LBS Auto Expert, John Tkac, takes LIVE broadcaster questions! In this session:

• My car dealer was getting inventory again last Fall… but it’s dried up again. They have minimal vehicles on the lot. How can I help them when they won’t push if they don’t have inventory?
• Is Tier 2 money ever going to come back to where it used to be? Ford has dropped dramatically and Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep has been non-existent for years.
• Would it be an effective auto ad with your four points in both a :30 spot and a :60 spot or is one better than the other?
• I have an independent used car dealer as a client. They buy their vehicles from the auto auction here in Montana. I currently have them on a digital package, but I am trying to get them into radio. Any suggestions on how to pitch them for both a digital and radio package?
• Can you please re-explain the dollar amount dealers should spend each month based on their inventory?
• Do you have any suggestions for how to get an ad agency to buy your station after they’ve taken over a dealer’s account?
• I met with a local Ford dealer this morning.  Last year they averaged a profit of $2,900 on each new Ford sold.  He said this year they are losing $400 per new Ford sold.  They are currently down over $500,000 over last year on new car deals.  He said they are basically giving cars away to people who qualify to reduce their inventory and hold down costs. He said the biggest problem is a $45,000 basic Ford truck is costing a customer $975 per month plus their insurance costs based on a 72 month contract.  Most products are now in the $65k-$95k range and he doesn’t see this changing in the near future. Any thoughts on how I can help this dealer?
• What is the best way to get an appointment with a dealer? What gets their attention?
• We are in a market where a large radio chain has more stations than we do, but we reach just as far as they do.  It’s hard for us to get an appointment as a locally owned station.  Any advice on how to get in front of a dealer’s decision maker?
• What do you think of approaching a dealer with a campaign that rotates spots between sales and service?
• I have two independent dealer clients. One is downsizing to a single smaller location and the other is already at just one location. Neither has done broadcast advertising in years and both feel it was ineffective in the past. What’s a good approach to just get them interested in giving radio another shot?
• How many ads per week does a car dealer usually need to run on a radio station to really be effective?
• Is there a guarantee that a smaller dealer will be sent more inventory from the manufacturer if he sells a large quantity of vehicles?

LBS Auto Expert, John Tkac, takes LIVE broadcaster questions!  In this session:

• How do you explain to a dealer that your rates are higher than another smaller local station because you cover a larger area? I’ve shown the map and web stats, but they still try to get me to lower our already VERY fair rates that I’m offering them. I’ve even put deals together that are lower than rate-card. Other dealerships ‘get’ it, but this one just gives me grief over the difference in price between the 2 stations every time.
• You said that about 60% of auto marketing budgets are allocated towards internet advertising. Are streaming TV and streaming radio included in that 60%?
• Do you know what the national average CPVR is for used cars?

LBS Auto Expert, John Tkac, takes LIVE broadcaster questions!  In this session:

• My local Chevy dealer says that they support local schools and organizations and that’s why they don’t advertise on my station. How do I break through that argument?
• I’m at a public radio station. We have a few dealers on, but there are no references to pricing allowed in our underwriting. Our demo is high income, and they don’t listen to other stations, so I feel like we have a bit of a ‘captive audience’ for lack of a better word. Do you have any suggestions for what dealers should have in their public radio spots?
• What are your thoughts on exclusive contests that force people to come to the dealership to register so the dealer’s sales people to have a chance to establish a relationship? For example, registering for a big event or concert tickets that are only available by coming to the dealership and taking a test drive?

LBS Auto Expert, John Tkac, takes LIVE broadcaster questions!  In this session:

• My dealer has said that he can’t advertise outside of his assigned area or he won’t get co-op and it’s against the manufacturer’s rules. What are your thoughts on this?
• What’s an ideal number of cars that a local independent auto dealership should have on their lot before they are a worthy advertising prospect?

LBS Auto Expert, John Tkac, takes LIVE broadcaster questions!  In this session:

• To the average dealer, how important is it to them to be perceived as a strong supporter in their local communities and how can a broadcaster help in these areas?
• Can you talk about how much dealers appreciate doing business with a broadcast seller who is trained, disciplined, understands sales, and is good at sales vs somebody who just comes in and says, “You don’t want to run some ads this week do you?”
• In addition to the value that a station already provides the dealership, do you think it’s important to give car dealers tickets to special events for their families or salespeople?

LBS Auto Expert, John Tkac, takes LIVE broadcaster questions! In this session: How do I recommend...