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Planning Special Events
February 09, 2010
Who wouldn’t buy a tire from Mario Andretti?
Capitalizing on the racing legend’s star power has become part of doing business for some Firestone dealers, who hold special events at which consumers can eat and chat with the tire brand’s greatest ambassador.
Bigfoot often is there to “crush the competition” and racing show cars are sometimes displayed. The events...
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The Next Step: Define a Social Media Strategy to Grow Your Business
February 09, 2010
After writing about the high performance market for the last eight years, I am turning my attention on marketing and business development, with the focus being on providing you with insights and fresh new approaches to expanding your market, grabbing new customers and “selling” products to all of your tire customers.
For the first quarterly segment, we’re going to jump into...
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Maximize Web Presence to Improve Your Bottom Line
August 15, 2009
By now even the most low-tech tire dealer knows that having a presence
on the Web is a necessary part of improving his or her business.
The
next generation of consumers has come to rely on the Internet as a
means of gathering tire information – from brands and features to
sizing and prices. And you’ve likely seen a customer come into your
shop armed with computer printouts, already...
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Sponsorship Opportunities
August 03, 2009
A prime example of boosting
your business by helping out your community can be found in event sponsorship.
Here’s how to choose the
right events and get the most out of your sponsorship.
1. Look for demographic
matches. You're probably already fielding your share of requests from charities
and community groups asking for your help with upcoming events. Consider which
events could...
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Soliciting Customers From Failing Competitors
July 01, 2009
A failing economy certainly
presents challenges to any small business. It could also provide opportunity
when competitors are forced to shut down because of tough times, leaving in
their wake customers that your business can bring into the fold.
If a competitor closes its
doors, consider the following tips to bolster your customer base and your
business:
1. Honor gift cards and
coupons...
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Bring in New Customers With New Approaches
June 15, 2009
Although it’s been proven to be far less expensive for a company to keep existing customers than gain new ones, attracting new business remains the toughest, most vital part of staying on top.
This holds true particularly for tire dealers in today’s economic climate, where the majority of consumers are limiting tire and vehicle service purchases to the bare minimum. Loyal customers...
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Going E-Marketing
June 01, 2009
Want to advertise more but
don’t have a bigger budget? One great way to get your name out is with
e-newsletters. Printed and mailed newsletters are a great way to build customer
knowledge about your products and services – and confidence in your expertise.
But with postage and printing, paper newsletters are expensive.
An e-newsletter costs just a
fraction of a printed piece. All...
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How Important Are Testimonials?
May 01, 2009
You have a great Web site,
brochures, sales flyers, POP displays, maybe even a weekly e-newsletter. But
are you overlooking the most important marketing piece – a customer
testimonial?
Testimonials – third-party
endorsements of your products or service – add credibility and help alleviate
any worries or concerns prospective customers may have.
Before you can use
testimonials...
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Advertising on a Shoe String
April 01, 2009
Small businesses face
periodic times of slow cash flow with precious little money to spend for
advertising. Here’s how you clear the hurdles and not spend a fortune doing it.
• Write a press release. It
will cost you only the time it takes you to write it and the charge for faxing
or mailing your release to your local news outlets. If you’ve just started your
business, that...
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Beefing up Your Web Site
April 01, 2009
On the Web, content is king.
If you want people to visit, stick around and come back to your Web site, give
them a good reason to do so.
Web users operate in
“Internet time” or, in other words, fast. They don’t linger over Web pages as
they would a newspaper or magazine. Web users seek substance over style and usefulness
over flash. They want to get what they want quickly...
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How to Look Big
March 01, 2009
Even the smallest,
single-location tire dealership operating on a modest budget can look like a
big retailer. Here are several tricks you can use to expand your image.
• Set up a high-quality
voicemail system to pick up calls when employees aren’t available. And, when
employees do answer the phone, train them to sound professional, upbeat and
ready to help.
• Get a toll-free...
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The Changing Landscape
February 12, 2009
Under normal circumstances, it's challenging enough to market your business to customers and keep profits moving in the right direction. But add to that the current recession economy, and today's tire dealers are facing a whole new set of challenges. Even though they may feel attacked from all sides – by faltering profits, the credit crunch and fewer customers – tire dealers can still survive...
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A Scientific Method
February 01, 2009
Question: What’s the best
way to make every advertising dollar count? Answer: Design your advertising so
that you can determine how much profit each ad dollar generates. The best way
to do this is to calculate the revenue from a specific ad, then subtract the
cost of the ad.
Look to direct-response
companies for an example. These companies build a specific code into each ad
that allows...
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Easy Business Boost
January 01, 2009
Don’t have the funds for a
comprehensive ad program? There are alternatives. Word-of-mouth marketing, for
example, is a simple and inexpensive way to promote your tire dealership and
attract new customers. Simply encourage your happiest customers to spread the
word about your quality service and expertise.
Here are three steps for
generating word of mouth:
1. Select a few of your...
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Getting in the News
December 01, 2008
Did you just get a hot new
tire in stock? Are you offering a car-care clinic? Are you offering a special
deal on a set of new tires? Let the media deliver your message for free.
The best way to drive media
attention to your tire dealership is to send out a press release. Though
there’s no guarantee a publication will print your release, there are ways to
improve your odds. Above all...
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Marketing on a Budget
November 01, 2008
Marketing is a must for all
businesses, especially for independent tire dealerships that typically don’t
have the financial resources of the big-box retailers. So, if you’re trying to
save on marketing materials, here are a few tips:
• Before investing in the
highest quality, four-color brochure you can afford, consider first a more
modest, less expensive one- or two-color...
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Tough Times Are No Time to Turn Off Your Marketing
October 31, 2008
Tire dealers who aren’t using all of the marketing tools available to them probably aren’t selling all of the tires and vehicle service that they could.
To be sure, many marketing tools add expense, and in these tough times no dealer wants to add to the operating line. But there are many solid, no- or low-cost marketing tools available to tire dealers in places they may not normally...
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Affordable Advertising
October 01, 2008
Can’t afford traditional
advertising? Here are some inexpensive ways to promote your dealership:
• Network: Attend meetings,
conferences or other get-togethers at which you can meet other business people.
This can put you in touch with potential customers and with people who can
refer customers to you.
• Referrals: Every person
you speak with – whether a customer...
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Community Service = Good PR
September 01, 2008
Community service projects
don’t have to involve extended periods of time or huge financial outlays. Many
low-cost, quick ways to serve the community can benefit your dealership's
image.
A few ideas include:
• Collect and deliver food
or clothing for the homeless by placing a bin in your store telling people what
to donate and where the items will be delivered.
•...
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What's a Dealer to Do?: Dealers Can Still Win Even if the Economy is a Big Loser
August 08, 2008
All one has to do is look at the prices – in large, doomsday-sized letters – that hang outside most establishments selling gasoline or diesel fuel. Then the calculator in the left side of the brain begins to register. The results are usually the same: Holy Refinery!
Everywhere you look gasoline hovers around $4 a gallon, and (sadly) you’re somewhat excited when it dips below that...
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