The Synthetic Warehouse AMSOIL Newsletter
AMSOIL Product Marketing & Tools
 - June, 2014
In This Issue
Marketing Primer
Quick Links
Greetings!
 
Another AMSOIL U has come to a close, my 12th one to attend and there's always something to pick up to open new doors.
My hotel for the 2014 AMSOIL U
Talking to dealers there is a definite shift for customers wanting to buy local. I learned many dealers are venturing into the AMSOIL store model with success. Others also commented the majority of their business comes with the quote, "I called X number of dealers and you were the first to answer or have inventory." I also learned that most new customers who call dealers don't know about this being a part time business for the most part, so when they call and get a voicemail they are not likely to leave a message. I have had the same feedback from customers who call here.

New products are coming - Mainly a change to the motorcycle oils - seems the Harley owners are not as satisfied with the one oil for all there sumps in general so AMSOIL's next product line will be V-twin engine, transmission and primary oil. These will allow the motor oil to free up on some unneeded additives. I have not seen the pricing so I can't speculate if there will be a price drop. We'll know soon.

The latest push at the corporate level is product  development to the extreme.
One of the new engine & dyno test booths
The latest major investments have been in the areas of product endurance testing thanks to new engine testing facilities.
One thing customers don't realize is engine development due to regulations, emission standards and economy (to some capacity) causes a oil blender to forget everything they knew and start from scratch. AMSOIL's methods of research and supplier relationships ensure they have the advantage in the industry while beating the clock.
So this test and trial lab will produce product improvements well beyond expectations.
New sales and growing demand for our products in the retail sector are fueling this expansion.

New Degreaser On an unrelated note the new engine and parts degreaser is well worth the money. I easily cleaned parts from a Corvair engine sitting for 32 years covered in oil and road dirt easily using the spray and a garden hose and mild nylon brush effort. It makes the hard dirt seem to 'run' off its surface.

This newsletter I thought I would help dealers, especially new ones make a spring cleaning checklist to maximize your sales. I am two weeks from our Omaha store's grand opening. We're just waiting on signage so we can start producing flyers and advertising.

Give your business a turbo boost! 
  
Be aggressive with your marketing attack but don't forget 60% of your efforts should be with your existing customers

  

The last newsletter I talked about inventory and provided a basic and expanded home supply designed to meet customer demands and allow for serious growth. Risks vary based on regions but some ares require more marketing and sales efforts than others. This check list and marketing overview should help guide you to maximize all potential sales and win new customers.

 

 

Patience
#1 to be successful in this business you must have patience

How easily can I be found?
Google maps search "amsoil dealer" (no caps) - It's easy to be listed on the free Google (and Bing) search listings. Never pass up the customer all ready looking for AMSOIL.
Any map (free local listing) should have appropriate contact information including website and phone. You can even set your listing to display your working hours and forms of payment accepted.
AMSOIL Dealer Locator - Are you on the locator? To be taken seriously by AMSOIL and placed on the locator as well as be given leads you must be T1 Certified and regularly check into the dealer zone. This is a reasonable less than minimum requirement as many active dealers have requested higher standards to receive these benefits.

Websites - We'll skip the "how to" for now as it was heavily covered in the last newsletter (and many prior) but a personalized website is a must. One dealer of mine is using Adobe Muse to the Nth degree with a pool of interconnected sites, but really for a strong local presence which should be a top priority, you MUST have a simple landing page.

More free and easy stuff: Make a youtube video or series of talks - Youtube videos also rank up your website or take priority in your local listing which lands you more attention. I sold about 25 bypass kits now thanks to what I call a crummy video I made but at least the customer knew I understood what he would need so they call.


Direct Marketing - Let's look at some stats on budget direct marketing which can be direct mail, coupons in newspapers and magazines, postcards, direct response TV ads (real cheap on cable and sub digital channels), telemarketing, inserts, bulletin boards.

Locally we have this free color "Motor Market" magazine - it's become my best source for customers. They tell me so. (my classic rock station ad and COZY TV ads are also working out after years of mistakes). Anyway, the ads work and don't cost a fortune. I also ran many ads in local shoppers and the monthly coupon book with seasonal success.

Each of these types of direct marketing can be broken down further as with how to write a good ad all together. I'll cover that in a future edition as I think I've done well reaching the customer with a want and a call to action. Step one is to write down your ideas then perfect them with time. I can't do that in my head - I have to visualize it..
 
"How many times must a prospect see your message before becoming a customer?
Nine 
 
How many times must a prospect be exposed to your marketing message before it registers with them?
Three 
 
How many times do you need to put your message out there in order to make those nine impressions?
Twenty Seven! 

Networking - do some internet searches for the latest networking trends. At the most basic level I started my AMSOIL dealership working trade shows. There were a handful in my area from international car and bike shows, boat and travel shows, flea markets, small community "green" exhibits at the highschool, classic car shows and even the farmers market.

Some dealers enjoy expanding their businesses through local trade and commerce organizations. Try the local chamber or leads groups.

Facebook - I wasn't big on social networking as I was convinced facebook was only reaching friends or those who I choose not to discus business with. But a simple AMSOIL dealer page separate from your own can drive in customers while serve and offer incentives to your existing customers. I discovered a way to reach thousands of prospects in minutes through their cheap ad views. For $30 I reached 6000 local users using a motorcycle dyno test video linked to my facebook page titled, "This is why we have to keep ordering mass lots of AMSOIL motorcycle oil."  The neat thing about this type of ad is that you can control the reach, city, state, anywhere. As you see above it's all about patience and getting the message out.

Marketing to existing customers
Guerilla Marketing factoid: (Amsoil U slides)
"The sacred obligation of every AMSOIL guerilla is to move members of the universe market into your prospect market, move members of your prospect market onto your customer list, and then...

Market like crazy to everyone on that customer list!

 

AMSOIL Marketing Guerrillas have learned that the best time to market is when they don't need any more business. (I learned this the hard way.) 

 

They know that the best source of new clients is old clients and that the best marketing is characterized by quality and not quantity. They realize that their best marketing vehicle, and least expensive, is a satisfied customer.And they know that the two best ways to measure their marketing are by customer retention and by profits, both a part of each other.   
 
Don't make this mistake: Apathy toward a customer list, or worse yet, failure to maintain a current customer list, is commonplace omission on the part of many businesses.
This also means a fruitful opportunity for you!

 

You must follow up! 68% of business that is lost is due to apathy toward the customer. In other words, customers get ignored to death! Marketing does not stop once the sale is made. Keep in touch with your customers.

Small business pros
sometimes orient their mailings not to making sales but to intensifying the relationship (Christmas or birthday card).

Since the last dealer newsletter I have written a half a dozen newsletters pointed to my catalog retail (online CR) customers and preferred customers as well as a couple thank you letters to new CR online customers. It works!! Things are quite stable and consistent.  

Marketing Trends
I just wrote about what was on my mind and based on my experience but I'm only scratching the surface. Marketing tactics are an ever-changing form and never the same twice, but always effective and unknown to most your competitors. To keep up with trends subscribe to one or two marketing trade journals or check them out online. I think your local library keeps these on hand.

Speaking about marketing - I just got a GEICO flyer in the mail - I have no use for GEICO as their rates cost about four times what I pay but I was shocked to see the spokesman on the ad was Kevin Windham of Team AMSOIL and the AMSOIL logo is found all over the ad! How about that?

 

 

My next objective

The photo here was from the classic car or "Enthusiast Market" presentation at AMSOIL U. What you're looking at is one the the Smokey & The Bandit Trans AM's which is owned by one of the Amatuzio brothers.

Anyway, I thought I would end this writing about what I think ranks up at the top of my objectives for the week. I've been posting my PC and Retail catalog newsletters in the archives and I may post the "thank you" letter format there too. Since Ive been doing the general "hello" and product overview PC letters, I may get more aggressive pushing the dealer angle more. I know of many dealers with 50 to 200 or more PC all from their websites. Can you imagine the impact if you were to upgrade just 20% to a dealer?
The PC already knows there is a problem with product availability so their your best prospect to suggest upgrading if only to collect some $ from commissions only to offset shipping. Maybe offer a bribe of a welcome pack consisting of PI, lubricant sprays and polo shirt? Explain of the products customers are most likely to buy as an add on..
Every time I do a series of newsletters there is a measurable increase in activity. I would rank newsletters as a fundamental part of a serious AMSOIL business model. I would have never made it this far without it.

This is an easy business to grow if you make marketing efforts part of your normal habits. And as for the 2nd store - it's in a market five times the size of where I am now so stay tuned to the outcome as we open around the 1st of July!! I expect it to do at least 20% more business than here so that would require monthly orders over $10,000 average. We will also concentrate efforts to the hundreds of over the road trucking and industrial firms in a rectangle area which is about 7 miles long and 1 mile wide in the central Omaha area. This will provide a template for all dealers and perhaps the prime training center for you as well.



Ches Cain
AMSOIL Direct Jobber   

www.syntheticwarehouse.com
www.liquidorganicfertilizer.com 

4610 W. 12th St Ste. 1

Sioux Falls, SD 57107 

605-521-0742 -M
605-274-2580 -O   

 

 

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