Checking the competitor

[t4k]

I would completely disagree with the anyone can do sales bit, some guys just cannot handle rejection.

Very true Screenman, sales is much harder than WR.

[sunshine wr]

In the words of someone Here, Practice , Pratice , And Some More Practice!!

[Frank EU]

Screenman is right. This is a sales industry. One of the main reasons why Belron-companies, are so succesfull globally (such as Safelite, Autoglass, CarGlass and O Brien) is because they do understand how to sell. They handle this as if it was a retail product -and rightfully so. Yet we all know how awfull their repairs typically can be -not all of course, but still too many.

[D2D]

Screenman said, "some guys can't handle rejection".

Whenever I have the opportunity to mentor someone into this or any other service business, the first question I ask is, "do you know how to sell?" The usual answer is, no, I can't sell, or, no, I just can't see myself selling. And my response is, that's OK if you don't know now but you must be willing to commit yourself to master every aspect of being in business. If you really can't or just won't then save your money and time and the time of a lot of people that are available to help you.

There are more than enough resources on the book shelves and the internet for motivation and inspiration that there is no excuse. Dr Phil's life law #1 is, "you either get it or you don't".

Go back and look up the posts in Business Development of Mark Howey, AKA Chipstop. Don't forget to look up Coitster's posts. The "how to" is all here.

I'm reminded of the fact that all the superstar, multimillionaire athletes still have to go back to training camp every year and practice the fundamentals. I have found that the more successful I become, the more I have to remember this and keep up the practice and the mental and physical focus and discipline.

Someone else said, this is an easy way to make a living. It's easy because there is plenty of work. More stone damaged windshields that even Belron can't do them all even if they become the biggest whale in the ocean. I can report that since the beginning of the "recession" in the summer of "08, I've had no detectable "downturn" in my business. Me and the undertaker seem to have something in common.

So here you have a great recession proof business, so why do so many struggle with it? IMHO, and from my own experience, it may be that it is too simple. Who would ever think that such a mundane task could be such a profitable business? I constantly remind myself that here I am out doing this simple little service and getting paid more than 80% of the people I meet. Yes, you read that right, 80%.

I've talked to techs around the country, and I'm guilty of this myself, that say that WSR is just a stepping stone for them until they can get into a "real business". Well, at the beginning of this year when I commenced a complete marketing makeover, it was and is with a total committment that this is what I do and I'm going to do it to make money to take care of my family and make us financially secure. Financial security means for me, always having enough.

And all I do is walk up and knock on that door-------------

[screenman]

I wonder what enough is, this will certainly be a completely differnt amount for all of us.

[Frank EU]

D2D: well spoken. We also have no detectable loss of income, instead: we're expanding. As I mentioned before: this business is recession proof, one should just be willing and able to go out, to do the work and learn.

[screenman]

No recession here, but I do get calls almost everyday from guys who cannot find work. They sure are not doing enough selling, I do not know of anyone in the UK who does Coistering, maybe it is time someone did. However with very few insurers paying the repairer and people reluctant to pay up front this maybe slightly harder than over in the USA. There is in the UK a huge mistrust of door to door sales people.

[Frank EU]

Screenman: I know at least of ONE guy in your country who did Coistering, his name is Eric H. And Eric just did that years before that Coistering name/approach became attached to the forum-member. He later expanded his business into a nationwide format (mainly parking lots -tent work) which he sold to MARSH (a US business). The old name was Optic Kleer, you probably know Eric but should at least know his business. Eric told me that he started out by knocking doors, he just walked the streets, looking for chips, and than knocked the various doors in that street to find the vehicle owner. From what Eric told me: he did do well by doing so and I have no reasons to doubt his story.

[screenman]

Frank that is exactly right, and I know Eric and have done since he started. However that was in the days when WSR was free, things have changed and for the worse. Now the guys stand the car parks, but not the door to door bit as I understand Coistering to be.

The new scam as we call it over here is to do the free screen repair, telling the customer the insurer will pay, getting the customer to sign the invoice which in very small print says, if my insurer does not pay this invoice in 14 days then I accept liability for payment, the customer then gets a bill 3 weeks later for £95 saying that his insurers have not paid. As the customer signed the agreement he has few options but to pay up. It is a scam, and no more, many of the guys doing it have no more tools than a single bridge, no light, no drill, no dryout and no skill.

[scrubs147]

I have not checked my competition but I know who is doing what and what they're charging. I'll get a customer who hires me to do a full detail on their car. After the job is completed they will compliment on my services and tell me that the last guy was not as thourough or was poor quality. I do charge more for my services but then again, I consider my services to be of a more upscale quality making a vehicle as close to "show-room" as humanly possible. Many of my competitors charge less but as I said, their servies simply do not measure up. I get a few people every now and then who will hang up on me after they make a statement like, "oh, those prices are too high" or, "I can get it cheaper at so-and-so!". Unless I am performing other services such as headlight restoration, I won't budge on my prices. Eventually you get known for the quality of work you do along with your reliability. I do not like it when other detailers call me up pretending to be a potential customer just to see how I opporate and at what prices I charge. I think it's disrespectful and a waste of my time.