Throw me a Bone!!...Please!

ShineTimeDetail

ShineTimeDetail

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Throw me a Bone!!...Please!


Jeez, since the beginning of August I have been super slow and it really sucks! I had money saved up but I bought a new van and spent it all.

I even spent 1200 on a new carpet extractor too! Go figure that after I spend all my money I have no work. Tried going out yesterday but not sure if I'll get any leads.

Want to spend a few buck on advertising but I don't have the money to. It's funny because I was so freakin busy this summer I worked 6-7 days a week and then it just stopped!


If I didn't mind sitting at home all day I guess it wouldn't be so bad lol Just wanted to share some frustration.


:)
 
Mel Craig teaches a technique called the Ten Foot Rule, that is you introduce yourself and what you do to anyone standing within 10 feet of you as normal practice or way of promoting yourself.

So if you're in line at the grocery store, while you're standing there you market yourself. It's a numbers game. You tell enough people who you are and what you can do for them and show passion with professionalism, and sooner or later you're going to pick up new customers.

If you do good work, then these new customers will tell their friends and you'll get referrals. It all starts with having the guts and the confidence in yourself to speak up. Of course also use some judgment.


When I first started out in this industry my first boss, Jack Birkby told me when making cold calls, if someone says "no", you don't walk to the next door, you run to the next door. It's a numbers game, sooner or later you're going to get a "yes" and the more effort you put into the process the sooner you'll get to a new "yes" customer.

This assumes you have a good product or service to start with and you do!


Food for thought...


:)
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
If you do good work, then these new customers will tell their friends and you'll get referrals. It all starts with having the guts and the confidence in yourself to speak up. Of course also use some judgment.


:)
Click to expand...

I completely agree with Mike but I would also add that you have to ask for referrals. In fact, its important to develop and USE a referral program in your business.

Good Luck :props:

Fussman
 
Ha you know I've never thought about talking to someone in line at the grocery store...how would one initiate a conversation about detailing out of the blue?
 
ShineTimeDetail said:
Ha you know I've never thought about talking to someone in line at the grocery store...how would one initiate a conversation about detailing out of the blue?
Click to expand...


Actually... anywhere is good, think about all the places you stand in a line, bank, DMV, fast food, restaurant, Circle K, etc.


You just speak up!


Hi! My name is Joe the Detailer!

I love detailing cars! Here's my business card. What do you drive? Are there any areas on the inside or the outside you could use some help with? I'd be happy to take a look at it and show you how we could make it better!


Passion for what you do and who you are..



:)
 
Nice! I should do this....I'm sure ill sound a little nervous the first few times but I am always nervous the first few times I do anything. But with practice things come easier.
 
1-wear t-shirts with your company logo and go to local car shows
2-local chamber of commerce organizations, realtor groups
3-charity groups, donate wash to benefits
4-car clubs-offer multiple car discounts
5-check with local custom shops, MC, hot rod, truck and explain what you do
6-body shops usually dont want anything more to do than buff and glaze, offer services to customers who want rid of buffer trails and swirls

The key is what can you bring to the table, if your an average detailer and do average work a few clients might recommend you, if you do high quaility work and give the customer a great presentation your more likely to get more refferals.
good luck
 
i get a great deal of work just from my work truck. it has my company name all over it. this summer at safeway was killer for work. always have business cards ready. good luck. i do charity auction details and this also gets me some work.
 
Impressions said:
The key is what can you bring to the table, if your an average detailer and do average work a few clients might recommend you, if you do high quality work and give the customer a great presentation your more likely to get more referrals.
good luck
Click to expand...

Great points Robert....

I hope Robert won't mind if I share some feedback from a customer I referred to him recently...


Sally J. said:
Hi Mike:

I am just following up with you on our email exchange this past June. You recommended Robert DiTerlizzi to me to have the exterior of my car detailed.

He did the work yesterday and MY CAR LOOKS AMAZING!

Robert was professional, passionate, honest, considerate, and a good businessman.

I was impressed with Impressions!

Thank you so very much for the excellent recommendation. Much appreciated. He doesn’t just do the job, he goes above and beyond…he really cares.

You can feel confident in continuing to recommend Robert over and over again. Stay safe and well.

Sally J.
Click to expand...


The above is unedited, that's exactly the e-mail I received from Sally on September 7th, 2011


Nice work Robert.


:dblthumb2:
 
get some very professional business cards and flyers done at office depot and they wont cost much at all. try to find a buddy who is good at graphic arts and give him a free car wash to help you design them. then hand them out like candy, post on bulletin boards, put under windshield wipers, leave stacks at restaurants cashiers, have them inserted in community newspapers, etc. where you can distribute them in affluent neighborhoods but be careful not to violate rules and regs. some mailboxes have an opening under the box where you can legally put a flyer.

hope this helps and good luck.
budinsc
 
Like Mike said it really is a numbers game. Don't be shy or timid when marketing yourself or your business.

I'm in banking and when the economy slowed so did our business. We had to make cold calls and ask for referrals. We have done a lot of work and it has paid off. You will be surprised how many phone calls you get from people you've spoken with. Keep a system so you can refer back to who you've called or spoken with, keep detailed notes about what you spoke about. You never know when those notes will come in handy
 
When I worked at Staples as one of their computer technicians. My manager would tell me to walk around the store to get referalls to come in and get computer work done.

And to be honest, Im a crappy salesman. I preferred to stay behind the counter.

Anyways, here is what I would recommend.

If your planning to actually go out looking for referals. I would definitely make business cards and make little flyers. Make the flyers maybe 4x5 or 5x6 in size That gives a very quick explanation of what you do and what you can offer. This will give them something something to look at while you "sell yourself".

I would also staple your business card to the flyers as it will give them a more professional appearance.

Thats what I did and it worked for me. However, I was in uniform and within my building, so it wasnt like I am approaching someone at like starbucks or something.

Worth a shot Id say. And also, if you have a shirt with your logo on it. Wear it when you do this. They will notice.
 
You got alot of great idea's from the forum. I am a believer that referrals drive business and a dedicated referral program is the key to business growth. You said you were busy 6 days a week in the summer; you had a wealth of referral opportunities!

Here is a little clip that can get you started.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAg4SRi3DBo&NR=1]Bob Burg's Endless Referrals Video Briefs - Asking for Referrals Part 2 - YouTube[/video]

good luck!

:dblthumb2:

Fussman
 
Good points Mike! I work for a auto parts company, and I deal with all the shops in my town. So when I first started my business, I used them as my first customers, and give them business cards, and flyers for their customers. Since April I am doing well, am I busy enough to do this full time, no. Slowly I want to take it, get the word of mouth out, build my porfolio, and have reference's. I hope in five years to have enough business to support my family, and make 15% more then I did with my full time job.
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Mel Craig teaches a technique called the Ten Foot Rule, that is you introduce yourself and what you do to anyone standing within 10 feet of you as normal practice or way of promoting yourself.

So if you're in line at the grocery store, while you're standing there you market yourself. It's a numbers game. You tell enough people who you are and what you can do for them and show passion with professionalism, and sooner or later you're going to pick up new customers.

If you do good work, then these new customers will tell their friends and you'll get referrals. It all starts with having the guts and the confidence in yourself to speak up. Of course also use some judgment.


When I first started out in this industry my first boss, Jack Birkby told me when making cold calls, if someone says "no", you don't walk to the next door, you run to the next door. It's a numbers game, sooner or later you're going to get a "yes" and the more effort you put into the process the sooner you'll get to a new "yes" customer.

This assumes you have a good product or service to start with and you do!


Food for thought...


:)
Click to expand...

If only there is a "like" button.
 
Call every one of the customers you did work on during that busy 6 week period. Ask them how their car is looking. Tell them you are running a special (make something up). How about winter preventive service? Get busy all over again with your existing customer base. While also building on the ideas already shared in this thread. Good luck. Hang in there.
 
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