SKIM IT

– Customers prefer dealerships they can relate with.

– Keep your marketing messages consistent to make customers trust you.

– Once you get their attention, you must make them remember you.

– A dealership spokesmodel can help with all 3 of these.

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For all its advantages, standardization has killed dealer identities.

Storefronts look the same.

Websites look the same.

To the consumer, everything is the same.

How do you stand out in a marketplace that has left little room for individuality? You focus on these three principles: relatability, credibility, and memorability.

We Like You If You’re Like Us

It’s a fact that we prefer people, businesses, and ideas that we can identify with.

Have you ever met someone and discovered you share a trait such as your birthday or first name? If so, you know the feeling of connection that happens when you have something so personal in common. It’s not logical, but it’s how our minds work.

Dealerships can take advantage of this effect in two ways.

The first is by relating with customers during the sales process. Did you vacation in the same city? Have kids in the same school? These little connections help bridge the gap from stranger to trusted advisor.

The second way dealerships can capitalize on relatability is with branding. It’s important to know your target market for this one. Are they mostly blue-collar workers or highly-educated professionals? Are they military or engineers?

Aligning your communication style with how your audience communicates instantly positions your dealership as more relatable.

It Pays to Be Believable

To convince someone to hand over a few thousand dollars for a piece of metal, you need a fair amount of credibility.

Testimonials are a common way to establish trust. The social proof shows shoppers that other customers have had a grade-A experience.

But there is another, more strategic way to leverage the believability factor.

It has to do with being consistent. If your dealership jumps back and forth between communication styles, customers will question its credibility. For example, it’s a bad idea to go from silly, holiday-themed commercials to serious, high-line ads.

Find the approach that resonates with your customer base, and stick with it.

Make Them Remember

You can put all the work you want into being relatable and credible, but none of it will matter if you’re not memorable.

To stick in customers’ minds, you need something different. Something that catches their attention.

But it’s not enough to simply interrupt a customer’s web browsing or TV series. Once you have their attention, you need to hold onto it.

One of the best ways to attract and retain attention is by being entertaining.

If you can entertain your customer, you’ve reached the emotional level of their brain. And despite how we like to view ourselves as creatures of logic and reason, the truth is that most decisions are based on emotion [Harvard].

The happier a customer is, the more likely they are to buy. That’s why humor is an excellent tactic to add to your dealership’s advertising strategy.

So, now you might be wondering: what combines relatability, credibility, and memorability?

Nothing does it better than a spokesmodel.

But not just any spokesmodel. You need a wow-factor.

That’s how we landed on Smack. The “Don’t You Buy No Ugly Truck” campaign takes humor in the flavor of Larry the Cable Guy and brings its lighthearted appeal to your dealership.

These days, you have to stand out to rise to the top. Become the go-to dealership for your market. Learn more about Don’t You Buy No Ugly Truck today.

Click Here to Start Branding Your Dealership as the Market’s Top Dog