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at a mall food court. ���When it���s all said and done, we���re closing 5 to 10 percent of those sales,��� Grubbs notes. ���It���s a relatively low investment, instills goodwill in the community, puts people in our product and we���re selling cars, too. It���s a win for everybody.��� Te new campaign is a departure from prior practices when the dealership would merely sponsor an event. ���A sponsorship is great and all, but it���s not full involvement,��� Grubbs says. ���We decided to commit to being fully involved.��� SOCIAL EDGE Six months ago, Grubbs Infniti hired an event marketer to help recruit potential customers. Te dealership also has embraced all things Internet, including social media. Tat���s been the case since 2009 when the dealership began experimenting on YouTube and Twitter, and Grubbs remains committed to embracing digital tools as they emerge. Grubbs said he understands that consistency is a key to a successful social media presence. He has outsourced the task to a thirdparty vendor who visits the dealership weekly to meet with Grubbs and the sales staf. Te dealership has the basics covered with Facebook, Twitter and Google+, but it also recently joined photo-sharing site Pinterest. Te Pinterest efort includes photos of vehicles on the lot, some of the freeway construction and Grubbs giving away an Infniti G37 to Miss Texas 2012 DaNae Couch. Te major social media focus is on Facebook, where the dealership���s page has more than 3,800 ���Likes.��� ���I���m proud of that number,��� Grubbs says, noting that his dealership hasn���t paid for any Facebook endorsement. ���Tose are actual fans.��� Te number of followers has been growing, and the staf has been striving to fnd the right balance and not post too much. ���We���re trying to make it not a sales approach, but a your-friend-in-the-car-business approach,��� Grubbs says. Every other year, the dealership rewards its customers with a customer appreciation event held at a local racetrack. Te family-friendly afair features a lunch and access to a track, including the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway. ���Te DNA of Infniti is performance,��� Grubbs explains. ���Our cars are high-performance cars and our drivers are a little more aggressive. Tey like the performance.��� Te dealership boasts a 4.7-star rating on DealerRater, including four 5-star rankings so far in 2013. Despite the construction project outside his front porch, Grubbs said he���s excited about 2013. ���We saw a good 20 percent lif in 2012, and we expect a substantial 15 to 20 percent this year,��� he says. ���Texas is a strong economy and Dallas/Fort Worth is extremely strong.��� Te dealership averaged 90 new and 100 used vehicles sold each month in 2012, and the goal for 2013 is to sell 115 on each side. Grubbs says they���re on pace. ���Tis is a big market, and it���s a very competive market,��� he explains. ���Tere are some very good operators in this market. You���ve got to know what you���re doing to compete. We stay on our toes.��� ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Chavez is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. Contact him at paul.chavez@bobit.com. M ARCH 2013 ��� AUTODE ALE R MONTHLY.COM 37