A full-on effort designed to answer the important question of “What’s in it for me” that prospective Dealers and Businesses need answered to justify deciding to join the organization. It is designed to assist in our quest to:
Recruit new Dealer members
To entice Dealers to be members of the Association, we need to give them benefits that are greater than the cost of being members.
These benefits will be in the form of financial incentives coming primarily from Associate members and sponsors and marketing assistance from our Association.
Another benefit will be legislative representation which of course has more impact if our numbers are overwhelming. We need to closely monitor updates on new state and national legislation proposed or enacted that impacts Dealers. We should divide the state into four districts and conduct local training seminars open to all Dealers with a discounted cost to members, but that is only a small portion of the program.
We need to include best practices information from Dealers around the state and successful national Dealers. We also can add podcast training and reprints from NIADA, Used Car Dealer news, and Automotive News. We will provide marketing assistance through news releases about local Dealers to their local media outlets – local newspapers, radio and television stations and social media. For example, if a Dealer hosts a fund drive or does something that benefits people in their community or gets some sort of recognition, we will send out news releases to news outlets in their community, social media and our website.
We should write weekly updates and monthly newsletters that are timely and informative and include a monthly dealer member and associate member spotlight and a section for new member spotlight for dealers and associate members and sponsors that came on board the month before. When we have a Board Meeting the minutes of the meeting should be included in the next monthly newsletter. We should always close the newsletter or message we send explaining that if a Dealer isn’t a member they are missing $2,070 worth of discounts with vendors they use, and they should join to get the coupon benefits and discounts from our online store.
We need to contact Independent Dealers, Power Sport Dealers, Motorcycle Dealers, ATV Dealers, RV Dealers, Franchised Dealers, Heavy Truck Dealers and Specialty Equipped Vehicle Dealers that aren’t members.
We need a website that lists our member Dealers with a short bio and we need to be able to make changes to the website when we have a new addition or change and a “Dealer” page where Dealers can log in and get up-to-date information and questions answered. They can also purchase forms and accessories, and member Dealers will receive a discount. Dealers will be able to view past articles and training videos and more that I haven’t yet thought of. With your input, we can explore other benefits.
We can also send group text messages to Dealers to remind them to use their benefits and notify them of time-sensitive information they should have immediately. We can also send them a teaser text message when they are two months from renewing, reminding them to use their coupons before they expire, and give them a list of the coupons they will receive when they renew to motivate them to stay current.
Recruit new Associate members and Sponsors
Contact Auto Auctions, Banks, Credit Unions, Subprime Lenders, Local Finance Companies, Parts Houses, Tire Shops, Mechanical Repair Centers, Body Shops, Upholstery Shops, Aftermarket Accessory Companies, Transport Companies, F&I Product Companies, restaurants, hotels, and Rental Car Companies etc., and above all, have a program that exceeds normal expectations so there will not be a doubt in their mind that they need to be a part of the program.
The associate members and sponsors program needs to be sent to Dealers as often as possible to give sponsors and associate members as much exposure as possible. As we grow our number of associate members and sponsors, naturally we will have to moderate so everyone gets their fair share of promotion without making our newsletters and text messages boring or too much like a commercial.
We should have a contact person who contacts non-dealer members periodically and allows them to be included in our newsletter and text messages with their message to Dealers. To begin with, we could divide the vendor list between the board members. For example, if a lender has news about an expansion of services, an interest rate special for a weekend, a repair shop is extending their hours, or if a service contract company has a short promotion planned or a restaurant is having a one-off event etc., we could send a broadcast text to all member Dealers. What we can accomplish with these text messages is only limited to our creativity.
Our weekly updates and monthly newsletters need to be timely and informative and include a monthly associate member spotlight and a section for new member spotlight for Dealers and associate members and sponsors that came on board the month before and it needs to include a one-line summary of the dollar value of our benefits package.
When we add an associate member or sponsor to the coupon program, it needs to be available to all member Dealers on the first day. That way members won’t have to wait up to a year to participate. The vendor will see more immediate results and we can structure the coupon in such a way as to be appealing to all and not be abused. We could put time constraints explaining these coupons need to be used before their expiration which will be on their renewal date, but Dealers could begin using them immediately.
COUPON PROGRAM currently worth $2,070 and climbing
Coupons will come from vendors that wish to participate in giving member Dealers free or discounted services or products. They can be as small as one coupon or many coupons. The sponsor will have the opportunity to craft their program to their situation.
Coupons will immediately be sent to all Dealers and will expire on the Dealers’ membership expiration date. When the Dealer renews their membership, they will receive new coupons that will be good until their next expiration date. They will also receive coupons when another sponsor comes on board, which will be good until their next expiration date.
At present, we have the following sponsors of coupons.
Castro Cepak Motorsports Auto & Diesel Repair 3 coupons for $160 each for diagnostic service total $480.
Auto Auction of Montana 5 coupons of $25 each toward buy or sale fees for a total of $125.
Griffin Detail 1 coupon of 25% discount on PDR up to $100.
Griffin detail 4 coupons of $25 each toward full detail for a total of $100.
Billings Public Auto Auction 5 coupons of $25 each toward buy or sale fees. For a total of $125.
Automotive Finance Corporation 2 coupons for 1 free floor fee up to $120 for a total of $240.
Ox & Son Towing 4 coupons for $75.00 toward towing, lockout services, jumpstart total $300
Ox & Son Transport 4 coupons for $100.00 toward transport services total $400
Ox & Son Auto Auction 4 coupons for $25 off buyer or seller fees total $100
Ox & Son Detail 4 coupons for $25.00 off detail services total $100
A transaction can only have one coupon used so it ensures repeat business and limits the vendors’ discount per transaction.
The present value of the coupons is $2,070. We would like to get more participation from vendors and get that to at least $3,000. We would like us to expand to other areas of the state so our outlying Dealers will have benefits that exceed the cost of their membership. It would be nice to see it large enough that a Dealer would figure it is a no-brainer to be a member, and of course we would tout the program whenever we send a message to all Dealers including non-member Dealers.
Also Jen with Ox & Sons is working the Great Falls area businesses and is planning to work Helena, Missoula and Kalispell areas.
