How did you professionals get started?!?

[S2KGURU]

Hi all, I`ve been detailing cars now through word of mouth for about a year as a hobby. But, say I wanted to do it professionally. How did everyone else get started? Did every pro have training? Does everyone who details on here professionally have an insurance policy on their work in case they mess up?



I want to know all this because I am in fact very interested in detailing professionally as a college job. I want to know how everyone runs their business. How did everyone start getting clients? Did everyone advertise somehow? Does everyone write contracts? Etc.?!?!



Thanks for your time! :woot:

[xconwrathx]

What do you consider to be "professional"?



I try to conduct myself as professionally as possible, and offer nothing less than the best service for my clients, but I don`t have a business license, I don`t have insurance, I don`t have a work truck, I don`t have a shop.



I don`t have any training, none whatsoever. That said, I worked as a... I`ll say "cleaner", at a local GM dealership for a couple of years. Working there got me interested in detailing, and I also became at least familiar with some of the very rudimentary methods involved. Once I started reading all the online "how to" guides and product reviews I realized that I didn`t know jack and tried offering some suggestions as to how to improve our quality of work at the dealership. Every suggestion was shot down and as a result they demanded even more work in even less amount of time just to make sure to crush any sort of silly notions that a solid detail job takes time. After that I quit.



I got a new job and bought a bunch of my own detailing supplies after reading around, I was able to use my work experience at the dealership as a point on a resume to potential clients who didn`t know better, and to those who did know exactly what it meant to be a dealership "detailer" I would explain to them that I know the dealership process well, and in what ways my services were better than what you get there.



But, detailing is also my sideline source of income. I do 2-3 cars a month, and only deal through word of mouth and people I`m familiar with or have been vouched for by a previous customer.



I`m active on several local car forums and have gotten clients that way, go out for a meet and greet at some local meets (don`t push your services too much, as that`s not why people are there), I do work for neighbors and friends of neighbors, friends from my other job, etc.

[MaksimumAuto]

I`ve been selling my services since about May. I`m 17. I have a nice website, nice cards, yellowpages.com ads, adwords, SEO for my site, and a "If your not happy, the detail is free" guarantee. I started out with a $500 order of products and spent quite a while practicing on family cars.



At 17, I can say that I`m successful. If you want to be successful, set your self aside from every other detailer in your area with the following phrase " A customer would buy from us because we are the only ones to offer a (fill it in)."



In my case, it`s the "if your not happy, your detail is free" guarantee. It`s unheard of in the detailing business. And it`s making me a bitter sweet profit.

[S2KGURU]

Love the input so far guys, I really appreciate you fellas` taking the time to comment for me.

[seles23]

When I first started also at 17 websites hadn`t really been utilized, i.e. weren`t popular enough for people to go looking for you. I didn`t even have an email address or a cell phone, it was pager with voicemail all the way. I think I sound like a grumpy old man saying, "in my day…"



Anyways, in `97 I started with my older brother and detailed for about 3 months. At the end of that summer I realized that I could do pretty much everything that my brother was doing and make his share. He went back to college and I took over one of his fleet accounts, 6 trucks at $10 each once a week outside only. We mostly cold called in a wealthier-than-our-own suburb of LA and when he left I stayed in our own town and built my own route.



In about 6 weeks I built a route that was giving me take home pay of $2k/month working ~20 hours a week. Each week I chose certain areas of town to work, I`d visit the business parks and walk into the businesses and say, "Hi my name is Hank and I`m in the area washing cars would you like your car washed?" some said "no", some said "yes". I`d go to the same place each week at roughly the same time and since they knew me I`d just ask if they wanted a car wash, people are busy. Over time more and more people said "yes". I always tried to make it sound easy for me even if I was desperate for work, in a way I was creating an air that wether they used my services or not I didn`t care. Which in the end I think made me seem more valuable, I guess i was playing hard to get in a way.



Most people want someone to have confidence in, so I think if you do a good job consistently, show up consistently(even if it`s a slow spot for a few weeks), and act confident, then people will trust you. When it comes to building and maintaining loyal customer base, trust is key.



A couple other random things I`ve learned:



It seems to me when cold calling most people just want a wash, when you wash the car you keep your eye out for things. Nine times out of ten they`ll need a wax. Often I`d test an area, like a small spot on the hood and when I went to collect, I informed them of the issue and told them I`d tested a small area. Usually they`d follow me out and we`d look at the area together, adding the wax was a slam dunk. Everyone was happy. You have to be careful though, some people might get pissed at your initiative, fwiw I`v never upset people with that approach.



I also found that I made most my money before noon, the afternoon seems like a much better time to schedule future visits, waxes, details, phoning businesses and asking who handles the fleets, etc.



Always lace, ask your customers, "Who do you know that would like my services." Asking people about people they know will generate leads. I`ve had people personally call for me cause they were so excited. Remember to ask "who they know" rather than "if they know", the answer to "if" is usually "no".



I`d take on a couple fleets too, they can be quick easy money. Charge more than $10 though :)



Hope this helps, and good luck.

[Möller]

I started it as a hobby for about nine years ago, me and some of my friends had cars that needed detailing so I borrowed a workshop at a dealer for some weekends. One of these friends got his car rustprotected (don`t know the term but when you out a lot of sticky stuff under the car to protect it from rust). Apparently who had the company got impressed by my work because he called me and wanted me to come work for him ans since I hated the job I had then i quit and started working for him. He had been in the business of car care for 20 years and he gave me a very good education that then started to develop to suit me.

After two years I got fired after an affair with his stepdaughter :spot and I started to detail as a hobby again. As I continued on I got a few offers to start working professionally again but nothing really suited me until I got the offer for the work I have now.



What I`m trying to say is, I don`t know how stuff works over there but if you really are interested you might want to try to get a job at some detaliers place first to learn more before you do it on you own.



Good luck!!

[xconwrathx]

^ And DON`T sleep with your boss`s stepdaughter!

[brwill2005]

Like any other business venture, do it the correct way. Do your research, write a plan, and get all the proper things such as licensing and insurance. This industry does not need more unlicensed and uninsured operations. Everyone needs to help raise the bar of professionalism in our industry.