Advertising and Getting Customers?

shortd81

shortd81

New member
Ok,
I've got all the major things I need except for a extractor which I will get within a month or so. I'm working as a detailer but trying to get my mobile detail business started and maybe do it full time. My questioon is how do I get clientel and where should I look? How do I approach them, what to say etc? Thanks for the feedback.

Also I usually do about 4 details a day at my job/ not full details I guess you can call them mini details and I'll be posting pics of what I do.
 
First and foremost, welcome to the forum and I applaud your ambition to go mobile and enjoy this obsession we call detailing as a full-time job!

As most will tell you, the most effective and cheapest (actually, it's free) form of advertisement is word of mouth. You mentioned doing a few details daily. Those customers will more than likely get your name out when somebody talks to them about cars. If you don't get more customers this way, you could offer some sort of referral incentive, like a 50% off a service or even a free service for everyone who brings you a new customer.

You can also try a more assertive approach by just walking up to someone's house with a dirty car in the driveway and giving them the lowdown on what a quality detail is and why their car needs it. Mind you, this method works most effectively in wealthy neighborhoods ;).

Flyers have proven to be effective only in some areas at certain times. In my case, for example, I live on the main street of my neighborhood, and everyone driving by sees me when I'm detailing a car. There have been some people who became interested in my services when they saw me working. Every one of those people have since bought a detail and are regular customers now. I figured, hey, why don't I stuff some mailboxes with flyers? Then all those curious passers by can get some contact info and see what services I offer. Well, I've received 5 phone calls and counting since Friday (when I distributed flyers). This is a flyer success story. However, going to the mall and putting flyers under windshield wipers will most definitely not work and will waste the money you spent on the flyers.

Back to the referral thing, you should keep a stack of business cards handy. Word of mouth and business cards are a match made in heaven when it comes to marketing your business. Someone will ask for a card most of the time if they have someone in mind who could use your services. You wouldn't want to be in that situation without cards. Another good thing to have on hand is brochures. A professional-looking, all-inclusive trifold is impressive. Just hand the customer one of those and a business card. I assure you, they will find their way to another potential customer.

Another great way to get your name out is having vinyl decals made for your rig. Mobile guys like 1CleanWS6 and Clean Dean have done this, and I'm sure it's helped them. You can be as simple as "Your business name, auto detailing, phone number, e-mail address" or a fancy logo with gradient text and all sorts of info. While on the subject of this, you could have some polo shirts, hats, t-shirts, or detailing aprons with your logo on them. Wear the stuff when you're detailing, and you'll get more attention than if you're wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans.

That's about all I can think of. If there's more, someone else will chime in.

Good luck with your business!
 
I've got some advice that might help you on www.ocdetails.com. There is an article I wrote on how to start making money. It talks about ways to advertise. You probably have most of the info on that site down pat, but you never know...

You can plaster parking lots with flyers, but don't expect more than a 1% return on that one. You can throw business cards down everywhere, but it will be a low return on that one too. The best way to build a clientel is by word of mouth. Go door to door if you have to. You might get lucky and land the owner of a small business who offers to let you come and work a day in their parking lot. The more customers you can work for the more people they will tell about you. Get a website built with pictures of your work and a little about your business. Put that URL on a business card so that people can learn more about you than what you can fit on a card. Just remember not to advertise in such a way that it will create more business than you can handle. Don't buy advertising space in a movie theater or put an ad in the yellow pages unless you are going to be doing this full time. I don't do any advertising short of business cards and it keeps me plenty busy for a part time deal. Word of mouth is a powerful (and free) form of advertising. Do what you have to do in order to get the word out.
 
Something that has helped me out ALOT is that I take my own car to a place or a neighberhood that I want to get some business from. I wash and detail it, taking my time while doing it. Making sure that people that are coming home from work see me. I allways get about 10 to 15 people stop and ask for a business card and about 5 to 6 allways call for an appointment. After you get a good returniong customer in there the rest of the neighborhood will come to you.
 
believe it or not friends and relatives are your best way of getting known,next bartenders, do thier vehicle discounted and word gets out to alot more than you would expect.auto parts stores also do counter persons vehicle
dicounted again.
You could also Hire for a day 12 models in bikini's to help you detail in large parking lot, if you choose this let me know which parking lot I want to come and watch, LOL
doing a CEO's vehicle for huge company helps as same for head of daycare center
 
Me again, was just talking to buddy of mine that does detailing for living and his answer to your questions that he does went to large mall/supermarket,park and wait for someone that is handi-capped to come out and get into there vehicle, tell them you will do their car every two months for free if they will let you advertise by sticking Mila decal in side window with your info on it. he says makes him feel good helping someone that can't do it and saves them money and that is the first car you see when going in and comming out of anywhere.he said makes him alot of knew customers.He does alot of work so must work.
 
I totally agree with porkandbeans, I've done all of these advertising methods and its work great . Once people see you at a location 1 out of 5 will stop and ask for prices and a card. One thing I didn't want to do was go cheap on cards or flyers . This is what potential customers will judge your detailing srvs by. That and the condition of your own work vehicle.

I got a pic of a porshe speedster off the net for a buck and just made a simple logo and went to office max and got 500 cards for like $40 . 2 colors and raised letters. I then made have sheet flyers on white paper with my logo and services in 2 colors. And for my vehicle I got chrome vinyl graphics professionally installed . Luckily the guy was willing to trade services for the graphics. I did his Expedition and his wife's Benz. I think I got a good brake from him.
I've noticed that alot of business's will trade services . Its great when your first starting out and don't have alot of capital...

Aloha
Jon
 
i also beleive in stoping by some local businesses and offering them a small discount to do their work. if you are doing a vehicle in the back area of a parking lot at a hardware store or grocery store you will get lots of people looking. free advertising you can't out a price on. good luck.
 
Are you doing just details or will you also be doing basic type washes? Word of mouth and repeat business is where I got most of my customers. Next is people seeing me while working. Everything else paled in comparison. If your work is enough to wow the customer and your price not so high they cringe then business will come. I know some just do detail packages and that is great but you are real vulnerable to loosing a customer, even if you do great work. Flyers and cards do ok to get the ball rolling. In the beginning you will have extra time on your hands. Also your schedule will be flexable. If someone calls you from a business to get a vehicle done. Let them know you will give them a discount if they have a co worker that will get vehicle done at same time. Even give the coworker the discount too. The percentage of customers I got from repeat, word of mouth and seeing me was so high that it's worth a good discount to get a few more. Even at 25% off that beats printing up 1000's of flyers and beating the street for hours. Once you get a customer hold onto them. Especially customers that will get their vehicles done weekly or biweekly. Those customers spend enough money keeping their cars cleaned that your service and work needs to be outstanding.
 
I just wear a shirt that proudly declares "Rainbow Detailing" on it. Some people have told me that when they see a rainbow on anything that they think of Leyland. :) That's all you have to do, really. Just make your motto or logo something that people see all the time. You'll have to do it without breaking any copyright or trademark laws, but the last time I checked nobody had a trademark on a big rainbow. ;)
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I think I'm going to use all of these ideas. As for the handicap idea, do you know how much a bumper sticker or whatever would cost?
 
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