Knight Industrial Services teams with DeliveryMaxx to provide Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization

After an arduous task of selecting the right company to provide Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization, Knight Industrial Services of Baytown, Texas, just outside of Houston, has chosen DeliveryMaxx as its single digital marketing service provider.

Knight Industrial Services has served the nation for over three decades as multi-craft service company to meet the ever changing demands of its customers. The company has assembled crew teams that perform the services of painting (sandblasting), scaffolding and insulation.  By combining these three services; their clients are able to save more of their maintenance dollars adding additional revenue to the bottom line.  Efficient, less manpower, and greater productivity are adjectives that describe Knight Industrial Services which provide abrasive blasting, atmospheric coatings, maintenance, mobile units- pipelines, below grade, soil to air transitions, fireproofing, bio blast cleaning, insulation, scaffolding, and yard facility services.  Knight Industrial Service’s commitment is to provide the highest quality possible, economically feasible, and adhering to deadlines for all of their clients.

“We have chosen DeliveryMaxx because like us, they have a strong reputation and expertise for what they do.  This partnership will allow us to grow our business, and continue to provide excellence in Industrial services” states Joe Briscoe, General Manager of Knight Industrial Services.

Knight Industrial Services is located at 6802 I-10 East in Baytown Texas.  More information can be found by visiting http://www.knightis.com

Social Media Marketing is not just about developing a Facebook page or website.  There is a skillset that is required to understand consumer behavior, and communicate messages that will resonate with them.  In addition, that message has to be valuable enough to the reader that they will react as intended by the organization who developed the message.  “Most marketers have their clients ‘talk’ to about 70% of the internet community.  DeliveryMaxx makes sure that our clients are able to communicate with 100% of their target market.  We develop, customize, and implement a specialized program that will benefit each organization that is in our client family” says Josh Deaton, CEO of DeliveryMaxx.  “The addition of a non-automotive client was very easy to supply our expertise as well as providing sound strategic marketing principles, and we are excited to be chosen by Knight Industrial Services as their partner.”

DeliveryMaxx is the industry leader in Social Media Marketing and has perfected the science of maximizing the exposure for clients on the internet.  Utilizing their proprietary patent pending technology and years of expertise, they increase market share and brand exposure through portals such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, and many more.  DeliveryMaxx has been recognized for their digital solution programs that help automotive dealerships turn a one-time customer into a customer for life providing a medium for the customer to be “virtual mouthpiece” advertising to the world.  They have revolutionized the Search Engine Optimization, Local Search Engine Optimization, Online Reputation Management, and Customer Loyalty & Retention industry.

For more information about DeliveryMaxx visit http://www.deliverymaxx.com

Crossroads Chevrolet Cadillac brings Class and Luxury to the World with DeliveryMaxx

At Crossroads Chevrolet Cadillac in Joplin, Missouri, customer service is the number one priority.
Managing Partner Paul White says, “Some Cadillac and Chevy dealers in are in business only to turn a profit.  We’re here for our customers, whether it is showing you the car of your dreams or maintaining their current vehicle.  We are all about our customer because they are the entire reason we are in the business.  Our mission is to meet every customer need in every way possible”

Customer service means making the car buying experience as easy and enjoyable as possible, and with a new partnership with DeliveryMaxx the world will be able to take advantage of this commitment.  DeliveryMaxx has a patented program that helps dealerships obtain published positive reviews, strong company branding, outstanding search engine optimization, accurate local searches engines, and a customer loyalty program unlike anything the automotive industry has ever seen.  “It is a total dealership customer care program” that will help the dealerships customers return to the dealership time after time for years beyond the initial sale because they feel valued.  DeliveryMaxx has developed a program that turns happy customers into virtual social media billboards for the world to see.

“We are happy to have Crossroads Chevrolet Cadillac part of our network of family owned dealerships.  This dealership is the epitome of class and truly puts their customers first” states Josh Deaton, CEO of DeliveryMaxx.

Crossroads Chevrolet Cadillac has a strong and committed sales staff with many years of experience satisfying our customers’ needs. Their new and used vehicle inventory is unmatched in the four-state area of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.  They specialize in offering great prices with rebates and incentives as well as experts in service and parts to help all of their customers keep their vehicles in great shape for years of enjoyment.

Crossroads Chevrolet Cadillac in Joplin, Missouri proudly serves Rogers, AR; Fayetteville, AR; Joplin, MO; Pittsburg, KS; Miami, OK; and surrounding cities. They help customers from Webb City, Carl Junction, Carthage, Neosho, Baxter Springs, Columbus, Pittsburg, Bella Vista, Bentonville and Fayetteville, with their Chevrolet and Cadillac needs, and we look forward to helping new clients all over the United States.

Crossroads Chevrolet Cadillac is located at 4630 East 32nd, Joplin, Missouri and boast highly trained experienced technicians, and their entire auto parts possess the highest quality coming from the best manufacturers.  The lobby is comfortable with amenities allow any customer to relax during their visit.

DeliveryMaxx provides a total automotive dealership care program providing their clients consumers with social media marketing, online reputation management, search engine optimization, customer loyalty, and retention.  They utilized their proprietary software and patented programs to help automotive dealerships maximize their effectiveness positively influencing consumer behavior.

Monroeville Dodge Partners with DeliveryMaxx Providing Exceptional Customer Service

Monroeville Dodge just west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania selected DeliveryMaxx to share its message to the world about how they are providing consumers with a series of revamped cars and trucks that are truly second to none and customer service that will make you feel like family.

Not only does Monroeville Dodge carry an outstanding line of vehicles, but their primary concern is the satisfaction of their customers and well-being of their customers.  “When our customer and their family drive from our dealership in their new purchased vehicle, we think about where they will travel.  We want to make sure that every vehicle we sell is the right vehicle for our family of customers” states Blancy Mitchell, General Manager of Monroeville Dodge.

DeliveryMaxx will help Monroeville Dodge communicate with their customers to assure the most pleasant buying experience in the Pittsburgh area.  “This is a great company to partner with because they truly care about their community.  This is the way they treat every visitor at the dealership.  The dealership makes me feel like I am visiting my favorite uncle” says Josh Deaton, Chief Operating Officer of DeliveryMaxx.

Monroeville Dodge is located at 3633 William Penn Highway, Monroeville, Pennsylvania.  The dealership is a major supporter in the Pittsburgh community.  Their sales staff has many years of experience satisfying their customers’ needs, and their service center is complete with highly trained technicians.

DeliveryMaxx provides a total automotive dealership care program providing their clients with social media marketing, online reputation management, search engine optimization, customer loyalty, and retention strategically initiated to achieve real measurable results.  DeliveryMaxx utilizes their proprietary software and patented programs to help automotive dealerships maximize their effectiveness positively influencing consumer behavior.

Century 3 Chevrolet uses DeliveryMaxx to provide a Great Customer Experience

Century 3 Chevrolet in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania is the premier option among Chevy dealerships in Pennsylvania dedicated to providing service, maintenance procedures, and the largest selection of Chevy vehicles in the Pittsburgh area.

“Some Chevy dealers in Pittsburgh are in business only to turn a profit.  We’re here for our customers, whether it is showing you the car of your dreams or maintaining their current vehicle.  We are all about our customer because they are the entire reason we are in the business.  Our mission is to meet every need in every way possible” states Gary Lee, General Manager of Century 3 Chevrolet.

Not only does Century 3 Chevrolet carry an outstanding product, but their primary concern is the satisfaction of their customers.  DeliveryMaxx will help Century 3 Chevrolet communicate with their customers to assure the most pleasant buying experience in the Pittsburgh area.  “With the power of the internet, and social media Century 3 will be able to share with the world showing how great they treat their customers and the value they provide” says Josh Deaton, Chief Operating Officer of DeliveryMaxx.

Century 3 Chevrolet is located at 2430 Lebanon Church Road in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.  The dealership boast highly trained experienced technicians, and all of their auto parts possess the highest quality coming from the best manufacturers.  The lobby is comfortable with amenities allow any customer to relax during their visit.

DeliveryMaxx provides a total automotive dealership care program providing their clients consumers with social media marketing, online reputation management, search engine optimization, customer loyalty, and retention.  They utilized their proprietary software and patented programs to help automotive dealerships maximize their effectiveness positively influencing consumer behavior.

Century 3 KIA Teams with DeliveryMaxx Winning Customers for Life

Century 3 KIA in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania selected DeliveryMaxx to share its message to the world about how they are providing consumers with one of the Top 100 Best Global Brands according to a 2012 study made by Interbrand, the world’s largest brand consulting agency.

Recently KIA was named best total cost of ownership brand by Kelly Blue Book while the 2012 KIA Soul was honored as a top KIA vehicle.  This past February, Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com released its list of the top automotive manufacturers with the lowest average total cost of ownership for the first five years after purchase.  In first place is KIA Motors America.

Not only does Century 3 KIA carry an outstanding product, but their primary concern is the satisfaction of their customers.  “We want to put all of our customers into the right vehicle that meets their needs. In addition, we want to exceed our customers’ expectations in their vehicle purchase experience” states Paul, General Manager of Century 3 KIA.

DeliveryMaxx will help Century 3 KIA communicate with their customers to assure the most pleasant buying experience in the Houston area.  “With the power of the internet, and social media Century 3 KIA will be able to share with the world showing how great they treat their customers and the value they provide” says Josh Deaton, Chief Operating Officer of DeliveryMaxx.

Century 3 KIA is located at 2483 Lebanon Church Road in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.  The dealership boast highly trained experienced technicians, and all of their auto parts possess the highest quality coming from the best manufacturers.  The lobby is comfortable with amenities allow any customer to relax during their visit.

DeliveryMaxx provides a total automotive dealership care program providing their clients consumers with social media marketing, online reputation management, search engine optimization, customer loyalty, and retention.  They utilized their proprietary software and patented programs to help automotive dealerships maximize their effectiveness positively influencing consumer behavior.

Marketing Your Automotive Dealership is NOT that Hard to Do

Recently, I traveled to New Mexico to consult with a dealership about their marketing strategy.  The conversation went a bit like this:

DeliveryMaxx: “What are you currently doing with advertising today?”

Dealership: “We are doing print (newspaper), TV, Radio, and I have a billboard two exits down.”

DeliveryMaxx: “How is that working for you?”

Dealership: “I can’t really put an ROI on it, but I think it is branding us.”

DeliveryMaxx: “In a perfect world, what would you like your marketing and advertising do for you?”  

Dealership: “We want it to brand us, talk about our customer service, and help us sell more cars?”  

DeliveryMaxx: “At least you know what you want it to do for you.  Now, is that strategy working?”  

Dealership: “I’m not sure.  That is what we have always done.  I do know this.  We are spending a lot of money for this advertising, and I can’t measure the results.”

 As a marketer, I see a lot of marketing and advertising spends, but the strategy is all too often ambiguous at best.  There is nothing wrong with traditional advertising.  However, in today’s climate businesses have to maximize their advertising spend.  Is your marketing and advertising accomplishing your goal?

 Before we talk about strategy, let’s use the traditional billboard advertising medium and see if that is providing the best return for your automotive dealership.  The cost to design and produce a billboard averages $ 900 to $ 5,000 depending on the content and who creates the advertising piece.  For a 4-week cycle (marketing companies charge this way because they get an extra month of fees) your cost will range from $ 900 to $ 5,000 for city and interstate signs.  Many of our major highways command as much as upwards of $ 10,000 per cycle (4-weeks).  DeliveryMaxx’s offices are in Dallas, Texas and a recent price quote I received for signage on Loop 635 (LBJ or Lyndon B. Johnson Highway) was for $13,600 per cycle and an additional 25% during December.

 What is Your ROI for this Ad?  What are you trying to say?

 I am not advocating vacating your traditional media spend.  In fact, Ford and General Motors allocate 70% of their advertising dollars worldwide to traditional media.  However, dealerships must have a precise strategy especially during cost-cutting initiatives.  Too often, I see strategies that are the equivalent of throwing ideas into a fan and seeing what sticks on the wall.

Do your marketing meetings produce results like this?

 Marketing and Advertising your automotive dealership is relatively easy to do.  Motivating the consumers’ actions take some well thought out strategy. 

First, you need to identify where the eyes of your consumers are looking.  According to JD Power & Associates Automotive internet Roundtable nearly 80% of all vehicle buyers consult the internet before making a purchase.  That means, you should move more of your dollars to Digital Marketing or Social Media versus traditional forms of advertising.

Second, what is the goal or consumer behavior that you are trying to accomplish?  When considering what type of vehicle the consumer is going to purchase they research published online reviews, blogs, friends and family via Facebook, Google plus, & twitter, and then dealership websites (generally in that order).  Ultimately, your goal is to entice the customer to view your website or visit your dealership.  So how do you influence the consumer to give you a chance to sell them a vehicle?

You have to have a plan.  Social Media is not going away.  It is too convenient and immediate for the consumer.  Sites may change, but the medium is here to stay.  Therefore, how do you talk to potential customers?  There are hundreds of Social Media Sites that resonate on the worldwide web.  Sites such as Pinterest demographics are 97% women.  LinkedIn is dominated by the workforce.  Facebook has replaced many phone conversations.  FourSquare is the new GPS.  YouTube has replaced MTV.  Google Plus is the new business card.

 

 For centuries, businesses have become great their customers have advertised for them.  In the past, it was by word of mouth at a family gathering.  Now, Social Media has made it acceptable for society to share anything from what you had for breakfast to where you went last night.  People will actually take a picture of food and show it to the world.  This is no different for your business.

 The Math is Simple!

The average Facebook user has 245 friends.

If you sold 200 vehicles in a month and your customer showed off their vehicle on Facebook, you would be branded to 49,000 new potential consumers a month.  That’s just Facebook!  Don’t forget about the other sites as well as online reviews.

Now, think about this.  If 1% of those customers were interested in your dealership because of the positive message that was sent by your client, you would have an additional 490 opportunities for a new sale.

The above photo of this happy family from Southwest KIA Dallas was put as their public image on Facebook for the world to see immediate after they purchased their vehicle.  In one hour, the photo received 15 “Likes” and 10 comments.  If each of the Facebook users who “Liked” and “commented” on the photo also had 245 friends then that one sale would have REACHED 6,370 people. Remember, this family also reviewed the dealership online, and their family portrait went to hundreds of other Social Media sites.  In short, they became a virtual billboard for Southwest KIA.

Marketing your dealership is not that hard to do.  You just have to have a great product, excellent customer service, and a strong strategy to share your message.

For more information on Social Media Marketing, Online Reputation Management, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Local Search Engine Optimization (LSEO), and Customer Loyalty & Retention, please visit DeliveryMaxx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opinion about Google+, Reviews, and Online Reputation Management

Everyone has an opinion about how to use Google+ and posting reviews.  We see the extreme from hoping your customers post a good review to allowing the “real experts to post your reviews”.

Those of you, who finish reading this blog, will receive information many companies don’t want to tell you or just don’t know how to do.  Furthermore, your sales both repeat and referrals will increase, your branding will dominate across the web through all of the social media sites, you will have published positive reviews that stick, and your search engine optimization (SEO) value will be stronger than ever.

As I travel across the country helping automotive dealerships improve sales and retaining their customers I am exposed to many theories about how to win the battle for market share.  The battle is usually lost by many because there is no strategy involved.  I will talk about this later in the article.

The facts are:

•66% of consumers use the internet to research an item online before their purchase
•89% of consumers research vehicle reviews online before they make their purchase
•62% of all consumers read consumer-written product reviews online (with the highest percentage coming from 22-35 year olds (82%) while 36+ at 45%)
•69% of consumers who read reviews share them with friend, family, or colleagues, thus amplifying their impact in consumer behavior
•82% of consumers say their purchase decisions have been directly influence by the user reviews, either influencing them to buy a different product other than the one they had originally been thinking about

Therefore it is necessary to pay attention to how you are managing your Online Reputation.  Before we discuss how to help your online reputation, we need to identify what Online Reputation is. 

Online Reputation is the individual, consumer, business or products perceived reputation identified on the World Wide Web recorded by reviews, blogs, websites, social media platforms, and the media.  Individuals over the age of 37 will understand this simply as reputation.  However, with the invention of the web, we have become more sophisticated and added online because all of the information is available at our fingertips.

Once businesses figured out their reputation can be researched by anyone online they either turn to a so called “online reputation expert or manager” or try themselves to assist with cleaning or keeping clean their reputation.  The problem is that because the knowledge is foreign to many dealership principles or general managers, the dealership is susceptible to malpractice.  A bad online reputation will cost you money!

Online Reputation Management (ORM) is the practice of understanding or influencing an individual or business brand. It was originally coined as a public relations term, but advancement in computing, the internet and social media made it primarily an issue of search results. Although it is often associated with ethical grey areas such as astro-turfing review sites, trying to censor negative complaints or using gamey SEO tactics to influence results, there are also ethical forms of reputation management, such as responding to customer complaints, asking sites to take down incorrect information and using online feedback to influence product development and other insights.

Let’s be very clear before you read on.  If you are looking for a company that is offering you a quick fix, if you refuse to offer great service and a good product, or want to deceive consumers than you WILL NOT want to read further.  I am not in the business to mislead our consumers.  I am in the business to help businesses share with the world how great their company and product is.  If that is you, then you will want to continue to read.

Online Reputation is NOT just about reviews although it is a major factor for businesses that rely on consumer opinion.  Online Reputation is built by having a presence throughout the World Wide Web.

The following is a list of web locations and Best Practices you must have in order to maximize your Online Reputation (I am assuming you care about your customers, want to be successful, and have a great product or service you believe in):

•Strong Locals such as Google and Yahoo (there are over 150 you should be aware of) that are accurate and completed in their entirety to maximize local searches.  These local sites will also help consumers identify correct reviews.
•Blog Pages (There are many, and they all index differently) This is the same as a newsletter that you share with your customers, but now you are able to share with the world about your company and information about your product or service.
•Social Media Sites that focus on images.  Pinterest has become the 3rd most popular URL site in the world; however, nobody heard of this site 6 months ago.  (Again, there are hundreds of these types of sites)
•Social Media Sites that focus on videos.  Almost everyone has heard about YouTube, but what about other sites such as MetaCafe and others?  Videos index greater on places like Google and are an inexpensive way to share your message 24/7.
•Social Media Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus and more (new popular sites are developed every day) which thrive on content.
•PR Blog that you can share with the world extraordinary events that you would love for mainstream media to pick up and share with the world.
•A well-built website that has basic stuff like a really good Title, Meta, Alt, and Text optimized for any of the search engines. There are more requirements in building a great website such as where to place the phone number, and others, but these are some of the basics.
•XML site map and HTML site map.  Google and Bing (Yahoo) only except XML.  You will want to have all of your sites easily found by all of the search engines.
•A Strategy, and the ability to have all of these tools working together to promote your business.  (I have heard of companies that say they can do this for $695 a month, and I can assure you that a company like this will not be able to provide you what you are looking for at this cost.  I am not saying you have to pay $10,000 a month for this type of service, but there is a lot involved when managing your e-commerce if you want it executed correctly.)

Strategy is often overlooked when building your Online Reputation.  There are several steps you will want to take to make it easy for you to manage your reputation.  A house will not stand if you do not have a strong foundation.  The same goes for your Online Reputation.

 
 •Make sure your dealership message is consistent across the interest. We have found in some markets Yahoo is more effect than Google. And don’t ever count Bill Gates out. Bing powers a lot of the Social Media Searches along with the Automotive Mobile Navigation Systems.
•Focus on a sound sales process. A positive customer experience not only helps with positive reviews, but it will increase your gross.
•Do not just focus on Google+. Google produced over 80 million yes million errors when they converted over. They are in a world of hurt over it and have heard that dealers are talking about a class action lawsuit. You must focus your efforts across the board. Ever heard of “don’t put all of your chickens in one basket?” 
•Keep everything the dealership does transparent. If you hide something that means you are up to no good and in this day and age you will get caught. And getting caught will do more damage than a bad review.  Do you remember the Dealers that made 20/20 in the early 2000s?  That was just ugly!
•DO NOT – again – DO NOT forget about Yelp. Yelp has had a few problems and there have been some allegations of extortion by both the company and yelpers themselves. But Yelp is a player and isn’t going away. It’s almost like a cult.  If it hasn’t hit your market yet it will.
•Provide an avenue for your customers to review your business the right way.  Read below for information on how to get reviews the right way.
•Develop strong Customer Loyalty.  I will talk more about this later in the article.
•Utilize Web 2.0 to allow all of your sites to communicate your story to the world. 

Acquiring Google+ Reviews and Having them Stick!

If you have knowledge of how Google works then that makes you the Billion Dollar Man or Women. The Google Secrets are guarded better than Fort Knox.  If you are not able to crack the Google Code then how could anyone offer advice to car dealers or any business on how to get all of the reviews to stick? The fact of the matter is only the chosen few know exactly how any of it works and I would bet not one person knows it all.

Let’s address the IP Myth. Think about this; take any given company for example Texas Instruments. Do you really thing Google will block or identify Texas Instrument’s internet gateway (the point where TI accesses the internet), please… that would impede 25000 plus users from using their products and services.

I believe that it is based on usage of the account. If the account is active and a Google+ has been created then the reviews will stick no matter the content. Why you might ask? Because it’s a real person, it doesn’t matter where the review is generated in my opinion; it matters on how Google+ is used.

There is nothing wrong with offering the client a choice to give an honest review while in the dealership. Again the keyword here is “OFFERING”.  However, don’t stop with just Google. Offer a whole host of sites for the client to post a review or even better allow the client an area to write the management/owner a personal note about their experience. A personal note a lot of the time has a bigger impact on store processes.  For example, we have a program that allows consumers to post good and bad reviews before they leave the dealership.  This allows dealers to address issues and identify the good and bad before the customer takes their business elsewhere.

Are Reviews about playing “Gotcha” or are they designed to INCREASE CONSUMER SATISFACTION?  I believe Google, Yahoo, Yelp, and other sites were created to ultimately provide the latter.  As with everything, there are businesses that practice unethical behavior which affect us all.  In most cases, if you are using a good vendor or doing all of these things yourself correctly, then your business will not be punished.  If you are not doing it right then you deserve what you get.

Avoid using services that offer to create Google+ Local reviews based on customer survey data, online forms, or personal customer correspondence.  With all of the legislation that has been implemented opens the dealer up to a huge liability factor.  Check out the FTP site to see possible fines that can occur if caught. Many of the reviews will not stick especially in Google+, but there are a lot of vendors that still practice this. Many of these companies claim to have IP jumpers, MAC Address changers or even proxy server access. Believe me that’s 100% wrong.   It doesn’t work for long.  How do I know?   Because I had the opportunity to partner with several companies that would collect and post reviews this way.  It did not look, feel or smell right so my business partner and I developed a program to help dealerships and other companies to build their Online Reputation the Right Way.  “If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck…it must be a duck.” in the … (BTW: a lot of posting are made at coffee houses by these types of companies).

Do not assist or encourage customers in creating a Google account to post a favorable review on your Google+ Local business page.  If you encourage or assist a client on any matter which can be considered an endorsement and not disclaim it is highly illegal and the fine can be in upwards of $250,000 for a first time offense.

There is nothing wrong with ask them to jot down a few words on how there car buying or service experience was. A lot can be learned from this action which can hugely benefit the dealership, client experience, and ultimately Consumer Satisfaction.

Carl Sewell once told me, “If you take what your clients have to say to heart guess what Profits will increase!”  Carl Sewell obviously wrote the best seller, Customers for Life.

Inspect your Google+ Local business page to monitor the reviews that are being posted.  Make sure that all of your business information is correct on a weekly basis.  Many dealerships either do not have time, or become very depressed when they do look at their pages.  Don’t be an ostrich and stick your head in the ground!  Your issues will not go away without doing something about them.  

 If you are Marketer provide this service for your clients coach them on how to address the client in a public forum.  Every business make mistakes, but taking the easy way out and ignoring the post is ludicrous. We are a forgiving society, and consumers are human.  We want to do business with “real companies that care”.

If you do not maintain your local pages (notice pages) you are loosing out on market share. There 100’s of local networks and you never know which one people will use. You must make sure your message is consistent on each site.

Marketers this is a new opportunity to provide a much needed service the automotive dealer. 

The only thing you can or should do is ask the client for a review good or bad with no strings attached.  You just might find a hole in the sales process that can be fix which will provide the client with a better experience. When you make small adjustments to the sales process improving the client experience profits increase!

Bottom line, Google+ is the new thing on the block and everyone is worried about how to use it.  Remember Google created millions of errors during the transformation and minimal Google users (people that use Google for Gmail only) will not convert over to Google+ to write a review. Most users have spent years developing their Facebook network and don’t really want to move over and start anew.

True, Google is the 800 pound gorilla, but don’t get caught up in all the hype.  Apply sound digital marketing practices and you’ll be fine, or as my grandmother told me “Watch your Ps and Qs”.  Google has huge issues right now and it is going to take them a very long time to sort them out.  If you were one of the Dealerships that feel Google removed legitimate reviews with out your consent email us and we can send you information on how to start legal actions in addressing this issue.  Email us at sales@DeliveryMaxx.com and put Need Help with Legitimate Reviews in the subject line.  We will have one of our technology specialists help navigate the proceedings.  If your Online Reputation Management needs help and this is a service that you would like us to give you a comprehensive overview then put Automotive Digital Marketing Done Right in the subject line.

Creating Customer Loyalty is the easiest way to get positive reviews and build your Online Reputation!

If you have read this far, then you are serious about your business.  I commend you, and you are probably a partner in the dealership or one day you will be.

Business really is simple.  A good product, fair price, and outstanding customer service separate your company from the competition.  The customer wants to spend their money where they feel valued.

If you are putting the customer in the vehicle that is right for them at the price that is right then you will have a satisfied customer.  However, if you thank them for their business, and welcome them into your family they will become your customer for life.

So how do you do this 100% of the time?  It starts with you.  Set an example throughout the dealership and identify your expectations.

•You have to have a Customer Friendly Culture. 
•Develop processes to communicate with your customers where they are.  We know that 80% of your customers are on the web, but what about the other 20%?  Combined an electronic follow-up as well as traditional follow-up system.
•Consistently follow-up with your customers during happy times such as birthdays, holidays, and annually after the delivery of the vehicle.  Let the customer know you still care about them long after they have left the dealership.
•If you have a Service Department, create ways of getting your customer back into your dealership to experience your customer service.
•Inspect what you expect.
•When you make a mistake (and you will), do your best to make it right.

Doing all of these things is not as easy as turning on a light switch.  If it were, then we would not have competition.  Since it takes a strong strategy, hard work, and great ethics you have the opportunity to stand tall above the rest of the world.  By doing all of these things our network of dealerships have experienced key results:

•Published Online Reviews
•Web Domination through all of the Social Media Sites
•Increase in Sales both Repeat and Referral Business
•Additional Revenue in Fixed Operations
•Strong CSI Scores
•Greater Employee Retention
•Customer Loyalty and Retention

Good luck selling and we look forward to seeing you at the top! 

Customer Retention & Loyalty Done Right

Customer Retention marketing is a tactically-driven approach based on customer behavior. It's the core activity going on behind the scenes in Relationship Marketing, Loyalty Marketing, Database Marketing, Permission Marketing, and so forth. Here’s the basic philosophy of a retention-oriented marketer:

1. Past and Current customer behavior is the best predictor of Future customer behavior. Think about it. In general, it is more often true than not true, and when it comes to action-oriented activities like making purchases and visiting web sites, the concept really shines through.

We are talking about actual behavior here, not implied behavior. Being a 35-year-old woman is not a behavior; it’s a demographic characteristic. Take these two groups of potential buyers who surf the World Wide Web:

People who are a perfect demographic match for your site, but have never made a purchase online anywhere. People who are outside the core demographics for your site, but have purchased repeatedly online at many different web sites. If you sent a 20% off promotion to each group, asking them to visit and make a first purchase, response would be higher from the buyers (second bullet) than the demographically targeted group (first bullet). This effect has been demonstrated for years with many types of Direct Marketing. It works because actual behavior is better at predicting future behavior than demographic characteristics are. You can tell whether a customer is about to defect or not just by watching their behavior; once you can predict defection, you have a shot at retaining the customer by taking action.

2. Active customers are happy (retained) customers; and they like to "win." They like to feel they are in control and smart about choices they make, and they like to feel good about their behavior. Marketers take advantage of this by offering promotions of various kinds to get consumers to engage in a behavior and feel good about doing it.

 These promotions range from discounts and sweepstakes to loyalty programs and higher concept approaches such as thank-you notes and birthday cards. Promotions encourage behavior. If you want your customers to do something, you have to do something for them, and if it’s something that makes them feel good (like they are winning the consumer game) then they’re more likely to do it.

Retaining customers means keeping them active with you. If you don't, they will slip away and eventually no longer be customers. Promotions encourage this interaction of customers with your company, even if you are just sending out a newsletter or birthday card.

The truth is, almost all customers will leave you eventually whether you are priced out of their market,have suppior competition, or the customer dies. The trick is to keep them active and happy as long as possible, and to make money doing it.

3. Retention Marketing is all about:

Action – Reaction – Feedback – Repeat.

Marketing is a conversation, as the ClueTrain Manifesto and Permission Marketing have pointed out. Marketing with customer data is a highly evolved and valuable conversation, but it has to be back and forth between the marketer and the customer, and you have to LISTEN to what the customer is saying to you.

For example, let's say you look at some average customer behavior. You look at every customer who has made at least 2 purchases, and you calculate the number of days between the first and second purchases. This number is called "latency" - the number of days between two customer events. Perhaps you find it to be 30 days.

Now, look at your One-Time buyers. If a customer has not made a second purchase by 30 days after the first purchase, the customer is not acting like an "average" multi-purchase customer. The customer data is telling you something is wrong, and you should react to it with some type of strategic promotion. This is an example of the data speaking for the customer; you have to learn how to listen.

 4. Retention Marketing requires allocating marketing resources. You have to realize some marketing activities and customers will generate higher profits than others. You can keep your budget flat or shrink it while increasing sales and profits if you continuously allocate more of the budget to highly profitable activities and away from lower profit activities. This doesn't mean you should "get rid" of some customers or treat them poorly.

It means when you have a choice, as you frequently do in marketing, instead of spending the same amount of money on every customer, you spend more on some and less on others. It takes money to make money. Unless you get a huge increase in your budget, where will the money come from?

For example, let's say you have 1,000 customers, and you have an annual budget of $1,000. You spend $1 on each customer each year, and for that $1, you get back $1.10 in profits. That's an ROI of 10%; you got back $1,100 for spending $1,000.

Now, what if you knew spending $2 each year on a certain 50% of customers would bring back $8 in profits? That's a 400% ROI. Where do you get the extra $1? You take it away from the other 50% of customers. You spend the same $1,000 total and you make back 500 (half the customers) x $8 = $4,000.

If you always migrate and reallocate marketing dollars towards higher ROI efforts, profits will grow even as the marketing budget stays flat.

You have to develop a way to allocate resources to the most profitable promotions, deliver them to the right customer at the right time, and not waste time and money on unprofitable promotions and customers.

For more information creating customer loyalty, visit www.deliverymaxx.com

Good luck, and we look forward to seeing you at the top!

Can Facebook & Social Media Help GM Sell More Vehicles

On May 22, 2012 I wrote a blog asking the public if GM made a wise choice dropping its 10 million dollar advertising spend from Facebook.  (For the entire blog visit: http://deliverymaxx.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/did-gm-make-a-wise-decision-dropping-facebook-as-an-advertising-medium/ )  My position then as it is now is that GM and many automotive dealerships are not utilizing Social Media Marketing correctly in particular Facebook.

In my youth, I lived in a small country town in Texas for a few years.  Often, I would hear the expression, “you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig…”Decisions regarding advertising by GM look like they are changing, but marketing strategy looks to be the same when you wipe away the “lipstick”.

Often, I quote Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity which is “doing the same action continuously and expecting different results.”

Companies have two schools of thought as to whether it’s worth the investment for paid advertising on Facebook or bypass it and continue using their business fan page which doesn’t cost anything to use instead.  This blog is not entertaining this debate; it is stating that to take part in this particular debate would be the wrong battle to fight altogether.

Advertising 101 says that the more eyes that view your product will give you the exposure to help you sell your product.  It is a law of numbers.  Marketing 101 tells us that the best message that resonates with your audience will help you sell more of your product.  When GM spends hundreds of thousands of dollars in their next advertising & marketing retreat developing the direction of their message, I can’t help to think about how the answer is right in front of their nose.

Advertising 101

Let’s discuss Advertising 101 first.  The more eyes that view your product will give you the exposure to help you sell your product.  Taking this principle to the core- Facebook has over 900 million active users.  Facebook is the world’s largest URL.  Facebook has captured over 75% of Social Media Users.  Your read this correctly.  FACEBOOK is NOT the ONLY GAME in TOWN!  Business must utilize Social Networking sites to market to their potential consumers.  GM needs to develop a strategy that encompasses all of the market.  Most companies try a shot gun approach without truly diving into the analytics of consumer behavior within the confines of Social Networking Sites.  Web 2.0 will allow companies to create a strategy that will weave throughout the web to reach your desired audience.  The key is to create a net large enough that will reach all of your potential consumers.

Marketing 101

Now for the Marketing 101 discussion, I am not going to pretend to have all of the answers for every company’s needed message that they should deliver to the audience.  However, I will stick to the basics.  If a company has a good product or service, a fair price, and exceptional customer care then their brand and reputation will fly through the air like a Michigan cold front in October. The consumer will be the companies best (or worst if one of the three business principles are not met) marketer.

Business 101

Assuming a company has a good product or service, fair price, and exceptional customer care it is necessary to combined Advertising and Marketing like peanut butter and jelly into a strategy that will create the unique taste the consumer is looking for.  Companies need to look at creating a forum (see advertising 101) for their consumer (see marketing 101) to share the benefits and advantages of their product or service.

Results

Key results for automotive dealerships (but you can replace automotive dealerships with any type of company) include strong CSI scores, increased sales, repeat business, more referrals, additional fixed operation revenue, domination of the web or Search Engine Optimization (SEO) value, published positive online reviews or strong Online Reputation Management (ORM), and overall exceptional Customer Loyalty and Retention.  It is about the emotion of the sale isn’t it?  Why not take advantage of what you do the best, and have your customers work to help you sell more vehicles (or product).

About DeliveryMaxx

DeliveryMaxx understands the needs of Automotive Dealerships.  They create real customized solutions that utilize both traditional media and innovative technology that helps dealerships realize tremendous results in turning “one-time customers” into “LIFE-TIME CUSTOMERS”.

For more information, visit http://deliverymaxx.com