How to attract customers to a car service for body repair. Five ways to increase car service profits

Often new car services operate at a loss for a long time, without recouping even part of the money spent on their opening for months. Unfortunately, many owners simply close the business or resell it, or continue to work at minus or zero, gradually giving up. To prevent this situation from happening, you need to know how to advertise a car service, because proper promotion is one of the keys to success. This article describes the most and least effective methods advertising - it is this information that can help entrepreneurs create the correct and most thoughtful marketing plan.

Point design

Facade

Outdoor advertising

Billboards

Signposts

It is also worth ordering a bright pillar and placing it in a clearly visible place near the road. Make sure that the text is easy and quick to read - it is unlikely that the motorist will slow down to study it in more detail.

Advertising in elevators

If you work near a residential area with many potential customers, you can advertise in elevators. Order a large ad, because your task is to ensure that a potential client sees it against the backdrop of many other offers.

Signposts

Order signs, they will help motorists find their way to you. You can use the standard sign used to identify a car service center, or use brighter and more noticeable options.

Inflatable, volumetric figures

Car service centers often install inflatable figures. Their main advantage is that they can be seen from afar, they attract the attention of all passers-by and drivers without exception, which means they can increase the influx of customers.

Internet advertising

Website

Nowadays, having your own website is a must-have for almost any enterprise. Car services are no exception, and to promote them you need to have a page on the World Wide Web. However, you should not think that you can create a website, place basic information there and forget about it, having invested a lot a small amount of money. It will need to be promoted and optimized for search queries. To do this, it is better to hire a team of professionals; without knowledge of the specifics, you are unlikely to cope with the task on your own, plus it will take up a lot of your time. You should also not expect instant results - it takes time to promote a resource.

If you decide to create a website on your own, be sure to read our articles:

Here we have laid out our experience and opinions on the use of various tools that you will simply need in your work. This will allow you to reduce the time it takes to select the necessary resources for its creation and get profit from the site as quickly as possible.

Advertisements on classifieds sites

No one can guarantee you that posting ads on specialized sites will bring you hundreds of clients. However, the main advantage of this method is that it does not require any material costs(as a rule, such sites post ads for free), but it may well give you visitors who will subsequently recommend you to their friends and acquaintances.

Sending emails

If you have your own website, you can find out email addresses your clients by offering, for example, a discount for registering on your resource. Once you have the addresses, you will be able to notify visitors about discounts, promotions, and special offers, and this, in turn, will be a huge plus for your business.

Printable advertisement

Leaflets

Bright and informative leaflets can be distributed in nearby parking lots and other places where cars accumulate. Order the material and hire a person who will attach the leaflet to the windshields of cars - even if you don’t attract hundreds of customers using this method, the visitors who still respond to the booklet can become your regular guests in your service.

Business cards

Hand out business cards to each of your clients - there is a chance that they will give them to a friend or acquaintance, moreover, the visitor himself will be able to call you or visit your website at any time convenient for him.

Print advertisements

Print tear-off ads(when the phone number appears) and organize their posting at the entrances of the locality. The text should be concise and informative; if you have attractive prices, be sure to indicate them too.

Advertising in newspapers and printed catalogs

Be sure to place advertisements in all newspapers that have a special section for various services and catalogs in the city. It is better if you post them as a private individual, describing your most popular services.

TV ads

Ticker or TV newspaper

Place your ad on local channels - this can significantly help increase the number of customers. However, remember that such advertising is expensive, which means that it should not be given every day, but, for example, only on weekends.

Radio advertising

Audio clip

Record an engaging audio clip and pay for it to be broadcast on local radio. Such advertising will also not cost you cheap, but the main advantage this method is that it directly affects motorists, who are known to frequently listen to the radio while on the road.

Other

Discount cards

In addition to discounts when presenting leaflets or when registering on the site, you can also introduce so-called “club” cards, which will serve the client cheaper. This will increase visitor loyalty and help retain them in the future.

Carrying out price promotions

Conduct seasonal promotions, offer free diagnostics, give clients small gifts - all this will attract visitors.

Word of mouth

As in many other areas, word of mouth plays a huge role in this business. Carefully monitor the quality of your services and the work of your employees, because the success of your enterprise largely depends on this.

Examples of slogans for advertising a car service

1. Forward to price and quality!
2. Everything for your car.
3. Auto service with an impeccable reputation.
4. One problem, many solutions!
5. Modern car repair technologies.
6. Instrumental approach. Successful result.
7. Fix your iron horse!
8. Quality comes from the little things!
9. Axiom of safety.
10. With respect to you, with love for the car!
11. We work to keep your cars alive!
12. Your reliable partner.
13. Get the most out of your car.
14. We love motors! It will be as good as new!
15. Movement is joy. We have enough for everyone.
16. We greet you like family - we treat you like yourself.
17. We will do what others cannot do.

How to promote a car service is of interest only to those entrepreneurs who look to the future and care about their business. Today, all business is on the Internet and even small firms or even private craftsmen have their own websites; those who do not even have such an opportunity, they register in various directories, open groups in in social networks. But this approach is ineffective, if you are engaged in car repairs and also additionally sell spare parts, then you should get an online store with good functionality.

But we have a question : “How to promote a car service?” To do this, in our article we will highlight several main points and mandatory activities that will help you have a constant influx of new clients. Based on our own experience in promoting auto parts stores and car service centers, we can highlight two main rules of our own, which are given below.

How to promote a car service - rule No. 1

Material base, human resources.

If you, say, are engaged in Nissan repair, you need to provide a full range of services only in this area, to become the best in your specialization. To do this, you need to have the right tools, the right craftsmen, i.e. fully prepare the material base and human resources. Perhaps you are a universal car service and take on everything, this happens most often. But not always, customers remain satisfied with such car services, firstly, car repairs can take many weeks, and secondly, the quality of service leaves much to be desired.

So, the rule is - be specialists in your field, don’t spread yourself thin, find a niche in the car service market, don’t dilute your car service for all brands of cars.

Geographical location and internal space of the car service center.

It is very important when you are going to open a car service to decide on a location, because your profit depends on how conveniently and quickly you can get to you. Otherwise it will be difficult - promote a car service. Have you ever wondered why official dealers, take at least Volkswagen or Ford, there is always a queue. Yes, many people complain that their service is expensive, but this does not make them fewer clients. Yes, because it’s simply pleasant to be with them: here they treat you with respect, smile and help; everyone is neatly dressed; there are waiting rooms; here you can monitor the progress of repairs through special monitors; and also such auto centers are conveniently located, the buildings are modern, and the interior is surrounded by high service and comfort.

So, the rule is - if you are just starting out, find a box in the center where you can get to without traffic jams, at least paint the walls inside white, dress your craftsmen in branded workwear, organize a leisure room for your clients.

How to promote a car service

Automation of car service.

This implies the use information technologies, special programs for business automation, as well as an online store website. Promote a car service– today you can only do it via the Internet. Give up notebooks, notepads and Excel.

No computer can hold so much information, and not all entrepreneurs can afford to buy a server and spend considerable sums on its maintenance. And here “cloud technologies” come to the rescue, which, by the way, have been implemented in our program.(LINK TO THE PAGE). Here you can store unlimited amounts of information for an unlimited time.

In any business there are ups and downs, so if suddenly the flow of clients decreases, which causes losses, you open your chest with the numbers of your clients and do mass mailing, which, by the way, is also implemented in our program. But you shouldn’t abuse this; it’s easier to establish a trusting relationship with the client and make sure that he always comes to your car service center.

How to promote a car service - rule No. 2

Key points for promoting a car service and attracting customers:

Smart marketing.
There are many definitions of the word marketing. Speaking in simple language, marketing is ways to attract and retain customers. How to promote a car service without losing your grip. Our three points of mandatory activities are your base. Your clients must attract clients, so that rumors about your car service are passed from mouth to mouth, this is called reputation and you need to build it up by the quality of the services provided.

Online advertising and the Internet.
If you have a website, then you can use contextual advertising services from Yandex-Direct and Google, promote a car service, it's much easier that way. If you don’t have a website, then you will soon be supplanted by your competitors, who have not only a page on the Internet, but also services such as pre-registration for services.

Advertising for car service

By the way, with our program you can connect the online store option so that your clients sign up for your services - and you will get a functional website with high conversion.(LINK TO PAGE) It is important that your site is indexed by search engines; for this you need to register the site in thematic directories such as Double GIS, etc. It also doesn’t hurt to create groups on social networks where you must include a link to your website.

Off-line advertising.
Some sources advise submitting advertisements to free newspapers, advertisements in which naturally cost money. A dubious idea. Answer yourself the question of how often you personally turn to such sources. As a rule, free newspapers with advertisements are several pages, where a bunch of advertisements are printed in a not always readable font and there is not even an empty square centimeter. So think about whether it’s worth spending time and money, albeit small, on such advertising. Effective method for the promotion of a car service - this is the distribution of your own printed products: business cards at the traffic police (where car owners turn after an accident), distributing coupons with discounts in traffic jams (your entire target audience is in traffic jams).

All articles What equipment is needed for a car service?

How to properly advertise your car service

The main wealth of any service is its customers and their trust. But in order for a client to come to your service and stay with you for a long time, or even better, forever, you will have to work hard. Success in attracting and retaining customers has many components. Ignoring at least one of them greatly reduces the overall effectiveness of the fight for the client. Car service advertising in the media is one of these components.

All car service clients can be divided into three categories:

1. Regular customers - those on whom your client base rests, those who tell others about your service in enthusiastic tones, those whom you need to groom and cherish.

2. Clients who contacted you for the first time based on a recommendation or an advertisement; Their trust must be won and flattering recommendations confirmed.

3 . Clients who came to you by chance. Perhaps they will also replenish your permanent client base.

It is believed (at least that’s what they say in smart articles and books) that there can never be too much advertising, just like clients. The manager or owner must constantly promote his service. At the same time they list different kinds, starting with “word of mouth” (dwelling on it, albeit enthusiastically, but in passing), and ending with advertising in external sources - as a rule, in the media. Let me agree with them only partially.

I won’t say that they ask a lot of questions about advertising. These questions that come to me, among all the consultations, are far inferior to questions on taxes, service management, personnel and even labor protection and fire safety. But we receive quite a lot of requests to place an advertisement for a car service in the magazine. Obviously, most owners or managers of the service either believe that placing an advertisement somewhere, without analysis, is already enough, or do not pay due attention to this issue. In a series of articles on this topic, I will try to tell the basics of advertising that are necessary for a manager, and consider typical mistakes made when conducting an advertising campaign.

I will not describe the basics of advertising - enough articles and books have been written on this topic. Obviously, a director who decides to deal deeply and seriously with this issue should stock up on literature or contact an appropriate specialist. True, there is a difficulty here too. Personally, I have met, unfortunately, very, very few who understand the specifics of car service well. Moreover, this applies to both the provision of services by the station itself and the sale of spare parts, materials, and services to car services.

Let me make a reservation right away: when talking about advertising, I will not talk about a sign above a car service center or about a roadside sign indicating the location of a service center. We will talk about advertising in various newspapers, magazines, radio or on big boards, i.e. about advertising, which is costly for any organization.

So. Does the number of clients on your service leave much to be desired? To attract customers, have you decided to advertise your service? Good deed. But... You may have already made the first mistake. The lack of clients is not a reason to immediately spend money on advertising. Let's consider several situations.

Newly opened car service

If you have just opened a car service, then analyze several factors:

— types of work performed;

— station location;

— personnel qualifications and team climate;

- financial opportunities.

For example, if the service is located in a busy place, is clearly visible and provides services such as tire fitting, oil changes and other consumables, then there is no need to spend money on advertising at all - a bright sign is enough. If the team has not yet formed (high probability of turnover), its qualifications are unclear, then attracting a large number of clients whom you will not satisfy will do more harm than good. And no one will return your money and time. You should not immediately start an advertising campaign if a new service has opened in place of the old one. Here you have to find out the “pros” and “cons” of the previous service, and, preferably, not so much from the words of the landlord or others, but from the words of the client. In my practice, there was a case when the negative attitude of clients towards the previous service forced new tenants to move out. In this case, neither the highly qualified personnel nor advertising company.

A car service with a history

— a new service is provided that will be of interest not only to old, but also to new clients;

— lack of clients on the service.

Typically, it is the introduction of a new service that aims to better satisfy existing customers and attract new ones. But, let’s first calculate whether our service is capable of passing through a sharply increased number of clients (hereinafter, I conditionally believe that advertising increases the flow of clients), or is it enough that the old ones, using this service, will increase the profitability of the service and download new work site.

For example. You have fully loaded chassis repair areas (your regular customers) and an engine and fuel diagnostics area (your clients, clients of other small services and occasional visitors). You enter new service— wheel alignment. It is clear that at the initial stage this post will not need advertising, since it will be provided with work from all these cars.

Promotion of a car service: how to quickly attract customers and promote a service station

Moreover, the remaining posts will be loaded using other services.

The case of a lack of clients is more complex. There are a number of factors that need to be analyzed here.

Seasonality. If absence is due New Year holidays(and this is approximately from December 15 to February 1, depending on the level of service, specialization, etc.), May holidays (from approximately April 25 to May 15, depending on Easter and memorial days) or the holiday season (approximately from July 20 to September 10), then you shouldn’t be upset. On the contrary, use this time to improve skills (yours and your employees), expand the services provided

services, purchasing equipment, putting things in order or repairing the service.

Here we are also dealing with deferred repairs. That is, with those works that car owners postponed to a later date (for example, replacing shock absorbers from winter to spring).

Based on the above, it becomes clear that advertising during the “off season” is a lost cause. The response, if any, will be minimal. But advertising placed on the eve or during the season is most effective. It is at this moment that clients are looking for where to service their iron horse.

Personnel qualifications. The most painful topic for a leader. It is discussed in the “Management” section of the “Auto-Master” magazine and at seminars held by the Association of Auto Service and Tuning Specialists. It is clear that without putting personnel in order (training, attracting specialists or luring them away), there is no point in spending money on advertising.

Station specialization. To understand this point, consider an example. You specialize in servicing inexpensive domestic cars. The financial situation in the country has worsened - customers have no money, gasoline is becoming more expensive. To save money, the client does some of the work himself. In the above case, this applies not only to changing the oil or brake pads, but also to more complex repairs on the chassis or engine. Add to this the increased service interval for replacing consumables. Thus, the focus of the service on this fleet of cars led to a decrease in the number of visitors. And if not because

You have analyzed your situation and decided to advertise. Let's think about where to do this. Let's start with typical situation not only for car service centers, but also for companies selling spare parts, equipment, etc.

The editorial office receives a call from a reader: “I’ve been reading your magazine with interest for a long time. Now I want to place an advertisement for my station with you!” It would seem something simpler. If I read this publication and like it, then others will read it and see my ad. This is the main mistake. Just because you like a magazine or newspaper does not guarantee that your potential clients are reading it.

In the example above, the reader wanted to place an advertisement in “Auto-Master” aimed at attracting customers to his universal car service center, specializing in car servicing. At the same time, it was not taken into account that the magazine’s audience was services similar to it, and not car enthusiasts or corporate clients.

Another example. Advertising in a car magazine or a "Buy and Sell a Car" magazine. This is a bit more complicated. The main audience of such a publication is people looking for a new car. Naturally, today they are far from interested in repairs or maintenance. The remaining readers of such a publication will, of course, pay attention to your ad, but the question is whether the investment in advertising will pay off.

What needs to be done here small retreat and talk about a very important parameter for assessing the cost of investment in advertising. I call it "call cost". Let me explain with an example. The cost of an advertisement in publication X is 100 rubles. Based on the ad, 2 people called us. Thus, the cost of their call for you is 50 rubles. In publication Y, the cost of the ad was 200 rubles and 10 people called based on the ad. In this case, the cost of the call is 20 rubles.

Very often, the one who advertises chooses a publication with either a low advertising cost or a very high one. In both cases, we either have an incorrect definition of the readership as potential clients (this is most often the case), or a choice of publication based on the “I like” principle.

Therefore, before you decide to advertise, you need to understand exactly who we want to attract and what they read or at least view. Agree that a client who has a two or three year old Mercedes will most likely not pay attention to a piece of bad paper with advertisements of various types thrown into the mailbox.

Conversely, the owner of an inexpensive car is more likely to take a publication distributed free of charge through gas stations, mailboxes, or read a newspaper distributed at intersections.

Before you engage in advertising (not only in the media, but in general), you need to clearly understand: what suits large companies, for example, those selling auto parts, often does not suit a car service center - a car service center sells services. And in selling services, the main thing is to build trust in yourself. Therefore, ideally, it is necessary to advertise the quality of the services provided, but this is extremely difficult to do. And ready universal solution I have no. Usually services set a simpler task - to force the client to come.

Smart books advise finding a “unique selling proposition.” For most universal service managers, this is an overwhelming task. If you find a “unique selling proposition” in your car service center - honor and praise to you, perhaps you should change your qualifications and go to advertising activities. It’s another matter if your service has a narrow specialization - for example, repairs fuel equipment diesel engines. Narrow specialization allows not only to have highly qualified personnel, but also a “unique selling proposition.”

So "unique" trade offer"may, of course, be the price. But think about whether such advertising will play a cruel joke on you. During the winter low season, one large Kiev station posted on the radio an offer to paint a car with fashionable materials for quite a low price. I don’t know how many clients they managed to attract, but there was talk that the company had problems among clients, among fellow competitors, and among suppliers. I would like to hope that their advertising had at least some effect, although I doubt it.

Thus, before engaging in advertising, and anyone, not just in the media, the manager must clearly understand how much he needs it, what consequences an increase in the number of clients will lead to, for what categories of clients it will be intended, where to place advertising, how it should look, when to carry it out.

We have already considered some of these issues, the rest will be considered in future publications.

To be continued…

Andrey Obmanshchikov
Auto-Master

Promotion of auto body repair service stations

Good day! I continue the series of articles about the service station business plan and, as previously promised, today I will write an article about how to advertise a service station correctly.

How to advertise a service station

As a rule, an advertising company is one of the most expensive items, especially when opening a service station, while quite often novice entrepreneurs spend a lot of money on advertising and everything would be fine, BUT most of the money is simply wasted.

What kind of advertising attracts customers to service stations?

Let's look at where the owner of a service station should advertise:

1. Business cards. I already mentioned them in the business plan. Be sure to order business cards, just not cheap pieces of paper for 2 rubles, order colorful laminated business cards.

   Car service as a business and personal success

   You can place these business cards in auto parts stores, and you can agree with the owners of car shops so that they will place your business cards, and you, in turn, will place their business cards at your place;

2. Printing colorful booklets. These booklets are ordered from a printing house, where you can also order business cards. The booklets are distributed free of charge to the mailboxes of city residents. The booklet must contain the name of your service station (if you have not done this yet, then it’s time to think about it, the name should also be on business cards), the address and telephone number of the service station. If you cannot come up with an interesting name for a service station on your own, then simply google the Internet and take it from there. Just try to make sure that the name of your service station is unique in the city (that is, only for you). And of course, the booklets can describe in detail the types of services provided;
3. Advertising in elevators. This type advertising works well for the entire service sector, including service stations. The layout size should not be too small, because then it will simply be a waste of money;
4. Radio advertising. Advertising here is a must. Only the radio should be promoted and broadcast to the local category. Many car enthusiasts listen to the radio. But before you advertise on the radio, you need to determine competitive advantage before other service stations, that is, the reason why the car enthusiast should go to you;
5. Car magazine. Almost all major cities have auto magazines; I myself live in small town and we do not have such a magazine. If an auto magazine is published in your city, then advertising of your service station should be there on an ongoing basis. However, pay attention to the circulation of the publication and the method of its distribution. For magazines with a circulation of less than 5,000 copies. There is no point in advertising. Also, some publishers simply deceive and indicate the wrong circulation of the publication. Therefore, for the first time it is worth coming to the publishing house and seeing how many magazines are being distributed;
6. City newspaper with advertisements. Almost every city has such a newspaper. There are two ways to place advertisements in such a newspaper. The first is in the form of an advertising module in the car sales section (in the module, list the types of services provided by your service station) and additionally place an advertisement in the “Services” section as from a private person about car repairs. If there are several such newspapers in the city, then, of course, place advertisements for your service station in the most popular one with a large circulation;
7. Service station advertising on television. In general, the cost of such advertising is quite high, but in every city there is a so-called TV newspaper in which the prices are not so high and the effect is much better (advertising in the form of videos and creeping lines should not be given, as this is very expensive);
8. Internet advertising. Do not neglect this type of advertising, the most effective is contextual advertising Yandex Direct, as well as advertising on social networks. In order to give such advertising, it is worth ordering a website business card for a service station with a list and cost of services, as well as contact details and address;
9. Word of mouth. With high-quality service and performance of the work itself, high level people themselves will begin to advise your service station to each other. This type of advertising can only be influenced by high quality service and not high prices.

Advertising that does not work for service stations

1. Free newspapers. With a gigantic circulation and almost zero efficiency. Such newspapers have zero value for citizens and are very annoying; such newspapers are a relic of the past. And if you take into account that the cost of advertising in such publications is simply prohibitive when comparing price and quality, then it is better to refuse it;
2. Advertising on and in transport. This type of advertising works poorly because potential customers are public transport quite few, and if they are, then your advertisement will either not be noticed or simply ignored;
3. Plasma panels. It doesn’t matter what kind, on the street, indoors, at payment terminals, wherever they try to stick them. This advertising does not work for almost any activity;
4. Billboards. Advertising on billboards is image advertising and is not suitable for attracting potential customers;
5. Outdoor advertising .Requires coordination with the architecture of the city, but that’s not scary, the cost of such advertising is quite high, you won’t hang this banner in one place, for the effect it must be placed in at least 5 places where there is a large transport interchange (then it will make sense);
6. Posting advertisements. Despite the fact that the service station belongs to the service sector, posting simple advertisements does not have a strong effect.

This is where I will end my review; if you have any questions, ask them in the comments or to my VK group “Business Secrets for a Newbie.”

Happy business!

After opening a car service center, the question arises of its promotion in order to attract the maximum number of customers in the shortest possible time. Ignoring simple things and not understanding the importance of the goal leads to months of unprofitable operation of the car service center. Today, a huge number of car repair shops are up for sale, but they failed to reach the planned level of profitability due to low traffic. If you don’t want to be in the shoes of your former colleagues, then you should carefully study the recommendations of experienced marketers and start putting them into practice.

When starting any business, an entrepreneur encounters many difficulties. Sometimes he doesn’t have the time or energy to think about promoting a car service. However, an effective marketing strategy will help you pay for yourself quickly. It is important to understand that you should attract customers to any commercial establishment. In any case, a clear action plan will not be superfluous. If you do not have experience in such planning, then you should contact specialists.

Before promoting a car service, you need to consider issues related to preliminary preparation. The funds invested in advertising should not only be fully recouped, but also bring indirect profit. The reference point should be target audience, attractiveness and beauty play a secondary role in this matter. Good publicity will open new channels that will help in further promotion.

Many people consider marketing a creative activity. In reality, everything is much more serious. It is an applied task with a lot of calculations and diagramming.

How to advertise

• external;
• on social networks;
• network marketing;
• press;
• contextual advertising;
• promotion on TV and radio;
• for business partners.

Before choosing any method, you need to understand that promoting a car service must be comprehensive and require certain efforts. It is important to analyze exactly the supply and demand for each type of service. It is better to do this at the planning stage.

To promote a car service with minimal costs you need to become familiar with marketing strategies. the main objective advertising: force every person who sees the advertisement to perform certain actions. For example, he must call the specified number or visit a car service center. It is necessary to understand exactly what is required from the client. How to convince a person that he needs the advertised product?

First of all, take into account:

• The customer must be willing to repair or upgrade the vehicle.
• There must be a focus on a target audience that has the financial means to pay for car service services.
• The desire to call or travel should appear while watching an advertisement.

Answering the question posed above is problematic. If a car owner has no problems with his car, then he is not interested in advertising for vehicle repairs. A person views offers only after a breakdown occurs. He is interested in content with information on the repair of certain components - tires, engine, glass, etc. Thus, the advertising offer should contain detailed description services performed.

If there is no need for repairs, the proposal is not paid attention to. Accordingly, it is important to use the urgency factor as a guide.

Advertising tricks

Consider an example in which a potential customer had an oil change 6 months ago. It's time for another replacement. However, many people prefer to put everything off until best time. Understanding this psychological characteristic of a person will help promote business. To encourage the client to change the oil in a timely manner, it is necessary to explain the reasons for this and the negative consequences of ignoring the rules of car care. A number of marketers describe in advertising what the client refuses if the offer is ignored.

To increase your benefits, you can use the deadline for the promotion - oil change. It is necessary to inform drivers that the operation is carried out by an experienced specialist in the shortest possible time.

It is more difficult to gain customer acceptance if the business is newly launched or has any restrictions. For example, clients are received in a garage. Man has always strived for comfort and the most profitable resources. If it is not possible to provide comfort, then you need to rely on affordability - changing the oil is 50 rubles cheaper than competitors. By adding urgency, the effectiveness of the proposal will be high.

Expanding the target audience

After the first positive results marketing strategy expansion of the proposal may be considered. For example, car body washing is in demand today. This is due to the fact that every owner has to wash the car. Technical condition it doesn't matter.

Clients will always be lured by a “bribe.” They must feel that cooperation with a car service will be profitable. It is easy to work according to this principle. First of all, the size of the “bribe” is determined. It should be based on the amount you are willing to pay for a new client. Size can sometimes be irrational. Some agree to give 100 USD, while others agree to give 1000 USD. The contribution must be comparable to the size of the possible profit. If advertising can provide a sufficient influx of customers, then you can allocate a significant amount for it. The situation is similar with affiliate programs and discount offers. In the future, advertising costs will no longer be a significant expense item, since another factor begins to play - the car service will already be known.

After calculating acceptable advertising costs, you can move on to the Internet. Today, this method of promotion shows good results if professionals work. If the maximum cost of attracting each client is 100 rubles, it is advisable to offer services of a similar cost. For example, you can pay a washer 50 rubles for free cleaning of a client’s windows. If it does not bring the desired income, it will remain a bonus. When replacing auto parts it is advisable additional service offer a T-shirt or related service.

Secrets of saving on advertising

To avoid repeated investments in advertising, you must adhere to certain rules. First of all, you should take into account down to the penny the size of the potential profit from advertising offer. If at the planning stage doubts arise about the rationality of investing, then it is better to refrain from it. The effectiveness of the advertising offer should be monitored from the first days of the project launch.

If you determine the effectiveness and profitability of advertising, then you should not use it. Rather, there will be losses that cannot be determined at first glance. However, there will be additional costs in the future.

Determining the effectiveness of a marketing strategy means that employees will regularly ask how the customer found out about the car service. This will allow you to find out the level of justification for the investment. Additionally, you should analyze site traffic, if available. You should not rely entirely on customer reviews, as they may contain misinformation - people often answer uninteresting questions without thinking.

Working with advertising channels

If you need to determine the effectiveness of an advertising channel, then it is better to supplement offers with contacts. This will help you find out the effectiveness of the actions performed. For example, in print advertising it is recommended to use numbers, and on the Internet - special utilities that allow you to determine traffic.

Efficiency control methods:

• use of code phrases;
• separate resources;
• adding contacts;
• use of cut-off coupons;
• use of colored marks.

The main task will be to find out the number of customers who came from this advertising channel. If this is an ad in a newspaper, then a certain response will be triggered. Such measures allow you to determine the return on advertising investment.

Internet advertising

Previously, the Internet was rarely used to advertise car services. Today everything has changed radically. The Internet has proven to be a popular advertising medium and attracts many entrepreneurs. If you want to promote your business and increase profitability, then you need to use the services of professionals.

Promotion should begin with optimization. The existing website should be adapted to the most popular queries. This will allow you to be in the TOP 10 search engines. Only a specialist will find and correct internal errors, optimize content and place external links. It is mandatory to register the site in certain directories. If the site is “young”, then optimization will take more than six months. In the future, it will be important to maintain this position in order to withstand the competition.

To increase the flow of customers in the long term, it is necessary to invest certain funds. You should not expect immediate results, as much depends on individual characteristics:

• Territorial sign. The most significant sign by which a car service is searched. There is no point in driving your car hundreds of kilometers to change the oil. Geographic location will be a determining factor.
• Price policy . If there is no desire to work in the low price range, then there is no point in working on the “inexpensive” request. When clicking on such requests, the user first examines the cost of services.

Working with the press

Advertising in the press- a classic marketing method of attracting customers. As a rule, small advertisements with an emphasis on the name of the car service. Be sure to indicate contact information. In this area, the main thing is an attractive name. The effectiveness of advertising depends on the circulation, brand and location of distribution of the printed publication. The main disadvantage is high price advertisements. Popular publications highly value their services, which is not always available on a limited budget.

Printable advertisement

Many small car services resort to printed advertising: brochures, catalogues, leaflets, booklets. This is the most common method. Its advantages:

• information is easily perceived;
• quickly manufactured;
• reasonable cost;
• good result.

External advertising

In difficult times, outdoor advertising helps car services. It has been working for quite a long time, but has undergone some changes.

• advertising posters;
• light boxes;
• billboards;
• signs;
• wall panels.

Better suited for a car service billboard near a busy highway. As mentioned earlier, it should be close to the car service center. Don't waste money on services marketing agency. Outdoor advertising should be informative and attract the attention of drivers. The lower the speed limit on the site, the better the result.

Non-standard methods

Before you start promoting, you should consider the important features of a car service. It is necessary to strive to provide visitors with maximum comfort and coziness. You can open a small cafe on its territory where you can drink tea or have a sandwich.

Another advantage may be fast service and affordable cost, and the possibility of “on-site repairs.” This will be additional advertising of the main activity. Various promotions and bonuses will increase customer loyalty. For example, you can organize “free diagnostic days.”

Particular attention can be paid to the image company:

• sponsorship;
• specialized exhibitions;
• souvenir products.

Any non-standard methods will increase recognition and profitability. You can place advertisements on cars. These can be personal cars of employees or a fleet of other cars. The information is applied to a special film that is used to cover cars or motorcycles.

Customer Retention

Fast service and high quality service will become important factors proper operation word of mouth. This is important for small settlements. If the visitor is dissatisfied, then it is worth eliminating the mistake.

The following will help increase loyalty:

• discounts;
• free provision of a number of services;
• understand the situation and fix the problem.

It is necessary to provide discounts for regular customers. It is constantly necessary to monitor the politeness of staff. It is necessary to organize the team well. You can periodically notify clients about various promotions, reminding yourself.

It is better to introduce discount cards in the first days of work. It can be cumulative or have a fixed discount percentage.

Trying to quickly promote a car service center by attracting a large flow of customers, many entrepreneurs make serious mistakes when targeting new consumers. It is important not only to expand the base, but also to work on the terms of cooperation with existing ones.

Any service station is interested in corporate clients. Some service station managers say that this is not so, and it is much more profitable for them to work with solvent “physicists” than with large organizations that delay payments, make unrealistic demands on the availability of spare parts and bargain for standard hours, no worse than sellers on the Asian market. This is true. But this does not mean that the corporate client is not interested. This only means that you have not yet learned how to work with it.

On December 26, the Automotive Service Association held a webinar, the topic of which was “Customer service errors when working with corporate clients.” The author of the webinar is business consultant with extensive experience in large automobile companies, coach Yuri Blinov. An online seminar on this topic aroused quite a lot of interest among the public, since seminars on this topic are held extremely rarely. Most independent service stations work in this niche on a whim, using their own experience. And of course, this experience does not always give desired results, especially among novice entrepreneurs.

Who is a corporate client?

Yuri Blinov I started by defining a corporate client. This point is very important, since there are several types of corporate clients in the car service market, and for each of them the car performs different functions, therefore, the expectations from the service for such clients will be different. It is very important to determine what function the car performs in the company in order to make a commercial offer to the management of the organization that will be difficult to refuse. For example, if the vehicle fleet generates the main income of the company ( transport company, delivery service, etc.), then its owner will be less interested in getting the lowest cost per standard hour at maintenance, but for unscheduled repairs and even a half-hour delay in repairs, he will charge you full program. It’s a completely different matter if the company’s cars are used to service the main business, that is, they play an auxiliary role and are a costly part of the business. As a rule, in this situation, the requirements for repair time will not be so strict, but the client will persistently bargain for the cost of a standard hour. In addition, corporate cars can be purchased for entertainment functions, employee incentives, etc. If you are able to correctly determine his goals before the first meeting with a client, then the chance of successfully completing the transaction will increase significantly.

Which clients should you target?

Traditional division of corporate clients according to words Yuri Blinov looks like that:

From 1 to 5 cars are small clients,

5 to 20 cars are important local customers,

From 20 to 100 - large local clients,

Over 100 are national companies.

Many starting service stations strive to immediately get customers with a large fleet of vehicles. This is not always justified. A large client places increased demands on its counterparties. In relation to a service station this is:

Individual prices,

Availability of spare parts in stock,

Reserve repair capacity,

Convenient (for the client) schedule,

Replacement cars,

The widest possible range of services,

Accounts receivable.

For a beginning car service center, such requirements can be disastrous. It is much easier to recruit several dozen small companies, with up to 10 cars. And gradually increase the client base, attracting larger companies. The company begins to receive a good income from this work approximately 2-3 years after the start of work in this direction. By the way, many large companies prefer to have several service counterparties in order to minimize their own risks. There is no need to be afraid of this either.

How to get past the barriers?

In any company there are people who make decisions (DMs) and people who influence decisions (DIRs). The only exception to this rule are representatives of micro-businesses, in which these two functions are often performed by the owner of the company himself. The LVR is a traditional type of "gatekeeper". His task is to filter incoming information and convey to his management only what, in his opinion, is important. If you want to become successful in the b2b segment, you need to learn how to overcome these gatekeeper barriers. It is worth noting that in large companies There will be quite a few “gatekeepers”, since each transaction goes through several stages of approval. It is customary to identify several main roles in any company:

Decision maker (director, manager, business owner),

The manager influencing the decision (in our case, this is the manager who is responsible for the functioning of the vehicle fleet),

Financier (a very important figure who makes the decision whether to allocate money to you or not),

User (driver).

Each of them needs to be convinced of the profitability of your offer. But each role requires its own arguments. The user must make sure that by collaborating with you, his earnings will not be lower, and his work in the company will not become more difficult. The financier must be convinced that cooperation with you is the most profitable in terms of price-quality ratio. The person influencing the decision may be interested in the prospects for the company's growth, and, consequently, his own growth. If you make these three employees your allies, then with a high degree of probability we can say that the contract will be in your pocket.

Deal stages

There are several rules that should be followed when working with large corporate clients.

1. Rule one. Never try to sell a car or service at the first meeting, and especially when you first call the company. You need to understand that when you contact a potential client for the first time, you are committing the so-called. "cold contact" They don’t know you and aren’t ready to talk to you. You are distracting them from their work. Your task is to “warm up” this call - to switch to personal contact with potential client even before the first direct contact. Every sales manager has their own way of doing this. The ideal option is a recommendation from you, but this does not happen often. You can warm up contact through preliminary communication on social networks, Skype, and so on.

2. Rule two. A meeting with a potential client should include a proposal. This should not yet be a specific commercial proposal with budgets specified in it. It may sound too American, but it should be a sentence from the series: “I want to offer you to earn more money" After all, any goal commercial organization This is exactly what it is. Naturally, you must describe in great detail how you will help achieve this goal.

3. Rule three. Be prepared for objections. There is no need to react poorly to objections. It's better not to oppose at all. Use objections as an opportunity to meet with the potential client again. Write down in detail what your future partner disagrees with and promise to look into these issues in more detail. When dealing with objections, you must be demonstrative and demonstrate your competence and knowledge of the issue.

4. Rule four. Commercial offer- this is a proposal for discussion. If the client does not immediately agree to accept it, this does not mean that he completely refuses the services you offer. In case of refusal, it is necessary to invite him to discuss in detail those clauses of the contract that cause his objections.

5. Rule five. Don't pay kickbacks. In the long run, this practice turns out to be detrimental to the company. If a business owner finds out about the existence of such a practice, the consequences for your company will be most unpleasant, from irreparable image losses to criminal prosecution, since no one has repealed the article on commercial bribery.

Naturally, the scope of our article does not allow us to fully tell you about all the nuances that were voiced during the online seminar, as well as cover all the questions that were asked to the speaker after the completion of the main part of the webinar.

In conclusion Yuri Blinov drew attention to the fact that with the signing of the contract, work with corporate client does not end, but just begins. Your success in this type of business directly depends on how well you serve it. Investments in attracting a new customer are usually much higher than investments aimed at retaining them. Customer retention is entirely up to you. You don't need active advertising for this. There is also no need to actively work “in the fields”, go to meetings, or negotiate. All you need is to do your job well, don’t forget about working with clients and keep up with your competitors.