Tip #6 - The Importance Of Car Dealers Using Headlines

If your Dealership is going to make a single change to boost the response rate of your advertising - the most important focus should on your headline (you do use one with your advertising don’t you?).

Why? Because five times as many people read your headline than your copy. Quite simply, a headline is…an ad for your ad. People won’t stop their busy lives to read your advertsement unless you give them a good reason to do so. So a good headline promises some news and a benefit.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “What’s this about news, you say?”

Think about the last time you browsed through your local newspaper. You checked out the articles, one by one, and occasionally an ad may have caught your eye. Which ads were the ones most likely to catch your eye?

The ones that looked like an article, of course.

The ones with the headline that promised news.

The ones with fonts and type that closely resembled the fonts and type used in articles.

The ones that were placed where articles were placed (as opposed to being placed on a full page of ads, for example).

And the ones with the most compelling headlines that convinced you it’s worth a few minutes to read the copy.

The headline is that powerful and that important.

I’ve seen so many Automotive ads over the years that either had a brutal headline or not even a headline. And that’s just the equivalent to flushing good advertsing money right down the toilet.

Why? Because your response can increase dramatically by not only adding a headline, but by making that headline almost impossible to resist for your target market.

And those last three words are important. Your target market.
 
For example, take a look at the following headline:

Announcing…New High-Tech Gloves Protect Wearer Against Hazardous Waste

News, and a benefit.

Will that headline appeal to everyone?

No, and you don’t care about everyone.

But for someone who handles hazardous waste, they would sure appreciate knowing about this little gem.

That’s your target market, and it’s your job to get them to read your ad. Your headline is the way you do that.

Ok, now where do you find great headlines?

You look at other successful ads (especially direct response) that have stood the test of time. You look for ads that run regularly in magazines and other publications. How do you know they’re good? Because if they didn’t do their job, the advertiser wouldn’t keep running them again and again.

You get on the mailing lists of the big direct response companies like Agora and Boardroom and save their direct mail packages.

You read the National Enquirer.

Huh? You heard that correctly.

The National Enquirer has some of the best headlines in the business.

Pick up a recent issue and you’ll see what I mean. Ok, now how could you adapt some of those headlines to your own product or service?

Your headline should create a sense of urgency. It should be as specific as possible (i.e. say $1,007,274.23 instead of “a million dollars”).
   

The headline appearance is also very important. Make sure the type used is bold and large, and different from the type used in the copy. Generally, longer headlines tend to out pull shorter ones, even when targeting more “conservative” prospects.

It should go without saying that when you use other successful headlines, you adapt them to your own vehicles and dealership. Never copy a headline (or any other written copyrighted piece of work for that matter) word for word. Copywriters and ad agencies are notoriously famous for suing for plagiarism. And rightfully so.

Interested in finding the top Headlines for your Media, Print, Radio and Flyer Advertising?For only $19.99 we are offering our clients the top Headlines and Phrases To Use For Your Markeitng and Advertising. Simply send us an email to sales@automarketingprofits.com for more information.

Tip #5 - Utilizing A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) In Your Dealership

Does your Dealerhsip utilize this?   The unique selling position, or USP is often one of the most often misunderstood elements of a good sales letter. It’s what separates your vehicles and service sales from your competitors.

Let’s take a quick look at some unique selling propositions for your vehicle:

1)     Lowest Price – If you’ve got the corner marketed on budget prices, flaunt it. Wal-Mart has made this USP famous lately, but it’s not new to them. In fact, selling for cheaper has been around as long as capitalism itself. Personally, I’m not crazy about price wars, because someone can always come along and sell for cheaper. Then it’s time for a new strategy…

2)     Superior Quality – If your vehicle outperforms your competitor’s product or is made with higher quality, it’s a good bet that you could use this fact to your advantage. For example, compare Breyers Ice Cream to their competitor’s. From the packaging to the wholesome superior ingredients, the quality is evident. It may cost a little more than their competitor’s ice cream, but for their market, it sells.

3)     Superior Service – If your Dealership offers superior service over your competitor’s, people will buy from you instead. This is especially true with certain markets that are all about service: long-distance phone companies, Internet service providers, cable television, etc.

4)     Exclusive Rights – My favorite! If you can legitimately claim that your Dealership has exlclusive rights to some service or FREE GIVEAWAY, etc., then you have a winner for exclusive rights and customers  must buy from your store.

Ok, what if you are not the only *Chev* dealer in town? Don't think you are the same as your competitor because there are always differences. The trick is to turn them into a positive advantage for you. You want to put your “best foot forward.” So what can we do in this scenario?

One way is to present something that your store has devised internally that no other Dealer does. Look, there’s a reason why computer store “A” offers to beat their competitor’s price for the same product by X%. If you look closely, the two packages are never exactly the same. Company “B” offers a free scanner, while company “A” offers a free printer. Or some other difference. They are comparing apples to oranges. So unless you find a company with the exact same package (you won’t…they’ve seen to that), you won’t be able to cash in.  Can you think of ways to do this in your store?

But what if you truly have the same vehicles for sale as the guy up the road?

Unless your prospect knows the inner workings of both your and your competitor’s Dealership, including your inner processes, customer service, and everything in-between, then you have a little potential creative licensing here. But you must be truthful.

Want some more USP examples?

• We are the only car repair shop that will buy your car if you are not 100 percent satisfied with our work.
      
• Delivered in 30 minutes or it’s on us!
  
  
• No other furniture company will pay for your shipping.
  
  
• Our recipe is so secret, only three people in the world know it!
    
  

As with most ways to boost copy response, research is the key with your USP. Sometimes your USP is obvious, for example if you have a patent. Other times you must do a little legwork to discover it (or shape it to your target market).

Here’s where a little persistence and in-person selling really pays off. Let me give you an example to illustrate what I mean:

Suppose your company sells beanbag chairs for kids. So you, being the wise marketer that you are, decide to sell these beanbags in person to prospects before writing your copy. After completing twenty different pitches for your product, you discover that 75 percent of those you visited asked if the chair would eventually leak. Since the chairs are for kids, it’s only logical that parents would be concerned about their youngster jumping on it, rolling on it, and doing all things possible to break the seam and “spill the beans.”

So when you write your copy, you make sure you address that issue: “You can rest assure that our super-strong beanbag chairs are triple-stitched for guaranteed leak-proof performance. No other company will make this guarantee about their beanbag chairs!”

Looking for more ideas to increase your Dealership's success?

Go to http://www.automarketingprofits.com/automotive-marketing-books.html
to order "52 Free / Low Cost Marketing Strategies Guaranteed to Attract New Customers & Clients Into Your Auto Dealership In Any Economy".

Tip # 4 - Involving Proof and Believability In Your Dealer Ads

When your prospective customer reads your ad, you want to make sure they believes any claims you make about your vehicles or Dealership. Reason being -  if there’s any doubt in their mind, they won’t bite, no matter how sweet you make your deal. In fact, the “too good to be true” mentality will virtually guarantee a lost sale…even if it is all true.

So what can you do to increase the perception of believability? Because after all, it’s the perception you need to address up front. But of course you also must make sure your copy is accurate and truthful.

Here are some tried and tested methods that will help:

If you’re dealing with existing customers who already happy with your Dealership, emphasize that trust. Don’t leave it up to them to figure it out. Make them stop, cock their heads, and say, “Oh, yeah. This Dealer has never done me wrong before. I can trust them.”

Include testimonials of satisfied customers. Be sure to put full names and locations, where possible. Remember, “D.C.” is a lot less believable than “Derek Clark, San Diego, CA.” If you can also include a picture of the customer and/or a professional title, that’s even better. It doesn’t matter that your testimonials aren’t from somebody famous or that your prospect does not know these people personally. If you have enough compelling testimonials, and they’re believable, you’re much better off than not including them at all.

If posibble , cite any awards or third-party reviews the product or service has received

If you have either sold a lot of vehicles  --  Or you are  New Dealer and your manfucturer is #1 in sales , tell them. It’s the old “5 million people can’t be wrong” adage (they can be, but your prospect will likely take your side on the matter).

Try to incorporate a great return-policy if not completely satisified - Perhaps a 7-Day Return Policy at your Dealership? 

If you can swing it, adding a local celebrity endorsement to establish credibility. Heck, if ‘ol honest " ? " drives " ?  ", it must be true! Get the idea...

If you are limiting the offer with a deadline “purchase by” date, be sure the deadline is real and does not change. Deadline dates that change every day are sure to reduce credibility. Your prospect will suspect, “if his deadline date keeps changing, he’s not telling the truth about it…I wonder what else he’s not telling the truth about.”

And also avoid the "hype" at all costs.

I hope you find value in this weeks post and wish you all that this year - 2012 will be your best ever!

Looking for more ideas to increase your Dealership's success?

Go to http://www.automarketingprofits.com/automotive-marketing-books.html
to order "52 Free / Low Cost Marketing Strategies Guaranteed to Attract New Customers & Clients Into Your Auto Dealership In Any Economy".