You have heard the phrase “Buy Low, Sell High” in regards to United States stock market on Wall Street. How about in reference to your auto repair parts margin? Just how important is pricing auto parts in the automotive repair business?

Buy Parts at the Right Price So You Can Protect Your Shop’s Parts Margin

When you buy a water pump for an auto repair job, for example, it may seem like it is a small expense. However, when you consistently forego the process of parts shopping, your parts margin can really get off balance.

When shopping, are you going with the cheapest part you can find online every time out? Those choices can come back to bite you as well! It literally pays off when you take the time in order to compare the parts available to you. In many instances, you may be able to a smaller price for the exact same part. Then you can mark them up for the repair job.

We are not suggesting that you price gouge your valued customers. When you take the time to look up parts, order them online, and inspect them upon receiving them, it is a job in itself. This is not to mention the cost of sending an employee out to O’Reilly or AutoZone in person for a rush job. Your time is worth money, and so is your employees’, so don’t sell yourself short! Parts margin may seem like a small piece of your overall financial picture, but it adds up quickly.

This clip is from our Clear Counter Communications Zoom video series. You Net Results Guide Brian Gillis explains the important and underutilized concept of Payoff Gestures to YNR members. Your Automotive Service Advisors can use these subtle, yet powerful, techniques in order to help them increase their repair job sales. They also help your Service Writers to explain regular maintenance and needed repairs to your customers.

Your Service Advisors Need To Learn Payoff Gestures

Whether your auto repair shop’s Service Advisors are on the phone with a client, or speaking with them face to face, their physical gestures can and will make a difference. Some examples of these payoff gestures can include standing up and sitting back down in their chairs while speaking. Using their hands and employing various facial expressions while talking with customers is also helpful. Small inflections can result in big results for your independent auto repair shop!

Each and every one of these payoff gestures can tell their very own unique story. Additionally, these methods will give different signals to each one your valued clients.

Some customers may respond better to certain payoff gestures than other ones. It is all in the process of getting to know them better. Guess what? That is also a key component in converting first time clients to loyal repeat customers!

As an auto repair shop owner, you wear many hats every day. Often, you have to be the head mechanic, the marketing manager, and the CEO all in one. However, if you really want your business to grow, then you will need to learn how to delegate effectively.

Delegation is the key to building a successful team and freeing up your own time. When you do this, you will be able to focus on high level tasks that will help your business thrive. In this article, we will show you how to delegate and deliver effectively as a leader. You will also learn how to build a team that can help you achieve your ultimate goals.

The Importance of Knowing How to Delegate Effectively

Delegation is an essential skill for any leader. However, it is especially important for small business owners. When you are running a small business, there are only so many hours in the work day. You can not do everything yourself. Trying to do so will only lead you to burnout and frustration.

Effective delegation will allow you to leverage the skills and talents of your technicians, general managers, and service advisors. That way, you can focus on the tasks that only you, the owner, can do.

Why is Delegation So Hard For Shop Owners?

Delegating your tasks is not always the easy thing to do. As an auto shop business owner, you have probably built your repair business from the ground up. Therefore, you may have a hard time letting go of control. You may worry that no one can do things as well as you can do them. Maybe you are afraid that delegating jobs to your staff will take too much time and effort. However, if you really want your business to grow, then you will need to learn to delegate effectively.

The Benefits of Knowing How to Delegate Your Tasks

Effective delegation has many benefits for your automotive repair business. It can:

• Free up your own time so you can focus on your highest level tasks
• Help you to build the most productive staff possible
• Develop the skills of your auto repair shop team members
• Increase your own job satisfaction, as well as bolster your employees’ engagement
• Reduce both your stress and your burnout

How to Delegate Effectively

Delegating daily tasks effectively is not just about handing off those jobs to your team members. It will also require very careful planning and communication on your part. Following up with your staff is the key. Here are some steps that you can take today in order to delegate effectively:

Step 1: Identify the Tasks You Can Delegate

The first step in an effective delegation strategy is to identify the tasks that you actually can delegate to others. Look for the tasks that are:

• Either routine or repetitive
• Too time consuming
• Not critical to your core business operations
• Within the skill set of your team members

Step 2: Choose the Right Team Member

Once you have identified the tasks you can delegate, then you can choose the right team member to handle the job. Look for team members who have the right skills and experience. These staff members should be continually motivated to take on new challenges. Consider delegating tasks as a way to help your staff members grow and develop their own skills.

Step 3: Provide Clear Instructions

In order to delegate effectively, you will need to provide clear instructions to your team member. Be specific about what you want them to do, and when you need it done. Also, stress the resources they have available to them. Make sure that your employee also understands the importance of the task. Emphasize how it fits into the bigger picture of your business. Remember, every job is equally important in making a business run, no matter how small it is.

Step 4: Set Specific Expectations

Next, you will need to clear expectations for your team member. Define what success looks like for the task, as well as the metrics that you will use to measure progress. Make sure your employee knows exactly how to report back to you on their progress. It is also imperative that they know what to do if they should encounter any challenges.

Step 5: Provide Clear Support and Feedback

Provide your team member with the support they need to succeed. Check in with them regularly in order to see how they’re doing. Then offer them guidance and feedback as needed. Celebrate their successes and help them learn from their mistakes.

Conclusion: Delegation is Key to Leadership Success

Remember to identify all of the tasks that you can delegate. Then, when you choose the right team member, provide clear instructions and expectations for them. Finally, offer them your support and feedback.

With these skills, you can transition into a much more effective leader, while also growing your business. Do not be afraid to let go of control. Learn how to trust your team members to help you achieve your automotive shop’s goals.

What is the one thing that every successful auto repair shop has in common? All of them provide their customers with a detailed Preventive Maintenance Inspection form, or PMI. How important is this form? YNR Guide Brian Gillis discussed the ins and outs of the PMI with Service Advisors on a recent Advisor Results Academy meeting. Watch and learn how this vehicle “bill of health” makes a difference in cultivating repeat business. This form effectively helps customers budget and create a game plan for needed future repairs and services. See how it builds trust yet?

PMI – The Name of the Game

Preventive maintenance is the name of the game when it comes to making a vehicle last longer. Do your customers want proof of how thoroughly you have inspected their vehicle? Then you need to provide them with a detailed Preventive Maintenance Inspection form. In short, a PMI.

This gives them the peace of mind that your Technicians have gotten to closely know their vehicle, both inside and out. Your Mechanics and Service Writers will recommend the services that they would perform on it if it were their own. Your front of house staff can then confidently present and review this PMI form to customers. This gives them the chance to either sell customers additional repairs on the spot, or plan out a timeline for those services to be done in the future.