Windshield Repair Forum

I'm back! I just had to go to the woods and get that big 11 point buck that was calling my name. Brent, what I suggest is a forum topic entitled, "Business Development" Then we could have subtopics underneath for WSR, or PDR, or HLR, or whatever. A lot of these concepts are transferable so just one heading would be sufficient. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Mark Howie
ChipStop, Inc

Blind Squirrel wrote: I would truly like to know of any other cost effective ways to market a one person home based business to generate enough consistent yearly revenue to pay the expenses of the business, house, clothe, and feed a family of 4 with my wife staying home, doing the bookkeeping and being a homemaker. I don't want to come across as a know-it-all but I've achieved this level of consistency with a combination of servicing fleets (resulting from knocking doors) and cold calling for the retail cash/insurance work.

Hey! Great question, and we will address this in coming posts. What I want you to know is that your input is valuable! If you share your experience, then others will likely do the same. None of us are perfect at this business, it is an ever-green, ever-learning venture. We are here to add our 2 cents to the discussion, and to help raise the standard of excellence.

Thanks for your posts! Have a Delta Day!

Mark Howie
ChipStop, Inc

Ok first we are called fellow chipsters ( Im no chipster) and now we are gonna have a Delta Day? I should warn you I dont drink Koolaid LOL when did Flanders start doing WR?

Why be so harsh to the guy? There's no reason to insult him.

I believe this thread was started to share what you are doing and how you are implementing it. Seems like a bunch of banter so far. It was becuase of lack real involvement by all that the "MASTERMIND" group I mentioned deteriorated to just a couple of us staying in touch via phone. It really was just a couple of us that contributed to the group while others reaped the rewards. If we really want this type of public sharing format to work we all need to contribute/disclose all real working techniques with the implementation specifics.

I have given one. Who next?

If this thread was meant to be theory and priciples of sales and marketing then disregard above as I mis understood.

Most WR buisnesses fail because they can sell there are lots of guys who do great repairs doing something else for work being able to do the repair is something you could teach a chimp success in promoting oneself is harder. Whether you choose the fleet and commercal path Car Dealerships or just plain cold call it involves sales no way to avoid it every market is different and there is no one size fits all answer. My advice is be friendly and professional looking and go out and introduce yourself to people

I agree,you have to get out there and talk with people and let them know what you can do for them.I send a thank you letter for every repair I do and send them a wooden nickel with their invoice # on it.In the letter I explain to them if they give the nickel to someone and I repair the windshield I will send them a check for 10.00.I know that sounds corny but it really helps build your client list.I really enjoy going to small business buildings and working.The main thing in selling is that you dont take rejection personal.Now days people are very scared of being taken advantage of and do you really blame them with all the crooks out there.So when you go to sale make sure that you are proffesional and dont act desperate.I have an answer already in my head for everyone of their ?This business is all about how good a salesman you are and how determined you are.You have to be dillegent,if you want to succed in this business.

To add one thing, learn to RELAX and be at ease in your sales approach. If you are nervous and uptight, it shows.
Be dilligent and patient at the same time. Same thing goes in the actual repair process. Relax and don't rush through things. Take your time and be patient. Time works in your favor and produces better repairs.

Contacts. . . Contacts. . . Contacts

When I started my WSR company, I had very little contacts to work from. I was entering a new field, full time with nothing really to fall back on. So, here I sat with my tools, a training video, and a computer. How in the world was I to make a business to feed my family out of this? I began by writing down a list of everyone I knew. After 5 minutes, I realized that I didn't know many people.--and that lead me to a few discoveries:
1. Get to know people, lots of people. Join the Chamber, or any other group and attend the meetings with the intention of selling your services.
2. Offer to speak at local club meetings about auto safety. Clubs are dying for special speakers, especially if you are funny. Hey, most of the time you get a free meal too!
3. Offer discount cards to specific groups of people. I sent one elementary school a bunch of discount cards with a letter thanking them for the hard work they do. 3 months later, they approached me about our business helping them with a fundraiser. For every ChipStop they sell, the school would get $10.00. Many of them pre-sold the service and about 1/3rd used the service. We raised capitol quickly, and had our name out there rather fast. WHich leads me to the next point
4. Influence the influencers! Retail work, and fleet work depend on us being there when they need us. I can only sell so much, but If I can influence people who have influence over lots of people, then I win. ( example: We offered free repair to all Human resource directors of companies in our city. While we worked for them, we sold the idea that this could be a company benefit for their employees, a discount for cash employees and free to those with insurance. We have ChipDays 3 times a year at one company, and this year all the administration will be done through our website. All we will have to do is get our techs there to do the work.)
5. Keep track of all your customers, prospects, and contacts! Better yet, keep in touch with them. You want get a CRM software package Customer Relations Management. We use ACT by sage, and are soon to be moving to salesforce.com. But understand that here are lots of other software out there that can help automate the one-man-band, so He/she is working like a true pro.

QUESTION: What do you currently use to stay in touch with your contacts? How often do you make contact per year? How often do you keep in contact with fleet managers who tell you they already have someone? Do you? or do you go on to the next?

SM Post #4 Changing my mind

I used to think of WSR as a series of fortunate events. I would look for someone with a chip. I would put on my best sales face, and I would hopefully land the sale. Like a caveman, each day I would wake up hungry, go out and hopefully kill enough to drag back to the cave to feed my family. Some days were GREAT. However, some days stunk. I just hoped that I had more great days than not. That was fatalistic thinking on my part. On great days, I was easy to get along with. On low, or no sales days, I was like a dog with his tail between his legs. Whipped to say the least. One day while attending an AA meeting (yes I am an 18 year member) I heard something that changed me. Now over 18 years of sobriety, I had heard it thousands of times, but some how this time it rang louder than ever before. Here is what I was said: "You can't change your circumstances, but you can change you. Life is not a series of sprints. It is a marathon. Train for the long run."
WOW what a revelation in regards to my business. I then began seeing business development /sales and marketing as a process instead of an event. With this new perspective in mind, I began to see my business in a whole new light. I learned that:

1. People buy when they are ready to buy. For what ever reason they buy, (they like you, your pitch, your uniform, insurance covers it, whatever) KEY: But the main reason people say yes to me, is because I am THERE face to face. If you were THERE instead of me, they would probably say yes to you too. I figured out that I need to be THERE face to face as often as necessary, and if I cannot be THERE in person, then I need to find creative ways to be THERE in other ways. (Remember, the average motorist has 3-4 chips a year) Realistically, I can sell my service twice a year to my current customers, as long as I am THERE when they need me.

2. It is the cumulative effect of the prospecting efforts that leads to WSR long term success, not the impact of any given call. I have several government accounts that pay good. What happens if i don't get their contract next year? I must have a pipeline of many large accounts that I am continuing to cultivate. Right now I am cultivating City and County work, in case my State and Fed work stops.

3. I found that the best time for me to phone call fleets is between 8:00 am and 9:00 am. This does not include car service centers. This is a terrible time for them. At 8-9am works best to get the decision makers on the phone and to get appointments to see them.

4. Decide what you want for the long term of your business. Write it down. When would you like to see it come true? Write it down. Take post it notes and write down all the steps it will take for you to get to that goal. The put them in order. Write them down in your business development 3 ring binder. Chart your course!

5. I cannot change the economy, but I can change mine.

Gotta run, it's 8 am and I have a lot of calls to make!

Yours for the things that matter most,

Mark Howie
ChipStop, Inc