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Dealership Research Visits
Challenge:
Discover what dealership personnel think — good, bad, or ugly
Each year, we create dozens of publications, job aids, and reference materials intended for Nissan and Infiniti dealerships. The materials get produced, the boxes get shipped. But what do the dealership personnel think about them?
Are the product guides easy to use? How often (if ever) do they consult the encyclopedia? Are they using the magazines to learn or to prop a wobbly table?
We needed answers, but we knew it wouldn’t be enough to simply call the dealerships on Nissan’s behalf and ask if they like or use the materials. Chances were they’d reply with an obligatory “Yes and yes.” It was also illogical — and expensive — to keep producing and sending materials that weren’t being used, or that were falling short of their goals.
Our job was to teach, not preach. And to do that, we needed to know what the dealerships needed to know, and the easiest way for them to learn it.
Solution:
Hit the road, pull up a chair, and grab a cup of coffee
To find out what the dealerships liked, disliked, wanted, and needed, we went right to the source — the actual dealerships. Over the course of two years, our team spent a day in each of 30 dealerships nationwide.
We set up appointments and sent in teams of two for friendly visits, where personnel (from all levels) were allowed to sound off on everything related to the publications and materials. The interviews were confidential and conducted at the staff’s convenience, to ensure no disruption of business.
We asked general questions, and also prompted them with samples of the materials. There were no right or wrong answers, and the personnel quickly learned that it was fine — and encouraged — to speak candidly. In addition to learning about the publications, we learned about how the dealerships functioned, from training and turnover issues to the extent they used computers and the Internet. By learning more about their business, we knew how to better serve their needs.
Once the interviews were complete, we compiled reports on the materials and dealership mindset. We then worked with our client to modify, create, or eliminate materials.
The audits kept the publications meaningful to the audiences, and demonstrated to the dealerships that Nissan’s materials are not produced in an ivory tower.
    
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