2017: The Year of Streamlined Dealership Communication

Photo by Rawpixel/iStock / Getty Images

As we get started into the new year many dealerships will keep their focus solely on unit sales and profitability (like they did last year and the one before). That said, for many dealers, a new year represents the opportunity to streamline and modernize their communications with customers. By implementing the trends below dealerships will reduce their opt-out rates, improve sales, and reduce the overall volume of communications they are sending:

1. Platform Consolidation: Are you communicating with your customers through a single platform (CRM)? Or are you communicating through a text tool, an OEM service portal, a third party email system, and via CRM? By having multiple platforms it's easy to oversaturate a consumer, send an irrelevant message, or to expose yourself legally by not standardizing the opt-out procedures. Consolidating all of your communications to within your CRM system will allow you to more easily follow #2.
2. Communication Calendar: Have you ever laid out or sat down to consider how many communications a customer is receiving? Here's a list, but I bet you can think of more:
   • Monthly Sales Specials (12)
   • Monthly Service Specials (12)
   • Emails from OEM Credit Services (12)
   • Emails from OEM (12)
   • Follow-Up Emails from Sales (4)
   • Follow-Up Emails from Advisor (4)
   • Doubled-Up Promotional Emails (6)That's 62 communications a year, just counting email! How many of those are really necessary?
3. Greater Relevance: As you work to plan out your calendar and reduce unnecessary emails, placing a focus on relevance will be your greatest ally. Will you target a service special to all owners, or just those that have missed their normal interval? Will you focus a sales promotion to your whole database, or just to customers who have an equity position in their vehicle? By making your campaigns more targeted, you'll be able to reduce the overall number of customers, while increasing the relevance of the ones who you do contact.
4. Helpfulness: Ask yourself: Would I want to receive this call/email/text? Does it add value to the customer's ownership experience? Chances are that the answer is no in a lot of cases. By making sure that helpful content is included amongst the action-driving information, you can improve how your communications overall are received by your customer.

By streamlining our communications, reducing overall volume, and focusing on relevancy, we can both improve the customer ownership experience as well as the success of our campaigns. 

Something I missed? Drop a line in the comments below:

How do you react to a Mariah Carey moment?

Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images

With millions of people watching in Times Square and on television, an alleged equipment failure caused a catastrophe during Mariah Carey's New Year's Eve performance. It revealed that not only revealed was she lip-synching, but caused her to stumble through a song, complaining out loud about her equipment, and eventually giving up.

Her reaction afterwards? "Shit happens."

Is that the same reaction that you take when catastrophe strikes? What do you do to prepare in advance to minimize how glitches impact your performance or business. Here are a couple handy ways you can work to avoid your "Mariah Moment":

1. Consider the Worst-Case Scenario: By visualizing the worst possible outcomes of a situation, we can plan for how to work through them. A massive technical failure on the world's biggest stage would have been disastrous, which is exactly why they should have planned for it. 
2. Have a Plan for Expected Problems: If you know that 95% of the time when a customer/client/partner has an issue and it's normally one of 4-5 common items, those are situations you can plan for. Think through all of the times an interaction or business pitch went south and write down all of the reasons why. There is your list of scenarios to plan for. Audio problems are something live performers experience constantly, So it's something that should have been planned for.
3. Take Responsibility. Period. In the days following the performance blame was shifted from the performer to the TV production company, with no one willing to take responsibility for the failure. Regardless of what factors play in to a disaster, take ownership of the problem and the responsibility for what went wrong. Even if an outside factor does play into an issue, accept and own your role in how it came to play. Your customers, co-workers, and partners will respect that. 

We all know that things can go south quickly and the difference between handling them smoothly and an on-stage meltdown is a result of planning for the worst, planning for common problems, and accepting responsibility when something does go wrong. 

Other suggestions for the list? Leave a note in the comments below!

Furency Version 0.2

Ever since we presented Furency several months ago, it has been a complete whirlwind. From our kickoff at 1 Million Cups at the Kauffman Foundation it has been a non-stop period of growth and improvement. 

While we initially wanted to launch in tandem with 1MC, we were slightly delayed by the App review process and didn't make it into the app store until a week later. Thankfully the delay only caused more anticipation, giving us a large volume of downloads to kick off the app. 

From there it was all user-driven. From the cutest cats to the most beautiful dogs, along with other species, Furency has produced some of the best animal content I've ever seen. 

That said, we have a lot more work to do. We've received tons of feedback on ways to improve the product. We're proud to say that some of those requests are now possible.

With version 0.2 comes the following major enhancements:

• Multi Human Support - Now pets with multiple human assistants can have their content shared from several devices.
• Deletable Posts - It's hard to type with paws, so posts now can be deleted.
• Additional Pet Types - Hello Bunnies, Birds, and Lizards!
• UI/Bug Updates - Even apps need flea treatment occasionally!

We look forward to adding even more in 2016, so stay tuned for more information!

Download Furency in the App Store today!

Furency

As many of my closest friends are aware, I have been working on a pet project over the last year, literally. 

With our presentation on 11/11 at One Million Cups we am proud to launch Furency, the world's social petwork. Furency allows domestic animals the ability to share their experiences while rewarding them for engaging content. 

I'd like to give a shout out to the Furency team for the hard work leading up to today. We'll be live in the App Store in the next few weeks, so check us out. Android support is on the horizon.

Here goes nothing....

See You at the Driving Sales Executive Summit!

In just a few days it will be time for me to break out the suitcase, pack up the laptop, and head to Las Vegas for the Driving Sales Executive Summit. Having never been to #DSES I am a little excited, to say the least. That said, if the speakers are any indication of quality of the conference overall, I should be in for a great few days.

Having attended and spoken previously at Digital Dealer and other digital events, most of my conference experience has been focused towards online marketing. DSES looks to provide a much broader focus for leaders and a great view of where the auto industry is headed as a whole.

That said, here are some topics I am excited to learn about:

• Leadership: Despite being a leader within my own company, I am always excited to see how other leaders motivate their teams. While I’m excited to see the leadership focused speakers, I’m equally as excited to network with other dealership managers and to get the best of what they use to keep their stores on course.
• Consumer Experience: Most of us in the industry know that the old ways of forcing the consumer through a 10-step process are no longer working. I’m excited to learn more insights on how to improve our sales experience from the second a consumer starts researching all the way through their ownership lifecycle.
• Marketing Personalization: While most of us recognize the opportunity in “big data” to create more 1-to-1 personalized marketing experiences, it doesn’t seem like many are doing it very well. I want to learn what the best are doing and how they manage it all without seeming automated.

While those are just a few items I hope to find in the sessions, my favorite part of any conference is to work and chat with industry peers. From finding different solutions to common problems to having that “okay Kris, you’re not crazy” moments, the interaction is always most helpful.

Are you attending #DSES? Want to chat? Shoot me a message via Twitter @KrisNielsenKC . 

Twenty in Their Twenties 2015

Holy cow! When I found out I was nominated for Ingram's Magazine's "Twenty in Their Twenties" 2015 list of young KC professionals I was excited, but to find out that I was chosen among so many other amazing professionals in KC, I'm (almost) speechless.

From the article:

"It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling Jed Clampett’s jalopy or Doc Brown’s DeLorean, if it isn’t pulling ’em into the dealership to kick the tires, your on-line site isn’t driving sales. As eCommerce manager for Soave Automotive Group’s Aristocrat Motors, Kris Nielsen saw a need for a new strategy to follow up with prospective customers, infused a growing on-line response team with processes that embraced transparency and quality, and saw the share of sales from on-line prospects rise from 10 percent to 30 percent. Nielsen brings that same yen for innovative approaches to his other duties as customer-service manager, raising customer-satisfaction scores through tactics like creating an empowerment allowance to let the staff solve customer issues without management approval."

While the article plays up my digital strategies as the source of the success I would not have been able to accomplish anything in my role without the amazing support of my employers and the amazing performance of my co-workers that made it all possible.

See You at #DSUS!

Next week I'll be packing up the laptop and heading to beautiful San Diego for the Dealer Socket User Summit!

Like other dealers that use DealerSocket/DealerFire's products, I will be excited to collaborate with other dealers and to learn about new feature improvements that can accelerate the growth of our organizations.

In addition to learning, I'm also speaking! Come see my session, Beyond the Cat Photos: How to Engage Your Social Media Community at 3:45pm on Wednesday. I'll be talking from a dealer's perspective on how to create campaigns that engage your social audience, using local partners to boost your reach, and ways to build measurement into every campaign.

Headed to #DSUS ? Let's chat. Tweet me @KrisNielsenKC

Join the #KCSleepover

1 in 42. That's the number of kids in KC who don't have their own bed to sleep in each night.

Those of you who have known me a long time have seen my affiliation with Sleepyhead Beds, a KC area charity that seeks to make sure that each child in Kansas City has their own place to sleep each night, through donations of beds and bedding.

From sponsorship (and my emcee services) for their annual Bingo night to employee volunteering and vehicle support,  Soave Automotive Group has been a supporter of SHB for many years. 

This Thursday I invite you to join the #KCSleepover , a virtual sleepover where people across KC will voluntarily sleep on the floor to raise awareness for the kids that do it every night. Our #TeamSoave will be roughing it on the ground and we'd love if you joined us!

For more information on #KCSleepover, check out The Sleepyhead Beds Website!

Sunflowers to Roses Ride Recap

Photo Credit: Cheryl Law

After many weeks of promoting Sunflowers to Roses, a ride benefitting KC area cancer patients and survivors, the day finally came! On August 2nd hundreds of riders departed Bike Source in Overland Park on rides of various lengths!

While I did the 36.8 Mile Route, it was an absolute blast to do the ride with a dozen or so of my co-workers. Soave Automotive Group (Aristocrat Motors, Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City, & BMW VW of Topeka) is a proud supporter of S2R, representing both the largest team and largest fundraiser.

I'd like to thank those that donated to my page personally:

• Barrie Mars
• Mendee and Brent Perry 
• Lisa and David Geier
• Cavan Robinson
• Jessica Best
• Tricia Scott
• Kevin Killilea (Team Captain / Donation Matching)

There is still time to donate post-ride and any assistance would be appreciated!

DONATE HERE

A Fight in Kansas City

A few weeks ago I was asked to join in the filming of a short movie in Kansas City. Filmed by my enormously talented friend and neighbor, Bryan Reynolds, the true story depicts two local men pushing 30 looking to get in their first fight.

I got to play Lance, the overly aggressive fellow that they get to fight them. I'll let you watch below for the whole synopsis, but it was an awesome experience for my first time acting. 

Special thanks to Bryan for putting this together.

Help Me Help Area Cancer Patients/Survivors

While our dealerships sponsor dozens of area charities every year, there is one that is near and dear to my heart. The Sunflowers to Roses Charity Bike Tour is a local bike ride in South KC that helps raise money for local area cancer patients and cancer survivors.

For the past 3 years, The Soave Automotive Group has not only sponsored the ride, but each year we have set the overall records for both team size and overall donations. This year we are attempting to surpass both of those records and would sincerely appreciate the help (as would those who need the money most).

Thank You! - Kris

Find Out More About S2R

Click Here to Donate!

Daily Driving A Porsche

One of the most amazing perks of working for The Soave Automotive has to be the ability to drive some of the most amazing vehicles in the world every day. From SLR McLarens to Jaguar F-Types, and the occasional Maserati chauffeur duty with Jay Leno, it's a car geeks dream.

However, when it came time to replace my daily driver Mazda3 (one of the best cars on earth btw), a few eyebrows were raised when I chose a replacement: a 2014 Porsche Cayman S.

Lets start a bit with the car. The Porsche Cayman S is a rear wheel drive 325hp mid-engined sports car. The particular one I chose had 20" Carerra S wheels (from it's big brother 911) with some rather nice Pirell P-Zeros. Vehicles like this are typically relegated to weekend only and track-day duty. Needless to say, many friends and colleagues inquired as to how the heck I could make this work every day.  

I'll address some of the biggest questions I get asked all the time. 

Practicality: At first glance, a two seated sports car may not sound like the most effective vehicle to use for everyday items. But, here's the thing: The car has TWO TRUNKS. Because the engine is behind the seats, the front cavity is large enough for 2 standard carry on suitcases, bags of mulch, or the monthly run to the recycling dumpster. 95% of our weekly grocery runs are in the Cayman.

Winter Driving: Simce KC isn't South Beach and has more closely resembled Seattle as of late a rear drive car with summer equipped tires may not look like the best choice. What's more is that since I leased the car I opted not to invest in a set of winter wheels and tires. That, and the fact that my fiancée was not keen on the idea of storing wheels and tires in the living room of our downtown apartment.  

The truth is that the tires that come on the car are excellent in rain. Despite the huge storms recently o have yet to even have tractio.n control engage in daily situations. In the cold the tires also do pretty well as long as the throttle is gently engaged when leaving a standing stop. Snow? The 3 days that snow was phsicaly on the road and not yet cleared my fiancée drove me to work. Props to Brooke and the local plowman for the support.

Cost: Obviously this isn't the most budget friendly car. With a starting MSRP at $58k, there are definitely better options. Regular services are pricey too, with services in the $500 range, although when you consider that the car only needs one service per year, it ends up only being about 2x as much per year compared to a normal vehicle. 

Fun: Regardless of the small detractors that may spawn from operating a cat like this every day, the fact is that it is the single best driving vehicle I have ever experienced. It puts a smile on my face every morning on the way to work and helps me de-stress every night on the way home. I don't regret the initial decision for a second.

I kind of feel like going for a drive right now.

Questions? Drop a comment below and I'll answer them as they come. 

Revenge of the Television

In the age of online marketing many small and medium sized business have shuttered their spends in Radio, Print, and Television in favor of more targeted and provable media. After all, who can afford to compete with major companies like Ford, Coca-Cola, and Geico for share of voice?

While print may be dead (at least in the broad sense), radio has seen quite the comeback. With the advent of digital radio services like Pandora, Spotify, and iHeart Radio, advertisers are now granted the ability to target more specific groups of potential customers, based on interests, geographical areas, and when paired with segment data, even in-market shoppers.

We now sit at the edge of Television's targeted, servable renaissance. Currently, cable providers in many markets allow for "zone-targeting" , but that's just the beginning. As consumers and cable companies begin replacing set-top boxes with "smarter" replacements, advertisers will the be able to serve specific ads to specific consumers. Imagine running an ad for a new Ford to only those homes in a specific neighborhood who have a Chevrolet registered at that address!

While the possibilities of this are limited only by advertiser's imagination, there are still drawbacks. TV usage is still on the decline against streaming services like Netflix and Hulu while those that watch traditional television are using ad-killing DVRs. It's possible that cable companies will start serving ads to DVR users, but only time will tell.

My prediction? As cable boxes become smarter and allow for more targeting, small and medium sized businesses will begin to re-integrate TV (in small amounts) back into their marketing budgets.

What do you think?

5 Pieces of Content You Already Have

While it may seem to be social media cliche' at this point, I am still amazed by the amount of businesses that I talk to who are unaware of the mountain of content GOLD sitting right under their noses. 

These 5 pieces of content are sitting at every business, waiting to be posted:

1. Employee Spotlight: There is nothing better than humanizing your business through focus on an employee. I've always said that each person is the lead character in their own life story, complete with their own unique skills and interests. Telling stories about employees goes a long way for the employee as well.
2. Community Involvement: Whether it's an employer driving program or something that employees are involved in, telling the story of how your organization supports the community is some of the easiest content you can possibly accessed. Pro Tip: Ask around, as there are often things that the company supports that may not be shared effectively with the whole staff (that's where you come in!).
3. The Monotonous: Did someone drink the last cup of coffee? Everyone hates that, including the fans of your business. Sharing the little things that people can relate to allow us to connect more deeply with our community. Extra points if the content is both relevant to everyone AND your business.
4. Solicitations for Help! I guarantee that you or a co-worker asked a question in a meeting recently about how to improve your customer experience. Why ask each other? Ask them! Even if you don't implement the ideas, asking your community for feedback is a great way to stay in touch with the pulse of your clients!
5. Customer Stories: While lots of businesses post "thank you" items about customers that have recently completed a purchase or had a great experience, seldom do they reach out and ask customers to tell their story. Chances are strong that you have dozens of clients that would gladly let you spotlight them a unique aspect of their life.

Ideas to add? Drop them in the comments below!

Worth It

It's Thursday afternoon, which means that Digital Dealer 18 has come to a close and all of my automotive colleagues are either home or on the way. 

While I'll leave specific points and content to a future post, I'd just like to thank some people for making this a really amazing experience:

• Speakers: Over these last 3 days I picked up more than my fair share of insights. While I consider myself to be pretty adept at digital marketing, there were several sessions that absolutely blew me away, suggesting new concepts that I had never considered.
• Vendors: This huge THANK YOU goes out to the vendors that have a true passion for their brand and belief in the industry. I had dozens of conversations with incredible people that provide services for dealers and care about how we as an industry move forward. These are vendors that don't need a flashy car or a painted woman to prove that they know and care about moving this world forward.
• Colleagues: Once (or twice) a year it is great to get away from the store and get a reminder that "we're not crazy" and that common problems exist in every dealership. A huge thank you goes out to the dozens of other dealers and marketing professionals that I had the pleasure of chatting with this week. By just making the effort to learn and grow, dealers in attendance represented the very best the industry has to offer and I appreciate the opportunity to learn from all of them.

As we all arrive home we have the challenge of getting back into the normal routine while bearing the obligation to implement the things we learned into our businesses. Thank you to everyone who made this an amazing trip.