THA 163 Make Your Competitor Your Friend We are talking about one of the near and dear to my topics. Getting to know your competitor. We cover all the bases in this discussion. Do me a favor. After you listen. Get in your vehicle drive to a local shop you don’t know. Go in. Introduce yourself and start a dialogue with the owner. If they don’t get what you are there for tell them about this Town Hall Academy Episode 163. Ask them to listen then call you. This may just be the start of a great life long friendship while you are helping to elevate the entire aftermarket. On the panel: Brad Pellman, AAM, from Pellman’s Automotive in Boulder, CO An ASE Master Certified. Paul Marquardt, Shop Owner, Northwoods Auto Techs, Rhinelander, WI, NAPA Trainer, was the NAPA ASE Tech of the year in 2010. Peter Foreman, Integra Tire, Langley, BC, Second Generation Shop Owner Show notes: https://remarkableresults.biz/a163/ Write to me when you do this. I want to know. [email protected]

If you need to be convinced to pay for your technician training you have come to the perfect episode. My guests today are Tyler Hubbard, Owner, I-70 Auto Service, Kansas City, MO, Keith Williamson, Williamson’s Repair & Tire, Bondurant, IA and John Long, Partner, Schertz Auto Service, Schertz, TX These guys nailed the purpose for training, that they pay for training and that this team has brought their key team to Vision 2020. Learn how they manage their training classes here at Vision. Many close their shops and bring the entire team. Listen to how why and one of my panelists spends 3% of sales on training. Last year that was $90,000. So think about having a $750,000 shop and keeping with the 3% of sales that is$22,500 investment in your people, your productivity, happier customers, team retention and being able to take on just about any job that comes in the door. https://remarkableresuts.biz/a162/ Training should be one of the largest investments in your shop. Catch the fever.

THA 161 Insurance Coverage Review - Part 1 Many don’t understand insurance, some feel they are over-insured, some underinsured. When, it is too late, and you have a claim, that is when you learn about coverages. This episode will go a long way to help you comprehend. I’m with Bambi Crozier, Car Clinic in Lowell, AR, Kim Aurenheimer, CS Automotive, Brentwood, TN and Brad Hazelwonder, Federated Insurance. We are all over insurance. When I owned my business doing an insurance review was never something I looked forward too, HOWEVER, I knew how important it was to me, my people and the business. The show notes are already done for you and could serve as a great meeting outline. Go to remarkbleresults.biz/a161. Copy and paste the talking points and also find my guest’s bios and links to their previous episodes.

THA 160 Shop Owner Forum Part 2 Joining me with this second part Shop Owner Forum an ‘Ask The Shop Owner’ format is Maryann Croce from Maryann Croce, Croce Transmissions, Norwalk, CT and SmallBizVantage.com, Andy Bizub, Midwest Performance Cars, Chicago, Tony Tatich, TMT Complete Auto Service Center, Bremen, IN The team answered questions ranging from sources for new customers, ARO growth, time hacks, loaner cars, adding branch stores, paying for technician training, and employee engagement among others. Find the key talking points, my guests bio’s and links to their previous episodes at remarkableresults.biz/a160.

https://youtu.be/t3cgw0Mbc2YJeremy O’Neal President and lead sales trainer for Advisorfix, began his career as a Service Advisor and moved into Service Management at the dealership level for VW, Audi, and Porsche. He consistently placed in the top 3% of Service Advisors across the nation.With a passion for helping others, Jeremy started coaching Service Advisers in 2007. Jeremy also owns an independent auto repair shop Freedom Auto Repair in Hesperia, CA. Previous episodes HERE. Link to Advisorfix HERE.Todd Zimmerman is Dynamic Automotive's Location leader. Previous episodes HERE.Jayson Preston. Supervisor, Parts and Service, Curt's Service Inc., Oak Park, MI Previous episodes HERE.Key Talking Points: Role Play #1 - Incoming Lead: Calling for a price on a Timing Belt. 2012 Honda Odyssey Touring 3.5 122,500 Miles. Original BeltGetting the car into the shop is a priorityNo dead air on phone call- connect with customer and keep them talking, guide call and establish control of the conversation When you answer the phone be fully presentPricing is transparent, don’t be afraid of it Role Play #2 - Sales Presentation - Oil Change Customer. 2017 Honda CRV AWD 63,900 Miles.People deny work depending on price, trust, or no time If you don’t know why the customer is turning down work then you can’t fix vehicle problemBrake pads- safety issueGive one total price instead of line by line price Role Play #3 - Selling Diagnostic Services over the phone. The customer calls in and asks how much to diagnose my check engine light.Asked for appointment multiple timesNeed to ask the type of vehicleStand ground for a testing fee- able to accurately fix the vehicle with running proper testing, taking the guesswork out of the equationSafe to drive? Yes can drive it to shop to get it fixedRCA- root cause analysis  Resources:A special thanks to Jeremy O'Neal, Todd Zimmerman, and Jayson Preston for their contribution to the aftermarket.Books Page HEREListen to all Remarkable Results Radio, For The Record and Town Hall Academy episodes.Facebook   Twitter   Linked In   EmailMobile Listening APP's HEREJoin the Ecosystem - Subscribe to

THA 158 Ask the Shop Owner Get ready to be engaged in this open forum, where anything goes. This panel is answering questions that have been sent in or provided over the Zoom webinar platform or off of Facebook … Keep in mind we record this live Academy and repurpose each Thursday for you. I thank my panel for being ‘on the spot’ in this audio workshop. My Guests are Rachael Wacha, City Auto Repair, Gainsville, FL Kate Jonasee, K-Tech, Sebastopol, CA (MSO) Donnie Hudson, Troy Auto Care, Troy, MI (MSO) Jeremy Winters, Service Manager at Weavers Auto Center, Shawnee, KS Find the talking points at remarkableresults.biz/a158. Questions brought up centered around - business culture, labor rates, comebacks, EVs, succession planning, training among other topics. Getting fresh perspectives on these trending topics gives you a foundation on how to build a better business. So appreciative to the panel as they delivered their A-game with honest and transparent answers so that all in the aftermarket benefit from their perspective.

THA 157 Flat Rate vs Hourly-Bonus Hybrid Pay Plans With me on this Academy is Jeff Matt, Victory Auto Service, and Glass, Minneapolis, MN, Joe Hanson, Gordie’s Garage, Roseville, MI, Mike Maloney, Convenience Auto Service, An Arbor, MI and Corey Evaldi, Olmsted Auto Care, North Ridgeville, OH Find the show notes at remarkableresults.biz/a157. Use them as an outline for yourself or a meeting. There is no right or wrong answer as it relates to how you pay your technician team. If it is a modified flat-rate or hourly/bonus program your best intentions is to keep the focus on taking care of your customer and providing a living wage for quality days work for your team. One mention here that I need to address. If you or anyone on your team is living paycheck to paycheck or even beyond your means, any increase in may will be lost on bad spending habits. You can get help to get out of debt and to create a budget. One great resource is Dave Ramsey.

THA 156 Localize National Training This THA was recorded LIVE while at the ASA Colorado Summit 2020in Denver. We were in the lobby of Lincoln tech. I believe you’ll be able to relate to much of the discussion we had on training. My biggest take-a-way is three words spoken by Phil Carpenter. He said ‘Training Is Maintenance’. Let that sink in. Roll it around … ‘Training is Maintenance’. If that resonates with you or means something to you /// then as you listen to this great audio workshop, make a stronger commitment to training. With me to talk about localizing national training were Bryan Gossel, BG Automotive, Fort Collins CO, Phil Carpenter, Director of Operations, Urban AutoCare and Avalon Motorsports, Judi Haglin and Brad Pellman from Pellman’s Automotive in Boulder, CO

THA 155 Are You Selling Tires Many of you do not do tires. Some do it only if asked by the customer. Some, as two of my guests, have about 50% of their volume in rubber. The goal of this audio workshop is to set up opportunities and challenges for you to re-think your commitment to selling tires. I’ve got two tire professionals, these guys are in the tire business, Jae Malinowski from Faithful Tire and Auto in Saskatoon, SK and Chris Tolleson, 49 Tire, Richland, MS. My third guest Jim Fleischman, from Automotive Alley, Arcade, NY is a typical service center that sells tires but does not promote them. We talk margins, alignments, one-stop shopping, banner programs, and road hazards among other really good discussions. Find the talking points at remarkablersults.biz/a155 They go round and round and maybe tires are the perfect specialty to round out your business for a sales boost in 2020.

THA 154 Cash Is King This audio workshop could just be the best medicine for 2020. Don’t just listen and learn but implement a new discipline around cash flow management. Cash is King and we are going to go wide open on how to generate cash and how to use it to bring stability and grow your business. This episode just may change the course of your business. We are talking about CASH. It is the lifeblood of your business. With it there is nothing you can’t do and without it you are terminal. Many know and understand why cash flow is so important, many do not. How do you feel when you are cash poor and how do you react when the business is generating enough cash to sustain great salaries, new equipment, and even expansion. Greg Bunch from Transformers Institute and Aspen Auto Clinic, Bob Greenwood, CEO of Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Center and Jeremy O’Neal, Freedom Auto Repair in Hesperia, CA and President of AdvisorFix.