Q. HOW CAN I TELL IF MY SHOP'S
MARKETING PROGRAM IS WORKING?
There are only four ways to truly measure the effectiveness of your marketing programs, and none of them involve "counting coupons" or even "counting referrals." The measurable results that will tell you how you're doing over time are: 1) The size of your average repair order; 2) Your average weekly car count; 3) Your customer retention rate; and 4) The average annual number of visits to your shop per customer. The first two should be simple enough to calculate and track, while the other two may be difficult to monitor without an appropriate software program designed to perform these calculations. To understand their significance, look for the link on "The Lifetime Value of One Customer."
Q. HOW CAN I KEEP MY GOOD CUSTOMERS FROM
GOING ELSEWHERE FOR SERVICE OR REPAIRS?
It helps if you know why they came to you in the first place... which types of customers are leaving... and why they left. Is your marketing delivering the right message to the right people? Are you doing anything to reinforce their buying decisions and remind them that you have the best shop in town? Maybe it's time to re-evaluate your strategy. See the links on "Building a Bond with Your Customers" and "Ten Ways to Build Customer Loyalty."
Q. HOW CAN I GET MORE CUSTOMERS JUST
LIKE THE "A" CUSTOMERS I HAVE ALREADY?
First you need to find out what it is that your best customers like most about your shop. Is it your technical expertise? Your polite and friendly staff? Your convenient location? Is it the way you try to always put the customer's interests first? Once you understand their buying motives, you can then promote those features in your advertising to attract "clones" of those good customers and bring in more just like them. To find out more about what your customers think, see the link on "How to Survey Your Customers." For more on classifying their buying motives, see the link on "A Marketing Model for Auto Repair Shops."
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Q. WHAT CAN I ADVERTISE OTHER
THAN PRICE DISCOUNTS?
Many shop owners assume that if they're going to
advertise, they have to offer discounts, coupons or
specials-- otherwise why would anyone respond? In
truth, the question you should be asking is: "What type of offer is going to appeal to the type of customer we want to do business with?" The real measure of the effectiveness of your marketing is the long-term effect it has on your car count, your average RO and your customer retention. Look for the links on "Why Do Your Customers Buy from You?" and "Creating Your Own USP-- The Unique Selling Proposition."
Q. WHAT TYPE OF OFFER WILL
APPEAL TO MY BEST CUSTOMERS?
This depends on whether they're Type A, B or C customers. It also depends on what your marketing objectives are. Would you believe it's possible to structure an offer that would appeal to ALL THREE types of customers? Look for the links on "Why Do
Your Customers Buy from You?"... "A Marketing Model for Auto Repair Shops"... and "Which Type of Customer Do You Want to Attract?"
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