Auto Sales And Auto Service | Auto Sales Training
Auto Sales And Auto Service: Who Rips You Off
Auto Sales And Auto Service: Who Rips You Off More?
Everybody hates car salesman. They talk too fast, use too many clichs, and are generally exasperating. Theres nothing worse than being verbally romanced only to find out you were ripped-offor is there?
How about getting ripped-off repeatedly? How about getting ripped-off repeatedly for years? How about never even knowing you were ripped-off, repeatedly, and for years?
Welcome to service! When it comes to swindling, automotive service representatives are the real experts. They have more experience, and way more opportunity to rip you off.
A car salesman has only a few chances to rip you off provided you even engage in negotiations. Theres the price of the car, financing, leasing, accessories/options, extended warranties, your trade-in, and the general bull that wafts from the salesmens mouth.
You should also watch out for the finance manager. Todays finance folks arent just number crunchers, theyre salesmen in disguise. This is where youll be encouraged to buy the extended warranty and a host of other accessories that can all be packaged up nicely into your financing.
Car sales rip-off attempts are easily thwarted. Number one, you can just walk away! Also, there are numerous resources on how to buy a car without losing your shirt. If youre interested, visit the RepairTrust resource link @ www.repairtrust.com and youll find several sites that will tell you everything you want to know about buying, trading, leasing, financing, new, usedetc.
Its quite different in the world of car repair. Your car needs service. You HAVE to deal with a service representative, like it or not.
The folks in the dim underworld of automotive service are well-trained in the art of ripping people off. Theyre not the feeding-frenzied, thrashing sharks of sales that are easy to spot.
No, service representatives are the Great Whites. They primarily hunt alone, hiding in the murky waters of service, striking without warning.
Whats really scary is that the service industry is infested with Great Whites. Traditional tips and suggestions to avoid their attacks dont work. This is evidenced by the fact that service customers are scammed “tens of billions of dollars every year.”
Information is the key to STOP a Great White. If one knows who, what, when, where, why, and how it hunts, one can take control.
Importantly, “Sharks are not mindless eating machines.” The Great Whites of the service industry are experienced and smart. There are so many attacks from so many different directions, and new technologies provide fresh chum daily.
With auto repair, technology creates confusion. Technology creates ripples and waves, making it difficult to see below the surface of even simple auto repairs.
The Great White can sense the anxiety of a service customer, like it can a struggling swimmer. In the midst of this confusion, the waters of service get even murkier, and SPLASHits cost you an arm and a leg.
In todays service environment, the service customer needs protection, and needs to be empowered with accurate information and powerful tools before even entering the waters. Theres no need to lose any limbs, ever!
Auto Sales Training
If you’re a salesperson whose dealership has recently gone online, you’re probably wondering about the best way to handle online customers. This new breed is entirely different, and dealerships everywhere are incorporating internet sales techniques into their existing auto sales training programs as a result.
The internet buyer is much more discriminating than their offline counterpart. They are searching for added value, choice and much more than the best price.
Therefore, being able to turn their enquiries into sales should be the goal of all online dealerships. But how do you, as a salesperson go about this effectively?
To begin with, a good understanding of today’s internet buyers is in order. They are much more educated about what can be had online. That’s because most auto dealer websites allow them to do just about everything except kick the tires. Internet car buyers have greater control over the buying process. They can access information around the clock, greatly reduce searching time, comparison shop and even obtain financing online. That means that once they’ve reached you, they are much better informed than the car buyers of old. However, it doesn’t mean that the salesperson has been outmoded! Salespeople are as an integral part of the auto-purchasing process as they’ve always been. Customers still need someone to help clear confusion and finalize the sale.
It should be understood that the internet presents a golden opportunity for auto retailers and sales people to re-evaluate and reinvent their customer image. For example, the online salesperson can elevate the entire dealership’s image by assuming a more advisory role with customers. This role is highly important, considering that said customer will already know a great deal about what you have to offer. As well, internet buyers, already being used to the low pressure, self-controlled buying process are more likely to respond negatively to traditional pressure selling tactics.
Internet auto sales training should communicate the benefits of using the internet to engage a customer at the shopping stage and provide superior customer service, something that has always been a cornerstone of the auto industry. Training should also identify the benefits of utilizing internet customer relationship marketing to reinforce strong brand loyalty.
How many internet sales a dealership makes will ultimately depend on the amount of useful information on that dealership’s website. Today’s internet buyer will not wait for new information to be added; if a website does not have what they are looking for, they will simply go elsewhere. The internet is seen as ‘the great equalizer’ of all businesses. Dealerships are no longer just competing with companies down the street; they are being compared to dealerships world wide. Therefore, it is even more critical that any auto sales techniques be original and dynamic; something that catches the buyer’s eye or ear and leaves them compelled to know more.
Customer service is just as important online as it is offline; the salesperson must be willing and able to follow up with any and all internet enquiries received. According to a recent J.D. Power Autoshopper survey, 22% of all new vehicle buyers said that the internet affected their choice of a dealer, up from 14% in 2002. Therefore, how a dealer or salesperson responds to internet requests is of increasing importance to customers.
Quality customer relationship management software is another way that a net-savvy dealership can manage its enquiries. Incorporating technology into the office has many other benefits as well. Today’s salespeople can now communicate from anywhere, whether it via PDA, cell phone or laptop, making them more accessible to customers than ever before. Web chat offers an additional outlet for sales people and customers to connect, giving customers the opportunity to receive real-time answers to pressing questions.
But the tactics and advice is the same: take the time to listen to what customers are saying so that you can tailor services to meet their needs, don’t rush the sale and if a problem arises, avoid excuses; instead, explain why the problem has occurred. Assume a courteous disposition, be willing to ask what you can do for them, and showcase the benefits of working with you and your dealership. Internet customers are after the same things traditional customers are; to be heard and be advised.
Improve Your Sales with Auto Responder Improvements
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Improve your marketing and sales with some auto responder Improvements. Try some of these:
1. Publish free reports to send via your auto responder. The reports should be related to your business or web site & contain info, ads and links to your sites. People love getting freebies.
2. Collect vital customer satisfaction information by publishing a survey to send via auto responder to those who sign up on your site in exchange for a free eBook, software or trial period at your membership site. This type of information will help you understand their needs, likes & dislikes better.
3. Instead of answering each customer question that is e-mailed to you, publish “Frequently Ask Questions” and make them available via auto responder to those who sign up. To save time and support headaches.
4. Instead of publishing all of your customer testimonials or endorsements on your website, publish only a few there. And set up an auto responder form that invites visitors to receive a complete list via your. Give them a power-packed list; it’s more effective to include all of them.
Mix and match. Change your auto responder strategy to change your auto responder results!
Maximize Your Sales with the 2 Step Auto Responder
Maximize your marketing and sales with some auto responder Improvements. Try some of these marketing promotional pieces, the tryed and tested 2 step mailing process. Guaranteed to boost you profits.
1. Collect vital customer satisfaction information by publishing a survey to send via auto responder to those who sign up on your site in exchange for a free eBook, software or trial period at your membership site. This type of information will help you understand their needs, likes & dislikes better.
2. Publish free reports to send via your auto responder. The reports should be related to your business or web site & contain info, ads and links to your sites. People love getting freebies.
3. Instead of publishing all of your customer testimonials or endorsements on your website, publish only a few there. And set up an auto responder form that invites visitors to receive a complete list via your. Give them a power-packed list; it’s more effective to include all of them.
4. Instead of answering each customer question that is e-mailed to you, publish “Frequently Ask Questions” and make them available via auto responder to those who sign up. To save time and support headaches.
Mix and match. Change your auto responder strategy to change your auto responder results! Also top sales pros confirm that it often takes seven or more communications or sales messages before prospective customers make a purchase. They also confirm that its generally easier to sell to a referral, because someone they know gave positive testimonial about their products or services.
What would happen if you combined both of these powerful ideas? A nifty and thrifty two-step. Try this two-step tip:
1. Publish a price list of all the products and services that you offer in an insert, direct marketing package and / or .pdf to be made available via auto responder. You could also include order forms, product descriptions, and other sales material. Then send to the people in #1 above with monthly updates, announcements of new sales and products / services, and a request for referrals.
2. Collect leads with your auto responder. Ask for mailing addresses and telephone numbers, too, for additional ways to follow up with each person. When you download the e-mail digest of everyone’s e-mail addresses and other information from those who requested additional information from your auto responder, follow up multiple ways. Send postcards. Call. Mail sales letters and other promotional pieces.
So why not improve your closing ratio and reach out even farther at the same time?
When Auto Sales Sail
Back in the day when a person needed a new car, he would peruse the classified ads in the paper and maybe mosey down to the local dealership to kick a few tires. My, how times have changed. Today, the same car buyer needs to only turn on his computer, and in a matter of minutes he has a fat selection of Buicks, Toyotas, and BMWs at his disposal. Online car sales have created a unique business opportunity for the average Joe in love with four-wheeled transportation.
When the internet began, many saw it as a way for fast communication. Little did we know how much it would change our world. Today a motorcycle sells every 18 minutes on the popular auction site eBay. An SUV will go every 30 minutes through the same site. Millions of dollars worth of metal and engine parts exchange hands virtually every single day, and those who love cars are understanding the possibilities of this unique business opportunity. They purchase a car locally, assess its value, maybe tune it up a bit, and then turn to the world as their buyer.
Several sites exist that allow a car owner to sell besides eBay. Specific sites just for cars allow millions of internet users to peruse a lot of thousands. Additionally, brand-specific sites will narrow the choices for the purists that love a specific kind of car. German made, Japanese made, and American made-it doesn’t matter as a site exists for nearly any kind of car. And as a result, those with Grandma’s Studebaker sitting in the garage no longer have to sign because the neighbors do not understand its true monetary value. They will find the perfect buyer and thus can turn more than a marginal profit.
This unique business opportunity has the potential to allow a car love to combine his passion with a genuine job. If gets good at it, he will eventually find himself a way to earn some extra cash. He can attend estate auctions or even purchase vehicles from local dealers and then sell them online for a profit.
Obviously this kind of opportunity does not work for those with only a few dollars to invest. It requires some significant finances because cars do not come cheap, but those who love cars and can afford the investment will quickly find themselves sucked into the world of online automobile sales.
In the end, the internet offers a much broader market than we could ever imagine. It also offers more risks. Those engaging in this activity must make their deals cautiously. They should check out the websites they are using and investigate what type of money transactions they do and do not allow. Money orders and PayPal often are the most reliable forms of payment. With this kind of money exchanging hands, a seller should exercise caution.
Thus we can see that those who love cars can find a unique business opportunity in online car sales. If they have the cash needed to finance their operation, they will soon find themselves engaging in conversations with people across the country, and they may even find a new car that they love so much they will not let it go.
Find online auto loan for your automobile
Before shopping any auto, you should definitely consider shopping for your auto loan online. Online auto lenders are rapidly becoming one of the best sources of fianc for new and used automobile.
You can want visit online lenders site as much as you want. Finding online leader helps you to save valuable time searching around town. Find out the best where the lender is really willing to give you finance or who can provide you with low interest rate. Online auto loan in the best way to find out the cheapest loan.
Before applying for an online auto loan, decide ahead time and money you are willing to spend on your auto and length of loan. It always good to apply for what you are actually looking for, it will help to add in sales tax and other fees.
You can compare online lenders quote with auto loan quotes from bank and from the dealership and verify online auto loan is the cheapest loan you can get in market.
Online application for auto loan is a short form, requesting personal information, employment and any previous mortgage. Once you have completed the form submit it, you can expect response with in few working hours. The online auto lenders approve your loan within few minutes, but at the most they will get back to you next day.
Now you can avoid dealers financing frustration with online auto loan. Online auto loan will send you check immediately. There are no any hidden fees or any extra changers.
4 Ways to Use Auto-Responders to Build Sales
Auto-responders, email systems which are built to deliver multi-step messages over time, will add value to your business in four ways: auto-responders can educate customers about your products and services, auto-responders can build rapport with your prospects, and auto-responders can carry much of your customer support and customer training load. These systems are always working for you delivering important and valuable information. Please see several ideas on how to do this below:
1. Communicate with Customers: Enter company data and product information into a series of auto-responders. Messages should be informative for your customers and should include an offer of value which the recipient can respond to. The auto-responder cycle can add value by making your company information more accessible to your clients.
2. Increase New Business Sales: Put a lead management system in place with auto-responder functionality. This will solve a common problem. Sales people will work a lead list, and burn a lead if it does not respond. The multi-step auto-responder system keep your company in your prospects’s mind. The AR system spark a low fire into the mind of your prospect and build mind-share touch by touch.
3. Distribute Training: Training is critical to customer adoption and customer retention. Training is expensive and can eat up valuable sales and operation time. Distribute training to customers, new and existing, with an AR. The messages can range from the “Welcome on-board” basics and can evolve to advanced learning. Why not create advanced usage streaming videos and content and load up a 7 or a 10 message AR and put this Advanced Training offer to your customers for a fee?
4. Distribute Support: Set-up an auto-responder with Frequently Asked Questions. Determine what customer queries are asked and put a series of answers into your auto-responder. Put your AR to work for you by distributing your FAQ to your customers and your trial users.
The auto-responder sequences are fluid: work always to improve your messages and your offers. Your auto-responders can differentiate your business by optimizing customer communication and getting the most from your lead generation and marketing systems.
SUV Sales Drop? Imagine That!
Gas prices aren’t high enough. Really… they aren’t. Do you disagree? You should!!
Today (october 4th, 2005) we learned that SUV sales dropped dramically after the huge gas spikes that hurricane katrina caused. Did you see that coming? I sure did. Gas prices have a direct effect on the economy. This you know. What you might not know is the amount of an effect it has on many things.
I forecast that SUV sales would drop significantly when gas hit $3 per gallon. You may see this as a bad thing, but for those of us who have waited for the auto industry to increase mileage instead of horsepower, it is a blessing!
The auto industry has been made aware that Americans, at least those concerned about our daily driving costs, choose not to drive around in land yachts. Ironically, the auto industry will need to adapt… a sink or swim anology to follow the land yacht comment!
Now for what you all have been waiting for… my new forecast.
The auto industry will adapt or go out of business. They will slow the production of SUVs and Trucks because several people who don’t need these vehicles can’t afford to drive them. This apparently has already begun in some aspects.
You will see a separation of the auto companies from the oil companies. This is for those of you who believe the oil companies have the auto industry in their back pocket. Anyway, the auto companies will begin investing serious money in alternate fuel vehicles and efficiency in current gasoline driven automobiles.
Sales in these vehicles will spike, along with motorcycles and scooters. This has also been happening in some aspects. Hard to beat 90 miles per gallon on a scooter if all you are doing is running around town!
What will happen to gas prices? They will continue to go up. The oil companies still need their money, and all-in-all, the gas prices are not that high if you look at some of the other countries in the world.
The bigger question is what is going to happen to prices of all other consumibles that Americans buy… imports as well as products made here in the USA.
The drop in sales of SUVs is more of a quick fix than a long term solution to gasoline prices. It is the one obvious thing we can do to lower our gasoline usage. What will be interesting to see is the long term solutions. I will patiently await the next chapter of this story and report accordingly.
Prosperity System Network for Auto Wealth Generation
Have you always struggled to find the right home based business or the right coach? Though there are plenty of home based business opportunities floating around amidst a lot of hype, it is difficult to locate one that really fulfils all of the tall promises it makes. My hunch is you might have also passed by some MLM gimmicks OR some others might have made the going tough.
The very reason you are reading this page is, you have had enough of the BS! Here is a legitimate home based business opportunity that actually lets you build your fortune with less startup cost and very less effort. Unbelievable as it may sound, at the Prosperity Automated System (PAS) is a real massive money maker from actual sales.
PAS proves that Internet Marketing in direct sales has come of age generating real good cash. PAS takes all those online marketing work which make the conventional marketing over the net really boring and unyielding, and generates only prospects, i.e., real buyers. You are backed by Prosperity System Network that does everything from generating leads to closing the sales for you. It combines the creativity of man and the speed and accuracy of a machine.
PAS has eliminated the drawbacks of conventional multi level marketing in
successful home businesses. There is no fear of rejection. It has been built to employ the maximum possible automation capability of the internet. It is innovative, subtle and high yielding. It is just like any other home business but beats them all in income generation.
PAS has lessened the burden from your shoulder. After registering yourself as an affiliate with the System. You can be at leisure and still making monster profits. The prospect network system and team leaders are always with you. If you have nothing to sales you can sell the system itself and the pay line created by PAS will numb your mind!
How Emotional Intelligence Impacts Sales Performance and Employee Retention in
How Emotional Intelligence Impacts Sales Performance and Employee Retention in a Dealership
One of the mysteries of the auto dealership world is why general managers and general sales managers assume that low productivity and the resulting high turnover are inevitable with their sales teams. Research has shown it is appropriate to apply the Pareto principle to salespeople whereby 20 percent of all salespeople now make 80 percent of all sales. That means 80 percent of the sales force fights over the remaining 20 percent of the business not produced by the top sales pros.
With so many salespeople competing for shares of such a small pie, the turnover rate in sales is obviously very high. But many auto dealer executives are willing to accept, as a cost of doing business, the unending expenses of recruiting, selecting, and training the continuing flow of newcomers into the sales rank. They should, instead, recognize that the poor sales productivity and high turnover rampant in the industry are the result of faulty hiring practices.
Research has shown that 80 percent of the essential competencies required for success in the workplace are emotional intelligence, which is far greater than IQ or personality traits. Emotional intelligence (EI) has been a buzzword in the business world for the last several years. By definition, EI is an individuals ability to recognize and regulate emotions in themselves and others. In practical application it is ones ability to understand how our emotions and the emotions of others impact action and performance.
EI has no greater application than in a sales position. A recent study by the Hay/McBer firm in Boston of Fortune 500 companies including AT&T, IBM, and PepsiCo found that the top 10 percent of the sales forces in the companies surveyed totaled nearly $6.7 million in sales while the norm was only $3 millionmore than 2 times the average or additional sales totaling 88 times the average salary of $42,000. The top 10 percent of those sales forces were very strong in EI competencies while the average salesperson was not.
In an objective study of more than 2,000 auto dealer salespeople designed to measure the EI competencies among those salespeople that were successful vs. those that were unsuccessful, the following five competencies were the most critical to predicting sales success and retention in the industry.
Intuition & Empathy. This is the salespersons awareness of the prospects feelings, needs, and concerns. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Attitude toward others: ones ability to look positively and objectively upon others
Understanding others: an intuitive sense of a prospects and/or customers feelings and perspectives and showing an active interest in their needs
Customer service orientation: the ability to anticipate, recognize, and meet customers needs
Results Orientation & Decisiveness. This is the salespersons adeptness at inducing desirable responses from the customer or prospect. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Communication: sending clear and convincing messages that are understood by the customer or prospect
Influencing: using effective tactics and techniques for persuasion and desired results
Gaining commitment: ones ability to develop a motivation act
Self View. This is the salespersons level of courage and self-esteem that provides thick enough skin to persevere through various obstacles they encounter throughout the sales cycle. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Handling rejection: ones ability to handle a no or a nonsale and to not take it personally and be able to recover and restart quickly to try again
Self-esteem: the higher the self-esteem the more passion and courage the salesperson will have in the social arena
Self Awareness. This is knowing ones internal states, preferences, resources, strengths, and limitations. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Self-confidence: ones ability to believe in their own abilities and strengths to personally take charge in achieving and exceeding their goals
Persuasiveness: ones ability to stand their ground in negotiations and in handling sales objections to exude to the customer or prospect that their product or service meets their needs
Competitiveness: ones desire to win and be perceived as competent in the eyes of others, as well as desire to be personally recognized for their accomplishments
Self Expectations. This is the salespersons emotional tendencies that guide or facilitate reaching goals and their sense of personal commitment to responsibilities. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Achievement drive: striving to improve or meet a standard of excellence we impose on ourselves
Initiative: readiness to act on opportunities without having to be told
Optimism: persistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks
These are all essential competencies in selling in the auto dealership industry. The salesperson who knows the product or service inside out will not succeed in the long term without possessing these essential competencies.
Since we implemented an emotional intelligence pre-employment profile to help in our sales selection process, our retention has jumped from 10 percent to 77 percent. And not only do the employees stay longer, but they are more productive, catch on more quickly, and require less time in training, says Regina Roat, HR Director of Sterling-McCall Auto Group in Houston, Texas, which is part of Group 1 Automotive.
Auto dealers who are forward thinking and realize they are competing for top talent with other companies in their market are now implementing emotional intelligence into their selection process. Additionally, they are also providing emotional intelligence management development programs to assist their managers in leadership development, which has a major impact on improving the manager/employee relationship and is a critical piece to improving employee retention.
20 Ways To Increase Your Traffic And Sales Using Free
20 Ways To Increase Your Traffic And Sales Using Free Follow-Up Autoresponder Courses
An auto responder course is a group of articles or information set up to be sent out separately over a set period of time by e-mail. People just e-mail your auto responder to receive the free course and it is sent out automatically over time. You can find free follow-up auto responders to use by typing it into any search engine. Below are ten ways to use them to increase your traffic and sales.
1. Offer your course as a free bonus for purchasing one of your main products or services. People will buy your products quicker when you offer a bonus.
2. When you write and give away a free course you will become known as an expert. This’ll gain people’s trust and they will buy your main product quicker.
3. Allow others to add your free course to their own product packages. Their customers will see your ad when they purchase.
4. People love to get freebies. A free auto responder course is perfect. They will visit your web site to get the free valuable information.
5. Allow people to receive your course for free, if they give you the e-mail addresses of 3 to 5 friends or associates that would be interested.
6. Allow other people to give away your free course. This will increase the number of people that will see your ad in the course.
7. You could trade advertising space in your course for other forms of advertising. It could be banner ads, e-zine ads, web site ads, etc.
8. Gain new leads by having people sign up and give you their contact info before they can receive your auto responder course.
9. Give away the auto responder course as a free gift to your current customers as a way of letting them know you appreciate their business.
10. Give away the course to people that join your affiliate program. This will increase the number of people that sign-up.
11. Make money selling advertising space in your course. You could charge for small classified ads or sponsor ads.
12. Get free advertising by submitting your course to freebie web sites. This will increase the number of people that will see your ads in the course.
13. Make money by selling the reprint rights to those people that would like to sell the course. You could make more money by selling the master rights.
14. Hold a contest on your web site so people could win your course. You will get free advertising when you submit your contest to free contest directories.
15. You’ll gain valuable referrals from people telling others about your course. Word of mouth advertising can be very effective.
16. Make money cross promoting your course with other people’s products or services. This technique wills double your marketing effort
17. Increase your e-zine subscribers by giving your course to people that subscribe to your e-zine. This’ll give people an incentive to subscribe.
18. Allow your affiliates to use the free course as a promotional tool for your product. Each lesson could include their affiliate link.
19. Promote other businesses affiliate programs you join with your free auto responder course. Include a different affiliate link on each lesson.
20. Advertise a different product or service on each lesson. If you only have one, use different emotional response ads on each lesson.
Auto Insurance For The Digital Age – Online, On Demand
Auto Insurance For The Digital Age – Online, On Demand
The maturation of the Internet has turned it into a viable marketplace and no industry has benefited more than the auto insurance business. In May of 2006 alone, Yahoo saw almost four million searches on “car insurance.” Three of the strongest insurance companies in the country do their selling primarily over the internet or telephone: Progressive, eSurance and Geico.
There are other highly popular sites on the web that provide multiple quotes from standard insurance companies, but do so without the benefit of an insurance agent. Those sites that provide quotes generally will turn the sales portion of the customer interaction over to the insurance provider that has been selected.
Exact numbers are hard to come by, but assembling a few fragments gives us a fair picture of the industry. According to Forrester Research, by 2004 30% of all Americans were using the Internet to research auto insurance. By 2005, 16% of the populace were not only doing their research on line but completing the auto insurance purchase as well.
The relatively low percentage of people completing online purchases compared with the amount of Internet research and the success of online companies highlights an important component of the business. It is still not terribly easy to complete and auto insurance buy online. Many people will do their research online and turn to the telephone to complete the process. Personal experience shows that the insurer has to do a quick search on your driving record before locking in rates, and that is something that is much more quickly accomplished in a real-time interview.
Every major insurance company has an online site that will offer up a quote. Some – still a minority – will close an insurance contract online. And between the Internet and the web, companies like Geico have leveraged themselves into the top 10 auto insurance sales companies. eSurance and others have the distinct advantage of holding their costs to website maintenance and operation of a quality phone center. They have no agent commissions to pay and no storefronts to support.
There are also some quality sites like http://Insurance.com that can provide quotes from multiple, well established insurance companies on demand. These sites build their traffic through web searches, using a large amount of content to achieve keyword responses, and purchasing online advertising as well. These sites tend to provide libraries of information about the industry, shopping trends and techniques and advice columns of various sorts. The insurance company sites provide supporting content as well, but the multiple bid sites need it to draw traffic and rely heavily on a well-developed, multidimensional site to bring in inquiries that result in referrals.
Geico and eSurance, on the other hand, spend a lot of money on television commercials. Geico has become so dominant in the field that their commercial buys can be seen on prime time TV shows that are very expensive for advertisers. eSurance has developed a ubiquitous presence with their cartoon avatar Erin, buying TV spots on less expensive shows but buying a lot of them.
There has been a tremendous amount of news reporting about auto insurance prices dropping recently. Much of it attributes the drop to fierce competition and low rates introduced by online providers. It is fair to say that online auto insurance is a major component of the market, even if the sales themselves are being completed offline in some fashion. Eventually, the sales tools will make the online purchase as simple as the rate research.
A Popular Auto Responder Marketing Technique
Marketing through auto responder series is a popular strategy to increase repeat website visits and sales. Here is a popular strategy.
EZINE EBOOK
Instead of trying to publish a small daily or weekly eZines, try publishing one large monthly eZine (similar to a monthly magazine) as an e-book format delivered via auto responder, preferably an Adobe .pdf file. You could have it made up of a large number of articles per issue and insert regularly featured areas throughout like inspirational quotes, industry tips, favorite sites and advice from the pros. You could also insert full-color graphics, multimedia components like audio / video file links and ads. Then you can charge a monthly rate, with an annual discounted package purchase, and sell advertising spots to sprinkle in your auto responder announcements for each issue and with an informational series to announce your monthly eZine to new prospects.
In summary, by using customized marketing techniques like an eZine eBook, tailored to fit your own products and services, you can reach out and increase your website traffic and sales opportunities. Internet marketing can mean more ways to grow your business.
Increase sales by over delivering in your giveaways
So, you have decided to market on the internet. You researched the market. You waded through all the technical jargon of how to make a website. You registered your domain. You set up your auto responder, now you need to find some ebook to give away so that you can build up your mailing list. This is the point where many newbies are bound to make a critical mistake. You have just spent a good amount of money for all the setting up of your website. The next months bills are already on the horizon if not upon you. The pressure is great to get some sales going. The temptation is now is to just grab any old ebook to give away as an offer to your visitors in return for their email address. Do not do it!!!
Look at it this way. Do you introduce yourself with a smile or with a frown? Giving away something of little or no value to your visitors is a frown. No matter how good your product is, most people are not going to buy until about the seventh contact with you. If their first impression of you is negative, you can kiss their business goodbye.
I am talking from personal experience. I recently came upon a really cool website. The owner of this site offered a free newsletter. I signed up not thinking much about it. At that point in time I was considering creating an ebook in PDF format. My problem was that I did not have $300 to spend on a PDF writing program. The first free newsletter arrived from the cool website. Well that was my lucky day. In the newsletter this guy gave me a fantastic tip. He showed me how to create a PDF ebook with totally free software. Just one little insight contained in a free newsletter saved me 300 bucks, and that was only the tip of the iceberg. Dont you think that I will now feel that this guy is worth my trust? Well here is how much I trust him because he over delivered on what he promised. I am writing this article because he told me to.
The moral of the story: Deliver more than you promise, it will translate in trust, good will and most importantly, more sales.
Auto Sales And Auto Service: Who Rips You Off More?
Everybody hates car salesman. They talk too fast, use too many clichs, and are generally exasperating. Theres nothing worse than being verbally romanced only to find out you were ripped-offor is there?
How about getting ripped-off repeatedly? How about getting ripped-off repeatedly for years? How about never even knowing you were ripped-off, repeatedly, and for years?
Welcome to service! When it comes to swindling, automotive service representatives are the real experts. They have more experience, and way more opportunity to rip you off.
A car salesman has only a few chances to rip you off provided you even engage in negotiations. Theres the price of the car, financing, leasing, accessories/options, extended warranties, your trade-in, and the general bull that wafts from the salesmens mouth.
You should also watch out for the finance manager. Todays finance folks arent just number crunchers, theyre salesmen in disguise. This is where youll be encouraged to buy the extended warranty and a host of other accessories that can all be packaged up nicely into your financing.
Car sales rip-off attempts are easily thwarted. Number one, you can just walk away! Also, there are numerous resources on how to buy a car without losing your shirt. If youre interested, visit the RepairTrust resource link @ www.repairtrust.com and youll find several sites that will tell you everything you want to know about buying, trading, leasing, financing, new, usedetc.
Its quite different in the world of car repair. Your car needs service. You HAVE to deal with a service representative, like it or not.
The folks in the dim underworld of automotive service are well-trained in the art of ripping people off. Theyre not the feeding-frenzied, thrashing sharks of sales that are easy to spot.
No, service representatives are the Great Whites. They primarily hunt alone, hiding in the murky waters of service, striking without warning.
Whats really scary is that the service industry is infested with Great Whites. Traditional tips and suggestions to avoid their attacks dont work. This is evidenced by the fact that service customers are scammed “tens of billions of dollars every year.”
Information is the key to STOP a Great White. If one knows who, what, when, where, why, and how it hunts, one can take control.
Importantly, “Sharks are not mindless eating machines.” The Great Whites of the service industry are experienced and smart. There are so many attacks from so many different directions, and new technologies provide fresh chum daily.
With auto repair, technology creates confusion. Technology creates ripples and waves, making it difficult to see below the surface of even simple auto repairs.
The Great White can sense the anxiety of a service customer, like it can a struggling swimmer. In the midst of this confusion, the waters of service get even murkier, and SPLASHits cost you an arm and a leg.
In todays service environment, the service customer needs protection, and needs to be empowered with accurate information and powerful tools before even entering the waters. Theres no need to lose any limbs, ever!
Auto Sales Training
If you’re a salesperson whose dealership has recently gone online, you’re probably wondering about the best way to handle online customers. This new breed is entirely different, and dealerships everywhere are incorporating internet sales techniques into their existing auto sales training programs as a result.
The internet buyer is much more discriminating than their offline counterpart. They are searching for added value, choice and much more than the best price.
Therefore, being able to turn their enquiries into sales should be the goal of all online dealerships. But how do you, as a salesperson go about this effectively?
To begin with, a good understanding of today’s internet buyers is in order. They are much more educated about what can be had online. That’s because most auto dealer websites allow them to do just about everything except kick the tires. Internet car buyers have greater control over the buying process. They can access information around the clock, greatly reduce searching time, comparison shop and even obtain financing online. That means that once they’ve reached you, they are much better informed than the car buyers of old. However, it doesn’t mean that the salesperson has been outmoded! Salespeople are as an integral part of the auto-purchasing process as they’ve always been. Customers still need someone to help clear confusion and finalize the sale.
It should be understood that the internet presents a golden opportunity for auto retailers and sales people to re-evaluate and reinvent their customer image. For example, the online salesperson can elevate the entire dealership’s image by assuming a more advisory role with customers. This role is highly important, considering that said customer will already know a great deal about what you have to offer. As well, internet buyers, already being used to the low pressure, self-controlled buying process are more likely to respond negatively to traditional pressure selling tactics.
Internet auto sales training should communicate the benefits of using the internet to engage a customer at the shopping stage and provide superior customer service, something that has always been a cornerstone of the auto industry. Training should also identify the benefits of utilizing internet customer relationship marketing to reinforce strong brand loyalty.
How many internet sales a dealership makes will ultimately depend on the amount of useful information on that dealership’s website. Today’s internet buyer will not wait for new information to be added; if a website does not have what they are looking for, they will simply go elsewhere. The internet is seen as ‘the great equalizer’ of all businesses. Dealerships are no longer just competing with companies down the street; they are being compared to dealerships world wide. Therefore, it is even more critical that any auto sales techniques be original and dynamic; something that catches the buyer’s eye or ear and leaves them compelled to know more.
Customer service is just as important online as it is offline; the salesperson must be willing and able to follow up with any and all internet enquiries received. According to a recent J.D. Power Autoshopper survey, 22% of all new vehicle buyers said that the internet affected their choice of a dealer, up from 14% in 2002. Therefore, how a dealer or salesperson responds to internet requests is of increasing importance to customers.
Quality customer relationship management software is another way that a net-savvy dealership can manage its enquiries. Incorporating technology into the office has many other benefits as well. Today’s salespeople can now communicate from anywhere, whether it via PDA, cell phone or laptop, making them more accessible to customers than ever before. Web chat offers an additional outlet for sales people and customers to connect, giving customers the opportunity to receive real-time answers to pressing questions.
But the tactics and advice is the same: take the time to listen to what customers are saying so that you can tailor services to meet their needs, don’t rush the sale and if a problem arises, avoid excuses; instead, explain why the problem has occurred. Assume a courteous disposition, be willing to ask what you can do for them, and showcase the benefits of working with you and your dealership. Internet customers are after the same things traditional customers are; to be heard and be advised.
Improve Your Sales with Auto Responder Improvements
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Improve your marketing and sales with some auto responder Improvements. Try some of these:
1. Publish free reports to send via your auto responder. The reports should be related to your business or web site & contain info, ads and links to your sites. People love getting freebies.
2. Collect vital customer satisfaction information by publishing a survey to send via auto responder to those who sign up on your site in exchange for a free eBook, software or trial period at your membership site. This type of information will help you understand their needs, likes & dislikes better.
3. Instead of answering each customer question that is e-mailed to you, publish “Frequently Ask Questions” and make them available via auto responder to those who sign up. To save time and support headaches.
4. Instead of publishing all of your customer testimonials or endorsements on your website, publish only a few there. And set up an auto responder form that invites visitors to receive a complete list via your. Give them a power-packed list; it’s more effective to include all of them.
Mix and match. Change your auto responder strategy to change your auto responder results!
Maximize Your Sales with the 2 Step Auto Responder
Maximize your marketing and sales with some auto responder Improvements. Try some of these marketing promotional pieces, the tryed and tested 2 step mailing process. Guaranteed to boost you profits.
1. Collect vital customer satisfaction information by publishing a survey to send via auto responder to those who sign up on your site in exchange for a free eBook, software or trial period at your membership site. This type of information will help you understand their needs, likes & dislikes better.
2. Publish free reports to send via your auto responder. The reports should be related to your business or web site & contain info, ads and links to your sites. People love getting freebies.
3. Instead of publishing all of your customer testimonials or endorsements on your website, publish only a few there. And set up an auto responder form that invites visitors to receive a complete list via your. Give them a power-packed list; it’s more effective to include all of them.
4. Instead of answering each customer question that is e-mailed to you, publish “Frequently Ask Questions” and make them available via auto responder to those who sign up. To save time and support headaches.
Mix and match. Change your auto responder strategy to change your auto responder results! Also top sales pros confirm that it often takes seven or more communications or sales messages before prospective customers make a purchase. They also confirm that its generally easier to sell to a referral, because someone they know gave positive testimonial about their products or services.
What would happen if you combined both of these powerful ideas? A nifty and thrifty two-step. Try this two-step tip:
1. Publish a price list of all the products and services that you offer in an insert, direct marketing package and / or .pdf to be made available via auto responder. You could also include order forms, product descriptions, and other sales material. Then send to the people in #1 above with monthly updates, announcements of new sales and products / services, and a request for referrals.
2. Collect leads with your auto responder. Ask for mailing addresses and telephone numbers, too, for additional ways to follow up with each person. When you download the e-mail digest of everyone’s e-mail addresses and other information from those who requested additional information from your auto responder, follow up multiple ways. Send postcards. Call. Mail sales letters and other promotional pieces.
So why not improve your closing ratio and reach out even farther at the same time?
When Auto Sales Sail
Back in the day when a person needed a new car, he would peruse the classified ads in the paper and maybe mosey down to the local dealership to kick a few tires. My, how times have changed. Today, the same car buyer needs to only turn on his computer, and in a matter of minutes he has a fat selection of Buicks, Toyotas, and BMWs at his disposal. Online car sales have created a unique business opportunity for the average Joe in love with four-wheeled transportation.
When the internet began, many saw it as a way for fast communication. Little did we know how much it would change our world. Today a motorcycle sells every 18 minutes on the popular auction site eBay. An SUV will go every 30 minutes through the same site. Millions of dollars worth of metal and engine parts exchange hands virtually every single day, and those who love cars are understanding the possibilities of this unique business opportunity. They purchase a car locally, assess its value, maybe tune it up a bit, and then turn to the world as their buyer.
Several sites exist that allow a car owner to sell besides eBay. Specific sites just for cars allow millions of internet users to peruse a lot of thousands. Additionally, brand-specific sites will narrow the choices for the purists that love a specific kind of car. German made, Japanese made, and American made-it doesn’t matter as a site exists for nearly any kind of car. And as a result, those with Grandma’s Studebaker sitting in the garage no longer have to sign because the neighbors do not understand its true monetary value. They will find the perfect buyer and thus can turn more than a marginal profit.
This unique business opportunity has the potential to allow a car love to combine his passion with a genuine job. If gets good at it, he will eventually find himself a way to earn some extra cash. He can attend estate auctions or even purchase vehicles from local dealers and then sell them online for a profit.
Obviously this kind of opportunity does not work for those with only a few dollars to invest. It requires some significant finances because cars do not come cheap, but those who love cars and can afford the investment will quickly find themselves sucked into the world of online automobile sales.
In the end, the internet offers a much broader market than we could ever imagine. It also offers more risks. Those engaging in this activity must make their deals cautiously. They should check out the websites they are using and investigate what type of money transactions they do and do not allow. Money orders and PayPal often are the most reliable forms of payment. With this kind of money exchanging hands, a seller should exercise caution.
Thus we can see that those who love cars can find a unique business opportunity in online car sales. If they have the cash needed to finance their operation, they will soon find themselves engaging in conversations with people across the country, and they may even find a new car that they love so much they will not let it go.
Find online auto loan for your automobile
Before shopping any auto, you should definitely consider shopping for your auto loan online. Online auto lenders are rapidly becoming one of the best sources of fianc for new and used automobile.
You can want visit online lenders site as much as you want. Finding online leader helps you to save valuable time searching around town. Find out the best where the lender is really willing to give you finance or who can provide you with low interest rate. Online auto loan in the best way to find out the cheapest loan.
Before applying for an online auto loan, decide ahead time and money you are willing to spend on your auto and length of loan. It always good to apply for what you are actually looking for, it will help to add in sales tax and other fees.
You can compare online lenders quote with auto loan quotes from bank and from the dealership and verify online auto loan is the cheapest loan you can get in market.
Online application for auto loan is a short form, requesting personal information, employment and any previous mortgage. Once you have completed the form submit it, you can expect response with in few working hours. The online auto lenders approve your loan within few minutes, but at the most they will get back to you next day.
Now you can avoid dealers financing frustration with online auto loan. Online auto loan will send you check immediately. There are no any hidden fees or any extra changers.
4 Ways to Use Auto-Responders to Build Sales
Auto-responders, email systems which are built to deliver multi-step messages over time, will add value to your business in four ways: auto-responders can educate customers about your products and services, auto-responders can build rapport with your prospects, and auto-responders can carry much of your customer support and customer training load. These systems are always working for you delivering important and valuable information. Please see several ideas on how to do this below:
1. Communicate with Customers: Enter company data and product information into a series of auto-responders. Messages should be informative for your customers and should include an offer of value which the recipient can respond to. The auto-responder cycle can add value by making your company information more accessible to your clients.
2. Increase New Business Sales: Put a lead management system in place with auto-responder functionality. This will solve a common problem. Sales people will work a lead list, and burn a lead if it does not respond. The multi-step auto-responder system keep your company in your prospects’s mind. The AR system spark a low fire into the mind of your prospect and build mind-share touch by touch.
3. Distribute Training: Training is critical to customer adoption and customer retention. Training is expensive and can eat up valuable sales and operation time. Distribute training to customers, new and existing, with an AR. The messages can range from the “Welcome on-board” basics and can evolve to advanced learning. Why not create advanced usage streaming videos and content and load up a 7 or a 10 message AR and put this Advanced Training offer to your customers for a fee?
4. Distribute Support: Set-up an auto-responder with Frequently Asked Questions. Determine what customer queries are asked and put a series of answers into your auto-responder. Put your AR to work for you by distributing your FAQ to your customers and your trial users.
The auto-responder sequences are fluid: work always to improve your messages and your offers. Your auto-responders can differentiate your business by optimizing customer communication and getting the most from your lead generation and marketing systems.
SUV Sales Drop? Imagine That!
Gas prices aren’t high enough. Really… they aren’t. Do you disagree? You should!!
Today (october 4th, 2005) we learned that SUV sales dropped dramically after the huge gas spikes that hurricane katrina caused. Did you see that coming? I sure did. Gas prices have a direct effect on the economy. This you know. What you might not know is the amount of an effect it has on many things.
I forecast that SUV sales would drop significantly when gas hit $3 per gallon. You may see this as a bad thing, but for those of us who have waited for the auto industry to increase mileage instead of horsepower, it is a blessing!
The auto industry has been made aware that Americans, at least those concerned about our daily driving costs, choose not to drive around in land yachts. Ironically, the auto industry will need to adapt… a sink or swim anology to follow the land yacht comment!
Now for what you all have been waiting for… my new forecast.
The auto industry will adapt or go out of business. They will slow the production of SUVs and Trucks because several people who don’t need these vehicles can’t afford to drive them. This apparently has already begun in some aspects.
You will see a separation of the auto companies from the oil companies. This is for those of you who believe the oil companies have the auto industry in their back pocket. Anyway, the auto companies will begin investing serious money in alternate fuel vehicles and efficiency in current gasoline driven automobiles.
Sales in these vehicles will spike, along with motorcycles and scooters. This has also been happening in some aspects. Hard to beat 90 miles per gallon on a scooter if all you are doing is running around town!
What will happen to gas prices? They will continue to go up. The oil companies still need their money, and all-in-all, the gas prices are not that high if you look at some of the other countries in the world.
The bigger question is what is going to happen to prices of all other consumibles that Americans buy… imports as well as products made here in the USA.
The drop in sales of SUVs is more of a quick fix than a long term solution to gasoline prices. It is the one obvious thing we can do to lower our gasoline usage. What will be interesting to see is the long term solutions. I will patiently await the next chapter of this story and report accordingly.
Prosperity System Network for Auto Wealth Generation
Have you always struggled to find the right home based business or the right coach? Though there are plenty of home based business opportunities floating around amidst a lot of hype, it is difficult to locate one that really fulfils all of the tall promises it makes. My hunch is you might have also passed by some MLM gimmicks OR some others might have made the going tough.
The very reason you are reading this page is, you have had enough of the BS! Here is a legitimate home based business opportunity that actually lets you build your fortune with less startup cost and very less effort. Unbelievable as it may sound, at the Prosperity Automated System (PAS) is a real massive money maker from actual sales.
PAS proves that Internet Marketing in direct sales has come of age generating real good cash. PAS takes all those online marketing work which make the conventional marketing over the net really boring and unyielding, and generates only prospects, i.e., real buyers. You are backed by Prosperity System Network that does everything from generating leads to closing the sales for you. It combines the creativity of man and the speed and accuracy of a machine.
PAS has eliminated the drawbacks of conventional multi level marketing in
successful home businesses. There is no fear of rejection. It has been built to employ the maximum possible automation capability of the internet. It is innovative, subtle and high yielding. It is just like any other home business but beats them all in income generation.
PAS has lessened the burden from your shoulder. After registering yourself as an affiliate with the System. You can be at leisure and still making monster profits. The prospect network system and team leaders are always with you. If you have nothing to sales you can sell the system itself and the pay line created by PAS will numb your mind!
How Emotional Intelligence Impacts Sales Performance and Employee Retention in
How Emotional Intelligence Impacts Sales Performance and Employee Retention in a Dealership
One of the mysteries of the auto dealership world is why general managers and general sales managers assume that low productivity and the resulting high turnover are inevitable with their sales teams. Research has shown it is appropriate to apply the Pareto principle to salespeople whereby 20 percent of all salespeople now make 80 percent of all sales. That means 80 percent of the sales force fights over the remaining 20 percent of the business not produced by the top sales pros.
With so many salespeople competing for shares of such a small pie, the turnover rate in sales is obviously very high. But many auto dealer executives are willing to accept, as a cost of doing business, the unending expenses of recruiting, selecting, and training the continuing flow of newcomers into the sales rank. They should, instead, recognize that the poor sales productivity and high turnover rampant in the industry are the result of faulty hiring practices.
Research has shown that 80 percent of the essential competencies required for success in the workplace are emotional intelligence, which is far greater than IQ or personality traits. Emotional intelligence (EI) has been a buzzword in the business world for the last several years. By definition, EI is an individuals ability to recognize and regulate emotions in themselves and others. In practical application it is ones ability to understand how our emotions and the emotions of others impact action and performance.
EI has no greater application than in a sales position. A recent study by the Hay/McBer firm in Boston of Fortune 500 companies including AT&T, IBM, and PepsiCo found that the top 10 percent of the sales forces in the companies surveyed totaled nearly $6.7 million in sales while the norm was only $3 millionmore than 2 times the average or additional sales totaling 88 times the average salary of $42,000. The top 10 percent of those sales forces were very strong in EI competencies while the average salesperson was not.
In an objective study of more than 2,000 auto dealer salespeople designed to measure the EI competencies among those salespeople that were successful vs. those that were unsuccessful, the following five competencies were the most critical to predicting sales success and retention in the industry.
Intuition & Empathy. This is the salespersons awareness of the prospects feelings, needs, and concerns. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Attitude toward others: ones ability to look positively and objectively upon others
Understanding others: an intuitive sense of a prospects and/or customers feelings and perspectives and showing an active interest in their needs
Customer service orientation: the ability to anticipate, recognize, and meet customers needs
Results Orientation & Decisiveness. This is the salespersons adeptness at inducing desirable responses from the customer or prospect. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Communication: sending clear and convincing messages that are understood by the customer or prospect
Influencing: using effective tactics and techniques for persuasion and desired results
Gaining commitment: ones ability to develop a motivation act
Self View. This is the salespersons level of courage and self-esteem that provides thick enough skin to persevere through various obstacles they encounter throughout the sales cycle. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Handling rejection: ones ability to handle a no or a nonsale and to not take it personally and be able to recover and restart quickly to try again
Self-esteem: the higher the self-esteem the more passion and courage the salesperson will have in the social arena
Self Awareness. This is knowing ones internal states, preferences, resources, strengths, and limitations. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Self-confidence: ones ability to believe in their own abilities and strengths to personally take charge in achieving and exceeding their goals
Persuasiveness: ones ability to stand their ground in negotiations and in handling sales objections to exude to the customer or prospect that their product or service meets their needs
Competitiveness: ones desire to win and be perceived as competent in the eyes of others, as well as desire to be personally recognized for their accomplishments
Self Expectations. This is the salespersons emotional tendencies that guide or facilitate reaching goals and their sense of personal commitment to responsibilities. This competency is important in a sales role for the following reasons.
Achievement drive: striving to improve or meet a standard of excellence we impose on ourselves
Initiative: readiness to act on opportunities without having to be told
Optimism: persistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks
These are all essential competencies in selling in the auto dealership industry. The salesperson who knows the product or service inside out will not succeed in the long term without possessing these essential competencies.
Since we implemented an emotional intelligence pre-employment profile to help in our sales selection process, our retention has jumped from 10 percent to 77 percent. And not only do the employees stay longer, but they are more productive, catch on more quickly, and require less time in training, says Regina Roat, HR Director of Sterling-McCall Auto Group in Houston, Texas, which is part of Group 1 Automotive.
Auto dealers who are forward thinking and realize they are competing for top talent with other companies in their market are now implementing emotional intelligence into their selection process. Additionally, they are also providing emotional intelligence management development programs to assist their managers in leadership development, which has a major impact on improving the manager/employee relationship and is a critical piece to improving employee retention.
20 Ways To Increase Your Traffic And Sales Using Free
20 Ways To Increase Your Traffic And Sales Using Free Follow-Up Autoresponder Courses
An auto responder course is a group of articles or information set up to be sent out separately over a set period of time by e-mail. People just e-mail your auto responder to receive the free course and it is sent out automatically over time. You can find free follow-up auto responders to use by typing it into any search engine. Below are ten ways to use them to increase your traffic and sales.
1. Offer your course as a free bonus for purchasing one of your main products or services. People will buy your products quicker when you offer a bonus.
2. When you write and give away a free course you will become known as an expert. This’ll gain people’s trust and they will buy your main product quicker.
3. Allow others to add your free course to their own product packages. Their customers will see your ad when they purchase.
4. People love to get freebies. A free auto responder course is perfect. They will visit your web site to get the free valuable information.
5. Allow people to receive your course for free, if they give you the e-mail addresses of 3 to 5 friends or associates that would be interested.
6. Allow other people to give away your free course. This will increase the number of people that will see your ad in the course.
7. You could trade advertising space in your course for other forms of advertising. It could be banner ads, e-zine ads, web site ads, etc.
8. Gain new leads by having people sign up and give you their contact info before they can receive your auto responder course.
9. Give away the auto responder course as a free gift to your current customers as a way of letting them know you appreciate their business.
10. Give away the course to people that join your affiliate program. This will increase the number of people that sign-up.
11. Make money selling advertising space in your course. You could charge for small classified ads or sponsor ads.
12. Get free advertising by submitting your course to freebie web sites. This will increase the number of people that will see your ads in the course.
13. Make money by selling the reprint rights to those people that would like to sell the course. You could make more money by selling the master rights.
14. Hold a contest on your web site so people could win your course. You will get free advertising when you submit your contest to free contest directories.
15. You’ll gain valuable referrals from people telling others about your course. Word of mouth advertising can be very effective.
16. Make money cross promoting your course with other people’s products or services. This technique wills double your marketing effort
17. Increase your e-zine subscribers by giving your course to people that subscribe to your e-zine. This’ll give people an incentive to subscribe.
18. Allow your affiliates to use the free course as a promotional tool for your product. Each lesson could include their affiliate link.
19. Promote other businesses affiliate programs you join with your free auto responder course. Include a different affiliate link on each lesson.
20. Advertise a different product or service on each lesson. If you only have one, use different emotional response ads on each lesson.
Auto Insurance For The Digital Age – Online, On Demand
Auto Insurance For The Digital Age – Online, On Demand
The maturation of the Internet has turned it into a viable marketplace and no industry has benefited more than the auto insurance business. In May of 2006 alone, Yahoo saw almost four million searches on “car insurance.” Three of the strongest insurance companies in the country do their selling primarily over the internet or telephone: Progressive, eSurance and Geico.
There are other highly popular sites on the web that provide multiple quotes from standard insurance companies, but do so without the benefit of an insurance agent. Those sites that provide quotes generally will turn the sales portion of the customer interaction over to the insurance provider that has been selected.
Exact numbers are hard to come by, but assembling a few fragments gives us a fair picture of the industry. According to Forrester Research, by 2004 30% of all Americans were using the Internet to research auto insurance. By 2005, 16% of the populace were not only doing their research on line but completing the auto insurance purchase as well.
The relatively low percentage of people completing online purchases compared with the amount of Internet research and the success of online companies highlights an important component of the business. It is still not terribly easy to complete and auto insurance buy online. Many people will do their research online and turn to the telephone to complete the process. Personal experience shows that the insurer has to do a quick search on your driving record before locking in rates, and that is something that is much more quickly accomplished in a real-time interview.
Every major insurance company has an online site that will offer up a quote. Some – still a minority – will close an insurance contract online. And between the Internet and the web, companies like Geico have leveraged themselves into the top 10 auto insurance sales companies. eSurance and others have the distinct advantage of holding their costs to website maintenance and operation of a quality phone center. They have no agent commissions to pay and no storefronts to support.
There are also some quality sites like http://Insurance.com that can provide quotes from multiple, well established insurance companies on demand. These sites build their traffic through web searches, using a large amount of content to achieve keyword responses, and purchasing online advertising as well. These sites tend to provide libraries of information about the industry, shopping trends and techniques and advice columns of various sorts. The insurance company sites provide supporting content as well, but the multiple bid sites need it to draw traffic and rely heavily on a well-developed, multidimensional site to bring in inquiries that result in referrals.
Geico and eSurance, on the other hand, spend a lot of money on television commercials. Geico has become so dominant in the field that their commercial buys can be seen on prime time TV shows that are very expensive for advertisers. eSurance has developed a ubiquitous presence with their cartoon avatar Erin, buying TV spots on less expensive shows but buying a lot of them.
There has been a tremendous amount of news reporting about auto insurance prices dropping recently. Much of it attributes the drop to fierce competition and low rates introduced by online providers. It is fair to say that online auto insurance is a major component of the market, even if the sales themselves are being completed offline in some fashion. Eventually, the sales tools will make the online purchase as simple as the rate research.
A Popular Auto Responder Marketing Technique
Marketing through auto responder series is a popular strategy to increase repeat website visits and sales. Here is a popular strategy.
EZINE EBOOK
Instead of trying to publish a small daily or weekly eZines, try publishing one large monthly eZine (similar to a monthly magazine) as an e-book format delivered via auto responder, preferably an Adobe .pdf file. You could have it made up of a large number of articles per issue and insert regularly featured areas throughout like inspirational quotes, industry tips, favorite sites and advice from the pros. You could also insert full-color graphics, multimedia components like audio / video file links and ads. Then you can charge a monthly rate, with an annual discounted package purchase, and sell advertising spots to sprinkle in your auto responder announcements for each issue and with an informational series to announce your monthly eZine to new prospects.
In summary, by using customized marketing techniques like an eZine eBook, tailored to fit your own products and services, you can reach out and increase your website traffic and sales opportunities. Internet marketing can mean more ways to grow your business.
Increase sales by over delivering in your giveaways
So, you have decided to market on the internet. You researched the market. You waded through all the technical jargon of how to make a website. You registered your domain. You set up your auto responder, now you need to find some ebook to give away so that you can build up your mailing list. This is the point where many newbies are bound to make a critical mistake. You have just spent a good amount of money for all the setting up of your website. The next months bills are already on the horizon if not upon you. The pressure is great to get some sales going. The temptation is now is to just grab any old ebook to give away as an offer to your visitors in return for their email address. Do not do it!!!
Look at it this way. Do you introduce yourself with a smile or with a frown? Giving away something of little or no value to your visitors is a frown. No matter how good your product is, most people are not going to buy until about the seventh contact with you. If their first impression of you is negative, you can kiss their business goodbye.
I am talking from personal experience. I recently came upon a really cool website. The owner of this site offered a free newsletter. I signed up not thinking much about it. At that point in time I was considering creating an ebook in PDF format. My problem was that I did not have $300 to spend on a PDF writing program. The first free newsletter arrived from the cool website. Well that was my lucky day. In the newsletter this guy gave me a fantastic tip. He showed me how to create a PDF ebook with totally free software. Just one little insight contained in a free newsletter saved me 300 bucks, and that was only the tip of the iceberg. Dont you think that I will now feel that this guy is worth my trust? Well here is how much I trust him because he over delivered on what he promised. I am writing this article because he told me to.
The moral of the story: Deliver more than you promise, it will translate in trust, good will and most importantly, more sales.
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