The power of metrics can’t be denied. We’ve talked before about how having actual data to analyze in order to understand your customers is one of the key components to selecting advertising.
Many dealer marketing specialists out there feel they have a firm hold on their ideal customer – but they’re basing that information on who walks in the door rather than actually looking at sales totals. Do you have an idea of your average customer? Do you know not just who walks in the door, but what type of customer makes a purchase?
Consider Tracking These Metrics
Some metrics and data you should consider collecting from your customer base include:
- Age
- Ethnic background
- Financial background/income
- Credit
- Part of town they live in
… and more.
You can also make a note of what promotions engage and interest customers based on these demographics. Keep in mind that the more direct data you can gather from your customers, the more data you’ll have to assess throughout the year.
What About Winter?
What does this have to do with winter promotions? For starters, the end-of-deal savings are enough to keep many different types of customers coming in through your doors, which makes some dealerships feel like that extra level of analysis isn’t necessary.
If there’s any time of year that you should be engaging in tracking metrics and seeing who your buying customer base is truly comprised of, it’s during the most profitable months. There’s no better time to get a full idea of who’s out there, what they’re looking for, and how you can get those folks to bring in their friends and family.
What kinds of promotions appeal to them? Is it the end of year savings they’re looking for, or is there a component above and beyond your current end of year advertising that worked? Don’t be afraid to ask your customers these questions. It’s important to get a grasp on why you’re getting customers. You know that what you’re doing right can be amplified with automotive direct mail pieces, banners, commercials, and any other kind of advertising you may be doing.
If you find that your customers learned of special promotions due to automotive direct mailers, feel free to ask them what in particular about the mail piece attracted them to you store. In many cases they’ll probably tell you the money savings or the deal itself, but you may get a few people who are willing to disclose something about the mailer that was particularly compelling.
Remember, winter promotion time is only days away, so it makes sense to start tracking customer metrics and asking important questions now. There’s no time like the present to gather data that will help inform next year’s winter promotional planning.
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