$120 to detail a LIMO!

[imported_mirrorfinishman]

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.

 

[evilWagon]

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 Marque’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 I’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 you’re good at what you do, you’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!

 

[mcc]

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!

 

[derek37]

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.

 

[Jeremy1026]

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.

 

[BobD]

This makes a GREAT way to say "Thank You"

https://www.sendoutcards.com/cgi-bin/trncustomer.pl?static_product_intro:11217:

 

[Scottwax]

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.

 

[derek37]

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.

 

[derek37]

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:

 

[derek37]

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