One of your marketing tools as a car dealer is right in front of you?
Are you using it?
Storytelling?
It’s nothing new. Tell a story and get better results. Not revolutionary, but nevertheless it’s better to pay attention to something so fundamental.
Storytelling is indispensable and essential in sales. It is a great way to connect more with your customers and leads. It is not about selling, it is about meeting the needs and giving a message that can solve their problem.
“Studies show that people retain 65 to 70 percent of information shared through stories while only 5 to 10 percent of information is retained through dry product presentation.” (London School of Business)
Make sure that the customer can identify themselves in your story
We all know if you want to sell your car you have to grab the customer's attention. The most obvious way to do so is by creating an emotional bond.
To create this emotional bond between the car you want to sell and the customer is to create an attractive and fascinating story. Focus on the visualisation of the car in the context of the customer’s utilisation. Tell your story of how your car/service helped someone solve a problem and/or meet fully the need.
The objective is that the customer must be able to identify him/herself with the story but must also be able to empathise with the logic of the story.
In the end, you have to offer your consumer the solution to the question “what's in it for me?”. What does your consumer get when he buys your car?
How to make sure your customer is hooked in:
keep straight to the point but do not exaggerate
be rich in imagery but avoid overacting
stick to realistic scenarios and be careful not to get carried away
prepare well and practice (with colleagues)
and above all, stay genuine (and human).
A good story makes the customer listen more and increases his/her attention and ensures that your message lasts longer.
Facts tell and stories sell
If you provide in your message content that is only the primary information of the car; price, color, location, nowadays this will not be enough to convince/attract/invite/engage your customer. So, avoid only talking about the features of the car. The best thing to do is to integrate your story including the benefits. It will reflect who you are and what you stand for.
Make your car the content star
You can provide for example:
details over the certification process
a specific tool
unique service
explain the dedicated customer service your dealership provides
share true anecdotes (keep it real. Fake stories won’t help your credibility)
outline situations your customers will relate to. The customer needs to see himself/herself in the story
use customer stories, and if possible, let the customer tell his/her own story
Storytelling as a part of your marketing approach.
Are the stories told by your sales team integrated into a larger marketing approach?
Share your story. If the story is compelling enough it will work as a living entity of its own. It will travel from salesperson to salesperson and from customer to customer. That will make the customer remember you as a company. It will transmit what you as a dealership stand for. It makes your dealership more engaging, credible and unique. This will lead to a more engaged public.
Online it will affect also your search engine rankings. Therefore, make your story shareable. Customer like to share a story about what they believe in.
There are many directions that you can go, and there are many reasons why a marketing plan may fail. At the end of the day you need to choose what works the best and what helps to drive more sales.
If you would ask me, I would recommend you to transform your marketing plan into a storytelling framework. A storytelling content strategy. Storytelling is the way to connect more. Tell the story of your company in an authentic way. Creative ideas will attract new customers. Ideas that have an impact on their lives. Make them want to spread the word about your business.
