“All car dealers are the same. They just want to rip you off!”

We don’t believe this stereotypical statement – but many of your potential customers do.

Why shouldn’t they lump all car dealers in the same category? Most dealerships look, act, sound, and feel like all the others.

The biggest part of the problem is that most car dealers ADVERTISE the same. And that’s what your potential customers see first—your advertising.

If your advertising looks the same, people assume that everything else you do is the same too. And since all used car dealers are “out to rip us off,” you must not be any different.

Off course, this isn’t the case at your store.

So if you’re not like those stereotypical car dealers, why advertise like them? Same is lame.

But the good news is you can fight back—with a vengeance!

These are the basic ingredients you’ll need to market smarter and make a bold and clear statement that you ARE NOT a stereotypical car dealer.

1. Do The Opposite: One great way to get more than your fair share of the market is to take Earl Nightingale’s advice, “If you want to be successful, look at what everyone else is doing, and do the opposite.”

So why aren’t you trying to be different?

Most dealers all have similar backgrounds and experiences in the business. But the opportunity for success and the attention of your prospects is endless.

You must become a risk-taker. Status quo thinking and actions deliver common results. If you are seeking more than average results and success you need to do the opposite.

Doing what’s comfortable is safe for you – but boring for your customers. Boring is invisible and invisible means no sale. So is safe really all that comfortable?

2. Give Value First: At the beginning of every customer/dealer relationship there is a set of emotions like fear, distrust, uncertainty and lack of knowledge that exists and stands between you and the sale. Think of this as “The Mighty Wall Of Mistrust.”

In the car business it’s a higher and thicker wall than in any other business. Most dealers and sales people try to do a standing jump over the wall, only to miss it by a mile.

It’s foolish to try to jump the wall in a single bound. This isn’t Crossfit. The smart thing to do is break the wall down from the bottom, brick by brick.

By providing your customers with valuable information you put yourself on the same side of the table as them. You become a trusted advisor instead of a salesperson.

This allows you to chip away at the wall more quickly and ultimately overcome all the emotions that stand in the way of the sale.

3. Create An Irresistible Offer: While all of your competitors are screaming price or payment, service or selection, you must create a truly compelling, irresistible offer.

Analyze your dealership and find out what you do that your competitors don’t do (or don’t talk about) that delivers a high return on investment for your customers.

Focus on the value-added services your store provides. Do you offer a unique warranty or satisfaction guarantee? Do you include a maintenance package with your vehicles? Do you give free car washes to your customers on Thursdays?

This is not about pulling silly marketing stunts like putting pink gorillas on your roof or talking dogs in your commercials. This is about offering a truly unique and valuable experience and benefit to your customers that effectively removes you from the commodity pricing game.

These are three simple things you can do today to start standing out, and that’s the first step to selling more. If you want more than the status quo tomorrow, then you have to do something different that proves you are more than just a stereotype today. So get started.