As a premium and luxury appliance dealer, you’ve likely noticed that manufacturer funds have thinned out in recent years, which has no doubt had a negative impact on your advertising efforts. While the days of manufacturers’ generous giving may be behind us, there are still ample opportunities to secure more funds, achieve more growth, and take on more of the market share. Here are five simple steps to do just that.

#1 – Change your thinking.

Instead of assuming there is a finite amount of manufacturer funds in specific buckets to be doled out, open your mind instead to the fact that there are actually more buckets than you realize. But you don’t get access to those additional resources for free. You must prove your commitment to smart, intentional spending of your initial funds in order to establish greater trust with those decision-makers above your rep. Once you’ve done that, additional funds should follow.

#2 – Build a smart strategy.

As you consider how best to spend your manufacturer funds, take the time to plan your strategy. We’ve seen too many dealers throw money at indiscriminate advertising outlets without giving any thought to the outlet’s audience or to the ad placement. Set yourself apart from your competitors and determine which advertising options make the most sense for reaching the Affluent Audience™. Begin strategizing how you’ll spend intentionally to have the biggest impact with the manufacturer’s funds. It’s not just about “moving metal.” Prove to your manufacturer rep—and their manager—that you’re not only knowledgeable about marketing but you’re also committed to their brand.

#3 – Have the conversations.

Once you have your strategies mapped out, it’s time to have the conversations and present your plans in a well-thought-out, tactically designed presentation. Pull assets from the manufacturer’s media library to use in your deck, showing them that you have honed in and created this strategy specifically for their brand. Illustrate your plans for intentional advertising and promotion, and then ask this key question before asking for funds, “What’s the most effective advertising strategy that you are seeing your dealers use to reach the Affluent Audience?” Build collaboration with the manufacturer so they see you as a strategic partner in this important funding journey.

#4 – Go first class.

With funds secured, it’s time to execute. With that commitment to not only the manufacturer but also to reaching your Affluent Audience, it’s time to go first class. As an example, employ the skills of a professional marketing firm’s design team versus the magazine’s in-house design team. Hand-pick the assets used in your ads. Go the extra mile to ensure that your advertising decisions align with your company’s brand and positively reflect the manufacturer. This commitment to detail helps your advertising stand out among your competitors and delivers tangible proof that you are advertising with purpose.

#5 – Follow through.

Once you’ve completed your advertising campaign, it’s time to show the results. At this point, most dealers fall short of showing intentionality with these extra funds. Show your rep and their manager not only the completed advertising, but also the results of your team’s efforts. Show them numbers for sales or quotes with their brand and be realistic as to whether you believe the media you selected is working. But there’s one catch to all of this follow through: Did you make plans to measure results before the advertising launched?

By establishing your business as one that goes the extra mile to effectively reach the Affluent Audience, even if the growth fails to immediately follow, your manufacturer will likely give you another shot since you are being intentional with the additional funds. Trial and error are part of the process so avoid setting expectations too high when you begin these conversations.

Well, it’s time for our pitch. We work with three key people within an appliance dealership. If you are the owner who just needs to see this get done, give us a call. Even if you are the sales manager seeking more volume with a premium or luxury brand, or you are the in-house marketing manager, we can help move this in the right direction and even enhance the leverage you have in such key conversations over additional funding. We’re proven specialists at these strategies with hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional funds secured over the past 15 years for dealers. That’s our pitch, now it’s your turn.