Auto Dealers Meet Facebook. Facebook Wins.

Cool idea Don, I like the photo!
There are no end to the services you can offer car dealers,
They have a lot of money to spend too.
I remember reading about one guy who approached
a dealer with a pamphlet some kind of legal/accident
booklet that his customers could get if they purchased
a car. The dealer was a nice guy (A car dealer imagine!)
He told him the price was too low and ordered copies for
whole dealership and introduced him to other dealers.
The guy made thousands from a pamplet he made himself.

Trevor

Originally Posted by Don Alm

Some yrs ago I made Good Money from Car Dealers providing "Calendar Magnets" to Car Buyers (see Photo below)

I had a person at each Dealership take photos of the New Car Buyers standing next to their purchase and send them to me where I'd create a "Magnetic Photo-Calendar" and deliver to the Dealership....who'd then give them to their New Car Buyers as a "GIFT" from the Dealership.

The Car Buyers would place these mags on their fridges for 2 reasons:

1) a year long Calendar
2) a Photo they could Proudly show to friends & relatives

Car Dealers had 2 reasons to pay me for these

1) every person entering the Car Buyers kitchens would SEE the Dealer's Name
2) when Car Buyers came back to the Dealership to pick up their "Gift" the sales person would ask for Referrals

So.....THIS could STILL be offered to Car Dealers (I was getting $30 per mag. Nowadays (IMO) you could get $50ea x 80 cars sold a month = $4,000 A MONTH from each Dealer.

Plus......you could offer a FaceBook Page or a separate website to place the Photos. I made a 4ft by 6ft wood frame on which I'd place photos and mount the frame on a wall in the lobbies.

Don Alm

Yup......another guy made a booklet for Attorneys (What To Do In Case of an Accident) that they gave to their clients.

Attorneys got the booklet for freebies AND.....the guy sold Ads to local biznesses.

Don Alm

From my experience -- a few years ago -- all the major dealerships, like Ford, Chev, etc. are similar to franchises and the corporate office (10 years ago) looked after all of the Internet marketing including websites. They (the franchises) were all charged outrageous fees for this service, but it was written into their contract, and there wasn't anything they could do about it.

There was money to be made servicing small independent used car dealers, but most of the people who had these type of lots, were people who retired early from their jobs to run their own business, so they were well up there in age, and technically challenged. Even if you setup a Wordpress website for them with a plugin that made it easy to add new cars themselves, the task would be over-whelming to a lot of them.

Still, the fact remains, that more people 50 and under, will do a search online quicker than they would ever drive around town and visit used car lots. So these dealers would be smart to hire someone young who is technically savvy, and most of the people between 15-30 are a lot more web savvy about websites, social media and getting followers that you might think. So the used car lot owner could give a son, daughter, niece, etc. a part-time job to give them a hand with all of this stuff.

It's isn't ALL about advertising. If you're going to use FB and Twitter to promote your business, you need to also think far enough ahead to make it entertaining and engaging. No one is going to like your page or follow you on Twitter if the only posts are all sales related.

For example (this isn't car sales) while my daughter is attending college, besides having a waitress job, she also has another part-time job as a social media manager for a retired cop who is now running a consulting business. She is familiar with Wordpress -- had her own blog since she was 15.

So young people going to college needing flexible work hours and jobs... are really a perfect match for used car dealers. And if you were organizing all of this... one might make a good dollar or two.

If you remember Cal Worthington and his dog spot, you know the value of making your advertising interesting. I would imagine a video knock off today would get quite a bit of attention.

If you don't remember Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal. If you google him you'll know what I mean.

Just my 2¢...

Excuse me for "again" busting in on a thread but.....I Ben Dere.....Done Dat and I'd like to toss in something I've done that might inspire or motivate someone else.

WHAT is "IT"?

Back in da good Old Days.....as a Marketing Sales Guy I'd "hang around" my client Dealerships after selling then a "Photo Magnet Calendar" program or something else (Auto Dealerships were BIG BUX and little ol' ME had an "IN" with them .....and......I'd overhear conversations about OTHER "Marketing Problems".

One conversation that "Hit My HOT Button" was when a GM was talking with the Owner of the Dealership. They were "wondering" what they could do to "Get Some Referrals"......someway for their car buyers to be "Motivated" to REFER OTHERS to THEIR Dealership!

So.....I went back to my "Man-Cave"....cranked up my PC put together a "MAILING PIECE" ...."Follow-Up" program I had done for a different Niche and.....modified it for Auto Dealers and....WHALA!.....came up with something the GM Liked and the Owner BOUGHT! (See Photo Below....Note: you are gettin this FREE! I used to charge a pretty penny to even SEE this Photo)

SO.....after listening to what the 2 Top Dogs were talking about (Understand something here.....the MAIN reason why I've been able to Create & Sell so many different PROFITABLE Programs was because of 2 Reasons;
1) I LIKE people, I'm interested in HELPING people enjoy a better life
2) I love being , ON the "Field-Of-Battle....I LOVE meeting people....."Belly-To-Belly", especially Business Owners (because I started my first biz from scratch with a worried wifee and 2 babies and turned it into a success)

So.....I found out when the Owner of the Dealership was coming in the next day....I asked 3 questions;
1) What Time does he usually come in,
2) Where's he park and
3) What Color is his car

So......it took me 3 Tries to find the Owner's car parked in HIS Space so finally ....there he was.....I quickly parked.....and went in and told his "rejectionist" I'd like 90 seconds of his time to see MY Answer to "Getting More Referrals"!

I "emphasized" the word "Referrals"!

SO......the 'boss" came out of his office and "Spurted Out"; "OK! Whatcha got!"

I was sort of shocked that he didn't even invite me into his office HOWEVER, I understood that he was usually BomBarded with Sales people bidding for his time......so.....I whipped out my Sheet (Photo Below) and proceeded to explain HOW MY....."Follow-Up" program could bring in MORE Referrals and SELL MORE CARS for him!

Holy Camoly! It was like the guy came "UN-Glued" from his previous stance of "I'm King and ya better show ME why I should spend the next few seconds with YOU!"

He...."mellowed out" after he took a look at my "Thingee" and suddenly realized; "Hey! THIS looks GOOD and could possibly help us get More Referrals so....I better invite this guy intto my office!"

Anyways.....I SOLD my "Follow-Up" program to this dealership AND..... because of HIS participation....I was able to Sell Many more Dealerships.

So.....thanks for letting me Post this. Maybe it will benefit someone.

Don Alm

Note: This post WITH Photo.....might appear "mundane" or "Irrelovent" to your making money efforts HOWEVER.....this "little One Page Document".....along with MY Sales Expertise and Program..... was able to get 16.....I repeat SIXTEEN.....prominent Auto Dealers to Pay ME an average of 80 Car Sales a Month x $20 per Car Sale = $1,600 A MONTH from EACH of my 16 DEALERS!!!!!!!! For a "FOLLOW-UP" Program that brought THEM.....MANY Referrals and MORE ...RETURN ON INVESTMENT.....than anything they've ever done!!!

16 Car Dealers Paying ME $1,600 A MONTH.... EACH ..... = 16 x $1,600 = TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH!

"IT".....IS OUT THERE! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS......GO GET IT!

Don Alm......Go-Getter from way back

Excuse me.....my "Reason" for commenting on my previous post is to EMPHASIZE and ........"MAKE YOU VIEWERS REALIZE THAT......YOU CAN CHANGE CHANGE YOUR LIFE....BY SIMPLY ......GETTING AN IDEA......MAKING IT "PRESENTABLE" to Possible Buyers.....then.....Selling IT to them!

Don Alm......who has spent his life.....coming up with ideas and....selling them!

Not bad, not bad at all, A simple, but clever document like that bringing in so many sales. I wonder if the idea still works these days? Or maybe all the auto dealers copied it and are doing it now?

Originally Posted by Don Alm

Excuse me.....my "Reason" for commenting on my previous post is to EMPHASIZE and ........"MAKE YOU VIEWERS REALIZE THAT......YOU CAN CHANGE CHANGE YOUR LIFE....BY SIMPLY ......GETTING AN IDEA......MAKING IT "PRESENTABLE" to Possible Buyers.....then.....Selling IT to them!

Don Alm......who has spent his life.....coming up with ideas and....selling them!

Originally Posted by Don Alm

16 Car Dealers Paying ME $1,600 A MONTH.... EACH ..... = 16 x $1,600 = TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH!

"IT".....IS OUT THERE! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS......GO GET IT!

Don Alm......Go-Getter from way back

Hey Don,

Ya post has really piqued my interest because I've been doing something similar in the last couple of weeks, let me back up....

I'm getting a bit fed up with the online marketing stuff for biz owners, for 1 thing its getting to be a crowed market ...HOWEVER

After studying some of my old marketing materials, decided on looking for biz owners with customer data bases, discovered a really good niche in fact this biz owner makes on average $250.00 p/call out the work is completed in a couple of hours!

I've seen 2 owners, had the meeting with the last guy last week, and showed him my sample of the 'reactivation letter' boy was he IMPRESSED, agreed to do a test mailing which he would pay for and give me a % per lead/deal.

ALL i want out of the deal is testimonials so i have the proof this works so i can sell to other biz owners.

Both these owners wanted to do a test IMMEDIATELY ...so WHY haven't they called me?

[I have called them and sent an email]

Its simply this: they CAN do it all themselves so WHY pay me?!

SO when i look at your deal, its only a referral program on a sheet on paper whats stopping them doing it themselves OR I'm i missing something?

P.S...a new Don Alm FAN!

BTW, after studying the Gary Halbert tapes over the weekend, I'm thinking about getting into the diet pill or wrinkle cream biz... lol!

I'm sorry.....whenever I see a comment like yours that says; "Hey! I presented a GREAT Program to prospects and they have NOT contacted me. Probably because THEY can do this .....themselves!

Au.....Hogwash!

Biz people are TOO BUSY to "do it themselves"!

It is YOU....who have failed to CLOSE the deal! Most "salespeople" do not KNOW.....how to CLOSE! They present their program....then....sit back and WAIT for prospects to call and ask; "Where Do I Send Payment!"

So......if you give me the Names of these prospects who have not responded, I'd betcha....little ol' ME.....could get them to Pay!

However.....I'm not selling anymore!

And....when I was selling.....when one of my potential clients would say, "Hey! I just got this in the mail (or email...or Phone).....their program does THIS a lot better than what you're offering!

My first question is, "Why didn't YOU buy it?

As I've gone thru my Sales Career there's always some kind of "new thingee" that potential buyers have told me about.....in every Niche. When I ask why
they didn't buy.....they'd come up with all kinds of reasons.

However.....us Belly-To-Belly" guys would ALWAYS get the deals.....because WE....knew how to CLOSE!

Now.....fast forward to 2015. I do NOT "WAIT" for my prospects to contact me! They KNOW that....if they don't grab my program NOW.....their competition WILL!

It's all in.....HOW you "Handle" your dealee!

Anyways.....everyday I see new Money-Making stuff and I know that if I wanted to.....I could "Waltz Into" the program and get MY SHARE of the market. Why? Because of the many times I've done it!

I'll never forget when I started selling a promo program in my town of Glenwood Springs, CO. I interviewed and hired a gal.....trained her and she decided to take MY stuff and go to the big city of Grand Junction.

So.....when I found out she had rented an office and "hired" 3 sales guys.... I put together a program for GJ and......proceeded to go down there and Sell the Shi....t out of it and.....every morning as I was heading out to contact prospects I made it a point to pass by her office and see the cars parked... which gave me a BUZZ to Sell The Shi.....t out of my program with the windup being......she gave up after 2 wks because I had already CLOSED.....MOST of her proepects!

Anyways.....because prospects have NOT contacted you does NOT mean they are ....."Doing It Themselves"! YOU have NOT "closed" them!

Don Alm......closer from waay baack

I made a thread: http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=35051

that gives you a way to make money from auto dealerships. They need to reduce their overhead like everyone else. Remember, if they are spending 500 per auto to advertise and you can reduce it to 90 per auto you should have a client.

Don't discount any of the ideas on this thread. Mine is only one idea among many.

Good luck to all the doers.

Tom