You're industry lingo is not good for business

thebamboo23

thebamboo23

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Heeeyyy Geeks,

I know using words like paint correction, ph neutral, and polymers sounds cool for us detailers.

Especially since it's used in almost every website that is posted here

But in reality, it's hurting you with potential customers.

It's unnecessary friction added to the prospects thinking about hiring you as their detailer :nomore:

Check out the blog post to see what you can do about it! :xyxthumbs:

You're confusing all your customers! - Car Detailing Business Blog
 
I've found this to be true lol

For this job, he asked me if I could go look at the truck. So I told him we can do a 1 step job today. He said huh???

Then I said, cleaner wax. then he says huh??? (did the hand over head, like a plane passing by lol)

then light polish... (getting closer)

So I finally say, ok how about we make her nice and shiny and I'll wax her for you too.

Then made the deal lol

IMG_40283.JPG
 
LOL! I wish I could agree with the entirety of the blog however I seriously doubt I could express my level of expertise if I was to approach a potential customer saying

"Y'all want me to put a shine on that turd!!"

I do agree that leading with all the verbiage can be a major turnoff hence the reason I advocate "let the customer lead the conversation". Most often we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we regurgitate everything we know on the subject trying to impress. Worse is when we start bashing others in order to position ourselves as the best in town. Best to have "casual restraint" and "quiet confidence"..... AND "always under promise and over deliver"
 
Art and I have discussed this at length in the past...

Always speak to the level of your Audience


The art of this conversation is, which question to ask the Customer 1st to establish their level of knowledge & what is most important about the transaction, whatever the subject or product for sale
 
hernandez.art13 said:
I've found this to be true lol

For this job, he asked me if I could go look at the truck. So I told him we can do a 1 step job today. He said huh???

Then I said, cleaner wax. then he says huh??? (did the hand over head, like a plane passing by lol)

then light polish... (getting closer)

So I finally say, ok how about we make her nice and shiny and I'll wax her for you too.

Then made the deal lol

IMG_40283.JPG
Click to expand...

haha yup! We've all been there Im the MAN

allenk4 said:
Art and I have discussed this at length in the past...

Always speak to the level of your Audience


The art of this conversation is, which question to ask the Customer 1st to establish their level of knowledge & what is most important about the transaction, whatever the subject or product for sale
Click to expand...

GOOD ADVICE!


Dr_Pain said:
LOL! I wish I could agree with the entirety of the blog however I seriously doubt I could express my level of expertise if I was to approach a potential customer saying

"Y'all want me to put a shine on that turd!!"

I do agree that leading with all the verbiage can be a major turnoff hence the reason I advocate "let the customer lead the conversation". Most often we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we regurgitate everything we know on the subject trying to impress. Worse is when we start bashing others in order to position ourselves as the best in town. Best to have "casual restraint" and "quiet confidence"..... AND "always under promise and over deliver"
Click to expand...

I ALWAYS refer to this quote when it comes to explaining ANYTHING: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein

I would say it's not about expressing your level of expertise.. it comes down to fundamentals of "Can you solve my problem without ripping me off?" and if you can, then how you say it is very irrelevant :xyxthumbs:
 
allenk4 said:
Art and I have discussed this at length in the past...

Always speak to the level of your Audience


The art of this conversation is, which question to ask the Customer 1st to establish their level of knowledge & what is most important about the transaction, whatever the subject or product for sale
Click to expand...

Actually Kyle, I do practice the discussions we had, "Always speaking to the level of your Audience" (just taking practice) and thanks for the advice.

Just so much info was going through my head at the time, but then I remembered our discussion, so instead of getting all technical and explaining to him what a 1 step is, or what a cleaner wax will do. I just went and said "shiny" lol and it worked.

your a salesman Kyle, I've somewhat seen how you seal the deal. I still remember how you dressed your tires at TNOG and you came to me and said "look Art..." lol :D

I did aim high for the pricing of the job and it worked! I bet Tommy could have gotten an even better price.

and I'm still in for the job you were talking to me about, so just let me know and count me in.

I am going to big bear next week though. Im the MAN
 
thebamboo23 said:
Heeeyyy Geeks,

I know using words like paint correction, ph neutral, and polymers sounds cool for us detailers.

Especially since it's used in almost every website that is posted here

But in reality, it's hurting you with potential customers.

It's unnecessary friction added to the prospects thinking about hiring you as their detailer :nomore:

Check out the blog post to see what you can do about it! :xyxthumbs:

You're confusing all your customers! - Car Detailing Business Blog
Click to expand...

Sell the benefit not the feature.
 
"I am going to big bear next week though"


Congratulations on the decision Art


Looking forward to the formal opening "The Art of Detailing"
 
Dr_Pain said:
Worse is when we start bashing others in order to position ourselves as the best in town.
Click to expand...


If I need work of any nature, be it to my car, my house, etc., one big turn off to me is to hear a business owner start dogging the other business owner down the road. Anyone that does this is a big turn off for me and they will NOT get my money. Therefore, I will NOT speak evil of a competitor...ever. It's just bad business to me. A persons work either stands on it's own merits, or it doesn't stand. Besides, it's good to have competition and I'd rather we help each other when and if at all possible.

It's an entirely different thing to hear a potential customer make comments of another business. However, even then it's best to listen rather than speak.
 
thebamboo23 said:
I would say it's not about expressing your level of expertise.. it comes down to fundamentals of "Can you solve my problem without ripping me off?" and if you can, then how you say it is very irrelevant :xyxthumbs:
Click to expand...


I will agree for the most part, but it is about selling yourself. For some potential clients, that's conveying expertise, others it's simply in stilling confidence or being easy to work with.

Saying things simply has it's pitfalls. Saying you will make the car shiny for $150 is ok, but if you finish and the client is upset because you didn't get a scratch out, that's problematic. Setting the expectation is key and for me, that means explaining what I'm going to do, how it differs from others and what the result is; this sets the expectation and justifies my cost. If someone doesn't like it, I don't want them as a client.

Your advice, however, is key when dealing with internet based sales. I get a basic email: how much to buff a 99 civic? I need to be concise and provide a qualified cost.
 
I disagree with this really. If your paint correction section explains what it is and show pictures of what it is then shouldn't be a problem. I never had a problem with any of the wording on my website. When your talking to a customer you should always ask what are you looking to get done. Then you can go from there and get an idea what they want done. Then I give them options of what I can do for them.
 
I learned the realities of this years ago as a late teenager selling for Circuit City...

you figure out very quickly that your customer (ones that arent browsing)will need to be communicated in one of 3 ways:

1: the info hoarder - you can pretty much unload your entire vocabulary on the topic and they'd be happy because they either want to know more badly, want to prove they know more than you, or want to prove to themself that you know and are worth buying from.

2: proof in the pudding. - these folks couldn't care less what the numbers and specs say, they know what they can see, hear and touch. Demos and examples are what they care about to make it real to them.

3: slasher - these folks go straight for the lowest price tag, period. they need something that does 'X', and no other things weigh more in their mind than how much it costs to do 'X'. all other info, features, and demos are meaningless to this customer.
 
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