People don’t like dealerships. I’m not saying this to be harsh. But the reality is, many people don’t like dealerships and most of the reasons why are outside your control.
From bad portrayals in the movies to skewed news reporting, everyone paints dealerships as the bad guy. This negative stigma is reinforced every time a customer leaves your store feeling cheated—whether or not it’s true.
This negative reputation occurs online too. Herding cats is easier than getting a customer to take time out of their own day to write a positive review. Even if you manage to squeeze a positive review out of someone, getting the review to stick is difficult.
Yelp’s notoriously difficult vetting process makes it hard for non-Yelpers to publish reviews that survive the approval process. Meanwhile, Google’s algorithm-heavy review system makes it hard for businesses to delete bogus negative reviews. This makes earning a Google or Yelp score over 3.5 stars nearly impossible for dealerships.
Pair negativity online with an already negative perception from society, and it’s easy to understand why most people would rather get a root canal than visit a dealership.
But there are people who would speak on your behalf online if given the right opportunity.
Who?
Your current customers. But you have to make it easy for them to do so in the moment.
That’s right, while getting your current customers to write a review online is almost impossible, getting them to speak on your behalf is much easier. I’m not talking about begging them to write a review or asking them to refer a friend. You should ask them to do these things, but once they leave the dealership, it becomes harder and harder for you to control when and if they do so.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to leverage your customers and their stories. But a recent study found that 77% of dealerships aren’t doing it.
What is this foolproof method? Video testimonials.
A video testimonial is a simple video highlighting a customer who recently purchased a car. That’s it—it sounds simple because it is.
Video testimonials work because they require no additional work or time from the customer outside their experience with you at the dealership.
However, too many dealerships aren’t producing video testimonials because they think creating videos is too cumbersome and time-consuming. From fancy camera equipment to professional editing, this powerful marketing tool seems out of reach to most dealerships.
But it doesn’t need to be. Video testimonials don’t need to be difficult.
Here’s everything you need to start recording testimonials today:
- A Smartphone—Skip the fancy equipment. Most people have a smartphone and know how to use it.
- A Smiling Customer In Front Of Their New Car—There’s nothing more impactful than a smiling customer. At delivery, have someone whip out a smartphone and film the happy customer.
- A Simple Question—Once you get the customer in front of their new vehicle, it’s time to get the testimonial. Ask the customer to introduce themselves, show off the car and describe their experience. You can ask about their experience in various ways—try any of these questions to see what works best for the customers at your dealership.
- What was your favorite part about visiting the dealership today?
- Would you recommend this dealership to a friend? Why?
- What made your experience memorable today?
Then post the video on social media. Don’t waste time or energy editing the video, post it to your dealership’s social media or website as is. Unedited videos feel more unscripted and authentic to viewers. Just make sure to tag the featured customer, so they can share it with their friends.
Every customer who buys a car doesn’t need to film a video testimonial. Pick a customer once or twice a week who’s energetic and has a fun personality. You’ll even find that as your testimonials get popular, customers will ask to be featured.
Video testimonials are a great way to start attracting new customers. When used correctly, they’ll help you start building relationships with customers before they visit the dealership and even help break down the negative stigma most people associate with dealerships.
If you’re looking for even more ways to attract new customers, check out our eBook Break The Ice With A Nicer, Newer® Customer. Download it here for free.