March 2008

On My Mind

Want a Massage With That Car?

A distributor who sells to upper-scale car dealerships explains how he helped a client overhaul its used-car salesman image.

By Dennis Day

Picture this: Your 1995 Town & Country is leaking oil, your kids are in college and every morning you mutter to yourself, “Please start today. I can’t be late for work. I hope I don’t break down on the highway.” You know it’s time to buy a new car, but you’re not sure what you can afford to pay per month and you’re not sure if you want to get a sedan or an SUV. What you’re most fearful of is the predatory row of salespeople who’ll be lined up against the showroom windows as soon as you pull into your local dealership.

"Management wanted colorful dress shirts with tonal embroidery that would seem less ‘salesperson-like’ and intimidating to customers"

One of my top dealership clients was well aware of the negative perceptions a lot of people have of the experience they’re going to have shopping for a new car. They dread the entire shebang from the moment they set foot on the dealership’s parking lot all the way through haggling with their salesperson over price and amenities. My client decided to offer a new approach: The dealership’s “This Changes Everything” plan was engineered to create a positive shopping experience for every customer. The dealership’s management figured happier customers would be satisfied customers and satisfied customers give referrals, which would lead to a big return on investment.

The redesigned and quite cutting-edge dealership now has a massage parlor, wireless Internet computer stations, big-screen televisions and a shuttle service to the mall. Dealership management wants its customers to make their purchasing decisions in as relaxed an atmosphere as possible. Outside, the dealership sports a cobblestone storefront, and inside the atmosphere is serene with soothing paint colors and luxurious décor. Themed showroom areas offer intelligent information concerning buyers’ needs. There’s even a pirate ship-themed play area for the kids to have fun in while their parents talk about mileage per gallon and all wheel drive options. With this setup the dealership shows it cares about its customers. Salespeople even can suggest a client take a break and have a bite to eat at the café before signing a contract.

Bring on the clothes
This new social environment the dealership created also called for a new image for management, salespeople and other employees. Instead of drab, white collared shirts, management wanted colorful dress shirts with tonal embroidery that would seem less “salesperson-like” and intimidating to customers.

For this new program, I proposed a very well-known, high-end brand to my client – this brand is typically sold in the retail market at exclusive golf club pro shops. The supplier carries a tremendous amount of colors in many styles of shirts and that became an essential need (and selling point) for this program and the dealership. My client wanted each salesperson to feel confident in what he or she was wearing, and the buyers had many choices about what colors and styles they wanted to order. The management team was very willing to offer a variety of colors and styles to their workforce because that was part of their overall solution to growing sales.

Ultimately, with the management team’s buy-in, I set up an apparel program with the dealership’s parts department, which actually inventories all the shirt options and color choices for the employees and salespeople to choose from. This program has been in existence for more than two years and the dealership is outfitting all employees at the facility. The program solution offers them high-end tailored dress shirts, cool-weather jackets and stylish camp shirts for the warmer months. The program does have challenges when the supplier has certain sizes or colors on back order; however, it’s my personal belief that in order to be a successful promotional consultant you have to listen to what your client is saying even if the solution is complex, and I work to do just that.