How To Profit From Your Biggest Problem

“Don’t be upset by the results you didn’t get from the work you didn’t do.”  

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the most successful franchises in professional basketball.  They’ve won five NBA Championships and have the highest regular season winning percentage in league history.  

With all their success, the Spurs still have the same big problem as you.

The Surprising Secret of the Influential Leader

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. - George Bernard Shaw

Jimmy Johnson was the head football coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 through 1994.  He had a reputation for being a no nonsense, disciplinarian who was tough on his players.

Falling asleep during one of his meetings was considered a “career limiting move.”  Everyone knew this.  Everyone, except for a backup linebacker named John Roper.  

Getting The Best Performance From Your People

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”  John Quincy Adams

A Shop Owner named “George” was meeting with his General Manager, named “Ed.”   

Normally, they would have their Monday one on one meetings at George’s office, but this particular day was different.  George decided that a field trip was in order.

He took Ed out to this gorgeous field.  As they walked, George pointed to the blue ocean to their left. As they continued to walk, he directed Ed’s attention to the breathtaking mountains to their right.   

The Secret To Building Momentum At Your Shop

“Slow, steady progress is better than daily excuses.” Robin Sharma

In 1995, Mike Tyson was released from prison after serving a three year sentence.  His promoter Don King, was eager to help him regain his title as boxing’s Heavy Weight Champion of the World.

   

For his first fight, King arranged for Tyson to fight an unranked, lowly regarded boxer, named Peter McNeely.  It took “Iron Mike” eighty nine seconds to knock out his over matched opponent.   

How To Break Through Your Limiting Beliefs

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”  Marianne Williamson

How do you break through a limiting belief about yourself?  Reflecting on this question, reminded me of a story I read in John Maxwell’s book, The Five Levels of Leadership,

Maxwell writes about of a young lawyer named Herb, who was new to the legal profession.  In an effort to get up to speed, Herb studied two experienced attorneys to see what he could learn.

The Inside Secret To Finding Fulfillment

“Be impatient without getting frustrated” Kobe Bryant

You just had ten fork lift drivers respond to your State Inspectors ad. Your $$3,000 Google  Adwords campaign only generated a $30 oil change.

Your new “A” Technician that started on Monday still hasn’t come back from his lunch break.  

Each of these scenarios have one thing common.  They leave you feeling frustrated. This is problematic because it’s impossible to feel frustration and fulfillment at the same time.   You’re either experiencing one or the other!

How to Master The Art of Persuasion

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

What’s possible if you become a master of persuasion?  As I ponder this question, I’m reminded of something that happened back when I was a shop manager in need of a new car.  

The shop was 45 minutes away from home, so I was looking for a reliable and dependable vehicle.

The plan was to get a car that I could drive until the wheels fell off!

How To Grow When They Say It's Slow

   

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?" - Robert Browning

     

“My tool guy says that everybody’s slow!” Said “Katie”, the service manager of a local repair shop.   She was averaging $12,000 per week in sales which was a 16% decrease when compared to the previous year. 

Katie went on to tell me: “It’s a tough economy, and we’re in the fall season,  but I’m sure things will pick up as we get closer to the holiday's.

My initial instinct was to believe her since she had a good reputation in her community and a track record of previous success. 

The Best Kept Secret To Increasing Your Car Count

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates

Are you frustrated by the decrease in car count that came with your increase in Google AdWords?   Does it feel like you’re flushing money down the drain with each marketing campaign?

In his book titled, Sticky Church, Larry Osborne communicates a similar frustration. 

Osborne is a church pastor who struggled to grow his membership.   Back in 1980, he had a congregation consisting of 128 members.

How To Experience Victory In The Valley

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.”  Lou Holtz

The story is told of a traveler who was on a journey from one village to another.  As he was walking, he noticed a monk tilling the ground.  He asked the monk the following question:

“I’m traveling from the village in the mountains to the village in the valley and I was wondering if you knew what it was like in the valley?  “What was your experience in the mountains like?” asked the monk.

How To Charge An Upscale Price Without Upsetting Your Patrons

“Today’s consumers do not buy just products or services. Their purchase decisions revolve around buying into an idea and an experience.” Mckinsey

So there I was.  I had just arrived in Florida for a weekend getaway, and checked into my hotel.  The bad news was that it was getting late, and I was getting hungry. 

The good news was that my hotel had an in-house restaurant, and it was a premium steak house. I knew it was upscale because the waiters each had on white jackets, that resembled a lab coat, and the chef cooked the meal right in front of you.

How To Achieve A Positive Outcome In A Negative Environment

"Turning pro is a mindset.  If we are struggling with fear, self-sabotage, procrastination, self-doubt, etc., the problem is we are thinking like amateurs. ” Steven Pressfield

How do you achieve a positive outcome in a negative environment?  To answer this question, it helps to understand the concept of home field advantage.   In the sports world, teams that play in front of their home crowd, have a better chance of winning than the visiting road opponent.  

How To Prevent A Blowout in Your Bank Account

“It is the neglect of timely repair that makes rebuilding necessary.  Richard Whately

“This tire is defective!  I want to talk to the manager!”  This is what I overheard at the service counter while conducting a shop visit back when I was a district manager for a national automotive chain. I won’t tell you the name of the organization, but I will say that the employees had a lot of “Pep” in their step!

My anxiety levels increased as I heard the service advisor confidently proclaim, “Sir, the manager is off today, but my district manager, Eric Twiggs is here!”   The customer’s name was “Larry”, he drove a grey Lexus, and he had an angry look on his face.

How To Become An Irrelevant Shop

"When you're finished changing, you're finished." Ben Franklin

Now that I have your attention, imagine that you’ve just landed in an unfamiliar town where you don’t know anyone, and you lack access to a rental car.  To make matters worse, your hotel doesn’t offer a shuttle to pick you up.  What would you do? Catch a bus? Catch a train? Hitch a ride? 

This was my predicament while vacationing with the family in South Carolina.  Since I got out voted on the idea of exploring the adventures of hitch hiking, I decided to use my phone instead of my thumb to get us a ride!  This was my opportunity to experience Uber.

Overcoming Your Biggest Obstacle To Success At The Shop

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.  Napoleon Hill

What’s the biggest barrier that’s blocking your path to success?  As I ponder this question, I’m reminded of a story shared by author Ryan Holiday.

In his book The Obstacle is The Way,  Holiday shares the story about a King from the ancient times, who conducted an interesting experiment with his subjects.

How To Bridge The Celebrity Gap At Your Shop

"A man without a smiling face must not open a shop."  Chinese Proverb

Do you have a celebrity gap at your shop?   “Dan”, a shop owner from the Midwest, has one.  A few weeks back on a 100 degree afternoon, a customer named “Sarah”, arrived at his location with the following request, 

“I just blew my right front tire, and I don’t have any cash on me. Can someone help me put my spare on?  I’ll come back and pay when I get off of work.”

To which Dan replied: “Ma’am, I’m sorry but the charge for that service is $20.00! I gotta make money somehow!”  What Dan didn’t know was that Sarah was a “celebrity” within her network.  

Are You A "Hot" Shop Owner?

“I am constantly in a crisis to get to the next version of myself.” Ed Mylett

During my recent trip to Dallas Texas, I was a HOT coach.   I touched down at 10am and it was already 95 degrees!  My first order of business was to get to my room to cool down.  Upon arrival, I sadly discovered that the AC was turned off! 

I turned it on and set the thermostat to 72 degrees.  By the time I got back to my room during the early afternoon, the outside temperature was 107 degrees!  Since my thermostat was set for 72, the room temperature adjusted down to the pre-set level. 

How To Get The Jump On Your Competition

Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar.  Orrin Woodward

Have you ever wondered what you could do to get the jump on your competition?  The answer came to me as I was watching a video presentation that was conducted by motivational speaker Gary Ryan Blair   where he provided the following detailed data on the sporting event known as the competitive high jump.  

During the competition, a bar is placed between two poles and the athlete is challenged to jump over it to the other side. 

How To Think Like A Top Shop Owner

“Never surrender to your own satisfaction” Tim S. Grover

When I was growing up, one of my favorite basketball players was Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He could look in one direction while throwing an accurate pass to a teammate on the opposite side of the court.  But that’s not why I liked him.

He had the guts to take the game winning shot, with the championship on the line.  But that’s not why I liked him.  He was a leader on the court whose presence made everyone better.  But that’s not why I liked him.

The Fastest Way To Fail As a Shop Owner

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Leo Tolstoy

The story is told of an eight year old boy named “Mitch”, who was out of control.  He would do the opposite of whatever is mother “Molly” told him to do.

When she said “sit down”, he would stand up.  When she said “be quiet”, he would talk louder. When she said “stop running”, and he would run even faster. 

The Key To Experiencing Your Breakthrough

“The eyes only see what the mind is prepared to comprehend” Henri Bergson

“That’s it, I’m done!” This is what a young professional golfer named “Ben” told his wife “Valerie” after a frustrating day on the course. 

At the end of the second round of The Oakland Open golf competition, Ben was in last place.  To make matters worse, Ben & Valerie were down to their last $50. 

How To Get The Results You Planned For

 “Becoming a champion is not an easy process… It’s done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.” – Nick Saban

Are you getting the results you planned for?  I thought about this last week as I embarked on my morning run.   One of the specific running results that I planned for was to run two miles in under an eight minute per mile pace.  I even watched a running instruction video to learn the correct posture. 

How To Keep Your Shop From Stressing You Out

 “There is never a right time to do the wrong thing.” Lou Holtz

“Nobody can do it like Eric!” This was my motto during much of my career as a district manager.  My ideal picture of an effective leader was someone with an authoritative approach who had all the answers. 

Since I had all the answers, my people would contact me with all their questions regarding how to deal with unhappy customers, without first attempting to resolve the issues themselves. 

How To Use Your Greatest Asset To Get What You Want

How To Use Your Greatest Asset To Get What You Want

By

Eric M. Twiggs

 “If you can see it, you can be it.  If you can view it, you can do it.”

In the acting world you have Broadway.  In baseball you have the major leagues.  In the world of new car sales, you have the Mercedes Benz dealership. 

It’s understood, that if you sell cars,  a proven prior track record with a lesser brand, is required before stepping up to the Mercedes level.  This isn’t a mystery.  Everyone knows this.  Everyone, except for “Jeff.”

Jeff had a successful background in selling piano’s but had never sold cars before.   He always wanted to be a Mercedes salesman, and had the audacity to start his quest by inquiring at the local dealerships.  He went to the first location and spoke with a gentleman named “Ron” about his interests.

After telling Ron about his background, Ron said, “The manager isn’t here today, so you’ll have to come back later!”  Jeff checked the dealerships website that evening, and discovered that Ron was the manager! 

He visited the second location and was told that if he wanted to sell Mercedes, he should first apply at the Buick dealer down the road. 

At the third location, “Jack,” the manager, said that he wasn’t qualified, but he was welcome to pay his own way and take the upcoming sales training course that was being offered to his dealer employees. 

Jeff was so determined, that he paid the $403 fee, took the class, and received the highest grade possible for the course!   The instructor was so impressed that he contacted Jack, recommending that Jeff be hired. 

Today Jeffrey Twiggs, my brother, is a top producing Mercedes Benz salesman in Atlanta GA!   At this point, you may be thinking “That’s a great story about your brother, but what does this have to do with me?”   It has everything to do with you.  

Jeff’s story is proof that sometimes, what you don’t know can help you.  On the path to pursuing your goals, the right mindset is your greatest asset.  

Keep reading to learn two ideas that will help you leverage your greatest asset and get what you want.

Change Your Self Talk

Have you ever felt like you were stuck, and unable to make progress towards your shop goals?  Was the underlying reason the economy? Maybe it was your competition?  Did you lack the proper training?

In my nine years of coaching shop owners & service writers, I’ve discovered that 80% of the time, it’s a mindset issue that keeps you stuck.  Once you improve your mindset, you will change your self-talk.

In his groundbreaking book, What To Say When You Talk To Yourself, Dr. Shad Helmstetter concludes that up to 75% of the average person’s mental programming and self-talk is negative. 

He explains that the region of the brain known as “the lizard brain”, is constantly scanning the environment looking to warn us about possible danger.

When it finds a potential threat, it delivers warnings that can become negative self-talk. Since accomplishment and risk go hand in hand, the lizard brain speaks the loudest while you’re pursuing a game changing goal.

The following are examples may sound familiar: “I can’t use that pricing matrix, it will put me out of business!” “That’s a first time customer, so I can’t present the complete estimate!” 

“What if I hire that great technician, and I don’t have enough work to keep him?” “My customers ask for me by name, so I can’t hire my replacement!”

Here’s the bottom line: It’s impossible to say something positive and think something negative at the same time!  In spite of experiencing rejections, Jeff continued to tell himself that working for Mercedes was possible.  His speaking impacted his thinking, and his thinking impacted his result.

If you consistently speak about the positive possibilities, it will change your mindset. When you change your mindset, you will change your self-talk.  When you change your self-talk, you will start moving towards your goals. 

Become Delusional

The dictionary defines delusion as a belief or altered reality that is persistently held in spite of evidence or agreement to the contrary.  Jeff had to be delusional to think he could work for Mercedes, without any prior experience.

The fact that he continued to persist in the face of contrary evidence, is an indication that he was living in an altered reality.   His delusion is what made everything possible!

What would be possible if you ignored the evidence that, “Everyone’s buying new cars”?  What would be possible if you persisted with the exit appointment program, even after your service writer told you that it didn’t work? 

What would be possible if you lived in an “altered reality” where customers would find the money if they felt the value? 

I challenge you to become delusional this week as you pursue your goals.  You never know what’s possible!

Conclusion

So, there you have it.  If you change your self-talk and become delusional, you will leverage your greatest asset and achieve your goals.

Once you’ve succeeded, you can use the additional cash flow to buy yourself a brand new, shiny, fully loaded, Buick!

  

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS:  Email me if you would like a copy of my 50 questions to help you find your purpose in life.  Gaining clarity of purpose will help you to pursue your goals with the right mindset!

How To Move from Excuses To Excellence

How To Move from Excuses To Excellence

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“There is nothing either good or bad. Thinking makes it so.” William Shakespeare

Do your results at the shop depend on external events?  As I ponder this question, I’m reminded of a story I shared in a previous post about this single father with two young sons. 

The father was laid off from his job and struggling to make ends meet.  After several months of unemployment, he became desperate and robbed the local convenience store. 

The father was arrested and sentenced to twenty years in prison.  The two boys were separated from each other and placed in the foster care system. 

Fifteen years later, a news anchor got wind of the story and decided to check in to see how the boys were doing. The youngest son had become a drug addict who was always in trouble with the law. The older son had become a successful entrepreneur and community activist. 

The reporter met with the boys separately and asked them both the same question: "Why do believe you turned out the way you did?" 

They both had the same reply: "What else would you expect with a father like that?   The boys got different results, even though they experienced the same event.  But why?  

The Bridge

It’s the same reason that you, and that owner in your 20 group, can get different parts margin results, even though your customers have the same median income.  

It’s the same reason that you and that owner you met at The Super Conference, can have different car count results, even though you both share the experience of being in a small town.

You both are experiencing the same event, but one of you is making excuses, while the other is achieving excellence.  You bring a different perspective to the shared experience.

Your perspective is the bridge that can take you from excuses to excellence.  Which side of the bridge are you on?   Dictionary.com defines perspective as a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something. 

For example, when you watch the news and the reporter interviews two people who witnessed an accident, they usually mention a different account of the same accident.   Their individual beliefs have shaped the way they regard the event. 

Here’s the bottom line: If your beliefs about your situation, your shop, or yourself, aren’t moving you closer to your goals, then a change of perspective is in order.     When your perspective lines up with your goals, it becomes the bridge that takes you from excuses to excellence. 

The Question

I spoke with two shop owners this past week, one named “Tom” and the other named “Todd”.    Tom ranked in the ATI Top 25 for 2017, while Todd has a negative gross profit dollar lift average for the year. 

Both told me how their vendors were saying that the entire area was slow.  Both mentioned that their competitors were complaining about their bays being empty. 

Tom experienced a record setting week in mechanical sales and Gross Profit, while Todd blamed his local economy for his subpar performance.  Why did they get different results, despite experiencing similar slowness?  

As Tom was going through his experience, he asked himself the following question, “What can I do differently?” 

When you’re faced with a problem, like low sales, or low car count, ask yourself the previously mentioned question until you can come up with eight different options to overcome the issue. 

Doing this will change your perspective and cause you to move from excuses to excellence.   

  

Conclusion

So, there you have it.  Embracing the right perspective will move you from excuses to excellence.   Asking the right question will position you to experience profits while others are complaining about problems.  What else would you expect with a mindset like that?

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS:  I have a Perspectives Tool that can help you to identify eight different options to overcome your most pressing problem.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  if you would like a copy.

The Starting Point of Your Success As A Shop Owner

The Starting Point of Your Success As A Shop Owner

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Lewis Carroll

What’s the starting point of your success as a shop owner?  As I ponder this question, I’m reminded of a video series, I watched recently,  that was done by  Dr. Rhadi Ferguson,  who wrote the book, Coffee With Rhadi, Herculean Conversations with an Olympian.     

In one of his videos, he tells the story of his quest to make it to the Olympic Games in the sport of Judo.  Every day, he would look in the mirror and say to himself, “I’m going to the Olympics”.  He would take out a 3 X 5 card and write, “I’m going to the Olympics.” 

He created a poster with a picture of the Olympic circles and written under the caption were the following words: “I’m going to the Olympics.”

Several months later, his wish came true.  He went to the 2000 Olympic games!  There was one small problem.  He went to the games as a spectator, NOT as a competitor!  Since he didn’t make the team, he had to purchase a ticket and pay his own way!    

Where did he go wrong?   Why didn’t he get what he really wanted?    The one thing that held him back may be the one thing that’s keeping you from getting what you REALLY want.  His goal lacked clarity.

Get Clear & Specific

Clarity is the starting point of your success as a shop owner.  Setting a vague goal will leave you with vague results.  For example, setting a goal, “to hire a technician by June 1st” sounds like a good idea, right?

But how good would it be if your new hire, refuses to do courtesy checks, never completes jobs ahead of book time, and has more comebacks than Brett Favre?    

We learned from Dr. Ferguson’s story that going and competing in the Olympics are two different things.  Just going to the Olympics is a vague goal, while competing in the games is clear and specific.   

Likewise, just “hiring a technician” is a vague goal.   Hiring an ‘A’ technician who is ASE master certified, and 100% efficient is clear and specific. 

Setting a goal to “improve net profit” is vague.  Completing the win # drill, and then setting a goal to average $3,000 per week in net profit, is clear and specific. 

If hiring the right people and generating enough profit are your problems, then developing clear and specific solutions should be your priority.

Always Begin With The End In Mind 

Imagine if a lost stranger stopped by your shop today to ask for directions.  He says, “I’m lost and need directions.”   You respond with,” No problem, where are you trying to go?” Picture him replying with the following response, “I’m not sure exactly, but I want to go somewhere that’s better!”

I speak with many shop owners who are like the lost stranger.  They want to do better, but they haven’t defined where “better” is or what "better" looks like.  The solution is to always begin your business-related interactions, with a specific end in mind.  

Before you attend your next meeting, ask yourself the following question, “What is my desired outcome?

For example, asking this question before you go to the next Super Conference may result in you doing business with a specific digital tablet vendor.  Asking this question before your next 20 group meeting, may result in you coming back with specific strategies to hire your replacement. 

Asking this question before your upcoming Chamber of Commerce meeting, may result in you getting a new customer with the specific fleet of vehicles, that you like to service.   

It’s ok to have more than one desired outcome in mind.  The key is for each outcome to be clear and specific. 

Conclusion

Dr. Ferguson’s story has a happy ending.  He set the specific goal of competing in the Olympics, and in 2004 he represented Team USA in the games that were held in Athens, Greece.  

If you get clear and specific, and always begin with the end in mind, you will position yourself to compete at the highest levels.   Your story has a better chance of having a happy ending, if you visualize the specific outcome from the beginning!

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive a special goal setting worksheet that will help you set clear and specific goals. 

My Biggest Regret As An ATI Coach

My Biggest Regret As An ATI Coach

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“The best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining” John F. Kennedy

Imagine me pulling up to your shop in a shiny, black, 2018 Mercedes Benz CLS 550 Coupe.  It’s fully equipped to include the 8 cylinder engine, 18 inch aluminum wheels, leather bucket seats, a sunroof, and the leather upholstered dashboard.  As we begin to discuss the car, our conversation shifts to my warranty coverage.

“So what does your extended warranty cover?” You ask. Imagine if I replied with the following response:   “I decided not to go with any coverage, since I never had any issues with my last car.  As a matter of fact, I plan to call Geico today and cancel my auto insurance plan.  I’ve never been in an accident, so why do I need insurance?”    

If you were to fill out an ATI takeaway worksheet based on our conversation, you would probably write “Coach Twiggs has gone crazy!”  After all, it’s crazy to assume that nothing will ever go wrong with the car. It’s crazy to assume that I will never get into an accident.  

It’s crazy to not have a contingency plan in place for such a significant investment.   Well, you have more invested in your shop than I would have in my Mercedes, so what does YOUR contingency plan look like?     

What is the contingency plan for your shop that would cover you if you were to have an accident?  Do you have the necessary “extended coverage” that would protect you if you were to lose your best employee tomorrow? 

As you ponder these questions, I feel the need to share with you my biggest regret as an ATI coach, so here it is:  It’s that I didn’t push you harder to cover your contingencies.   

It’s Personal 

I take it personally when my suggestion to “always be hiring” falls on deaf ears, only to have the same shop owner who ignored my advice lose a key person and get stuck working IN the business.  It saddens me to see the loss of money and momentum that could have been easily avoided.

I take it personally when I see a shop owner suffer an unexpected medical emergency and have to be away from their shop for six months at a time.  My reaction is never “I told you so!”  Instead it’s “what else could I have told you?” 

My feeling of regret ends TODAY, because I am committed to push harder than ever to ensure that you have the necessary extended coverage.  My goal is to help you to embrace “The Blue Man Philosophy”

The Blue Man Philosophy

In 1987 three close friends decided to paint themselves blue and create music together.    Their show was a combination of rock music and entertainment.  Chris Wink, Matt Goldman, and Phil Stanton formed The Blue Man Group.

They worked IN their business for 14 hours a day performing over 1200 shows together.  One fateful night, Phil, cut his hand using a power tool and was unable to perform.  They were forced to create a contingency plan by bringing in a backup blue man to take his place.    

This incident gave them the idea to hire their replacements.  Today, The Blue Man Group can perform shows in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Long Island, simultaneously, while the three founding members are relaxing in Long Beach!  

 It took Phil cutting his hand to get the group members to change their philosophy.  What’s it going to take for you to change your philosophy?  What’s it going to take for you to start looking for your replacement? 

What’s it going to take for you to recruit even when you’re fully staffed?  What’s it going to take for you to create contingency plans so that your shop can thrive with our without you being there? 

Conclusion

So, there you have it.   If you commit to the process of covering your contingencies, I won’t have anything to regret, and you will have no reason to feel blue, when you unexpectedly lose a key person from your team.

You can use all the extra money your shop produces to buy yourself a brand-new Mercedes Coupe!

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive a contingency planning template to help you commit to the process.