The Dealer Alternative: More than Just a Tag Line
You need to press the flesh and become part of their circle of acquaintances… and friends. Okay, where do they hang out?
That’s an important question, so I called my Uncle Richard to find out. Why my uncle? He’s part of the group we’re looking for: over 56 (by a bunch!), rea- sonably well off, and — here’s the best part! — he takes his cars to the dealer for service. Uncle Richard was a longtime
businessman, and he isn’t quite ready to give that up, even in retirement. So he’s an active member of his local hom- eowners association, on the board at his golf club, and a member of the town- ship planning commission. He’s also on the board of directors for the alumni association at one of the local colleges. In his spare time he likes to get in a
round of golf, where he’s likely to meet other golfers from all walks of life. And we all know how many business deals get made while walking the links. Next I called Mom. She’s part of
that group of women we want to attract: over 56 (just barely, by her reckoning), reasonably well off, and — yep, she’s another one! — she takes her car to the dealer for service. So where would you be likely to
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meet my Mom? She’s a member of the local Red Hat Society; a group of middle aged and senior women (sorry, Mom!) who get together occasionally just to kick up their heels and have a little fun. You can find the Red Hat Society chapter in your community by going on line at
www.redhatsociety. com. The local chapter will usually meet at least once a month, and they’d be happy to speak with someone who wanted to connect with them and put on a short presentation. Another place Mom likes to hang
out is the local bark park, where she takes her dog, Joey, to let him run around and bark at everything that moves and pee on anything that doesn’t. Mom’s made a lot of close friends at the park; she enjoys going there almost as much as Joey. Of course, there are always the ser-
vice organizations in your area: Rotary, Lions, Optimists and so on. They’re always looking for new members, and they’re usually thrilled to have someone offer a short, informational presentation at one of their meetings. Same thing for your local business association. Don’t forget the groups at your
local church, synagogue, or mosque such as the Men’s Club or Women’s
GEARS January/February 2012
Auxiliary. Or the veteran associations in your area, such as your local VA or VFW. And of course, there’s also the PTA, Scouts, Little League, and so forth.
What kind of presentations would
be good for these types of groups? And who should present it? We’ll talk more about that in the next issue of GEARS. In addition, many retired individu-
als also sign up for night school courses at the local high school or college. You might think about offering a course, or even just signing up for a class and get- ting to know your classmates. As you can see, there are lots of
ways of making contact with consum- ers who usually prefer to take their cars to the dealer for service. But remem- ber, becoming the Dealer Alternative is more than just adding a tag line to your ad or web site. It’s about getting out there and becoming part of the com- munity… it’s about building relation- ships… and becoming their friend in the business.
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