Tough Times Are No Time to Turn Off Your Marketing
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
Affordable Advertising
Can’t afford traditionaladvertising? 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 canrefer customers to you. • Referrals: Every personyou speak with – whether a customer, potential customer
Community Service = Good PR
Community service projectsdon’t have to involve extended periods of time or huge financial outlays. Manylow-cost, quick ways to serve the community can benefit your dealership’simage. A few ideas include: • Collect and deliver foodor clothing for the homeless by placing a bin in your store telling people whatto donate and where the items will be
What’s a Dealer to Do?: Dealers Can Still Win Even if the Economy is a Big Loser
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
Build Strategic Relationships
Strategic alliances arereferral partnerships in which two business owners in complementary industries,or with the same target market, cross-refer customers to each other. Key to creating thisreferral source is discovering a "natural" alliance. For example, achiropractor may refer patients with special footwear needs to a colleague, whohappens to own a shoe store. To find and cultivate
Billboard Advertising
A billboard might be anideal way to promote your tire dealership, but billboard advertising might notbe cost effective unless you can get a full range of benefits from it. Well-placed billboards areseen by potential customers all day long, everyday. But research shows thatpeople don’t respond to billboard messages like they do to print ads: •
Racing Ahead: Local Event Sponsorship Can Boost Your Brand Awareness
Local Event Sponsorship Can Boost Your Brand Awareness Last month we discussed a number of new technologies that are evolving in the tire industry. Goodyear has made huge leaps with its products over the last several years and has been the recipient of a number of awards in this year alone. It is very fitting
Smart Marketing to Grow Your Business
Oftentimes “marketing” is acatch-all for promotions, trade shows, special event sales, in-store celebrityappearances, direct mail, newspaper ads, radio spots – the list goes on. It’s hard to define whatconstitutes marketing and which parts you should consider using to help buildyour business. The truth is that the correct answer is all of the above. But,
Steps to Writing Promos
Word of mouth may be thebest kind of advertising, but there will be a point when you’ll have to createpromotional material. And when you do, make sure you’re using the rightwords/methods to motivate your target audience: • Always focus on yourtarget audience, and on what they need to know about your dealership andservices. Put the
Dealing With Diversity: Reaching Out to All Demographic Groups is Vital to Success
Reaching Out to All Demographic Groups is Vital to Success in Today’s Diverse Marketplace Everywhere you turn today you hear and read about diversity – and its importance to and impact on our nation’s economy and harmony. Large corporations have gone so far as to install diversity officers, managers in charge of making sure people
Community Relations
It happens nearly every day.The high school band needs money. The local sports leagues need sponsors. Areaorganizations and events need support. Your own children are selling magazinesor candy or raffle tickets or t-shirts or whatever. How do you deal with allthe requests, without offending anyone, while still trying to do what’s bestfor your business? Solid
Advertising Pitfalls
Advertising is an expensiveway to attract business. It is an investment of time, resources and money thatdemands a return. Most dealers cannot affordthe expert advice of an advertising agency, so they handle the creation andplacement of ads themselves. And, more often than not, they make many commonmistakes that prevent their advertising from working. A few