Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association
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guest feature Social Media is Just Relationship Building by Adam Boalt Founder & President of GOSO W hen I was invited to write an article for the Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association I was told to be straightforward, because the association members would be able to see through me a mile away. Our company’s Marketing Strategist is from Amarillo, Texas, and he’s the same way. He wants to get straight to the point and get there fast. So I’m going to take a lesson from the Texans and lay my cards out on the table. The funny thing is car dealers are already using social media practices. A good salesperson knows you can’t pressure some- one into buying a car. If you pounce too hard and too fast you’ll scare them away. Social media is the same way. The emphasis must always be on the social aspect. Social media is about building relationships so that when the buying cycle comes around your dealership is the first thing that pops into a cus- tomer’s mind. The initial step in building this relationship is gaining permission. Social media is permission-based marketing. Just because you have permis- sion to interact with customers doesn’t mean you have to sell to them. If you do they will stop following you, but say the right things and not only will they continue to follow you, they’ll recommend you to their friends. Whenever you sell a car ask your customer to follow you on Facebook or Twitter to receive important information about their new car. This information should be everything useful to a new car owner: Recall information Service specials and coupons Referral incentive program information Owner training classes Warranty information Tips on how to take care of their car That’s all information new car owners want to know about. If you can maintain a relationship with the people you’ve already sold to, they’ll likely return to you when they need their next car, and refer their friends to you. Social Media in Action Here’s an example of an actual Twitter message from a buyer to a dealer: Do you guys still have that blue ‘03 Alero on your lot? I called sales a while back but no one called me. The dealership responded: Give us a call at (***) ***-****, ask for Joe and I can help you out with any questions you have. I’ll be expecting your call. This is someone that fell through the cracks in the sales department but found another route through Twitter. If this per- son buys from that dealership, the word of mouth referral will be something like this: The sales department didn’t call me back but when I tweeted them, they responded quickly. Social media can be an effective backstop for your existing sales structure. All of these are the obvious uses but as dealers post information, you have to make sure that social is still on your mind. Dealers must always remember that you’re a part of a community. So talk. 34 TIADA DEALER March 2010
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Transcript of Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association
guest featureSocial Media is Just Relationship Building
by Adam BoaltFounder & President of GOSO
W hen I was invited towrite an article for theTexas Independent
Automobile Dealers Association Iwas told to be straightforward,because the association memberswould be able to see through me amile away.
Our company’s MarketingStrategist is from Amarillo, Texas,and he’s the same way. He wantsto get straight to the point and getthere fast. So I’m going to take alesson from the Texans and lay mycards out on the table.
The funny thing is car dealersare already using social mediapractices. A good salespersonknows you can’t pressure some-one into buying a car. If youpounce too hard and too fastyou’ll scare them away. Socialmedia is the same way.
The emphasis must always beon the social aspect. Social mediais about building relationships sothat when the buying cycle comes
around your dealership is thefirst thing that pops into a cus-tomer’s mind.
The initial step in buildingthis relationship is gainingpermission. Social media ispermission-based marketing.Just because you have permis-sion to interact with customersdoesn’t mean you have to sellto them. If you do they willstop following you, but saythe right things and not onlywill they continue to followyou, they’ll recommend you totheir friends.
Whenever you sell a car askyour customer to follow you onFacebook or Twitter to receiveimportant information about theirnew car. This information shouldbe everything useful to a new carowner: Recall information Service specials and coupons Referral incentive program
information Owner training classes Warranty information Tips on how to take care
of their carThat’s all information new
car owners want to knowabout. If you can maintain arelationship with the peopleyou’ve already sold to, they’lllikely return to you when theyneed their next car, and refertheir friends to you.
Social Media in ActionHere’s an example of an
actual Twitter message from abuyer to a dealer:
Do you guys still have that blue ‘03Alero on your lot? I called sales awhile back but no one called me.The dealership responded:Give us a call at (***) ***-****, ask forJoe and I can help you out with anyquestions you have. I’ll be expectingyour call.
This is someone that fellthrough the cracks in the salesdepartment but found anotherroute through Twitter. If this per-son buys from that dealership, theword of mouth referral will besomething like this:
The sales department didn’t call meback but when I tweeted them, theyresponded quickly.
Social media can be an effectivebackstop for your existing salesstructure.
All of these are the obvious usesbut as dealers post information,you have to make sure that socialis still on your mind. Dealers mustalways remember that you’re a part of a community. So talk.
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About what?Anything important to your
community. I hear high schoolfootball is big in Texas. So talkabout Friday’s game. Talk aboutthe weather. Post links to commu-nity events. Anything, just talk toyour community.
It’s important to understandthat social media is here to stay. Alot of people hope that it fadesaway and fades away fast but itwon’t. Automotive dealers aroundthe country are beginning to seethis.
“Social media shouldn’t beignored. That’s where our cus-
tomer’s are. So it seems prettyclear that we should be there too,”said Zack Butler, OnlineMarketing Manager at SethWadley Ford in Oklahoma.
Seth Wadley Ford has been inthe social media game for a coupleyears now and the reason they
will be successful is becausethey understand one thingabout social media - it is not aquick and easy fix.
Social media takes commit-ment and time. The ROI ofdirect response marketing isdropping daily while referralbased marketing increases.
Two thirds of automotive sales arereferral based. Social media is theepitome of word of mouth market-ing, but the key to social media isagain, relationships.
Automotive dealers are toughsalesmen but the Internet is givingcustomers a voice that they havenever had before. Consumers have
access to tools and informationthat they didn’t have years ago.The power has shifted.
The conversation about yourbrand and your dealership isalready happening online. Thequestion is: do you want to be apart of that conversation?
As I was told to shoot straight,I’m telling you to do the samewith your customers. The modernconsumer is growing weary ofbeing sold to. They can see rightthrough any marketing plan outthere. But if dealers remember thatthey are a part of a community,then you’ll find that the customerwill be responsive andyou will sell some auto-mobiles.
Adam Boalt is founder and President of GOSO, a socialmedia suite of tools and services designed for the auto-motive industry. Interested parties may learn more atwww.goso.com or by calling 877.311.GOSO (4676).
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Dealers mustalways rememberthat you’re a partof a community.
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