Success Management Specialists since 1984

REPAIR SHOP TRAINING TARGETING PROFESSIONAL SALES, SERVICE AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

... Where education is first in its Class!

Volume 2, Issue 1                                                               Spring 1999

STILL THE INDUSTRY LEADER

In today's competitive business world you need to keep up date. You need to have a professionally managed business environment and plan. ESI has been a forerunner in providing the independent automotive business owner with the information necessary since 1984. Under the direction of Jim Hunt these strategies and procedures have been put to work in the real world by both shop owners and associate Maylan Newton. The results have been very positive.

Maylan Newton grew up in the automotive industry. He is an ASE Master Technician with over 20 years of experience in the real life situations a shop will face every day. He has been a service writer, shop foreman, and business owner. For the past 5 years Maylan has been an ESI Consulting Associate in shops across California. His assignments with ESI included service writing, management consulting, and seminar leader are well known throughout the industry.

As an "in-shop" consultant he had opportunity to share the success of ESI's formulas and strategies with many business owners. He set up shop procedures and taught the staff how to make the business run more profitably with fewer problems. He has become a well-known and sought after on sight instructor, by shops all across California.

Maylan relates the lesson plan material to real life. As a seminar leader his own "real life experience" comes through in his teaching. Having examples of a plan or formula related to real life helps students understand how the lesson applies in their own business. This helps them apply it to their situations. Maylan has taught the full schedule of ESI Professional Business Development (PBD) and Advanced PBD series for years. He has CO taught Service Writers School and CO taught the recent new addition to ESI's line up, Automotive Boot Camp (ABC) series in Hawaii this past year.

ESI's commitment to its clients is to keep up with the level of education they have come to expect. Maylan, Patty and the entire ESI Staff and Associates look forward to meeting the challenges of the coming year and century just as we always have. Always on the lookout to fill the ever-changing needs and requirements of our industry, ESI has earned the reputation as... 

"The originator, not the imitator!"

ALOHA AUTOMOTIVE BOOT CAMP

It is always a great time to go to Hawaii, if you can go with a great bunch of friends and associates, learn how to make money and have a good time, so much the better!

That's just what a group of shop owners did this past November. Seminars included Team Building and Self-Directing Teams, Financial Structuring and Business Analysis, Profit Centers and Strategies, as well as Time Management, Advertising, and Goal Planning.

The first class covered What, How, and Why business owners need to know in order to eventually sell their business. The next item was how to keep the business, "just business" and make it work for the owner. The customer service seminar included instructions to evaluate customer service with local shopping and service providers. This gave everyone a chance to "go buy something!" How else are you going to evaluate the service? Then each attendee had to report on the service they received.

The courses Jim gave were great, as usual. Filled with money saving and profit building information. The tips he shared on new and evolving legal issues could have easily saved each attendee the cost of the trip.

Maylan Newton shared the teaching duties, conducting Courses on Goal Planning & Problem Solving, Time Management and Sales. His experience at service counters across the state proved inspiring and insightful.

The response was very enthusiastic and reassuring. Before class was over, discussions were already underway on where the class wanted the next Boot Camp held!

Mahalo

ESI AND ASC TOGETHER INTO 2000

ESI has made and will continue to honor its commitment to the Independent Professional Automotive Service Providers. We still believe ASC is the best group this state has working in its favor to improve and lead

our industry into the next century. When you think about how our industry has evolved in the last century we can be proud of our commitment to excellence. Many things have changed. Some never will. We still need to actively pursue our best interests in legislation, access to tools and technical information and business management skills. As we prepare to step into the next century, we need to make sure the industry doesn't leave us in the dust wondering what ran over us.

ESI has been actively involved with ASC since 1985. Jim Hunt believed it was important to support ASC in order for all of us to be successful. ESI will work hard to continue to lend their support wherever possible. We encourage each of you to recruit your business associates and neighboring shops. Show them the advantages of together for our industry. We hope you enjoy the trade show and educational conference in Ontario and look forward to seeing YOU there.

Maylan Newton

Patty Hunt

Volume 3, Issue 2                                                               Spring 2000

YOU’RE SMALL BUSINESS

As auto shop owners, we play an important part in the economy of the country. Many people do not fully understand the importance of the role we play. Every time an auto shop closes it effects more than just the people directly involved. This is often misunderstood because we think only of that one small business, We need to remember small business is the backbone of our country,

Small businesses represent over 98% of all U.S. employers. We employ more than half of the notion's non-farm workforce with 38% of the private workers in high tech occupations such as automotive service. Did you know we generate the third-largest economy in the world? We also account for 45% of spending in the business PC market and make it the fastest growing segment of the market. All totaled we contribute 47% of all sales in the United States and constitute 50% of the gross national product. (From DigitalWork.com)

In order for us to keep our businesses healthy and strong, we need to stay competitive. This may mean the need for continuing education for us or that our employees need to brush up on techniques in order to stay up-to-date with technology. We should enhance out business skills with conferences, workshops, Courses, or events like the ASC Trade Show and Educational Conference,

You also need to work on and control your business, not lot it control you Organize your work day and keep a tight rein on it. Plan which tasks need to be accomplished and schedule them to get done, If crisis should strike remain controlled and objective. On close examination, a crisis is usually someone else's problems, often overreacted to, that you are supposed to solve.

Remember that solving other people’s problems is what small business does for America. It keeps us in business, and it's good for the country as well as our own small businesses.

KEEP THEM COMING BACK FOR MORE!

The average business loses 20% of its customers every year. There is nothing you can do about it, it just happens. They move, changes jobs, get married or even die. Some won't come back for other reasons. When you know this will happen it’s easy to understand why customer loyalty and Mention programs should be an integral part of your marketing plan. 

There is no one thing that keeps it’s your customer coming back, however, It's a combination of things; service, pricing, handling problem, and delivering what your customers see as real value, your customers feel important and Here are some tips to help make your customers feel important and listened to:

Don't expect friendliness to overcome incompetence

Offer choices 

Be dependable 

Deliver what you promise, on time

Create an inviting business

Train all your employees to deliver

If you make a mistake, correct quickly.

Since its so much more expensive to get a new customer than to keep an existing one, customer retention is a bottom-line necessity and it will help you grow your business too.

Don't give away the store
When promoting your expertise and business, don't be so generous. Your potential customers will no longer have need of you. When you make a presentation or pass out information, offer genuinely useful information. But hold back enough so your services still have value. After all, you want customers to pay YOU for your products or services.

VOICE FROM THE PAST

When confronted with a particular problem or situation, I often think to myself, "What would Jim have done or advised in this situation?" That voice usually speaks to me wisely.
Recently I read a passage in a book "A Voice from the Past."

"Be grateful for the joy of life. Be glad for the privilege of work. Be thankful for the opportunity to give and serve. Good work is the great character builder, the sweetener of life, and the maker of destiny. Let the sprit of your work be right, and whether your task be great or small you will than have the satisfaction of knowing it is worth while
Grenville Kleiser

Volume 3, Issue 1                                                              Winter 2000

GOAL PLANNING 2000

Every time I pick up a book or participate in a training program the author or instructor is preaching the power of goal setting. Yet, most people today spend more time planning their vacation, than setting goals for life. I think achieving goals is not the problem, it's setting them that is the problem. People won't do it. They leave their lives to chance.

This is such an important part of developing a successful business and because this is the beginning of our PBD year, I want to share some thoughts on goal setting that I have.

MAKE A LIST OF YOUR VALUES.
Decide what your most important values in life are and then make sue the goals you set are designed to include and enhance them.

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.
Asked what he attributed to the success of IBM, Tom Watson (founder of IBM), said it was three things: First be created a very clear image in his mind of what he wanted his company to look like -when it was done. Then he asked himself how would a company like that act on a day-to-day basis. Finally, from the very beginning of building his company, he acted that way.

PROJECT YOURSELF INTO THE FUTURE
Earl Nightingale created a whole new industry, self-improvement. The result of his research was simple; "We become what we think about." The easiest way to reach a goal is to pretend you ALREADY have.

WRITE DOWN TEN THINGS YOU WANT THIS YEAR,
By making a list of things important to you, you create images in your mind. Of this list you will probably achieve at least eight of them within the year.

CREATE YOUR STORYBOARD.
Put a poster board on a wan in your office of home where you will see it Attach pictures of things you want as you go through magazines, brochures, etc. Make a collage knowing as you look at it they will soon be yours.

THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
List the three things you want to achieve before you die. Work backwards listing three things you want in the next twenty years, ten years, five years, this year, month, week, today.

ASK YOURSELF GOOD QUESTIONS.
Thinks about your goals, instead of WISHING for them, ask yourself HOW and WHAT CAN YOU DO to make them come true.

FOCUS ON ONE PROJECT AT A TIME.
Don't make the mistake in setting goals of trying to work on too many things at one time.

WRITE OUT AN "IDEAL SCENARIO."
Pretend you are a reporter and just finished an interview about an outstanding success you've achieved. How would it read? Write the article yourself as though it had already happened

PRAY AND MEDITATE.
As you get into bed, think of your goals before you go to sleep. Get a very clear colorful image in your mind of seeing yourself after you've reached them. (Remember to include your values.)

LET CLIENTS KNOW

By DAVID WHITTINGTON

Some small-business owners wonder what the difference is between sales and marketing. The two terms can often seem interchangeable. Sales simply mean meeting a customer face to face, proposing and delivering goods or services. Marketing, however, involves developing a bigger view, looking at all your customers in a general sense. Marketing is the process of understanding your business and your market and planning to compete in that market. Marketing must come before sales.

You develop a marketing plan based on a profile of your customers and competition. In your marketing plan, you analyze what you're selling and who would buy it. A good marketing plan will then let you compete with other companies.

One part of an effective marking plan is a regular newsletter mailed to your base of customers. Use it to share news about your business, and target it for them. Use the newsletter to inform your clients of anniversaries ("Thanks to you, we're celebrating our tenth year in business!"), an annual holiday, industry changes and so forth. It can also keep your clients informed about what’s going in your business that can affect their relationship with you: the addition of new equipment recently completed courses or seminars that expand your expertise, successful projects or accomplishments that enhance your reputation, and so on.

You can send the same or a similar newsletter to potential clients, exploiting the piece as a promotional mailer.

Contact Dave for a free consultation when you need marketing materials for your business.

TIPS FROM THE SERVICE COUNTER

By RAY KUNZ

Many people who go into small businesses are great at producing the product or service but uncomfortable selling it. Some fear you have to be pushy and talkative to be a good salesperson. Fortunately, "relationship selling" focuses on developing long-term relationships with customers, so there isn't as much of a need to aggressively make a sale. In fact, a key in building these relationships is to listen more than talk I call it "Relationship Selling." Encourage clients to talk about what they want. You can then tailor your proposals to their needs, and chances are you'll stand out from your competitors.

Once you get them talking you can analyze your customers needs and offer services to fill them. Every business wants to add new customers at their door. But every business also wants to keep the customers it already has. Benefit segmentation can help further these goals.

Benefit segmentation is a technique for breaking a general market (or base of typical customers) into smaller target markets, that is, into segments that have more specific interests and whose wants are easier to identify. With benefit segmentation, you seek to learn two things:

How frequently a customer uses a product or service

The benefits a customer expects to receive from using that product or service

You may learn that customers use your product or service because of its convenience or because they know you understand there particular needs.

With this information in hand, you can use it to better target your sales presentations. Or you may find you need to modify your existing offerings or add a new product or service to provide the desired benefit. On the other hand, depending on the results of your benefit-segmentation research, you may abandon the product or service you investigated for some other target market Remember, success comes from flexibility and stability.

And never underestimate the value ' of problem solving. Regardless of your job title, what you are really being paid to do is to solve problems. People do not buy products and services but SOLUTIONS to their problems.

The more you think in terms of helping people solve their problems (rather than in terms of selling things to them), the more successful you will be. The sooner you actively implement this principle, the faster you will achieve success

Ray Kunz is the ESI instructor. He works in shop with clients assisting them with consulting, training, and customer service needs.

GET ORGANIZED!

BY Connie D'Amico

Your conscience mind registers what you see. Your sub-conscience mind registers how you feel about what you see. If you see a clean and organized desk with beautifully framed photos from home and a lovely plant, you will feel peaceful and relaxed. If you see clutter and papers in disarray, you will feel nervous, anxious, and stressed.

The only items that should be on your desk are:

Beautifully framed happy photos from home.
A potted plant or vase with flowers
A happy memento from home
Your daily planner
The work you are presently doing

Not allowed are staplers, scotch tape, stapler remover, scissors, Post-It notes all over, etc. They clutter! Keep these items inside your drawers.

Behind you (on a credenza is ideal):

The work you need to do (WIP - Work in Process), stacked in priority order, so the item you need to accomplish next is on the top, and the least important item is on the bottom.

Your reading material (magazines / articles).
Your Out Tray when you leave for any reason, take these items with you to distribute.
Create a PENDING hanging file.  In the front of the pull out drawer in your desk. Place in your PENDING, the work you can go no further with until someone gets back to you with more information.

Thus, all your paperwork is in either one of six places (and no where else!).

1. On your desk because you are working, it.
2. In your files.
3. In your WIP pile (behind you in priority order).
4. In your Reading pile (to read).
5. In your PENDING FILE (in your desk drawer).
6. In your OUT tray. You have no IN tray. Make a decision on where to place it when you receive it.

Tip: Stand up when you go through your mail.

When you are organized you look professional, act professional and sound professional, because you are professional! 

Connie D'Amico is owner of Executive Decisions an ESI Associate Business Service.

ASC SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION, JIM HUNT FUND

Sunday, February 20, ASC members and ESI Associates gathered in a San Francisco Bay Area Hotel for a memorial luncheon. The purpose of the gathering was two-fold: 1- To remember Jim Hunt, founder of ESI, inspirational speaker, and business consultant to the independent automotive industry. 2- Raise funds for ASC's "Jim Hunt Memorial Scholarship Fund" to help educate and provide a means to help bring new talent into our industry.

The luncheon was a huge success! Maylan Newton was the master of ceremonies. ASC Executive Director, Brad Walker, ASC Ex Officio Board Member and past ASC State President, Larry Moore; TecHelp founder and former business partner with Jim Hunt, Doug Mueller, each gave short presentations on Jim and his dedication to education.

Educational Seminars Institute
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Simi Valley, CA 93063
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530-534-3040
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01/19/06    
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