In today’s market, consumers get bombarded with the next greatest offer from the latest big sale going on. I know I get at least 3-5 car sale ads from dealers per week. After seeing 15-20 ads per month with offers ranging from key sales to $5k over Blue Book for your trade, or a $9.95 oil change with a free car wash, they all start to blend together. Most of these campaigns lose luster if they contain information that is not relative to me, the consumer. For example, if I own a diesel truck, do I still qualify for a $9.95 oil change or is that detailed in the little asterisk at the bottom? Or, if I bought a Cadillac Escalade and a ZR1 Corvette from you, do you really feel I am interested in the $500 rebate on the Aveo?

Many of us blindly blast our offers to our customers in hopes that by spraying out a message to mass quantities of people, it will hook some of them to come in and see us, without realizing that Hope & Spray doesn’t pay today - you get lost in the crowd. Thinking of another scenario; what if you sent out a targeted message that peaks my interest, followed by a phone call reminding me of the Big Sale you don’t want me to miss out on, that is linked to your website and is branded with micro sites about the Big Sale, the Receptionist answers the phone asking if you are calling about the Big Sale, I see posters and hang tags all about the Big Sale all around the Dealership and Service Dept., and, as I pull my car out of Service, there is a hang tag showing the new Lease Special on the model I am driving! Which scenario do you feel would produce better results? Are you presently ‘Hope & Spraying’ your database with every offer? Or, are you a trained Sniper making the most of every opportunity you have?