Business-building strategies that work anywhere

Motor,  Sep 2002  by O'Connor, Bob

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A service wrap can be designed to contain products and services that yield high gross profits and/or services technicians can perform with a high rate of efficiency. This practice is becoming routine with astute shop owners.

To increase sales per transaction, you also might take a look at an At-theCounter Closers program. Here, customers at the counter may be borderline on making a decision about whether to purchase a certain product or service. This Closers program is designed to push them into making the decision.

Some highly successful shop owners have helped "close" those sales by utilizing direct mail marketing materials containing coupons and special offers that are normally mailed to customers. Extra pieces (500 to 1000) are printed and placed under the counter. Then, when a customer is on the verge of making a purchase, they use these "mailers"outdated or not-to close the sale.

Often customers will purchase additional products and services if only a suggestion is made. That's where the For Only $10 More program comes in. In many instances, the amount suggested is perceived by the customer to be so small they'll immediately authorize the up-sell. Use this approach and continue to raise the dollar amount until you begin to experience regular resistance. There are a number of products and services that can be provided for between $10 and $25 and easily added to almost every repair order.

Some examples are servicing battery and cables, rotating tires, installing a set of wiper blades, blowing the bugs and dirt out of the front of the radiator, selling a windshield shade to protect the dash and upholstery, etc. In a shop that generates 200 repair orders monthly, a $10 average add-on sale could yield $24,000 in additional sales annually!

Increase in a Particular Market Segment

A program that has just recently begun to be widely used by the auto repair industry is called Bring In Your 5-YearOld Car and Receive ... something of significant value. This program is designed to attract the older vehicles that need more work, thus increasing the hours and dollars per repair order. Many shops have targeted specific makes and models for this program, with overwhelming results!

According to feedback I've received, products and services given as a reward for bringing in older vehicles have included a free loaner car for one or two days, tickets to a local theater or sporting event, dinner for two at a nice local restaurant, a $50 gift certificate to a local home improvement store and a battery-operated TV.

This program has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional service and repair business for many shops. What would you give away to attract vehicles whose invoices can range from $500 to well over $1000?

Creating Business for a Slow Day

Almost every repair shop experiences slow days. Don't accept these slow days; instead, develop a plan to minimize them. When the schedule is short, what's your plan to get business in during the day to meet your projected sales goal? The following are examples of what a Slow Day plan could include: