I know what you must be thinking. "What does the marketing methods used by General Motors in this video   have to do with me?   I run an auto repair shop and we don't have cars and trucks for sale,"   you argue.

 

Forget for a minute that this video is about vehicle sales and consider that it could be about selling any product , even services for that matter.   If you are in business with a product or service to offer, picture yourself in this video as the star of the show - the one making sales in uncharacteristic ways as others holding to traditional methods go hungry!

 

Traditionally, auto repair shops, particularly collision repair shops, have done a despicable job promoting their services to potential customers.   Many have even bypassed the true customer - the car owner - and relied on insurance companies   to send a steady flow of crash damaged cars and trucks to the door. 

 

While the direct repair game itself was once begun with some rather innovative marketing, the days of running a profitable business under the this model are gone and shops must be cognizant of new methods to reach owners of damaged vehicles.

I like the initiative General Motors took in promoting these pickup trucks, taking them out of its dealerships and transporting them to jobsites where construction workers, who are among their target customers, could "smell the leather."   It's a brilliant move that has already added dollars to the company's bottom line.  

Truck Manufacturers Create Impromptu Showrooms for Building Contractors

September 2007 (Medialink) -- With the recent housing slump and rise in home bankruptcies, homebuilders are tightening their belts. These days, fewer contractors are stepping into dealer showrooms to purchase new equipment like trucks and instead are using the equipment they already have a little longer than they normally would. So in response to the current weak truck sales, manufacturers have decided to bring the showroom to them.

 As part of 'The Hard Day's Work Tour," manufacturers are using parking lots and construction job sites as impromptu venues for showcasing new trucks and accessories. Recently at two stops, hundreds of contractors showed up for a free lunch and the chance to check out the newest equipment. The tour is expected to stop at 180 locations nationwide.

For more information, go to: www.gearheads.com or www.gm.com

Video Produced for General Motors

Contact:
Lisa Zlotnick,212.812.7129
Lana Kim,212.812.7132
Nicola Blount,212.812.7184

content & design 2002-2008 David Williams and SafeCollisionRepairs.com

About Safe Collision Repairs

For more than ten years, David Williams of Wheelersburg, Ohio's Safe Collision Repairs has worked with consumers and attorneys in the tri-states of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia to expose unsafe auto repairs and maximize recovery on auto insurance claims. Some of the company's services include Post-Repair Inspections, Prepurchase Inspections, Auto Damage Assessments, Lemon Law Investigations, Expert Court Testimony and Diminished Value Calculations using an advanced version of Network Information Communication's WreckCheck program.

Inquiries can be directed to: Safe Collision Repairs David A. Williams Post Office Box 70 Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694 (740) 456-1111 (740) 355-4056

Disclaimer

The content expressed on this website and in the article above represents the opinions of David A. Williams. Williams is neither an attorney nor public insurance adjuster, but is an expert, consultant, and writer specializing in the field of automotive collision repair and valuations. The information provided herein is not intended to be a substitute for legal or insurance advice. Because collision repair is a continually evolving science, any text, materials or links found herein are provided without claim or guarantee to their accuracy or completeness.