Posted by Brian Berg Google+
A successful direct mail campaign can drive quality foot traffic to your showroom, resulting in high-quality sales leads—consumers who are not only interested in buying a car but also qualified for financing. While creating excitement by drawing large crowds has its benefits, it can also lead to potential buyers walking away as mere shoppers if there aren't enough salespeople to assist them. To avoid this pitfall, follow these strategies for an effective auto dealership direct mail campaign.
Targeted Mailing List for High-Quality Leads
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Pre-Qualified Leads: Start with a targeted mailing list that ensures recipients feel confident about qualifying for financing. Your offer should include a firm offer of credit, reassuring recipients that they qualify today. This minimizes the risk of unexpected turn-downs and enhances the likelihood of conversions.
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Credit Score Mailing List: By making a firm offer of credit, you gain access to a credit score mailing list. This allows you to tailor your list to match your financial department's underwriting capabilities, ensuring you target prospects who meet your credit criteria.
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Loan Status: Customize your mailing list to include individuals who have paid down at least 50% of their auto loan. This ensures you're not targeting prospects who might be upside down on their current loan, increasing the chances of a successful sale.
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Expiring Leases: Include individuals whose vehicle leases are expiring within the next six months. Although this segment may be small, they are prime candidates for a new purchase.
Designing an Impactful Direct Mail Piece
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Dual Themes: Consider focusing your mail piece on two key themes: offering an attractive new car at a competitive price or highlighting unparalleled dealership financing. While combining these themes can be challenging, it's crucial to maintain clarity and avoid overwhelming your recipients during their brief "direct mail moment."
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Genuine and Unique Offers: Ensure your offer is both genuine and unique, striking a balance that is engaging but believable. This approach will grab attention without triggering skepticism.
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Emotional Appeal: Make your direct mail piece resonate emotionally with your prospects. Personalize the message by using their name and create a sense of importance. Providing a specific timeframe for action can further enhance this emotional connection.
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Strategic Giveaway Placement: Include any free giveaway offers midway through the mail piece. This ensures that only those who read thoroughly will notice, filtering out individuals only interested in the free gift.
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Urgency and RSVP: Incorporate a limited timeframe to respond or attend your event, and consider requiring an RSVP. This creates a sense of urgency and helps manage sales leads efficiently, ensuring salespeople are busy but not overwhelmed.
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Pain-Free Buying Experience: Highlight that the buying process will be smooth and straightforward. Emphasize that the recipient is pre-qualified, with only the final choices left to make, such as selecting the color of the leather interior.
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Event Hosting: Hire an outside company to host your sales event. This disassociation can enhance the perceived value and exclusivity of the event.
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Focused Messaging: Avoid overwhelming your audience with too many options. Stick to the main offer and add one or two compelling reasons to visit your dealership.
By implementing these strategies and leveraging a well-targeted automobile database, you can create direct mail campaigns that drive high-quality leads and increase showroom traffic. For more information on how to optimize your direct mail marketing efforts, contact BB Direct today. Let us help you make the most of your marketing dollars and achieve significant growth in your auto dealership business.