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  1. #16

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    In most service businesses, the operations who charge the most and do the highest quality work, rely almost exclusively on word of mouth. Unfortunately, this takes years to build. I have been detailing full time for nearly two years. Just recently has the word of mouth business started to pick-up. In addition, I have enough people in my customer database that I can market to them and remind them about the value of detailing. Remember, it is much more expensive to gain new customers than to retain the ones you already have. A simple post card twice a year will remind them you still exist. Most of my new customers come from my yellow page ads and internet ads. I am always thinking of ways to reach the people who see the value in detailing. As you have stated it is difficult to reach that crowd because they usually rely on word of mouth for recommendations. The other way to increase profits is to increase your efficiency. Instead of raising prices, refine your process and buy equipment that makes you more productive. I have decided to set prices that are attractive to most people in my area. To increase profits I have refined my process and purchased the best equipment to decrease my details times and costs.
    Brad Will- Owner

    Reflections Auto Salon LLC

  2. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by brwill2005
    Remember, it is much more expensive to gain new customers than to retain the ones you already have.


    Absolutely! Plus, loyal customers will advertise for you.



    Also, if you are on any other message boards, make sure your profile includes that you are a professional detailer and have your location filled in. Any discussions on detailing, jump right in. If you know what you are talking about, people will notice. They might not be in your area, but if they post on a board where people are in your area and the subject somes up, they will remember you and post your information. I post a lot on another board (44,000+ posts since 2000) and they all know what I do for a living because I moderate the detailing forum there. They post on a BMW board for example and someone asks if anyone knows someone in Dallas that does detailing and they put my information out there. As long as you don`t blatantly spam your business and are just helping people out in threads about detailing, most boards don`t mind. I do the same for my fellow detailers here. Someone asks me who to use in SoCal, Memphis, etc, I know people here who I can put them in touch with. Several detailers here can tell you that I have sent them business. I don`t do it with the expecation the favor will be returned (although I appreciate when it is) but because the people on the other boards are my friends and I want to put them in touch with detailers who have high standards like the ones here.



    Same thing in real life. You do good work for people and they are going to want to send their friends to you.
    www.scottwax.com

    Certified Opti-Coat Pro/Pro 3 installer

  3. #18

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    From the comments posted you can clearly see how important it is to connect with the right people. The way I see it, marketing a detailing business should almost never be aimed at a mass market. You have got to do things to focus in on the type of clients you have identified as your target market. Always dig where there is the most gold. Go after the professional people, such as doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc. The people who own small business are also a good targets. After all, they know what it is like to run a small business and they just may be tuned into keeping a nice car. Go out and make things happen. Talk to the people in your target market.



    The other thought about keeping in touch with current customers is an important point. You should plan to doing at least four mailings a year. Of course, the more you here from an individual customer, the less they need to see any of your mailings. Those quarterly reminder post cards work well. Another idea is to put together a newsletter every once in a while. Remember, everything you do creates an image of who you are and what your business is all about.



    Also, it is a good idea to plan on giving your customers some type of reward for sending you a new customer. For example, I send out a twenty dollars of certificate (to be used for their next detailing), to every customer who sends me a new customer. It`s a good way to let your current customers know that you appreciate them spreading the word about your services. And it`s a small price to pay for their efforts.



    One last thought. Try sending out `thank you` post cards about a week after every detailing job. These cards should simply give a few words of thanks to let your customers know that you sincerely appreciate their business. Just another way to help create that positive image.

  4. #19

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    Yes, `Thank You` cards work well. I send one to each customer after a job. People comment on how it is a `nice touch`. In addition, make sure your customer`s walk away with something such as a receipt or invoice. Just another way for them to remember you and your business.
    Brad Will- Owner

    Reflections Auto Salon LLC

  5. #20

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    What you need to do is cater to those cheapos if you want to make money from them. You could of done the limos for say $120 a pop and just did a one step on them and a quick vacuum and been done.



    To be honest, I do a ton of one steppers. Nobody wants to pay me in this area for a 3 step polish and paint correction.

  6. #21

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    Image is everything. And catering to those cheapos does nothing for your image. Of course, there are detailing businesses out there who think they can be all things to all people. Maybe that is why someone invented mass marketing.

  7. #22

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    Here`s a suggestion: (note; I`m not a pro detailer but rather someone willing to pay for their services.)



    Get on local car club boards, IIRC there is a very strong Kentucky Corvette club (since they`re made there) amongst other MarqueĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s. Find out when there are local meets and go with a stack of cards. Strike up conversations with owners of cars that might need a little TLC. They have the money to afford the car and the enthusiasm that goes hand in hand with being in a car club. From what I`ve seen this is a good target to start off with. Owners that take pride in their vehicles and are already involved in a network of like minded people. Another suggestion is to post a contest on their forum in advance of their big yearly meet and offer a free detail (to be performed at the meet in the morning so people can watch, or just in advance with lots of pictures so people can gawk over the results, online AND in person). As the others have mentioned the value of word of mouth I won`t get into it. I`ll leave it that as a car enthusiast when I was looking for a detailer I started asking amongst the local clubs I`m involved in as it was a reliable way to filter the people that can do a good job from those with just flashy websites.



    I think everyone else has hit the nail on the head; Many wealthy people don`t respect their vehicle enough to maintain it, many `average` people couldn`t justify paying what a full detail is worth. So it comes down to perceived value; who would find value in a $200+ detail, someone who loves their car enough to see the difference.



    There is a big BIG annual Corvette meet in Bowlinggreen Kentucky, it might not help stir up a ton of local business as people come from all over North America, but it would help get the word out and it would likely filter back to potential local customers. Get a golf shirt embroidered with your company name and logo so you`re easily identifiable as a detailer and present a memorable professional and confidant image, one that will cause you to come to mind in a month or two when their friend mentions that they need someone to detail their car.



    Another method that IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve seen work very well, and not just for detailing, is to host local club meets. Get the people that are interested in detailing themselves as well as members that just want to meet, to come out and detail their cars en masse, offer advice and pointers. If youĂ¢â‚¬â„¢re good at what you do, youĂ¢â‚¬â„¢re not only going to establish a reputation for being friendly and approachable (someone they would want to bring business to) but also knowledgeable.



    But hey, what do I know, I only work in Marketing because I was accidentally good at it.



    Cheers!
    -07 Impreza SE Sport Wagon

    -71 MGB GT

  8. #23

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    Thanks to everyone for their suggestions :goodjob



    I really like the idea of mailing cards out to my customers, that is a very nice touch. That does mean that I`ll have to start asking for people`s home address since I often do their vehicles at their place of employement, but that is a really good way to keep my service in their minds.



    I`m going to be approaching some golf courses, especially since my wife cleans the house of the manager of 2 very nice country clubs locally. Hopefully that will give me a way in.



    Car clubs seem like a great way to market. My only concern is that, from my experience, those are typically the guys that do everything themselves and won`t let anyone touch their cars.



    I guess I could try mailings in more affluent zip codes, however I`m not sure if I would get a good enough return on that investment. I`m not averse to going door to door in such neighborhoods, but most have a strict no soliciting policy, many including no distribution of any type of flyer. I`m not exactly sure how to reach them.



    At one point in time, I offered excellent rewards for my customers that referred me to other people. However, it never really produced any good results for me. I find that the people that really like me and appreciate my service will tell people anyway, and others that kind of take it for granted aren`t going to put any effort into telling anyone regardless of what I offer them.



    There is another company locally that is running an advertisement on a local station for advertising, and I was approached by a guy the other day while filling up my truck about it. He thought I was that guy. I told him that I wasn`t, but I`d be happy to detail his Harley Davidson, and went into what I could do for him. I lost him at the price. Then I had another guy approach me in a parking lot while I was eating lunch in my truck, and he too thought it was a great idea, asked what I charged for a full detail, and then practically ran after hearing the price.



    I guess what I`m taking away from this thread is that I can`t really change the perception that people already have of this business, but what I can do is take advantage of targeting those that may already have a better perception. Up to this point, I guess my marketing was just aimed at anyone that would be interested, and in being all-inclusive, I may have alienated those that were looking for something more "special", or catered to them. So, I will look harder for those that would be able to afford my services by tailoring my marketing to them and going where they go to do so.



    Thanks again!

  9. #24
    derek37's Avatar
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    instead of sending a "note of thanks", try calling them a few days after the detail. Now that`s the personal touch.

    Also if you are slow (not enough work) call up your just detailed clients and offer a free quick wash & wax. Tell them it`s included in the price of the initial detail service. It puts you back in the neighborhood/office park and gives you a chance to offer them a maintenence program/service.

    This works out really well.

    Remember, everyone likes something for free, whether it`s a free wash, a free MF to dust their interior, or any other inexpensive item that you could give them.

    I gaurantee they would remember you and your business.

  10. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by LangMan37
    instead of sending a "note of thanks", try calling them a few days after the detail. Now that`s the personal touch.

    Also if you are slow (not enough work) call up your just detailed clients and offer a free quick wash & wax. Tell them it`s included in the price of the initial detail service. It puts you back in the neighborhood/office park and gives you a chance to offer them a maintenence program/service.

    This works out really well.

    Remember, everyone likes something for free, whether it`s a free wash, a free MF to dust their interior, or any other inexpensive item that you could give them.

    I gaurantee they would remember you and your business.


    Only problem with that is, the next time they will be expecting you to give them the wash again.
    Owner of Between The Lines Detailing in Baltimore Maryland

  11. #26

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    This makes a GREAT way to say "Thank You"

    https://www.sendoutcards.com/cgi-bin...t_intro:11217:

  12. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by LangMan37

    Also if you are slow (not enough work) call up your just detailed clients and offer a free quick wash & wax. Tell them it`s included in the price of the initial detail service.


    So what do you do in a year when you are constantly booked and those same customers are expecting their freebies? Better to just call them and say you will be in their area and if they`d like, you would make time to wash their car (or whatever level of service they want). Be very careful about offering freebies like that, customers will expect them all the time.



    I have a customer who is particularly anal about his cars and has me out at his office 5-6 times a year to polish and wax his MDX. When I call him, he then goes around to everyone else in his office and drums me up more business. One call to him usually means at least 3-4 more cars to do so I give him a $20 discount (which, btw, he never asked for in return for getting me more customers) which makes him pretty happy. I still get paid for working on his MDX, he does all the leg work drumming up more business and earns himself a discount. I am happy, he is happy and this has worked well for the last 12 years.
    www.scottwax.com

    Certified Opti-Coat Pro/Pro 3 installer

  13. #28
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    ok everybody you can do this a couple of different ways. When I was starting out 4 years ago and I was trying to drum up business (pretty busy now though) when I sold a sale I would tell the client that the price includes a free follow up wash the next week. This would put me back in the area I would want to be seen in. This also gives them the idea of how convenient it was for them to have a clean car. You could also tell them at the time of sale that for a "limited time this price includes the free wash the following week". No one has ever expected free anything from me but when you can do something like this they will remember and if they were happy with the job you`ve done and just as important, if you`ve taken the time to actually build a relationship with them, and act professional they won`t expect it the next time or at any time. It all boils down to your sales skills.

    Something else I`ve done when I was slow was to choose what cars I knew I could clean easily and call them up (usually only one or two a month) and say " Hello you have won the FREE WASH OF THE WEEK". They usually are pretty excited to have won something and if you`re not busy at least you`re working in an area you want to be seen in. I can`t tell you how many jobs I`ve gotten just by being seen in the same area 2 weeks in a row. The client is spreading the word about you at their business and people get excited and maybe a little jealous that someone else in their office is driving around in a freshly detailed car and they are not.

    FREE is a powerful word and as long as you don`t make a habit of giving things away and let your clients know that these "free" services are for a limited time I can`t see where you could go wrong.

    It really is all about your sale skills and your relationship building skills.

    Now if you are really busy and booked up all the time then obviously you would not do this but if you`re slow it works out pretty well.

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scottwax
    Better to just call them and say you will be in their area and if they`d like, you would make time to wash their car (or whatever level of service they want).


    Yes this is exactly what I do now that I`ve been working pretty steady. Don`t really give out many free washes any more.:woot2:

  15. #30
    derek37's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by brwill2005
    Yes, `Thank You` cards work well. I send one to each customer after a job. People comment on how it is a `nice touch`. In addition, make sure your customer`s walk away with something such as a receipt or invoice. Just another way for them to remember you and your business.


    I think sending out cards is a fine idea of course but along with this a follow up call is more personal and a nice touch. Sending out birthday cards, Christmas cards, anniversary cards, etc is also an inexpensive way for customers to remember you and appreciate what you do for them. I think in this day and age of crappy customer service anything you can do on a personal level will set you apart.:usa

 

 
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