Aftermarket February 2023

M y inspiration for these tips was the JLM Lubricants’ conference which took place in Amsterdam a few weeks ago. We managed to avoid the dreaded snow that followed a week later; everyone turned up and cue the fanfare of trumpets, once again Kalimex scooped the award for top distributor sale, for the 10th year running. At the conference I spoke about the importance of committing to marketing. If I look at Kalimex and why they have been so successful I would attribute it to this - they never pause the marketing button. In good times and lean times, Kalimex bangs the marketing drum. Of course, it’s crucial to have great products and a great offering because no amount of marketing can paper over the cracks of products that are not fit to grace your workshop. But if the name of the game is building a strong, robust, and growing business you can’t just dip into marketing and dip out again. You must build that marketing muscle and keep on flexing it. These are the key take outs from my talk. Use them to build your customer base and increase sales in the coming year. Let’s start with an easy tip. Make sure all sales/relationship building communications include clear calls to action Every time you communicate with a potential customer it’s 18 AFTERMARKET FEBRUARY 2023 BUSINESS/KALIMEX www.aftermarketonline.net #1 bestselling author Dee Blick returns with some top marketing tips to help you roar ahead into 2023 and beyond an opportunity to encourage them to act in your favour, to continue the story, to build the relationship, to move to the next stage and become a customer. Ensuring your communications include calls to action could be the reason they decide to continue the dialogue. And by offering useful tips you continue to build your brand. Here are some examples: To find out more; To make an appointment today; To open an account; To claim your free gift; To arrange a workshop visit; To benefit from this limited-edition exclusive offer; Visit our website now to discover; Here’s what fleet customers say about our service; Discover here why so many customers trust us with their car; Watch our latest challenge workshop fix video here; Why are we the garage of choice in the Leeds area? Find out here; Here’s why you should never ignore these dashboard warning signals; This is what you need to know about our customer service; Find out the five problems motorists experience when winter driving; Three ways to reduce fuel consumption. Find them here; The importance of planning I spoke about the importance of reaching out to customers. If you wait for them to contact you, it could be a long time. So, make sure you have a marketing plan for your business. It should not run into many pages. Marketing plans are not theory documents, and you don’t need to be a marketing guru to create a powerful plan. Above: JLM Lubricants’ conference GET SET GROW! BY Dee Blick