It’s a fact in our house – when a tire commercial comes on the TV or radio all activities must come to a halt. And a 30/60-Second Rule of Silence prevails no matter what. When I give the all-clear signal, life can resume as normal. At least I think it does.

If you happen to be in our house, it’s got to be a bit comical when my seven-year-old daughter loudly shushes you when a tire commercial is on. In fact, she takes great pride in being the quickest shusher in the house, as she is generally the first person to hear a tire commercial on the radio or TV.

After all, it’s all about training, isn’t it? And she’s been trained well. Except for cleaning her room…

Now, in most cases, when the 30/60-Second Rule of Silence goes into effect, we quickly discover, in many cases, the commercial touts nothing more than some kind of “four for $99” deal or a cheap oil change. In those cases, the Rule of Silence automatically expires.

About three months ago, the family and I were up in western New York, just south of Buffalo, for the weekend. We were watching the television when out of nowhere, my daughter’s alarm went off. “SSSHHUUSSSHHHH!!!” she screamed. “It’s a tire commercial!”

She was right, and, being from out of of town, it was one we hadn’t seen before. The four of us focused as if we’d turned into Siskel & Roeper, picking apart every scene, every detail. “This has the makings of an Academy Award!” commented my son, whose sharp critique earned a loud “SSSHHUUUSSSHHH” from the rest of us.

“Dunn Tire, Fact Number 7,” said the spokesman as he strolled into a showroom lined with tires and wheels. “Never buy tires from the same store you buy your mayonnaise.”

“Wow! These guys came out swinging,” my wife chirped before getting shushed herself.

“Have you ever been in a club store?” the talent continued. “You need a ladder to see what’s on those shelves – and to spot the salespeople.”

“Yaaah! What a one-two combination!” I blurted out as we started to rise to our feet, caught up in the moment.

“That’s right baby! You da man! You tell ‘em,” my son barked as he and the others started moonwalking across the room. I take a deep breath, look at the scene around me and say to myself, “What the hell is going on here? I’ve created a family of tire freaks.”

Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the commercial.

“At Dunn Tire, we have tires in stock and the expertise to help you choose the tire that’s right for you,” the spokesman said. Then came the tagline: “Dunn Tire – Lowest Prices, Largest Selection and Most Know-How.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. They said it. They said exactly what all dealers need to say when it comes to big-box competitors.

“We’ve got the expertise to help you choose the tire that’s right for you.”

PSK. Now there’s an acronym all of us need to remember. Price, Selection, Knowledge. These should be the three cornerstones of your business.

Deliver the right price – one that is fair and profitable for you. Notice I didn’t say lowest or cheapest in town.

Offer a well-rounded selection of tires, a product screen that allows you to attract and keep a solid and diverse customer base.

And let’s not forget know-how, your expertise. Rather, the value of your expertise to your customers. It is something the big-box guys can’t hope to match.

You cannot preach to your customers enough about the value proposition you deliver to them, especially when it comes to PSK.

We often look to others to sing our fight song and lead the charge. Perhaps we believe the manufacturers or associations should be at the center of educating consumers, that they should be more active in that endeavor. Far too often, we forget about our own ability to lead the fight.

Granted, Dunn Tire is a large, multi-location dealer that has, in most cases, far greater financial resources than most dealers. But, sometimes, you only have to suggest to your customer base that behind your front door is the best tire resource in town, and their curiosity alone will set the trail for new customers to follow.

This is the great message Dunn Tire delivers, not only in its advertising but also in person when you visit one of its stores.

And, as the family and I were tallying up our scores for this commercial and preparing to hand out our Tire Ad Oscar, we already knew how the acceptance speech would start…

“At Dunn Tire, Nobody Walks.

“Nobody.”