Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine is the daily operations publication serving the retail automotive industry. This automotive publication serves dealer principals, officers and general managers with the latest best practices.
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industry expert / advertising & marketing Does My Butt Look Fat in These Jeans? Paul Potratz is COO of Potratz Advertising and an industry speaker in digital, mobile, behavioral and social media market- ing. He shares his expertise weekly through online workshops and hosts the weekly video series "Think Tank Tuesday," which reaches over 42,000 automotive professionals. PPotratz@AutoDealerMonthly.com you agree? S Let's run through it, and I want you to associate each shopping step the same way a car shopper does during the car-shopping process, and think about how shoppers come in contact with dealer- ships online and off line. The other day, I decided I was going to wear jeans to work, which has not happened in two years. I grabbed a pair and slipped them on, and they fell to the floor. Hmmm, I really was that husky, or fat, a few years ago? I decided it was time for new jeans for that rare occasion when I am feeling a need to dress down. I figured I would just stop by the mall after work and pick up a pair of Levi's 501s, but then I started to think, are 501s a 1983 fashion look? What will my employees think if I am not wearing modern jeans? Do I get straight leg or boot cut? Do I get stonewash or no wash? Do I get loose fit or reg- ular fit, or do they even offer slim-cut so I can show off my 18 hopping for a car is much like shopping for a pair of jeans. Wouldn't newer, slimmer, non-biscuit- and-gravy-eating physique? Oh, I am so confused—just like a car shopper is when trying to decide which make, model and LS, GS, LE, S, SS, Xi, 2.0, 2.4. And I was going to wear jeans to simplifymy day once in awhile. Oh well, off to work I go and will figure it out later. I get to work and want to get some opinions. OK, let's be honest, I want others to assure me that I will be cool in jeans or, more specifically, a specific brand of jeans. So, I spend way too much time asking for others' opinions that I respect. Actually, I want to make it known that I am going shopping and getting new jeans. I want to brag, "I am getting new jeans," and what better way to brag than to ask for advice? Imagine if a store had excellent customer service and a customer nurture program. Then, I could have possibly avoided what's about to unfold in the shopping process. Merchandising of Inventory Can Help the Sale It's time to get out of the office so I can ensure the work-life balance, and if I hurry I will make it to the mall to shop for some jeans. I arrive at the Levi's store, which was unor- ganized, and the Levi's were the same as I remembered from 1983 (ugly, boring and not so stylish). I search around for the salesperson and finally have to page that person since I can't find the 501 button-fly jeans. A guy finally appears who reeks of smoke, is very di- sheveled, and needs to pull his pants up since his underwear is showing. I thought, "Come on, my man, you are my age! So for the sake of not looking like you just got released from prison, pull your pants up and purchase a belt!" This sales associate—OK, slob—was not making me feel warm and fuzzy that Levi's were going to accomplish what I was hoping to achieve. Appearances and training are keys to selling success. This could have been the closed- sale point since I did not have high expectations, if only the inventory was organized and I had been greeted by a professional salesperson with product knowledge. People Don't Want To Be Sold To but They Love To Buy As I visited the Guess store, I thought, "Wow, I need a tattoo to wear these or some weird body piercing." My journey continued down the mall. Abercrombie? Nope, they look cheap and the place is dark like a dungeon. American Eagle? Seriously, these are Toughskins for adults, and the nine-dollar rack did not help. Lucky Brand? Not in my size and the sales girl was a pest and did not even know if they came in a slim cut. True Religion? I will never be a rap star, and a ladder is needed to reach the jeans seven feet up. Tommy? Who's Tommy any- way? So onto Ralph and his horses. Then I tried Se7en; perhaps there was promise there, but not for the vertically challenged. Diesel? No, don't want that big name on my gluteus. And then I went to HUGO BOSS, which I liked the service and style, but felt there had to be more. I just had to be sure about my purchase since Boss Jeans are $195. The motivating factor for my shopping tour was not price; it was to fill a need. However, most stores were trying to make a sale based on price alone. Why talk price when it was not even a fac- tor that drove the shopper to visit? That's Sales 101. I Will Be Back. I Need To Ask My Wife So, I promised I would be back since I was not ready to com- mit yet. I walked down the mall thinking, "They are only jeans, just plain ol' jeans." But, I still had a lot of questions. Do I get jeans with a design on the pocket or a plain pocket, or do I get the ones that feel thick and sturdy or the ones that are soft? Do I want a dressy jean or very casual style? Do I get