THA 047: Twenty-One TIPS to Get an Edge on the Competition – Part 2
Do you need a quick new idea to implement that will give you an edge?
In this Academy lesson get 21 TIPS (Part 2) to help give you an edge over the competition. These are some very simple ideas that have been collected from successful service professionals in the industry.
Implementation will be the big payoff. If you listen to learn just one thing and do not implement you will not benefit from this listen.
RR 284: Women In Auto Care Honorees
Women In Auto Care Honor Their Own.
The 2017 Honors for Auto Care Woman of the Year Laura Soave, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Federal-Mogul Motorparts, Female Shop Owner of the Year, Carolyn Coquillette, owner of Luscious Garage in downtown San Francisco and Auto Care Woman of Excellence, Jill Trotta, the Director of Automotive Group at Repair Pal.
The WIAC connect, empower and mentor women in our auto care industry. In 2017 they provided educational scholarships worth $65,000. More on that inside this fun and inspiring episode.
THA 040: The Extreme Value in Doing a SWOT On Your Business
The Power of Performing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity, Threats) Review of Your Business.
Join Maryann Croce, Greg Bunch and Murray Voth for a wide-open discussion on the power and value doing a SWOT on your business. These three aftermarket professionals know the worth and outcome of a well-done SWOT.
Involve your team, assign priorities to the outcome and create a timeline to do the things discovered in this exercise. You are creating a strategic plan to best prepare your company for doing business in today’s market and into the future.
Go to the show notes page for this Academy episode #40 to download support tools.
RR 257: Tom Marx, MAAP – Marx Group & Hart Marx Advisors
Shops That Have Created a Brand Where People Trust You Find Their Business Booming.
Tom Marx, MAAP, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer from The Marx Group, a full-service marketing communications agency, says the service segment of our industry is in the Golden Age. He is also very outspoken on industry consolidation as a partner in Hart Marx Advisors a mergers and acquisition consultancy.
Tom knows the aftermarket and the service professional. He’ll be speaking at AAPEX 2017 on ‘Amplifying Your Brand’. In the interview, Tom talks about industry consolidation from both the service and distribution side. He also shares his perspectives on training, marketing and the need for quality financial statements, if you are interested in selling your business.
THA 028: Twenty-One TIPS to Get an Edge on the Competition – Part 1
Do you need a quick new idea that will give you an edge on your competition?
In this Academy lesson get 21 TIPS that have been implemented before to help give you an edge over the competition. These are some very simple ideas that have been collected from successful service professionals in the industry.
Implementation will be the big payoff. If you listen to learn just one thing and do not implement you will not benefit from this listen.
RR 248: Tom Lambert from Shadetree Automotive
Do You Expect Your Customers to be ‘Customers For Life?’
Tom Lambert from Shadetree Automotive in Layton, UT has a goal to keep customers for life. Everything done in the business and through marketing efforts works toward that goal.
Lambert can say this because he has built a company with a strong culture of caring from a highly motivated, yet laid back team that loves to have fun.
The key to his success was hiring a business coach to bring the guidance he needed to see things from a different perspective. His organization is experiencing 10% growth each year and will top out at $2.5 M in revenue this year.
THA 020: How To Sell 250K Mile Maintenance & Save Your Customers Thousands
Customers need to see and understand the data on how they can save enormous money if they kept their car for 12 years.
We keep our largest investment for many years so why not our cars. This panel had a great discussion on the pros of helping your customer extend the life of their vehicles. The numbers are key and when you can show the ROI or savings to your customer they start to understand.
We know the benefits so it is your job to engage and show the customer how you can help extend the life of their vehicle and engage them in a disciplined maintenance program at your shop.
RR 240: Marion Miller from Complete Marketing Resources
Have You Ever Wondered If Your Website Is Keeping Pace with The Needs Of Your Customer?
Marion Miller from Complete Marketing Resources is a website expert. Her company has received Top 10 Automotive Website honors in 2015 & 2016. She is keeping pace with changing technologies and especially with what works for consumers.
Among ten top talking points we talk about the power of your home page, the evolution of web-based search (will you be ready for this change), the value of blogging, and the top three ingredients to an award winning website.
THA 023: Social Media – How To Strategies
This Academy Panel says Social Media is the Most Important Marketing Tools at your Disposal.
Carrie-Lynn Rodenberg, Greg Buckley and Ron Haugen discuss their views on the power of social media. They talk about the value of posting, how they do it, the frequency, and where they get content. The panel discusses the long term viability of websites and the growth and power of Facebook and Google into the future.
Greg Buckley shares his five “E’s”: Educate, Engage, Entertain, Entice and Elevate as it relates to Social Media. Ron Haugen shares his inspirations for posts and a sure method to grow your likes.
THA 014: Customer Retention Strategies
Do you have a customer avatar, a profile of your ideal customer?
Listen to this great lesson on customer retention and marketing from Gene Morrill, Ron Haugen and Maylan Newton as they bring to the forefront, customer marketing budgets and a yearlong plan, social media, special events, car care clinics and digital service reminder.
Many great ideas to jump start or re-invent your customer retention strategy.
RR 237: Rhonda Hiltbrand – News Works Marketing Group
Does Direct Mail Newsletter Marketing Work?
Join Rhonda Hiltbrand for a frank discussion on direct mail marketing. She sees a place for direct mail and especially newsletter marketing for service professionals.
Learn why direct mail is not dead and how it blends with social media. Rhonda talks marketing ROI, the tactics behind newsletters and why we are fighting clutter every day.
She says a newsletter is a platform to talk to your customer and help you stand out among the 6,000 advertising messages we are bombarded with every day.
THA 012: What Keeps You Up at Night?
What Keeps You Up At Night? Is a metaphor on what we are concerned with as the world changes at unprecedented speeds.
You need to get out ahead of change and set the vision for your company. Paying attention to every business opportunity and challenge along with technology, business culture and finding and keeping good people helps you sleep well. The occasional 2 AM get up ‘thought’ just may signal an important strategy to pay attention to.
RR 233: Brian Weeks from atc AutoCenter
How can a Re-Branding Strategy Create a Total Make-Over for this Family Business and Prepare for Market Growth.
Brian Weeks and his brother Chris from atc AutoCenter in Augusta, GA bought out their Dad in 1999 and worked hard in the family transmission business. Their story is typical until they both realized that their current business model was under stress. They needed to make changes to allow them to grow and meet market demands.
Brian shares the re-branding story, and how he and his brother made the bold moves to work on their business instead of in it.
RR 214: Carrie-Lynn Rodenberg from Turnkey Marketing
Did you know that it may take 12 marketing touch points with your customer or potential customers to get them you’re your door?
Carrie-Lynn Rodenberg owner of Turnkey Marketing is totally focused on the service professional.
Many service professionals do marketing and social media well. You will affirm you strategies with Carrie-Lynn. If you struggle with marketing or social media, you will find many ideas to help you get started or to help you understand how to start.
The episode contains talk on customer touch points, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linked In. We also cover organic content creation and how to optimize all your marketing channels for the greatest impact for your efforts.
RR 199: Brett Beachler from Beachlers Vehicle Care & Repair
Third Generation Service Professional is Known, since 1951, as a Super Ethical shop that Never Compromises.
Brett Beachler is Vice President of Beachlers Vehicle Care & Repair. Brett’s grandfather Bob started the business and his Dad Terry is active every day. Beachlers believes that customers need to be taught the concepts of automotive and become friends. They are known throughout their community as the shop of second options.
Helping their customers get 250K miles from their vehicle helps drive the high maintenance numbers the shop performs. Giving tours of the new facility is a smart tactic and strives to educate their customers of the behind the scenes of automotive repair.
To add to their new customer growth Brett has instituted a traveling lunch and learn program in his community and has a strong charitable program for new customers first oil change.
RR 185: Bill DeBoer Jr, AAM from DeBoer’s Auto Sales and Service
High Flying Entrepreneur Combines Used Cars with Automotive Service to Create the Right Formula.
Bill DeBoer, AAM has been responsible for bringing innovations in daily operations to the full-service, high-tech auto repair facility for 20+ years. Started by his dad in 1982 DeBoer’s also sells used cars.
DeBoer speaks to the value ride sharing will bring to his business, his new mastermind group, and his new Car Care Club among many other topics.
RR 167: Eric Svedberg from Automotive Specialists
How efficiency drives sales and profits for this three-bay service professional.
Eric Svedberg started as an Amoco dealer at the age of 22. Now at 45 years old he has much to share as a young man with 23 years of hard knocks experience. He adopted the slogan ‘Dealer Alternative’ from the day he opened.
RR 156: Kathleen Long from Repair Pal
It doesn’t take much for consumers to be disloyal to their repair shop.
Kathleen Long the VP of Customer Success and GM of the Shop Network at RepairPal shares results of their constant surveying of the automotive consumer. This episode is packed with quantifiable and conceptual strategies to improve the service professionals total customer service experience.
This data brings a perspective to what needs to be done by the service professional to accommodate the consumer’s needs and perceptions that will grow their service business.
Episode highlights include warranty, reviews, pricing, the showroom or lobby, bathrooms, loaner cars, quality vs convenience, texting, and a good bedside manner. There is something here for everyone.
RR 155: Social Media Strategy with Greg Buckley & Frank Leutz
How strong is your social media strategy?
Many service professionals wonder how valuable and important a great social media presence is to connect with their customer’s digital DNA.
Learn from early adopters Frank Leutz from Desert Car Care and Greg Buckley from Buckley’s Auto Care. These two service professional entrepreneurs are sharing their strategies and how-to concepts for creating or improving your social media presence.
RR 136: Dave Erb from Hire Frederick
Dave Erb has been in the auto industry for over 30 years. His experience ranges from working in a parts store to every position on the automotive service side of things. Dave purchased his first failing shop in 1997. He sold his businesses and is now channeling his first love ‘marketer helping shop owners grow…
RR 133: TJ Reilly from Same Day Auto Service
Great stories told here from a service professional who spends very little time at his business. This Japanese Repair Specialist operates in Clackamas, Oregon. The Business TJ Reilly has over 40 years of industry experience and 30 years as a shop owner. He started his business from scratch, and has the experience of being both…
RR 103: Dave Erb
Have you ever thought about selling your business? Do you have a buyer? Want to hear the story from a thirty-year industry veteran who recently sold his businesses to an investor?
Dave Erb has a great story from buying his first shop to hitting his first $100K month. Ever thought about attending Leadership 2.0? Yes, but never pulled the switch. Dave will convince you why it was such a great move for him.
He shares some great wisdom he learned in the school of hard knocks. Invest in yourself … listen now!
RR 097: Jeff Ruffing from Ruffing Automotive Services
Can you relate to this: Jeff Ruffing from Ruffing Automotive in Kaukauna, WI, yes a Packers fan, started washing cars at a Buick dealership in 1985. Later that year he was asked to bring his tools in when a technician was injured. When he started his own shop he got into business with ‘’training wheels” on…
RR 095: Tim Davison from Chumbley’s Auto Care
Meet third generation owner, Tim Davison from Chumbley’s Auto Care in Indianola, IA. Chumbley’s got it roots as a service station over 59 years ago. Tim Davison talks about those roots and how it has led to the very personal business it is today. Tim’s been in the industry for 35 years and 17 of them…
RR 027: Bogi Lateiner from 180º Automotive
Meet Bogi Lateiner from 180º Automotive in Phoenix, AZ. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Oberlin College in just three years with a double major in Womens’ Studies and Pre-Law. Listen to her story on how she got where she is today. Her nine year old shop has an all-female tech team, working eight bays…