CustomerLink Systems

James Tiberius Kirk (2233-?), graduate of the Starfleet Academy and its youngest-ever captain, assumed command of the starship Enterprise for a five-year mission. His life story, told through flashback and anecdote in the “Star Trek” series and feature films, is one of commitment and confrontation as Capt. Kirk and the crew faced all manner of alien life forms.

Along the way, he shows that he is something of a philosopher, too–delivering quotable lines that you could apply to your life–and even more important, to your automotive repair marketing strategy.

Five Auto Repair Shop Marketing Lessons from Captain Kirk:

1. “No blah, blah, blah!” (from the “Star Trek” episode “Miri”): Your customers are bombarded by it every day–sales pitches, promises, publicity tactics…, and frankly, they’re tired of the “blah, blah, blah.” Reaching your audience today is a matter of cutting through the advertising clutter to provide insightful and meaningful content that separates your repair shop from the rest. Take a close look at your customers and figure out what they DO want to hear.
   
2. “Conquest is easy. Control is not” (from the “Star Trek” episode “Mirror, Mirror”): Today’s online marketing makes it easier than ever to target content to the people most likely to respond to it. Instead of attempting to control a large audience, use your Facebook page, Twitter feed or LinkedIn contacts to narrow the field. Your use of strategic SEO (search engine optimization) keywords can help you land high on the Google results page for local customers searching for your services, helping ensure that your content will be found by your desired audience.
3. “If it happens to me, it happens to you” (from the “Star Trek” episode “Whom Gods Destroy”): When creating content for social media and your auto shop website, consider the everyday questions and challenges of the car owner. What happens immediately after an accident? How much will I spend on repairs? Will my car ever be the same afterward? Tailor what you communicate–your blogs, videos, newsletters and articles–to the interests and concerns of your customers and cut out the blah, blah, blah! This will make what you have to offer relevant and valuable to your customers.
4. “Not one hundred percent efficient, of course…but nothing ever is” (from the “Star Trek” episode “Metamorphosis”): Your auto repair marketing is always a work in progress. From social media presence to blogs, lead generation and customer follow-up, you’ll always find holes to be filled and missteps to correct. That’s the nature of all marketing–taking a calculated risk, measuring the results and changing course to find what works best. Be like Kirk, and once you set your course, stay the course until you reach your destination.
5. “There’s another way to survive. Mutual trust…and help” (from the “Star Trek” episode “Day of the Dove”): You are surrounded by automotive experts in all kinds of repair and maintenance. Use their insight to drive content. Your staff, vendors and even customers can be great sources for information and testimonials that translate into an even more credible image for your auto repair service. Ask for their help–their response may surprise you.

Boldly Go….

There’s a reason Capt. Kirk and “Star Trek” are pop-culture mainstays nearly 50 years after the original series: The show presented a vision of the future that resonated with forward-thinking viewers. If you’ve read this far, you’re probably a forward-thinker too. Keep your crew like Kirk’s, with their mission and prime directive in mind; perhaps that’s the most valuable take-away for your marketing efforts. Keep your eyes on the goal, then boldly go….

Want more ideas to market your shop? Get new ideas every month with the Shop Marketing Manual.

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1. Top 5 Auto Repair Shop Marketing Ideas
2. Auto Repair Marketing: Guerrilla Style
3. The Trader Joe’s School of Auto Repair Marketing

Tagged as: Auto repair shop marketing, Auto Shop Advertising, Auto Shop Marketing