Training event in NZ . . . I did WHAT???

[Aaryn NZ]

Hey Folks, Long time no me. :xyxthumbs:

Things have been busy Down Under, I still don’t know why Winter has flipped all the way around from being the slower period to being one of the busiest but I’m gonna take it & run.

We have been sacrificing a few (most) weekends & solidly detailing consistently for a while - mostly to raise the funds for our return to the USA in December but also to ensure we aren’t totally broke when we get home.

I’ll chuck a few pictures in here & there to break up my ramblings. rops:

At the start of the year there was the inaugural ‘Roadhouse Breakfast’ event held here locally, which is very similar to the likes of ‘Cars & Coffee’ etc & has been growing steadily ever since. Even the crisp starts of a frosty Winters morning hasn’t deterred too many & attendance has been good.

This in turn has been a good avenue for business too. I simply don’t advertise, I have a Facebook page & Instagram but other than that we are solely word of mouth. We take out a prize pack every time the Roadhouse Breakfast is on & give it out to a car/person of our choice & that is well received. What also happens is - clients will spot me, & ask me to take a look at ‘so & so’s’ vehicle, & the SIV market is an interesting one here (perhaps the same everywhere) & a lot of the time, it’s not worth the effort to chase.

So for us this market is steadily growing. Last week I had a guy come in through word of mouth with a Yellow Jacket Challenger, & then he went to work & referred his boss to me who booked an appointment for the coming weeks with his Dodge Viper. Needless to say, we’re pretty happy to have such an event happening locally.

Sweet little Austin Clubman that came in for a quick detail & a few paint chip repairs . . . Believe it or not - my Dr ColorChip system had a perfect match for this Orange!!! rops:

So anyway! Some of you may recall me mentioning a while back about being asked by a local car dealership about the possibility of hosting a training event for their in house detailing staff.

I barely spent any time at school to witness any teaching methods at all so I can say, I have very little experience in this field. I have however attended a Mike Phillips Boot Camp Class soI at least know how I want to attempt to teach.

Yeah, I know I know . . . I did say ‘want’. Hahahaha.

No seriously though. I’m meaning, the “hands on” approach. I am well enough equipped to do this - A - because my students will be only 4 in total, & - B - It appears I have enough tools to cover this . . .
I will not however have SIV’s on hand but again, this isn’t a Show Car Detailing Class, with the main objective to streamline their processes, dial in techniques etc & hopefully get them working efficiently. :buffing:

I put together a class schedule, topics etc (hahaha yes, Ange did do this bit, you got me!) & gave all the information/proposal to the right people.

When the Dealer Principal rang today to confirm he wanted his entire team to attend, I must say - I’m hella nervous! What have I done???

I’m sure I’ll be fine. Once I start talking detailing I hope it’s just going to flow. I’m going to make my notes etc over the next month & a bit & prepare the best I can but most of all, I hope the students will take away something good from it.

Mike Phillips - if you’re reading this & have a few tips for me, please do share, actually if anyone here has some tips for me please don’t hesitate to share.

So there you have it! That’s what we have been up to in the Deep South.

Thank you everyone for checking in, it’s greatly appreciated.


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:


Sent from my iPad using Autogeekonline mobile app

 

[Klasse Act]

Opening with an Abarth

Love that orange Austin MINI

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Paul A.]

You'll do great, Aaryn. Just tell them what you know. I would ask the shop boss what he wanted you to relay to them specifically and make sure you cover that.

 

[RTexasF]

I would ask the shop boss what he wanted you to relay to them specifically and make sure you cover that.

EXCELLENT point!!!! If the boss man wants them to get cars out as rapidly as possible then teaching proper polishing techniques wouldn't do them much good or please him either. Make him get specific so you can plan correctly.

 

[LEDetailing]

This is awesome. You will do great at spreading your detailing knowledge.

My biggest piece of advice for dealership detailers is to work clean.

Aaryn, Mike is offline till next week. I’m sure he’d be reading this thread otherwise.

Link to Mike’s thread:
https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...until-tuesday-july-9th.html?highlight=Offline

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Hey Folks, Long time no me. :xyxthumbs:

Things have been busy Down Under, I still don’t know why Winter has flipped all the way around from being the slower period to being one of the busiest but I’m gonna take it & run.

We have been sacrificing a few (most) weekends & solidly detailing consistently for a while - mostly to raise the funds for our return to the USA in December but also to ensure we aren’t totally broke when we get home.

Looking forward to your trip back to the U.S Aaryn,

Let's talk sometime in the near future when you have your dates in concrete.

What also happens is - clients will spot me, & ask me to take a look at ‘so & so’s’ vehicle, & the SIV market is an interesting one here (perhaps the same everywhere) & a lot of the time, it’s not worth the effort to chase.

For those reading, SIV stands for

Special Interest Vehicle

When I return to work next week I'lll write an article that includes my definition for the term and "yes" I agree with you Aaryn, chasing the SIV market is usually not worth the effort. Moslty because too many of the owners of these vehicles don't know the difference between a squirrel or a swirl. :laughing:

There is one way I know of to capture this demographic group of people.

So for us this market is steadily growing. Last week I had a guy come in through word of mouth with a Yellow Jacket Challenger, & then he went to work & referred his boss to me who booked an appointment for the coming weeks with his Dodge Viper. Needless to say, we’re pretty happy to have such an event happening locally.

Word of mouth - always the strongest form of advertising for quality customers. I detailed a Yellow Jacket for a guy a few years ago, cool cars.

So anyway! Some of you may recall me mentioning a while back about being asked by a local car dealership about the possibility of hosting a training event for their in house detailing staff.

I barely spent any time at school to witness any teaching methods at all so I can say, I have very little experience in this field. I have however attended a Mike Phillips Boot Camp Class so I at least know how I want to attempt to teach.

Yeah, I know I know . . . I did say ‘want’. Hahahaha.



No seriously though. I’m meaning, the “hands on” approach. I am well enough equipped to do this - A - because my students will be only 4 in total, & - B - It appears I have enough tools to cover this . . .

I will not however have SIV’s on hand but again, this isn’t a Show Car Detailing Class, with the main objective to streamline their processes, dial in techniques etc & hopefully get them working efficiently. :buffing:

I put together a class schedule, topics etc (ha ha ha yes, Ange did do this bit, you got me!) & gave all the information/proposal to the right people.

When the Dealer Principal rang today to confirm he wanted his entire team to attend, I must say - I’m hella nervous! What have I done???


I’m sure I’ll be fine. Once I start talking detailing I hope it’s just going to flow. I’m going to make my notes etc over the next month & a bit & prepare the best I can but most of all, I hope the students will take away something good from it.

What makes a "good" instructor is a person that has a genuine passion to help others. Someone that is empathetic to their situation. When it comes to car detailing, this would mean someone that can remember how they felt when they first started, that is how it can be both overwhelming due to the plethora of tools, pads and products on the market and also confusing with so many "opinions" flowing around on social media. You know things like,

Use 3 peas sized drops of product

:laughing:


If you have the passion and are empathetic, then you can overcome any nervousness. It also helps to feel comfortable taking control of an audience. And of course, having the real-world experience and command of the topic is a must and you have that Aaryn. :dblthumb2:

Mike Phillips - if you’re reading this & have a few tips for me, please do share, actually if anyone here has some tips for me please don’t hesitate to share.

For you my friend, I will type up some tips that I use myself when teaching classes and send them to you in a PM.

So there you have it! That’s what we have been up to in the Deep South.

Thank you everyone for checking in, it’s greatly appreciated.


Aaryn NZ.

Thanks for the update Aaryn - I hadn't seen you post in a while so I was wondering and almost concerned as to what was up. It's always great to see you busy and not only do you work on some really cool cars but they always look perfect after you work your magic.

 

[mc2hill]

A fantastic group of vehicles to have worked on Aaryn!
I think you will be fine with the class, you already know your stuff, and are the 'Recognized Detailing Expert in your Area' (a title of one of Mike's regular classes!).

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

This is awesome. You will do great at spreading your detailing knowledge.

My biggest piece of advice for dealership detailers is to work clean.

Great tip. I've worked with dealerships as well as body shops and the simple idea of having a clean workspace, including a clean workbench is often overlooked. In my how-to book,

Mike Phillips' The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine Paperback Book


There's a chapter on "getting started" and the first thing it says is you need to work clean. It also shared the idea of wiping down a workbench, or table top or counter. There must be a place to place clean microfiber towels and buffing pads so they don't get contaminated.

Mike Pennington, the Director of Training for Meguiar's always stressed the importance of working clean. He stressed it in every class that he taught that I assisted in and that's where I get the habit of practicing working clean and telling others to work clean.

And this is an example of giving due credit where credit is due. --> Mike Pennington teaching others to work clean.


I never steal other guys stuff. If I use something I learned from someone else I give them credit.

Aaryn, Mike is offline till next week. I’m sure he’d be reading this thread otherwise.

Link to Mike’s thread:

https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...until-tuesday-july-9th.html?highlight=Offline

Thank you so much for sharing that I'm technically off work and offline. I was hoping one of our regulars could do this. Helps me as I don't want anyone thinking I'm ignoring their posts.


PM me your shipping address, when I get back into the office I'll send you a token of my appreciation. Have you tried the BF One Step? How about the BF SiO2 Spray Sealant? Or the Wolfgang SiO2 Coating Wash?



:dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

A fantastic group of vehicles to have worked on Aaryn!

I think you will be fine with the class, you already know your stuff, and are the 'Recognized Detailing Expert in your Area' (a title of one of Mike's regular classes!).

Correctamundo - this is a class I've taught at MTE each year for the last 3, 4 maybe 5 years.

It is without exception - the most popular class I teach there each year. I know you've attended that class. :dblthumb2:

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Thats awesome Aaryn!

Dont Fret. You will do well.

 

[PaulMys]

No problem, Aaryn....... You got this bro!! :dblthumb2:

 

[UncleDavy]

You are going to be great Aaryn. It is easy to talk about something that you are passionate about. All you have to do is engage your audience and show them your techniques. They will start asking questions and you will learn from each other. Enjoy it.

 

[Kamakaz1961]

Way cool! KEEP ON ROCKING! I am particularly fond of the Ruby Red S197 Mustang GT!

 

[Sizzle Chest]

Aaryn, very cool! Don't fret, you will kill it and your students will be captivated by what you are teaching them as well as learn quite a bit! Keep us posted!

 

[SWETM]

Awesome to hear you have been busy! And awesome work my friend!

A tips from me even I know you will be doing an awesome class. Is to be given all of the members in the class attention and engage with every one. Even the ones that don't ask for help is important to notice and engage with. Also have a look at the watch as time flyies by quick when haveing fun. And adjust to the plan if something takes longer than expected or something takes shorter time you can ad time in another subject of the schedule.

Also you are about to teach someone that's already doing the work your are teaching. So it may be difficult to completly change their technique. I would look for ways they can improve what they already doing. Go at it gently and say lets try it this way and see how you like that. And explain what the benefits is with what your way of doing it. This is what's great when doing hands on teaching. As you can see fast what little things you can adjust for them. And where they may need to be completly re-trained.

Great advise to double check with the dealership owner what he want out of the training event. Hopefully it's a higher quality work. But that's often if they are prepared for going with quality products too. So you don't do a training event with orbital polishers and they only have access to rotary polishers LOL. If he want you to get them more effective with the stuff they have. I would fastly get what they are useing in their dealership so you get experienced with the products and tools they are going to be useing. And if you know what the dealership is useing and the owner is on to what would be needed to be changed with both tools and products if needed.

And even if they are experienced it's also important to get to the basics with working clean and maintance of the tools and products afterwards. Mostly it's about what's touching the paint where some cut corners with don't switch to a clean mf towel soon enough and how to wash them and inspect and storage them.

With your passion and dedication you will be doing great job at teaching. Maybe if possible to visit the dealership and their workplace and see how they work can get you more information about what you need to be concentrate on in the training event.


Always enjoying to see your work Aaryn! Some cool and beutieful cars you work on. And they looks amazing after your work on them.

/ Tony

 

[Aaryn NZ]

Opening with an Abarth

Love that orange Austin MINI

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thank you Klasse Act. :xyxthumbs:

Both cool little cars. rops:

You'll do great, Aaryn. Just tell them what you know. I would ask the shop boss what he wanted you to relay to them specifically and make sure you cover that.

Cheers Paul A. :xyxthumbs:

Very good point indeed. I am certainly not expecting to get too involved with the intricate details of paint correction style work, just some good basic techniques, work flow, efficiency etc etc. Definitely going to touch base with the “boss man” about this.

Thanks for chiming in & for the encouragement my friend. rops:

EXCELLENT point!!!! If the boss man wants them to get cars out as rapidly as possible then teaching proper polishing techniques wouldn't do them much good or please him either. Make him get specific so you can plan correctly.

Thanks RTexasF. :xyxthumbs:

Agree, agree & agree. :iagree:

Appreciate you taking the time to comment buddy. rops:

This is awesome. You will do great at spreading your detailing knowledge.

My biggest piece of advice for dealership detailers is to work clean.

Aaryn, Mike is offline till next week. I’m sure he’d be reading this thread otherwise.

Link to Mike’s thread:
https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...until-tuesday-july-9th.html?highlight=Offline

Thank you LEDetailing. :xyxthumbs:

I am a stickler for working clean, I dislike clutter & I am definitely making this a topic. rops: I sure hope I can be great. I’m gonna give it my best shot that’s for sure.

Thanks for the tip about Mike being away, let’s hope Stacy & Mike are doing some relaxing!

Sure appreciate your encouragement my friend. rops:

Thats awesome Aaryn!


Dont Fret. You will do well.

Thank you Mike. :xyxthumbs:

Appreciate it mate. rops:


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[Aaryn NZ]

A fantastic group of vehicles to have worked on Aaryn!
I think you will be fine with the class, you already know your stuff, and are the 'Recognized Detailing Expert in your Area' (a title of one of Mike's regular classes!).

Thank you mc2hill. :xyxthumbs:

Yeah, something odd/cool always seems to pop up around here - Aston Martins to Minis . . . Pretty cool. :buffing:

I haven’t attended Mikes class on that but I recall talking about it at Boot Camp in 2015 & I’m not 100% sure but I have read this article a few times - https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...ike-phillips.html?highlight=Recognised+expert

Thanks for taking the time to comment my friend, hope to catch up in December/January. rops:

No problem, Aaryn....... You got this bro!! :dblthumb2:

Thank you PaulMys. :xyxthumbs:

I really do appreciate the confidence y’all have in me, very cool indeed. rops:

You are going to be great Aaryn. It is easy to talk about something that you are passionate about. All you have to do is engage your audience and show them your techniques. They will start asking questions and you will learn from each other. Enjoy it.

Cheers UncleDavy. :xyxthumbs:

I’m writing stuff down all the time, making notes of things to bring up & discuss. I have never been a good public speaker as such but I have never struggled to talk detailing . . . Well certainly not just off the cuff anyhow. Perhaps my nerves are because it’s organised?

Way cool! KEEP ON ROCKING! I am particularly fond of the Ruby Red S197 Mustang GT!

Thanks Kamakaz1961. :xyxthumbs:

You know, I really dig that car too. I know it’s not a limited model, it’s not the fast version, etc etc but there’s just something about this car that squeals my wheels. Super nice car, 6 speed manual, left hand drive . . . & it’s belongs to one of my coolest, most appreciative customers. Get this - it is Her 100% daily driver too!!! rops:

Aaryn, very cool! Don't fret, you will kill it and your students will be captivated by what you are teaching them as well as learn quite a bit! Keep us posted!

Thank you Scott. :xyxthumbs:

I sure hope so my friend. I will absolutely keep you guys in the loop. I will create a thread when all is said & done too. :xyxthumbs:

Appreciate the support Scott, thank you. rops:


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[Aaryn NZ]

Awesome to hear you have been busy! And awesome work my friend!

A tips from me even I know you will be doing an awesome class. Is to be given all of the members in the class attention and engage with every one. Even the ones that don't ask for help is important to notice and engage with. Also have a look at the watch as time flyies by quick when haveing fun. And adjust to the plan if something takes longer than expected or something takes shorter time you can ad time in another subject of the schedule.

Also you are about to teach someone that's already doing the work your are teaching. So it may be difficult to completly change their technique. I would look for ways they can improve what they already doing. Go at it gently and say lets try it this way and see how you like that. And explain what the benefits is with what your way of doing it. This is what's great when doing hands on teaching. As you can see fast what little things you can adjust for them. And where they may need to be completly re-trained.

Great advise to double check with the dealership owner what he want out of the training event. Hopefully it's a higher quality work. But that's often if they are prepared for going with quality products too. So you don't do a training event with orbital polishers and they only have access to rotary polishers LOL. If he want you to get them more effective with the stuff they have. I would fastly get what they are useing in their dealership so you get experienced with the products and tools they are going to be useing. And if you know what the dealership is useing and the owner is on to what would be needed to be changed with both tools and products if needed.

And even if they are experienced it's also important to get to the basics with working clean and maintance of the tools and products afterwards. Mostly it's about what's touching the paint where some cut corners with don't switch to a clean mf towel soon enough and how to wash them and inspect and storage them.

With your passion and dedication you will be doing great job at teaching. Maybe if possible to visit the dealership and their workplace and see how they work can get you more information about what you need to be concentrate on in the training event.


Always enjoying to see your work Aaryn! Some cool and beutieful cars you work on. And they looks amazing after your work on them.

/ Tony

Thank you Tony. :xyxthumbs:

All very good points. Actually, I knew this was the best place to come & share this because I knew my Autogeek Online Family would have my back & reach out & help me out, & I thank each & every one of y’all. rops:

I keep adding things to my ”class schedule” as I think of things & I’ll keep going over things as time goes on & attempt to make it the best I can.

I have tools of all sorts but as you mention, I am going to try & keep it as close to what they already have at hand. I’m looking forward to it.

Always appreciate your comments & support Tony, thank you. rops:


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[Aaryn NZ]

Looking forward to your trip back to the U.S Aaryn,

Let's talk sometime in the near future when you have your dates in concrete.


For you my friend, I will type up some tips that I use myself when teaching classes and send them to you in a PM.


Thanks for the update Aaryn - I hadn't seen you post in a while so I was wondering and almost concerned as to what was up. It's always great to see you busy and not only do you work on some really cool cars but they always look perfect after you work your magic.

Thank you Mike. :xyxthumbs:

Yes definitely! We have paid for our flights, made accommodation reservations etc so I have all the details. I will send you an email with dates etc this week & I’ll give you a call when you’re back on the floor. rops:

Man, if you could put a few tips in a PM or an Email that’d be more than awesome, I would appreciate that ever so much. :bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

Awh geeze, appreciate the thoughts & yeah, heck! Even I was getting worried about my lack of engagement here at AGO!!! Even if I was busy I could usually find time to browse around a bit & comment here or there but lately, I have lost track of what day it is at times. :dunno:

As always, thank you for the kind words Mike, very much appreciated. I’ll be in touch soon my friend. rops:


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[Misterpaul]

Aaryn, you will be speaking to four people that have some experience in the field. You will not be instructing new inexperienced people. Look at them when speaking, make personal contact. Impart your wisdom from your years of experience. You’ve got this! rops: