This message translates nicely to the topic of attracting and retaining life-long customers to your dealership.  Like Costner’s character discovered, if you take the time to build a strong foundation, your customers will come to your dealership once, and then over and over again, leading to more vehicle and service sales.  Loyal, life-long customers are the lifeblood of your business, but it takes time to cultivate them and earn their trust. So how do you get started? 

Communicate with Customers Using the Channel They Prefer

With the majority of people using the Internet to get their news, stay in touch with family and friends and shop for goods and services, it’s a good bet that when you communicate with customers via email they will receive and read your messages.  For this reason, consider using an e-newsletter to reach your customers. With an e-newsletter your customers can read it when they want to, and you’re not bothering them with a phone call, unsolicited text message or, destined-to-be-thrown-out, paper mail.  Build your database by capturing information from every new customer and prospect.  Having a difficult time collecting email addresses?  Offer an immediate incentive, like half-off an oil change when a customer signs up.

Create Compelling Content

There is nothing more annoying than having your in-box fill-up with ‘special offers’ and ‘one-of-a-kind’ deals that have no relevance to you or your life.  Your customers feel the same way.  Engender loyalty and ensure that your e-newsletter is read by more recipients by including interesting articles, tips and tools, vehicle reviews and even recipes, in your e-newsletter.  None of your recipients will need a new vehicle or vehicle service each time you send your e-newsletter, but if you include interesting articles alongside vehicle reviews and videos, there will be something for everyone – keeping your customers reading and your dealership front-of-mind.

Customer Incentives and Loyalty Programs

Once you’ve got your customers in your e-newsletter database and they’re receiving your e-newsletter on a regular basis, introduce customer incentives and/or a loyalty program.  With many e-newsletter programs you can track the articles that customers are opening and reading.  In this way, you know which customer viewed the video of the newest vehicle model on your lot, and which read the travel article detailing the best road-trips in your region.  Now you have the perfect opportunity to send targeted incentives.  For those who viewed the vehicle video, email a coupon offering them dinner for two at a local restaurant if they visit your dealership within the next week for a test drive.  For those who read the road-trip article, consider emailing a coupon for half-off a vehicle tune-up if they bring the coupon to your dealership within the next two weeks.  Instituting a loyalty program can also help you retain customers.  You can follow the credit card model – where dollars spent add up to free services or products – or experiment with a program of your own design. 

Encourage Feedback

It’s well known that unhappy customers may not complain to you, but they will complain to their friends, family, and acquaintances.  You can help to nip this in the bud, and show your customers that you care about their satisfaction, by giving them a vehicle to share their comments.  In your e-newsletter include one or multiple ways for your customers to communicate with you about their experiences.  This could be a prominent ‘comment’ link or a phone number at the bottom of every article.  When you address a problem and show a disgruntled customer that you care about making the situation right, you will have truly earned a loyal customer.

If you build a strong foundation with your customers based on communication, incentives and loyalty rewards, and a desire to satisfy every customer’s needs and expectations, customers will come to your dealership.  And they will keep coming back.  Like Kevin Costner’s character learned, if you build it and build it well, you will be reaping the benefits for years to come.

IMN specializes in e-communications services for sales and distribution networks, enabling auto dealerships to communicate to their customers with multi-media capable email and e-newsletters, which are designed to drive measurable brand impact and product visibility, leads and sales for the dealership.  IMN also provides all of the content as well as reporting and analytics.  IMN serves over 500 auto dealers nationwide and is headquartered in Waltham, MA.  Additional information can be found at www.imnloyaltydriver.com or by calling 1-866-964-NEWS.

SOURCE: Brian Epro - IMN Loyalty Driver

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