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Winning customers, retaining customers.



T urn right a f ter 100m.42 , Sample Street

TheMüllerbodys

hop



Introduction.

Marketing. It’s not a buzzword,

but a business tool. 4

Marketing means looking ahead.And taking a long, hard look at your business. 6

I have a lot of customers. But which

customers are the most profitable ones? 7

The right mix makes the difference:

Define the most effective messages. 8

Strategy as the key to success. 9

Market observation:

Keeping your eyes open. 10

Where are you headed?

And how will you get there? 12

Spreading the message. 13

- Appearance. 14

- Printadvertisements. 16

- Commercialsonlocalradio. 18- Photos. 19

- Folders,flyersandleaflets. 0

- Directmailingandphonemarketing.

- Phonemarketing. 4

- ColorforLife-theultimatewarrant y. 5

- Pressrelations. 8

- OpenDay/specialevent. 30

- Relationshipmanagement. 31

Activity plan. 32

Controlling your success. 34

Inthisbrochureyouwillfrequentlycomeacrossthename“Müller”.Thisnamehasbeenchosendeliberately.Itisavery

commonnameandyouarewellfamiliarwithMrMüller’slineofbusiness.ThefictitiousMüllerbodyshopisjustone

exampleofmanysimilarbusinesseswhicharealltryingtostandoutfromthecompetition.

ThisbrochurepresentssomeoftheresultsoftheMüllerbodyshop’sventuresintotheworldofmarketing.Youmay

possiblyarriveatdifferentresultsbecauseyourownbodyshopispositioneddifferentlyinthemarketplaceorbecause

youpreferadifferentdesignforyourstationeryandpromotionalmaterials.Thisisjustthewayitshouldbe-afterall,

yourgoalistomakeyourbodyshopstandoutasbeinguniqueintheeyesofyourcustomers.Marketingwillhelpyou

achievejustthat!

3



Analysis- Marketsituation

- Customerstructure

- Competitivesituation

Controlpossibleadjustmentof:

- Analysis

- Objectives

- Strategy

- Measures

Marketing. It’s not a buzzword, but a business tool.

Marketingisnotjustanotherwordfor

advertising.Marketingisthefullpackage

ofmeasuresandactivitieswhichensure

yourbusiness’ssuccessinthemarket-

place.Thisnotonlyincludesvisible

measuresbutalsoplanning,coordination

andcontrol.

Marketinginstrumentsallowyouto

identifyexistingandpotentialcustomer

needswhichcanthenbeconvertedinto

actualdemandforyourproductsand

services.Sowhatwearetalkingaboutisnotashort-termeffortbutrathera

managementtooltokeepyourcompany

ontherightcourseinthelongterm.

Ofcourse,youknowyourcustomers

betterthananybodyelse.Butthen,

youknowonlythosecustomerswho

arealreadyinyourcustomerfile.For

example,youmayhavemadeagood

nameforyourselfamongthecardea-

lershipsinyourareabasedonyour

precisework,yourprofessionalexpertise

andyourcompliancewithdeadlines.All

thesefactorsspeakforyourbodyshop

-butwhyaretheynotknowntoallthose

motoristswhocontinuetotaketheir

carstothedealershipforbodyrepairs

insteadofcomingstraighttoyou?

Thequestionwhichwewanttoanswer

jointlywithyouonthefollowingpages

is:Whattoolsandinstrumentscanyou

usetosecureandimproveyourrevenues

andprofitsoverthemediumandlongterm?Theanswerswhichyouwillfind

willhelpyouwinnewcustomersand

structureyourbusinessvolumeforhigher

marginsandprofits.

•Marketingmakesbodyshopsfit

forthemarket.

•Marketinghelpsyoutapintonew

customergroups.

•Marketingsecuresyourfuturereve-

nuesandprofits.

4



Strategy- Product

- Price

- Communication

- Image- Staff

Measuresexamples:

- Advertisements

- Businessstationery

- Pressrelease

- Website

- Directmailing

• What revenue volume do I need to keep my

capacity fully utilised?

• How can I generate more sales?

• More profit through higher quality?

• What is my sales/profit ratio?

• How important is public awareness of my name?

• What kind of marketing budget should I spend?

• How should I measure the success of my advertising activities?

• Have I reached my objectives?

• Do my employees support my marketing concept?

• What short-term, medium-term and long-term

objectives do I have for my business?

• What are my competitors doing?• Am I being recommended by my customers?

• What do my customers want?

• How can I recruit additional/different customers?

• What form of advertising should I choose?

• What can be improved about my bodyshop’s

appearance and image?

• How do I implement suitable advertising

measures?

Objectives- Expandmarketshare

- Raisenameawareness

- Increasesales

5



Marketing means looking ahead.

And taking a long, hard look at your business.

Marketingmeansmappingouttheroad

aheadforyourbusiness.However,tobe

abletodothatyouneedtobeverysure

aboutyourstartingposition.Thismeans

youhavetotakestockofyourcurrent

positioninthemarketplaceandyour

presentlevelofcompetitiveness.And

youneedtobeawareofhowyourbusi-

nessisperceivedbyothersinthismarket

environment.

Tobeabletoformulateargumentswhich

peoplecanreallyappreciate,youneed

tobefullyfamiliarwithyourbusiness

andknowaboutyourstrengthsand

yourposition:

“Ourbodyshoptrainsyoungpeople.

Overthepast10yearsatotalofeight

traineeshavecompletedanapprenti-

ceshipwithus-bothintheofficeandin

theshop.Todayweemphasisethisfact

inouradvertising,whichhashelpedus

attractmanycustomers.”

Investinginmarketingasabusinesstool

ismorethanapurelyfinancialconside-

ration.Itshouldalsobeaninspirationto

thinkbeyondyourday-to-daybusiness

routines.Suchinvestmentsareclearlyof

along-termnature,giventhattheacci-

dentrepairmarketisgoingthrougha

phaseofprofoundchanges.

Concentrationandconsolidationinthe

marketplacearetheorderoftheday,

drivenbyincreasinglyhighertechnical

standardswhichcanonlybemetby

spendingmoremoneyonequipment

andhumanresources.Whilethenumber

ofvehiclesontheroadisrising,thenum-

berofdamagerepairspaidbyinsurance

companiesisstagnatingordeclining.

Thereforeitisimportanttobuilda

profitablecustomerbasewhichisnot

confinedtoasinglegroupofcustomers.

Themorepillarsyourbusinessrestson,

thebetter.

Possible advantages* Possible disadvantages*

--numerousrepairjobs

--fastpayments

Insurers

Fleet operators and

leasing companies

Motorists

Dealerships

-lowerhourlyrate

-highstandardsofquality

-networks

-specialisation

-fastservice-majorrepairs

-higherhourlyrate

-riskdiversification

-numerousrepairjobs

-specialisation

-higherrisk

-highercostofmaterials-costpressure

- greaterinsecurity

-higherrisk

-lowerhourlyrates

-commissionpayments

*Advantagesanddisadvantagesmaydifferbetweenbodyshops6



I have a lot of customers.

But which customers are the most profitable ones?

Ifyouwanttocatertoyourcustomers’

needs,youneedtobefamiliarwithyour

customers.Whatdoesyourbodyshop’s

customerstructurelooklikeatpresent?

Doyouworkforinsurersordealerships,

forfleetsorleasingcompanies,orfor

motorists?

Eachofthesecustomergroupshas

differentneeds.Whilecorporateand

businesscustomersvaluesmoothand

reliablehandlingandafavourable

packageprice,retailcustomerstend

topaymoreattentiontoqualityand

personalattention.Fromyourbusiness

perspective,thesedifferentgroupspredo-

minantlymeandifferentlevelsofrevenues

andmargins.

Whatdothedifferentcustomergroups

meanforyourbodyshop?

• Managingcapacityutilisationatyour

bodyshop

•Short-termorlong-termcustomer

relationships

•Differentlevelsofadministrative

ef forts.

Forexample,insurancecompanies’

damagemanagementprogrammesmay

deliverinterestingmarginsbuttheymay

alsoresultinyourbodyshopbecoming

economicallydependentonthesecusto-

mers.Ifsuchcontractsaccountforathird

ofyourbusiness,yourviabilitymaybe

jeopardisedifandwhenthesecontracts

arediscontinued.Theimportantthingis

tobuildasustainablecustomerstructure

whichisolatesyouagainstchanging

marketsituations.Thishealthymixshould

includemotoristswhoshould,however,

notaccountforallofyourbusiness.

Importance

for revenues

Importance

for profits

What importance does this customer

group have for your bodyshop’s sales

revenues and profits?

Rateonascalefrom

1=veryhighto

5=verylow



The right mix makes the difference:

Define the most effective messages.

Fromtimetotimeyourbusinessiscon-

frontedwithfactorsoutsideyourdirect

control-competitors,lawsandregula-

tionsaswellassocialstructuresinyour

environment.Buttherearealsoanum-

berofessentialfactorswhichyouhave

fullcontrolover:

Products and services

Productofferingsandrepairmethods:

- Glassandplasticrepairs

-SMARTrepairs

-MICROrepairs

-Paintlessdentremoval

-Wheelmountingandalignment

-Bodyrepairs

Customerservices:

-“ColorforLife”guarantee

-Salvageandtowingservice

-“Mobile”costestimates

-Freecarpick-upanddelivery

-Informationdayforschool-leavers

-Carcleaning

Marketadditionalbenefitsfor

customershavingtheircarrepaired:

-Freebeverages

-Toycars/surprisesforkids

-Customernewsletters

-After-salesservice

•Youdecidewhatproductsand

servicesyouoffer.

•Youcanpriceyourproductsand

serviceswithincertainlimits.

•Youcanshapeyourbodyshop’s

appearanceandimage.

•Youcantrainyourstafftocontribute

toafavourableperceptionofyour

business.

Thesefourfactorsneedtobereflected

inyouradvertisingmessages.Taken

together,theyrepresenttheso-called

marketingmixwhichneedstobeopti-

mallytunedbothinqualitativeandin

quantitativeterms.

Pricing strategies

Low-pricestrategiesareaimedat:

- Marketpenetration

-Salesgrowth

-Expansionofmarketshare

-Cansupportaqualityimage

-Makesenseforbodyshopswhich

arewellpositionedinthemarket

-Canbeappliedforspecialservices

Otherpossibilities

-Variableorstableprices

-Seasonalrebates

-Specialactions/offers

8



Appearance of your

business

- appealingexteriorlook

- interiordesign

- cleanliness

- appropriatefurnitureandfittings

- customerparking

- clearsignage

- masterrefinishercertificateon display

Strategy as the key to success.

Marketingis30percentgoodideasand

0percentgoodplanning.Sonowyou

knowwhichcustomersgeneratethe

highestrevenuesandthehighestmar-

gins.Youcurrentlydomostworkforcar

dealershipsandothercommercialcusto-

mersandnowyouwanttoincreasingly

attractmotorists?Becausetheysupport

highermargins?

Needlesstosay,youwouldliketoenjoy

alladvantagesofferedbythedifferent

customergroupsatonce-asteady

supplyofwork,highsalesrevenuesand

attractivemargins.Thisiswherethe

planninghastostart.Winningmoto-

ristsascustomersrequiresadifferent

approach,differentargumentsand

differentinstrumentscomparedtothe

fleetoperators,leasingcompaniesand

commercialcustomerswhoyouusually

dealwith.

Youdecidewhatisimportantforyour

bodyshopandwhichcustomergroup

youwanttoaddressprimarily.These

decisionsarethebasisforyourfuture

customerportfolioandforthedefinition

ofyourmarketingactivities.

Insurers

Fleetoperatorsandleasingcompanies

Motorists

Dealerships

What are your objectives?

Higher sales?

Greater profits?

Employees

- goodcommunicators

- friendlybehaviour

- competentprofessionals

- helpfulandaccommodatingpersons

9



Market observation:

Keeping your eyes open.

Tosucceedincompetition,youhaveto

behavelikeacompetitor.Thisincludes

watchingtheothercompetitorsasthey

lineupatthestartingline.Whattypeof

runningshoesaretheywearing?How

well-trainedarethey?Whatstrategydo

Ineedtokeepupwiththemoroutdi-

stancethem?

Appliedtoyourbusiness,suchquestions

are:Whataremystrengths?WhatdoI

needtoimprove?Wherearetheoppor-

tunities?Whatrisksarethere?Takea

criticallookatyourownbodyshopand

atyourcompetitors’offerings.Thiswill

Itisworthtakingalookatyourselffrom

thecustomer’spointofview-thisisthe

perspectivewhichcountswhenplanning

marketingactivities.Everythingshould

bescrutinised-fromyourproduct

offeringtotheassessmentofyourown

qualitystandardstoyouremployees’

jobsatisfaction.Nowyoumaywonder

whatonearth“jobsatisfaction”hadto

dowithyourbodyshop’simageamong

thepublic.Well,alot.Foronething,

youremployeesactasmultipliersofyour

bodyshop’simageandforanother,their

satisfactionwiththeirjobswillalsobe

perceivedbyallcustomersandprospects

visitingyourbodyshop.Thismeansthat

jobsatisfactionactuallyhelpstokeep

yourcustomerssatisfied.

allowyoutoconductaclearanalysis

andtoidentifyyourpresentcompetitive

position.

Evenasabusinessowner,youarealsoa

customeronaday-to-daybasis.Besure

tokeepyoureyesopenwhenyougo

shoppingforproductsandservices.Why

doyoufeelwellservedinsomeplaces

anddisappointedinothers?Whathas

madeyoualoyalcustomeratyourfavo-

uritesupermarketorbakery?

How are your competitors positioned vis-à-vis the different

customers groups? What recipes are successful?

Insurers

Fleetoperatorsandleasingcompanies

Motorists

Dealerships

10



Yourstrengthsandweaknessesare

factorswhichyoucancontrol.Thisis

whythistypeofanalysisisalsocalled

“businessanalysis”.Incontrast,youhave

onlylimitedcontroloverexternaloppor-

tunitiesandthreats.Thistypeofanalysis

isalsoreferredtoasan“environmental

analysis”.Allfactorsneedtobeviewed

intheirentirety.Thisapproachallows

youtoderivedifferentstrategies:

• Youlookforopportunitiestocomple

mentyourpresentsuccess.

• Thestrengthsofyourbusinesspoint

thewaytonewpotentials.

• Possiblerisksareminimisedthrough

theexpansionofexistingpotentials.

• Specificstrengthsarepositionedina

waywhichpreventspotentialrisks

frombecomingproblems.

Itisnotalwayspossibletosaywhich

strategymatchesyourbusinessone

hundredpercent.However,itispossible

toidentifyafocalareawhichcanand

shouldbesupportedbyselectivemeasu-

resinotherareas.

External factors

Opportunities Threats

S t r e n g t h s

W e a k n e s s e s

I n t e r n

a l f a c t o r s

What are your weaknesses?

What are your strengths?

-legislation

-changesinmarket

potential

-changingcustomerneeds

-innovativecompetitor

products

-newcompetitors

- highnameawareness

-goodreputation

-goodprice/performance

ratio

-high-qualitywork

-lowmarketshare

-poorservice

-lowcustomerloyalty

11



Where are you headed?

And how will you get there?

Winningnewcustomersisalsoalwaysa

worthwhilegoal.Butasyouhaveseen

onthepreviouspages,thisisnotthe

onlymarketingobjective.Otherpossible

objectivesinclude:

• improvingcustomersatisfactionand

customerloyalty

• boostvehiclethroughput

• gainmoreprofitablecustomers

• raiseyourmarketshare

• offerbetterservice

• achievestronger/betterpublic

visibility.

Andwhateverobjectiveyouarepursuing

-youalsowanttoraiseyourprofits.

Howcanthisbeachieved?Well,byadju-

stingthosefactorswhichareunderyour

control,i.e.yourproductsandservices,

yourpricesandyourservice.Ineachof

theseareasyoualreadyofferyourcusto-

merssomethingwhichmakesyouattrac-

tiveincomparisonwithyourcompetitors.

Sonowthetaskistofindargumentsand

solutionstoalignyourbusinessevenmore

effectivelywiththeneedsofthemarket.

Thenextstepconsistsintailoringthese

messagestothespecificexpectationsof

yourchosentargetgroup.

How do you want to accomplish

these objectives?

What objectives do you want to

accomplish for your business?

1stobjective:

ndobjective:

3rdobjective:

4thobjective:

1



Spreading the message.

Advertisingmeansdrawingattentiontoyourbusiness,

highlightingyourbodyshopaswellasitsproductsand

servicesandleavingafavourableimpressiononyour

targetaudience.Thiscaneasilybeachievedwithyour

existingcustomerswhoarefamiliarwiththequalityof

yourwork,yourserviceandyourreliability.Buthowcan

youreachnewprospects?

Actually,thereisawholevarietyofmeasureswhichcan

betaken.Eachmeasureisgearedtoaspecificpartial

objectiveandsustainedsuccessrequiresanappropriate

combinationofmeasures.Investinginadvertisingpays

off.Whatpercentageofsalesrevenuesshouldbespent

onadvertising?Between1and3percentarecustomary

inthisindustry,eventhoughanyadvertisingbudget

shouldreflectthesizeandstructureofthebusiness.

Appearance

Printadvertisements

Radiocommercials

Flyers

Folders

Posters/billboards

Directmailing

Phonemarketing

ColorforLife

Ownwebsite

Pressrelations

Openday

Relationshipmanagement

=suitable =partiallysuitable

This chart shows which

measure is suited to whichtarget group.

13



Appearance.

Helpful hints for implementation.

-Recruitinganadvertisingagencyordesignfirmisan importantdecisionwhichshouldnotbetakenlightly.

Besuretoaskforreferencesandsamplesofwork

doneforclientswithsimilarbusinesses.Lookforan

agencywhich“speaksyourlanguage”.

-Asktheagenciesforadviceonhowtospendthe

definedbudget.

-Besurethattheagencyorthedesignersgiveyouan

unlimitedrighttousethedesignsandthattheyagree

tosurrenderthedatafiles.Thiswillenableyouto

switchtoadifferentagencyifandwhenrequired.

Check the external appearance of your business.

Thefollowingquestionsshouldbeansweredwithaclearyes:-Doesmybusinesscomeacrossaslikeableand

competent?

-Doesitsexternalappearancefollowaclearline-from

vehicleletteringtostationerytothewebsite?

-Ismycorecompetenceconveyedinanunderstandable

mannerthroughallmedia?

14



• Accident repair

• Scratch removal

• Retouching/buffing

• Vintage car service

• Pickup and delivery

Call 0202 12 34 56

• Accident repair

• Scratch removal

• Retouching/buffing

Vintage car service

Pickup and delivery

Call 0202 12 34 56

Reception

Accident repair •

Scratch removal •

Retouching/buffing •Vintage car service •

Pickup and delivery • 4,SampleStr

485Sample

Call001Fax0013

www.lackierer

First impressions.

Oneoftenspeaksof“impressivepeople”whose

appearanceleavesastrongeffectonthosewhomeet

them.Alwaysrememberthatyourbodyshop,too,lea-

vesanimpressiononpeople.Manydifferentdetails

adduptodefineyour“appearance”.Customersshould

receivepositivemessagesaboutyouevenbeforethey

stepthroughthedoor.Aconsistentandunifiedlook

makesyourbusinessmorememorableandrecog-

nisable.

People remember what they like.

Thisiswhyyoushouldmakesurethatyourstationery

aswellasyourfacadeandvehicleletteringareall

designedalongaclearcline.Theadvertisingmaterials

describedonthefollowingpagesshouldalsosharethis

design.

Andwhataboutyourworkshop?Makesurethatthe

interiordesignencouragespeopletostay-cleanliness

andtidinessareimportantfactors.Also,don’tbeshy

aboutdemonstratingyourexpertiseanddisplayyour

master’scertificateaswellasanyothercertificationsin

awellvisiblespot.

Arethereenoughcustomerparkingslots?Isthere

enoughsignagepointingfirst-timevisitorstoyour

office?Andlastbutnotleast,nothingismoreeffec-

tiveinleavingapositiveimpressionthanfriendlyand

accommodatingstaff.Ifnecessary,alertyouremploy-

eestotheneedforcustomer-orientedbehaviour.

A c c ident r epair • Sc r at c h r emov al •

R et ouc hing/ buf f ing • V int age c ar ser v ic e • P ic k up and deliv er y •

42,Sample St r eet

42285 Samplet ow nCall 0202 12 34 56 F ax 0202 12 34 56 8

w w w .body shop.cominf o@body shop.com

T he

Müller body shop

rshop

The

Müllerbodysh

15



Advertisements.

Advertisements get the message out.

Thebiggestadvantageofadvertisementsliesinthe

largecirculationofnewspapers,freepapers,theYellow

PagesandtheInternet.Advertisementsletyoureach

outtoyourtargetgroupsinprivatehouseholdsand

smallbusinesses.

Thecostsofprintadvertisementsalwaysdependonthe

circulationofthenewspaperorpublicationandthesize

oftheadvertisements.Eventhoughthesecostscanbe

considerable,advertisementscanbesuitableforyour

businessifyoucansetasideanappropriatebudgetand

spaceoutthepublicationintervals.

Speed is of the essence.

Dailypapersarethemostuptodatemediums,enabling

youtoplaceadsatshortnoticeandforclearlydefined

regionsandareas.Thiswayyoucanrunspecificads

forindividualservicesandspecialoffers.Also,thead

formatcanbevariedfromoneissuetothenext.Your

imagecanbestrengthenedinthelongtermthrough

regularadshighlightingyourbodyshop,yourexcellentservice,specialoffersorareasofspecialisation.Askthe

adsalesdepartmentaboutdiscountsgrantedonmul-

tipleadplacements!

Localfreepapersarealsoeffectiveinraisingyourpro-

file.Thesepapersarestudiedextensivelybypeoplein

yourneighbourhoodlookingforspecialoffers,skilled

tradesmenandspecialistservices.

Advertisements plus editorial coverage

doubles the effect.

Youmayevensucceedingettingthelocalnewspaper

oradpaperinterestedinpublishinganeditorialpiece

onyourbodyshop.Yourapprenticeshipprogramme

forschool-leaverscouldpossiblyprovideaninteresting

topic.Ifyouareplanningacompanyanniversaryor

anOpenDay,telltheadsalesexecutiveaboutit.Ifyou

areavaluedcustomer,heorshewillcertainlypassthe

informationontothelocaleditorialdepartment.

Look sharp - even in print.

Itisimportantforyouradtostandout.Thisiswhyit

shouldnotbedesignedinahurry.Makeitstandout

byincludingaphoto,anillustrationorawittyheadline

whichgrabreaders’attention.Totheextentpossible,

colorshouldalsobeusedbecausecoloriswhatyour

businessisallaboutafterall.

Pageplacementisakeyfactorintheeffectivenessof

yourad.Researchhasshownthatadsonright-hand

pagesgetnotedmorefrequently.Donotforgettoincludeyourphonenumberandaddressinyourad.

16



If all your competitors offer “accident

repairs”, all you need to do is advertise

“accident repairs with life-long guarantee”

and your offer will stand out from crowd.


-Contacttheadsalesdepartmentorthepublisher

(lookforthephonenumbersinthemastheadofthe

paper).

-Askfortheiradvertisementratecard.

-Selectthepublicationdateswhichareidealforyou.

-Lookforanagencyordesignertoproduceyour

layout,textandtheready-to-printcopy.

-One-offadplacementsarenotreallyeffective.

Itisbettertodefineregularpublicationintervalsand tosticktothem.

Check your ad.

Allquestionsshouldbeansweredwitha“yes”.

-Doesthispaper’sreadershipincludemytargetgroup?

-Doesmyadstandout?

-Aremyillustrationsand/ortextinterestingformy

targetgroup?

-Doestheadmakeclearwhatservicemybodyshop

offers?

-Doestheadmakeclearwhat“special”servicemy

bodyshopoffers?-Doestheadmakeclearwhothereadershould

contactandhow?

-Doestheadmatchthelookofmybodyshop?

Accident damage?We can help.

Vehicle pickup, courtesy car, complete service.Call +49 (0) 1234-5678

42, Sample Street • 42285 Sampletown • www.bodyshop.com

Accident repair with lifetime paint warranty.Vehicle pickup, courtesy car, full service.Call +49 (0) 1234-5678

Peter MusterKarosserie- & Lackierzentrum

Let us celebrate.

Celebrating 30 years of com-mitment to high-quality paint-

work. Join our party from 12noon to 4 p.m. on April 12.There’ll be dancing, drinksand a draw.

John Sample

SampleStreet45

485SampletownCall013456890

www.bodyshop.com

Peter MusterKarosserie- & Lackierzentrum

The

Müllerbodyshop

Lifetiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime warranty.

1



Commercials on local radio.

> Screeching brakes > loud bang

> A traffic accident

> Voice 1: Oops. I need a bodyshop.

> Voice 2: Call the Müller Bodyshop. They offer a full service.

> Voice 1: A full service?

> Voice 2: Yes, they will pick up your car and bring you a rental car.

> Voice 1: And what about the repair?

> Voice 2: They repair everything to the car maker’s specifications. And then they clean the entire car.

In addition you get a life-long guarantee on the new paintwork - free of charge. So if you are in an accident,

call the Müller Bodyshop on 0202 12 34 56.

> Voice 1: What was that number again?

> Voice 2: 0202 12 34 56. The Müller Bodyshop.

> Sound of car starting and driving off.

“Onlymajorcompaniescanaffordtoproduceandplace

suchelaborateradiocommercials”,youmaysay.Butthis

doesnothavetobetrue.Advertisingonlocalradioisnot

allthatexpensive.Moreover,manylocalradiostationsare

morepopularthanthemajorradionetworks.Manycom-

muters-whoaccountforthebulkofyourtargetgroup

-listentotheradiowhiledrivingtheircars.Radiocommer-

cialscanvaryinduration.Asfortheproductionofyour

commercial,yourlocalradiostationwillgladlypointyouto

acapablerecordingstudioinyourarea.

Needlesstosay,aradiocommercialismoreexpen-

sivethananadinaweeklypaper.However,aradio

commercialalsogivesyoudirectaccesstoalargepart

ofyourpotentialcustomerswhilealsoallowingyouto

highlightspecialoffersatveryshortnotice.

18



Photos.

A picture says more than a thousand words.

Whateverserviceyouareoffering-agoodpicturewill

bringacrossyourspecialexpertiseinaflash.Inmany

casesnotasinglewordisrequired.Yourmodernbody-

shopequipmentandthefascinationofaprofessionally

refinishedpaintworkcanbestbecommunicatedthrough

goodphotos.Thisiswhyitisrecommendabletocom-

pileasmallimagedatabasecontainingphotosofyour

bodyshopandofoutstandingrepairandrefinishingjobs,

possiblyalsowithimpressive“before”and“after”com-

parisons.

One shot, many uses.

Whetheritisonyourwebsite,inaneditorialpieceina

paperorinapresentationfolder-photoscanbeused

forawidevarietyofadvertisingandsalespurposes.

However,onlyahigh-qualityphotocanreallycapture

andconveythequalityofyourwork.Thereforeitmakes

sensetouseaprofessionalwhoseexpertiseasaphoto-

grapherisonparwithyourownprofessionalexpertise

asarefinisher.

Things to remember:

•You,youremployeesandyourbodyshopshouldlook yourverybestforthephotosession.

•Allpersonsphotographedneedtosignaconsent

beforetheirphotosmaybepublished.

•Ifyouhireaprofessionalphotographer,besureto

agreethatyouobtainallphotosindataformplusan

unlimitedrighttousethephotosforyouradvertising

andmarketingpurposesatnoextracosts.


- Contacttheradiostation.

-Checkwhattimeofthedayisbestsuitedforreaching

yourtargetgroup(e.g.commutersontheirwayhome)

-Askforaratecardshowingthepricesandthestation’s

coveragevalues(mediadata).

-Contactanagencytoproducethecommercials.Most

radiostationswillbehappytopointyoutoacapable

serviceprovider.

-Researchhasshownthatrepetitionsofashortcomer

cialaremoreeffectivethanlessfrequentplacements ofalongcomercial.

Check your commercial.

Allsixquestionsshouldbeansweredintheaffirmative:

-Doesthecommercialreachmytargetgroup?

-Doesmycommercialstandoutfromtheprogramming

environment?

-WillIarouselisteners’attention?

-Doestheadmakeclearwhatservicemybodyshop

offers?

-Doestheadmakeclearwhat“special”servicemy

bodyshopoffers?

-Aremyphonenumberandaddressclearlyaudible?

19



Folders, flyers and leaflets.

The flyer: everything you have to offer at a glance.

Asthetermsuggests,aflyerismuchlighterandless

voluminousthanabrochureorcatalogue,resulting

insimplifiedproductionandlowerproductioncosts.

Simplyflyerscaninfactbeproducedatcomparatively

lowcosts.Today’sdigitalprintingprocessesalsoallow

forrelativelyshortprintrunswithshortleadtimes.

Flyerscanbeusedforavarietyofpurposes.Theycan

behandedtocustomersandprospectsvisitingyour

bodyshop,distributedatevents,attachedtomail-shots

orincludedinpresentationfolderssubmittedtoinsurers,

fleetoperatorsandleasingcompanies.However,itis

worthrememberingthatrecipientswilldrawconclusions

aboutthequalityofyourworkfromapoorlyworded

andsloppilydesignedflyer.Boththedesignandthe

contentsoftheflyershouldthereforebecarefullyplan-

nedandexecuted.

More than a calling card.

Ratherthansimplyprintingyourname,addressand

phonenumberontheflyer,besuretointroduce

yourselfproperlytothereaderandhighlightany

specialservicesyouoffer.Theideaistodifferentiate

yourselffromyourcompetitorsandtobeperceivedas

unique.Ifyoualreadyuseasloganorcatchphrasein

youradvertisements,besuretouseitontheflyeras

well.Drawattentiontoyourhighstandardsofwork-

manshipandservice.Anddon’tforgettotellpeople

whothisspecialofferiscomingfrom.Howlonghas

yourbodyshopbeeninbusiness?Howmanypeopledo

youemploy?Consideraddinga“howtofindus”sketch

totheaddresssectionatthebottom.Includingavou-

cherforaspecialserviceorrebatemayalsobeagood

idea.Inthiscaseyourflyerwillreceivegreaterattention

andyougetadirectfeedback.

Youcertainlyknowthesaying“Younevergetasecond

chancetomakeagoodfirstimpression”.Thisalsoholds

trueforyouradvertisingandpromotionmaterials.

Rememberthatyourgoalistosellprofessionalwork-thiscanonlybeachievedusingprofessionaltools.Crea-

tingstylishpagesandfiddlingaroundwithpagedesign

softwarerequiresacertaindegreeofcomputerliteracy

andalsotendstobequitetime-consuming.Thistypeof

workisbetterlefttoprofessionalwebdesignersand

agencieswhoareusedtoproducingtop-notchresults. A cciden t repair •

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-Definethepurposeoftheflyer:

Doyoumerelywanttogetyournameoutordoyou

wanttopresentyourfullrangeofservices?

-Defineabudgetandaskyouragencytooutline

possiblesolutions.

Image folder to present your bodyshop.

-Describeyourrangeofservices.

- Putthefocusonspecialservicesandcompetencies.

-Provideinformationonyourbodyshopand

paintshopequipment.

- Readthedraftfromthecustomer’spointofview!

Flyer.

-Flyerscanbedroppedinletterboxesanddistributed

atsportsevents,fleamarkets,secondhandcar

marketsandinspecificpublicspaces.

-Thismayrequireapermitfromtheeventorganisers

and/oryourlocalgovernment.

-Distributioncanbehandledbyserviceproviders

whocanbefoundintheyellowpages.

For Repanet members:

Repanetmemberscandownloaddifferentmasterfiles

forflyersfromtheRepanetadvertisingmaterialsportal.

Check your folder.

Allquestionsshouldbeansweredintheaffirmative:

-Isthecontentssuitableformytargetgroup?

-Doesthefoldermakeclearwhatservicesmy

bodyshopoffers?

-Doesthefoldermakeclearwhat“special”service

mybodyshopoffers?-Areallcontactdetailsincluded–phonenumber,

address,androutedescription?

-Doesthefolderreflectthelookofmybodyshop?

Di ag nosi s: d ent ed .

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1



Direct mailing and phone marketing.

Make it personal: direct contact.Maybeyouarelookingforawaytoapproachcusto-

mersandprospectsdirectlybecauseprintedadsand

radiocommercialsalsogoouttoalotofreadersand

listenerstowhomyourservicesarecompletelyirrele-

vant.Suchawayexistsintheformofadirect,persona-

lisedletter.

Making the most of every occasion.

Thereareplentyofoccasionsforsendingpeopleletters.

Youcanthankfirst-timecustomersfortheirbusiness.Or

youcandrawpeople’sattentiontospecialofferssuch

asspringorwinterinspections.Tomakethelettermoreinteresting,addadiscountcoupon,aflyeroranewslet-

ter.Youcanalsorunaprizecompetition.Ifyoualready

manageyourcustomerdataonyourcomputer,you

haveallnamesandaddressesatyourfingertips.You

mayconsideraddingyourcustomers’birthdays,special

preferencesorparticularfeaturesoftheircarstoyour

database.Thiswillpermitevenmoreeffectivepersona-

lisationofyourletters.

Good addresses are valuable assets.Ofcoursemail-shotscanalsobeusedtogeneratenew

businessleads.Thisusuallytakesalittlemoretimeand

effortbecausetheaddressesofpotentialcustomers

needtobecollectedandverifiedfirst.TheInternetand

today’sdigitalbusinessdirectoriesareofgreathelpin

thisrespect.Besuretocapturealladdressescorrectly.

Beforesendingletterstobusinessesandcompanies,you

needtofindoutwhoortowhatdepartmenttheletter

shouldbesent.

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Hitting the right tone – relevant information is of

the essence.

Thebestwaytoproceedistoestablishanannualsche-

dulewhichdeterminestheeventsandofferingstobe

communicatedtoyourdifferenttargetgroups.Thenyou

canselectthematchingaddressesfromyourdatabase

orCRMdatabase.Nowcomesthemostimportant

task:draftingtheletter.Itisimportantthattherecipient

caninstantlyseewhatyourletterisallaboutandwhat

kindofserviceyouareoffering.Thesender-i.e.your

bodyshop-mustbeequallyclear.Confinethetextto

theinformationwhichreallycounts.Putyourselfinthe

recipient’sshoes-askyourselfhowYOUwouldreact

ifthisletterlandedonyourdesk?Onceyouhavefina-

lisedtheletter,allyouneedisanemployeewhoknows

howtooperatethe“mailmerge”functionofyourword

processorandyouarealmostdone.Tokeepstationery

andpostagecostswithinreasonablelimits,thelistof

recipientsshouldbecriticallyreviewedbeforetheletters

areprintedanddispatched.

Youknowthatyouhavehittherighttoneifnumerous

customersturnupatyourbodyshoptotakeadvantage

oftheattacheddiscountvoucherorifyourOpenDayattractsparticularlymanyvisitors.


-Lookforyourtargetgroupinbusinessdirectories

andontheInternet.Whatneedsdoesthistarget

grouphave?

-Comeupwithaspecialofferforyourtargetgroup!

-Inthecaseofbusinessaddresses,findoutwhothe

lettershouldbeaddressedtoandwhotheactual

decision-makeris.

-Trytomakedirectcontactbyletterandbyphone.

Presentthebenefitsofyourservicesinconcisewords.

Youradvertisingagencymayhelpyouinthisrespect.

-Defineapartialobjectiveforeachcall-e.g.an

appointmentforapresentationofyourcomplete

rangeofservices.

-Ifyouhavenotaccomplishedyourpartialobjective,

makeanoteofthereasons.Drawonthisexperience

whenmakingthenextcalls.

-Makefollow-upcallsatregularintervalsanddonot

getdiscouraged.

Check your mailshot.-Ifyouweretherecipient,wouldyouopenthe

envelopeandreadtheletter?

-Isyourspecialoffereasytounderstand?

-Don’tstartyoursentenceswith“We...”butaddress

thecustomerdirectly.

-Awellwrittentextshouldalsoentertainthereader.

Doesyourletterdothat?

-Doesyourletterendwithaninvitationtocontactyou?

-Isthelookoftheletterconsistentwiththeappearance

ofyourbodyshop?

3



A thin line.

Callingacustomerorprospectdirectly

onthephonetakesevenmoretactand

discretionthanwritingapersonalisedlet-

ter.Manyconsumerstendtofeelannoyed

byunsolicitedcallsfromsalesmenandcom-

panies.Also,so-called“coldcalling”(i.e.ringing

upconsumerswhohavenotpreviouslyagreedto

beingcalled)isillegalinGermanyandmanyother

countries.Consequently,thephoneshouldbeused

primarilytomanageandrefreshexistingcustomer

relationships.Youmight,forexample,callcustomers

toaskiftheywerehappywiththeservicetheygot

fromyourbodyshoportotellthemaboutaspecial

offeryouarerunning.Takecarenottocallatincon-

venienthours.Thismeansnotcallingconsumerslate

intheeveningoronSundaysandavoidingtocall

businesscustomersveryearlyintheweek(e.g.on

Mondaymornings).Thebestthingistotrainoneor

severalemployeesinphonecalltechniquesorhire

aprofessionalcallcentretoconducttheinterviews.

Spontaneousanswersfromyourcustomersshouldbedocumentedandevaluatedwithaviewto

improvingyourservicefurther.

Before you make a call, check the following:

•Doyouknowthenameofthepersonyouarecalling?

•Areyourelaxedandinagoodmood?

• Whatquestiondoyouintendtoaskfirst?

•Whatconcretebenefitareyouplanningtoofferthe

customer?

•Whatresult(partialobjective)doyouwanttoachieve?

Phone marketing.

Ou

li f

gu •An

•Fre

•No

4



Color for Life – the ultimate warranty.

“ColorforLife”isthenameofauniquewarranty

programmedevelopedbyStandoxasaneasy-to-use

customerloyaltytoolforbodyshops.Use“ColorforLife”

todifferentiateyourbodyshopfromyourcompetitors.

Theprogrammeessentiallygivesyourcustomersalife-

timeguaranteeonallrefinishingworkdoneusingthe

Standoxproductsystem.Ifaclaimismadeunderthe

warranty,Standoxcoversthecostsandyoudonotincur

anyobligations.Apersonalrepaircertificatehanded

overtothecustomerprovidesaplatformforanumber

ofadvertisingmeasures.Therangeofavailableadver-

tisingmaterialsincludestemplatesforaletterreminding

thecustomeroftheupcomingannualpaintworkinspec-

tion.ThebasicColorforLifepackageoffersyoualow-

costmarketingopportunity.AskyourStandoxfieldrep

aboutfurtherdetails.

ime

ran tee.

lpain t workinspec tionb yane xper t.

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5



Bodyshop websites.

Harnessing the world’s fastest medium.

Todaythemostpeopleagedbetween14and64

regularlyusetheInternetandoneinfourhouseholds

hasDSLbroadbandaccesstotheInternetwhoseimpor-

tanceasaninformationmediumcontinuestoincrease.

Thisishardlysurprising,consideringthattheInternetis

availableona4/basis,websitescanbeoperated

atlowcostsandanycontentpostedcanbeimproved,

expandedorupdatedatanytime.

Businesseswithoutwebsitesareconsideredasoutdated

particularlybyyoungconsumers.Makesureyoustay

oneclickaheadofthecompetition.Ifyourbodyshopis

alreadylistedinrelevantonlinedirectories,chancesare

thatitisdisplayedalongwithanextensivelistofsimilar

businesses.Somakeiteasierforpotentiallyinterested

partiestolearnmoreaboutyourservicesbylinking

yourdirectorylistingwithyourownwebsitewhereyou

canpresentmoreextensiveinformationanddemon-

strateyourprofessionalexpertise.

Creating your own website.

Creatingandoperatingyourownwebsiteisnotreally

difficult.Internetprovidersnotonlygiveyouthe

requiredwebspacebutcanalsohandlethedomain

registrationonyourbehalfandoffervalue-added

servicessuchasemailaccountsandwebdesignappli-

cations.Theattachedtemplatesmakeiteasytocreate

yourownwebsiteinnexttonotime.Youcouldalsotry

yourhandatdesigningyourownwebsiteusingoneof

themanyfreeorlow-costsoftwarepackagesavailable

inthemarket.Besuretochooseaneasy-to-memorise

nameforyourwebsite.Considercombiningyourname

withaclearbusinessidentifier(e.g.www.sampleman-

bodyshop.org).

Basic content.

Whatshouldbecontainedonyourwebsite?Itis

importanttoincludeinformationonyourproductsand

services,adescriptionofyourbodyshopandofcourse

yourcontactdetails,i.e.youraddress,yourphonenum-

ber,possiblyaroutedescriptionwitharoughmapand

anemailfunction.

Optional goodies

Ifyouareparticularlyproudofacaryouhavefinished,

whynotexhibititonyourwebsite?Picturesillustrating

yourexpertiseandcapabilitieswillnotfailtoimpress

visitorstoyourwebsite.YourOpenDaywasabigsuc-

cessandyoutooklotsofpicturestoproveit?Thenpost

themontheweb.Butremembertoupdatesuchsections

ofyourwebsiteatregularintervals-otherwisevisitors

willquicklyloseinterestandstopcomingback.Addi-

tionalservicessuchasrepairstatustrackingincludinga

textmessagingservicecanbeaddedasyourwebsitematuresintoanintegratedbusinesstool.

6



We set up our own paint shop in 1990 and have r emained independent ever since. T oday, we employ eight qualied st af f whose exper t ise and commit ment ar e key t o t he smoot h r unning of our shop. Our r egular cust omer s include car de

aler ships, insur ance companies, wor kshops, independent bodyshops, met alwor king shops and a lar ge number of pr ivat e cust omer s who have appr eciat ed our high-qualit y wor k and our ser vice f or many year s now.

• Accident r epair • Scr at ch r emoval • Ret ouching / buf ng• V int age car ser vice• Pickup and deliver y

Call 0202 12 34 56

> About us

> Ser vices

> Guar ant ees

> Cont act

> How t o nd us

Impr essum | Sit emap

www.bodyshop-mueller .com

W elcomeat t heM ueller bod y sho p

Welcome at t he Mueller bodyshop


-Browsethroughyourcompetitors’websites.Whatdo

youlikeaboutthem?Whatwouldyourtargetgroup like?

-Describeyourrangeofservices.

-Putthefocusonyourparticularservicesandspecial

expertise.

-Provideinformationonyourtechnicalequipment.

-Includephotosorcasestudiesofnoteworthy

projectssuchastherestorationofavintagecaror

the(re)finishingofcommercialvehicles.

-Defineabudgetandaskyouragencytooutline

possiblesolutions.

-Askyouragencyaboutsearchengineoptimisation

toensurethatyourwebsitecaneasilybefoundon theworldwideweb.

Check your website.

-Doesyourwebsitecomeacrossaslikeableand

competent?

-Doesitloadfastenough?

-Areyourspecialserviceseasytounderstand?

-Isyourwebsiteuser-friendlyandeasytonavigate?

-Doesthewebsitereflectyourbodyshop’slook?

Things to avoid.

Verylargeimageswhichtakeforevertoload,anima-

tionsandoverlyelaboratewebsitestendtotaxusers’

patience.Astraightforwardandunclutteredwebsiteis

bettersuitedforyourpurposes.

Considerhavingyourwebsitedesignedandsetup

byaprofessionalserviceprovider.Thiswayyougeta

visuallyappealingwebsitewhichisalignedwithyour

bodyshop’soveralldesign,featuresuser-friendlynavi-

gationaidsandwellbalancedcontent.Alsoyouneednotbotherabouttechnicaldetailssuchasdifferent

imagerepresentationsondifferentscreensetc.While

thisrequiresaone-offinvestment,youwilleventually

getvalueformoneyintheformofhighervisitornumbers.

T he

Müller body shop



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aciliquislu temolore ta tiodoconeugiame tlam venisaddelismolore

magnibhe xersisi talisaugueconumsandremoloreraessisi t wisaugi-

amnos tiscipsuscipersumqua t.U tloree t,qua tiuscipe xersuminibh

eri t volup ta taddignim veldoloriuree t,consenisau tedolenisi.

Ibherosnisnonersequisieu faccumsandi tpraes toeri tadi tnos trud

ercilla feu facilisimdeles trudessieu faccumdolorperosadmincing

eu facipisisnumsanu temoloree tumm ynullaora t, velisnosdolu tau te

minges tinge t,siera temdolenibhe xesequa t.Up ta temadipi tu tpa t.

Duissedessecommodoloboredele t,conullumipeumiuscillan vel

inheniame t, veli t wisisni t,sum vercin vercilislu tpa tlam venia tum

dionsec te vullaorera tamenimnum veliquisnumzzrillaor tionulla

augia tnosad ta t.

Un tlor tionsau tpa te feumsandre tionsedmolorpercillamcomm y

nonseni tipe xerodoluma tuminhenislinullaconseddignismodion

hendremnibhelisimnos tioconullaor tieea feugai tnislinia t.Ec temod

deli tlan verosdodoles trudec teconsec temzzri tdeliquamzzriusci

tedia t.Ignaconu tnisau teu faccumdoloborediamipsumm ynum

Press relations.

8



Good news.

Whenplanningpromotionalactivities,besureto

includethelocalpressinyourpreparations.Whetherit

isanOpenDay,a(re)openingorananniversary,repre-

sentativesofthelocalmediashouldbeinvited.Bearin

mindthatjournaliststendtohavebusyschedulesand

thatitisadvisabletoinformthemofyoureventingood

time.Draftasuitabletextandattachsuitablephotosto

theextentthatyouhavephotoswhicharesuitablefor

publicationinthemedia.Tomaximiseyourchancesof

apublication,thevolumeandstyleofthetextshould

makeiteasyfortheeditorstoadoptas“theirown”.

Sucheditorialtextsshouldnotbewritteninthestyleof

anadvertisementbutratherusefactuallanguageto

describeyourproductsandservicesandanynewswor-

thyeventssurroundingyourbusiness.Tomaximisethe

effectconsiderplacinganadinthesameissueofthe

paper.

Get your best work published!

Youdonothavetowaitforspecialeventstosendout

pressreleasestothelocalmedia.Ifyouhavecompletedaspectacularrefinishonaspecialcar,forexamplewhy

notwriteapressreleaseaboutit?Maybeyouarein

luckandyourstoryisjustwhattheeditorsneedtofilla

gapontheirmotoringpage.Thiswayyoucanbenefit

fromthenewspaper’slargecirculationandreachoutto

aregionalreadershipalmostwithoutcost.

Standoxregularlyoffersready-madepressreleaseson

varioustopicsandsubjectmatters(e.g.ColorforLife

andRepanet):

•Quality

•Service•Customerorientation


-Whataresuitableeventsforpressreleases?What

“story”surroundingyourbusinesscouldbeofinterest

tonewspaperreadersinyourregion?Thinkofyour

anniversaries,theinstallationofenvironmentally

friendlytechnologyorthehandoverofachequeto

alocalcharity.Thecompletionofaspecial-effect

finishonaspectacularvehiclealsomakesforan

attention-grabbingstory.

-Draftapressreleasewithafactualdescriptionof

theoccasion(what,why,when,where).Besureto

useanobjectivetoneofvoiceandavoidcreatingthe

impressionofanadvertisement.Intheidealcase,

theeditorsshouldbeabletosimply“copy”your

textintotheirnewspaper.

-Attachaphotowhichillustratesthecontentsofthe

pressrelease.

-Findoutthenamesoftheeditorsinchargeofmoto

ringandsmallbusinessaffairsatthelocalnewspapers

andradiostations.

-Ifyouarealreadyaregularadvertiserinanewspa-

per,theadsalesexecutiveshouldbeabletoreferyou totheeditorsinchargeandadviseonhowtoproceed.

-Sendoutyourpressreleasesimultaneouslytoall

editors(personalisedletter+pressrelease+photo).

-Trytoestablishpersonalcontactwiththeeditorsin

charge.

Check your press release.

-Isthecontentofinteresttothegeneralpublic?

-Isthecontenteasytounderstandevenincondensed

form?

-Isthetextwritteninawaywhichencouragestheedi-

torstosimply“copy”itintotheirnewspaper?-Areallcoveringlettersaddressedpersonallytothe

editorsincharge?

9



Show off your business.

HoldinganOpenDayoffersanopportunitytoshow

offthebestsidesofyourbodyshop.Sucheventscan

beorganisedregularlyoronspecialoccasionssuchas

newopeningsoranniversaries.Givesomethoughtto

whoyoushouldinvite.Maybeitwouldbeagoodidea

tointroducenewproductsandconcepts(e.g.Repanet)

toaspecifictargetgroup.Ortoorganiseaneventspe-

cificallyforschool-leavers.Oryoucouldinviteallyour

neighboursinordertogettoknoweachotherbetter.

Sucheventsinspiretrustandgiveyourbusinessbetter

exposuretothepublic.Experienceshowsthatawell-

organisedeventcanattractnumerousguestswho

appreciatetheopportunitytoinformthemselvesabout

yourbusinessyourproductsandservicesandyourstaff,

allofwhichhelpstostrengthenyourcustomerrelation-

ships.Besuretoinformthelocalmediaofyourevent

(seechapter“Pressrelations)sothatyoucanbenefit

fromadditionalexposure.

NotethatasuccessfulOpenDayrequiresthorough

planningandefficientorganisation,cancostalotofmoney(dependingonthescaleoftheevent)andneeds

tobefullysupportedbyyourentireteam.Inturn,such

aneventalsotendstogenerateincrementalbusiness

whichcanbemaximisede.g.throughmailshotsafew

daysaftertheevent.Youshouldalsotakelotsofpic-

turesandpostthemontheInternet,therebyattracting

traffictoyourwebsite.

Open Day / Special Event.


-Allowforaminimumofsixmonths’leadtime.

-Defineatargetgroup.

-Involveyouremployeesintheplanningprocessat

anearlystage.

-Defineadate,avoidingthevacationperiodsand

“longweekends”.

-Comeupwithaspecialmottoandattractions(e.g.a

“carfitnessdaywithwaterfunforyourcaranda

bouncycastleforyourkids").

-Writedownaschedulefortheday’sevents.Draw

upachecklistfortheweeksleadinguptotheevent.

-Checkalltechnicalrequirements.Doyouneed

permissionfromthelocalauthorities?Doesyour

insurancecovertheguests?Aretheresufficient

sanitaryfacilities?etc.

-Preparetheinvitations.

-Agreealltimesanddateswiththesuppliersand

serviceprovidersincludingthecaterersandthe

entertainmentagency.

-Informthelocalmediaatleasteightweeksahead

oftheevent.-Mailtheinvitations.

-Advisetheneighbours(fourweeksinadvance).

-Getyourpremisesinshapeandprepareforthe

event(duringtheweekleadinguptotheevent).

-Makethemostofyournewbusinessleadsby

sendingoutamailshotlookingbackontheevent

andinformingthelocalmediaaboutthe

successfulday.

30



- Helpful hints for implementation.

-Thinkofgroupsofpeoplewhoareimportantforyour

bodyshopandwhocanpotentiallyreferbusinessto

youonasustainedbasis.

-Whatinterestsandhobbiesdothesepeopleshare?

Puttogetherafilelistingallcontactdetailsand

preferences.

-Invitesmallgroupstoyourevents.

-Createapersonalatmosphere.Theobjectiveofthese

eventsistobuildandstrengthenpersonalrelationships.

-Usetheseopportunitiestolearnmoreabouttheneeds

andexpectationsofthesetargetgroups.

Check your relationship management.

-Doyourememberyourcustomers’birthdaysanddo

yousendthemcardsorsmallpresents?

-Doyoucollectyourcontactandcustomerdataina

database?

-Doyouusetheautomaticreminderfunctionsprovided

byyourdatabasesoftware?

-DoyoualsosendChristmas,NewYearandEastercards?-Haveyoueveraskedyourcustomersaboutanyparti-

cularwishes?

Relationship management.

Managing your contacts.

“Relationshipmanagement”-whatisthatsupposed

tomean?Well,itsimplymeansmakingsurethatyour

relationshipswithimportantsourcesofbusinesssuch

asinsuranceagenciesaremaintainedaliveonan

ongoingbasis.Theobjectiveistostrengthentheir

loyaltytoyourbusiness.Thiscanbestbeachieved

inaninformalatmosphere.

Tocreateasuitableenvironment,selectaneventwith

acertainentertainmentvaluesuchasaballoonrideoranexhibition.Theeventshouldfacilitatean

exchangeofinformationinarelaxedatmosphere.

Notethatsucheventsarenotreallycheapandrequire

alotoftactbecauseotherwiseyoumightacquirea

reputationofsomeonewhotriesto“buy”hisguests.

31



Activity plan.

Measure / Activity January February March April May June

1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 1 13 14 15 16 1 18 19 0 1 3 4 5Calendar week

Plan for success.

Donotleavethesuccessofyourmarketingmeasuresto

chance-systematicplanningcanmakeabigdifference.

Theplanshownaboveismeanttohelpyoukeeptrack

ofyouractivities.Enterallplannedmeasuresincluding

thebudgetandtherequiredleadtimes.

Inthecaseofanad,forexample,marktheweekof

publication.IfyouplantoholdanOpenDay,markthe

leadtimewhichcanbeseveralmonths.

3



BudgetAugustJuly September October November December

8 9 30 31 3 33 34 35 36 3 38 39 40 41 4 43 44 45 46 4 48 49 50 51 5

All at a glance.

Youractivityplanshowsyouallimportantinformation

fortheentireyearataglance.Nowyoucanregularly

checkwhetheryouneedtotakeactionorarealready

laggingbehindyourschedule.

Whenplanningyourmarketingefforts,payattention

tocontinuityandspaceoutyouractivitiesthroughout

theyear(e.g.springcheck,pre-holidaycheck,winter

check).Thiswayyourcustomersareregularlyreminded

ofyourbodyshopandyourservices.

Tip: Make copies of the blank plan for multiple use.

33



Controlling your success.

Measuring the effectiveness of your activities.

“Controlling”isamanagementtermwhichmeansmore

thanretrospectivelycheckingtheeffectivenessofa

measure.Rather,itstandsforpro-activeplanningand

controllingofallmeasuresandactivities.Thisiswhythe

illustrationonpages4-5hastheformofacycle.

Beforeyoudefinedyourobjectivesinthechapter

“Whereareyouheaded?”,youhadalreadylearned

abouttwoimportantcontrollingtools-thecompetitor

analysisandthestrengths-weaknessesanalysis.Both

areimportanttoolswhenitcomestodeterminingyour

competitiveposition.Andbothcanbeappliedbefore

andafteryourmarketingactivities.

• Strengths-weaknesses analysis and competitor

analysis tend to focus on the medium-term and

long-term periods.

• Market data and ratios such as sales, vehicle

throughput and customer satisfaction tend to

focus on shorter periods.

Marketingcontrolallowsyoutomeasuretheeffec-

tivenessofyourmarketingmeasures(targetvs.actual

comparison).Afterall,themoneyyouspendonmar-

ketingismeanttomakeyourbusinessmoresuccessful.

Otherwiseyourmarketingeffortswouldnotbeworth

yourwhile.

Youcertainlyrememberyourcompetitoranalysisinone

oftheearlierchapterswhereyouwrotedownwhat

yourcompetitorsarebetterorworseatcomparedto

you.Inaddition,thestrengths-weaknessanalysishelpedyougainaclearpictureofyourownbusinessandhel-

pedyouidentifyyourstrengthsaswellasanyweaknes-

seswhichpossiblyneedtobeaddressed.

• 80% customer satisfaction before introduction

of the new services.

• 95% customer satisfaction one year after intro

duction of the new.

Youthendefinedcertainobjectives(e.g.raisesales

revenuesfrommotoristsandincreasecustomersatisf-

action),developedastrategybasedontheso-called

marketingmix(e.g.communicationpolicy)andderived

suitablemeasures(e.g.advertisementsorimproved

service).Inadditionyouhavecompiledallenvisaged

measuresinanannualplan.

Attheendoftheday,youwantto“measure”whether

yourmarketingactivitieshaveactuallydeliveredthe

desiredeffect.Itisimportanttoseethatsuccessalways

resultsfromacombinationofmeasures.Anewcusto-

mermayhavebeenattractedbyyouradvertisement

inthelocalpaper,orhehaslookedforabodyshopin

theyellowpages.Orhehasbeenreferredtoyouby

asatisfiedcustomer.Thebestwaytofindoutwhynew

customershavecometoyouistoaskallnewcustomersaboutitandtocollectthisinformation.

What can I measure?

• Change in total vehicle throughput

• Change in sales revenues

• Change in customer satisfaction

• Response to voucher/coupon action

• Click rates on your website

Whetherornotagivenmarketingactivityhashadan

impactonyoursalesisrelativelyeasytomeasure-e.g.

bydeterminingyoursalesrevenuebefore,duringandafterthisactivity.Ifyouhavemailedadiscountvoucher,

youcaneasilymeasurethenumberofcustomerswho

haveclaimedtheirdiscount.Andwhataboutcustomer

satisfaction?Howhascustomersatisfactiondeveloped

sincethestartofyourserviceoffensive?Thiscanbe

determinedbypollingyourcustomerse.g.withthehelp

ofashortquestionnairecard.

34



One-offmeasurementsarenotreallyuseful-whatyou

needisaseriesofmeasurementsoveralongerperiod.

Otherwiseitisnotpossibletodeterminewhethera

changehasbeenachieved.Thisiswhyregularmeasure-

mentsareanabsolutenecessity!

Youcanonlycontrolthoseaspectsofyourbusiness

whichyoumeasureregularly.Butwhatcanyoudoif

yourmeasurementsfailtoshowthedesiredsuccess?Itis

importanttorememberthatmarketingisnota“quickfix”.

Itwouldbefoolishtothinkthatonecanplaceanadin

thelocalpaperandseepeopleflockingtoyourdoorthe

nextmorning.Continuityisthenameofthegame.Also,

someofyourmarketingactivitieswillbemoresuccessful

thanothers,andsomemaynothaveanyeffectatall.If

yourmeasurementsshowthatthisisthecase,youcantake

remedialaction,adjustyourstrategyandimplementnew

measureswhicharemoresuccessful.

We va l ue yo u r o p i n io n.

P leasec hec k t h

e fo l lo w ing bo xes to he lpus

impro veourser v

ice:

agree don ’ t don ’ t

agree kno w

T heperson Ispo ke to w hen I f irs tca l led was he lp fu l.

T heemp lo yee incus tomerrecep t ion w

as fr iend l y.

T heemp lo yee w hoassessed t herepa

ir vo lume wascompe ten t.

Iamsa t is f ied w i t h t hequa l i t yo f t

herepa ir.

Iamsa t is f ied w i t h t hec lean l inesso

fm ycara f ter t herepa ir.

Iamsa t is f ied w i t h t heser v ice Irec

e i ved.

I f ind t hee x ter iorappearanc

eo f t he bod ys hopappea l ing

.

Wou ld you wan tan y t h ing toc hange? Ha ve

youan ysugges t ions?

T ha n k yo u

ve r y m uc h.

35



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