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The Five Most Dangerous and Expensive Advertising Mistakes Dealers are Making in 2009 - By Bill Park of CBC Ads

Running a highly successful advertising program has never been more important for your dealership. Gone are the days when wasting fifty percent of the ad budget was a running joke, and not knowing which fifty percent was the punch line. Having a well-planned and executed advertising program is crucial--in fact these days it can make the difference between failure and survival.

Turning a profit in 2009 is proving to be harder and more complicated than ever. Owners face obstacles ranging from age-old challenges like finding and retaining good staff, to new and complex hurdles like maintaining floorplan financing and becoming Red Flag compliant. Even with a firm handle on those areas, no aspect of dealership management is more critical--and potentially treacherous--than advertising.

Tier III advertising always has been a tricky business. But for years, thousands of dealers have done a perfectly good job handling their own programs. Now, with the automotive world and the media world both turned inside out, more and more dealers are making the same critical advertising mistakes. With stakes this high, the mistakes couldn't come at a worse time--unless you're the competition!

How can dealers avoid such mistakes? Understanding them is the first step. Then planning a consistent strategy to avoid them is the next step. Enlisting the help of a top-flight ad agency also can be an enormous help--but be careful. Some agencies still promote self-serving interests of their own like overspending, so caveat emptor.

What follows is a list of the five most dangerous and expensive advertising mistakes dealers are making in 2009. If one or more of these situations applies to you, consider taking a long, hard look at your program--and work to change your ways. You'll be glad you did!

Mistake #1: My Customers Listen to THAT??
Do you really know your customers? Consider for a moment you may not know them quite as well as you think. Sure, you probably know dozens, if not hundreds of customers by name. But do you know their favorite radio and television stations? Do you know how many visited your website prior to purchase, or their favorite cable networks or their favorite sports? Do you know your dealership's number one vehicle purchased by women over 45 with household incomes below $75,000 who didn't consult a newspaper prior to purchase?

You're not alone if you don't have this information at your fingertips. But did you know you could easily have access this kind of data? Consider the enormous benefit of setting up a modest, in-house customer research program that would provide you with all the above information and more. Think about how valuable this information would be in deciding where to direct your precious advertising dollars. Is such a research program expensive? Not necessarily, and it's much more accurate than a dartboard.

With ad budgets tighter than ever--and with more than ever riding on every spending decision--it's imperative dealers know everything they can about their customers' demographic profiles and media habits. Imagine discovering where you're wasting that fifty percent of your ad budget... and where you're not.

Mistake #2: Never, Never, Never Give Up.
An alarming number of dealers these days are deciding their best approach to advertising right now is to shut it down completely. Bad idea! No matter what the state of the economy and no matter how slow your sales may be, giving up on your advertising is a deadly mistake. It's like not watering a plant and still hoping it grows.

The severe and lasting effects of advertising asphyxia on your dealership brand can take months to reverse--and you'll probably pay extra in the long run to buy back the mindshare you gave away for free. The most important aspect of any successful ad program is consistency. Notice how most successful dealers always seem to be 'out there' with their advertising? It's no accident. But when you break your consistency, it's like waving a white flag to the competition and saying, "Here, come take my customers--you can have 'em!"

Mistake #3: Online Overkill
Without a doubt, the Internet has revolutionized the way people buy cars. And without question, dealer websites and a growing number of online enterprises have forever changed the way cars and trucks are sold. What's alarming, however, are the growing number of dealers devoting most or all of their budgets to the Internet.

It's a mistake to view your website as advertising--because it's not. Instead, think of your website as your online sales arm--an electronic extension of your showroom--a portal for sales, service and financing. Traditional advertising is what drives traffic to your website--the same way it drives traditional foot traffic to your front door.

Similarly, online pay-per-click and search engine marketing programs are legitimate ways to increase your presence on search engines like Google and Yahoo, and online lead providers like Autobytel and Cars.com match buyers directly with your inventory (usually for a hefty price). But it's arguable that even these services aren't really advertising--as technically they're structural enhancements to your online sales arm.

Regardless, what's important to know is this: dealers who move their ad budgets '100% online' are essentially canceling their advertising. Moreover, such moves generally seem to be connected with a budget reduction--as if this maneuver can completely take the place of traditional advertising while saving fifty cents on the dollar. No matter what the motive, it's a dangerous and misguided move--like a major league baseball team deciding to put only catchers on the roster. If you're thinking about this measure, think twice!

Mistake #4: Media Missteps
Making a killing at the auction is one thing, but getting killed by your own media buy is something else.

Many dealers are at their best when wheeling and dealing, yet in no way does this ability automatically qualify them as good media buyers. Skilled media buyers are highly trained professionals who are worth their weight in gold when negotiating with media reps.

Why? Simply put, they regularly and routinely save clients thousands of dollars. They make media buys go further, they bring added value to the bottom line, and they put precious dollars back in clients' pockets. And the best buyers make it look easy.

Media buying, however, is anything but easy. More and more dealers have come to learn this the hard way. What's more unfortunate are the many dealers who continue to believe they're media buying magicians, when in fact the trick's on them.

Negotiating with the media is like walking through a minefield riddled with trade agreements, sponsorships, contracts and packages. One misstep can cost thousands of dollars--all the more reason to leave the media buying to a professional. Need one final good reason to hire a media buyer? You won't believe the time it saves you!

Mistake #5: Playing Favorites
Finally, it should go without saying that allowing personal factors to unduly influence advertising decisions is extremely ill-advised. Unfortunately, it's also quite common, and therefore bears mentioning here.

Think twice before devoting a big chunk of your ad budget to a particular radio or TV station simply because it's what you like. You or your sales staff may listen to Sports Talk all the time, but how often does your average customer? The answer just might be never!

Also, set strict, personal limits on accepting tickets, gifts and trips from the media. After all, why would you want to promote even the hint of a quid pro quo arrangement?

Be very careful becoming outspoken on political matters as there's no telling how many people you'll endear and how many you'll anger.

Should you be thinking about hiring a celebrity spokesperson, think twice, then a third time, then a fourth time. Then proceed with the utmost of caution. Even with a very popular athlete or entertainer, you must honestly consider the downside risks of associating this individual with your dealership. Remember, anybody can look pure as the driven snow today, then tomorrow have compromising pictures turn up on the Internet, become embroiled in a messy divorce, go through a lengthy drug trial, or get traded to your team's evil cross-state rival.

Bottom line, maintaining a creative, consistent and cost-effective dealer ad program is no small task. Yet having effective advertising month after month is absolutely essential. Avoiding these five mistakes will greatly improve your probability of success--and in 2009, success is the only good choice left.

--Bill Park is CBC Advertising's Senior Account Executive and a 17-year veteran of retail automotive advertising. CBC (www.cbcads.com) is a full-service ad agency working with dealers large and small throughout North America.

By The Denver Post

Posted: 02/18/2010 01:00:00 AM MST

Updated: 02/18/2010 02:04:06 AM MST

It didn't take long for scammers to latch on to the recall troubles at Toyota and turn the company's headaches into a rip-off payday.

The scam relies on consumers misdialing the car company's toll-free telephone number by a single digit. Instead of the vehicle-recall folks, callers get a recorded message quickly telling them of a surcharge they'll pay for calling yet another number, the Better Business Bureau warns.

Toyota's recall number is 800-331-4331. Consumers who call receive information regarding the vehicles subject to the massive recall regarding sticking gas pedals.

The scammers grabbed the toll-free number that ends with 4431, hoping some callers would simply misdial.

They are directed to another number because of the volume of calls. The other number charges them $5.96 and asks for personal information such as a Social Security number.

BBB officials warn consumers to ensure they have the right number.
David Migoya, The Denver Post

Perhaps this is an example of why Toyota should have set up a VANITY toll-free number.  People wouldn't misdial because they would recall the letters and word in the vanity number better than they recall the numbers of the numeric toll-free. 

Call 1-800-NEW-SALES to learn more about how a vanity number, like 1-800-NEW-PARTS, could have saved Toyota's customers time and money.

By Joe Overby, Staff Writer for Auto Remarketing

December 18, 2009

And the winners are...

Congratulations to all of our 1st and 2nd Place Champions in the 2009 Bull's-Eye Ad Awards!

Our Champions in each of the categories are:

 Best Use of a Custom 800 Number in Print Advertising:

      1st Place - Latite Roofing; 1-800-NEW-ROOF

      2nd Place - G. Taylor Roofing; 1-800-NEW-ROOF

 Best Use of a Custom 800 Number in Radio Advertising:

      1st Place - Pat McGrath Automotive; 1-800-NEW-CREDIT

      2nd Place - Kuni Honda; 1-800-NEW-HONDA

 Best Use of a Custom 800 Number in Outdoor Advertising:

      1st Place - Gregory & Clark, PLLC; 1-800-NEW-LOAN

      2nd Place - G. Taylor Roofing; 1-800-NEW-ROOF

 Best Use of a Custom 800 Number in Alternative Advertising:

      1st Place - Precision Roof Crafters; 1-800-ROOF-PRO

      2nd Place - Precision Roof Crafters; 1-800-ROOF-PRO

 Best use of a Custom 800 Number in Integrated Advertising:

      1st Place - Kuni Honda; 1-800-NEW-HONDA

      2nd Place - Pat McGrath Automotive; 1-800-NEW-CREDIT

 Best Use of a Custom 800 Number in Television Advertising:

      Results coming soon!

Congratulations and a big thank you to everyone who entered and placed in the contest, from all of us at 800response!

By David Frey, President of Marketing Best Practices, Inc.

The other day I was in an auto parts store buying an oil filter. It was on a Saturday morning and there were only two workers on duty. The place was packed and the line to purchase goods was long and most of the people were getting impatient.

Suddenly, the phone started ringing and the worker seemed very irritated. Finally, after about 10 rings he got frustrated and answered the phone. He was rude and brief while he reluctantly answered the caller's question. As soon as he could, he slammed down the phone and resumed his behind-the-counter duties.

This episode occurs millions of times a day around the small business world. It's not only confined to the retail world but the professional world as well. Too many small businesses see phone calls as interruptions rather than opportunities.

You Pay Good Money to Make Your Phone Ring!

A ringing phone is the result of your marketing efforts, which you pay good money to develop and implement and the fact that your phone rings indicates that you're marketing is working. Don't squander your hard-earned marketing dollars (and reputation) by underestimating the value of each phone call.

The following are several inbound and outbound telephone marketing practices that you can use to make your phone one of your most powerful marketing weapons.

Stress the Value of Each and Every Phone Call

1. Know Your Costs - Calculate your cost of an inquiry by dividing your total cost of advertising by the average number of calls you receive. For instance, if you spend $5,000 monthly on advertising, and get about 500 calls, each call cost you $10.

To further stress the value of each phone call, attach a $10 bill to the handle of each phone unit to remind your employees how important each and every phone call is to your business and that each call could result in cash.

2. Recognize Good Work - Give a "golden phone award" to the employee who gets the full contact information of the most inbound callers. Spray paint a phone gold and give it out at an employee meeting with a free dinner for two or weekend at a local hotel.

3. Train Employees - Include telephone training in your sales meetings. Ask employees (rather than you) to give the training. Supply your employees with access to professional telephone training systems for reference.

Get Each Caller's Full Contact Information

The value in any business is its customer and prospect list and the fastest way to build that list is to ask for contact information.

1. Customer Information - Ask to know if the caller is a prior customer. If they are then say, "Mr. Customer, we are updating out customer list. Would you mind giving me your address and phone number so that we can update our records?

2. Prospect Information - If the caller tells you that they are not a prior customer then handle the phone call and at the end of the call say, "Mrs. Prospect, I'd like to send you a free report that you'll find very interesting. It will help you ... If you give me your address and I'll send it out to you today."

3. Email Address - To get a customer or prospect's email address (critical!) offer the customer a second free gift that you can email to them right away and then ask for their email address. Getting prospect and customer email addresses is important because it will allow you to market to them absolutely free.

Have A Reason to Call Prospects

Have you heard - - cold-calling doesn't work - - but "warm-calling" does. Warm-calling happens when you call someone who has already had some type of experience with you. Whenever you call a prospect, have a valid reason to call.

1. Direct Mail Follow Up­ - Send a direct mail piece to a prospect or customer and follow up by asking them about, "the free report you sent them three days ago" or the "newspaper article you recently sent them." You can even call them up in advance just to let them know your direct mail piece is coming (this is better done with voice broadcasting).

From Dealer Marketing Magazine

Written by Michael Bowen    

November 6, 2009

Little by little the economy is starting to improve and consumers and businesses are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. While this doesn't mean the effects of the recession will disappear overnight, it does impact the way people spend their money and the way businesses plan their budgets. What it means for your dealership is that there is a greater emphasis on return on investment than ever before and dealers are scouring every line of their budgets to find places where they can trim.

Cutting budgets is never fun, but in the end it may force the industry to make some needed changes that were avoided during the boom time. Advertising and marketing is one of the largest parts of any dealer's budget and many dealers have been searching for ways to trim their marketing budgets. Successful dealerships, however, know that you can't eliminate advertising and expect your business to stay open for very long. So dealers have been forced to be creative and come up with ways to achieve the same results with smaller budgets.

"The downturn has forced dealers to get back to basics and make sure advertising is more accountable. They are now forced to make sure that every dollar they spend is producing results. They have had to become more aware of what they are saying in their ads to make sure that there is indeed a real call to action and a message that the consumers find important enough to act on," explains Tom Letizia, president of Letizia Ad Team-Automotive marketing division.

"We believe about $1B has been taken out of the marketing and advertising spend at the dealer level," says Mike Romano, senior vice president of dealer strategy for Kelley Blue Book and chief operating officer for CDMdata, Inc., "Although that is concerning as a marketing provider, it is not bad if you are an online marketing provider. We have seen traditional media fall at a much faster pace than originally forecasted and we have seen more dollars pushed online than originally expected. So when it has all netted out, dealers have ended up cutting poor performing marketing partners and much of their traditional media to move their dollars online."

These kind of changes in dealership marketing were probably inevitable, but the current recession has been a catalyst for change, because it is no longer just a good idea, it is necessary for your survival. And "necessity is the mother of invention," Al Babbington, CEO of OneCommand reminds us. "The downturn has caused dealers to finally give up 'the things we have always done'--things like the newspaper and anything where the return is not obvious. It has also caused automotive retailers to look for lower cost, higher impact solutions that are flexible and measurable."

So where can you find cost savings in your marketing budget while still growing your business? Well, we spoke to three experts to try and find out and they offered up several areas where dealers can save money and find efficiencies in their marketing budgets.

Save money on airtime

Airtime is often the most expensive part of television advertising, but there are things that you can do to lower your costs without sacrificing your brand image. One of the most effective ways to cut your airtime costs is to negotiate. "Dealers need to become better negotiators of how they buy media," advises Tom Letizia. "Customers of media outlets rates can vary as much as 80 percent [in what they pay for airtime]. The goal is to be at the bottom of those prices, however, the best way to negotiate is to give the stations more money. Therefore, you can't be everyone's friend. You need to cut some of your favorite stations out of the buy in order to be more important to the few, to get your rates down lower. Don't try to do this by yourself. Get a buyer [who] knows how to negotiate and fight hard for you."

Negotiation is an effective way to lower your marketing budget; many TV stations are hurting right now and will be willing to make you deals that they never would have considered a few years ago. But Tom Letizia reminds us, "The stations have the same goals dealers have when they sell a car--make gross." That means, no matter what you do, there is a limit to how low the stations will go for their air time.

Fortunately, as Al Babbington explains, there are other opportunities to stretch your marketing dollars by "piggy-backing" on your OEM and Tier 2 advertising. "Leverage OEM and Tier 2 productions and placements to increase reach and frequency and then personalize that complementary message to your previous customers using solutions that are designed to automate one-to-one, multi-channel communications."

Negotiating with the stations for better rates and coordinating dealership advertising with the OEM and Tier 2 advertising are valuable means of bringing down your marketing costs, but they are not the only ways. Thanks to the advent of the internet and mobile advertising there are more opportunities than ever to get your message out in a cost effective and trackable way. In order to achieve the best results, your internet and mobile marketing must be coordinated with your TV and other traditional advertising.

Integrate traditional and online marketing

"Pairing of traditional and digital is yielding significant levels of response for dealers stepping out of their comfort zone. Solutions like mobile marketing and web analytics are now being integrated to allow for tracking of more definitive ROI," says Al Babbington.

That sounds great, but it is not enough to just have your website address in your television commercials. There needs to be real coordination between all your marketing efforts. That means making sure you're sending the same message to consumers, no matter where they see your ads. This is especially important when it comes to price. "The most important thing a dealer can do today is ensure that pricing is the same anywhere it is advertised. Too many times the online price doesn't match the offline price or cars are represented online that aren't on the lot. This immediately creates distrust in the consumers mind and they will move on to the next dealer," says Mike Romano.

Al Babbington agrees that dealers must, "pay attention to consistency in their messaging." He adds, however, that dealers must also "provide their customers and prospects with choices about their communication and channel preferences...and tailor direct communications that support and personalize for more of a one-to-one instead of a one-to-many approach."

Clearly online marketing is growing in importance, but that does not mean you should put all your marketing eggs in the online basket. Even if you have an amazing internet advertising campaign, "you still need to be on television to build your brand name. Make no mistake about it, the average home still watches television over six hours a day," notes Tom Letizia. And if you're not reaching those people watching TV, they won't know to look for you online.

Make a plan

Achieving the best ROI and properly coordinating your marketing requires time and a plan. As Tom Letizia advises, "Start planning for 2010 now. The biggest problem is dealers are making last minute decisions and not making any long term plans. I guarantee if you sit down with your media now, you can lock up some pretty strong deals." Just in case you are the procrastinating type, he also reminds us that "2010 is a political year and radio and TV stations will get healthy. They will be able to survive without automotive. So dealers must get to them now while they are still hungry."

From Dealer Marketing Magazine

Written by Laura Noonan    

Monday, December 7, 2009

I believe in the power of advertising. That belief is based on dozens and dozens of case studies and conversations with auto dealers we've worked with for the last twenty years. Their success stories prove that great advertising will persuade, influence, and have an effect on buyers' decisions. Great advertising has the power to change your place in the market and improve your profit margins. Great advertising starts with having the right elements, images, response mechanisms, media plans, and messages.

There are five essentials to developing a great advertising campaign:

Effective messaging.

Deliver a compelling message--with a call-to-action or an incredible offer--to increase your audiences' attention to your ads and get them to act.

Appropriate response avenues for your audience

Provide a compelling offer and an easy way for your audience to contact you and they will. Feature a lead-generating vanity 800 number in your ads and you can expect to receive 30 to 60 percent higher response rates. Don't rely on only one mode of communication; include your phone number, email address, and website URL.

Accurate measurement tools

Use tracking mechanisms within your advertising creative to accurately monitor how well your campaigns are performing. Call-tracking systems and click-tracking tools will deliver those results in real time. With this data, you can monitor campaigns on a daily basis, track your cost-per-lead based on the campaign budget, and gauge the effectiveness of your advertising message.

Effective testing of the media mix

Test your advertising creative and your response tools, before you go into full-launch mode. A simple A-B test to monitor media buys will also tell you if your audience is more likely to call your phone number or to visit your website. It's not just about quantity. Measure which of those lead avenues delivers the highest quality leads--is it your phone number or your website? This call data will show which response tool to feature more prominently in your creative.

Streamlined media plans

Monitor call data to learn which media outlets produce leads and determine the media buys that perform the best for your dealership in your market. Was it your radio ad that ran on the country or the classic rock station? Was it the television ad you ran on Saturday during the morning news? Don't forget the importance of running consistent advertising. Being present in your markets will continually reinforce your messaging and keep your dealership top-of-mind with people.

Dealers (and their agency partners) that master the creative and strategic elements to consistently develop and execute effective campaigns will own their markets and the business successes that go with it. Great advertising starts with these essential steps, so implement these five essentials when you're working on a new 2010 advertising strategy.

Remember, sales performance is not the only indicator of great advertising. Look at lead-generation, the number of new prospects you have in your database, and the number of inquiries specific campaigns are bringing into your dealership. These factors are good indicators of successful advertising campaigns. Monitor your number of incoming calls as a result of your phone number being in your ads, and look at the number of web leads if you include your URL. More inquiries will lead to more sales and more profits.

From Dealer Marketing Magazine

Written by Laura Noonan  

Monday, November 2, 2009

Research Reveals a Combination to Optimize Results

This may contradict much of what you've recently heard and discussed at the marketing water cooler over the last few years, but not everyone is going online to do everything under the sun. I know this is not what your SEO consultants and website developers want to hear, but it's true.

While the use of the internet continues to rise each year and there are polls that say 75 percent of car buyers use the internet, it is important that prospective new and used buyers have multiple avenues to reach your dealership so that you can achieve your sales goals. For instance, a recent study polled one thousand consumers to measure recall rates of two response tools when used in ads: URLs and toll-free vanity 800 numbers.

The results reveal that overall, people have a 45 percent higher recall of vanity numbers than they do URLs. And interestingly, one of the broadcast ads in the study tested recall of a phone number and URL, specific to an auto dealership. Survey results show that respondents had a 52 percent higher recall of 1-800-NEW-AUTO than they did of www.baysideautosales.com.

Furthermore, after listening to the radio ad, 40 percent of the respondents stated they would first "research the competition," once they moved on from the advertising dealer's website and only six percent would find the phone number online and call the dealership, or complete an online contact form.

An analysis of the recall rates among specific age groups shows that people of all ages have a higher recall rate of toll-free vanity 800 numbers compared to web addresses. For instance, 61 percent of survey respondents ages 18-24 (which may be a significant portion of your target) correctly recalled the vanity 800 number presented in an advertisement, while only 46 percent could correctly recall the web address. Further age analysis reveals that all age groups have a higher recall of vanity 800 numbers:

Background: An automotive financing company offers indirect lending programs at franchise and independent automobile dealers in the Southeast. Interested car buyers must apply for credit approval either over the phone or on the company's Web site.

Client Profile: In 2008, the auto financier opened a consumer lending division that specializes in title pawn rescue. The new division is growing rapidly.

Challenge: The company was launching a new advertising campaign with television, billboards, and vehicle wraps.

Strategy: A fellow automotive retailer recommended that the company activate a memorable vanity 800 number for their new campaign. As they started researching available toll-free numbers, they recognized the importance of selecting an unforgettable number that would enhance their brand and drive more incoming calls.

Results: The company uses their vanity 800 number as the storefront of their business. When they started looking for the best toll-free number for the new division, the marketing director knew it had to align with their brand, be easy for consumers to remember, and he insisted on getting a number with the original 800 toll-free prefix.

He says, "We really wanted a vanity toll-free number that had the 800 prefix because it is easier for consumers to remember, and the 800 prefix lends more credibility to our business over another prefix, like 866 or 877."

Since activating 1-800-NEW-DEAL the marketing director shares, "We had no idea we would get this kind of response when we launched the new campaign. Each month our call volume and the number of legitimate leads we receive from 1-800-NEW-DEAL are going in the right direction."

He attributes part of the company's newfound success to their advertising campaigns that feature 1-800-NEW-DEAL, and their Web address. According to the marketing director, "Every month, we receive hundreds of qualified leads through the phone number. We also get qualified leads coming into our Web site every month, which is also highlighted in our ads."

On average, the auto financier gets about 450 incoming leads into the vanity 800 number. That amounts to approximately eight times more qualified leads coming into the phone number versus the Web site.

"Our auto credit business is thriving during the current economic conditions," he says.  Due to their success, the company has plans to expand their business in the near future.

Five Common Questions about Toll-free Services

It's not enough these days to just include your phone number in advertising campaigns. In this current market, you need an edge to get more out of those slashed ad budgets. You have to look at your phone number as a marketing and advertising tool - something that is necessary to include in your advertising strategy - a tool that will improve response rates to your advertisements, drive interested car buyers to your dealership, while also integrating with your lead-tracking and management system.

Here are five questions to ask your phone service provider to make sure you are leveraging every incoming phone call to the greatest possible extent.

1.       Do I need a special phone line or phone system in order to activate a toll-free or vanity 800 number?

No.  You can easily activate a toll-free or vanity 800 toll-free number, without having to make any changes to your existing phone system.  During the activation process, you will designate which phone line you want the toll-free number to ring to -- just choose one of your existing phone numbers. 

2.       I only advertise in my local market, not nationally.  Can a toll-free number work only in my local region, where my advertising reaches, or do I have to get and pay for national coverage?

If you don't advertise nationally and do not want to field calls from all over the country, you need a regional toll-free service. There are providers who offer toll-free vanity numbers on a local or regional basis.  During the set-up process, they will work with you to define the area codes that your advertising will reach, and you will receive all calls that dial your toll-free number from within those area codes.  You will not receive or pay for calls that dial your toll-free number from outside the defined area codes for your account.

3.       Can I have the toll-free number ringing to multiple dealerships?

Yes.  There are various advanced routing tools to direct your incoming calls to different store locations in any manner you choose. Advanced call routing options will take care of your business's needs, no matter how sophisticated they may be. You can choose to have the calls ring to the location closest to the caller, or have all calls ring to a single location, or prompt callers with a message that lets them select a location.

4.       When should I consider using a vanity 800 number?

You should always consider incorporating a vanity 800 number into your advertising strategy.  Vanity 800 numbers are an integral component of any advertising campaign.  They facilitate in branding a business (i.e.; Ford dealership using 1-800-NEW-FORD^®), and research (and common sense) tells us they are easier for consumers to remember than a 10-digit numeric toll-free number, therefore they improve advertising campaign performance (with more calls), and overall ROI.  Vanity 800 numbers are best used in media formats that are temporary for the consumer, like television ads and outdoor ads.  These media formats require an element of memorability, which vanity 800 numbers lend to advertisements.

5.       Do most toll-free service providers offer a tracking service as well?

Not necessarily.  There are toll-free number providers out there who will find and activate a toll-free number for you, but that is where their service ends.  It is good business practice to find a service provider that offers additional features like call tracking and recording, so you can optimize your incoming calls by analyzing their origins, capture the caller's contact and demographic information, and record incoming calls for dealership training purposes.  Only a provider that offers call tracking and monitoring services can help you build your lead database, and integrate incoming leads with your existing lead-tracking process to contribute to the lead management cycle.

The key factors in a comprehensive lead tracking and management system is to know who is calling into your stores, when they're calling in, why they are calling, and to turn those leads into prospects that become part of your targeted marketing and advertising campaigns, and promotional events.  Toll-free and vanity 800 service providers that offer tracking services will help you build a complete lead-management program for your dealership. 

Ford is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Co.  There is no relationship between 800response or any of its affiliates and the aforementioned company.