Why the Big 3 Auto Dealers and Average Fishermen Fail - WHAT?

An average guys observation and opinion on why he big 3 auto makers are failing and losing market share to imports.


They are missing basic Marketing 101 – let me explain.


I'm in the Dodge dealers place today with my girlfriend who is getting an issue with her car looked at.


They want to keep the car, and we need to rent one (so much for loaners). They tell us they will get us a “special deal” with a rental agency. Great we say ...


Well ... let me tell you about the “deal.” 


The deal is, for $25 a day they let us rent a piece of crap basic PT Cruiser. 


What a horrible piece of junk to offer someone who owns one of the vehicles you build! 

• Do you have any idea what we felt like getting this basic thing to ride around in? 

• Do you have any idea what kind of impression we had while driving off the lot? 

• Do you think for a minute we would consider buying something much less than what she drives now? 

Heck – our immediate thought was .... is this how they are going to treat us? 


The next time I buy a car I don't think it'll be a Chrysler product! 


Let me tell you a little story .....
A few years ago I had a Toyota ..... guess what ... they gave me a very nice “tricked-out” Avalon as a loaner for FREE when I had a service issue. Stuck on the dashboard of the FREE loaner was an invitation to BUY the car! 


Guess what ... 


I didn't buy that one because of the color ... but I did buy a “tricked-out” Toyota Avalon that day for my wife at the time.


No wonder why Toyota sells more cars than the other guys – they know marketing!


Now for my Marketing 101 thought ..... 
Let the person who is getting a vehicle looked at drive a NICER car to drive than what they already own and then try to sell them one! 


Just Like I Did!  So simple I could just scream!


Now .. .take this to the fishing business, or any other business you have dealing with clients. (Never have a customer – Always call them a client)


Suppose you have an unhappy client .... don't give them a Spiff 
(special something or other) for another trip of lesser value.
Give them a Spiff on a trip of equal or greater value! 


Lets take, for example a full day Fluke fishing trip. 
The fishing is horrible and you want to give them a $5 discount 
on another trip to get them back again. 
Don't give them a $5 discount on a ½ day trip.


At the Minimum give them a $5 discount on another full day Fluke trip, or better yet, give them a $10 discount on a $85 night bass trip! 


Give them more than they ask for, 
WOW them, and get them an incentive to 
come on a more expensive and profitable trip!


If you stop and consider the actual cost of obtaining a new client, and the cost of obtaining that client on the more expensive trip, it's cheaper to WOW an existing client and keep them!


Remember ... a happy client tells 3 or 4 others. An unhappy client tells everyone!