Based on survey results, 35% of the Marketing Managers in the TMH Dealer network are a team of 1, and another 45% have 2-3 team members. In 2019, ProLift was in the same position. Fast forward to today, and ProLift now has the roles below or has the roles planned in their budget. While not all Dealers will adopt all of the roles, there may be opportunities to add key positions.
Digital Marketing Specialist/Marketing Coordinator – After the Marketing Manager, this is the next most common/popular role and often takes the title of either Digital Marketing Specialist or Marketing Coordinator. For ProLift, the emphasis is on digital marketing and this role provides daily focus on 4 key areas.
- Website: revisions to copy, images & CTAs; adding pages and search engine optimization
- Social media: daily-weekly postings, various platforms
- Email automation: weekly-monthly postings, difficulty to integrate platforms
- Content: used for all digital aspects, especially website optimization
CRM Systems Specialist – Some Dealers have this role, but the CRM Systems Specialist is one of the most desired roles to add. It’s difficult for a Marketing Manager to have available time to support CRM users at the level deserved, and it can lead to slow troubleshooting response or halt improvements to the user experience. The same result can occur when sales leadership is responsible for onboarding and training.
- Supports the sales team and increases CRM engagement
- Helps manage areas of data integrity – i.e. duplicates, integrations with SAP
- Continues development through views, dashboards, quote templates, etc.
Customer Experience/Inside Sales Rep – Approx. 40% of the survey respondents noted having a CX or Inside Sales Representative. This role has existed at ProLift for over 25 years. In the beginning, the inside sales reps called all Customers in the database, but with technology changes (voicemail, email, websites, social media), the role has become more strategic in how it is structured.
- Qualify incoming digital marketing leads
- Set appointments for sales consultants or continue nurturing the lead
- Make proactive outbound calls to Toyota’s HIT list and email open reports
- Contact customers about their experience with ProLift’s products and services
New Business Development – This role, if it exists, often falls under the Sales umbrella. ProLift recognized the power of the role of lead generation and moved it to Marketing.
- Uncover new business opportunities, either new to the company or expand the wallet share of current customers (i.e. First Invoice Report)
- Schedule Meet & Greet Appointments to learn customer goals and pain points
- Improve data integrity with Account/Contact additions, revisions, and deactivations
- Book Appointments for sales consultants when product/service opportunities are uncovered
- Works (2) days in-house, (3) days in the field
These are just a few of the jobs that ProLift has built within the Marketing team. As you look to the future, make sure to consider the following.
- Job descriptions create an outline of responsibilities for the role, including expectations of what this role provides for the dealer; based on the job description, is the role able to achieve its responsibilities? If not, where are the gaps?
- The future state can only be described if you’re keeping a list of ideas. If you had more resources/budget, what gaps could be eliminated? What enhancements could be made and why is this important to the dealership? If you hire someone, what skills are needed the most?
- If you add a resource, do you need it part- or full-time? Is it beneficial to create the role in-house or best to partner with a third party?
- Patience is key. The dealership has gaps in all areas and while marketing roles are important, you are competing with other departments. Periodic discussions will help keep awareness on the marketing team during budgeting.
For more information on ProLift’s expanded team or the roles within it, please contact Lorie Leitner at lleitner@prolifttoyota.com.