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Dealership Marketing EFG Companies Featured

The Second Wave is Coming: Do You Have Your Fins On?

Consider the automotive retail environment and the sales process from the time Henry Ford established it in the early 1900’s. What’s changed?

Not much.

The advertising to drive retail traffic started in print form – newspapers and magazines. Then, with the onset of radio in the ‘20s, the OEMs took advantage of the new whiz-bang marketing channel to advertise. And, it worked – incredibly well.Dealers advertised, people had a growing need and so they purchased. The meet and greet, test drive and seven steps to the sale were pretty darn constant with very little evolution.

Fast-forward to the 50’s and the height of the nuclear family, when The Bop was sweeping the nation and Americans were still chasing the dream of two cars in every garage. Almost like the atomic bomb that was to come in the next decade, television exploded bold new opportunities for car manufacturers and retailers to reach people in a way that, at the time, seemed almost three dimensional.

TV gave cars personalities, sex appeal, and social status. Cars exponentially grew as an extension of personal style. And, retailers discovered the more people they reached through television, the more volume they could drive.

Despite economic ebbs and flows, wars in Asia, oil embargoes, civil rights and women’s lib, television dominated the next four decades and automotive retailers became fiercely beholden to it. TV became the proverbial wooby. So much so, that many dealers missed the onset of new channels of communication that emerged from the computing era of the late ‘80s.

They also missed (or resisted) the significant signals that Americans were sending about how they wanted to get their information (the fractionalization of audiences) and how they wanted to do business. Dealers failed to see the oncoming Internet wave and the profit potential it brought to the table.

So, the metronome continued: advertise the way we always have, tick, people will most assuredly come to our show room, tick, get them to test drive the car, tick, seven steps to a sale, tick…

I will go so far as to make the argument that had it not been for the financial meltdown in 2008, some of automotive retailers would still have only a static website, little real understanding of search engine optimization, no method for eLead generation and conversion, and they would have gladly run screaming from the huge pink elephant in the room – social media (and its bothersome consumer reviews).

The result? Many dealers missed a massive economic opportunity to leverage the Web to gain market dominance during the recession, and are still somewhat ill-equipped coming out of the recession. In other words, the wave hit and only a few of the most fit could swim..

Those who are currently treading water are only slowly learning the basic strokes. Don’t believe me? Ask any GM to name three salespeople on their team who can handle an eLead as well as a walk-in. Or, better yet, ask the owner the last time he or she personally reviewed their dealership’s online consumer reviews. Both answers will be very telling.

Here’s the bad news (or good news for those of you who are aquatically inclined), there is another wave on the horizon and all the same signs of “doing it the way we always have done it” are pointing to automotive retailers missing another massive economic opportunity. Any guesses?

Here’s a hint. Think about a portion of the American population (over half to be exact) that has gained economic upward mobility faster than any other group in the nation, controls the vast majority of all purchasing decisions in the U.S. today and have become very comfortable with researching and purchasing their own automobiles – as a matter of fact, they purchase approximately half of all vehicles today and represent 65% of service drive traffic. Figure it out yet?

Yes, it’s true. Automotive retailers are about to make the same deadly “business as usual” mistake by missing women as an opportunity.
Yet, other traditionally male-targeted manufacturers and retailers are figuring it out and are scrambling to line up at the cash register. Examples include ESPN, Motorola, Home Depot, Coors – even Trojan.

You are probably asking yourself, “So, what does this mean?” Does it mean we need to overhaul the entire retail automotive space? Paint everything pink and put in a playground? Hire more females as salespeople and service technicians? Send everyone to sensitivity training?

Ironically, there is some low-hanging fruit involving small adjustments that can make a difference in capturing a greater share of wallet from this lucrative audience.

1. Connect with women online. A woman is three times more likely to stay connected with you via her social network, as well as connect you with her friends that are looking to purchase a vehicle.

2. Adjust your website to appeal to both men and women. Remember, you have a split second to capture attention. If you are immediately communicating that you are a boy’s club, don’t ask why women are shopping at the dealership next door.

3. Tell, don’t sell. Women are marksmen by nature, not cowboys. If you rush or push them into a sale, they’ll be out the door.

4. Identify with her frame of mind. Understand that women are not comfortable in dealerships and don’t want to be there. Work to make her experience enjoyable. If she believes you can relate to her and understand this, she will be more open to giving you valuable information about her life that will help you sell her a car that meets her needs.

5. Use common sense. Is the bathroom clean? Is the TV in the waiting area tuned to Bassmasters or something that appeals to both genders? Are your magazines all car and hard-news related or do you have some lifestyle and family magazines, too? Make sure the little things in your dealership make women feel included in what you define as your primary audience.

I believe in natural selection in business as much as I do in nature, and I believe it is healthy for the marketplace overall. The three main contributing factors to those who can’t evolve are apathy, resistance and fear. Any of these fundamentals will cloud the ability to recognize the nature of change and the resulting vision to capitalize on it.

The majority of dealers are playing catch-up right now trying to figure out how to “deal with” the online shopper and prioritize and manage their online marketing and brand. Most will tell you flat out that it is a confusing and daunting experience but they have to do it because they feel like the buffalo at the rear of the pack. What they may not realize right now is that the hunter chasing the pack may actually be wearing pumps.

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EFG Companies Lending Services

Neighborhood Credit Union Celebrates $300 Million Milestone, Powers Toward Future At 82nd Annual Meeting

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) March 22, 2012

Neighborhood Credit Union celebrated a new pinnacle of success at its 82nd Annual Meeting on Thursday – and they’ve got $300 million to prove it.

Neighborhood Credit Union is now managing over $300 million dollars in member assets,” said Gerald Townsend, chairman of the board of directors for Neighborhood Credit Union (NCU). “That’s right. We are $300 million strong and powering toward the future. While other financial institutions are struggling to stay afloat, the active participation by 30,000 North Texans has allowed our credit union to flourish and remain relevant.”

This growth, according to Townsend, is no accident. Rather, it is the result of proactive change and the addition of new products and services to meet the changing demands of credit union members, including Kasasa, a free checking account that gives NCU members extra money every month, and the MPower auto loan service with a number of complimentary benefits. An important focus of all of Neighborhood Credit Union’s products and services is financial education, to help members learn how to improve their financial future.

With the theme “Powered for the Future,” Neighborhood Credit Union leaders told its members to expect even more in 2012. The credit union will open a new branch in Grand Prairie this fall and is currently in the 12-month process of redeveloping its core data processing system and upgrading its technology platform to include mobile apps for iPhone, Android and iPad. Additionally, Neighborhood Credit Union is expanding its partnership with Six Flags Over Texas and in 2012 will serve as “The Official Bank of Six Flags Over Texas.”

“As Neighborhood Credit Union celebrates its 82nd anniversary, we know there are endless opportunities before us to serve more Texans and help them improve their financial future,” said Chet Kimmell, president and CEO of Neighborhood Credit Union. “We will build on the momentum of being $300 million strong while powering forward toward a bold and bright future for our members and their families.”

About Neighborhood Credit Union 
Neighborhood Credit Union, the oldest credit union in Dallas (chartered April 18, 1930), is a not-for-profit financial organization serving Dallas and Ellis counties, as well as the city of Arlington. With branches in South Dallas, North Dallas, Richardson, Arlington, Mesquite, Duncanville, Waxahachie and Lancaster (and soon to be in Grand Prairie) and assets topping $300 million, Neighborhood Credit Union has a membership of 30,000 and continues to welcome new members daily. For more information on Neighborhood Credit Union, call (214) 748-9393 or visit http://www.myncu.com.

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EFG Companies F&I

EFG Companies Ranks as the Number One Provider of Vehicle Service Contracts

EFG Companies was recently recognized as number one of the top ten extended vehicle service contract providers by eHow. This recognition reflects our drive to provide world-class financial service products and administration. At EFG, our mission is to become a trusted performance management partner and market leader in the innovation, sales and administration of protection-oriented products and services and digital marketing solutions. We work to instill our values of dependability, respect, integrity, visionary and excellence in all that we do. This reflects in our product offerings and administration.

Our claims administrators come to work each day with the same goal: exceeding customer expectation. In 2010 that commitment contributed to $26 million paid in customer claims – and an invaluable impact in terms of promises kept.

We are honored that consumers have recognized our dedication to providing the best solutions for their needs.