Free Auto Repair Management Tips Blog

The Lone Wolf Approach to Leadership

We romanticize the image of the “Self-Made Man” and “Self-Made Woman” in American society. The idea is that this person pulled up their bootstraps and then walked out in the business wilderness as a lone wolf with no pack to help them. It makes for a great Liam Neeson movie, but what if we told you that this is exactly that? This leadership idea is fictional, and it doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as the “Self-Made Individual”. It’s a myth. Every successful person you know and every leader you aspire to be employed a support team which helped them navigate the wilds.

Whether you realize it or not, you are where you are as a result both of your own hard work and the support of the people around you. All the teachers, parents, employees, friends, and mentors that were there for you through both thick and thin. They believe in you, and now it is time to see their value for what it is worth. You hone a set of behaviors over time called leadership skills. Just like the best teachers and coaches we know, you have to develop the skill in order to perfect it.

You Can Do This – It’s Proven to Work

Fixing the ingrained leadership faults and shortcomings that we believe we have is possible through practice and good coaching. While some people have that innate ability to lead, most people find their ability through trials and tribulations. The best leaders we know faced great hardships on their way up. You have the team and you have the support. Now, you just need to learn the best way to lead the charge for everyone.

Take the YOUTOOLS Leadership Journey with Brian Gillis

At You Net Results, we plug you into a powerful network of other business leaders, where you share and grow off of each other’s successes and hardships. We get rid of that lone wolf approach and then transform it into a true collaborative leadership mentality. People want to see that their leaders understand them, as well as the world around them. As a leader, it is important to see the value in the people around you; to enhance their ownership of their role in your business life.

We teach you about the “Silent Thieves” ruining your ability to lead and perform as a business effectively. Then, we help you fix your processes and procedures to meet those challenges. With the right procedures, team, and mindset, you can achieve anything. You Net Results can guide you down that path.

During a recent Daily Operations webinar, we invited Luke and Carl from Kukui to present their auto repair marketing service to our clients.

Auto Repair Marketing Service – Useful New Kukui Features

First, Carl lays out a new feature on Kukui sites, the live web chat box. Since many customers are more comfortable texting than calling, it’s a great solution. Today, customers perform over 70% of all searches from smartphones. Therefore, you must have a mobile friendly chat feature in order to discuss services in real time.

Additionally, Kukui now offers a new automated message service. Shops can use time based triggers for declined services, follow ups, and recommended services. The text service is extremely intelligent, reminding clients of services they may have declined before. This is a huge get, especially if you are an independent repair shop owner. You can customize this in order to make it more personal for your raving fans.

Carl then outlined Lead Scoring. Shop owners can use this tool to create a 1-10 scorecard for service advisors when they make phone calls. This will both help service writers to improve their game, and train new recruits on mastering their techniques. You may figure averages per employee or shop wide. Control all of these via an easy to use online dashboard.

More About Kukui

Next, our guests break down Kukui’s background and mission for the few non-users on the call. Kukui offers scalable marketing software that any automotive repair business can use, from single bay shops to multi-store operations with hundreds of employees. No matter what your goal is, Kukui’s team of problem solvers can get you there.

Carl drilled down the components that help shops get found on Google. Kukui sites are mobile friendly, fast, and regularly updated with fresh content. These are must have SEO (Search Engine Optimization) components, no matter what industry you work in. Kukui have partnered with Google to ensure their auto repair websites are all approved.

Additionally, the layout of the site is critical to convert customers. Properly placing a shop’s branding, call to action buttons, reviews, and coupons on your website is critical if you want it to bring people in the door.

Perhaps most critical of all, Kukui offers full analytics of how your tools are performing. When you know what’s working and what’s not, you can tweak your settings on the fly to take maximum advantage.

Email marketing is also key to customer retention. Kukui offers full featured email marketing, with easy to use templates and the ability to import your existing list in CSV format. Stay in touch by sending reminders, thank you’s, and special offers, or ask for a review.

You can manage reviews, whether they are from Facebook, Google, or other sources, from your Kukui dashboard. The service also offers automated postcard mailing and tracks your results. You can also automate regular social media posts, and you can target the right prospects with the Customer Maps feature.

Photo from the June 2021 Automotive Training Conference

Do you agree with these FOUR statements about Automotive Processes and Systems?

1. Automotive Processes and Systems run your business, whether they are written or unwritten.
   __Yes__No
2. Your People run the Processes and Systems.
   __Yes __No
3. Making your business process and systems dependent, rather than people dependent, is the major objective of the Manager
   __Yes __No
4. Your Daily Operations Silver Bullets do not exist.
   __Yes __No

At You Net Results we utilize what we like to call “YOUTOOLS.” They are a set of automotive business tools that can help you manage your business better as you grow it.

Online and In-Person Training

Throughout COVID, we have been meeting together online. We review processes and systems that help businesses operate smoothly and thrive. We have all gone through many changes during the pandemic. Online learning has helped our businesses pivot and grow during these challenging times.

In June 2021, our 360 Full Circle Group met in Atlanta, GA, in order to share our auto repair businesses’ methods. Look at all of those smiling faces in the photo above after we saw each other in person, shared hugs, and broke bread together. What a great event!

We see such great success among the auto repair shops we coach at You Net Results! Because of that, we are, of course, continuing our online and in-person educational programs.

Now, let’s look at the answers to the questions asked above about automotive processes.

Yes, processes and systems help run your business. However, they are clearer and easier to reproduce when you write down those Standard Operating Procedures down. Congratulations if you have all of your processes documented. However, you are in trouble if they are stuck on a shelf in a three-ring binder collecting dust. They need to be living, breathing, updated SOPs in order to work effectively.

Yes, your people run the processes and systems. But the question remains, are they doing it correctly? If you’re not sure, take a look at what your customers say about your business — both good and bad. Can you identify what must be improved? Can you determine if anyone within your team is sabotaging your systems and processes? If yes, then we can help you determine how to regain control.

Yes, the Manager’s main objective is to make your business process and systems dependent, instead of people dependent. If you focus on the systems and processes, then your business is more scalable. Imagine if McDonald’s could only run if one specific person were present. Would the restaurant be able to stay open as long as needed if it was entirely people-dependent? We think not. Because of well-documented systems and processes, McDonald’s has evolved into a multi-billion dollar, worldwide operation.

Yes, your Daily Operations Silver Bullets do not exist. You simply cannot write down your daily operations once expecting them to hold for a decade. Things change. Systems change, software changes, people change. It is crucial to treat your Standard Operating Procedures as living, breathing entities. “Silver Bullets” imply “one and done”, or “set it and forget it”. If you want your business to be successful, then that’s just not the case.

Take the YOUTOOLS Automotive Processes Journey with Brian Gillis

At You Net Results, we host coaching groups just for auto repair shop owners. Together, we can all reach our own turnaround points. You will move from a business owner to a confident business leader. Then, and only then, you can eliminate everything that is holding you back.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Have you heard the story about Forgetful Fred? Maybe you have had problem employees like Forgetful Fred. If you’ve been in business for a while, the chances are good that you have at some point.

He kept forgetting to come to work on time. Then, he kept forgetting to call the customers when promised.

He kept forgetting to update the WorkFlow Board. Then, he kept forgetting to deposit his check each week.

He kept forgetting to GO FOR NO with each customer.

Go For No Questions For Problem Employees

In our GO FOR NO workshops, we detail how to deal directly with the Forgetful Freds working within our team. If you’re not already signed up for the training offered by You Net Results, we will discuss this topic at length.

For a minute, we invite you to pay attention to the various things that could be affecting Forgetful Fred’s behavior. Ask yourself — or go directly to the Forgetful Freds in your life and ask them — the following questions:

1. Is there something going on at home that is affecting performance?
2. Are they getting enough sleep?
3. Is there an underlying health issue that we may or may not know about?
4. Is this person usually eager and motivated?
5. Does this person show signs of a stroke, dementia, or heart issues?
6. Is this person mourning the loss of something?
7. Are you providing a supportive and safe work environment for this individual?
8. Could this person be getting bullied or abused at work or elsewhere?

Problem Employees? Check Your SOPs!

After you have ruled out all of the above, the next step is to check your Standard Operating Procedures and ask the following questions:

1. Has this person been trained over a long enough time?
2. Are all the SOPs written out or recorded on video so they can actually “see” the different steps to success and corresponding checklists?
3. Are both the processes and procedures clear, or are they confusing?
4. Has anyone else tested out the SOPs to make sure they are current, as well as accurate?
5. Is there a communication issue that could be causing all of these issues?
6. Is it clear who the problem employee reports to, and what their complete job duties entail?
7. Have you communicated so that this person truly understands what to do?
8. Or, are you accidentally expecting this individual to read your mind and assume they know what you know?

Look, these questions may sound silly, but we ask them for this reason:

We don’t ever hire ignorant people, do we? No, we don’t. However, when we hire talented and bright individuals to fill a role within our team, our lack of clear processes and systems can force them to fail, falter, or forget.

Once you have resolved your system’s issue, the chances are excellent that problem employees like Forgetful Fred will lose their negative nicknames. You might soon have a Faithful Fred, Kickass Kathy, or Superhero Steve.

Take the NO Fear Journey with Brian Gillis

At You Net Results, we facilitate coaching groups for auto repair shop owners. Together, we can all reach a turnaround point. You can emerge from this experience moving from a business owner to a confident business leader. Thus, you will eliminate the things that hold you back.