How to Generate Auto Glass Leads

As you know, most of your auto glass business comes from leads as opposed to customers just coming in from the street. But how do you generate these leads?

Auto glass leads can be obtained in three ways:

  • Online
  • At Your Shop
  • In the Community

Every day, you and/or your employees should plan on doing an hour or more of lead generation to attract new business.

Let’s take a look at some of the activities you can conduct under each method to capture auto glass leads.

How to Generate Online Auto Glass Leads

Use your website to collect names and e-mails for an e-mail marketing campaign.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Add a form to your website that visitors to your site can use to sign-up for your e-mail list.
  2. Add a call to action to your website content to encourage people to join your e-mail list.
  3. Each month, create a newsletter containing news and special promotions to send to your e-mail list.
  4. Use an e-mail marketing service, like MailChimp and Constant Contact, for ease in creating, distributing, and tracking the open rate of your e-mail marketing campaign.

Run a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, such as Google AdWords, to get top ranking among people who are searching for windshield repair in your local area.

Here’s how:

  1. Hire a digital marketer to manage the campaign.
  2. Decide on a budget for the campaign.
  3. Work with the digital marketer to discuss the ad’s concept.
  4. Approve the ad’s copy.
  5. The digital marketer will determine the most effective search keywords for your ad.
  6. The digital marketer starts and manages your PPC campaign.
  7. Review the results of your ad campaign with the digital marketer and discuss further action.

Use LinkedIn to unlock sales opportunities.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to find auto glass leads in your local area.
  2. Request a free demo or start your free trial.

Run an offer on an online marketplace to generate leads from those ready to get their car window or windshield repaired or replaced.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Choose an online marketplace. Among the options are Groupon/Living Social, Yipit, and Dealsaver.
  2. Decide on the deal you want to offer.
  3. Create the campaign at the online marketplace of your choice by signing up and opening an account.

Run an Online Advertising Campaign.

Here’s how:

  1. Hire a digital marketer to help you develop a digital marketing strategy.
  2. Determine a budget for the initiative.
  3. Identify the best sites for your business. Among the options are AutoMD, RepairPal.com, Yelp, Angie’s List, and social media platforms, such as Facebook.
  4. Let the digital marketer know any points you want to emphasize in the ad.
  5. Review the display ad created by the digital marketer.
  6. The digital marketer places the ad and manages its performance.
  7. Review the analytics of your online advertising campaign with the digital marketer and discuss the next step.

How to Generate Leads at Your Auto Glass Shop

Establish a referral program.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. At the point of sale, ask customers for referrals.
  2. Be sure to enter the customer’s name next to the referral so if the referral converts to a sale, you can send the customer a thank you note or a $5 gift card to a local coffee shop.
  3. Consider a tie-in to your referral program, such as a “2-for” promotion or bring a friend promotion.

Ask for online reviews from customers whose vehicles you just serviced.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Create a card that can be printed from your business computer with instructions on how to leave an online review for your business.
  • On this card, include separate instructions for Yelp, Google, Angie’s List, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
  • When a customer pays for their window or windshield replace or repair, provide them with the card and verbally ask them to please consider reviewing the service they received from your business on these online sites.
  • Monitor the sites daily and respond to all reviews posted.

Hold a safety day at your shop.

Here are some planning ideas:

  1. Team with your local police department and motor club branch, like AAA, to schedule a free safety day either inside your business or outside in the parking lot.
  2. Plan a few demonstrations and safety checks. For example, police officers can check that car seats are properly installed, AAA can perform a battery check or other car safety demonstration, and your staff can inspect windshields and windows for any compromising dings or cracks.
  3. Collect names, e-mails and/or phone numbers for an on-site promotion and to generate leads for follow-up.

Utilize curbside advertising to attract drivers and those walking by.

Here’s how:

  1. Check with your local government regarding any ordinances for sidewalk sign placement or signage sizing.
  2. Have banners, sidewalk signs, or other types of signage made to fit across or down the exterior of your building, or to display along the sidewalk. The more eye-catching, the better.
  3. This outside signage can announce specials or promotions, or an auto glass repair safety tip.

Start a Friends & Family Program if you don’t already have one.

Here’s how:

  1. Develop an employee discount program.
  2. Extend the discount to employees’ family members and friends.
  3. Those utilizing the program’s benefits would mention the employee’s name in order to receive the discount.

Get in insurance companies’ rotation.

Here’s how to learn more:

  1. Contact the local auto insurance agencies in your area.
  2. Inquire as to how they assign windshield repair, windshield replace, window repair, and window replace jobs for policyholders submitting a claim.
  3. Ask to have your business added to their rotation.
  4. Submit any paperwork they require to be added to their rotation.

Pass out flyers to businesses in your area.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Develop a business to business (B2B) program that offers business owners and their employees a special discount on your auto glass services.
  2. Also develop a B2B customer referral program where the business receives a commission for referring their customers to you. Or, instead of a commission, you can both agree to share customers’ lists.
  3. Create a flyer on your computer that explains these two B2B programs.
  4. Print and distribute the flyers to all the local businesses in your area.
  5. Keep track of the businesses, their employees, and their customers utilizing the programs on a spreadsheet designated by codes for each business.

Send a direct mail special offer postcard to generate auto glass leads.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Create a United States Postal Service (USPS) business account or an Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) program account.
  2. Select the zip codes or carrier routes you want to target using the EDDM mapping tool.
  3. Create a postcard or other mail piece with your message and promotion or hire a graphic designer to do it for you.
  4. Have your mailer printed and prepared for mailing.
  5. Select your drop-off date and delivery options.
  6. Prepare your mailing bundles and fill out the required processing forms.
  7. Drop off your mailing at your local post office and submit payment, or pay online beforehand.

Collect business cards for a monthly featured promotion.

Here’s how:

  1. Develop 12 different promotions.
  2. Put up a bulletin board where visitors can post their business cards. Or, you can put out a fish bowl on a counter.
  3. Whichever method you use, add a few business card to the bulletin board or bowl so people know their purpose.
  4. At the beginning of each month, include a notice at the bulletin board or fish bowl and throughout your business stating that month’s featured promotion. Anyone who posts their business card is automatically entered.
  5. Use word-of-mouth to spread the monthly promotion among business and their customers.
  6. Every month, remove the business cards from the bulletin board or the fish bowl and put them in an open box.
  7. Pick a winner to receive the featured promotion of the month.
  8. Save the business cards for future leads.

Start a cold calling program.

Here’s how:

  1. Decide whether you want to cold call residents, businesses, or both.
  2. Use a local directory, such as from your local chamber of commerce, a local phone book, or online directories, to gather phone numbers.
  3. During slow seasons or on slow days, have staff members call residents and/or businesses that have a fleet of cars, like taxi companies, limousine services, delivery services, corporations, etc.
  4. Have a promotion ready to entice them to your services or, in the case of businesses, ask to schedule a meeting to go over your discounted offerings for fleets.

How to Generate Auto Glass Leads in Your Community

Set up a booth or tent at a community event.

Here’s how:

  1. Find out if the community event includes renting booths to vendors.
  2. Ask the event organizer if your business can set up a tent near the main parking area for the event to do on-site windshield repair or replace and on-site window repair or replace. Inquire about the cost.
  3. If not, inquire about the cost to put up a booth within the event so you can solicit auto glass leads.
  4. Plan something fun at your booth to attract eventgoers to it. Free giveaways or children’s activities are always popular. Try to relate them to auto glass safety or auto glass repair or replace.
  5. Collect names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of anyone who stops by your booth. In return, provide them with a discount coupon for window or windshield repair or replace services.

Display advertising signage at youth sports games.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Identify the youth teams in the area your auto glass business serves.
  2. Call the director of the sports team or the facility where they play their games to inquire about the cost for placing a sign advertising your business. Options range from signs on the outfield fence at a ballfield to along the walls of an indoor sports facility to banners at a hockey rink.
  3. Create the wording for your signage. Be sure it includes your company name, a slogan that links auto glass to youth sports, your phone number, and your website.
  4. Make arrangements with the facility to have your sign erected.

Be a sponsor for a community or charitable event.

Here’s how:

  1. Research the community and neighborhood events in the areas your business serves. These range from sports, cultural, community, associations, nonprofit organizations, charities, etc.
  2. Contact the event organizer to learn about sponsorship opportunities. Ask about how your business will be publicized, for example, a program book, on a website, in the media, etc. You want to be sure you are getting a good return on investment for your sponsorship dollars.
  3. Find out how your business information is displayed, for example, business name only, or business name with contact information and a short description.
  4. Based on this information, decide which event(s) to sponsor. You may decide to sponsor just one or several within the year.
  5. Prepare the necessary information for the sponsorship and submit the fee.

Offer to speak at events.

Here’s where to get started:

  1. If your area has a weekly newspaper, scan it each week for the names of community groups, senior citizens groups, associations, library community programs, clubs, nonprofits, etc.
  2. Check community calendars online for events.
  3. Contact the event organizer and ask if you could speak at one of their meetings about auto glass safety.
  4. Prepare your speech, gearing it to the audience of the event. Mention a special discount for audience members if they mention the event when scheduling their auto glass appointment.
  5. After giving your speech, talk with audience members and exchange business cards with those from businesses.
  6. Use these business cards to follow-up after the event, mentioning the event you spoke at in your follow-up.

Advertise locally to attract auto glass leads.

Here’s how:

  1. Contact the sales department at your local television and radio stations, local cable television providers, daily and weekly newspapers, billboard advertising companies, and local movie theaters that run ads on the big screen before each movie.
  2. Ask for a sales kit and compare offerings, market reach, and prices.
  3. Determine your budget and from there, decide on your advertising strategy.
  4. Contact the media outlet(s) you decided to advertise with to create and run your ad.

Network throughout the communities your business serves.

Here’s how to get connected:

  1. Join your local chamber of commerce and attend their networking events.
  2. Join local business associations and attend their networking events.
  3. Participate in a trade show, business expo, or consumer show.
  4. Seek out networking events in the areas in which you do business. Look for those that are well attended by local residents.
  5. Bring along small promotional items engraved with your company name and location to give out, or flyers that offer a promotion or discount on your auto glass services.

As you can see, there are many opportunities for generating auto glass leads. It’s just a matter of what your business has the resources to do in terms of time, staff, and budget.

Keep in mind that generating auto glass leads is part of marketing and something your business – no matter how large or small it is – should be doing in some form each and every day.