Learn common customer concerns that may be hurting your eCommerce website.

Sometimes you really don’t get what you pay for.

In the highly competitive online product markets such as the automotive aftermarket, traditional shopping fundamentals have changed substantially. Unlike the control a shopper has when standing in a brick and mortar store, shopping online opens a customer up to a wealth of potential deceptions. Traditional physical retail shopping allows you – the customer – to see and usually inspect the product you are purchasing. Face to face transactions at the store level usually possess a certain expected level of trust.

When searching online for aftermarket products for your vehicle there are many things a shopper really needs to consider before hitting the buy button. The most important element to consider is the legitimacy of the online site or store you are shopping with. This includes many factors such as the site security as well as a reputable level of trust. After all you are going to give them money (and information) and expect a quality transaction and product in return. It will come as no surprise to most automotive enthusiasts who use the web as a shopping resource that you will have numerous options to sort through. Often the choices you discover can be overwhelming. Before the web-store revolution most shoppers had limited resources for the products they were looking for. In most cases you might have two or three local storefronts you could visit to procure the item you want. But although your shopping resource is limited with actual storefronts, the level of confidence gained by walking into a shop, asking for a certain product, seeing and handling that product and being able to ask the salesperson questions about the product and its warranties is a priceless endeavor.

The difference between shopping online and storefront resources is quite dramatic. In order for a storefront to be successful they must first and foremost provide quality customer service. The sales team helping the customer will generally be knowledgeable about the product in question and usually can provide the reference material necessary to answer all of your questions. This is a key element to developing and maintaining integrity within their shopping community. And that integrity goes a long way in maintaining the store as the key shopping option in the area.  Online sites which sell products can and will vary in quality. It is much easier to open up an online store to sell products than it is to open an actual storefront.  A storefront has to be honest, unique and competitive in order to keep the doors open. An online retail source usually doesn’t have the heavy burden that a storefront does. The lack of risk can open an online store up to willing deception, lack of creative product information and marketing and in many cases, a rather sterile shopping environment void of unique trust-building elements.

Some very important things to consider when shopping online include:

• Is the quoted price competitive with other retailers?
• Are the images of the products accurate?
• Does the store offer a quality and understandable return policy?
• Does the store or manufacturer of the product have insurance and warranty policies?
• Are quality, legible instructions included with the product?
• Does the retail outlet AND manufacturer offer customer support?
• Is there a way to directly contact the store/retailer to ask more questions?

The answers to these questions will vary. But let’s take a look at some of the possibilities.

Pricing is a highly competitive element of online shopping. Sometimes shoppers are only looking for the lowest price they can find.  While the retail models and shopping programs have evolved dramatically over the past decade, the time-tested theory that if something sounds too good to be true it probably isn’t true at all is still as accurate as the day the statement was first coined. In highly competitive segments of the market where there are numerous manufacturers and often an equivalent number of “knock-off brands” , low price and quality often do not go hand in hand.  Quality and market price usually do accompany one another. As my father once said, “where do you think they came up with the name Cheap?”

It is human nature to want to see the product we are purchasing. Given the physical disconnect of online shopping, the next best thing is a picture of the product. Pictures alone can make the difference in whether or not a customer proceeds with a purchase.  After all you want to see what you are buying and you expect what you see represents that purchase. Unfortunately it has become a common practice with some online retail outlets and even more so with selling lists such as eBay, Craigslist, etc. where the seller will use a certain brand or manufacturer’s product photos to illustrate a product made by a different company, often a cheap knock off brand. The customer thinks they purchased the advertised product but when they get the package and open it up the product looks much different.

Think bait and switch if you will. Most product manufacturers have product photos available online. These same photos are usually used quite liberally throughout the online shopping empire that offers their products. Usually the manufacturer provides them to the distributors and retailers to aid in the illustration and description of the product. A simple search can reveal a trend in product photos. If a photo of a product can be found on other sites and they all illustrate the same product from the same manufacturer but the one you found says it is another brand name, this should raise some caution flags. Images are largely free for the taking on the internet. Unscrupulous retail sources can and do try to deceive the customer as to what they are really buying.

Return policies are extremely important in any purchasing environment. Not only does it show support for the product or retail outlet, but it gives the customer confidence they will be taken care of if the need for returning the product arises.  Before confirming the purchase of an online product every customer should make sure the retailer can accurately and quickly service a return request.

In the automotive aftermarket manufacturer warranties and insurance policies are one of the most important elements a customer should consider. In general most automotive aftermarket components supplement a functionality of the vehicle. Seldom are the products “throw away” items. If a product fails or causes a failure that could render added expenses, it is always good to know the manufacturer will warranty the product. And even more important that they manufacturer has a policy in place, including an insurance policy, to deal with resolving any issue. Warranties and insurance policy options will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. But the bottom line is most quality products are sold by quality companies that have you covered.

Unless the product you are buying is peel and stick, it should come with good quality instructions. This is one of the highest ranked complaints that consumers have about products they purchase. Conversely consumers are also quick to praise those products that do have detailed instructions. Not all products come with good step-by-step instructions and some have no instructions included at all. If you plan on addressing the installation or use of the product yourself, you will want good quality instructions to guide you through the process of assembly/installation. Some respectable online retailers will provide a link or download to the instructions for that product to help you better understand what you are buying and how it works before you actually pull the trigger on the purchase.

In the sales world customer support is King. Everyone likes to be able to talk with someone knowledgeable about the product whether it is at the retail or manufacturer level. If you are planning on a purchase it would be strongly advisable to research what kind of customer support is available for that product and purchase. The retailer will usually handle the purchase support while the manufacturer will often directly handle the product support. In an ever-increasing online market of cheap knock off parts and back door low prices, nearly always the price you end up paying doesn’t save you the agony of trying to get support for that product.

Like customer support, being able to contact the seller or manufacturer is very important. The most respected and successful manufacturers and retailers go out of their way to make it easy for you to contact them in regards to questions about their products. If you find a retailer that doesn’t provide you with any way to directly contact them, it begs the question what are they hiding from?

What has been mentioned are just some of the integrity components of the price for a product and the overall value of that purchase. The suggested retail price for a product usually doesn’t just equate to the product itself, but the overall value of that product. No one likes to get ripped off or deceived. A little homework on the customer’s part can reveal what the true value of a product is. In a world where few things are eternally perfect, having the peace of mind that you and your purchase are fully covered is not only assuring, but builds trust for both the buyer and seller.

Author Bio:

Scott Poncher was born to be in the business as both his dad and grandfather were in the automotive aftermarket making him a 3rd generation Poncher in this business. He started work at Pep Boys as well as his father’s large auto parts rep business until starting his own rep agency in 1996 to focus on selling Truck Accessories that he loves. HE started ReadyLIFT in 2006 because he wanted to be in manufacturing and thought he had a great idea. He is still involved in the day to day operations at the company’s headquarters in Santa Ana, California.

Discover a great free training course that everyone selling in the aftermarket industry should take.

Do you have all the information you need to be an effective salesman?  What about your counter employees?

The common thought on education in the automotive aftermarket typically centers on the information the local manufacturers rep passed along or the recent product catalog your warehouse distributor sent.  Is this really educational material?  The short answer is no.  Its only information.  Education is defined as acquiring general knowledge AND developing the powers of reasoning and judgment.  Is that catalog that you just shoved under the counter educating you?  Reasoning says no!  Education in the automotive aftermarket is centered on product training and personal and professional development.

Unless you’re one of the lucky few who have a manufacturers rep who stops by frequently and actually understands the lines they represent, it’s been up to you to get the right product knowledge and information on all the latest and greatest new products.  If you’re an even smaller group in that lucky few, those high speed manufacturer reps might conduct product training classes for your sales staff.

Personal and professional development in the aftermarket has been non-existent.  Unless you have a good line on some off the shelf (read: expensive) development courses or have the cash to send your folks to a Dale Carnegie seminar, you’re probably like the majority and overlooked this side of training.

Giving your counter folks or phone staff the right tools to open and navigate to the close of a sale isn’t an easy skill to foster.  Product knowledge alone doesn’t create sales.  Trained, confident employees create sales!  But where are you going to find these training courses while not breaking the bank?

SEMA Education Institute has created several personal and professional development courses located in their Online Learning Center.  The first course covers the five step sales process aptly given an easy to remember acronym G.E.A.R.S.  This introduction to selling walks the student through a video presentation on the right and wrong way to approach each step in the sales process and has several quizzes throughout the course and a final exam at the end.  The second course covers a very specific situation in every sales process; handling customer objections.  This course teaches the student how to identify a customer objection like indifference or doubt and how to ask the right questions to move the customer past the objection and into the close.  Each course takes about an hour to complete.  Prior to enrolling and taking these courses, each student will need to visit SEMA’s home page and register for an account.  Not a SEMA member?  No problem!  Registration and both courses are FREE!  Try getting Dale Carnegie to give you two hours of professional training for free!

Start getting educated today!  Your cash register will thank you!

Author Bio:

Brian M. Hosenfeld is the President of Performance Aftermarket Consulting. His company specializes in Performance Automotive, Truck Accessory, Auto Accessory and Powersports shop marketing and best business practices. Putting his years of experience in leadership, building store inventories and product displays to work for customers all across the Country are Brian’s primary focus.

Mike Thornbrugh, Media Relations Manager for QuikTrip discusses hiring, training, and what makes his company’s employees the best in the industry.

Read AfterMarketer Club’s exclusive interview with Mike and learn how your company can follow QT’s Lead to hire and train outstanding employees.

AfterMarketer Club (AMC): Everyone that works at a QT store is friendly and courteous.  How does that happen?

Mike Thornbrugh: This is what we hire.  People that are outgoing. Not a magical formula, it’s just what we do.  No magic bullet. We’ve been doing it a very long time and it works for us.

AMC: What are the top 3 things you look for when hiring new team members for your stores?

Thornbrugh: Extremely outgoing.  We can’t teach that.  Either you are or you aren’t.

High-energy level. You’ve got to have this.  You can help teach it, but you either have energy or you don’t.

Someone who can multi-task. You can check by what they do in the course of the day.  Even though they have “this” assignment, they are doing other things at the same time.  No time to stand around.  These are the things we look for.

AMC: How do you recruit new team members and how do you screen and interview them?

Thornbrugh: Fill out applications online or pick them up in the stores.  The majority come in the store. We are continually recruiting with posters in the stores, etc.  They go through the interview; they do drug testing where permissible by law, which most states do allow.  We also do a credit evaluation since they will be handling a great deal of money.   For interviewers who are trained, it’s easy to tell who is a good candidate for QuikTrip.

AMC: Tell us how you orient new team members to their job.

Thornbrugh: The initial orientation period is two weeks.  We go through what QT is, what we do, the history of the company, the expectations, what we as a company do to help them.  Also the time to get forms filled out, etc.  We sell lots of items that are age sensitive (milk, fruits, etc). We make it abundantly clear what the rules are, what our expectations are, and what the laws are.  Plus what the consequences are if we fail in one of these areas.  To us, that’s very, very important.

Then they go to the store.  Every new employee works one-on-one with a trainer who works side by side with them for two weeks.  The reason for that is it’s really intimidating when you are on our side of the checkout stand.  There is a lot of pressure initially to get it right, when you have the amount of volume we have.  It’s there to help them, walk them through everything.  The trainers also walk them through what’s expected on their shift every day.  Whatever that may be, the sequence of it, how long it should take, and all the while keep an eye out in the store, and help at the registers/till. The other thing that is unique is we don’t just throw them behind the counter.

We spend a good portion of the first day just learning about them. We want to know what they are all about.  Likes, dislikes, etc.  Not an HR person.  This is all done with the trainer.  Their sole function is to work side-by-side with new employees.  What they find out is we get them comfortable and ease them into the job.  I don’t know if this works for others, but for QuikTrip it has worked an awfully long time.

AMC: Do you have a formal training program you use?

Thornbrugh: Yes we do have a formal program.  This is something we continually look at, because who else is going to tell you what you need to know besides the trainee’s and trainers?  We rely upon them to tell us a lot of this.

What separates us from most people is we do all the interviewing in a central location.  Nothing is done at the store level. Each division has their own interview process.   The reason for that is if you are in the store, you don’t have time to make a good decision and you don’t have time since it takes you away from what you are really supposed to be doing which is taking care of the customers.  A lot of times you would make mistakes because you quickly need bodies and we don’t think that’s a good policy.

AMC: How do you ensure new team members understand what is expected of them and the difference between good and bad performance?

Thornbrugh: We tell them.  Often through the two week process. And constant evaluations on what we think they need to do different. “This part is good and you need to work on that.”  Strengths and weaknesses, it’s no guessing game.  We have a checklist and we make sure that everyone knows where they stand.

AMC: How do you provide on-going training, information and support to team members?

Thornbrugh: One thing this company is not short on is the amount of meetings that go on.  We have more meetings than most.  Things change, a lot of things are going on and we try to let everyone know of changes the best that we possibly can. Technology really helps quite a bit.  Everyone has access to know what’s going on with the company.  We check to make sure they take the time to know.  Ongoing meetings in individual stores go on all the time.

AMC: How does new manager training differ from new employee training?

Thornbrugh: We always hire from within for these positions.  It’s a three-week process, spent largely on leading a team.  When you get to this level you know what QuikTrip is, why we do it and how we do it.  Knowing that, the ability to lead people is a big step.  A lot of time is spent on managerial skills, inventory, etc, but the majority of the time is spent on “how do you become a leader”.

What’s effective, what’s not, etc.  The purpose of QuikTrip is to give our employee’s the opportunity to grow and succeed.  What does that mean?  Every single opening goes to a QuikTrip employee first.  You’re never going to see us hire an outside store manager. We have enough great people who deserve the right to be promoted.  We’re lucky.

AMC: How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your hiring and training programs?

Thornbrugh: The best indicator is turnover.  QuikTrip probably has the lowest turnover in the industry.  The average for our industry is around 112%.  QuikTrip is around 21%. Do understand the economy can skew these numbers a little bit, but it’s pretty consistent.

AMC: If you were to change one thing about your hiring and training programs, what would it be and why?

Thornbrugh: We’re constantly evaluating them.  So I don’t know that we can sit back and say, “Boy we’d like to change that right now”, because we pretty much look at that on a daily basis.  Things change.  We know there is a Y generation, this generation and that generation, and we recognize that and we understand it.  That’s why we are constantly looking at feedback from those who went through the program and those who are teaching the program.  They’ll tell us what’s effective and what’s not.  We listen, and we execute it.

AMC: On your trainers, do you have one per store, or per district?

Thornbrugh: Not every store is a training store. Only a certain number of stores are training stores.  Each new employee has that one on one time.  You could have 2 or 3 people going through training at once, but they all have this one trainer, but he/she is responsible for them.

AMC: What determines what a training store is?  Is it a higher volume store or a lower volume store?

Thornbrugh: It’s a little bit of everything.  It can be an extremely high volume store, it can be a very interesting neighborhood store, and they’ll bounce around a little bit because you are going to experience that in your career with us.   How we should treat employees and how we react to employees, and what your daily functions are don’t change. It’s just like the store layout.  If you keep it consistent, and if we execute it, and we know what the customer’s expectations are, it’s about being consistent in everything we do.   We’re not always perfect, we’ll admit that.  But it’s not for a lack of effort.

Our trainers are a little bit of both in regards to being good with systems and procedures, and some people just like working with new employee’s and enjoy it.   this position is a promotion because that is all that they are going to be doing.  Trainers report to the division office.  It goes right back to our total communication.  Things come up like, “Where does X employee stand?”  “What can we do to help them?” You have to know this.

AMC: Who trains the trainer?

Thornbrugh: You have to interview to get that position.  Our trainers are trained by experienced trainers

AMC: On the management training, how is it different from the 2 week orientation?

Thornbrugh: Nobody walks into a management position, we have almost 11,000 people in the company, so they’ve already had their 2 weeks of orientation and come up through the ranks. When they become a manager, there are 3 more weeks of training and it’s a completely different concept.  Managing people is an art.  We have suggestions and ideas on what to do but they may have a different set of ideas too.  When you think about it, as a manager, that store is your store.  You are responsible for everything.  The inventory, the profitability, minimizing shrinkage, cleanliness, everything…it’s a little different concept.

AMC: In the automotive world the typical store is 4-5 people.  Do you have any advice on how to get in line with your best practices for someone that size who is getting started out with a formal training program?

Thornbrugh: Everyone has a different way of doing things, but we have found what is successful is. You have to have a plan, you have to be consistent and you have to execute the plan.

We have found that if the employee’s know they have an opportunity to move up in the company, they will stick around a while and work hard.  Everybody has their own way, but hiring, especially if you are a small company, hiring is critical.  Because if you hire people who are mediocre or poor, you’re not going to survive because it’s a reflection on everything you do.  I hate to give advice to anybody because everyone needs to have their own way of doing things.  We just do what we think is best for QuikTrip.

In The Pits is a monthly blog series from AfterMarketer Club that features exclusive interviews with automotive and aftermarket industry thought leaders.

AfterMarketer Club is a full-service Internet marketing agency that helps automotive dealers and aftermarket companies rev up online sales. Contact us today for help with your company’s marketing efforts.

Learn how to use the great resources that the aftermarket industry has to offer.

Getting involved in your industry’s association can be the best way to get the most out of your Industry; It’s a great resource to you and your company. You’ll find it can be the ideal place to network, find industry standards, related legislation, statistics, etc.

Here are 5 easy steps to get more involved in your industry’s association.

1. Ask for advice

Ask other involved industry folks how they got started. People like to share their experiences, good and bad. They can help you make the right steps and avoid the bad ones. Ask more than one person too, you’ll learn everyone has had different experiences along the way.

2. Join Networks

If there is a related network: join it! It’s usually free or the fees minimal, and what you get back is worth that fee and more. Within SEMA there are a number of Councils and Committees, I belong to all of the following and get valuable information from each of the organizations: The Young Executive Network, YEN; SEMA Business Woman’s Network, SBN; Light Truck Accessory Alliance, LTAA; Professional Restyling Organization, PRO; Street Performance Council, SPC; Automotive Restoration Market Organization, ARMO; and SEMA Business Technology Committee, SEMA BTC.

3. Link to Industry People

Most of the industry folks you meet are involved in social media, so link to them! Ask to be their friend on Facebook, join their Linked In Network, follow them on Twitter. This will give you that direct link to them.

4. Solicit a Mentor

If you find someone that you look up to, ask if they would mind if you turned to them for advice. Most people will find it flattering and welcome the open line of communication. And if you are respectful of them and their time the relationship can continue for years. I have a mentor within SEMA. She had a lot of experience, was awarded woman of the year by SBN; to say the least I was impressed with her and I approached her to ask her how I could get more involved. When I did she recommended we get involved in SBN’s Mentor Program. It has been such a great experience to have someone with so much knowledge and success to take me under her wing. We still communicate often and it’s been 6 years.

5.  Say YES!

Don’t be afraid to say YES. Most industry associations need time from volunteers, so find out where help is needed and volunteer your time. And you are the one that sets the amount of time you volunteer.

If you follow even just a few of these steps you’ll allow yourself to be more open to all that your industry’s association has to offer.

Author Bio:

Melanie White is a Marketing Manager and Outside sales representative for Hellwig Products Co., Inc. Melanie has been involved in the Automotive Aftermarket for 6 years. She has a seat on the LTAA select committee, belongs to the SBN Mentor program, an active member of PRO and very involved in SEMA as an association.

Common sales mistakes that may be ruining your chances of making big sales.

Are you working hard, but not getting the results you want? If you’re a professional salesperson and you’re not selling, it could be because:

•    You are boring. Do customers cut you off in mid-sentence, or jump in when you pause for breath? Chances are, you’re boring them. Paint a vivid picture and put them in it; use an example or interesting case history to illustrate your point. Whip out some visuals to show them how much they will save.

•    You insult their intelligence. “Mr. Jones, would you like to save money on your long distance phone bill?” Polling prospects with lame questions in an attempt to get them to say yes is manipulative and insulting. Instead, ask open-ended questions to elicit their needs. Treat them with respect by tailoring your questions to their company, industry and circumstances.

•    You are uninformed. Take time to visit the website of your prospect’s company. Check out their competition, industry association and trade journals. Remember: the more you learn, the more you earn. If you do not understand what your prospects do, and what issues they face, how can you expect to determine how your product or service can best help them?

•    You are talking to the wrong person. Oops! Once again, you have not done your homework, and end up pitching someone who has no decision-making authority. This hurts, because it’s usually hard to get a second bite of the apple.

•    You do not listen. Pay attention to what your customers are saying and how they are saying it, including their non-verbal communication.  Effective listening will provide you with most of the answers to your qualifying questions without even asking them.  You will learn about your customers’ needs, what their hot buttons are, and how to convince them. Simply put: when your customer talks, you sell; when you talk, you lose.

•    You talk about features, not benefits. You are crazy about all those neat bells and whistles your product offers, but you do not let the buyer know how they will directly benefit him.

•    You do not understand their needs. In the world of sales, one size rarely fits all. Find out your prospect’s special needs and concerns, and show how your product or service can help. Again: listen and he will tell you.

•    Buyers do not like you. You have heard it a million times: people buy from people they like. If your prospect doesn’t like you, he’s not going to spend time getting to know your product or service. Investing some time in your rapport-building skills will pay big dividends.

•    They do not know you, and have never heard of your company. All things being equal, who do you think your prospect is going to buy from: the company he has known for years, or you, the new kid on the block? Allay his fears by providing him with current customer lists (including contact names and numbers for some of your accounts), testimonial letters on your customers’ letterhead, documented case histories, and press coverage. A referral from someone he knows and respects will swing doors wide open.

•    Make your buyers heroes. Even in a business-to-business sale, you need to show your prospects what’s in it for them personally. How do they personally gain? Will they look good to their boss? Will they save time and effort? Will they make their customers or employees happy? There’s an important difference between, “Your company will save over $50,000 a year with our product” and “You will save your company over $50,000 a year with our product.” People want to be heroes. Make it so.

It’s the little things that make a difference in the sale. Pay attention to these ten factors, and make more sales.

Author Bio:

Michael Dalton Johnson is the Publisher and Founder of SalesDog.com.  To receive your free subscription to SalesDog’s sales tips and inspiration newsletter, click here. His new book, Top Dog Recession-Busting Sales Secrets, gives you sales advice and inspiration in 80 quick read lessons from 50 leading sales experts.  Click here to learn more.

As a reporter, Joe wrote for several newspapers owned by Cox Enterprises. After his time as a reporter, he pursued a career in public relations where he secured coverage for clients in national publications such as The New York Times and PC Magazine. His responsibilities included writing content for large and small companies. Joe holds a mater’s degree in communications from Colorado State University.

Joe brings a strong writing and editing background to AfterMarketer Club. We are looking forward to working with him.

Learn how approaching your company with a marketer’s mindset can boost profits and take your aftermarket business to the next level.

Make absolutely no mistake about it. Building the business of your dreams is possible. Your business can reward you with financial security, an outlet for your creative energies, and the deep sense of personal fulfillment that comes from creating a successful business.

But success doesn’t happen by accident. It has nothing to do with luck. And sitting around hoping the phone will ring is an activity for the “soon-to-be-out-of-business”.  Success comes from being proactive about building your business…. from getting off your backend, kicking it into high gear, and making something happen.

Easy to say, but what should you do? Let’s start by agreeing on a couple of points…

First, that there is enough money being spent on what you sell or the service you provide to support the kind of business you envision for yourself….that the market is there.

Next, let’s agree that your products and services are worth what you charge for them. If you don’t believe that you are offering tremendous value you may want to rethink your career choice… You need to be passionate about giving your customers a great experience.

When you put these statements together – thousands upon thousands of people want or need aftermarket parts and services and your business can meet the needs of these people– it all becomes clear.  The only thing standing between you and the super successful business of your dreams is your ability to connect those customers to your business.

In other words, you need to become a marketer.

The Marketer’s Mindset

The first step is to develop a Marketer’s Mindset.  Notice I didn’t say “marketing” mindset, I said “marketer’s” mindset.  The difference is important….one describes what you do, the other describes the kind of person you are.

Having a marketing mindset, attending a seminar or two, and reading an occasional book or article will help you grow your business.  But it will rarely be enough to stimulate the growth you need to fulfill your wildest dreams.

But constantly keeping your eyes peeled for the next cool marketing idea, thinking about trying new marketing ideas as fun and exciting, considering every part of your business from a marketing point of view – that is the “Marketer’s Mindset”.

Be A Learner

Part of the Marketer’s Mindset is about being a learner.  You should make a commitment to learning about marketing.  There’s no point in trying to re-invent the wheel – thousands of marketers before you have made the mistakes, figured out what works, and are willing to share their hard-won knowledge with you. Take advantage of it! Work smart, not hard.

There are lots of was to learn about marketing. You can listen CD’s while driving in your car.  Your local library has lots of marketing books available for loan.  Any bookstore will have more titles than you can shake a stick at.  Read business magazines and newspapers.  Subscribe to on-line marketing e-zines.  Ask other business people whom you admire what marketing resources they use, and start learning.

And don’t be intimidated by the vast variety of choices. There are many marketing experts (including yours truly) who sell learning resources that come with unconditional, money-back guarantees.  Spend the money… and if the resource does not provide the value, if the ideas don’t pay for themselves almost immediately, return it and get your money back.  You have nothing to risk and everything to gain.

Of course I strongly recommend the Retail Mastery System! http://www.whizbangtraining.com/retail-mastery-system

Being a learner also means being aware of what other people in other industries are doing.  If your local department store has a promotion that catches your attention, ask yourself “How can I adapt that idea to my business?”

Think outside the box, look outside the aftermarket industry for inspiration, engage your brain, and most of all, have fun!

Activity, Activity, Activity

Hall-Of-Fame hockey player Wayne Gretzky said it best.  “100% of the shots you don’t take won’t go in”.

You don’t have to be a sports fan to understand the truth in his statement and to apply it to your business.  If you want to be successful, if you want to make some shots, you have to take some shots.

You’ve got to try, and try, and keep on trying…

In fact, if your sales start to slow down, take a look at your marketing activity. Chances are it has slowed down, too.

It’s extremely rare that you’ll find a single “home run” marketing strategy to keep your business flourishing. More often it’s the sum of lots of small marketing efforts that pay off big time.  And if you stop generating marketing activity, your sales will slowly dwindle.

It’s simple.  The more things you try, the better your chances of reaching more customers and generating more sales. Keep taking shots.

Having the right attitude, keeping an open mind, developing the Marketers Mindset and the TAKING ACTION is a surefire way to keep your register ringing for years to come!

Author Bio:

In 1999 Bob Negen and his wife Susan founded WhizBang! Training to help independent retailers thrive in today’s super-competitive market. The couple are both recognized as leading retail experts, are authors of the bestseller Marketing Your Retail Store In The Internet Age and are creators of the acclaimed Retail Mastery System.

How you handle customer calls can make or break sales. Learn the right way to answer the phones to guarantee customer loyalty.

You may be saying you don’t have a cash register, but you get my point.

You spend money and time making sure your advertising is just right.  You may have even been accused of being too picky as you make sure every t is crossed and each i is dotted and so forth.  You want your advertising to tell people how trustworthy and honest you are.  You want them to know they can count on you to give them the best service at the best price possible.

Then the advertising pays off and someone calls and your phone rings!

Your phone is answered with an attitude that seems to say “this would be a great place to work if people would quit calling and bugging us”.

Now I know you and your employees don’t mean to come across that way but a lot of businesses do and they don’t even know it!

Have you called your business as a customer would, just to see if you would want to do business with you?  Do it!  You may be surprised or even depressed!  But cheer up!  I can help!

You need to let the customer know, within just a few seconds; by the way you answer the phone that you are glad they called and not only willing to help them but qualified!  And all of this needs to happen in just seconds!

Think about this:

• By the way you answered the phone today did you reassure the customer that they should stay your customer?
• By the way your phone is answered is the customer invited to be frustrated with you and your business?
• By the way your phone is answered are you implying you already have too much business?
• By the way your phone is answered is the customer encouraged to choose you over your competitors?
• By the way your phone is answered is your customer going to tell others good things about you?

The answers to these questions can determine how successful you are going to be!

How do you let the customer know you are happy they called or came in?

By giving them a warm, friendly smile, a smile they can hear right through the phone!  Show them you are happy they called.  You can’t do it with a frown on your face, they won’t believe you care.  Show you do care by your tone of voice, inflection, your facial expressions, and your body language.  Don’t act like you are on your last legs and need oxygen to keep going.  Don’t make it difficult for the customer to deal with you, make it easy for them!

Another excellent way to let the customer know you care is by telling them.  You can say things like: “We really appreciate you as a customer,” “It sure is a good to talk with you or see you today,” “Thanks for choosing us again,” etc.  You can come up with a whole lot of different things to say to show you care.

If you think it’s crazy to tell a customer you care about them, you are probably the same type of person that doesn’t say “I love you” to your mate or significant other.  Your response is “They should know it.”  Get real!  Sure, they may know it, but I guarantee you most want to hear it!

The same way with your customers, they want to know you care and are interested in them.  They want you to say it and show it.

So, don’t send any of your prospects or customers to your competition by the way you answer your telephone!

Practice answering the phone great!

Author Bio:

Sid Hurlbert has been teaching the art of “What to Say & How to Say It” using his STEPS method for over 40 years. He lectures throughout the United States and Canada to a wide variety of professional, corporate, academic, and civic groups. He combines his powerful messages, humor, and insight with entertaining twists, creating a dynamic learning experience that transforms the way people relate to themselves, fellow employees, and their families. Become a fan on Facebook.

Communicating with customers online is great but be careful not to go overboard. Why the phone and the pen still have a place in marketing.

Get your hands off the keyboard and drop the mouse; it’s time to communicate with your customers, so pay attention…  I’m sorry, what was that, what did you say? Oh, that’s how you communicate; e-mail, text, messenger, websites, blogs and social media? Hmmm… As dominant as they are, some say they merely send information. These incredible tools are so much more than that, but they fall short in some areas.

For most of us, electronic communication is the main form of contacting our customers.  It’s fast, easy and can be done from almost anywhere on a smart phone or laptop.  You can stay in touch, solve problems, get help from the office and take care of your customers 24/7…You are on vacation, Penguin is loose in Gotham, deploy technology – e-mail/text/e-mail/text – problems solved, customer happy, disaster diverted, beer cold…perfect…

There are many fantastic, electronic ways to connect and provide information to your buyers and customers. The social media instrument has been called the most powerful form of connecting ever – I mostly agree.  We’re connecting right now on social media – and it’s great! Truthfully – if you aren’t using all the electronic forms of communication available to you – we’d like to welcome you to 2010 and let you know your customers expect a lot more from you – but you can catch up, it’s okay… And get this it’s everywhere, it’s super effective, your customers are bombarded with it and you don’t have to talk to anyone – how cool is that? Wait a minute…what?

I’d like to introduce you to two friends of mine; please meet Phone and Pen.  All of us know Phone; most times Phone might as well be surgically attached to your ear.  We know Pen too; we use Pen to jot down notes and reminders (while using Phone) and on occasion – write an order.  You don’t have to hate Phone or Pen; they can be more powerful than any “electronic” form of communication, and here’s how: Phone and Pen help you build relationships in a very personal way; they send emotion to your customers.  (Yes, your customers/buyers have emotions).

Instead of shooting off an e-mail, pick up the phone and call (yes, call – that thing on your desk will transmit as well as receive) your customer – and discuss more than business, heck – don’t discuss business at all.  What are their plans, how was the ball game, did their daughter get into that college, is their brother’s cousin’s uncle’s dad’s half-brother’s former roommate applying for that job?? You don’t ask those questions? You better get started.  Connect and do it voice-to-voice.  Actually listen, actually care – you may be able to fake both – but you aren’t building a relationship the right way – and your customer will see right through you (if you think they won’t – you are fooling yourself).  Those that do listen and care – build strong relationships – and that leads to strong business.

Take it a step further by sending a card or a note to your customer – not typed, that’s a rookie move.  Typing is for contracts, documentation, quotes, info on your products or services – and mattress labels.  Send a hand written, personal note.  You like to get “thank you” cards and so will your customers. It can be as short as you want: “Hi Mike: Thanks so much for your order” – or – “I read the article about your new store, congratulations again” – or – “We appreciate you letting us travel with your outside sales team this week.”  Hand written notes let your customers know how important and special they are to you (they do pay the bills after all, don’t forget that handy piece of info); and they tie your company name to your expression of thanks.

If you use both electronic and manual forms of communication…Look out – you might get to know your customers, build relationships and grow your business…or are you in this for free shirts and an expense account?

Author Bio:

Bennett Jackson is responsible for sales of Husky Liners brand of vehicle protection products in various territories throughout the US and across Canada.  He currently serves on the SEMA LTAA Select Committee.  Husky Liners is a proud member of SEMA & PWA.

Why aftermarket industry companies should get rid of discount pricing to increase profits.

McDonald’s boasted about their stronger-than-expected May worldwide revenues this week with a 4.8% bump in established restaurant sales. That’s pretty good in this economy.

What can we in the Automotive Aftermarket learn from the Burger Behemoth?

Two things: 1.) Just because the economy stinks doesn’t mean your sales have to, and 2.) You don’t need to give away profits to be the market leader.

McDonald’s, much like the Aftermarket, is able to thrive despite everyone else’s woes. In the Aftermarket, that’s because people are holding their vehicles longer (the average car on the road is close to 10 years old). The longer a consumer holds onto his vehicle, the better he’ll take care of it. And, obviously, the older a vehicle, the more likely it is to need repairs. So, the demand is there. You just need to carve out your share of the sales.

Secondly, take a look at the weekly consumer “couponer” in your mailbox. You’ll notice something interesting: McD’s rarely coupons. They don’t need to. That’s because the market leader doesn’t need to discount, and you don’t need to discount to be the market leader. That pricing strategy means that when McDonald’s sales are up, their profits are usually up, too — because they haven’t nicked away at the bottom-line with price cuts.

How can you aggressively gain market share without slashing prices? I’ll cover that in future guest blogs. Meantime I have a strange taste for a Big Mac.

Author Bio:

Phil Sasso is president of Sasso Marketing Inc., a 20-year old technical marketing agency providing advertising, public relations and promotional services online and offline to automotive aftermarket marketers. Subscribe to his free weekly marketing tip at philsasso.com.