leadership

Photo by Kenny Eliason On Unsplash

The auto repair industry has seen tremendous shifts over the past few decades. Technology evolves, as customers become more tech-savvy. The online marketplace dominates. The strategies needed for marketing your auto repair shop have also had to adapt. How do you get the wheels turning to effectively market in this competitive landscape?

At You Net Results, we’ve coached and guided auto repair shop owners like you. This blog will shed light on effective marketing strategies just for your business. 

1. Marketing Your Auto Repair Shop – Understand Your Target Audience

Before you jump into marketing strategies, you need to understand who your customers are. Are they millennials looking for quick fixes? Are they families needing regular maintenance? When you know your target audience, you can create a message that speaks directly to them.

2. Strengthen Your Online Presence

In this digital era, having a robust online presence is no longer optional. Your online presence involves a two pronged strategy:

• Website Optimization: Ensure that your website is user-friendly and mobile-optimized, as well as filled with valuable information. Use keywords organically in order to improve your search engine ranking.
• Social Media Engagement: Create profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). Post regularly about services, promotions, as well as customer testimonials. Engaging visual content can work wonders here.

3. Offer Promotions and Loyalty Programs

Promotions attract new customers, while loyalty programs retain existing ones. Consider offering discounts for referrals, or setting up a point-based system where frequent customers can earn rewards.

4. Seek Reviews and Testimonials

Positive reviews on platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and even your own website can significantly boost credibility. Remind satisfied customers to leave you a review. Make sure you always address negative feedback promptly and professionally.

5. Marketing Your Auto Repair Shop by Hosting Workshops or Webinars on Zoom

Knowledge is a powerful marketing tool, so why not invite customers to in-person workshops or online webinars via Zoom? Share your expert knowledge about basic car maintenance, understanding car parts, and safe driving tips. This can position your shop as a thought leader in the industry. You can educate your audience, while also building trust.

6. Local Advertising and Community Involvement

Never count out the power of local advertising! Posting billboards, producing local radio ads, or sponsoring a community event can reinforce your presence in the community. Fostering goodwill is never a bad thing!

7. Network with Related Businesses

Forge partnerships with businesses that complement yours. When you collaborate with car dealers, car washes, or even gas stations, the cross promotional opportunities can be huge.

8. Implement a Referral Program

Word of mouth is still one of the most potent forms of marketing. Incentivize your current customers, so they will refer their family and friends. A simple discount or a free service can be tempting.

9. Stay Updated with Industry Trends

The auto repair industry, like all others, evolves. Staying abreast of trends, tools, and technology positions your shop as both innovative and up to date. Plus, integrating the latest techniques into your services can serve as a unique selling point.

10. Measure, Analyze, Repeat – Marketing Your Auto Repair Shop

Lastly, always track how effective your marketing strategies are. Use tools such as Google Analytics to understand website traffic, or Facebook Insights to gauge social media engagement. Based on the data, you can then tweak your strategies for better results.

Marketing Your Auto Repair Shop – What’s Next? 

Marketing your auto repair shop effectively isn’t just about drawing in a crowd. It’s about building trust, showcasing skills, and ensuring repeat business. And as the saying goes, it’s not just about working hard, but working smart. Effectively marketing your auto repair shop requires a mix of both traditional and modern strategies. It’s about understanding your audience, while positioning your brand strategically, and offering genuine value.

When you find yourself at a fork in the road, unsure how to leverage marketing for your auto repair shop, remember that our expert help is just a click away. We’re here to guide you every step of the way.

You Net Results Is Here For You!

Contact You Net Results today, so we can help you start the process. Book a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis and his team will help you create the best marketing strategy for your business. When you build trust, showcase expertise, you ensure repeat business. Let’s make November the best month of your business life!

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The ability to follow up separates good operators from great operators. Best practices to “Inspect what you Expect”

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Benefits

1. Way to get some freedom
2. Prevents micro management
3. Relief of stress
4. Takes the burden off
5. Can focus more on the business and less in the business
6. Staff feels important and takes ownership
7. Less hours at the shop

Methods

1. Ask staff members where they see opportunities, and get buy in. Ask for ideas and input to improve processes
2. Provide parameters and allow decision making at different levels depending on position
3. In-depth team huddles
4. Teach staff that a presented problem should accompany ideas for solutions

How to follow up so that you don’t get burned by empowering associates

1. Audit tickets
2. Set parameters
3. Listen to phone calls
4. Inspect what you expect
5. Monitor the scorecard
6. Hold accountable
7. Show by example
8. Ongoing training
9. Own the mistakes we make
10. Be present / audit / checklist

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Defining Leadership

1. Empowerment
2. Inspire / motivate
3. Casting a vision
4. Getting “buy in”
5. Inspect what you expect / follow up
6. Praising, showing gratitude, and accountability

Question asked and discussed :

Here is a clip from one of our weekly Working On It Tuesday training webinars. This week, the topic in question is our leadership process. Brian details the six steps to auto shop leadership mastery, also known as The Lotus Code.

The Lotus Code in Action for Auto Repair Shop Leaders

When automotive industry owners want to up their leadership game, it’s great to have an ordered list which they can refer to. Our Auto Repair Leadership Process is based on the Lotus Code, which is an ancient six step method for success. In order, the six steps are:

1. Thinking
2. Words
3. Action
4. Habits
5. Perseverance
6. Attainment

The other owners on the call recalled Gary Gunn teaching this age old concept to them many years ago. Brian then goes over the history of the Lotus Code, which is over 2500 years old. Mastering your goals always involves these six steps, in this order. Whether it’s a simple task such as cleaning your house, or a more complex one like managing your auto repair shop’s daily operations, this is how it comes together.

When the Lotus Code is applied correctly, we think through our task. Then, we verbalize our plan. We take action, and with repetition, those actions grow into habits. Although obstacles can (and will) arise, we take step five, which is Perseverance, to conquer them. Finally, through that perseverance, we reach step six, Attainment. Only then can we call ourselves masters. As any shop owner knows from experience, mastery will only come through hard work and focus.

Learn More – Schedule Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, and 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!

Gary Gunn quizzes YNR Members on how they define auto repair leadership. Repair Shop Owners need to learn key skills in order to be effective leaders in their automotive businesses.

Auto Repair Leadership Defined

Gary opens by asking the group how they define auto repair leadership. Each of our YNR members contribute valuable takes in this clip.

Joe says a true leader knows the direction that automotive business is going. Pam adds that that leaders set the tone and pace of the business. The owner leads by making sure everyone focuses on the main goals and the team doesn’t go off on tangents. Brian Gillis has mentioned before that every auto shop has a “speed up / slow down” rhythm. The owner must ensure that everyone keeps that pace.

Fred reminds us that leaders must set month to month goals for staff. Owners lead by creating processes. They also have to continually seek ways to improve those processes.

Jerry adds that auto repair leadership means defining a repair shop’s vision. Then it is up to the owner to lead by example.

Gary Recommends Leadership Resources

All of these definitions included aspects of leadership. However, Gary has more to add. Since he is a certified eMyth coach, Gary Gunn has learned leadership methods inside and out from Michael Gerber. John Maxwell also has great leadership training resources, which dig much deeper. Remember, core tenets of the job may never change. However, changing times could mean new problems to solve.

Learn More – Book Your FREE Strategy Session

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

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Mastering Your Results as a LWOBAS

Wouldn’t it be great if Your Leadership was a process? Wouldn’t it be great if it were that simple?

It is.  You can do this. It’s proven to work.

Show and Tell – Mastering Your Results Rotational Process

• Discussion: How Leadership can be a Systemic Process
• Six Steps Review
• Five Tool Player Review
• The Four Leadership Level Test Review
• Mastery Module 1 Leadership Review

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Auto repair shop management doesn’t have to be a mystery. Long time automotive business coach Gary Gunn shares his decades of automotive industry experience running multiple shops with you! When you take Gary’s and head coach Brian Gillis’ advice to heart, you will put your business systems in place and see results in no time!

Defining Auto Repair Shop Management – How Is It Different From Leadership?

Gary opens the clip, polling the group on the difference between auto repair shop management and leadership.

Pam believes that managing is staying on top of details and keeping staff on top of their tasks. Fred believes Leaders hand down goals and processes to Managers. Then the Managers use the SOPs to guide the people.

Joe defines the Leadership role as one who sets the pace and tone for the shop’s business. Management then manipulates the Technicians and Service Advisors to execute the Leader’s vision. Joe clarifies that the staff roles are similar to that of military ranks. As the owner and leader, he recognizes the strengths of each employee in their positions.

Jerry continues by agreeing with all the previous points. He then adds that Auto Repair Shop Management means overseeing the systems and processes, so Mechanics and Service Writers can do their thing.

Gary also reminds us that people do not want to be managed. They can’t! That method of management always reduces people to robots. Effective managers should manage the systems, so the SOPs themselves can manage the people.

Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your independent automotive shop lack a clear vision? Maybe 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!