So, you want lifelong customers?
You’re not alone. It is no secret that loyal, lifelong customers are a dealer’s dream. The first step to landing lifelong customers is providing a seamless buying experience from pre-purchase and continuing through re-purchase. This experience is what will set your dealership apart and keep customers coming back for parts, service, apparel, accessories and new vehicles.
However, there is one additional strategy you can put in place to further enhance the customer experience, and that is selling the powersports lifestyle.
In a sea of marketing sameness, where sales events and promotions seem to blend from dealer-to-dealer, finding ways to build a community and engage consumers in the powersports lifestyle may be the bait you need to hook and land customers for life.
Here are four strategies you can implement today to start building a community of engaged powersports enthusiasts and advocates for your dealership:
Strategy 1: Share Your Passion for the Powersports Lifestyle and Invite Your Customers In
For first time powersports buyers, you have the opportunity to introduce them to the powersports lifestyle. You get to show them the excitement, thrill, power, usefulness and community that comes along with purchasing a powersports vehicle. And if you have the pleasure of helping an existing powersports owner, this is your opportunity to reignite that spark and passion for these vehicles and remind them why they purchased from you in the first place.
As a dealer, this is your opportunity to share your passion and knowledge, make genuine connections and show your customer why purchasing a powersports vehicle is more than just a one-time transaction. Explain how owning a powersports vehicle is more than just a purchase, it enters you into a community of thrill-seekers, gear heads, and people who understand the value of “work hard and play harder”. Inject your passion into the sales process and bring your personality to show the customer how the powersports lifestyle is an exciting outdoor family experience.
Strategy 2: Host Events to bring Like-Minded Powersports Fans Together Around Your Dealership
Hosting an event is a great opportunity to prove to existing and potential customers that your dealership provides the best customer experience, beyond selling units. Building a community of passionate riders that rally around your dealership will not only support repeat sales from current customers, but it will create a marketing engine that extends into your community’s network of friends and family. Your customers should be looking for reasons to take their family to your dealership -- make it easy for them with these event ideas:
- Organize special events for female riders, couples, beginners, veterans, first responders, owners’ groups, fellow enthusiasts etc.
- Announce a charity build with input from customers and create an event around auctioning off the finished vehicle
- A bike show that includes items available in your store and vintage items/looks showing motorcycle designs and styles over the years
- Plan or participate in amateur racing at local tracks with staff and customers
- Invite customers out on weekend rides or off-roading adventures with you and your staff
- Run a customer photo contest on social media and offer prizes to participants promoting your dealership and the bikes they purchased from you
Strategy 3: Provide Valuable Content
When you host these events or when you follow-up with potential customers, one of the most effective ways to keep their interest high is to provide relevant, valuable content.
Not sure what kind of content to create? Have a conversation with potential customers in order to find out what kind of content they want to consume. The questions you ask will help guide the kind of content you create. For example, you might ask for their level of interest in product reviews, maintenance, local events, profiles of other customers and staff, etc.
Once you have an idea of what your customers want and what you and your staff have to share, it’s time to build out a content and event marketing calendar to bring it to life. Use a branded blog, social media, email marketing, and even mailers to reach your customers.
You can repurpose the same content for multiple platforms to ensure that you meet your customers where they are. Think about which content would be best shared through video and how you will get needed photos to go along with written content. Then divide and conquer. Is there someone on staff who will manage your marketing activities, or will you hire outside help? Think about how you can make your content and event marketing organic so that it becomes a natural part of doing business.
Strategy 4: Share Employee and Customer Experiences Online
Remember that selling the powersports lifestyle is a part of the customer experience that sets you apart from other dealerships, helping to create engaged, lifelong customers. But don’t forget that part of selling the lifestyle is genuinely living it yourself.
Encourage your employees to post pictures of themselves enjoying your products, and even inviting people out with them. Seeing people enjoying new products makes the rest of the community feel like they want to have it. Use social media to build excitement around new product launches and events. You can also target potential new customers and re-engage existing customers on social media with a little budget.
At Rollick, we have many enthusiasts on staff who also contribute their valuable knowledge on our website and social media channels. An example of this is “The Duke of D.C.” who shared his list of the 10 Best Motorcycles on our blog and also reviewed the Honda Rebel 300 for both our blog and YouTube channels.
Whenever possible, encourage customers to post photos, reviews, and testimonials. Utilize contests and special offers to incentivize customers to share photos from their favorite rides. Provide content worth sharing like maintenance tips, day trips from your area, or the best local trails. Don't overload them with offers and promotions. Make them want to open your email, subscribe to your blog, or follow you on social media.
Conclusion
Selling the powersports lifestyle is a long-term goal and you can’t expect an immediate return on your investment. Your whole business model must support what you’re trying to create. You have to be authentic. Live the lifestyle yourself and tell your story. Make a promise to your customers and deliver on that promise so they want to come back over and over again -- and bring their friends along for the ride.
