Meet professional NASCAR driver Deborah Renshaw heading up the advisory panel of automotive expert women for Ask Patty. The Ask Patty advisory panel of automotive women experts will respond to questions on car purchases, service and other automotive related topics. Ask Patty is what women have been waiting for, a safe place to get advice before they visit their local car dealership.
We all love a good Top 10 List so for New Year's Eve I wanted to highlight and reminisce on the top automotive stories of 2009. It was a brutal year for the auto industry however there are signs of recovery and hope that 2010 brings in a more prosperous year for car makers and the automotive sector in general.
Top 10 Automotive News Stories in 2009
10. The closing of GM and Chrysler dealerships across the country affect millions of dealership owners, employees and communities.
9. GM and Chrysler comes out of Bankruptcy and is now "government owned" and has gone though many changes in senior management. Noteworthy: The promotion of Susan Docherty
to General Motors' top U.S. sales position last week marks the first
time a woman has held that position in the automaker's 101-year
history, according to the company.
8. Cash for Clunkers - Despite that program’s temporary jolt, nearly 1,500 dealerships had shut their doors through October, making this the worst year for dealers since at least the 1950s, according to Automotive News, a trade publication.
7. Hyundai Motor Co. offers "assurance Program" allowing buyers to return new vehicles if they unexpectedly lose their income.
6. Ford on track to show a profit, selling Vovlo to Chinese.
5. Incentives , Incentives and more incentives to buy cars in 2009.
4. Gas prices stayed stable and affordable all year.
3. New car loans and credit to buy used cars required higher credit scores from buyers.
2. Saab, Hummer and Saturn still looking for a buyer and Jaguar and Land Rover now belong to Tata Motors.
1. Pontiac - RIP- I cannot believe there will be no more GTO's!
The AskPatty team attended SEMA last week: members of the Specialty Equipment Market Association make, buy, sell and use all kinds of specialty parts and accessories to make vehicles more attractive, more unique, more convenient, faster, safer, more fun and even like-new again. The TIA (Tire Industry Association), NACE (International Auto Body Congress & Exposition), and the CARS (Congress of Automotive Repair & Service) conventions overlapped week in Las Vegas and we attended them all. (My feet are still sore from all that walking).
Each year at these events I see more and more women entering the automotive industry or women I know growing in their roles and careers. THIS makes me smile. So to the GUYS; "If you missed seeing them in 2009, these are some of the 'real' women to watch at SEMA in 2010."
Enger Tire won 1st place and one of AskPatty's Certified Female Friendly® tire and service center groups in Virginia Curry's Auto won 2nd place in the Tire Review Magazine Top Shop 2009 awards held during the TIA event on Monday. Judy Curry Co-Owner of Curry's Auto was also named "One of 2009 Women Who Mean Business" of 2009 by the Washington Business Review recently.
At the Car Care Council Women's Board event they announced Lisa Kranc, senior vice president of marketing for AutoZone Inc., as the sixth annual Aftermarket Woman of the Year. I also did some networking with Susan Medick CFO of the AAIA (Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association) and interestingly many key executives of this large automotive association are women: Kathleen Schmatz is CEO and Susan Kalish heads up their education programs! We were also very excited to see Helen Winkler of Activant Solutions receive her award.
A the SBN Breakfast (SEMA Business Women's Networking Group), legendary motor sports hero to women Lynn St. James was honored with the 2009 Athena Award and so enjoyed networking with many women in leadership in the automotive aftermarket including AskPatty expert woman Director of Business Development - Chop Shop Customs Dana Schaeffer, Erin Gilhuly, TRD Business Administrator Toyota Motor Sales USA and many other amazing women. The speed-networking portion of this event is one of my favorite events each year during SEMA, one can never know enough amazing women (and men supporters a growing number at this event each year), in the automotive aftermarket industry!
During my time at NACE events met with Debby Robinson of Victory Management Group, Dick Cross CEO and Bill Garoutt, SVP of Marketing for CarStar who do a wonderful program in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation with their 375 locations in the US and Canada. Shared a delightful dinner of coconut pancakes and hot chocolate with Jeanne Silver of Butterfield Bodyworks CarStar Collision shop owner in Mundelein, Illinois, who is very involved in leadership development for women in the collision industry. Jeanne and the Women in Collision are mentoring a young woman named Rachel Fonseca who is seeking a career in the collision industry as a custom body builder in Bedford, Ma. Rachel is currently employed as an Adult Education Instructor (teaching Collision Repair and Small Engine Repair) at Voc. While studying at Voc she participated in SkillsUSA, becoming the first female in the 34 year Massachusetts's state history to win gold in Collision Repair. Many "Women in Collision" gather to network on a Ning network called CollisionHub, founded by Kristen Felder, a woman of course!
Equal pay, equal housework, and more government obligations to women workers were all on the table at Monday's Center for American Progress conference I attended on live blogger podcast through California First Lady Maria Shriver's report on women in the workforce and the launch of her A Women's Nation website at www.awomansnation.com.
"For the first time in our history, half of all U.S. workers are women. Mothers are the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of American families." from The Shriver Report.
The promotion of Susan Docherty to General Motors' top U.S. sales position last week marks the first time a woman has held that position in the automaker's 101-year history, according to the company. Docherty's promotion to vice president of U.S. sales means she will become the first and only woman on CEO Fritz Henderson's newly formed, nine-person executive committee. Susan Docherty is now the highest-ranked woman working at an auto maker! Congratulations Susan (it's about time GM!).
Although this is a reason for me to celebrate, Susan Docherty represents a very small percent of female executives at auto makers and automotive aftermarket companies as a whole. Overall in the U.S. today women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn, and women are less likely to be in leadership positions in corporate America. As of July 2008, only 15 companies on the Fortune 500 list were run by female chief executives.
Women's automotive associations and organizations have sprung up or have grown tremendously over the past five years. Scholarship fund programs for women seeking automotive careers in all types of automotive career roles are growing. Less than 1 percent of all National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence certified automotive service technicians are women. In new car dealerships, women are about 20 percent of employee workforce, yet only 7 percent are working in front-line management, sales, or service advisor positions. Out of approximately 16,000 new car dealerships less than 7 percent are woman-owned and operated.
The Shriver Report states, "For example, men now agree with women that government and business need to provide flexible work schedules, better childcare, family and medical leave, and equal pay." Yet few automotive retailers provide flex-schedules for families and for single working mothers who are often working 70 or 80 hours a week.
I am asked quite a frequently by automotive retailers how they can find and hire more women. They tell me women are just not applying for the positions and they want to hire more women. Creating a culture where women customers feel safe and comfortable will help automotive retailers to attract, hire, and retain qualified women employees. Offering not only full-time employment but flexible work place policies such as part time, work at home, team selling, and job-sharing for everyone (not just women) will increase your odds on hiring more women. After all, work life balance is an issue for everyone.
Women also influence more than 85 percent of all automotive sales in U.S. households. They make up anywhere from 50 percent to 65 percent of the customer base at service centers and purchase 60 percent of all passenger tires. Yet according to the Yankelovich Monitor, 74 percent of women feel misunderstood by automotive marketers and are still reporting that the experience of visiting an automotive retailers is akin to having a tooth pulled.
To become an "Auto Industry Women's Nation," the high percentage of men at the helm need to really grasp the fact that women consumers hold the automotive purse strings and work to create a culture that embraces women employees, an environment where women feel comfortable to spend their dollars, and reach them with advertising campaigns that are "spot on." It's time for automotive retailers to get over any hidden, or not, misogynistic feelings about women -- or lose market share to your competitors who are addressing the changing landscape and purchasing power of women.
LaFontaine Automotive Group recently received a Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification for its brand-new Buick-GMC-Cadillac dealership, becoming the only "Green" dealership in Michigan, one of only two Gold-certified sites in the country, and the premiere auto dealership facility in the United States.
The LaFontaine collection of dealerships are a family business, owned and operated for more than 25 years by Mike and Maureen, as well as their children Mike Jr., Ryan, Kelly, and Khristie.
When they began planning their new campus, the LaFontaine family's original decision to use a geothermal heating and cooling system soon led them to learn about other eco-friendly opportunities. Once they began researching, they decided to go all the way for a Gold LEED certification by employing such features as the use of recycled building materials, a car wash that recycles 85 percent of the water conventional car washes would waste, PPG waterborne basecoat paints with zero volatile organic compounds in the body shop, 85 skylights to create natural light and lower energy costs, and computer-controlled lights that automatically shut off when enough daylight fills the facility. LEED certification by the US Green Building Council provided independent third-party guidance and verification to ensure the building meets the highest sustainability standards.
Utilizing "green" construction methods represented $3 million of the total $18 million cost of building this amazing state-of-the-art facility. As part of their green construction plan, they utilized local materials and furnishings because using recycled content supplied by firms within a 500-mile radius of the facility promotes local economies and cuts down on transportation-related energy use. Exterior masonry is 100 percent recycled, and 60 percent recycled aluminum is used on the building's exterior decking and framing. Around the structure, pavement aggregate is 60 percent recycled crushed concrete, while inside the building, "agrifiber" doors are made of compressed corn cobs and wheat.
The facility's centerpiece - and most costly single expenditure at $750,000 - is a 64-well geothermal system that heats and cools the building by capturing energy stored in the earth 350 feet below the facility. The system transfers energy to and from the facility with closed loops of fluid-filled tubes.
"Originally, we had anticipated an eight-year payback, but now we project it will be more like five years," said General Manager Ryan LaFontaine of the new, 63,000-square-foot facility, located on 24 acres in Highland, Michigan. LaFontaine estimates annual energy savings alone to be as much as 54 percent compared to a conventional facility.
Other environmentally friendly elements include service bay lifts that use vegetable oil instead of caustic and difficult-to-dispose-of lubricants, a white roof and generous use of green belts to reduce the "heat island" effect of such a large facility, a rainwater collection system for irrigating the landscaping, and indigenous plants that require less water. They've stopped using lead wheel weights, and out back, they've even got their own windmill to generate the energy required to pump retention pond water for irrigation.
Beyond these eco-friendly construction methods, the dealership also strives to be incredibly customer friendly. "LaFontaine is the only place where you can get a $9.95 oil change while getting a manicure and pedicure, drink a cup of coffee, and shop - all at the same place," says co-owner Maureen LaFontaine. A promenade at the center of the facility offers a full-service beauty shop, gourmet bistro and coffee shop, specialty gift boutique, children's play area, and 450-gallon saltwater aquarium, as well as free WiFi, plasma screen televisions, an ATM machine, and a complete inventory of automotive aftermarket parts and accessories. Observation cameras feed video of the children's play area directly into the business rooms where purchasers negotiate their vehicle sale, to ensure families can buy a vehicle without worrying about their children's safety and comfort.
Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases including everything from Autos to Health Care and they spend about $5 Trillion annually which is about half of the USA GDP. It is predicted than over the next decade women will control two thirds of consumer wealth in the United States and be the beneficiaries of the largest transference of wealth in on our country's history. And yet, some establishments have difficulty attracting and retaining the female consumer's business. Why?
Let's begin with the basics and that is THE ENTERPRISE. Before you invite the female consumer into your place of business, do an inspection. Women notice when the establishment is not neat and odor free. Are the floors and furniture clean and free of stains and debris? How about the items that are on the walls and windows, are they inviting or could they cause offense to your customers or to your female employees? What about those bathrooms? Are they inviting or ???? Does your employee base reflect the market in which you do business? Are all of your employees treated with dignity and respect and aware of what is acceptable behavior in the workplace? Are your employees trained to communicate more effectively with women? Women are relational buyers and men are transactional buyers. This means that women and men communicate and make decisions very differently. Before any time and money is spent on marketing, make sure that you and your employees are ready to invite the female consumer into your place of business. THE ENTERPRISE needs to be clean, neat, and the employees trained and prepared.
Next let's look at THE MARKET. WOMEN ARE THE PRIMARY CONSUMER IN THE UNITED STATES. They are not a Niche Market. They make 80% of all consumer purchasing decisions. They have become the majority consumer with large ticket items like homes, automobiles, electronics, and personal computers. They represent 52% of the population and are becoming more educated with 41% having undergraduate or graduate degrees. Ask yourself what portion of this market is your fair share. If your business generates $50 million per year and women purchase or influence 80% of all goods and services, women are a $40 Million factor for you! Don't make the mistake of thinking that women are a specialty market and require less of a marketing budget. Make sure you have a fully dedicated budget behind your marketing plan and the continued commitment to not only attract but retain their business. What does your marketplace look like? Who are the primary consumers? Where do they get their information before they make their purchases? Demographic information can be found with your local Chamber of Commerce which is a great starting place for planning how you are going to get more than your fair share of the female market.
What about the SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE INTERNET? DO NOT DISMISS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WEB. Women have become the majority of Web users and do the most on-line shopping in the USA. 22% shop on line at least once a day. 92% pass along information about deals they find to others. The majority of women turn to the internet to do their research before they enter into a place of business AND they rely on those from the social media like Twitter, My Space, Facebook, and LinkedIn for reliable information about products and services. Are you utilizing these sites? Do you have your own BLOG? Women use the Internet for shopping, researching, AND connecting. Is your web site Female Friendly? Does your site provide an easy and non-threatening way for women to shop your place of business? Is your site connected with other sites that females would ordinarily visit to look for information? Are you doing any co-branding or linking to sites that are also female friendly? Do you have any coupons to offer for sales or service at your place of business? Social networking is here to stay so make sure you are utilizing it properly to reach the women in your marketplace. Not participating in all the media effects your bottom line.
But, if I market to women WILL I ALIENATE THE MEN? FOCUSING ON WOMEN WILL DELIVER THE BEST TO EVERYONE. Women tend to stop and ask for assistance, which means that they will demand more in terms of customer touch points, from products, from services, or from marketing campaigns. So if you incorporate more information-delivery into products, services, or into your Web site, you are sure to give men more than they thought to ask for. It is worth noting that designing marketing materials that "focus on women's color schemes or women's topics" alienate both women and men. Everyone wants good information to make good decisions and to be treated with dignity and with respect....in other words "Treat Everyone Like Mom". Make sure that you have identified the best ways to strengthen your customer touch points to the higher standards of women to ensure that they gain approval on their own merit as plain and simple customer service or marketing enhancements.
Remember to MEASURE!! Most people in the business world track their marketing and sales results but very few TRACK THESE RESULTS BY GENDER. There can never be too much time spent on measuring effectiveness. It is one of the most important pieces of marketing and if you are not doing this, then you are wasting valuable resources. We all want to know the ROI-Return on our Investments so why not measure ROW or Return on Women?
In summary:
-Make sure that your enterprise creates a safe and comfortable environment where women (and men) feel welcome -Analyze your marketplace and design the best integrated strategy for your place of business -Utilize all forms of communication especially the Internet and the Social Media -Measure, measure, measure your results
As you begin to attract, sell, retain, and increase loyalty among women, you will see a financial increase in your ROW-Return on Women.
Patricia J. Roberts AskPatty.com Director of Business Development
Prior to joining AskPatty.Com, Patricia Roberts was the General Director- Women's Retail Initiative on the General Motors Vehicle, Sales, Service and Marketing Staff in Detroit, Michigan. She was responsible for programs to increase the number of females in retailing for General Motors. This included the recruitment, training and appointment of female dealers, working with dealers to attract more women into automotive retailing positions, and to provide an enjoyable selling and service experience.
Patricia has more than 39 years of experience in the Automotive Industry to include increasing the number of women who own, who work in, and who shop in automotive businesses.
By Kaira Rouda Author of "Real You Incorporated: Eight Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs"
When Jody DeVere asked me to write a blog about my car-buying experiences over the years, I chuckled. Is there any woman out there who hasn't had a bad car-buying experience? Unfortunately, I don't know any women who smile when they think about walking into the men's locker room of a dealership. Not one of my friends relishes her trip to the service department. Nobody I know has loved their dealer--unless she's married to one.
My car-buying experiences have been a calculated process of minimizing in-dealer experience and, if I had to GO THERE, making sure I brought a man with me. At varying times in my life, said men have included my dad, my brother, my boyfriend, and my husband. A woman who works for me right now is in the process of looking for her first car. She's online, emailing dealerships. Whenever she asks for a price, they won't provide it. The emails invariably tell her she needs to GO THERE to get the details. Why?
I attended and chaired a round-table on social media marketing towomen car buyers at the annual M2W-Marketing to Women conference recently where the brightest and greatest minds on how to reach women spoke, networked and discussed the latest trends and strategies. It was invigorating and a nice change of pace for me to spend time mostly in the company of women who like me understand the "Power of the Purse". I am very committed to speaking and training mostly men in the auto industry that women are not a diversity or niche market and how to improve results with women. Women are the majority of car, tire and service customers, yet at M2W it was the like singing to the choir, very few men attended the conference and ZERO men from the auto industry in attendance.
It is puzzling and somewhat perturbing during a time when the auto industry is in a sharp downward tailspin that overall they still refuse to listen, recognize and treat the majority of WHO is making and influencing the buying decisions, Women. The old boys network seems to want to cling to the idea that men are still in control of the buying process and that the auto industry is a guy's world to their last dying breath even though studies, statistic and the facts say otherwise.
Women influence over 85 percent of all automotive purchases yet 74% of women surveyed feel misunderstood by automotive marketers.
Studies show that women are responsible for 65% of all new car purchases, yet 74% feel misunderstood by automotive makers. That's because automakers make the mistake of lumping all women into one demographic and trying to market or sell to every woman with the same message! We women know better than that!
I'm so excited about my opportunity to serve as a roundtable leader during the 5th Annual M2W(R)-The Marketing To Women Conference, happening in just a couple weeks, on April 29th and 30th, 2009, at the Chicago Cultural Center. We'll be educating attendees that selling to women is all about building relationships and traditional marketing and advertising tactics come second to strategies of developing a community buzz or experience around a product or brand.
Women are spending more than just dollars when it comes to cars--cars are quickly becoming a place where we are spending a great deal of our time. Driving to and from work, or just dealing with day-to-day family activities, "Women practically live in their cars, carrying in them many of life's necessities," says Kelley Styring, principal of InsightFarm, Inc. and fellow M2W(R) presenter. "What type of car women drive or how they drive it can provide companies innovative opportunities to make driving easier, better, and maybe even safer for women."
Valentine's day is just around the corner, so we thought we'd share a fun assortment of automotive-focused products sure to make your valentine's day fun and special. We've selected items that are perfect for him and her, so if you find something you want, just leave this page open for your special someone to find, or if you need to be more direct, go ahead and email the links to him directly. We know those guys sometimes need a little help picking out just the right gift! Have you got female friendly news or interesting automotive tidbits to share? Email Ask Patty at info@askpatty.com or use the form to include your own blog bits in our next female friendly carnival!
Looking for Love? LeaseTrader polled more than 500 women across the country and found that 18 percent of women are now choosing to drive on the first date - up from 12 percent a year ago. Maybe it's because women are increasingly taking a more active role in what they like to drive, or maybe it's because they're just in love with their vehicle (and not so sure yet about that date). Whatever the reason, LeaseTrader has evidence that times are a changin' and it's time for men to ride shotgun on the first date.
"Valentine's Day is one of the most prominent and exciting times of the year to enjoy a date with someone close to you," said Sergio Stiberman, CEO and founder of LeaseTrader.com. "As more women show greater interest in the vehicle they drive, it's only natural they will also want to show off their wheels and impress a special someone on a first date."
LeaseTrader.com compiled the top five cars women customers are most interested in today. Range Rover was the most popular at (31%) with Lexus (27%) and BMW (26%) close behind. Mercedes (12%) and Volvo (4%) rounded out the list. For more information visit www.leasetrader.com, or call 800-770-0207.
LeaseTrader.com also shared some more of their research from their recent online polls and found several car-themed gifts and gadgets that are sure to get your loved one's engine all revved up this Valentine's Day. Whether it's a really cute digital keychain to flash pics of your crush, a pink-themed kit to ensure her safety, or a multi-function keyring, LeaseTrader's online polls helped us provide the scoop on three fun gifts for your lover's car.
Target Women is a recurring segment on Current TV's weekly television
show, infoMania. In each episode of Target Women, Sarah Haskins takes a
look at the often-ridiculous way the media reaches out to women.
Please add a comment on your thoughts on how auto makers can improve on marketing cars to women.
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