Helping Shop Owners grow into the successful entrepreneurs they imagine themselves to be.

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Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Winning The Game of Inches At Your Shop


Winning The Game of Inches At Your Shop

By

Eric M. Twiggs




No step forward is too small. Just be sure it's taking you to the right dream, then take more of those tiny steps.” 
― 
Israelmore Ayivor,

The story is told of a man who walked across the entire US continent from coast to coast.  Afterwards he was swamped by news reporters. One of them asked him to recap what the most difficult part of his journey was.

“Was it dealing with the desert heat?  Was it rambling through the Rocky Mountains?  Was it commuting through the crowded cities?”  She asked. 

His response took everyone by surprise: “it was none of those things. The most difficult part of my trip was dealing with the sand in my shoes.”

This man’s story proves the following point:   It’s the minor details that lead to major problems.  Have you dealt with the sand in your shoes?   The following scenarios may help you to answer:

A customer leaving your shop unhappy, is a minor detail.  When she shares the experience with her ten thousand twitter followers, it’s a major problem.  Ignoring the suggestion of “always be hiring”, is a minor detail. 

Losing your best technician, without having a replacement in mind, is a major problem.   Not implementing the parts matrix is a minor detail.  Not having enough cash flow to make payroll is a major problem. 

If you have overlooked any of these minor details, you have sand in your shoes.   Most people are looking for that one magical idea that will change everything in their business.

The Top Shop’s on the other hand, consistently win because of their disciplined dedication to the details.  In other words, they win the game of inches.

Are you like most people, but want to become a Top Shop?   Stay with me to learn two strategies that will help you to win the game of inches.



Do The Math

Fear based emotion is the root cause of your desire to ignore the details.  For example, the detail of making the exit appointment is ignored because of a fear of rejection.  The detail of “always be hiring” is overlooked because of a fear of failure. 

Some shop leaders have a fear of conflict, so they allow their technicians to avoid the detail of documenting the digital inspections.

The problem is that your bill collector isn’t afraid.  From your collector’s perspective, either your account is current, or its past due.  Either the funds are available or they’re not.   You may be dealing with emotion, but your vendor is dealing with simple math.    

The key is for you to replace your fear-based emotion with math.  Start by calculating your average cost per car. 

Go to the four-week average column in your portal and add up your total fixed costs, sublet costs, your total service manager wages loaded, and total technician wages loaded.   Take that total and divide by your weekly car count average and you will get your average cost per car. 

So, let’s say you have calculated your average cost per car to be $300.00.  Knowing this, makes it easier to explain to your service writer with a $250 average repair order (ARO), how his failure to follow the process is hurting the business. 

You can also use the win # drill (desired net profit + weekly fixed costs/ weekly gp%/ avg ARO) to calculate the number of cars needed to achieve your net profit goals.  This can help to take the emotion out of improving your car count via the exit appointment.

It’s ok, you can get mad at me, but you can’t get mad at math!  Doing the math removes the emotion from the equation, so you can focus on the details.   


Look For The 1%

I was watching an online documentary titled Tom VS. Time.  This documentary chronicles how New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady can play at an elite level despite being 40 years of age.

It shows Brady working with a performance coach who specializes in helping quarterbacks improve their football throwing mechanics.  

During the interview segment, the coach was explaining the difference between the average and the elite quarterbacks who request his services.

Here’s what he said: “The elite quarterbacks aren’t looking to get 5% better, they come to me to get 1% better!”   Finding the 1% will help you to win the game of inches.

The average shop owner evaluates the quality of the training based on the quantity of the takeawaysThe elite shop owners are just looking for the 1%.   

One hallway conversation at the Super Conference can make you 1% better.   One sentence from that book your 20 group is reading, can make you 1% better.   Changing one word you use to present the estimate, based on what you learned in class, can make you 1% better. 

If you’re getting 1% better every day, in time you can win the game of inches and become the best of the best!


Conclusion


So, there you have it.  If you do the math, and look for the 1%, you can win the game of inches.  When you become the best of the best, you will have more time to vacation at the beach, the place where having sand in your shoes is a good thing!

Sincerely,


Eric M. Twiggs
The Accountability Coach


Looking to get 1% better at presenting the estimate? Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  to receive your Minor Details Checklist


Wednesday, February 21, 2018

The Secret To Successful Selling At Your Shop




"We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less." -Diogenes

My interviewer threw me a curve-ball!  I had just graduated from college and was interviewing with a sales manager named “James”, for an outside sales position with a major copy machine company. 

“Sell me this pen!” James demanded, as he slammed the pen on his desk in front of us and awaited my response. 

I responded by creating an imaginary list of all the features the pen had to offer, to include special ink that lasted a lifetime!  “This will be the last pen you ever buy in your life!” I confidently exclaimed. 

I felt good about my selling performance as the interview concluded.  I was sure that I aced “the pen test” and was looking forward to getting a call back.  As I sat by the phone waiting for it to ring, the only sound I heard was the sound of the crickets outside of my window! 

Where did I go wrong?  All of my sales training up to that point had stressed the importance of clearly communicating the features and benefits of the product. 

Several months later, after reading Jeffrey Gitomer’s book The Sales Bible, I realized where I went wrong. Gitomer wrote the following statement that forever changed how I viewed the sales process: 

“Listening is the first commandment of selling.”   And then it hit me.   I had nothing to listen to, because I never asked James any questions related to his need for a pen! 

Was he in the market for a pen?  What did he like about the one he currently uses?  How specifically did he plan to use the pen?   I was so focused on talking that I forgot about listening.

Have you ever been so focused on talking that you forgot to listen? Well, you aren’t alone.  Consider the following research findings of Dr. Ralph Nichols, a pioneer in the field of listening:

“While participating in a conversation, the average person forgets 50% of what the other person is saying immediately after they finish speaking.”

In most conversations, when one person is talking, the other is mentally rehearsing his response, while he waits for his turn to talk.  

Think about your own life for a moment.  How many people can you name that actively listen without interrupting, and give you their undivided attention while you are speaking?  For most people, it’s a short list.

Since the failure to listen is such a prevalent problem, becoming a masterful listener can give you a competitive edge. This makes listening, the secret to successful selling at your shop.  Stay with me to learn two specific ways that you can benefit from becoming a better listener.


Listening Builds Trust


Imagine taking your car to a shop and you tell the writer that you have a 2010 Ford Fusion.   As he is writing you up he asks you “What kind of car was that?”  Later in the transaction, you instruct your advisor to replace the two rear tires, only to find that he has the two front tires circled on the work order! 

You ask him to call you on your cell phone number with updates and realize later, that you have three messages on your home answering machine letting you know that the job won’t be done today as promised!  Based on this interaction, how much trust would you have in this shop? 

Sadly, this scenario occurs every day in shops across America.  How can the customer trust you to be “her mechanic”, when she can’t trust you to remember what she told you about her vehicle?  To build higher levels of trust I recommend that you embrace the habits of note taking and restating.

When the customer is calling, you can use your phone log to write down the necessary details of the conversation.   When she is at your location, use a note pad to write down what she’s saying.

After she has told you about a specific problem, review your notes and restate the problem back to her, to confirm that you were listening.    Embracing these habits can make you her shop of choice, because you will have established the right level of trust. 


Listening Builds Connection


The story is told of a young woman in England who had the opportunity to dine with two political rivals who were running for the office of Prime Minister: William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraell.  

She was later asked to compare her encounters with both gentleman.  What she reported confirms the value of being a great listener.

“When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I felt like he was the most interesting man in the world.  After sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I felt like I was the most interesting woman in the world!”

Disreali won the election by a landslide, because of his ability to listen and connect.  He allowed her to talk about her favorite subject.   

Your customers and the young lady have the same favorite subject: Themselves!   This is why going out to the vehicle with the customer is such a critical step.  You get the opportunity to listen as she talks about herself.   Asking the right questions is the starting point of the listening process. 

For example, after asking her how long she plans to keep the car, you get to listen as she tells you about how well she maintains it.  After asking about the toddler car seat in the back, you get to listen as she tells you about how well her little son is doing in soccer.

When she feels like she is the most interesting customer in the world, she will vote for you as her shop of choice!  Your ability to listen will build that connection.



Conclusion


So, there you have it.  The opportunity to build trust and connection, makes listening the secret to successful selling at your shop.  I have mixed emotions about failing the pen test. 

On the one hand, I wish I would have asked the right questions to start the listening process.

However, If I had gotten the copier sales job, I may have never started my career in automotive, and I wouldn’t be in position to listen to the recordings of you applying the secret to successful selling!  


Sincerely,


Eric M. Twiggs
The Accountability Coach

PS.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive the 7 Secrets To Becoming a Masterful Listener!

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

How To Thrive Under Pressure While Presenting An Estimate


How to Thrive Under Pressure While Presenting an Estimate

By

Eric M. Twiggs




                                                                                        
We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle


During a recent television interview, Michael Jordan was asked what his secret was that allowed him to consistently thrive under pressure and lead his teams to “come from behind” victories.

He responded by telling the story of his rookie year practice sessions when his coach, Kevin Loughery, would divide the Chicago Bulls into teams that would scrimmage against each other.

Whenever Jordan’s squad jumped out to a big lead, Loughery immediately stopped the session and switched him to the losing team, leaving Jordan with the uphill challenge of leading his new squad to a come from behind victory, with the game on the line.

When the Bulls were losing during the real games, Jordan was prepared because of all the practice sessions.  Practice was his secret to thriving under pressure.   

While presenting the estimate, most service writers are feeling the pressure, because their only practice is in front of the prospect.   Are you feeling the pressure?   The following scenarios will help you to decide:    

When you must come from behind to overcome an objection, you don’t know what to say.   

When the customer becomes irate and the sale is on the line, you don’t know what to do.   

When the recommended maintenance is declined, you call a time out, because you don’t know what to prioritize.    

When you’re prepared, you know what to say, what to do, and what to prioritize, so you will feel less pressure.  I know what you’re thinking: “But Eric, I’ve been writing service for 15 years!” 

According to a recent study conducted by the Twiggs research institute, (J) if you only practice on your prospects, 15 years of writing service is the equivalent to 1 year of experience repeated 15 times!      

Keep reading and you will learn one idea that will help you thrive under pressure while presenting an estimate.


Practice Like A Champion


In his book, How Champions Think, Dr. Bob Rotella attributes the following quote to golfing legend Phil Mickelson: “The Birdies are in the woods.” Scoring a birdie means the golfer scored under par and won on that hole, so getting a birdie is a good thing.  

Hitting the ball into the woods, is a bad thing!  So, what does he mean when he says, “the birdies are in the woods?” 

After hitting his ball into the rough, Mickelson, unlike most golfers, responds by hitting an amazing recovery shot to get his ball back on the fairway.  He is known on tour for being confident and optimistic, when his ball lands in the woods during high pressure situations.

The reason he thrives under pressure, is because of his practice habits.  While the average golfer is practicing their putting, Mickelson works on hitting his ball out of the woods!   

He places hundreds of balls in the wooded areas and swings for the green fairway.    He can perform with confidence in public, because of how he practices in private.  So, for him, the birdies are in the woods.


What’s In It For You 

When you hear an objection to your estimate presentation, it feels like your ball has landed in the woods.  The objection is just an opportunity for you to clarify your message.   The key is to practice your recovery shot by role playing your response to the most common objections.        

For example, during your role play, have the customer respond with “I don’t have the money,” so you can practice offering her your “six months same as cash, financing program.”   

When the customer says, ”I’m getting rid of the car,” You can practice showing her the Edmunds.com true cost to own site, that spells out all of the costs relating to the purchase a new vehicle, in comparison to maintaining what she has.

When the customer says, “I don’t have time”, you can practice reminding her that she can use your loaner car while she’s waiting for the service to be completed. 

By practicing your response to the most common objections, your response in a real presentation will come across as confident and optimistic.



Summary


So, there you have it.  Both Michael Jordan and Phil Mickelson are champions in their sports.  If you know how champions think, you can practice like a champion.  If you practice like a champion, you can thrive under pressure while presenting an estimate.



Eric M. Twiggs
The Accountability Coach


PS.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive some role play examples on video to help you practice like a champion!

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

How To Grow Into A Better Version Of Yourself


How To Grow Into A Better Version Of Yourself

By

Eric M. Twiggs



"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"Muhammad Ali

So, how do you grow into a better version of yourself?  As I ponder this question, I’m reminded of the lobster.

As a lobster starts to grow, its existing shell begins to feel uncomfortable and confining.  The discomfort from the shell creates so much pain, that the lobster casts off the old shell, and produces a new one.  The shell is what protects it from being eaten by predators, so removing it is risky. 

Since its impossible to grow without taking risks, the lobster presses on with its improvement plan.  To minimize the risk, it hides under a rock during the process.   

As it continues to grow, the latest version of the shell gets uncomfortable, forcing it to repeat the process of going under the rock to produce a newer upgrade.  Pain is nature’s way of demanding that the lobster continues to grow. 

It’s painful when your new technician leaves you to return to his old shop.  It’s painful when you have too much month at the end of your money, and making payroll becomes a problem.    It’s painful when your 5 star efforts, result in a 1 star yelp review. 

Here’s the big idea from the lobster story: If you want to grow into a better version of yourself, you must view pain as a necessary part of the process.   

Now, you may be thinking, “Cute story Coach, but you’ve been living under a rock!  Running a successful shop in my area is harder now than ever.  How do I embrace pain as part of the process?” 

Keep reading and you will learn what you can do to grow into a better version of yourself. 


Focus On The Other Side

In his book The Tools, Transform Your Problems into  Courage, Confidence, and Creativity, Phil Stutz writes about a conversation he had with his high school football playing class mate, who was considered to be the best running back in the city.  

He had achieved the distinction of first team All-City, and had numerous scholarship offers to prove it.  He was explaining to Phil how he’d achieved this honor.  What he had to say was shocking.

He told Phil that he wasn’t the fastest running back in town.   He mentioned that others around the city were stronger than him.  It was his attitude about getting hit that separated him from the pack.  

When he got the ball, he would run towards the nearest tackler and absorb the hit, no matter how much it hurt.

Many of the other backs were more skilled, but they avoided contact out of fear.  His mindset helped to overcome the difference in skillset.  

His goal was to get into the end zone, so he knew that what he wanted was on the other side of the pain.


What’s In It For You?

I know of service advisors who would rather “run out of bounds” than make a CSI call to a lost customer.  I know of service managers who “slide” to avoid the pain of having their sales presentation videotaped in the advanced sales class. 

I know of shop owners who would love to “hand off” the opportunity to have their 20 group members visit their shop and critique their operation.   

What does your end zone look like?   Like the running back, it resides on the other side of the pain.   

For example, getting through the pain of the CSI call will give you the opportunity to get into the end zone of happier customers.  Getting through the pain of the practice video will improve your selling process, and get you into the end zone of additional gross profit. 

Getting through the pain of the shop visits, will improve your overall operations, and get you into the end zone of improved efficiency.  

The happier customers, additional gross profit, and improved efficiency, would be the result of you becoming a better version of yourself. 


Summary

So, there you have it.   The lobster can’t grow without first experiencing pain.  If you focus on what’s on the other side of the pain, you will grow into a better version of yourself, and experience the results that come with it. 


Sincerely,


Eric M. Twiggs
The Accountability Coach

PS.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive a checklist of 7 Painful Practices That Will Improve Your Profits!