Digital Dealer - August 2018 - 34

S A L E S / VA RIABL E OPS: Re p u ta tio n & Br andi ng

By Anne Fleming
President,
Women-Drivers.com

Why Reviews
from the DecisionMaker Matter
Reviews are everywhere across all
industries, and dealership
reviews are no exception.
How can your dealership
leverage reviews to maximize their positive impact
and improve sales to women
customers?
National research shows
that women use dealer reviews 50% more than men.
Additionally, women are
happy to write reviews when
asked. This means that
when you ask for a review,
you will likely get one.
And, the more reviews
you have, the more women
will count on them to gauge
the quality of your customer
experience.
Good reviews are great,
but only five-star reviews
can make it appear you are
trying too hard or disingenuous. Bad reviews give
readers a chance to see

how your dealership solves
problems - and how you resolve conflict. Both good and
bad reviews are important
to give an overall picture to
your future customers and
guests.

10 WAYS TO MAKE
REVIEWS WORK FOR
YOUR DEALERSHIP

Women are involved in
over 85% of car-buying decisions. When purchasing,
these buyers prefer reviews
three times more than
advertising - as they feel it
is coming from women like
themselves. Savvy dealers
understand that women
don't want to second-guess
where they do business, and
reviews show real opinions
from real customers. Here
are ways to make reviews
work for your store:
1. Encourage women to
write reviews about their experience. Make it clear that

you want to hear from them.
Let them know their opinion
counts.
2. When a customer
leaves a review, respond
and thank them for their
time. Positive reinforcement
goes a long way in leading
others to want to leave a
review, too.
3. Don't beg for a good
review. Encourage your
customers to be honest.
4. If you receive a
negative review, respond
immediately to help solve
the problem. A woman may
be shy about complaining
in person, but a review provides a way for her to safely
express her dissatisfaction.
Welcome negative feedback
as a way to show how you
solve issues.
5. When meeting a new
guest, ask if she read reviews about your dealership
prior to coming in. Find out if

the reviews helped influence
her visit.
6. If you have a large
number of reviews, curate
them to provide a good
sample of different types of
reviews - not just purchasing
and the service drive, but also
shopping, too.
7. Show your reviews
prominently on your website.
Don't hide them under "About
Us."
8. Do your research by
checking your competitor's
reviews. See what they are
doing right and what needs
improvement. Reviews can
show what customers look for
and what expectations they
have to set your store apart.
9. Continually check
online for references to your
dealership. There are many
places for customers to leave
evaluations - know where to
look.
10. Use links to your reviews in BDC emails that go
out, so guests can see that
you openly welcome reviews
and work diligently to earn
women's trust.
In a world where women
buyers can feel their voice
isn't always heard, reviews
are a breath of fresh air.
Women can participate and
know what they say matters.
Provide your women customers with a platform to express
themselves freely and authentically, and see this make
a positive difference in your
dealership's bottom line.
ANNE FLEMING is president
of Women-Drivers.com, which
has innovative solutions to
assist dealers in showcasing
their trust and commitment
to women buyers and in turn
expand their sales. EMAIL:
anne@women-drivers.com

34

AUGUST 2018

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M
http://www.Women-Drivers.com http://www.Women-Drivers.com http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - August 2018
