The Power of Personal Branding and Selling Yourself with Reviews
Promote the brand, YOU
Branding and reviews are important for dealerships, but are you correctly using these marketing opportunities to benefit you as a salesperson as well? Manufacturers are promoting their brands. Dealerships are promoting their brands. But, have you ever stopped to think, who is consistently promoting you? You are promoting you! You are the face of your own brand, and as brand manager, customer reviews are important to your success.
Every customer that you sell a vehicle to should be directed towards leaving a review. You are most likely already doing this per the request of your manager(s). The key to getting the most out of any review is to give very specific directions with the initial request. Ask the customer to mention your name and the dealership’s name. Give a clear example of your expectations. Tell them which site and where to leave the review at.
Ideas to take away…
When able, take reviews into your own hands. Snap a photo with the customer to post to social sites like Facebook and Instagram, or ask them to do a quick impromptu video to be uploaded to YouTube. A video is as easy as using your smartphone to record your customer saying a nice one-liner about you and their experience at your dealership. Consider recording the customer sitting behind the wheel of their brand new or new-to-them vehicle. End the video by showing them driving off into the sunset. For optimal results, send the customer the video and/or picture to post themselves. There is nothing more genuine than a customer that shares their own happiness.
Over time, there will be a slew of reviews that mention your name and talk about you assisting buyers with their purchase. Eventually, your emails can contain links that direct future prospects towards your favorite reviews. To make it easier for you and your customers, reviews should be compiled and hosted on a landing page (e.g., personal website or your very own Facebook business page). If you are having issues with your customers committing to leaving reviews, consider offering some form of incentive like a free $25 gas card to those that follow through.
After reviews are complete and posted online, share them across all of your personal social media accounts as well as tag/include your dealership’s social accounts in order to maximize exposure. Make sure your family, friends, neighbors, customers, colleagues, virtual network of associates and community leaders know about your successes.
Visibility and distinguishability are key to standing out in an already flooded market. Potential prospects need to know why working with you differs from working with another dealership and for that matter another salesperson. Ask yourself, “How do I stand out amongst my peers and competition?”
Capitalize on your unique angle, accumulate reviews and share your successes! Draw on your strengths and use them in your plan of attack – how to get more customers sitting in your chair! Because we all know that if you’re not talking, you’re not selling, which means you must be lacking in the review department.
