brian gillis

Leadership is a learned skill. Almost anyone can start a business. But, not everyone can be a successful leader. What makes a good leader with solid leadership qualities? And how can business coaching help you develop your leadership skills and style? In this blog post, we will discuss what makes a good leader and how you can become one too!

The Features Of A Good Leader

Leadership is a quality that is often difficult to define, but everyone knows when they see it. In the business world, strong leaders are essential for success. So, what qualities make a good leader in business?

• First and foremost, a good leader must have a clear vision for their company and be able to articulate that vision to others. They must also be able to inspire others to buy into that vision and work together towards a common goal.
• Additionally, a good leader must be able to make tough decisions and weather difficult times. They must also be willing to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
• Finally, a good leader must build strong relationships with employees and key stakeholders. By possessing these qualities, a leader can set their company on the path to success.

How Can I Inspire My Employees?

People believe that in order to be a successful leader, you must possess certain qualities such as charisma, intelligence, and strength. However, many other important qualities are often overlooked, such as empathy, listening skills, and the ability to inspire others.

To be a successful leader, learning how to inspire your employees is important. One way to do this is by setting an example and leading by that example. Show your employees that you’re passionate about your work and that you’re committed to making a difference. This will show them that they can be passionate about their work as well. Additionally, try to create a positive and motivating environment in the workplace.

Encourage open communication and collaboration, and make sure everyone feels like they are a valuable part of the team. By taking these steps, you can inspire your employees and help them reach their full potential.

How Can Business Coaching Help Me Become A Better Leader?

Business coaching can help you become a better leader in so many ways. A business coach will help you assess your current leadership skills and develop a plan to improve them. Working hand-in-hand with honest feedback and guidance as you work to implement your plan.

In addition, a business coach can help you identify your leadership style and learn how to adapt it to different situations. With You Net Results, you can gain the skills and knowledge you need to take your leadership to the next level.

Don’t hesitate to contact You Net Results today for a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis and our team will help you build your leadership foundation. We will plug you into a vast network of auto repair shops, working together to strengthen the industry! Let’s make August the best month of your business life!

Document & Implement, The Power Of SOPs

Have you ever walked through your business and noticed people performing the same task in five different ways? You aren’t sure which one is the fastest, but you are sure that you would prefer everyone do it one defined way. At least then, you can measure what is wrong and decide how to improve. That is where SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) come in, and they only get better from there!

While SOPs may seem like a lot of work to create, they will save you time and money in the long run. By having SOPs in place, you can train new employees more quickly and easily. Making it easier to monitor employee progress, measure tasks, and improve company culture. Most importantly, SOPs can help you net more revenue!

What are SOPs?

SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are simply detailed instructions on how to perform a task. They vary widely! SOPs can be as simple as a one-page document or complex manuals that are hundreds of pages long.

When composing SOPs, and when considering how standard operating procedures can transform your auto repair shop. Keep in mind that they should be clear and concise. So that anyone who reads them can understand and follow the instructions. Standard operating procedures should also be specific enough to complete a task thoroughly but digestible and actionable.

As old as time, SOPs are nothing new. In fact, they have been around for centuries in one form or another. The military has used SOPs for millennia to ensure that their soldiers are efficient and effective on the battlefield. SOPs were first formalized in the industry during the early days of the automobile assembly line. The auto repair industry developed SOPs to ensure that each car was built the same way, with the same high level of quality.

Should I use SOPs in my auto repair shop?

Today, SOPs are used in businesses of all types and sizes, from small mom-and-pop shops to large multinational corporations. SOPs provide a process or set of steps to complete a task so that employees perform the same way every time. This consistency saves time and helps to ensure quality and avoid mistakes. You can use them in any industry, but they are especially helpful in service-based businesses, such as auto repair.

With the incredibly complex nature of auto repair tasks and workflows, it is essential that you take steps to standardize things. This will not only help reduce confusion and improve efficiency, but it will help you get new employees up to speed faster!

Business coaching Through You Net Results

We know this process is daunting, and that is why you have us at You Net Results. We guide you through the process with detailed templates and instructions. We’ve helped countless auto repair shops do the same, netting greater returns as a result. 

Contact You Net-Results today for a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis & team will help you build your SOPs and plug you into a vast network of auto repair shops, working together to make the industry stronger! Let’s make August the best month of your business life!

Carm Capriotto’s Friday Town Hall Academy #265 streamed live February 25, 2022. The subject was “Coaches Lab: Turn Around a Struggling Shop” with guests Chris Cotton, YNR’s own Brian Gillis, and Murray Voth.

Is Your Auto Repair Shop Ready For The Next Step? Book Your FREE Strategy Session!

Your independent automotive repair shop is lacking in direction. Maybe your business plan has stalled out. You are definitely not meeting your goals for growth. You need an experienced automotive industry coach who can help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with You Net Results guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose, so sign up today!

“No Yoda, no Jedi knight.” Shop Owner Magazine recently interviewed our very own Brian Gillis. The management focused article Is A Business Coach Right For You? asks if retaining a coaching program is the right choice for every auto repair shop owner.

Is Hiring a Business Coach Right for You?

Take it from Brian: Don’t leave money on the table. Now, it is time to invest in yourself by hiring a dedicated auto repair business coach! Read the whole article here.

Is Your Auto Repair Shop Ready For The Next Step? Book Your FREE Strategy Session!

Your independent automotive repair shop is lacking in direction. Maybe your business plan has stalled out. You are definitely not meeting your goals for growth. You need an experienced automotive industry coach who can help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with You Net Results guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose, so sign up today!

When our own Brian Gillis recently appeared on Remarkable Results Radio, he discussed his involvement in the group CAMP (Coalition of Automotive Management Professionals). The host Carm Capriotto quizzed Brian about this professional alliance of auto repair industry coaches.

Business Coach Discussion – Key Talking Points

• CAMP (Coalition of Automotive Management Professionals) started with a brainstorm two years ago. It was a casual get together with trainers at the Vision 2019 event.
• Auto repair shops should spend time with like-minded people, and peer network with each other. Business coaches also need to practice this.
• As of March 2021, CAMP became a legal entity.
• CAMP is a group of like minded individuals that want to move the industry forward. They aim to find the auto shops that need help. Then, they make sure that they receive that help.
• Always maintain the consistency of their message in the auto industry.
• Automotive repair business coaches also need to continue adapting and improving.

Important Takeaways

• Multi-shop ownership vs single shop ownership: You don’t need to own multiple shops in order to be successful, to stay relevant, or become a victim of consolidation.
• Have a life outside of the automotive business!
• An average five bay shop is missing between $25-30,000K net profit per bay, per year.
• Having a coach doesn’t mean you’re out of the business; Owners want to be able to enjoy working on their business and still being a part of it.
• Why are we afraid to help others? There is no secret! It’s time to help people move forward.

Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out. You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Have you ever played the game “Telephone”? You start by lining up a group. Then, you whisper a sentence into the first person’s ear. They then whisper the message to the next person. The game continues until the message gets to the final person in line, who announces out loud what sentence they heard. It is often much different from the original sentence. Quite the exercise in communication!

At You Net Results, we know this game shows what happens when messages, systems, and processes are undocumented. Just like in the game of “Telephone,” something can get lost in the telling. When you don’t write down instructions, client comments, or repair orders, this is inevitable.

Communication breakdown

In auto repair businesses, it happens like this:

The Customer tells the Service Advisor something. Time is short. The Service Advisor doesn’t write it down, but they repeat it verbally to the Technician. The Technician may also skip documenting it, so they present the Service Advisor with new information. The Service Advisor then reports to the Customer via phone. More back and forth happens, and then the Customer picks up their vehicle. Later, the Service Advisor is surprised to read the Customer’s one-star review. Why? Communication was not clear. They lost something in the telling.

How can you avoid losing something in the telling?

Do you see how simply repeating verbal information can lose accuracy? It is obvious how the customer felt wronged. How can your team reduce miscommunication? How can they improve clarity?

The answer? Use transparent systems and processes to document all communication. Enter repair issues through DVI reports, notes in your CRM, text messages, recorded phone calls, and other exchanges. When you do, you will reduce your chance of poor reviews.

Perfect your shop’s communication chain!

At You Net Results, we dedicate hours of training to communication. Our coaching sessions help prevent mistakes and lost details. To learn more, contact us for a free consultation. Brian Gillis will discuss your business strategies and ways to improve revenue and company culture.

Our chief strategist Brian Gillis recently made a return appearance on the Town Hall Academy podcast. This time on the automotive industry standard show, Brian discusses how to create and execute procedures and systems (SOP’s) for your shop. If you need to get organized and create your shop’s how-to manual, then this episode is for you!

Systems and processes podcast discussion

First of all, Brian gives host Carm Capriotto the low down on how to get started with SOPs. If you start out by organizing the systems you will need to run your business smoothly, that will save you headaches later on. Starting with the basic “SOP on how to create an SOP” will be a valuable to resource for you and your staff when you need to write new systems. Create a template with the key questions (how, what, when, where, why, and how) that the SOP will answer for your business. Store all of your documents in either Dropbox or Google Drive.  Then link all of your team members up to them for quick access.

Brian and Carm then go through a sample system, the Incoming Phone Call SOP. This process details who needs to answer the phone, as well as scripts they can use, depending on the customer’s needs.

Why are SOPs so important? Staff turnover is inevitable. Easily accessible documents can help both new recruits and employees changing positions to quickly learn. When your staff members know how to do tasks consistently, they improve their value. Down the line, this will also increase your business’s value to clients and potential investors.

This is how we do it! Get buy-in from your staff on documenting the systems and processes. Well defined and organized SOPs are the first step to create a culture of success and efficiency in your shop.

Interested in learning more?

Organized systems are crucial to a successful automotive business. You Net Results is a coaching group that helps you navigate and apply these processes. Why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Recently, our own Brian Gillis appeared on the Remarkable Results Radio podcast Town Hall Academy. This show features a roundtable discussion amongst automotive industry experts on a single topic. Carm Capriotto and Bob Greenwood discussed all of the ins and outs of labor rates with Brian on this special episode.

Labor Rates podcast discussion

Brian elaborates that shop owners want to look at the end goal result first. Shop owners must first know the true cost of doing business in order to arrive at their labor rate formula. In fact, as Bob states, it is important for you to employ not one, but at least three labor rate formulas. Today’s automotive industry is more diverse than ever. Thus, you need employ different rate formulas for maintenance, diagnostic, and reflash.

Bob then presents the cost per billed hour (CPBH) formula. Every dollar must have a name, and every expense needs to be accounted for in order to know rates that are right for your shop. Finally, you should net 20% of gross sales after paying yourself (first!) and your employees a professional wage.

Brian and Cam reiterated that you are in the labor business! Therefore, you must give special attention to your team’s rates. Bob then gave examples of the three door rates he mentioned earlier. He presented formulas for setting those door rates, which are based on competency rate and/or efficiency of business operation.

After discussing these key stats, Brian discusses the concept of labor matrixes, specifically accurately charging for the time that’s spent. Then, the hosts welcome shop owner Bill Nalu to discuss the emotional aspects that go along with the numbers. Courage, as well as knowing your worth as a technician, are essential.

Subscribe to the Remarkable Results Radio podcast for more valuable auto repair discussion.

Interested in learning more?

This all may seem complicated, but you can do it! You Net Results is here to help! Why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!