Whats up guys. Been detailing for a while and i'm going all in. Got a van and have all my new stuff on the way. Been thinking of ways to really get it going off from the start. Here are some things i intend on doing/have done and im looking for some input if any of you have tried these things and if it was successful and maybe some other ideas. I know that referrals are a huge part of business and thats basically what ive been doing so far along with just craigslist ads, but i quit my job and want to be working atleast full time and leave nothing to chance, and also have the flexibility to turn jobs down without it effecting me.
-Website obviously and work on getting it near the top of a google search(I believe this takes some time, would like some input on this)
also im about to launch my website and will post a link for input
-Craigslist ads
-Email people on craigslist selling nicer cars that could use detail before selling, along with Rv's and boats for sale
-Facebook Page
-Instagram account and just start following a ton of people in my area
-Put flyers on nice cars at a local galleria/mall(very curious if anyone has tried this and if it worked, not sure if people will be offput by having a flyer on there car)
-Attending car shows and just talking to people/handing out business cards.
-Networking with local window tinters/body guys/shops and try to get a promote each other kind of thing going on.
Would love to hear what you guys think and what youve experienced. I live in sacramento, and im surrounded by some very nice areas with a lot of money and my goal is to kind of brand myself as a higher end detailer(fancy logo n very professional ect.).
Thanks
Derek
Hey Derek,
Man i feel like i could write a book in response to this. I was mobile to start out and moved into a shop a year ago (which has been our best business move to date). That being said, mobile is a great way to start your business and build a strong reputation and client base....heres a few things to consider when moving forward that have worked great for me since moving into our shop.
1. Marketing is obviously SUPER important (which i see you realize - thus this post!) The facebook and instagram pages are a great start. Takes time to build followers but stay active in posting and it will grow - the thing is you DO have to stay active in posting...if you get discouraged because you dont have 1000 followers after a month...you'll stop posting and you'll never grow.
2. Website - while a nice looking website is important, a well CODED site is even more important. I spent $1000's of dollars with people/companies promising to boost my SEO (google rankings) blah blah blah. Yeah, never happened. I was finally fortunate enough to meet a local guy who was fairly priced and knew his stuff. Google "Auto detailing gilbert" and you'll find me on the first page a couple of times now. It's a constant fight to stay up there, but it WILL pay for itself (if you need his info i can pass it along to you if you PM me).
3. For me, Yelp has actually been excellent. Great a free business page and get your customers to leave reviews (again, you have to be ACTIVE in doing this.) How many times have you on your own initiative left a review for places? On the other hand, how many times have you left a review when ASKED to do so. People are much more likely to leave reviews if you ASK them to. When you send them an invoice, have a link at the bottom that goes to your Yelp, facebook and google+ pages. 1 click and they're there.
4. KEEP TRACK OF CUSTOMERS! Sorry for the caps but this is SO important. Have a client list. ANY call/email you get you need to fill out a contact sheet getting their name/#/email. ASK how they heard about you so you know what methods are working for you. SAVE these files (keep them organized) and if you don't hear back from a lead, follow up with them. I can promise you most of your competition is not doing this. Do not just be a high end detailer, be a high end business. Its not just about the detail, its more so about the customer service and the connection you make with people.
5. Be sure you have a set price list. I made the mistake my first few years of "winging" it on polishing jobs especially. Sit down, write out all of your services, write down their prices and then see if you need to simplify your services or if you need to fill any service gaps. Once we moved into our shop i had to diversify. Before i was aiming (like you) for high end correction work. That's all well and good...but i do not want to pass up a $150 wash and wax just because im only pushing $500-1500 correction jobs. I still try to get correction jobs - but if the balk at the price you have to have a back up plan. I have a good/better/best price lay out for basically all my services. You don't want a $1000 correction? Ok, how about a $500 1-step? Don't want a 1-step? Ok, how about a $250 all in one polish etc. $100-200 beats $0 all day long.
I'll stop there because i could keep going lol, but these are really essential. If you're full time now its no longer a side gig...it's real and you have to treat it as such. Not just in how good of a detailer you are, but how personable you are. How you talk with customers. How you answer the phone and how quickly you reply to emails. How you handle objections to your prices and complaints about your work (it WILL happen trust me lol). Ive got all 5 star reviews anywhere you look....trust me, some of those 5 star reviews are from customers who had objects or even complaints/issues with the work that was done. How do you handle it...do you get pissed off or do you try to fix it (even if it wasn't your fault) or come up with SOME sort of solution?
Anyway, hope this helps and good luck on the full time gig!
