When I first started selling automotive service I was always puzzled by why some customers bought and others did not. At first I thought it was that they did not need what I was selling, but the more I became a student of my position I realized that everyone who I came in contact with needed what I was selling; their car fixed. They did not get up in the morning and say “I have nothing better to do today so I’m going to take my car to the repair shop!” So when I came to realize that I was doing something to create the “no sale” customer, I started to analyze each and every sale, both yes and no. I spent a great deal of time learning about sales and the psychology of selling. Very soon it became clear to me where the issue was... it was ME! This was a harsh reality and it was darn hard to accept, but true. I had lost slam dunk sales... they never said no till today. I made sales that I would have never have thought possible. Why? Because of my level of confidence ... read more
This month we are going to task about something that makes most of us very uncomfortable… What happens to our business when something bad happens? Anytime we bring this subject up most people tune us out, because we have never given any thought to the idea that we may not going to be in business tomorrow. Part of what makes us Automotive Business owners is the personality type that we are invincible. Succession planning is something we all need to have discussed, and have a plan in place; otherwise we can burden the business and our family with debt, uncertainty and fear. What is succession planning? The dictionary defines succession as; “the act or process of following in order or sequence.” In most cases small business owners are so concerned and involved with running the business they never get to plan for the future. In our opinion succession planning needs to be a high priority, because without a succession plan the future of the business is not defined. What ... read more
America’s true entrepreneurs today display through every type of advertisement an eagerness to meet the challenge to be the best at what they do. Once prospects accept your invitation to try your business, the results will ultimately be justified through these means: applying four very basic yet critical strategies in the four rules of business. Your ultimate goal must always target a customer encounter that will leave both you and your customer beaming with gratitude for the experience that just took place. You should never have to ask yourself, “What just happened with this sale? It didn’t feel like a ‘good sale.’” Regardless of how strongly you believe you’re doing it right all the time, revisit the four rules of business regularly. Post them somewhere in a private area to do a self-check and be honest with yourself in your relationship with each of the strategies. The first of these rules is: Customer satisfaction before profit. This is the most important rule ... read more
Talking to clearly communicate your intentions is not just a workplace practice, it’s a real job. How you deliver your message implies the response you are seeking from your recipient. Your attitude behind the words can tell someone that you’re looking to blame, when you’re really just frustrated and looking for help. Each exchange has its own level of intensity, so each one risks potential loss or gain in efforts to truly achieve the goals targeted for the encounter. How the words are delivered and their reception by the other will make the difference. If you regard “communicating” as anything less than a real job, you’ve set yourself up for a mental rollercoaster with everyone you share your day with. You’ll be further ahead if you can grasp the concept of “job” and remember that not many jobs are easy… that’s why they’re branded “job.” Striving to succeed, we can never disregard changes we’ll need to employ. Customer demands and industry regulations force practi ... read more
A simple improvement in daily productivity can result in a substantial increase over the course of a month. Let’s do the math based on 3 technicians working 8 hours a day. Your inventory labor is 24 hours of billable time each day and, in a perfect world, the shop will bill 24 hours. The question is, “How many perfect days do any of us ever really have?” We average about 72% productivity across the nation, which an 8-hour day tabs out to billing only 5.75 hours! If you are within the average 72% productive, billing 5.75 hours per day, per tech, strategies for improvement could start with increasing productivity to just 80%. You’d bill an additional .65 hours per day and, multiplied by 3 technicians, that totals an added 1.95 hours per day. In an average month of 21 working days, this is an additional 40.95 billable hours, an increase that many would consider substantial. Remember that this simple improvement represents only slightly more than one half hour per day! ... read more