Randy,
I'll echo Rebecca on recommending Kathie Easton's approach, i.e., making the dealership the center of community activities of all kinds and sizes during the summer months. He might have non-stop car washes every weekend, or even every afternoon, if there are enough groups in town using them to raise money. He might take the somewhat audacious approach of inviting private parties with vehicles to sell to display them on his lot for a nominal fee (assuming he has the real estate for it). This could attract that many more prospective buyers to the lot, make it easy to compare, and might even lead to some deals with the private sellers. Yes, a FSBO is by definition a competitive deal - but one might argue that the advantages outweigh the risks.
Perhaps it's the nature of the car business and we're just stuck with it -- going from one "best sale ever" to the next -- but wouldn't you love to work with a dealer who instead of insisting on the same kind of cliché-ridden hype that 99% of the industry seems to gravitate toward, chose to invest his money in a campaign grounded on whatever he stands for (lower margin deals, higher level of service, larger inventory, or extra-long warranty protection), so that instead of shopping a promotion the buyer is actually shopping a dealer?
Hey, it's Friday. It's a gorgeous afternoon out there. And now that I've got that out of my system, I think I'll go out and wash my car.
Hope whatever you come up with proves to be a winner!
Best,
Rod
