IDA
Moderator I.D.A. Forum
Registered: 04/04/08
Posts: 310
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| | 04/10/10 at 10:23 AM | Reply with quote | #1 |
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Detailer business owners all over the world are struggling to be competitive and have "a leg-up" over the competition.
In today's market those detail business owners who focus on "customer relationships," rather than the technical aspects of the business will have the edge.
If you do not have a personal relationship with your customers then it becomes all "about price." And, God knows this is a problem for most of us in the business.
Think about it. What is it that you have to offer customers that your customer does not have? They all claim to be the best detailer in town and to an unknowing customer if they can make the paint shine and clean the carpets, they are a good detailer.
The one thing you can offer your customer is knowledge. From knowledge comes confidence and from confidence comes enthusiasm. When you are confident and enthusiastic your customer knows it. If you do not have the knowledge you will come off as a phony.
You need to be more than a salesperson with your customers, you need to be an automotive appearance consultant.
It is only through knowledge that you gain this power.
Every person in your business must be an expert in the services your detail business offers and performs. This is necessary for them to feel confident, and if and when they talk to the customer, they exude confidence to the customer.
You often read on the forums how frustrated detail business owners are at the lack of education on the part of the customer regarding what is good detailing, etc. It is up to you to educate your customer about the benefits of your detail service and why it is better than the competition. Do this and you will set yourself up as a trusted adviser.
Provide the information and expand your interchange with the customer mentioning all the services you can provide to keep their vehicle in "showroom condition."
This all accomplishes the goal of building trust, and increases the opportunity to sell more services and/or products that you offer.
It Is All About Questions
When a customer comes in or calls you need to have already anticipated what they are going to say or ask and you need to have your list of questions ready to ask the customer to show you know what you are talking about and to get them thinking about their vehicle and how they maintain or do not maintain the vehicle.
For example, questions like:
a. Are you keeping the car or selling it?
b. When was the last time you had it detailed?
c. When was the last time you waxed it?
d. Do you garage it at night?
e. Do you garage it during the day or is it out in the elements?
This allows you to tailor your presentation based on information provided by the customer. Further it creates a state of mind for the customer that they might not be taking good care of their vehicle.
Does Your Supplier Help You?
It is amazing how little detail business owners demand information on "how to better operate their business from suppliers."
Because most detailers are technicians by nature and not business people, they do not demand business information from their chemical and equipment suppliers. BIG MISTAKE. Make them perform, make them provide you with help. Suppliers in other like industries provide their customers with this type of information, why not your suppliers?
The process of becoming an expert in the field of cosmetic car care must start with information you can obtain from your suppliers.
It can also come from being a member of the INTERNATIONAL DETAILING ASSOCIATION where you join a community of other operators and committeed suppliers who will help you, you only need to ask.
In the past suppliers to the detail industy provided only information on their line of chemicals and it was very pointed to "only their line of chemicals," so the detailer really did not understand what compounds or polishes did only that this particular brand did this or did that. No real generic information to increase your knowledge.
The key here is that you must be willing to go out and find the knowledge, know what to ask for and put pressure on your suppliers to deliver. Maybe a given distributor or dealer that calls on you does not have the information, but by your pressuring them for information they put pressure on their manufacturer to put in some effort to get the information.
In the End
Wherever you get the information, from suppliers, other detailers or by joining the INTERNATIONAL DETAILING ASSOCIATION, you must make certain that you have the information and knowledge about what you are doing so that you can become a "trusted" consultant to your customer who can provide them with expert cosmetic car care advise.
If you can do this you will set yourself apart from the rest, and you will enjoy success.
"A Member of the INTERNATIONAL DETAILING ASSOCIATION Sets Themselves Apart From the Rest."
Will we see you at the Car Care World Expo; the Detailing Pavillion, the IDA Educational Sessions and the IDA Welcome Reception, May 12-14, 2010 in Las Vegas?
Regards
Bud Abraham
Executive Director
IDA
info@the-ida.com
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