Incentives that Speak to a Key Desire
Odenza specializes in helping auto dealers boost sales through travel incentives, and we know a lot about why they work so well. One reason is that travel incentives are comparatively unique to many of the run-of-the-mill incentives auto dealers try to utilize.
Things such as fuel vouchers or cash back offers are commonplace, but often too commonplace to the point that they become a detriment. If a particular incentive program rolls around like clockwork each year, then savvy consumers can safely surmise that the “limited cash back offer” will be back once more the same time next year.
Sure, travel incentives can be utilized in a similar cyclical fashion each year, but this brings me to another important point of differentiation between travel incentives and other offers: people desire travel – they want to go on vacation. Not only does a vacation substantially influence an individual’s own happiness, the process of organizing a vacation also does wonders for their well-being.
Research by Dr. Joeroen Nawijn of the Netherlands found that pre-trip planning significantly boosts a person’s happiness, especially any planning that occurs during the 8-week period prior to the trip itself.
This is a key point that really helps define why travel incentives tend to hold an edge over other offers or promotions. People want to go on vacation and get away from their day-to-day stress, and they love the experience from initial thoughts through to the vacation itself. A travel incentive speaks far more effectively to one of our most essential human emotions – joy – and it’s something you can take advantage of to sell more units.
Simple Incentives, Phenomenal Results
To give you an idea of just how effective travel incentives can be, let’s look at how one Texas-based Honda auto dealer used them. With a planned 5-day sale on the horizon, this client wanted to implement a strategy that would help them see substantial sales growth during that period. To gain some edge on their competition for the sale, they invested in Odenza’s Fly Away N’ Play Las Vegas program.
This incentive, as you no doubt guessed, offered prospective customers a trip to Las Vegas if they purchased a vehicle from the dealership during the 5-day sale. The result? They moved an additional 25 units over their projected goal. With such remarkable success, they continued to run the promotion until the end of March for their Truck Month campaign.
Promotion and Marketing
Achieving such great results does require a little more than having good travel incentives. It also requires a well-defined promotional strategy.
On this front, the client knew that they had to get the message out to as many prospective customers as possible. To do this, they took three primary approaches. Radio and newspaper advertisements made up two of these approaches, with the ads being targeted at those within the Laredo, Texas area. The third approach went beyond mere advertising, and was undoubtedly a seemingly simple, yet very clever, step by the dealership.
The client invested in a direct mail campaign where they sent out postcard invitations to locals. Those who came into the dealership during the 5-day sale and brought their postcard in with them were automatically entered into a random prize draw to win a trip to Vegas. This added that extra edge: you didn’t even have to buy a car to have the chance of going on a trip. As a result, more people made their way to the dealership during that 5-day window.
For the dealership, having this extra flow of people was a great opportunity to make additional sales. Even if those who came along simply to enter the contest weren’t initially considering a vehicle, they were still prospective customers. As is evident from the increase in sales, the ads and prize giveaway did a great job of bringing people in, which allowed the dealers to use the travel incentives to close more sales
This strategy worked well for this client. Keep in mind, there are plenty of other avenues individual dealerships can make use of with these vacations. Social media is a big one, with the likes of Facebook ads being a fantastic, affordable way of getting the word out for a new promotion or incentive. You can use email marketing, Google Ads, print and billboards, radio, or a TV spot or two. For smaller dealerships worried about their budgets, online advertising is a great way to go when it comes to promoting a sale or travel incentive program.
Choosing the Right Travel Incentive
Finally, take into consideration what kinds of travel incentives your customers would likely be interested in. Ask your sales team for feedback as they are dealing with your customers on a daily basis.
While a sun-soaked getaway may appeal to people in one area, the same may not apply to others elsewhere. If it’s hard to narrow things down, don’t forget you can look into incentives that have options. Maybe it’s Vegas, a cruise, or sports and concert tickets depending on your clientele. In the end, options don’t hurt, especially if they can help you secure a sale.
Drive Your Sales Today
If you want to find out how Odenza can help your dealership increase sales and achieve greater success, contact us today for your free consultation or fill out the form at the bottom of this page. We’d be happy to take you through what we offer and how it works. As the number one travel incentives agency in North America, you’re in good hands.
We understand that customer satisfaction is imperative to all auto dealers, which is why we have the finest travel consultants on staff. They ensure that the customers you gain through any travel incentive program go on to have truly memorable, wonderful trips. It is our mission to make our clients and our clients’ customers smile. You can see the amazing experiences our travel customers have had at Odenza Reviews.
