This is a post just for my car dealership friends: Automotive retail Internet legend Steve Stauning has advice for what to cut and what not to cut as we go through a period of lean inventories.
That’s pretty operational for this blog, but one thing to highlight:
Because we know the chip shortage will be resolved at some point and that the current market dynamics of supply and demand will balance out, there are certainly marketing expenses you should continue to make, despite the low inventory levels. These are your branding campaigns – marketing expenses designed to keep your dealership top of mind for consumers in your market.
He goes on to explain that ads that “highlight your brand advantages (Family Owned, Everyone is Approved, Hassle-Free Shopping, etc.) will keep you in a consumer’s consideration set when they’re ready to buy.”
Here is the connection to this blog: If you are preaching Hassle-Free, etc., it needs to be what your customers experience when they visit.
This blog is about helping you bake that in to your culture. You might start your reading here and follow the Lost Tools of Business tag for more.