WOW. CLAP CLAP CLAP. You have my praise!!! This is amazing. I use social networking sites to connect with everyone and anyone that I have ever met as well as people that can help me succeed in my industry. I have over 900 friends in my facebook account (ok some of you probably think that is nuts, how could someone know that many people?). Well guess what, I was very popular in high school and people always knew me for being a nice guy, a great guitar player, and a varsity wrestler so most of those people are high school alumni. The rest of my friends are anyone that I have ever worked with or communicated (yes I know every single person on my friends list). On myspace I network the same way plus with musicians that I respect. On Automotive Digital Marketing, I am always meeting new people and making new friends. I met most of the people at NADA and somehow created a relationship with these people. At the end of the day, the more people that know me the more successful I will be as long as I keep a positive reputation management system going. By the way, sites like linkedin.com and naymz.com are great social networking sites that help keep positive reputation management for individuals just like carfolks.com and dealerrater.com maintains reputation management for dealers. Now, I must say that I used to just act any other way on myspace and facebook until I started adding business contacts as friends. I was never extreme and never a crazy party animal, however this trained me to be more discrete and act accordingly not only as a social net worker but also as a human being in my daily life. After all, you need to always keep a certain image so that people respect you and see you in a certain way. I know that in my young age I needed to start doing things differently and I am proud to have matured this way. I believe that if employers trained employees to be on social networking sites and be discrete it can help improve business. I want everyone that I know to know what I do and where I work. I want them to buy cars from me and only me. I want them to send me referrals. It used to be that I would have to join a club of society to network with people so everyone knows that I am the "go to" person to buy a car. Now I can do it from the comfort of my home from my computer or anywhere as long as I have a computer and/or my iphone. The time to raise awareness of the positive business aspects of social networking is now. I am not one to brag and I am going to make this as humble as possible but my friend, Joe Webb wrote an amazing blog about social networking and myself (http://adpadm.ning.com/profiles/blogs/is-stan-sher-the-greatest). This explains how I leveraged social networking in order to be a part of this great family which includes all of you readers. It is funny too when you look at the comments.
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Increase Sales by Putting Web 2.0 in the Dealer Employee Handbook
- Thread starter Jeff Kershner
- Start date
- Apr 15, 2009
- 26
- 0
- First Name
- Philip
Social networking only works if it is not commercialized; real or perceived. Helping your staff to draw the "fine line" of building relationships rather than sales is not as easy as posting this month's creative for the dealership but it has a far superior R.O.I. for all involved parties so your staff needs and deserves your support. For that reason alone a dealership must establish a support system to leverage this valued human networking resource - not only in sales and service but in all departments - to extend the dealership's marketing messages to their staff's personal spheres of influence.
That said, the best place to pass on consistent policies and procedures while considering "risk management" for the dealership is in the employee handbook. Just ask your attorney and he will explain that "no policy" actually is a policy by "ommission." When an employee mis-represents your dealership to a customer - with or without your knowledge and/or permission - you are liable; even if it is only based on the "deep pocket" theory applied by most attorneys seeking damages for their client.
The first issue that has to be addressed is the "buy in" from the dealer that the internet has matured into a "pull/push" media rather than a "push/pull media as far as customers are concerned. As a result, the website of today is already different than yesterday's and they will be drastically different than tomorrow's. Transparency and simplicity is already a practiced wisdom in dealer's sites which have learned to prioritize relationship selling over simply posting price and product. Since it is difficult to have a relationship with a building or a corporation the people factor has to take precedence. Step one is to integrtate a dealer's blogging site for customer generated content including their staff's postings and comments.
The problem is that many customer assume that a dealer's site is self serving and they challenge the source. The only solution is independently develped "relationships" in other sgared verticals like face book, twitter and other communal sites where you are able to kmake friends who are happy to find out that - coincidentally - you also sell and or service vehicles. After all, everyone would like to have a friend in the car business!
As far as the posted point - yes, include instructions, policies and procedures for social networking ploicies and procedures in your employee handbook and enforce it the same way as the other issues that it includes.
That said, the best place to pass on consistent policies and procedures while considering "risk management" for the dealership is in the employee handbook. Just ask your attorney and he will explain that "no policy" actually is a policy by "ommission." When an employee mis-represents your dealership to a customer - with or without your knowledge and/or permission - you are liable; even if it is only based on the "deep pocket" theory applied by most attorneys seeking damages for their client.
The first issue that has to be addressed is the "buy in" from the dealer that the internet has matured into a "pull/push" media rather than a "push/pull media as far as customers are concerned. As a result, the website of today is already different than yesterday's and they will be drastically different than tomorrow's. Transparency and simplicity is already a practiced wisdom in dealer's sites which have learned to prioritize relationship selling over simply posting price and product. Since it is difficult to have a relationship with a building or a corporation the people factor has to take precedence. Step one is to integrtate a dealer's blogging site for customer generated content including their staff's postings and comments.
The problem is that many customer assume that a dealer's site is self serving and they challenge the source. The only solution is independently develped "relationships" in other sgared verticals like face book, twitter and other communal sites where you are able to kmake friends who are happy to find out that - coincidentally - you also sell and or service vehicles. After all, everyone would like to have a friend in the car business!
As far as the posted point - yes, include instructions, policies and procedures for social networking ploicies and procedures in your employee handbook and enforce it the same way as the other issues that it includes.
Getting this into the handbook is certainly a first step and to do this there has to a lasting perspective of the idea at the dealer principal level and all his or her managers. But I don't think it is practical to account for all scenarios and situations that social networking actually presents. These concepts must ultimately become part of the culture.
This will come in time, I believe. It's already happening. Look what has evolved in the auto industry just through the last year.
But there is an element to social networking that I see imposing change in the employee-dealership relationship. It's the branding element. I see sales in the auto industry evolving to a state comparable to the Real Estate industry where automotive sales professionals are building their own brand equity under the roof of a dealership rather than just trying to use social media to sell cars.
Good topic Audrey.
This will come in time, I believe. It's already happening. Look what has evolved in the auto industry just through the last year.
But there is an element to social networking that I see imposing change in the employee-dealership relationship. It's the branding element. I see sales in the auto industry evolving to a state comparable to the Real Estate industry where automotive sales professionals are building their own brand equity under the roof of a dealership rather than just trying to use social media to sell cars.
Good topic Audrey.
Great!! We have a Facebook page for the dealership. The sales personnel have attached to it as well. This is about 3 weeks old for us but it is rapidly gaining strength. Customers love it and love the participation. Stay tuned as we experiment.
I think this article really gets people thinking about how social marketing is changing and impacting how dealerships use there staff for extended marketing outside the usual channels. One thought that comes to mind is creating a standard format "Template" for employees of the dealerships to use that would be in line with the dealerships handbook for each of the social media platforms. This might take a little of the personalization away from the individual but it could help to corral bad content that could harm the dealership yet still give the employee a platform to build a prospect and customer network.
I am sure every dealer would agree that leveraging your staff to become advocates is one of the best ideas but it takes time and patience, which a lot of dealerships just don't have the dedication needed to see it to fruition.
For the dealerships that do embrace social media I think they will be able to gain local market share by being seen repeatedly where the customers are looking and browsing socially. The average Myspace user checks there page something like 35 times per day and I am sure Facebook is similar. So marketing impressions from a dealership on Myspace or Facebook page could help solidify the brand in the browsers mind. Remember brand impressions count and studies have shown it takes from 7-27 positive brand impressions for a shoppers to take action.
This article has been a great idea starter for me thanks for posting it.
I am sure every dealer would agree that leveraging your staff to become advocates is one of the best ideas but it takes time and patience, which a lot of dealerships just don't have the dedication needed to see it to fruition.
For the dealerships that do embrace social media I think they will be able to gain local market share by being seen repeatedly where the customers are looking and browsing socially. The average Myspace user checks there page something like 35 times per day and I am sure Facebook is similar. So marketing impressions from a dealership on Myspace or Facebook page could help solidify the brand in the browsers mind. Remember brand impressions count and studies have shown it takes from 7-27 positive brand impressions for a shoppers to take action.
This article has been a great idea starter for me thanks for posting it.
Audrey,
That is a great article. I have started using my Twitter, Facebook and yes even My Space accounts to get the message out about Jim Glover Chevrolet. The problem is there isn't enough hours in a day to keep those social places up-to-date - lol. One of the things I have just started doing is an Internet Based Radio program on Blog Talk Radio and IT'S FREE. I do a weekly show that started out being about 45 minutes but will be expanding to a one hour show. This week's show is a 2 hour special in honor of the return of the Camaro. I had been doing a podcast and happened to be introduced to BTR by Philip Zelinger. Thanks Phil. Now while it hasn't stirred up any business, I do enjoy doing the shows, reviewing Chevrolet products as well as other Car related subjects. We even try to have some fun with Trivia and some audio from past Chevrolet TV commercials. But I guess my point is that anything new should be explored. But who knows, maybe one day, someone will call and say I was listening to your show and I want to know more about.... One can only hope. So your article was great. Relationship building is one of the best tools one can use, especially in these tough economic times.
That is a great article. I have started using my Twitter, Facebook and yes even My Space accounts to get the message out about Jim Glover Chevrolet. The problem is there isn't enough hours in a day to keep those social places up-to-date - lol. One of the things I have just started doing is an Internet Based Radio program on Blog Talk Radio and IT'S FREE. I do a weekly show that started out being about 45 minutes but will be expanding to a one hour show. This week's show is a 2 hour special in honor of the return of the Camaro. I had been doing a podcast and happened to be introduced to BTR by Philip Zelinger. Thanks Phil. Now while it hasn't stirred up any business, I do enjoy doing the shows, reviewing Chevrolet products as well as other Car related subjects. We even try to have some fun with Trivia and some audio from past Chevrolet TV commercials. But I guess my point is that anything new should be explored. But who knows, maybe one day, someone will call and say I was listening to your show and I want to know more about.... One can only hope. So your article was great. Relationship building is one of the best tools one can use, especially in these tough economic times.
What about possible backlash when an employee/dealer relationship goes sour? These incidents occur frequently in the business and should not be ignored when blending your brand into your employees personal social media profiles. Your employees automatically become your brand ambassador which can generate great things but what about the flip side. How does a dealer monitor and prevent an ex-employee from engaging in negative branding? Obviously this is a gray area but it certainly needs to be discussed before incorporating into something as definite as an employee handbook. Feedback?
