Are You The Little Engine That "Can't?"

Are You The Little Engine That "Can't?"

By

Eric M. Twiggs

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” Henry Ford

"Rob" was the little engine that can't!  Every week, he told me all the reasons why he couldn't raise his prices. When I asked him about his labor rate, he responded:  “I can't raise my labor rate, because all the shops in this area are cheaper." 

 I reminded him about the correct way to charge for diagnostics, only to have him say: “I can't charge that much, because the parts house down the street scans the codes for free!" 

 We would talk about his low parts margins and he replied: “I can't use the matrix, because my customers can't afford it.   Unlike the little engine from the famous story, Rob's chant was “I think I can't, I think I can't, I think I can't!!"  Do you know anyone like Rob?   

Things took an interesting twist when he hired "Jack", as the entry level service advisor.  Jack was new to automotive, but had spent the previous two years in a retail sales position.  One day, Jack was working with a customer and her Chevy Silverado that needed an engine.  

Since he was new, he didn't know that he wasn't supposed to use the parts matrix like he was taught on the ATI training video.    Since the matrix was posted behind the counter, he used it on the remanufactured engine.

In a shop where the customers “didn't have the money," Jack managed to sell the engine for $8,300 to include parts and labor!  They finished the week with $21,000 in total sales, which was their best week of the year!

Is there a "Jack" out there, who could come to your location and make the sale you believe to be impossible?    The late author Jim Rohn said it best when he said: "your income is primarily determined by your philosophy and not the economy."     Stay with me and you will learn two philosophies that can increase your weekly income.

  Value

What is it about your service that exceeds the customers' expectations and leaves them saying WOW?  This is the question that must be answered before you say that you're too expensive.  It's a proven fact that people will pay if they believe they're getting the appropriate value in return. 

 The real question is never about the price.  The customer is really asking if the service is worth the money.   The commitment to delivering an experience that justifies the price is what will grow your income. 

A key to your success is to focus more on what you can do, than what you can't.  You can't control the economy, but you can control your delivery. 

 Accountability

A victim is defined as a person who suffers a negative outcome because of someone or something outside of themselves.  For example, anyone who blames the customers and the competition for their result is playing the role of a victim. 

The problem is that you won't fix what you don't believe to be your fault.    Instead of saying, “I can't…" ask yourself the following question: “What CAN I do, to improve?"  The victim says:" My customers don't have the money."  The seller who is accountable will ask: “What is it about my presentation that needs to change?" 

If you are truly accountable, you work from the assumption that everything is your fault.   If the customer was to blame in my earlier story, Jack would have never made the sale.

Conclusion

So there you have it.  Embracing the philosophies of value and accountability can increase your weekly income.  This will help you to realize that the light at the end of the tunnel is NOT a train!    

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS. Do you still believe that price is the customers #1 concern?   Email me at etwiggs@autotraining.net  and I will send you a list of the 7 factors that motivate a customer to buy.  Mentioning these motivators during your estimate presentation will improve your sales!