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 What is your mission?  In other words, let’s cut through the clutter of everything your dealership does and answer the question… why does your dealership exist? 

Why do you do what you do; what do you stand for?

Many businesses write out a Mission Statement to communicate their mission & vision. While I’m a huge believer in the power of a good Mission Statement, I don’t believe that just having one is the end-all to a dealership’s problems. 

Most mission statements are generic, stale and completely useless. Often times they actually do more harm than good. For instance, when customers and staff know your mission statement, but it’s not genuine or lived out/executed, it’s nothing more than a constant reminder that having integrity and doing what you say you’re going to isn’t important in your organization.

At Powersports Marketing our mission is: “To enrich lives by providing powerful turn-key marketing, so people, businesses and our economy can thrive.”  Our goal is to enrich the lives of Dealer Principals, the dealership staff and customers, to grow the industry as a whole, which can impact the entire economy. 

We often discuss this (and our vision) with our staff to create a culture that desires a win-win for everyone we come in contact with. 

In my articles over the years I’ve mentioned Proverbs 29:18 a few times. It says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” What is your vision? Without vision your staff is just going through the motions and your business is more dependent upon the market, the weather and the economy than it should be. Without vision and passion your marketing isn’t working as it should be either.

The advantages of being mission-driven are large and ongoing and impact customers and staff. Below are some benefits of being mission-driven in not only your operation, but in your marketing as well. 

1. Gains interest from the affluent. People who have money spend it decisively – they are more careful with their money.  That can make it more difficult to earn business from them, but they are often more loyal. Plus, the affluent will spend more money with you and have a higher annual customer value than the non-affluent.  The affluent have a very strong preference for choosing companies that are more than “business as usual.” 

On the opposite side of the equation, poor people often just hope you can get them financed. Most won’t be able to buy, and even if they can/do, you’ll never see most of them again for additional purchases of PG&A or service.

2. Increased profits. Mission-driven marketing will generate more responses from your buying base (past customers and conquest riders in your area) and result in a higher frequency of visits. When you get more riders to come through your doors more frequently it’s a system for predictably growing your dealership.

3. Increased loyalty. Mission-driven marketing focuses on the emotional side of the purchase/shopping process. It utilizes 1-to-1 relationship style marketing instead of one-to-many and drives an elevated and emotional level of engagement. It gives customers a go-to place to come back and do business again and again.

4. More new clients. In addition to being very good at keeping old customers, mission-driven marketing also excels at bringing in new ones.  91% of consumers said they’d switch to a brand associated with a good cause, according to a recent study. 

5. Stronger awareness & a positive image. Aligning yourself with a higher mission enables you to be seen in an ‘operating for a greater good, rather than your own’ point of view. This is good, especially in a time when businesses and business owners are seen as evil, selfish and uncaring. Being mission-driven differentiates you in a significant way. 

6. Attraction and retention of high-quality employees. Am I saying that when you do mission-driven marketing you’ll have better luck at building a great team? Absolutely. Where there is no vision, the people perish. 

It’s no secret that one of my favorite restaurants is Chick-fil-a. They have the absolute best employees of any restaurant (especially fast food), hands down.  Chick-fil-a doesn’t pay more, have a super easy workload, or better hours of operation – what they do have is an excellent vision/mission that’s incorporated into their entire culture. 

Our Sharp Shooter and LWD programs are distinctly mission-driven. Our goal is to touch your buying base 52-104 times per year. We not only build loyalty for the long-haul for our clients, we also generate quantifiable traffic and sales for a positive ROI on marketing dollars spent - right now! It’s time to stop all the image-enhancing advertising designed to build your brand. It’s a complete waste of money. 

It’s time to build something greater. Call me to discuss - 1-877-242-4472.  

- Tory