"It was okay, we had a few customers who mentioned the ad."
"Wow, we underestimated the response and couldn't handle all the new business."
I hear comments like these all the time.
How do you know your ads work? How do you know people heard your radio spot, read you ad in the paper or viewed your banner online?
A common practice has you asking your customers "what brought you in the store today." That's a good idea. Advertising is expensive when it doesn't work. It makes sense to survey customers if you aren't sure.
Some would argue that reaching lots of people-- listeners, readers and websurfers-- is what matters. Media reps use charts and graphs and research to argue that their product is the best or most cost effective. But ask most of my clients and they say the secret is reaching people who are ready to buy. Effective advertising then is intended to speak to those hot prospects with a strong offer and call to action. Success is measured by phone calls, walk in traffic and clicks to their website.
And when you do it right there's no doubt that the ads brought in customers. The phones will ring. Customers will line up waiting for the doors to open. Thousands will click on your website. That's the goal everytime I design an ad campaign for one of my clients.
Simple? Hardly. It takes a lot of thought and planning to develop the message that will get people who are ready to buy your product to drop what they are doing and shop your store now. Today. This weekend.
The good news is that people are ready to buy.
Take car buying for example. Every day there are people who are ready to buy a new or used vehicle. In a mid size market like this one, new car dealers sell more than 100 new and 70 used cars each day. That's a lot of cars. There are also a lot of dealers-- about 75 new car dealers within 30 miles of my home. That leaves the consumer with a lot of choices.
Let's say you sell new Chevy cars and trucks. You compete with four other Chevy dealers in the market for Chevy's slice of the pie-- about 15% of the new vehicle market. So why should someone who's decided to buy a new Chevy, buy from you rather than another dealer. You sell the same product at the same MSRP with the same rebates, interest rates and warranties.
If all things were equal you might buy at the store closest to your home. That's how many shop for groceries and gas. For commodities offered at the same price and availability convenience often wins. Then there's customer service-- hey, we all want to be treated with respect, welcomed with a smile and thanked for our patronage. But let's assume every dealer coaches their sales associates to do that.
Negotiation is a big part of buying a car. And often there are two sides to the deal--- the purchase and the trade. So buying a car is a lot different that buying a can of green beans from the grocery. As a result, most people are willing to shop a little and save a lot.
The bug to buy a new car often starts with a TV commercial, a magazine article, a scene in a movie, or a neighbor parking a new beauty in the driveway. And there's nothing quite like the news that your current rig needs expensive repairs to turn your thoughts to buying something new. The next phase is selecting the make and model. Many car buyers do their homework on the internet. With http://www.cars.com/ or manufacturer sites, it's easy. In a few clicks of the mouse you can build the car you want: pick the make and model, color, standard or automatic transmission, trim packages,upgrades, etc. Next, you can check local inventories and prices. The last step for many car buyers has them checking the deals in the paper. Dealers established years ago a weekend marketplace, chock full of big ads with specials on the best brands and most popular models.
What smart shoppers look for is the dealer with:
- Selection.
- Price/value.
- People I know and trust
- Something extra
Price/value means "a good deal." No one wants to pay more than they should for a new car. Sale prices that are at or below the target price will drive traffic to the showroom. Sometimes it's more than price: low payments and special leasing terms attract lots of attention too.
Tell buyers you really want their business-- we will go the extra mile, offer extra savings, give you something more. Many successful ad campaigns include $25 gas card with test drive, $500 gift card with purchase. Some dealers have seen great results offering big screen TVs, Barbecues and family vacations.
Buying with confidence is also important. Many successful dealers see a lot of repeat customers. Buyers feel good about the experience. They received prompt, courteous service, found what they were looking for and left feeling like they got a good deal. They tell their friends and neighbors and they buy from dealer too. The dealer has loads of testimonials and often features them in the ads.
We're your friends-- salespeople love repeat customers. And customers like to buy from someone they know. I might forget your name but I won't forget your face. The best ads feature photos of salespeople, especially those who have been there a while.
The bottomline: do it right and you'll know the ads are generating leads. People will call with questions. They'll walk into the showroom with the paper in their hand. You'll have more business than you can handle. You may decide to hire more sales people.
