Pub. 19 2020-2021 Issue 1

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S 25 new jersey auto retailer W W W . N J C A R . O R G Our end-to-end financing solutions help dealerships grow and customers buy. All credit products are subject to credit approval. Key.com is a federally registered service mark of KeyCorp. ©2020 KeyCorp. KeyBank is Member FDIC. 200116-725692 As a full-service dealer finance company, we understand the challenges you face. Whether for retail or commercial operations, we deliver comprehensive solutions that drive your business forward. Visit key.com/dealer or contact Brian Meierhofer at 973-222-9474. To mollify resistance points, stress the fact that it’s easier than many folks initially thought, given your simple step-by-step sign-on pathway — there’s no rush, no “timing out” and no chance of personal embarrassment. To convey the ease of your online inventory review, inquiry process and phone con- nections to a knowledgeable, empowered sales rep, do a sim- ple video that shows them the step-by-step process. Hopefully, you have such a process and it is streamlined without any of the “gotchas” that red-flag online visitors quickly. Online visi- tors are TV-centric to begin with, so don’t ignore video power. It doesn’t have to be a Francis Ford Coppola production. Just a straightforward three or four step walk-through of your online experience. Scroll a number at the bottom of the screen that they can call ( during regular business hours ) for friendly human help from your own online advocate. If you don’t have one, get one … even if it’s you. A little hand-holding is an incredibly powerful opportunity to start a conversation and customer relationships. Blanket Online Security Concerns, Especially During Times of Unrest Security is another resistance point for the non-online set, especially during times of social unrest. Address this head- on with a one-sided handout sheet and identical web page. Content should center on bulleted points that hammer home the fact that your online service is built with best-in-industry security technology: local service, world-class security. Even if your front-end web presentation is basic, most businesses have strong back-ends from larger organizations with multiple fire- walls, particularly for transactional functionality. Adapt some of their super security techno facts to this purpose. If you need help shaping up this message, get outside marketing profession- als on the project. You will be asked about security. Have this tool ready to blanket concerns from prospects. Win their trust and online utilization volume will follow. Sure, many of us are “kick the tires” businesses, but the process starts online and that trend will only increase in the future. For Employees: A Motivational Team Message We’ve all seen the famous, stiff-upper-lip British message that exhorts readers to “Keep Calm and Carry On.” It was produced to motivate the English population to stay strong in spirit during what became “The Blitz” bombings of London during World War II. Given the war we are currently engaged in with an insidious vi- ral enemy, we offer a version of that message for small business employees, many of whom may be sequestered at home: Stay Connected and Carry Through. The first part of the message is obvious — we all have to stay connected through our wealth of digital tools in order to con- tinue doing our jobs and serving our customers. The second part is a gentle reminder that, despite the change in work environment, performance expectations remain high and, now more than ever, it is important to “carry through” on all work responsibilities. It ain’t a snow day, kids … there’s real work to be done. A simple messaging device can serve to galvanize employee spirit and focus on the tasks at hand. There are many creative directions to fit the unique culture of any business. Whatever your team’s rallying cry may be, it is valuable to have a succinct motivational message that can bring people together as a united force determined to overcome a common, formidable challenge. Remember the Alamo. Three More Crisis Communication Absolutes 1. A centralized communication hub ( Landing page/dark site ): It’s vital that all of your outreach efforts are presented sepa- rately from your standard web content so people can quickly find only information conveyed within the crisis context and timeframe — specifically, what your business’s current policies and practices are, and how to connect. 1. Ongoing and up-to-date messages ( e-mail, social media, etc. ): Don’t make customers and community members come to you; continue the outreach and gain new social media and email followers by providing regular, relevant communication. 1. Focus your advertising efforts ( Digital advertising, OOT, pre- roll video, etc. ) Make sure that your messages are showing up where the audiences are during the shelter-at-home mandates — online. Budgets are tight, so make sure your media spends are tracked with analytics to ensure ROI. Michael C. Keenan is the president and CEO of Keenan-Nagle Advertising, Inc. Based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with an integrated team of creative, media, web, analytics and client service professionals. For more facts, visit www.Keenan- Nagle,com or call 610-797-7100.