How to win against OEM Direct Competitors

Unfortunately, the new reality of our business is competing against manufacturer direct locations. This can be particularly brutal if you enjoyed exclusivity in the past in your market. The challenge is that manufacturer’s have some advantages.

There seems to be more willingness on the part of their reps to discount to move boxes. They carry business cards with the logo of your product line. They also have the perceived expertise of a global technology innovator.

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If you try to compete head-to-head on their terms, it can be tough to win. However, the good news is that you have some major advantages as well. Properly positioned, you can create tremendous competitive advantage in this competitive situations.

Marketing plays a huge role in competing against OEM direct locations by featuring everything about your dealership that makes you the best choice. You need to look as talented, technology-savvy and smart as your OEM partner.

However, you need to go a step further by communicating that you are flexible, competent and understand the problems of small/medium businesses in your market.

Here are a few ways marketing can help you position yourself to compete against OEM-direct locations.

POSITION YOURSELF AS A TECHNOLOGY LEADER

Keep your website updated with industry updates and helpful articles
Include product catalogs on your website so visitors don’t have to go to the OEM site
Participate daily in social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook) with useful ideas
Get on page one of Google for keyword searches related to the brands you compete with