If you’ve worked in an auto dealership for any length of time, you have probably heard one of the salespeople make the following comment: “If we don’t get some customers on the lot pretty soon, I am going to go out and drag some in off the street!” The sentiment is understandable, but unfortunately kidnapping statutes prevent this kind of marketing. Fortunately, there is a new marketing tool that has caught on across the country that can grab those customers off the street without the threat of legal action—Sign Walkers.

The concept is really simple; you put eight people out on the highest traffic street corners near your dealership holding eight-foot signs that direct people to your dealership. It’s kind of a take off on the old sandwich boards that used to be an advertising form in the 50s.

Sign walker campaigns work because they take advantage of “impulse shopping.” It’s the same reason items are placed near the checkout counter at a grocery store. People see these items and drop them in their shopping cart on impulse. In the case of sign walkers, people who are slightly inclined to look at a new car see the signs and think, “What the heck, might as well check out what they have.”

One of the country’s premier sign walker companies is SuperSignWalkers.com out of Seattle, Washington. The company offers a sign walker package that brings eight sign holders and a campaign manager to your location and they set up for a two-day weekend campaign for $2995.

“This concept is not new; we have been doing sign walker campaigns for furniture dealers for years. It is perfect for auto dealers, because they can drive traffic for both new cars and used cars from the busy roads surrounding their store. Every sign walker campaign we’ve had has been a success with multiple sales, attributed directly to the sign walkers,” says Mike Nealy of SuperSignWalkers.com.

Even dealers who normally invest in lot decoration can benefit from a sign walker campaign. The sign walkers are legal in most cities and are protected by first amendment rights. Some cities that have tried to eliminate them have lost court cases and had to alter their sign ordinances to accommodate sign walker campaigns.

If you want to try a sign walker campaign at your dealership or learn more about how they work, call Mike Nealy at SuperSignWalkers.com at 800-669-3603 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .