Customer service is the most important of the three criteria mentioned. (with the caveat that pricing is also competitive)
Another area under customer service where some Dealers excelled was proactively remaining in contact with past customers. Many companies look at past clients as the best new prospects. This is as simple as a email to every past client that hasn't been heard from in over a year. The cost of regaining a lost client is far less than the cost of gaining a new client.
This should be a private email and not a part of a blast.
With that said I would add two more rules:
the Fourth Golden Rule - Personalization to each customer. This means thank you notes with orders, pertinent emails on known areas of interest. and taking the extra effort: Jim Sutter comes to mind in this regard.
the Fifth Golden Rule - Social Media: Like it or use it, this is critical to the success of any business. You must have a presence on all the sites. (FB, Twit, blah blah blah). The greater your use of social media, the greater your incremental sales. FYI, I say this as a non user of almost all social media save a couple.
Paul - stepping off his marketing platform
