A short time before this year’s Super Bowl XL in Detroit, I read an article entitled, “Super Bowl Advertisers Finally Notice Women” (AdAge.com, Jan. 31, 2006). The headline caught my attention because it seemed ironic: In 2006, when women control 89 percent of bank accounts, influence 85 percent of all new vehicle purchases and are responsible for 74 percent of the vehicle maintenance and repair decisions, why is Madison Avenue only now noticing their clout?
For that matter, are we in the automotive aftermarket industry any less guilty? What have we done to recognize the power of women? And, have we done anything to harness it?
Women have been active contributors in our industry for quite awhile, and they aren’t just in entry-level positions. Women own distributorships and service centers. They run repair businesses and manufacturing companies. And there are female technicians and counterpeople, too.
I’ve spent my entire career in the automotive industry, working at many levels in diverse assignments, from engineering to manufacturing to sales. As a marketing director, I am responsible for promotions, incentives and advertising to increase our sales. But our business will only grow if our customers’ businesses can in turn benefit from our efforts.
An important part of growing our collective business involves recognizing and serving major market segments — in this case, women. Whether it’s as consumers, colleagues or CEOs, women can greatly influence purchasing decisions. Good marketers understand this and appeal to these decision makers in terms that meet their needs.
In my 30 years in the automotive industry, I have experienced firsthand both the negative as well as the positive outcomes of actions that affect how women perceive or are perceived within our industry. I’d like to share just a few stories to illustrate my point and encourage all of us to consider how we can tap into the power of women.
A positive impression?
Some years ago, I was visiting a body shop at a large dealership. I pulled into the lot and approached an auxiliary building that appeared to be the body shop. I spent several minutes searching for the front entrance and a place to park; neither were well-marked. When I found the main door and entered, there was a sign on the interior side of the door with a big target that said, “Bang your head here!”
In less than a few minutes, without talking to anyone, what do you think my first impression was? I may or may not be average, but I often prefer to leave a business or a restaurant if I don’t get a good feeling about it or have a positive first impression. I do not have time to waste on an establishment that is going to add complications to my day. And a location that celebrates workplace frustrations with head-banging solutions is not a place for me.
We all know that our businesses should be clean, organized and well lit. Customers like to see employees and managers who care about the place where they work. This means that they care about the customers they serve. But, how many of us pay attention to the smaller details?
Sometimes we get comfortable with our surroundings, not noticing things out of place or in the way because we’re so used to them being like that. I encourage you to go to work one day and look at your business through the eyes of a customer. Rather than using the employee entrance in the back, park in the front and approach your establishment like a patron would.
True to the old adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” your customer already has made up her — or his — mind about your company from virtually the moment of arrival. Take a few moments focusing on the details to win — and keep — her or his business.
Communicating with customers
I’ve been married for a couple of years, and one of the things that I have noticed is how differently I am treated when I’m shopping with my husband. Particularly when we are in a repair shop or a home entertainment store, I am frequently overlooked, or even dismissed, by the sales representative, even though I am a very knowledgeable consumer. Remember those statistics about women and their impact on purchase decisions? How you talk to your customers, both male and female, is as important as what you say.
Training is just one way to help ensure that aftermarket professionals stay on top of the latest trends and ahead of the competition. Training isn’t just for technicians, though — we all can benefit from it, particularly as it relates to communicating with customers.
Training gets us thinking about innovative approaches to our businesses and how we might do things a little differently. I encourage you to take not only financial-related classes but also marketing and even psychology courses. Women and men approach situations differently and have different expectations about service, planning and deliverables. By understanding communications and the dynamics involved, we can better listen to the voice of the customer, strengthen relationships and ultimately improve profitability.
The power of women
When I worked in sales, one of my customers was a large distributor whose niche was hot-shot delivery. His business employed a lot of small utility trucks and drivers, nearly half of whom were women. Given the demographics of our industry, I found this interesting and asked him about it. He had found great success with women drivers because they didn’t just deliver the parts: They built relationships with their customers, which, in turn, meant more sales.
While men tend to be more task-oriented, women tend to be more relationship-oriented. Having connections to and communicating with other people is important to women. Where can you utilize these skills within your business? As service writers? In purchasing roles? Sales? Management? You can’t paint everyone with the same brush, but if you’re open to the possibilities, you won’t ignore opportunities in front of you.
So, take a few moments to re-evaluate your employees’ strengths and capabilities. Make sure women in particular have more visible, front line positions, enabling them to interact with customers. There’s no doubt your business will benefit.
Does the aftermarket recognize the power of women? Just like Madison Avenue, we have the chance to better utilize our industry resources to reach out to this critical customer base. Simple improvements in customer-handling processes and facility image will allow the industry as a whole to respond with certainty: “Yes.”
