Shop Management/Marketing Archives - Page 25 of 29 - Transmission Digest
Appearance Matters More than You Know

Good customers and employees are not usually lured to do business with or work for a company on the basis of its deeply hidden qualities or virtues. They come because of the perception of these attributes. It’s what people see on the outside that makes them decide whether they want to learn more about a company they will eventually choose to buy from, sell to or work for.

Want to Be a Leader? Then Lead!

Here’s where your role as a leader comes into play in several ways. You’ll need to lead your customers to make the purchases of your services that they require, you’ll have to lead your employees to a sense of well-being and excitement about their futures in the industry, and you will want to take the lead in your communities by setting an example of enthusiasm for other small businesses to follow. After all, recessions end when enough of us believe they are over. If your enthusiasm is contagious you may be able to help hasten the process.

Narrowing Your Marketing and Sales Focus

Although you may want to keep doing every bit of promotion, you really need to question the generation of profit vs. the cost. If you are investing in forms of advertising just because you always did, you need to know whether they are still viable. Every ad you run needs to bring a good return on investment. If the results of any initiative can’t be measured, should you continue it?

Making a Go of It in the Toughest of Times

What about these tough times? Are they tough for everyone? Apparently not; it depends on what business you happen to be in and what you make of the current economic conditions.

Does Outside Sales Really Work?

I know outside sales works and so do most of you. You’ve all tried it from time to time. I built my transmission business almost exclusively on it by hitting the road myself in the beginning and then always having an outside salesperson on the payroll. As the commercial about the lottery says, “You have to be in it to win it.”

Partners

Partnerships at best are difficult. No two people think completely alike about anything. Even when they start out heading in the same direction, life can get in the way. Things can happen that change both business and personal situations and relationships, many times causing the partners to rethink their positions on a multitude of issues.

Finish the Swing

The reference to finishing the swing has to do with the completeness of our actions. In golf, if you stop the swing just as the club makes contact, the ball isn’t likely to go very far or straight or up in the air for that matter. Any pro will tell you that you have to finish the swing, meaning to follow through, if you want good, consistent results.

The Whole Package

Since consumers have the luxury of being more finicky about their purchases, our industry needs to fight harder for every sale and be sure that when we make one it is profitable and creates or continues a long-term relationship. In times like these we want to offer the consumer the whole package as it relates to the entire experience of doing business with us; the “END ALL TO BEAT ALL” of the industry. It’s the “WOW!” factor, the “I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M IN AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP!” factor.

Mr. 10%

That’s how his fellow service advisers introduced him to me at the seminar. His name was Steve but no one called him that. Most just called him “10” for short, as in “Hey, 10, how much did you give away today?”

The Top 10 Pitfalls after Landing a New Account, and How to Avoid Them

Outside sales, as we should know by now, is more a matter of perseverance than prowess. Sure, you have to pick the right accounts to approach and you need to do an excellent job of qualifying and presenting the benefits of your service, but after the initial contact, and maybe one or two more, it all comes down to how many times you can revisit them, leaving a good impression each time you do.

The Baker’s Dozen Attributes of a Highly Successful Automotive Business

How do you succeed in the automotive aftermarket these days? It’s simple; just be the best at everything. Have the best-managed and most technically accomplished shop, and you’re in – or are you? If you don’t market your business and use terrific sales techniques you’re back out again. Today your success is based on your proficiency in all aspects of the business.

A Dozen Rules for Prospering in a Recession

Welcome to “Recession 2008.” It’s been a long time coming, but now it’s here. Should we be happy or sad about it? I guess that depends on a number of factors, so let’s take a look at them.
First, some definitions:

Recession – When your neighbor loses his job
Depression – When you lose yours