A New Year, a new focus
Really just a dusting off and polishing the old one.
Do you remember why you wanted to start a business? If you’re like me its all too easy to forget once the ball is rolling. When I was an employee fixing dents, I tried to be the best I could be. I read books about the “Extra Mile Principle” and I tried to live by it.
What I didn’t understand was why my boss was so cynical about his customers and what seemed to me at the time… jaded.
Of course you know the reason I couldn’t see it. I wasn’t in his shoes. I didn’t have the pressures, the negative phone calls and customers who refused to pay.
As an employee, I handed these off to him. So I was Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky and I treated customers very well.
As an aside, if you are or have been a customer service oriented person, don’t you find it tough to sit through less than stellar service, say, at a restaurant?
So, looking back, a strong reason for me to start a business was simply the belief that I could do it better. Could give better service. Make people happy.
And so I did…. at first.
Now with a new year upon us, its time for reflection. How am I doing? Do I still want to give outstanding service?
Facing the reflection of time and past incidents with customers, I’d have to say no. Because we encounter people in such brief periods, it really is like a photo album. Each customer a snapshot of a job that took a few minutes or a day or a week when I saw them 3 different times. Once for the estimate, two the drop off, three when they picked up their car.
Little snippets of five minute conversations where you’re given a chance to listen and create a smile.
Oh yes, fixing the car, doing the best quality possible, this is important, but more is needed.
Make them a sandwich
Now though, you see its like serving up a “Service Sandwich”. The bread is the wrapper for your high quality work, which is the meat or filling.
My friend opened a new sandwich franchise and it just hit me that the only thing different about it is the way the bread is made. The bread is so unique it has a shelf life of 45 minutes. Then they throw it away. Gotta keep making more if they want to sell it.
At some point you will realize that even a mediocre dent tech or company can get lots of business if they give great service.
Used car lots prove this over and over. Think of the manager’s criteria.
“Who can make this dent look better in a reasonable amount of time for a fair price and start on it the quickest so I can get it sold?”
In the four points that he just requested how important do you think quality is to him?
Yes its in there, but its not as high up as I think it should be. So I go in and sell him on my quality, which I believe is my best point, mainly because I’m so proud of what I do.
But he doesn’t care. And why should he?
Didn’t I just try to get him to buy part of a sandwich?
My friends’ sandwich shop is case in point. You can’t really claim better meat, cheese, peanut butter or jelly. Freshest ingredients is already Subway’s unique selling proposition.
They can and do make and sell better, or at least different bread. It sets them apart.
Now for a reality check.
Your customer, especially the retail, John Q Public garden variety, cannot tell the difference in your quality and that of the other guys’.
Even if you know him to be a hack, they cannot see it.
It is for this reason I hope you make a mental shift. Think no longer of yourself as dent fixer or metal pusher.
You want to be a marketer of dent repair and not just a doer of dent repair.
Marketing is the bread for your sandwich. It is the one thing you can make better, and its the only thing your customer really cares about since they think your meat is the same as the other guys.
The biggest mistake made is thinking of marketing as something you do. Rather it is what you are. Its not just your yellow pages ad, your sign or your logo on your shirt. It is what you emanate from inside. The advertising and logos are important.
They give you credibility and a good first impression.
To me, the most important reason for pasting your business name on you, your car and your building is this: it keeps you on your toes.
When you drive on the street with signs on your truck or walk around a public place with a logo on your shirt, it changes your behavior. You understand that you represent something more than just you. If you misbehave now, you cost yourself future business.
Need proof that uniforms change behavior? Study the difference between schools with just dress codes and those which require uniforms. There are always fewer problems where uniforms are expected. Why?
Conformity is a part of good behavior. Rebelliousness is the opposite.
Schools with dress codes always will have a few who will push the envelope and show their independent, rebel self, as they try to stand out.
All attitudes, good or bad, are contagious and quickly imitated.
You have the power to create environments where its easy for you to pull out the inner marketer.
Smiling for the customer, being glad they are there, our behavior on the phone, all are improved when its constantly in our face what we are representing.
Looking back through the photo album of sandwiches I’ve been serving up, I see need for improvement.
I sometimes take it personal when customers don’t instantly discern how much better my sandwich filling is.
But isn’t this my fault? Not only am I concerned about the wrong thing, I haven’t done a good job educating them. I have to let them smell the bread.
If you want people to talk about your business and refer their friends, you can create a buzz by standing out from other companies. Give outstanding service and people notice.
Once they get a taste of your good service, then you can shine your wonderful work in front of them. Now you have captivated them with service and you can tell them why your work is superior and things to watch out for.
Myths about business
I listened to a stock market guru the other day talk about investing in “shortfalls” or things that are in high demand and short supply. Probably good advice.
However, does this work in business? There is a myth perpetuated that you want to find a business no one else is doing yet. Find the moving train and get on board early.
The paintless dent repair business had its share of early opportunity grabbers, but now who is left?
Is the PDR market saturated?
Saturation is the point where no more of something can be absorbed, combined with, or added.
Take iced tea for example. You can put a little sugar in iced tea and stir it and it becomes sweeter. Keep adding sugar and what happens? The sugar just floats to the bottom. The liquid can no longer support the addition of any more sugar.
Is it the same in business and especially in PDR?
I’ll come back to this in a minute, first let’s talk about Pizza.
Americans love Pizza so it stands to reason there’s plenty of success stories in the pizza business.
You might have heard of Domino’s Pizza. It was started by Tom Monaghan and his brother in the 1960’s.
I’m certain many folks would call him a fool for starting a pizza business in such a saturated market. Worse, he put it near a college in close proximity to many other pizza joints.
He built that business to over 6000 stores and annual sales in 2006 were 1.4 Billion.
Not bad for a business started in a saturated market.
Hold on, there, Tim. Pizza wasn’t nearly as saturated in the ‘60’s as it is today.
Good point.
Fast forward to 1985 and Papa John’s Pizza. Not only was the pizza market saturated even more than it was in 1960, he had major franchise competition as well.
Twenty years later, there are more than 3000 Papa John’s locations worldwide.
Are you starting to see why market saturation is no excuse for doing poorly?
How to stand out
Your time is far better spent finding the common thread which allowed two companies in the same business to have a meteoric rise and how you might duplicate it.
If you want to pin it down to one thing, its this, each had a unique selling proposition.
Domino’s was “Fresh hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or its free”.
Poppa John’s used “Better ingredients, Better Pizza”.
Notice that each company’s USP was aimed at a different segment of the market. One aims at those who want it fast and the other at those who want quality.
Neither company tries to do both.
Is there something you do better than others that makes you unique?
You know there is. No one had exactly the same experience in business and in life that you have.
As an exercise, write up a list of all the hobbies, businesses, jobs or groups you’ve been in or are interested in. From this, you will see what it is you do or can offer that makes you and your business unique.
So in answer to the question “is PDR saturated”, I give you this. Its far easier now offering repair services to people who have been referred by their insurance company than it was in the early ’90’s. Convincing them it works is a hurdle no longer needing overcome. Every competitor spreads awareness.
You might worry about dent repair becoming a commodity business. A valid concern, yet, what could possibly be more of a commodity than pizza?
This loops back to the importance of being the marketer of PDR not just a dent fixer. You take away the commoditization factor by educating your customer with your marketing.
You might be mistaken for the same as everyone else at first. If you still are after meeting with a customer by phone or in person, what can you change in what you say or do to avoid this?
Using the human condition to your advantage
People love to share news, and this is good for your business. Is it possible to get a referral from someone you’ve never even done business with?
Here is an email circulated inside a company which got me at least one car:
Why did she send this out? We love to share news, but even more, we want to be the first to tell it. Today, this might be called viral marketing, where information circulates about your business like a spreading virus. Can you force it to happen?
No, but you can sure encourage it.
How hard is it to stand out in today’s business world? If what I see in most businesses holds true, not very. You only have to be a little bit better to redirect the flow of money to you.
I have carried the above printed email in my briefcase since the day I got it. Digging it out reminds me of the passion I had when first striking out on my own.
Like a married couple renewing their vows, I have looked at my recent behavior in business and seen the need to ignite the passion once again. To wake up the inner servant who truly wants to help people feel better with refreshingly good service.
So, I leave it with you as a visual cue and reminder of better business through outstanding service. People really do talk behind your back, its up to you to influence what they say.
Happy Pushing,
Tim Olson