The Effects of Media Fatigue

On average, a person might see about 5,000 ads a day through all sources. Seeing this many ads can create a sense of media fatigue.

This is something to consider in terms of your customers and perhaps even the people at your dealership who are working with customers. Being overwhelmed and fatigued can affect the process used to ensure people are properly followed up with.

When someone consumes all the ads that the modern world is filled with, it could affect how salespeople work. Both salespeople, managers and customers have tons of information in their faces every day.

In situations where there are a huge number of customers to work with, being fast may become the main goal for salespeople. Moving through the process at a quick pace may cause some to be rote and robotic in their actions, which customers will notice. All customers must have questions answered in a way that retains their interest and are unique to them.

The reality is that money is sitting and waiting, so it’s important to do what is needed to get it into your dealership. When there are leads in every direction, it can be stressful.

Good technology can make a huge difference but it’s still a massive undertaking. Dealers in major markets might have 2,000 customers to follow up with per cycle and tech can organize their job and make it easier.

Even in smaller second-tier markets and rural locations, dealerships need to be aware of and use advanced technology to prevent things from falling through the cracks. This applies to helping with media fatigue by making processes more streamlined, but it goes even further than that.

A basic CRM software solution isn’t enough. It’s like using a four-cylinder engine to compete in an F1 race. You need a beefed-up eight or 12-cylinder to get the best results.

As a car, powersports, marine, or RV dealer, you need to think the same way customers do. There are lots of tools out there and many start with the Internet before moving to social media and their friends to do research.

Customers go through several phases that have been refined and developed to meet their preferences and demands. Some dealerships haven’t kept up with this process and it starts to show over time.

Looking at other sectors, tech has advanced at a rapid pace, and it can be hard to ensure you offer the best customer experience on websites, through sales, etc.

Many dealerships get into a rhythm and continue to do things that are comfortable and that worked at the start. However, it’s important to get into customers’ minds and make sure they are still satisfied with what you offer.

Simply thinking “this is what I want to keep doing” isn’t going to help if customers aren’t happy with the processes you’ve adopted anymore.

It’s possible to get customers to work through your processes first, but eventually, they will move to a competitor who provides what they want. This can lead to losing customers and revenue before needing to catch up and trying to win them back. This is a vicious cycle that should be avoided.

Not sure what customers are looking for? It’s similar across industries. A customer wants you to be realistic. They want to see transparency. Customers want processes that happen fast and meet their needs, not yours.

While it’s hardly new, tech is what can take you there. You can use insight from inside and outside the industry to make waves.

If a customer sees that something can be done by other companies, they’re going to wonder why you aren’t providing that. It can make them a bit wary if you aren’t on the cutting edge of technology compared to other brands, even giants like Amazon, Tesla or Carvana.

This can create a disconnect that inevitably affects customer confidence when others have the newest and greatest technology and you do not.

Another thing to be aware of is that customers are looking for information. They want your messaging to provide them with something of value. If your ads say nothing and offer little, they’re going to be largely disregarded. It’s important to share who you are, what you offer, and why customers should go to you instead of a competitor for messaging that works.

And then deliver.