“The formula for MAXIMUM R.O.I. in Social Media!”

There is a rather simple formula when it comes to getting the MAXIMUM return on your investment in Social Media.

It’s so simple…..it might overwhelm you!

And while the formula is simple…..the actual implementation is the hardest part!

The formula???????................”Embrace it”…….

That’s the ENTIRE formula…..”embrace it”

That’s right!!…....go ahead and “embrace” social media!

Most Dealers and dealerships are scared to death to go ahead and try!

BUT…go ahead…..”Embrace it”!!!

Let’s start with the Sales Department.

We would ALL love to have an entire showroom floor filled with salespeople that could sell 20-25 units a month without EVER having to take any floor traffic.

Some dealerships have these salespeople already! Salespeople that have their own book of business and continue to sell their 20-25 units in good times and bad.

How do these salespeople accomplish this month after month??

These salespeople do an excellent job of calling their customers, following up, sending birthday cards, holiday cards and keeping them abreast of all the latest incentives, deals and new models that are coming out!

These salespeople become the customers “friend” in the car business!

Now what if you could get your ENTIRE sales team to do all of that every day??

It’s easy by utilizing Social Media!

Engaging your customers on Social Media sites such as Facebook, allows you to constantly update your customer with your latest incentives, your latest specials and article that pertain to the vehicle that they purchased from you, thus reinforcing that the customer made the correct decision in purchasing from you!

You can also update your customers on any “new” models that may be coming out! Everyone LOVES “spy” pictures of future product!

You can engage your customers to any special events that you may have upcoming.

You can send your customer the latest pictures or video of any accessories that you may have added to another vehicle that they might be interested in.

Did you make a note of the customer’s interests or hobbies in your CRM? You can send them interesting articles on their favorite sports team or television show.

What about the servicing of the customers car?

Wouldn’t it be great to send your customers information regarding any “Service Specials?”

How about some articles or video explaining tire wear or battery life?

Send your customer articles on preparing their vehicle for any seasonal changes, i.e…..snow tires, coolant checks, safety checks before a long vacation drive….etc…..

The amount of information we can send our customers via Social Media is non-stop!

But first…….you have to “embrace” Social Media!

The whole idea of Social Media is that it is a FUN way to interact with your customer!

People have FUN with their friends. And EVERYONE wants a friend in the car business! Friends take care of friends….You can be comfortable DEALING with a friend….a friend will always treat you right….friends always recommend their friends to other friends…..

You see, by “embracing” social media, you become more than just “that salesperson” at the car dealership. You become their friend!

Every dealership wants to have a great relationship with all of their customers. They would love all of their customers to endorse them and support them! They would want their customers to refer all of their family and friends to them!

You can do ALL of this by “embracing” Social Media!

So if you are trying to figure out the pros and cons of social media, what the investment is and how much of a return on your investment will be….. know this…..You will receive ZERO return on your investment if you DON’T embrace social media.

The saying goes….”you will miss 100% of the shots that you never take”….

Go ahead…..take the shot….embrace social media TODAY!!!

This article originally appeared in the November 2011 issue of “The Social Dealership”

Here is the link:

http://socialdealershipmagazine.com/the-social-dealership/november-...

About the Author: From a Salesperson to a Dealer, I have a vast amount of experience in all areas of the automotive environment.

You can follow me on:

My website: www.JimKristoff.com

Twitter: @jimkristoff

WordPress blogsite: http://jimkristoff.wordpress.com/

Blogspot blog: http://jimkristoff.blogspot.com/

DealerElite.net: http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/JimKristoff

Automotive Digital Marketing.com: http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com/profile/JimKristoff

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkristoff

Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/jimkristoff

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Comment by Jim Kristoff on November 9, 2011 at 5:50am: Thanks Bobby!

No doubt that social media is a driving force in today's business!

Comment by Jim Kristoff on November 6, 2011 at 9:02am: Thanks Pete!

The times they are a changing...........constantly.........

Comment by Pete Grimm on November 6, 2011 at 8:16am: I sold my last dealership in January of 2006, yet we had an intergrated CRM module in our computer system since the late 1980's. It is hard to believe that there are still so many dealers who do not use the power of a web presence, email, Facebook and Twitter to inexpensively market their brands, dealerships, products and salespeople.

A telephone call is always less effective by a factor of 20-30 in producing sales than a chance to meet face-to-face with a prospect. A direct mail piece was always less effective than a telephone call by a factor of 5-10. We measure TV and Radio in thousands of IMPRESSIONS and the FREQUENCY required to elicit any response whatsoever.

Today, there is a new hierarchy of effectiveness in marketing, and it definitely includes email, web sites, Facebook and Twitter. Email is more effective than direct mail (snail mail). Facebook posts can be institutional and/or promotional, but in both cases maintain a more personal connection than radio or TV. Both Facebook and Twitter are a good ways to connect with an extended audience and drive traffic to your web site (where the goal should be to collect an opt-in email list).

A wise mentor of mine, back in the 1970's, suggested that most dealerships were sustained by only 5,000 to 10,000 customers. Substitute the word "connections" for customers and think of these connections (email addresses) as your dealership's social media "platform" and you begin to get the big picture.

As Jim says, "Embrace it." It is here to stay, and it WORKS!

Cheers,

Pete

Comment by Jim Kristoff on November 4, 2011 at 4:20pm: Thanks Rory!

Social media is the present day way to network and prospect to it's fullest!!

Comment by Rory S Posey on November 4, 2011 at 4:14pm: This is a great information for people to start out fresh! Grab those sales..

Comment by Jim Kristoff on November 4, 2011 at 7:56am: Thanks Marsh!!

Comment by Marsh Buice on November 3, 2011 at 9:54pm: Gr8 info my brother social media is here to stay