells the same make.

There are a few other major reasons why this type of marketing is killing your service department. You can read the full article originally published in Fixed Ops Magazine,  right HERE.