Question

Explain in your own words the term “Databased-Direct Selling”. Explain as to how an automobile dealership can use such a technique in increasing retail sales of cars. Identify specific types of databases that are beneficial in selling cars at a dealership.

Answer 1

Database marketing is a form of direct marketing that uses databases of customers to generate targeted lists for direct marketing communications. Such databases include customers’ names and addresses, phone numbers, e-mails, purchase histories, information requests, and any other data that can be legally and accurately collected Information for these databases might be obtained through application forms for free products, credit applications, contest entry forms, product warranty cards, and subscriptions to product newsletters.

The distinction between direct and database marketing stems primarily from the attention paid to the analysis of data. Database marketing emphasizes the use of statistical techniques to develop models of customer behavior, which are then used to select customers for communications. As a consequence, database marketers also tend to be heavy users of data warehouses, because having a greater amount of data about customers increases the likelihood that a more accurate model can be built.

There are two main types of marketing databases, 1) Consumer databases, and 2) business databases. Consumer databases are primarily geared towards companies that sell to consumers, often abbreviated as [business-to-consumer] (B2C) or BtoC. Business marketing databases are often much more advanced in the information that they can provide. This is mainly because business databases aren't restricted by the same privacy laws as consumer databases.

The "database" is usually name, address, and transaction history details from internal sales or delivery systems, or a bought-in compiled "list" from another organization, which has captured that information from its customers. Typical sources of compiled lists are charity donation forms, application forms for any free product or contest, product warranty cards, subscription forms, and credit application forms.

The communications generated by database marketing may be described as junk mail or spam, if it is unwanted by the addressee. Direct and database marketing organizations, on the other hand, argue that a targeted letter or e-mail to a customer, who wants to be contacted about offerings that may interest the customer, benefits both the customer and the marketer.

Automobile dealerships shall follow the same process as a technique in increasing retails sales of cars.