This is in the genre of re-cycling, thinking Green. So the Service Departments are doing good business, right? Good walk-in traffic there, right? USE THAT TRAFFIC FOR NEW CAR SALES.
 
When the car is brought in, there's a sales associate standing around. When they see a qualified customer and a good resale car, they give the nod to the service rep. The service rep then offers the customer a new car, loaded with accessories, as the loaner car. Tell them to use it - in fact they can have it for 48 hours.

Only one qualification. You're interested in their feelings about the car and when they return, they must take a brief survey. (Salesperson.) The questions are "What did you like most about the car?" "Did you try the Bose stereo?" "How was the ride etc, etc?"  If the Like Factor is high enough, ask them if they'd like to upgrade to THIS car? Today! There's money available. Or if there's another color you like, we have 7,000 just like them here on this lot. Would you like to take a walk?

Since we've been working on your car - you'll get the best price for a trade-in here. If not this car, there's a used version of that car available - and there's an attractive lease plan available for the new car too.

Service has had the car on the rack and knows it's value - and we know the customer's credit score. We pitch to qualified prospects only.

On Monday we discussed the small market answer to this dilemma; ('Stick it where the sun don't . . ."). This works when (a) there is demand for the station (your percentage of sellout tells you that) use the entire inventory and, (b) get this, selling directly to clients. As commendable as that stance is, it's tough to do in larger markets wherein pre-2009 sales staffs became hostages to Avail business and must now participate in a feeding frenzy for every scrap. However, we received some EXCELLENT answers from  readers in LA, Chicago, Nashville, Detroit and Miami.

Here's a SUPER answer. I'm using it in its entirety and obviously can't discuss the person's name, market and/or station. Read this - it's perfect for Today's Economy . . . 

This is about a piece of business that the station has been on in the past and, until now, no real issue with pricing. The buyer stated that the next buy must be exactly as she proposed. We've done business for years so I believed her when she told me they were under pressure from the client to produce the same buy as last month at an almost 50% lower budget. I told her I appreciated the opportunity and would work up a plan.

Reality. It's the hand we have been dealt and the buy is going down. We could walk from the business or we could take the business. After all - the station has been on the business in the past, and the station is at 60% sell out, at least today, but I don't want to promise a schedule (especially 6-10a & 3-7p) and then have to deal with bumped spots. After the campaign the buyer finds that half of the schedule didn't clear. That will only destroy any credibility and I'd wind up on buyer's Do Not Buy list. 

 
How desperate are we? If we have the inventory, let's fill the seats at a discount before the plane takes off. So I sent her two schedules - one with avail specs as requested, with "minimum clearance" rates and over her budget. The 2nd - at her budget goal, getting creative with packaging. She said she would have an answer by the next day.
 
A couple of things,

• I have worked with this buyer in the past so I have a cordial relationship.
• We've never had any invoicing or clearance issues with this client.
• We've been flexible and cooperative with the buyer on past business.
• If she wasn't interested in my station I wouldn't have gotten the call.
• Knowing my competition - some reps will not submit, a few will submit late, past her deadline and a few may be serious competition.
• However I do realize that none of this may not make a bit of difference.

The next day I did get a call from the buyer, she said I need to sharpen my pencil, make some adjustments (Buying Signs). In the end we got a nice schedule - less dollars than last month, but a schedule that the station inventory can handle and a buyer who said Thanks for working with her. Not doing this would have produced Zero billing.

Good or bad, right or wrong - that's how I handled it.

Taz Comment: a Reality-Response to the New Economy. No whining, just innovating and got money on the books that others didn't.

Next Issue - Major Market Part 2.