Marketing 'Go-To' Guide for I-CAR Volunteers & Instructors
Dear I-CAR Volunteers & Instructors: I-CAR couldn t do it without you. Thanks to you and your dedication to training, I-CAR is able to continue delivering on its Vision: That every person in the collision repair industry has the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible to spread the word about I-CAR training in your local areas. That s why we re thrilled to launch a Marketing Toolkit for our Volunteers & Instructors. This online suite of marketing tools is your one-stop-shop it s fully customizable, ready to be printed and distributed. Through your survey responses, we could better understand what marketing materials you re currently using, how well they re working for you, and what new materials you would like to see. Your answers have shaped how we developed each tool. And in this guide, we show you exactly how to use them. Marketing Toolkit items are available on the I-CAR website, in the I-CAR Volunteers & Instructors section, or simply www.i-car.com/marketingtoolkit. We will continually update and add new tools. We ll be continually updating and adding new materials to the Toolkit, so if you have suggestions for improvement, please let us know. For ideas or general marketing questions, contact I-CAR Marketing at Marketing@I-CAR.com or 800.422.7872. Thank you again for everything you do. 2
Table of Contents Note to I-CAR Volunteers & Instructors: To open most of the documents contained in the Marketing Tool Kit, you ll need a PDF reader. We suggest Adobe Reader (download it here for free), or you may use the PDF reader of your choice. Class Promotional Flyer 4 Email Template 6 Course Description Flyer 8 Gold Class and Platinum Brochures 10 Summary 12 3
Class Promotion Flyer What It Is: The Class Promotion Flyer lets you easily promote I-CAR classes, whether you re promoting one class at a single location or multiple classes at different locations, you now have multiple templates to choose from. These flyers put the spotlight on the details that interested students need to know and will help you convey important information. The flyers are customizable, printable PDF documents that you can hand out or send as an email attachment to local shops or offices. You can fully customize the flyers, including: Course title Who should take the course and which training requirements the course fulfills Date Location How to register Your personal contact information Other important details you feel should be included for example, directions or nearby landmarks, a note from the instructor or committee member, refreshments served, information about an upcoming event, or recognition of an event sponsor. Where to Find It: To access the file, go to www.i-car.com/marketingtoolkit. From there, click on link for the Class Flyers. 4 Class Promotion Flyer
How to Customize It: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 To update the PDF with the course-specific details, just click on the form and type it in! Start by updating your contact information in the upper right corner. With your mouse, left-click and highlight the bolded heading Title and type in your committee name. Next, highlight Name/Committee Information and fill in additional details. Highlight the phone number and the email address and type in your contact information. To update the Course Title, highlight the bolded heading Course Name Here and type in the correct title. For Roles, from the drop-down box select the correct Role and ProLevel or indicate if the class satisfies a New Technology training requirement. Update the When and Where sections with the course Date, Time and Location. Provide any additional information in the Details section (the text will wrap to fit). Generally, it s best if you try to resist adding too many details. Instead, focus on the most important information, or else the most relevant details may get lost. Be sure to save your work, click File > Save As to save the file to your computer with a new file name. When to Use It: To print the flyer, simply click File > Print. Use the Class Promotion Flyer anytime you want to spread the word about an upcoming class or series of classes as: A handout at classes and events Leave-behinds during networking/industry events Leave-behinds during personal visits to local businesses or shops An email attachment when communicating with interested students Support for your Data-Driven Scheduling efforts Think about marketing your upcoming classes about six to eight weeks before the first class date. We suggest you keep a rolling six-month calendar planned and scheduled. Committees have reported that they typically find the most effective marketing is done through personal contact. For example, consider regularly visiting collision repair businesses to discuss training and distribute class flyers. Or consider asking parts people, rental car representatives, tool vendors or paint suppliers to deliver printed class flyers when delivering their products or materials. Speaking with claims associations and trade groups can also help you reach interested students. Should you need to provide more detail about a specific class, use the Course Description Flyer (described on page 10) in conjunction with the Class Promotion Flyer. Class Promotion Flyer 5
Email Template Dear Recipient, Fully customizable promotional copy or other message to recipient goes here. What It Is: The Email Template allows you to send I-CAR branded emails to shops and offices in your local areas and promote upcoming training that you ve scheduled. The email template is available to you in Microsoft Word and contains a banner with space below to insert your own message. You can type your personalized message below the banner, then copy and paste the entire message plus the banner into the body of your email. Please note that certain email platforms may not support the graphic. You should test the template with your own email system for compatibility before use. Where to Find It: To access the file, go to www.i-car.com/marketingtoolkit. From there, click on link for the Email Template. 6 Email Template
How to Use It: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Open the Word document. Click below the image that says Join Us! and type in your message. Once you re satisfied with the message you ve created, copy and paste both the graphic and the text into a new email by going to Edit > Select All > Copy. Next, open a blank email and position your cursor in the body of the email, then paste the message into the email by going to Edit > Paste. Done! The I-CAR graphic and your text should now be visible in the body of your email. Simply type in the email address of the recipient and the subject line, and your email is ready to go! If you d like, you can save the Email Template to use again and again; simply click File > Save As. If you ve followed these instructions and you find that you cannot copy and paste the I-CAR graphic into your email, it may be that your email system does not support the Email Template. If this is the case, it may be helpful instead to create a Class Promotion Flyer and send it with your email as an attachment. When to Use It: The email template can serve as a very efficient and effective form of communication when sending basic information to a large audience. Use the Email Template when you have a message that: Needs to be delivered right away and you don t have the opportunity for face-to-face communication Is intended for a large group of people at once Is basic and to the point Is intended to serve as a follow-up As with the Class Promotion Flyers (described on page 6), we suggest you consider marketing upcoming classes six to eight weeks ahead of time. With any business email you send, be careful to send emails only to people you know or are associated with. Use the Email Template with your own email contacts or lists of email addresses that you ve obtained through local organizations or trade associations. Also be mindful of the timing of your emails; take care not to send too many email communications too frequently, or recipients may begin to consider your emails spam. Email Template 7
Course Description Flyer What It Is: The Course Description Flyer is a customizable, printable PDF that you can hand out at events or send to local contacts via email. This flyer gives the reader more detail about specific courses, including: What they will learn about, course highlights, credit hour value, and duration Who should take the course and what training requirements the course will fulfill Registration information A customizable section to include information that you feel is important for the student to know Where to Find It: To access the file, go to www.i-car.com/marketingtoolkit. From there, click on link for the Course Description Flyer. 8 Course Description Flyer
How to Customize It: 1 2 3 4 5 6 To personalize the flyer with specific details about your course, just click on the form and type it in - it s easy! Under Course Content, highlight Course Content Here and type in a description of the content covered in the course. Course descriptions for all I-CAR courses is available on the I-CAR website at www.i-car.com > I-CAR Course Catalog, then click on any of the course titles to read a full course description. Under Registration, highlight Registration Text Here and type in instructions for registration. Under Course Highlights, fill in the number of credit hours that the student will receive upon successful completion of the class and the estimated duration. Finally, from the drop-down menus select whether the course meets the I-CAR ProLevel or New Technology training requirements by Role. When to Use It: Be sure to save your work, click File > Save As to save the file to your computer with a new file name. To print the flyer, simply click on File > Print. The Course Description Flyer allows you to provide specific details about the classes being taught. In other words, the Course Description Flyer provides the student with a glimpse into what they can expect in class. Similar to the Class Promotion Flyer, use the Course Description Flyer as: A handout at classes and events Leave-behinds during networking/industry events Leave-behinds during personal visits to local businesses or shops An email attachment when communicating with interested students Support for your Data-Driven Scheduling efforts Course Description Flyer 9
Gold Class and Platinum Brochures Gold Class m and Platinu n io it n g Reco Gold Clas s business es are com today s adva mitted to nced vehi ong cles. Bus inesses that oing annual training Access to certain that is need achieve Gold OEM and ed to Class can insurer netw Improve benefit from keep pace with the d cycle time orks : repairs of Gold Clas s and KPIs s pricing on I-CAR Gold Clas training s Kit marketin g material s PDP Individual Recognition Platinum Program Achieve Platinum It all starts with Platinum! Individuals can begin earning recognition at anytime, starting with the Road to Platinum. ROAD TO PLATINUM 6 12 Months Typical Begins with PDP Training. Non-Structural 12 Months 12 Months Steel Structural Refinish Road to Platinum Once an individual commits to training with the PDP, he/she is on the Road to Platinum (R2P) until I-CAR ProLevel 1 training is completed. Achieve Platinum Platinum status is achieved once an individual completes all ProLevel 1 requirements for his/her role. Once Platinum status is achieved, a Platinum certificate is automatically mailed to the individual and he/she is to receive Platinum pricing. The date Platinum status is achieved will become the annual renewal date to achieve all subsequent ProLevels, unless the individual is employed by a Gold Class business. The renewal date for individuals employed by a Gold Class business is the annual renewal date of the Gold Class business. Maintain Platinum To maintain Platinum status, an individual must complete all ProLevel 2 requirements, and subsequently all ProLevel 3 requirements, by each annual renewal date. After achieving ProLevel 3, the individual must complete six credit hours of ongoing training annually by his/her renewal date. Estimator Expired Platinum If Platinum status is lost, the individual will: Still retain their training records and the credit earned for the ProLevel previously completed Be expired, but can regain Platinum status by achieving the next ProLevel he/she was working toward (Note: This applies no matter how long the gap in training and even if he/she goes to another business.) 12 Months Non-Structur al Non-Role Road to Gold Once a busi PDP Training it is on the Ongoing ness com mits to train Road to R2G for 12 ing with months. Duri Gold (R2G). A busi ness is on Reps mus t reach Plati ng this time the four the employees num level key Role 12 Months know Every 12 Months have to com training. As plete six cred ledge and all othe r soon as busi it hours of will receive Specialty Roles R2G bene nesses begin the R2G ongoing fits, such from the I-CA journey, they as support RE Custom and training tools er Support Team. Achieve Gold Class Onc achieved e all four Platinum Role Indiv Rep employees s idual reco gnition and have Aluminum trainelectrical / have complete Production all other d ing within Structural Mechanical Management the prior 12 six credit hours of a Gold ongoing months, the Class appl business ication business. can subm The renewal and be recognized it end of the as a Gold date for the Class month whe business business n is then eligi all training has been becomes the ble for Gold complete d. The Class bene Maintain fits. Gold Clas s To main Reps mus tain Gold t maintain Class, all their the next (or Role incomplete) Platinum status by requirements achieving ProLevel, or annual, by the busi business train ness next can About Road to Platinum (R2P) be recogniz annual rene ing at different ed as Gold wal date. ProLevels A Class as long Platito num as individua with individuals How is a commitment Road tos.platinum made? statu To address ls have curr work plac the An individual is on the Road to once he/shereality of e, Platinum ent I-CAR acco turnover in mmodate contacts Customer with CareTurn andover expresses the s Gold Clas Rules, commitment see page s business to PDP training and Platinum achievement. 5. es Timeframe for Road to Platinum The timeframe to complete Road to Platinum is typically 6-18 months. This depends on the amount of training that has been completed previously and commitment to training. Ongoing Train 12 Months Four Platin um Role Reps and Maint ain Gold Class Required to Achie ve (Per Platin um Rules ) eline Training Timeline What They Are: ROAD TO GOLD CLA SS Begins with Commitm ent by Business to have 4 Platin um Role Reps at ProL evel 1. Training Tim Required Roles for Gold Class Estimator Achieve Gold Class RE PA IR Gold Clas Requirem s ents CO LL IS IO N PDP Busi nes Gold Class s Recognition Program 4 Steel Structu ral Refinish Reps Must Complete of Annual 6 Credit Hours Role-Relev ant Traini ng About Roa Every 12 ing Months d to Gold (R2 G) How is a com To be on the mitment to Road to Gold mad Road to Gold Customer e?, facilities Care simply cont After the orien and take the free act online R2G Orientation. training and tation, facilities mak e Gold Clas s achievem a commitment to PDP ent. Timeframe for Road Ideal prog to Gold ress on the R2G is 6-8 to have the mon four The timefram required PDP Role ths for a facility s Reps at training, size e will vary dependin Platinum. g on amo of facility unt of exis but must ting be complete and commitment to training, etc., d within 12 months. What ben efits doe s a Road business to Gold receive? Facilities on the R2G will rece Custom ive benefits reports to such as: monitor train Targeted ing progress ema renewal date ils about upcoming classes and s I-CARE support Quarterl y calls to answer ques for Gold Clas tions abou s recogniti t training on Individuals on the Road to Platinum will receive benefits such as: Customer reports to monitor training progress Targeted emails about upcoming classes and renewal dates I-CARE support 3 The Gold Class and Platinum brochures help explain: What the programs entail:» role-based training» yearly training requirements» important dates and milestones How to get started Support tools available in myi-car A customizable imprint area where you can type your contact information or, if you choose to, print an important message by hand Each brochure is formatted as a printable PDF that you can hand out at events or send to local contacts via email. Where to Find Them: To access the files, go to www.i-car.com/marketingmaterials. From there, look under the Gold Class Road to Gold section and click on link for Gold Class and Platinum Recognition - Collision Repair. 10 Gold Class and Platinum Brochures
How to Customize Them: 1 2 3 The back page of each brochure (page 1 of the PDF) includes a customizable imprint area. Click on the imprint area with your mouse and type in your contact information, or print the brochure and write on it your choice! To print the brochures, click on File > Print. The brochure is designed to be printed as a double-sided document, so follow the directions included with your printer for double-sided printing. When to Use Them: The brochures are a terrific tool to not only spark interest and provide information, but also to create awareness about the available support tools for those who take I-CAR training. Print the brochures out and make them available at classes or informational sessions. Attend networking events or speak at local industry or trade association events and pass the brochures out to attendees. Visit local collision repair shops, car rental agencies and parts suppliers, and leave behind a brochure for the manager or other personnel to consider. Gold Class and Platinum Brochures 11
Summary We hope that the materials we ve gathered will make it easier than ever to promote training in your local areas. We understand that the individual needs of each Volunteer and Instructor may vary, and we re open to your suggestions for making this Toolkit even more valuable to you. To make suggestions or for general marketing assistance, contact I-CAR Marketing, at Marketing@I-CAR.com or 800.422.7872. And as always, we thank you our wonderful 2,000+ I-CAR Volunteers and 450+ Instructors. You are the foundation for everything we achieve. Thank you for sharing the Vision! 2015 Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair - 111715 - Handbook