Self Appointment and Entrepeneurship
A most interesting question I get is about certification. It seems that all would like a sheet of paper or a card to carry verifying their credentials in the dent business. Admittedly, I am jaded. Came into the business in it’s wild west days when we didn’t know about fogged lights and eyebrows. We lumbered along and learned the hard way ‘cause it’s all we could do.
Around 1995 an enterprising couple of guys decided there ought to be some kind of certification. So they formed a corporation and called it the National Paintless Dent Repair Trade Association. To be part of the group, you would pay them to watch you do a dent. If they felt like you were good enough, you got to be a card carrying member. The backlash was immediate and paralyzing to their purpose. The problem? “Who certifies the certifier?”
One hail broker I know was so perturbed that he formed a non-profit of the same exact name, trademarked it, then sent a cease and desist letter with a threat to sue if they kept using the name.
I thought he was crazy at first. He explained that the real goal of these fellows and their association was to gather all the good techs in a group, then use the clout to wedge into the insurance business. This was evident to him by the way they set it up as a for profit group.
He knew there was and is no need for certification in this field. He also knew there would be plenty of folks who would believe they did need to be card carrying members.
What’s behind this is really our self image. Our willingness to see ourselves as professionals. Go into any office of a person with a college degree and note how their diplomas are displayed just above their heads like crowns as they sit in their chair, ready to intimidate you. Plus they get to add letters to their name.
PDR is a great business and you have the potential to earn far more than most college graduates. Trouble is no one will know how smart or great you are. Doesn’t fare well at cocktail parties.
“What do you do?”
“Paintless Dent Repair”
“What’s that?”
So you explain and even give him a card but you’re still a little stung by his response, “Oh, so you work on cars”.
What we really want is recognition. The trouble with recognition is it ain’t worth much. Can’t feed it to your family. We need the inner strength to appoint our selves to the position of professional. If you’re waiting for someone to do it for you, it won’t happen.
Any business you gotta climb a ladder is not a very good business at all. Look at the trades that have a required apprenticeship with them. They all have very real limits to what one can earn. The trade off must be weighed in relation to the time spent as an indentured servant.
Look at it from the other side. If a pro dent guy starts pushing certification, what’s he really doing? Now that he’s arrived, he wants to make it harder for anyone else to get to his level. Only way to do that is the bureaucracy of certification.
It’s important to remember we are all self employed. Even when we have a job with a time card, we are a business unto ourselves. We are selling our services and time on day to day basis. We may have but one customer our boss or company, but we are in business.
If you are pushing dents you are in the dent business. Might as well treat it like the business it is.
At some point you will have to appoint yourself to the level of professional. How? Like college sports, you go pro when you get paid. That’s right. As soon as you charge for what you do, you’re pro.
In honor of this may I suggest a photocopy of your first check or money received to carry with you. When you feel the need for recognition, pull it out and remember that customer recognized your ability to fix their car.
Perfectionism or self abuse?
Last month I told you about firing my careless friend. The response from that has been interesting indeed. A bit like looking in the mirror in fact.
The conclusion reached is when I act like it all has to be perfect, you figure you’ll never meet my expectations. This is illustrated by the student in school who makes straight A’s but seems to have few friends. Why? She or he is obsessed with their grade staying at that level. Any potential friends who are happy with B’s or C’s make the assumption they’ll never meet their requirements.
It does seem noble to hold one’s self to a higher level, yet there really is no perfect in dent repair, body repair or anything else. It is only an improvement. A repair.
When you watch me work and you see the difference in outcomes, you may feel as though you’ll never get where I am.
Watch me on the DVD’s for technique not for standards. I have confidence in your potential to do far better than I. All you need is mastery. This takes time and measured progress.
Each dent is new and different and I’m happy for this. Get bored easily. Makes it tough to measure though. How do you know you’re getting better? Maybe come back to the DVD’s in a year. You’ll say, “Huh. I’m as good as he is.” Maybe better.
Long hammers contest part deux
Last month I asked for your opinion on why Dent Wizard seems to have a toll booth position in our industry. All answers were entered into a drawing for a set of long hammers. This month’s winner is Richard Parizeault from Canada. Congratulations, Richard and thanks to all who entered.
The purpose behind this question was to help you see that there may be mountains that must be conquered but as you get close to them, it was just a mirage. A mountain that exists only in mind. Like “how do I compete with those guys?” or “What if I’m not as good as that guy?”
The simple answer is to not compete on their level. Never sell yourself as better. Do sell better service. You are needed in your marketplace for one reason. Deliverability.
Proof: I got a call yesterday from a touch up guy with some dents to fix. “Why are you calling me when your own son does PDR?”
He’s too busy!
Sell your service and then make sure to deliver. You’ll have all you can handle.
Fog or stripe?
This months’ DVD is the long awaited best light for PDR contest. In the Paintless Mentor System I teach mostly stripe. Using the fog is a quicker, easier way to learn and does make it easier to see the tool. I still use both.
This DVD will show you five different lights and how the fog is best seen.
Also included is how to convert your existing light to read the fog method.
I promise the best 20 minutes you’ll spend on your dent training.
Till next time,
Tim Olson