Market, Customer and Prospect Development Survey

Any change in the dealership's environment can affect the profitability of the business. An overemphasis on short-term profits will lead to long-term problems such as a flawed reputation in the community. A good image is difficult to achieve and easy to lose.

Therefore, dealerships must make improvement decisions based on the information customers provide. Customers reveal the things a business is doing wrong, things they are doing right and what could be done better. If the dealership's customers are not talking, a vehicle for communication must be provided to obtain their valuable input.

The monthly Traver Market Development Survey™ provides the dealership with a conduit for customer attitude via telephone surveying process. The survey emphasizes two areas:

The Sales Experience - A study focused towards the perception of the prospect's sales and follow-up experience. These surveys are conducted with unsold prospects over the telephone.

The Owner Loyalty Experience - A study focused towards the perception of the ownership and follow-up experience. These surveys are conducted over the telephone with current owners and uncover the likelihood of a repeat purchase.

Based on today's high cost of promotion, it is much more expensive to attract new customers into the dealership than it is to maintain the current ones. Will strong advertising sell a weak dealership? Yes it can…once! When a dealership finds itself losing existing customers faster than it attracts new ones, the dealership's future is bleak.

The rule of marketing is simple; never underestimate the customers or the competition. Making the right decisions based on customer feedback is more of an art than a science. To be a great artist, one must have the right tools. The Traver Market Development Survey is one of the best tools the dealership has.