What are consumers looking for from their service and repair provider?  The same thing they are looking for from everyone they are spending money with…what is in it for them!  They want you to meet their needs.  They care about how convenient you are, how many certifications you might have and how many bays and awards you have, but mostly they care about how your services benefit them.  Be proud of your accomplishments, but don’t let it ever overshadow what you can do to meet their needs.

 What are they looking for?  Reassurance!

• In our economic environment, share with consumers the benefit of preventive maintenance.  I am hearing every day from my customers that people aren’t fixing it until it is broke!  Take the fear of preventive maintenance cost away from consumers by explaining how affordable it really is, especially when compared to a repair. Assure them that you and your staff aren’t there just to see how many items you can find that are wrong until the $32 oil change becomes the $2,000 invoice.  When you inspect their vehicle, assure them you are doing so because you care about their safety, and you are checking to see what needs to be done now, what can wait and how long it can wait. In your marketing let customers know that an oil change is a bargain compared to a new engine, that tire rotations are a great deal compared to purchasing four new tires and other comparisons. You will be building a bridge of trust this way.
• When marketing be sure to be a “real” person to them.  Let the customer know that you and your staff understand what concerns them today and you are there to help.  Testimonials from satisfied customers (using their entire name) also let others know you are reliable and trustworthy and a value.

 How do you let them know you can benefit them?  There are many different ways to get in touch with consumers today.  If they are a customer already, ask them how they prefer to hear from you. If you are prospecting, keep these things in mind before spending your marketing dollars.

• Newspaper and magazine readership have been in decline for a while now.
• Radio is having severe competition from Satellite radio and MP3 players.
• Yellow Pages have been in decline for a long time.
• 17% of consumers change their email address every six months.
• Thanks to TiVo, many people skip television commercials all together.
• People still check their mail boxes and look at each piece of mail.  They may pitch it out, but it doesn’t get completely ignored.
• Community newspapers are still doing well so see if you can be a writer for the paper.  We write articles for shop owners all the time for their local paper.  This makes you the “expert” on auto care and people like dealing with experts. You can even let people know that to really save money during these times, prevention is the key!
• Websites are the tool consumers’ use most when they need to find a business.  Instead of “letting their fingers do the walking” in the Yellow Pages they let them walk across the keyboard of their computer or Blackberry.  Having a website is vitally important to any business and this includes service and repair shops.  Be sure to include your website address on all of your marketing materials!

 If you need help getting your message across or building those bridges of trust, just let us know!  We are here to help!

By: Rhonda Hiltbrand

NWZ WORX Multimedia

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