Brand Building: Plan For The Future … Now!
The great thing about a strong brand is that it works very hard in portraying exactly who you are and what your unique offer is. Ideally, when customers quickly see your logo, they should get a quick take on who you are as a business. So, yes, a logo is a real workhorse. But it does not work by itself. Designed well into your marketing materials, it should complement your message.
Traditional Vs. On-line Media: Tips For Evaluating Ad Buys
The most successful advertising investments target high-traffic customer locations – and, these days, that means shifting at least a portion of your ad spend to a growing list of on-line channels. To make the right decision, shop owners need to research potential return on investment and other factors before committing to any ad buy, and base their advertising investment decisions on a thorough understanding of the options.
Pricing Your Shop’s Services Without Adversely Affecting Those Priceless Customer Relationships
There’s no doubt that pricing is one of the most misunderstood elements of business. There’s not only a lot of bad information out there, but with these tough economic times, there’s a lot of uncertainty, as well.
7 Common Small Business Tax Misperceptions
One of the biggest hurdles you’ll face in running your own business is staying on top of your numerous obligations to federal, state and local tax agencies. Tax codes seem to be in a constant state of flux, making the Internal Revenue Code barely understandable to most people.
Are You Ready To Move Your Business Forward?
A recent report from Lang Marketing Resources Inc. reported that in spite of the economic climate, service stations, independent garages, repair specialists and foreign car specialists generated about 2.6 billion more in service revenue in the U.S. car and light truck aftermarket in 2011 vs. 2010. This revenue increase is coming primarily from the Do It For Me (DIFM) sector. In striking contrast, the same report projects that new car dealerships will lose more than $750 million in service market products. Service stations and independent garages now account for 29 percent of the total aftermarket DIFM market.
Service Advisors Need To Be Salespeople
Anyone who has been selling service for any length of time will agree that there are two kinds of customers. The first is the customer who has a history of making good decisions, not just with auto repair, but with most decisions. And then we have the other type of customer: the kind of person who more often than not makes the wrong decisions.
The Right Way To Brand Your Shop
Far too many shop owners are failing when it comes to properly branding their shops. In the world of advertising, unless the name of your company is a household name, your name means nothing to the general public. No matter how great your business is, the name itself isn’t going to make people want to learn more about you or your company.
Preventing Maintenance Service Sales Objections
In order to prevent maintenance service sales objections, you need to make sure that your customers fully understand the benefits of these valuable services.
Relationships, Not Salesmanship, Make The Sale
You need to understand the products you sell, the features and benefits of the service, and the importance of being honest. But if you really want to go to the top, you need to build relationships with your clientele. Customers must be greeted and treated as close friends or a family member.
Educating Female Customers Earns Their Trust And Lasting Loyalty
Recently, I was having a discussion about female customers with my advertising/marketing partner LeeAnn Brook from Brook Design Group. She was sharing statistics as to the purchasing power of women and asked me why I thought female customers comprised such a high percentage of our customer base. We discussed the shift in purchasing power in many different sectors, including auto repair.
Lessons Learned From Amazon.com: Best Practices To Improve Customer Retention And Sales
I love Amazon! Over the past five years or so, I’ve purchased countless items from Amazon: books, DVDs, office supplies, electronics, coffee, assorted gifts and a lot more. In fact, rarely does a week go by without at least one Amazon package arriving from UPS.
New Location Woes: Overcoming Common Barriers To Shop Expansion
In the September/October issue of Shop Owner, I provided a step-by-step guide to opening a new location. While I covered a lot of ground, there are always issues that can pop up during the expansion process. Anything from landscaping requirements to a permitting mishap can delay or, sometimes, squash your plans.
