“We have technology that for the first time in human history, allows people to maintain rich connections with much larger numbers of people.”  Pierre Omidyar, Founder, eBay

The phenomenon of Social Business has arrived.  4 years ago, before the bailouts and break downs, the influential people in our society were generally those that controlled the purse strings.  Here we are now in 2012, and the power has shifted to us regular folk.  Thanks to Social networks, we all have the potential to become influencers.  We have the opportunity and the tools to initiate change and to influence those around us on a grand scale.

Large entities are decentralizing.  We’re global but the focus is local.  The places we used to go for leadership and guidance are evaporating and they’re being replaced by our own trusted networks. Central authority is breaking down everywhere and people are looking to each other in this time of transition. We count on our networks and peers for trustworthy information.

There’s a groundswell happening right now in your sales and service departments.  Your employees are becoming influencers.  This is great news for them, your store and your bottom line.  Employees like yours reach out to me everyday, wanting to know more about Social Media and how it can develop sales relationships.  They’ve taken the bold steps of starting a Social network or a Blog without the boss’ input. These employees are thirsty for training, ready to soak up every morsel available to develop their own network of happy loyal customers.

The power you have through your employees has never been greater.  Their voice matters more than the CEO of any Fortune 500 company.  Each employee is a member of the community and these networks are influencing themselves.  Employees are your source to communicate and develop customer relationships.  They are the influencers who connect in an authentic way.  Give your employees the Social Media training they desire and foster their valuable contribution to your store’s revenue.

It’s time to harness this incredible power and use it to your advantage.  It’s no longer a “why” question about Social Media, it’s a “how”.  Large numbers of your employees, especially those who are on the front lines, have embraced Social.  For them, it’s “please tell us more so we can win!”.  I see employees developing their own personal brand so their connections will think only of them when it’s time to buy.  Those relationships foster repeat business and that’s a pretty compelling reason for management to step in and support.

The dealer who mentored (influenced) me used to say, “Repeat business is like money in the bank.”  I’ve worked with people in dealerships all my life. I’ve coached and trained hundreds during my years as an executive manager.  Now I train them on Social Media.  I see the hunger they have for it.  Isn’t it time to relinquish the ways of the past and help them help you?

My friend, Dennis Galbraith, of Driving Sales talks about this evolution.  He says dealers must think of their stores holistically.  Consumers don’t see the dealership they buy from as a series of departments. They think of the store as a whole entity.  Dealers must live up to that perception and restructure internally in order to function as one cohesive unit. If there is to be a unique customer experience, the process to achieve that must permeate throughout the entire store.

Recently, a dealer reached out to me and wanted to know how to grow their Facebook presence.  They were having trouble enlisting their staff in the effort. To be successful, a dealer must have grassroots participation from their staff.  This is where superior management techniques pay off.  By enlisting your staff, creating awareness with them with specific training, they create awareness with your current customers.  Leveraging your already-existing customer base, full of repeat buyers and “Raving Fans”, is the key to establishing a solid foundation to grow your Facebook community.

Cheryl Burgess, co-founder of Blue Focus Marketing and blogger for AT&T Business Solutions, shared her take this week on Social Business:

Before a business can humanize its brand, it’s imperative that it humanizes its business first.

It’s more than just staff meetings, weekend spiffs and a free Facebook page.  It’s not even about “going social”.  It’s realizing that advertising and marketing doesn’t work like it used to.  It’s about becoming a Social business from the top down.

I see dealers evolving with their Social presence.  But very few have developed internal processes that support Social business.  This tectonic shift requires a tear down of the old to make way for the new.  The same principles of trust that consumers demand from their favorite brands also apply to the way dealers must trust their employees.  Employees rolls and responsibilities must be defined in this new Social paradigm.  Communication and collaboration between individuals and departments must be encouraged.  Dealers must foster a culture of recognizing talent and skill.  You must integrate training and education because, folks, this is a completely new selling environment commandeered by your customer.

It’s quite literally about your store’s survival.  Dealerships are, at their heart, a small local community business.  You sell to other community members.  People buy from people.  It’s time to bring the human part back to the forefront by connecting your entire community, employees and customers, for a unified vision of Social business.

Hi Kathi,
We are struggling with our Social Media. Our Facebook pages can’t seem to get any traction.  We heard that blogging is good but we’re not sure how to start.  How would you suggest with move forward?  Are there any books we could read?  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks, Kevin (name changed)

Coincidentally last week, Marcus Sheridan wrote a great blog post about the time suck that is learning about Social Media and blogging.  He shares a similar story to mine of someone reaching out to him and asking which way to go.  Marcus and I share the same passion for Social marketing and we both are proponents of jumping in and swimming your way to success.  My advice to Kevin, and every other dealer who has apprehension is, plan your path and start your journey…now!

Most people do everything in their power to move away from failure not knowing that failure is the half-way mark on the road to success.  It’s not a destination to be avoided–it’s a stepping stone to get you where you really want to go.  Most people get to the sign that says “Failure” and they figure they’re heading in the wrong direction so they turn around and go back.  Success is not back that other way, it’s straight ahead!

“We tried Facebook and it doesn’t work.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that phrase.  Remember, just because you tried it and gave up, does not mean it won’t work if you get back in the game and do it right!  I have clients who were failing and they’re now so happy that they didn’t give up because they are succeeding with Social Media.

Fail often.

The Social Media ecosystem evolves everyday.  It does take time, effort, attention and a budget, which is why I advocate designating a person in your store to be your Social Community Manager.  If your designate has limited experience with Social marketing then it’s also imperative to set yourself up for success by hiring a Social marketing coach.  This will help you “grow your own”.  You’ll get assistance with navigating the platforms and they’ll help you create content your customers will appreciate and share.  Try things.  Define what success looks like to you (Hint: it’s not 1000′s of fans on Facebook).  Your customer will show you what they want from you.  Help them buy from you.  Fail until you succeed.

The only reason people go to Facebook is to waste time.  Yeah, I’m being a little over-dramatic but it’s true!  They say, “I have some time, I don’t know what to do with it so I’ll go to Facebook to see what my friends and brands are doing.” You need to say, “If you have time to waste, waste time with our brand. Here’s a cool video and some interesting information…what’s up?”

Check out the awesome job Red Bull does. With 26 million Facebook fans, it’s clear they know everything about their fans and what they like to see.  Red Bull’s great content marketing is beautifully integrated into the context of Facebook. They didn’t get there on their first try so take a page from the Red Bull play book and adapt these principles to your own strategy.

Failing and becoming a failure are two very different things. Successful people fail eagerly while failures avoid failing. Set yourself up with a good foundation: grow your own promising Community Manager and work with someone who knows Social marketing.  Take risks, try new things and soon you’ll know what Social Media success looks like because it will be your store!

I spent last week in Las Vegas participating in the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference.  Wow, it was so cool to see so many dealers breaking the mold.  These attendees were engaged, knowledgeable and eager to learn even more about how today’s customer buys and services their car.  These dealers are in tune with themselves, they know what their brand stands for and they’re listening to their customers. They’re ready for change too!

Speaking as an insider, someone who was livin’ the dream running stores most of her life, something happens to people when they go to buy a car.  Mainly due to the popular belief about car salespeople, they see it as an adversarial transaction.  The adrenalin is pumping when both the customer and the salesperson get caught up in it all.  But more and more, people are establishing relationships with dealers before they purchase.  When the trust is established pre-sale, the transaction goes very differently.

Think about when you’ve made a purchase with someone you know, like and trust.  What’s your energy level during that transaction?  Calm, peaceful and harmonious.  Social Media is your ticket to establish that trust with your customer.  You have a communication tool that allows you to interact with them on a regular basis without interrupting their day.  You earn the right to send marketing messages by not bombarding them with marketing messages.  Your customer trusts you and ignores the stereotype.

Tony Robbins speaks about never leaving a transaction when there’s a negative perception.  That emotional memory is hard to break through and that’s how stereotypes are reinforced.  In a negative vehicle purchase transaction, the person ends up hating themselves for what they did.  Your store and your salesperson get identified as something that’s “bad”.  In today’s online environment, you cannot afford that!  Here are 3 effective ways to use Social Media to establish trust with your customer and debunk the stereotype:

1. Help Them Buy From You. What are the frequently asked questions about the car buying process or service process?  Each one of these can be a blog post or a status update on Facebook or Twitter.  See yourself as your customer does and come from a supportive space.  Help them buy so they remember you as the likable expert–so they think of no one else when it’s time to buy.

2. Show Your Cards. What makes your store unique?  Why do your customers return again and again? Be open and transparent.  People want to know who they’re buying from, they want to align themselves with brands that have shared values.  Use Social marketing to convey what you stand for, who you support in the community and why you do what you do.

3. Repeat Buyers are Golden. When someone who’s purchased from you before returns to buy again, that is a significant event!  Whether it’s to purchase a car or to get their car serviced, these folks are your “brand advocates”.  Social Media allows you to stay in contact with them regularly.  Ask for referrals.  Ask for a video testimonial.  Ask them to guest blog!  Involve them in your marketing so that potential buyers can observe how you treat repeat buyers.  You make them part of your community and others will want to join in.

Social Media is now Social business.  We are more connected now than we’ve ever been.  There’s never been a better or easier way to debunk the old car sales stereotype.  We’ve tried for years to break it but now, with some effort and the right content marketing, we can lay it to rest once and for all.

Today’s customer has heard all of those old marketing messages and they’re not flocking into the showroom and service drive.  They want plain-spoken words designed to focus on their needs and desires.  They want to connect with brands who share their values and foster open communication.  I know it all seems strange but just think about how you shop and buy.  You’re much more likely to do business with someone you know and like than a stranger.

People share, read and generally engage more with any type of content when it’s surfaced through brands and friends they know and trust.  When you deliver relevant content to hold the customer’s attention, you’re able to connect with them in a whole new way.  Your staff has always been your connection to your customer so integrating employees into Social Media is key.  More and more, businesses need to look at Social Media holistically within the operation. Content marketing–using Social Media and blogging–helps you speak to your customer on a local level.  It’s a community where each person talks to the other.

One of the ideal forms of content marketing is educational. You’re perceived as the likable expert with information that your customer can use to make their lives better or decide on their purchase. Focus on solving your potential clients’ problems, not on your features. Educational content lets you get the credit and the opportunity to do business with the reader.  It requires you to keep paying attention, keep tapping your creativity and keep showing up. This is the main reason why Social Media is not a part-time job for the “kid in the store who’s on Facebook all the time.” Your content needs to get people to identify themselves as someone you might be able to help.  Anything more dilutes the message.

You DO have to keep showing up.  You’re sending out messages that create a reaction.  You need someone who can respond to those reactions, knows how to spot a lead and nurture it down the sales funnel.  Choose a well-trained, Socially-savvy manager wisely.  If you do it right, your audience will tell you.  If you do it wrong, you’ll hear crickets.

It’s time to move away from hollering and hoping.  No more crossing your fingers that the audience will hear you to the point of relevance.  Instead, seize the power of content marketing and re-write your plans with this mindset: “As your local dealer, I’m going to give you incredibly useful information and be part of your life so that in the future, when you think of buying or servicing your car, I’ve given you such a great experience that you’ll think of no one except us.”

Social Media is your channel to reach out and connect with people.  When you incorporate content marketing as part of your overall digital marketing plan, you generate leads in ways that are impossible through any other medium.   You literally have to rewire how you think and how you spend your ad budget.  It’s not all about getting a screamer deal on a car anymore.  You need to make a difference in people’s lives.

Social business is not so new for your customer.  People spend more time on Facebook now than they do watching TV. And while marketing principles haven’t changed–you still need to be seen and heard where customers live–the message and medium has.  Shouting marketing messages falls on deaf ears.  Developing trust, being transparent and engaging with your audience gets you heard now.  Content marketing on Social networks is your microphone.

Social Media success is still elusive for many dealers and other businesses. Slow adoption and apprehension are rampant.  Pushing against the tide is only going to put you further behind the 8-Ball.  It’s putting your store at a disadvantage during a time when the difference between you and your competitor is one click or one negative review.  Social business has infiltrated every aspect of your daily operations.  Employees have adapted to it (after all, they’re consumers too!).  Some are even using it to grow their own network using their own personal brand. There’s a groundswell coming from your rank and file.  Take their cue: listen and embrace this valuable tool.

Today’s customer doesn’t need one more place to go to find out that you have a deal for them.

They’ve heard it all before and they tune it out.  When a Social customer likes your Facebook page or follows you on Twitter or reads your blog, they’ve been promised conversation, engagement and relationships. Give them what they want. Shouting and hoping you’ll be heard to the point of relevance is an exercise in futility.

Content marketing is how your message gets heard today.  Content marketing means freely sharing information as a means of converting prospects into customers and customers into repeat buyers. It’s designed around your audience, the optimal demographic for what you’re selling.  The #1 question to ask yourself is this:

How Can I Help My Customer Buy From Me?

What are your customers’ pain points? What questions do they ask?  What kind of things to they like to talk about?  Be informative, educational and helpful.  By attracting the attention of fans and followers and keeping them engaged, you become an influence machine.  Your helpful, supportive content creates that long-term value proposition you want associated with your store.

We’ve never had a platform so efficient at keeping in continuous contact with the prospect.  Today’s car buyer is looking for good, trustworthy information. You are their trusted advisor.  Provide your buyer with every piece of information they need to make their best decision.  Keep them engaged with your brand along the entire sales cycle.  When you help your customer buy, you’re known as the credible, helpful, trustworthy source.  The word gets out to the community and you get customers for life!

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” -Jeff Bezos, Founder/CEO Amazon.com

How important is it for your to look your best to a potential customer?  Today it seems like many dealers are ignoring what’s said about them online, both positive and negative.  Some want to put their heads in the sand and wait until the Internet “just blows over”.  Folks, your customer is online most of their day and night. They’re talking about you.  Pretending they aren’t is a risky proposition.

Your customer loves Yelp.  Why? It’s local. They look forward to sharing their experience because it allows them to invest in the community where they in turn get value from the experiences of others.  Car shoppers are increasingly relying on Yelp and other ratings sites.  84% of people say that online reviews influence their buying decision (Nielsen). Reviewers can also gain influence. The more reviews one writes and the more connections they have, these experiences with your business can reverberate not only through Yelp but to other Social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

What’s the best way to make sure you’re getting your love on Yelp?  The key is to have a rock-solid internal process for capturing and maintaining a steady stream of willing customers to write reviews.  I mentioned in an earlier post to consider this a referral request.  Many frontline personnel feel awkward about asking but when it’s put in a way that makes them and the customer comfortable, then you get the results you’re looking for:  “Our business is based on referrals.  Would you take a moment to visit Yelp and refer us to your friends and family?” This is a great start to your internal process but it’s only the beginning.

I’ve developed a proactive system of capturing reviews and maintaining a consistent stream of “referrals” from your customers. Here are 6 ways to get your groove on Yelp:

1.  Designate an Online Reputation go-to person who’ll take ownership of your implementation plan.  They will be responsible for getting grassroots participation from your staff.  They will monitor and respond to the community.  Just as we had to tweak daily operations to handle CSI, online reputation management requires changes to how the store and the staff operate.  It is a paradigm shift.  Acknowledge it and get going.

2. Signage. Create awareness with your customers and your staff.  Display “Love Us on Yelp!” signs throughout the store. F&I, sales offices, all entry doors, customer waiting area, Service Advisor and Cashier offices.  Give new/used vehicle customers a uniquely-shaped card to take with them that reminds them you’re on Yelp.  Put memos on paychecks, Repair Orders and Counter Tickets to create awareness too!

3. Reach out to your Raving Fans. Every salesperson and service advisor has them, especially those that’ve been with you a long time. These customers go out of their way to do business with you. These customers already love you–that’s why they keep coming back. Ask them to share an honest review–don’t push for positive–just their honest opinion.  Oh and don’t stop doing this…ever.  Customer reviews are actual marketing now.

4.  Hold a monthly contest with the staff. Nothing motivates like a cash prize!  Example: if the store gets 20 reviews by the end of the month, you’ll draw a name and that person wins the cash.  Have the drawing open to all employees so you’ve got everyone motivated to achieve the same goal.

5. Recognize staff members who get 5-star reviews. A cash spiff or a nice mention during the weekly sales or service meeting goes a long way.  When the other employees see it, they’re eager to be next.

6. Email marketing. Do a “Love Drip” campaign with a catchy subject line and a nice call to action.  Provide a link to your Yelp profile so it’s as effortless for your customer as possible.

Stellar online reputations do not happen without grassroots participation from your staff.  Leverage the power of your employees and institute an internal process to be proactive about your online reputation.  Get your groove on and let your customers feel it, baby!

“How can I engage more fans on Facebook?”

The answer to this question seems to be elusive to many dealers and their marketing managers.  The recent convergence of digital communication and dealership branding can make it very difficult to know the best route to take.  We all weren’t born with iPhones in our hands (although some of us wish we were) or blessed with the ability to zero in on the exact right thing to say to make people want to buy our product. Nope. This is a whole new world folks and the only way around it is through it.  Let’s jump in, shall we?

The ideal way to start a campaign for better engagement with your fans is to think of Social Media as yet another platform to communicate with your customer.  How do you use the phone?  How do you use email?  These mediums weren’t always around so people had to learn them and develop ways to use them to their advantage.  These mediums caught on and now they’re integrated into our lives.  Social Media is no different.  Your customer communicates using Social Media so you must use this medium if you want to talk with them. Once you learn the language of Social Media, it too will become a daily ritual.

The best way to learn the language of Social Media is to think of it as your digital backyard BBQ. These Social occasions very often become networking events. When your neighbor invites you over, you accept the invitation graciously.  When you arrive at the BBQ, you walk in, maybe grab a drink, hang out and see what others are saying.  You wouldn’t immediately start talking about yourself, right?  Of course not.  You’d ask others how they’re doing, how their family is or what’s up with their job.  You make an effort to engage in conversations–to genuinely interact with your friends and family.  If someone is having challenges, you talk with them to see how you can help and support them.  If someone’s celebrating, you show your enthusiasm and congratulations.  The currency of networking is not greed but generosity.

By getting to know others, you let them get to know you.  Then you can share things about yourself and they’re eager to hear it.  They naturally find out more about you and your presence influences their buying decisions.  When they know you well, there’s a trust between you.  They think of you when a friend or family member is looking to buy. They refer to you because of your relationship.

Since it’s a BBQ, it’s time to grill the meat.  Content is the meat of Social Media marketing.  It’s why people come to a BBQ in the first place!  Good, relevant content will attract fans and keep them engaged with your store.  Creative, fun, interesting content brings people to the party. If you talk about yourself too much, people aren’t going to engage in a conversation with you.  You need to deliver great content so people will genuinely like talking with you.  Share audience-relevant photos and video.  Ask thought-provoking questions.  Come from a place of “how can I serve?”  Let your personality show through and have some fun!

New media does not have to upset your dealership’s daily operation.  It’s a matter of accepting the shift to digital, identifying ways to market your store in your local market and learning how Social Media can help your business generate leads.  Don’t be the last one to the party!

Great relationships are an important element to our personal happiness.  People buy from people. If we can nurture our relationships on an ongoing basis, a steady stream of revenue flows through our business.  This lack-luster economy has forced us to see that experiences and relationships are imperative to our business.  It’s no coincidence that technology has supported this shift and Social Media has connected us in ways we never thought.  For dealers and their staff, business networking has never been easier.

Social Media delivers your marketing messages to the community you’ve created on each Social network.  In business networking principles, you know that a valuable member of your community is the repeat buyer.  They have Social influence in the community and persuade others in a Social environment. Word-of-mouth is what we’ve always called it but it’s so much more today because technology has greased the wheels. Influence marketing is less about argument and coercion to a particular point of view, and more about loose interactions between members of a community.  Influence is often equated to advocacy, as loyal happy repeat buyers will tell your story for you to their friends and family.

A winning Social Media strategy is to reach out and engage your influencers.

Take the time to identify which customers rave about you.  Engage them on the networks where they live.  For today’s customers, this means Facebook and Twitter.  We used to rely on TV and radio to reach out to the masses but that doesn’t work anymore.  Too many people tune out your advertising messages and it’s simply impossible to blanket every medium with a message that reaches who you want it to reach.  Dealers now must meet the customer where they are to sustain that treasured relationship.

Remarkable relationships create steady revenue. Your sales people and your service advisors work with influencers everyday.  They know where the gold is so it’s now a matter of training them to foster those relationships using the technology and strategies that rose out of this recession.  Automotive Social business is how we succeed in 2012.  Are you ready?

“The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all!” ~Richard Branson

How willing are you to shine a spotlight on an area that you know needs attention but you’ve neglected repeatedly?  It’s 2012–a time of change.  There’s something about milestones that cause us to reflect on what we can improve in our lives and our business.  Take a step forward into automotive Social Media where the spotlight is burning bright and the brave are attracting attention.

I work with some pretty brave clients.  These are car salespeople who are like salmon swimming upstream against a tide of old school thinking.  They’ve taken Social Media to heart and are building a personal brand for themselves despite the fact that their manager thinks it’s silly.  There’s a gal I wrote about a while back who says, “I can’t make a living waiting for people to walk in the door.”  She goes to work undaunted, making the most of her day reaching out to potential clients through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

These forward-thinking individuals have managers who are not in the Social space.  They’re unwilling to see that the world is changing around them.  They don’t use Social Media, they think it’s a fad, or they’re afflicted with the “We tried Facebook and it doesn’t work” syndrome.  But refusing to acknowledge Social Media, will not make it go away.  Quite contrarily, your customer is perfectly happy to talk about their next car purchase or their next service with your competitor.  Social Media is all about sharing information so if your staff is using it to their advantage, it’s worth listening to them.

Take a chance.  Be objective and open with how you view new media.  Are you willing to see there might be a better, more profitable way to generate leads? “Push” marketing is not the way people buy cars anymore.  Just take a look at the way you consume content:  You fast-forward through commercials on TV, you listen to satellite radio sans commercials and you’ve got tools to block ads on your favorite websites.  Your customers are the same way.  We don’t tolerate marketing messages that interrupt what we’re doing.  In retail automotive, we have to stop interrupting what people are interested in and BE what people are interested in.

I’m encouraged that more dealers are forging paths with new media.  I get calls much more often now asking questions about Social business.  Dealers have employees in their store right now who can share what they know and what they’ve done.  Not everyone is a super-star with Social Media and it takes effective training to get everyone to buy-in.  New media is technology’s answer to networking, referrals and word of mouth.  Use it to build a Social community to mirror your community in real life.

A customer who has purchased from you once is likely to purchase from you again.  Repeat buyers talk about you in Social gatherings (online and offline) to their friends and family.  People buy from people–the purchase process starts as simple as that.  Embrace brave.  Be courageous, adventurous and daring with Social marketing. Open yourself to the idea that new media may just work for you like it does for everyone else.  Chances are there’s someone in your store right now who’s working their magic on Social Media. They’re attracting new clients and establishing relationships in spite of all adversity.  Funny how people are, eh?  We always find a way to succeed.