Donny Seyfer
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For the last couple of weeks, I have been hauling around a very pretty, sexy and interesting Keystone catalog that I have
every intention of reading. But judging from past experience, I'll probably never get around to it. Sadly, these pieces that
cost so much to produce usually ride around in my backpack until they are too dog-eared to open properly and get thrown away
with only a cursory look.This is not a knock on my friends at Keystone, as I'm guilty of the same. As chairman of the Automotive
Service Association of Colorado, I help organize member communication. For more than a year, we have distributed a nice looking,
full-color newsletter or education piece every month. Since many of the articles in these pieces include calls to action,
we can determine the effectiveness of our marketing by the response — or in our case, lack thereof.
Time shortages and information overload are often the root causes of why our members don't get to pieces that require a time
commitment. Before you send out a catalog or an e-mail, think, from the recipient's perspective, about what you are delivering.
If you don't have the time to pore over every page of a catalog, then your customers probably don't either. Ask yourself,
"What does my audience really need to know?"
Instead of a sales catalog, consider a one-page sales sheet that can be quickly digested. Rather than a one-size-fits-all
approach, you can target each sheet to a particular audience: one for the 4x4 guys, one for tuner customers and one for the
resto/hot rod guys. Keep it simple and attractive to the eye. You will reduce your marketing costs and be able to better
target and promote your product.
For those selling tools and equipment, replace a 15-page specials circular with one sheet bearing a featured item on one side
and the reasons I should own one on the other. Then, add some text that says, "Find more great deals like this at our Web
site." This way, when a salesperson calls to follow up, target shop owners might actually know which product he or she is
talking about. Many in our industry have learned that sending a big and fancy e-mail is no guarantee that anyone will read it. Especially
on the Web, readers want the information short and sweet. SEMA, for example, has gone to an e-newsletter that has the article
title and a couple of lines from it with a link to the complete article. Think about how you could adapt this to get your
message to your customer. Don't forget to consider that trade magazines offer both print- and Web-based means to effectively
communicate a short, succinct message.
This method really does work. For instance, after a lackluster response from our newsletter on a big training event for ASA,
I put out a postcard that basically simply said, "Sign up today!" and the phones began to ring.
The background noise caused by all the messages that your customers are hearing makes it necessary to rethink the way you
deliver your message and who you are delivering it to. It will take a different kind of discipline, focus and market research,
but the rewards will show not only in the sales column but also in the expense column. My backpack and I look forward to hearing
from you.
Donny Seyfer is a second-generation repair shop owner and ASE Master Technician. An active industry educator, Seyfer hosts
two automotive radio shows, serves as chairman of the Automotive Service Association of Colorado, works nationally to help
repair shops with IT and service information utilization and writes for Motor Age, a sister publication of Aftermarket Business.
