Relational branding: welcoming informing, inviting.

• Author: Hall, Robert
• Position: MARKETING SOLUTIONS

"It takes a lot of money to look this cheap."

--Dolly Parton

YOU KNOW THE DRILL. Last Saturday we reached the tipping point for buying my wife a new car. She had narrowed her choices to a couple of makes/models, and so off we went to the daunting land of car dealerships.

As we entered the first dealership we were greeted by a young, exuberant salesperson who welcomed us in. He was very friendly, nice and not pushy. However, it went downhill from there. Nearly everything that happened thereafter helped build a wall and a brand that separated and repelled us. First, he seemed very inexperienced and was unable lo answer some very basic questions about the car. Second, when we asked about price, he left us and took the infamous retreat over to the dark side to see the man behind the closed door, his sales manager. When he returned he offered us the sticker price. We were a little offended because we knew these cars were being discounted. When I asked for his final and best offer, he went back to the manager--and after waiting for way too long, we motioned to him and asked him to just email us the price. Over the next three days, we have received a succession of emails each with a lower price.

A better experience

We entered the second dealership about 45 minutes before dosing time. They were busy, but a salesperson who had been headed to his office asked if we had been helped. When we said no, he invited us over and asked us several questions regarding what we were looking for. They did not have the model in stock that my wife wanted but he quickly found a demo and a different model to demonstrate features, color and so forth that we wanted. He was very knowledgeable about the car, features, financing options and the like.

Next, he looked at the cars he bad coming in and found a couple that met our requirements. He then said: Here is what I will do: We will give you "x" off list price--1 was surprised at the magnitude of the discount. If you want to claim the car that is coming in, just give me your credit card to make a nominal deposit and I will reserve it. You can then go have dinner and confirm that this is a deal and car that works for you and call me on Monday to confirm or void the deal. In 45 minutes we had selected a car, agreed to terms and reserved one that was being shipped. It felt so much more relational to deal with someone empowered to make a decision on the spot.

No wonder that Booz Allen Hamilton reports that 85 percent of a...