Low-budget Marketing Ideas For Big-dollar Results

by Jeanne Smalling Archer

Like most shop owners, at one time or another you've probably wondered how to market your shop more effectively. After working with several owners of automotive service businesses, I've realized that even the most competent managers may still be unsure about marketing a business. Their common complaint echoes the words of American businessman John Wanamaker, who said, "I know that half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half."

Those feelings, combined with skyrocketing costs for traditional mass media advertising, have led many to try some less-than-traditional methods. The demands of customers have changed drastically in the last few years. Recognize that an important aspect of marketing is to know what products and services your customers want now and to deliver them in a manner that exceeds their expectations.

Here are some ideas that have worked successfully for profitable shop owners in the United States and Canada.

Boost Your Image

• Everything (and every person!) representing your shop should convey the business image that you'd like them to convey.

• Lock in a great logo. Use a good, distinctive logo on everything you can to enhance your business image, create an identity and increase your name recognition.

• Spruce up your signs. One of the first things people notice about your business is your sign. Use bright colors to attract attention, make it flashy and easy to read, and clear enough to be seen from the street.

• Invest in high-quality, colorful printed materials. Take a hard look at your business cards, letterheads, invoices and envelopes. They represent you when you're not around. If they don't look professional, neither will you.

• Touch up your telephone techniques. Many customers will make their first contact with you by phone. They may decide whether to do business with you based on how friendly and competent your employees sound. Avoid mumbling or speaking too fast and establish guidelines that cover how many times the phone can ring before being answered and specific phrases used to greet callers.

• Use "messages on hold." Professionally done, these messages can promote your services and the expertise of your employees. The added benefit is that customers who must be placed on hold hear the messages you want them to hear.

• Clean up your act! We've all seen businesses with dirty windows, littered parking lots or peeling paint. Customers today are very discriminating and observant. Make sure your building is clean and neat, and that the bathrooms and customer areas are spotless.

• Use uniforms. It's embarrassing to ask someone a question, only to find that the person was a customer, too! Some shops have washing machines and dryers on the premises to make it easy to keep employee uniforms fresh and clean.

• Shine your service trucks. If you use service trucks for off-site repairs, keep them clean. United Parcel Service (UPS) washes their trucks every night because they recognize that those trucks are moving billboards for the company.

Wow Your Customers
It used to be enough to meet customer expectations, but not in today's highly competitive environment. You must go beyond "acceptable" and move toward "superlative." In other words, exceed expectations and delight customers so much they say, "Wow!" Achieve that and you'll boost word-of-mouth advertising exponentially.

• Wash your customers' cars on big-ticket services. Some shop owners do this on-site. Others have partnered with "touch-free" car wash facilities for a very nominal fee.

• Put gifts in cars. Many customers would be pleasantly surprised to pick up their car and find a fresh flower in a water vial on the car seat with a note saying, "Thanks for your business." Flowers can be ordered from your local florist for less than $1 each and make a big impression on special occasions like Mother's Day or Valentine's Day. Candy is another great gift for anyone.

• Call customers after servicing their cars. Shop owners who do customer follow-up calls have reaped big benefits. One owner who makes follow-up calls on every customer attributes his tremendous growth to the word-of-mouth advertising generated by his follow-up calls.

• Make your customer waiting area something to talk about. "Wow" your customers with appearances, too. I know of a shop with a 250-gallon saltwater aquarium, lounges that look like a sports memorabilia hall of fame and waiting areas stocked with fresh-popped popcorn, free sodas, gourmet coffee and hot croissants.

• Provide loaner cars, taxi vouchers, or pick-up and delivery service. As mobile consumers, we're not only attached to our cars, we're totally dependent on them. Providing customers with transportation is a great way to keep them happy. It's also a good way to make it easy for customers to do business with you.

• Give something unexpected. One Canadian shop owner used fresh-baked, warm muffins to boost his business. After calling some surrounding businesses to find out how many employees were in the office that day, a shop employee delivered tins full of warm muffins. Each tin was accompanied by a note that identified the shop and said, "You probably haven't gotten service like this since you were living with your Mum." (Remember, it was Canada!)

Connect With Customers
In today's frantic, high-tech world, individual encounters take on an even greater significance. Personal contacts that show "we care about you" mean a lot and boost repeat business.

• Acknowledge customers immediately. Even if you're helping another customer, welcome the newcomer with a friendly smile, a wave and a greeting that communicates, "We're glad you're here. We'll be with you in a moment." No one likes to feel insignificant and ignoring someone makes them feel that they're not very important.

• Stay engaged with your customers. Let customers know the status of repairs. Taking time to say, "We'll be working on your car next," or "It should only be a few more minutes," lets customers know you value their time and you're keeping track of their car.

• A handshake or a grandma wave? When you've completed service on a customer's vehicle, walk around to the front of the counter, give a firm handshake, make laser-focus eye contact and say with sincerity, "We appreciate your business." If you'd like to do even more, try the "grandma wave." I learned this technique from a car dealer who said they treat customers like their grandmother would. For instance, after a sale, the salesperson stands in front of the dealership and waves -- like grandma does -- until the customer has left the lot.

• Get personal. After a recent visit to a sandwich shop, a note fell out when I removed my food from its bag. To paraphrase, the note said, "Thanks for choosing us. We try hard to please. If you're in any way dissatisfied, let us know." The note was signed and included a telephone number. It was a personal connection between the owners and me, the customer, which strongly communicated, "We care about your satisfaction." You can do the same with a similar note from your technician.

• Take time to educate customers. One of the rallying cries of today's consumer is, "We want to know!" They're hungry for information and want to understand your service recommendations. Full, simple explanations can assure customers of the need for services and help them make the best choices. Consider using information sheets to explain typical procedures. One shop owner uses large envelopes with a diagram of a car on them. Following service, the technician shows graphically the services that were performed and then puts the invoice and all the accompanying information inside the envelope.

• Send a newsletter. With today's desktop publishing equipment, it's easier -- and less expensive -- than ever to produce an attractive newsletter. Send them to your customers to advertise services or specials, talk about the importance of regularly scheduled maintenance, or introduce new employees.

Build A Customer Data Base

• Build repeat sales with your customers by staying in touch. You can use your existing customer list to open up a world of opportunities.

• Send personalized messages. Many computer programs can prevent customers from slipping through the cracks. Track services that have been diagnosed, but not completed, as well as services such as state inspections. If you send an inspection reminder or a note to tell a customer you're concerned that they haven't repaired their brakes, you're saying, "We're watching out for you and we care about you."

• Develop an incentive program. Years ago, airlines started what have become extremely successful and often imitated "frequent buyer" programs. The idea is to give customers a reason to come back, rather than go elsewhere. Start a club for your preferred customers that entitles them to special services or discounts, such as "four oil changes for the price of three."

• Send cards. Many opportunities exist with a data base because it provides a variety of information about your customers, such as birthdays or anniversaries. Sending birthday cards will put your name in front of your customer in a positive, unexpected way and could take on special meaning if everyone else forgot! Watch newspapers for more information about customers, such as promotions, new jobs or weddings. Then, drop your customer a note with the announcement inside. Make it an easy task by keeping a selection of cards on hand.

Get Visible

• Become involved in your community. In a recent survey of owners of automotive service businesses, most said their community involvement was a major factor in their success. Don't just join organizations, get involved. We all like to do business with people we know. If you want to increase your business, let people get to know you and vice versa. An extremely active shop owner in California said it this way, "I don't have customers. I have friends who come in to see me."

• Try the Internet. One Pennsylvania shop owner has a web site on the Internet. He advertises specials on his web page and features coupons that can be downloaded and printed on a customer's printer. He's pleased with the response and believes the Internet will become an increasingly important marketing tool. Start-up expenses can be minimal and monthly maintenance fees run around $25.

• Maintain a marquee. A Colorado shop owner uses a large marquee to post messages to the community. It's become so popular as a "commuter bulletin board" that the shop maintains a separate calendar for marquee bookings.

• Give speeches. Making well-done, well-prepared presentations will help you establish yourself as an authority and greatly improve your visibility. Besides, everyone loves a famous person! Organizations such as Toastmasters can teach you the skills you'll need and help you overcome your fears.

Experiment, Steal And Adapt
Possibilities for marketing your business are limited only by your imagination and your willingness to try new things. They don't have to be expensive. Watch for new marketing ideas everywhere you go. One shop owner got an idea for a customer survey card from a fast-food business when he was picking up a burger. Another shop owner looks at every direct mail piece he gets for ideas he can use, instead of throwing it away instantly. Keep your eyes open, be willing to experiment and have some fun with your marketing!

Jeanne Smalling Archer is a professional speaker and co-author of the best-selling business book, "Up Against the Wal-Marts: How Your Business Can Prosper in the Shadows of the Retail Giants." She speaks frequently to tire dealers and automotive service groups, among other clients, and is president of Strategies, based in Amarillo, Texas.

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AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLIV No. 10, October 1996