Several speakers shed light on successful ways to reach customers at recent Alliance convention.
SAN ANTONIO — Advertising and marketing efforts are certainly important components of any communications campaign, but they will only go so far, suggested George Zabrecky, president of NWZ WORX Multimedia, a marketing solutions company based in Cincinnati.
He told attendees at the 2006 Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper convention that TV ads, radio and discount coupons aren't the best solution for this industry.
"Go up to someone and shake their hand," he challenged. "'Hi, how are you?' is the best form of marketing there is. Have you ever gotten a coupon from a doctor? Our business is no different than a doctor or dentist except we get our hands dirty." He challenged the group to ask themselves why, as parts distributors, they continue to market themselves like department stores.
He contended that direct contact is just one of many ways to reach out to people in the community and build better business relationships.
As for Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper, a recent charity event set them apart. Steve Marks, senior vice president of marketing and advertising, highlighted the success of last year's Bumper to Bumper and Charity Cars event — an extensive community project where more than 100 vehicles were refurbished and donated to victims of domestic violence.
This type of idea can play up an organization's people and personalities, not just its services, which is one way to differentiate a business from the competition, said Zabrecky, adding that when customers become emotionally connected, they tend to return.
The Charity Cars event was well received by Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper members, which could lead to bigger and better things down the road, Marks noted. "This program sets the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper members apart from others," he said.
Getting personal
Finding innovative ways to market is just as much about saving money as it is about being unique, suggested Zabrecky.
Distributors who share marketing tips with their service center customers could be helping the entire industry attract and keep business.
He told attendees to encourage their professional customers to check tire pressure during routine oil changes. This gives them a chance to talk about gas mileage and potentially upsell additional products or services.
"Oil companies are keeping gas prices at the forefront of news right now, but very few shop owners are taking advantage of that," Zabrecky noted. "A well-maintained vehicle gets better gas mileage, and shops should market that."
Mac McGovern, an instructor and shop owner who is director of training for KYB America, also stressed the need for cultivating relationships and understanding your customer at the national convention.
"Relationship selling is not a one-time event," said McGovern, who added that building proper business relationships is an ongoing process that takes time. It's also a matter of education with a distributor's professional customers, as the service provider may not even be aware of a store's high return rate or the true cost of delivering a part.
Another important component of education is that a shop should be more cognizant of how many parts they buy from the OE channels.
"I think most shops underestimate what they're buying from the dealership," said McGovern, who recounted many situations where a shop owner is shocked at the actual number of parts they purchase from the dealer avenues. "They don't realize that when they weaken your position, they weaken their own."
Helping technicians sell the products, rather than selling through them, will help pull-through sales for everyone, he added.
John Passante, with the Organizational Development Group, Inc, another speaker at the event, challenged Alliance distributors to provide quality customer service every day. He said that when consumers talk about good service, they often mention Starbucks or high-end retailers like Nordstrom. Why, he pondered, don't consumers say an aftermarket store or service center?
"What made our industry what it is today is the caliber of its people," offered Passante. "Think about how much training you give the person who answers the phone in your company. Training the people who are the consumer touchpoints can help you exceed customer expectations."
Zabrecky said managers and storeowners should pay attention to the personalities of their staff, and determine why customers ask for a specific counterperson so they can use that angle as a marketing tool. He even suggested jobbers pay the sales tax on the first $100 of a professional customer's order during a specific month. It's only $5 to $10 depending on the state, but it can leave a lasting impression, he told the crowd.
Zabrecky had some additional food for thought for Alliance's group of certified service centers: budgeting future repairs for customers.
"No one budgets for items that aren't broke, but if technicians tell customers that their brakes might last another six months and they give them a rough estimate of how much it will cost, consumers will start budgeting for that repair and will have a constant reminder to return," he said.
Zabrecky, McGovern and Passante were just three of the presenters at the program group's April 2006 convention, which brought more than 1,700 part stores, certified service centers, WDs and manufacturers to San Antonio for the four-day affair.
