WELCOME TO THE WEBINAR SERIES!
Today’s event will begin shortly.
November 13, 2024
Kathryn Schifferle, Founder & Chief Vision Officer, Work Truck Solutions
Mike Kelly, Fleet & Commercial Account Manager, Ken Garff Ford Ft. Collins
Table Stakes:
Five “MUST DO’s”
Small Fleet
& Customer Types
Characteristics
● Tight time & budget constraints
● Wears many hats
● Challenged to look at new technologies or strategies
● Working in the business vs. on the business
Sole Proprietors
Characteristics
● Many moving parts
● Limited budgets
Small Fleet
● May see vehicles as costs vs. investments
● Values services that “fit” their business (ie. mobile service, extended hours)
● Looking at alt-fuel options
- Personas & Customer Types
Characteristics
● Uses some fleet management tools
● Views vehicles as investments
Medium/Large Fleet
● Familiar with OEM tools (ie. Ford Pro)
● Values telematics
● Likely implementing alt-fuel strategy (even if early stages)
DoYour Dealership Vendors Use Work Trucks?
● Of course they do!
● Write out your list
○ A/C, Heat, Landscapers, Snow Removal, Janitorial, Trash Removal, Uniforms, and the list goes on…
● Pathway to local organizations
○ Sponsorships, speakers, etc.
Customer-centric:
How is their business doing? Do they have growing needs?
Check-ins:
How often do you connect to check?
Commercial Tools:
Do they help or are they a hindrance?
CRM tools - typically retail-centric, not conducive to commercial/fleet
What are you using today?
Check-ins are dependent on client needs
Referral program for everyone in your dealership - they all use businesses too.
External referrals - Ken Taylor approach.
Only works if your philosophy is WIFT vs. WIFM.
Helping
to serve business owners’ family, friends and employees.
IfYou Build it,
They Will Come… with
SEO.
● What is SEO?
● Keywords = words/phrases search engines use
○ Research tools: Semrush,Ahrefs
○ Commercial intent
■ “buy”, “price”, etc.
■ “work truck”, “commercial”
● Competitors
○ What keywords are they using / look for gaps
IfYou Build it, They Will Come… with SEO.
● Make sure keywords are in body copy/H2
● Vocations - it’s perfect for plumbers, electricians, etc.
● Local, local, local
Your city
Online directories (especially: Google Business Profile)
● It’s NOTone and done
Monitor, learn, & adjust
You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression
The 10 Second Rule
Right Truck. Right Place. Right
Right Truck. Right Place. Right
Outside Data Resources
Right Truck. Right
Internal Data Resources
Questions
& Video
December 11 @ 2pm ET/11am PT
Addendum to presentation
Mike Kelly’s tips for explaining why to your retail department:
● Business customers get a commercial banker at the bank, the commercial pros at the 'depots' and many other specially trained pros that understand commercial buyers better. Why would they not get a commercial rep at the dealership?
● Sure, "anybody can sell a truck." But, not everybody understands DOTregulations and the liability the dealer has in civil and criminal courts...
● PVR's are higher when the clients feel understood and heard; When the solution fits their needs as opposed to being pushed into settling for the aged unit with a spiff on it for the sales rep.
● Commercial buyers are more likely to invest in protection plans and service contracts when the solution is presented as a 'wholistic' offering. ie: Using aTRAC Lease to centralize the truck/van, service contract, and even maintenance into the payment for a certain number of miles/years. Literally planned cost of ownership!This gives the business owners power over the depreciation monster!
Addendum to presentation
Mike Kelly’s tips for explaining why to your retail department:
● CSI is Higher - When customers get the experience they never thought possible (the opposite of retail) they tell people about it! OEMs have so much money tied to CSI these days, it makes no sense to not meet the client where they are.
● Pull-Thru - Commercial Reps are known for asking for another one! "You sure you only need 2 trucks? Do you have a spare?"The same goes for the referrals that a commercial customer could provide.They are in contact with their vendors and other contractors on job sites every day!
● Side note:The organic growth in reputation is huge when the commercial rep shows up to the jobsite with the truck and paperwork, a hat on the dash and some cold sodas for the folks admiring the new truck.TRYIT!
Addendum to presentation
Mike Kelly’s tips for working with your retail department:
Ask Retail Reps to open with:
"We have Pros in every corner to serve any need you may have. Parts, Service and Fleet & Commercial are just a few. May I ask a few questions to make sure we get you with the right Pro?”
1. "Will you be purchasing/leasing in a business name or your personal name today?"
● If Personal Name = RETAIL. Proceed with your process.
● If Business Name, ask them how many trucks and vehicles they have (in our store, we set the threshold at 3 units active for the business customer being turned over)
If it’s for a business:
It might still be a retail deal! Real Estate Brokers, Insurance agents, and the retired teachers who paint houses in the summer are all examples of Retail deals.
Addendum to presentation
Mike Kelly’s tips for working with your retail department:
2. "Will this vehicle be for you?”
● If it is ever for an employee, the customer needs to be turned to Commercial.
3. "What type of vehicle are we looking for today?"
● Just because the customer came in on a Raptor does not mean it is a retail deal!The inventory type only matters if it is a chassis, van, or upfit. All of those get turned automatically.
● We (Commercial reps) turn the personal deals we are presented with (Business owner's kids/relatives/referrals) to the retail team to maintain reciprocity in the relationship. I don't want to pick out colors anyway LOL!