The Circus Barker

[joe.webb]

Step right up, step right up. You want to win a prize, you have to play.

At carnivals and fairs around the nation, there are those whose sole purpose is to get you to walk a little closer to their booths and maybe even spend a dollar or two in hopes of getting something special. These people are known as Circus Barkers and they are extremely important to the profitability of the carnival.

The automotive industry has Circus Barkers as well, but we don't use them often enough. You're spending countless dollars in advertising online AND traditional, directing people to either you website, showroom, or phone. Your staff can be their own Circus Barkers when a customer initiates contact by phone or walk-in, but what about your website?

In my opinion, the closest things we have to Circus Barkers are lead generation tools. We need to be employing these resources on our websites in hopes to bring the customer a little further down the road to engagement or information capture. Some solid lead gen tools that you should be employing are a Trade Evaluator, Live Chat, a 30-Sec Credit App, and one quick click to Specials Tabs (among others).

Trade Evaluators seem to be the no-brainer that many dealers take advantage of, but not all do. Heck, GM and Cobalt give their dealers Blackbook Online for free, yet how few dealers make BBO their own special tab? Not a lot. Do they expect its power to be felt when it pops up every 11 slides in their OEM-required slideshow. That's a freebie you have no excuse not to take advantage of. (Same goes for a hot button link to your specials.)

Live chat is becoming more prominent and widely accepted by consumers as well. If you have the staff to handle this yourself, you should exhaust every effort doing so as it turns your team into their very own Call-to-Actions. Many times these Live chat companies even have the icon graphic moving with a a text phrase enticing the website visitor to interact right there. (Exactly what a Circus Barker is!).

Even vendors are jumping aboard the Circus Barker bandwagon. They are offering products to their clients that help convert visitors to leads (or lead capture) with tools such as AutoTrader's Trade-in Marketplace and vAuto's Real Deal Pricing hot buttons.

Let me just say, though, that those virtual people that show up on your website's homepage and just start talking to the customer is NOT a Circus Barker. They are Walmart greeters and serve very little purpose and give very little push for further interaction. Circus Barkers on your website don't actually have to make noise (have you not heard audio is a no-no), but they do need to be engaging, interesting, and a one-click away answer to your customers questions.

Take a quick look at your website and let me know what Circus Barkers you have. It can't just be links to inventory and New Car Builds. That is not enough to attract customers to submit their info. They would have already been coming to the site for that purpose so that shouldn't be considered an attraction. Im speaking of innovative, successful, one-click to lead capture tools.

Take a moment and tell us what Circus Barkers work for you. The good, the bad, and the gaudy.

 

[Craig]

Joe,
WOW! Great post, wish you were here more often although the vendor to dealer ratio is already off it's nice to have thought provoking discussions and this seems destined to be one!

One of our biggest Digital Marketing goals for this year is to revamp the "contact me" form internet marketing of old and take our lead generation game to the next level with more engaging lead generators. Things like Black Book Online having a prominent position on our site have been good, but what's next? That's the question.

Things like ebooks and download only information in exchange for email addresses come to mind, engaging blog content that makes people want to be part of our community online is something else we will be focusing more on this year.

We already have an Uncle Joe.....but maybe a crazy Karaoke signing cousin is right for Refresh?

 

[joe.webb]

Thanks, Craig. I do like the idea of downloadable eBooks, but have to wonder what has value to a customer. If you were able to create How-To Tip Sheets (change a tire, check your oil, program your nav), Condensed Owners Manuals, etc, I could see those having a solid download potential. Then again, I think there is more benefit of having these above converted into video snippets and shared on your website.

Regarding lead conversion tools, I spoke with someone not to long ago (can't remember who) who said they were working on a lead converter for a website's homepage that was like a small carnival game. The visitor (unique only) can play it to win a prize. Whatever they win, they must enter their contact info to receive a voucher for the prize. Then you have both their info as well as something other than just a test drive appt to have them visit the dealer for. The question I asked was, how much can you give away something for free and what must it be to be worth a customer's time to come in?

Anyway, that's just one lead gen tool I heard coming down the pipe. I'm definitely looking to hear some other ideas.

 

[Craig]

Thanks, Craig. I do like the idea of downloadable eBooks, but have to wonder what has value to a customer. If you were able to create How-To Tip Sheets (change a tire, check your oil, program your nav), Condensed Owners Manuals, etc, I could see those having a solid download potential. Then again, I think there is more benefit of having these above converted into video snippets and shared on your website.

.

Those are exactly the types of downloadable items we're thinking, trying to give consumers what they are looking for early in their "Consumer Decision Journey" To quote Matt Murray of Dealer.com fame. I read just yesterday where Matt said "The sales funnel? Nope... The Consumer Decision Journey. It's not about jamming shoppers down a funnel in 2011." I think this is a great statement to think about in making Digital Marketing decisions.

 

[davidmoon]

I agree that dealer Websites are probably one of the few business where an online call-to-action is critical for lead capture and the conversion of business. You have just a few seconds to draw your audience in, and then make it easy and accessible for a prospect to get more information or answer a question.

That being said, where dealers fail most often is the follow-up and quality of response. Consumers want quick and direct responses--especially when asking online. Just as a carnival-goer wants that instant gratification sold by the barker.

If you're going to implement chat, make sure that the staff assigned has the ability to clearly communicate, and know how to type quickly and accurately. Better than chat, IMHO, is to add a call-back service which will call the prospect back in a few minutes. ANY mechanism that can provide instant answers or open a point of reciprocal contact should be a no-brainer. Just make sure you can handle the commitment.

Email responses shouldn't take more than 10 minutes tops. In 10 minutes, more than likely your prospect has wondered onto a competitor's page, and have begun asking questions there. Always ask for a preference of contact--phone or email. If you are getting a quantity of leads, then appoint the responsibility to someone to return emails all day, assign leads and kick some butt when standards and follow-up times are achieved. The point of contact is the most important part of the process where accountability is critical.

It's more than a journey--it's the quality of the experience to decision that is most valuable. For many, buying a vehicle is not fun, so the key is to develop an environment and strategy for fun.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

I like your spin on this Joe! Thanks for sharing and I would agree, it would be nice to see you here on DealerRefresh more often.

I think there are 2 different Circus Barkers. There's your traditional Lead Gen Circus Barker - Online Trade Appraise Tools like KBB, BlackBook, AutoTrader TIM and GetAutoAppraise. I would place Chat into this segment, though way more engaging (has a louder bark). Any tool that allows the dealer to engage the consumer AND convert I'm guess could be considered a "Circus Barker".

There is another level of Circus Barker.

What about "Lead to Show". It's great getting the lead from the Circus Barker but what tools can we use to get the customer to SHOW. After all - that's what we really want...right?

What can we do to Incentivise the customer to SHOW??

This is where (AS MUCH AS I HATE THEM) the Coupon Incentive comes into play. SHOW UP and allow us the opportunity to earn your business and you get THIS. The customer is now encourage to show up. Did the competition do the same?

I use DealerOn for my dealers websites and they've always been notorious for their eAutoSavings "pop-up" coupon. I personally would never act upon a pop-up coupon (only because I'm numb to the whole concept), but those damn things work - especially when you incorporate them into your email marketing.

As I've said before - $250.00 OFF the Price of a Car doesn't speak to me but it does to many others. $500 has an even louder message (this circus barker has some strong vocal cords) when you consider the increase "lead to show".

I like your analogy of the WalMart greeter and agree with what you're saying. So why not place the Circus Barker on the right pages? I think we have proven that adding certain lead gen tools will NOT merely substitute leads that you would have captured "anyways" but will increase your leads/conversion overall.

How about a $25.00 giftcard of your choice (Visa, Starbucks, Target, etc) when you SHOW up and test drive your vehicle of choice?

Ehhhh - I was skeptical at first but once I started working with one of my now favorite vendors - it's one of the very first Circus Barkers I employ. I now have the option to incentivise the customer to SHOW up.

Lead to Show.

It works!

 

[joe.webb]

Right on, Jeff. I believe there are several different types of Circus Barkers (and I love that you said Live Chat "has more Bark". Just great.

In regard to Lead to Show Circus Barkers, they too have their place in this conversation. While in retail in Chicago, I always had to be a inventive with my pop-under coupons because in the state of Illinois, much like a few other states, it is illegal to offer someone a coupon on a negotiable item. Against state laws. That is why, if we offered it on the website, EVERYONE had to get it. As you know, owners don't like giving three free oil changes away to everyone so we had to shape them like raffle tickets with a number of prizes. (Anything like a shirt/keychain/hat combo to a Service Protection Package.

I think you can also look at those few Circus Barkers that attract website visitors to engage in a negotiation to sell the car as well. I know a few people are popping up with interactive shopping carts and online negotiation tools on their websites. Lets face it - every year more and more money is being spent online and people are willing to make larger and larger purchases through an online marketplace. It won't be too long before customers are building out their vehicles and having them ordered from the OEM sites and dealerships turn into Test Drive Outlets and Service Centers. Sad, but eventual.

If anyone out there has one of the online negotiation or shopping cart tools on their website and would like to share their experiences with it, I'd love to hear about it..

 

[ed.brooks]

Joe - Great analogy with the Circus Barker. He hooks the customer in, making them go from 'just passing by' to being an engaged customer.

Besides a dealer's website, this same analogy could be applied to the classified sites. Loud, noisy environments where you need to capture a browsers attention and 'hook' them in. With so many shoppers and dealers on these pages, it's almost a sin to not pay attention to them... Yet many dealers do just that.

Look at how a listing CAN appear:

A thumbnail with the 'bait' of additional photos and video. Certification info and CARFAX link. Links to inventory and trade appraisal. And most importantly, custom comments designed to hook the customer in.

Compare this to a VIN explosion from a dealer letting opportunities walk right by them:

REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER W/TIMER, PWR DOOR LOCKS, SEATBACK POCKETS, Front/rear carpeted floor mats, Outside temp gauge, Front/rear map lights, Auto-dimming rearview mirror, Adjustable rear headrests...
​

Get your Carnival Barker working on the Classified Sites as well!

PS. Joe, thanks for mentioning RealDeal.com. It's a great way to get customers engaged!

 

[Ryan Thompson]

Does anyone have any good example of circus barkers specifically to get sign ups for your newsletter and other email marketing?

I use a free ebook on my blog and it gets a good amount of opt ins.. Not sure what a dealer could offer that wouldn't break the bank.

 

[joe.pistell]

Wow Joe, that's a creative way to shine a light on my pet project for 2010-2011... "Web Page Conversion Techniques and tools".

Jeff Kerschner, what a challenge you've made! I always thought the LEAD TO SHOW ratio was a sales process issue, but you've got me thinking now!!


Here's my View of the World...
Shopping is a TASK. Shoppers want to complete their TASK. Circus Barkers need to know whats on the shoppers mind so they can STOP that shopper dead in their tracks. IMO, because we're in the biz and we see it all everyday, we forget all the little silly questions that's on a shoppers mind.

SOLUTION:
If you could produce a list of common questions that are on the shoppers mind, yet, is not on our website.... NOW YOUR BARKING HAS BITE!!

Back in June, I built this forum post just for this purpose: http://forum.dealerrefresh.com/f40/whats-car-shoppers-mind-1025.html I ask: "When a shopper is car shopping on your site (or any car site), what questions are they juggling while shopping?"

Everyone helped build this list below. Read this list and you'll agree that there are a lot of barker opportunities here:

• my old car is costing me money
• "Does this vehicle look spacious enough?"
• Existing warranty expired -now/soon- what will it cost to...
• Warranty expired, I dont like that.
• It's making a noise, the Tires are worn, brakes squeak, check engine light
• "How will the vehicle handle in certain weather conditions? (rain, snow, etc).
• can I afford it?
• will it cost more than what I have now
• is gas going higher
• Tell me about any dings or scratches on the car.
• will it cost more for insurance
• What papers do I need to buy a new vehicle
• How do I get the Payoff, Do I need to get the payoff?
• How do I make sure insurance is transferred properly?
• I really like my old car (2,3cars ago)
• my payments are too high
• miles are getting up there
• I want something new
• -need more space (people or things)
  -break the boredom, reward myself with want something fun, sporty,
  -want something practical, commuter, haul people, haul stuff
  -this one is nice, but I like the look of that one
• - Is this dealer trustworthy and worth visiting?
  - How much can I grind these guys on the price? Whats the bottom line going to be?
  - What will the wife think?
  - What's this going to cost me in the short term over the selling price?
  - What kind of bling do I want to get right after I buy for my new ride?

Our visitors are not there to get sports scores. They're not here to check on the weather... they're shopping for a car. Add to that, when it comes to a shopper on a dealers website, they're waayyyy deep into the shopping process. Why in the world do we get a lead from less that 5% of the visitors? That drives me mad!