How to Hire the Right Technician for Your Shop

"Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” Simon Sinek 

When it comes to automotive education, "Bill" has more degrees than a thermometer! He's a master certified ASE technician. He also has certifications from Ford and Subaru.

If you were to survey the tool truck drivers and ask them to name the most productive technician in town, they wouldn't have to phone a friend or use a lifeline! They would name Bill.

His white toolbox is bigger than a Buick, and if he ever got a scratch on it, he would replace the entire drawer!

What if Bill knocked on your door today, with the goal of becoming your next "A" technician? Would you hire him?

The Leading Cause of Low Car Count at Your Shop

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anais Nin

He got out of a Ford Crown Victoria with no hubcaps. He had a full shaggy beard, a white t-shirt, jeans with holes in them, and flip flops. It appeared that it had been a while since he last combed his hair!

This is how Dave Ramsey describes his sales prospect, "Chris" in his book EntreLeadership, 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches. This encounter occurred back when Ramsey sold expensive custom homes as a Real Estate professional.

Something to Consider When You Feel Like Giving Up

"You can never tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems far." John Greenleaf Whittier

Have you ever felt like giving up? "Mike" and "Harry" certainly did. They were frustrated by their general manager's performance failures. He was highly compensated, but his results weren't on par with his pay.

In spite of their best efforts to provide training and coaching, sales were slipping, profits were plummeting, and morale was moving in the wrong direction.

They ran hiring ads to find the right general manager, but only the forklift drivers applied! When they did meet a promising prospect, the candidate would "forget "to show up for the interview! It was truly a frustrating situation.

My Biggest Frustration With Selling Service

“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Mark Twain

Imagine that “Cliff,” your customer, has dropped off a brown 2007 Toyota Scion with over 115,000 miles. The paint is peeling, the front bumper is missing, and the rear windshield is cracking. If you typed the word “beater” into “Google,” an image of this car would appear!

After conducting a complete courtesy check, you find that it needs over $3,500 worth of work to include front and rear brakes, the valve cover gasket, and a tune-up. Cliff’s reason for bringing the car to you was to have the oil changed and tires rotated.

Your technician has just handed you the courtesy check and complete estimate. It’s time to call Cliff and present your findings.

How to Regain Your Swagger at The Shop

“Skill and confidence are an unconquered army” George Herbert

The year was 2012 and I was frustrated. I was frustrated by the fact that I couldn’t move “Jack.” Jack is a shop owner who was failing to achieve his profit goals. He and I would speak every week, but the results didn’t change.  

We improved his pricing, but never experienced the payoff. We implemented new processes but failed to see the performance. We hired new people but didn’t enhance production. What was I missing?

How to Achieve Relentless Success at Your Shop

“The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.” Helmut Schmidt

In his book, Relentless, From Good To Great To Unstoppable, Tim Grover tells the story of how he became the personal trainer of choice for professional basketball players in the NBA.

Back in the late 1980s, Tim was a 25-year-old, with no prior experience working with pro athletes. He was hoping to get his big break.

He picked up the phone and contacted the local team offering his performance improvement services. He called all twelve players on the roster leaving messages for them to get back with him. Eleven of the twelve ignored the call.

What Top Shops Never Say and What They Do Instead

 

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." – Mark Twain

“Jack” owns a shop on the east coast and has two service advisors. The first advisor “Ray” is an automotive industry veteran with over 15 years of experience. He’s been there, done that, and has the tee shirt and coffee mug to prove it! 

The second writer “Craig”, knows nothing about cars and couldn’t change his own oil if his life depended on it! Which one would you hire? Before you answer, allow me to continue the story.

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.

The Best Shop Owners On The Planet Have This In Common

The Best Shop Owners On The Planet Have This In Common

By

Eric M. Twiggs

Focus on the possibilities for success, not on the potential for failure  Napoleon Hill

I’m always amazed at how two shop owners can look at the same opportunity, but see something different.   This reminds me of a movie I recently watched titled  The Founder, starring Michael Keaton, which tells the story of how Ray Kroc started the McDonald’s franchise. 

Early in the film, The McDonald’s brothers are visited by Kroc, a struggling milk shake machine salesman.  Kroc was so intrigued by the operation, he asked Dick and Mac McDonald to give him a tour of the restaurants kitchen.

After the tour, he met with them to communicate his idea of franchising the restaurant.  The brothers reluctantly agreed and signed a contract that granted Kroc the rights to grow the franchise, and them the authority to make final decisions on each location.

The franchise had grown to have landholdings in 17 states with Kroc as the President & CEO.   He eventually buys the McDonald’s brothers out of their contract assuming complete control of the operation.

There’s a pivotal point in the picture where you can see the key trait that Kroc possessed that made him successful.  The best shop owners on the planet have this trait as well.  During one of the final scenes, Kroc is speaking with Dick McDonald. 

Dick asked Kroc why he didn’t just steal their system, and use it to start a business under his own name after they gave him the kitchen tour.

Here’s what Ray said: “It’s not just the system, it the name.  The name ‘McDonald’s’ sounds like America. The first time I saw your name, it was love at first site. I knew I had to have it.”   When the McDonald brothers looked at their business, all they saw were sandwiches, systems, and struggles. 

Ray looked at the same opportunity and saw a name that could grow into an international franchise.    Both he and the brothers, viewed the same opportunity, but they saw it differently. 

This is what separates the best from everyone else.

Both the best and the rest can look at the same opportunity.  The difference is, that the best focus on the possibilities, while the rest find the problems!  

For example, the best view the “always be hiring” philosophy as an opportunity to find great people.  The rest focus on what to say when they interview someone, but don’t have an immediate position to offer them. 

The best focus on the eight customers out of ten who will say yes to scheduling their next appointment. 

The rest dwell on the two out of ten who might say no.  When presented with an idea to improve your shop, do you focus on the possibilities or do you find the problems?

This is an important question to answer because whatever you focus on tends to expand.  If you aspire to expand the possibilities, and become like the best shop owners on the planet, then keep reading to learn about their two key areas of focus. 

The Big Picture

Several years ago, I was working to complete a jigsaw puzzle.  I reached a point in my pursuit where I was stuck.  I became frustrated, because I couldn’t get the pieces to fit. To my surprise, no matter how many times I tried to connect the wrong puzzle pieces together, it still didn’t work. 

When I turned the puzzle box over on its opposite side, I saw there was a big picture of the completed puzzle.  Once I shifted my focus to the big picture, I could see how all the pieces fit together, and was able to accomplish my goal.    What do you see when you turn your puzzle box over?

In will be easier to hire your replacement, when you focus on your big picture of being an absent tee owner.   It will be easier to raise your labor rate, when you focus on your big picture of having the revenue to retire in style. 

 It will be easier to register for the Super Conference, when you focus on your big picture of becoming an ATI Top Shop.

Unlike the McDonald’s brothers, Ray Kroc was focused on the big picture.  This level of focus empowered him to pursue the possibilities, while the brothers remained puzzled by their problems.

The Best People

Your environment has been described as the invisible hand that shapes behavior.  I didn’t believe it at first glance, but then I became aware of the following studies:

 1. Author & researcher Brad Stulberg reports that you are 57% more likely to become obese, if your close friend becomes obese.  2.  Gallup research has concluded that you are 30 times more likely to laugh when you are with someone else than when alone.  3. The Eric Twiggs research center has concluded that if you spend enough time around three pessimistic people, you will become the fourth!  (OK, there is no Twiggs research center, but you get the point!)

This “invisible hand” inspires the best shop owners to intentionally associate with the best people.  

For example, if you called your unsuccessful shop owner friend, and told him that you wanted to become an absentee owner, he would try to talk you out of it. 

He would tell you to how hard it is to find good people, how you can’t afford to pay the right person, and blah, blah, blah!  You would hang up the phone feeling discouraged, and begin to second guess yourself. 

If you were to call Eddie Cleveland, the 2016 ATI shop owner of the year, he would encourage you and tell you specifically what he did to accomplish this goal.   Talking to your friend would keep you focused on the problems, but speaking with Eddie would inspire you to pursue the possibilities. 

Both your friend and Eddie would be looking at the same opportunity, but seeing something different.  Therefore, associating with the best people is a key area to focus on. 

Summary

So, there you have it.  Focusing on the big picture and hanging out with the best people, will allow you to expand your possibilities.   This will leave you smiling as if you just ate a happy meal!

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Struggling to see what your big picture looks like?  Email me at etwiggs@autotraining.net to get the latest instructions on how to create a compelling vision bo

The One Thing You Never Hear In A Top Shop

 

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." – Mark Twain

                                                                                                                                                                   “Jack” owns a shop on the east coast and has two service advisors.  The first advisor “Ray” is an automotive industry veteran with over 15 years of experience.  He’s been there, done that, and has the tee shirt and coffee mug to prove it! 

The second writer “Craig”, knows nothing about cars and couldn’t change his own oil if his life depended on it!   Which one would you hire?  Before you answer, allow me to continue the story.

What's Holding You Back? A Two Word Answer

What's Holding You Back? A Two Word Answer

By

Eric M. Twiggs

                                 

                                  “When nothing is sure, everything is possible” Margaret Drabble

There’s one fundamental issue that prevents shop leaders from getting to the next level.   I ran into this issue several weeks ago while having a conversation with a service manager named “Paul.”  Paul had done poorly on three consecutive phone shops and the owner was getting frustrated. 

He had been through our service advisor training class and was trained on the importance of offering everyone who calls with a service inquiry an appointment.  Paul and I listened to three different recordings of the incoming calls, and each time he failed to offer the appointment. 

“Eric, you don’t understand. When the customers come in for their appointment, they always complain about not being able to get immediate service.”  I responded by asking him: “How many appointments have you scheduled this month? He replied with a tone of confidence: “TEN!” 

“Great Paul. How many of those customers have voiced this complaint?”  After a long awkward silence, Paul came back with the following response: TWO.   Paul’s problem with the phones can be summed up with two words: LIMITING BELIEF!

In a previous blog, I made you aware of a concept known as confirmation bias.   This occurs when you use a small sampling of information to confirm what you believe, while ignoring the overwhelming evidence that tells a different story.  

Paul’s limiting belief about the process was the problem.  So much so that he used the two complaints to confirm his way of thinking while ignoring the other eight happy customers. 

Think about an aspect of your business that has been a constant struggle for you.  What story do you use to justify your results in this area?  For example, if hiring technicians is your struggle, your story may be: “there aren’t any good tech’s in my area.”   Paul’s story was: “my customers always complain about not getting immediate service.”

I have some bad news: Your story is a limiting belief.  I can say this because, every day I speak with a shop owner who’s having success in your area of struggle, while dealing with the same obstacles as you.  The good news, is that by reading on, you will learn two keys to help you to overcome your limiting beliefs.   

It’s Never “Them”

Whether the topic is parts margins, exit appointments, or car count, most of the stories I hear point the blame at someone outside of the story teller. 

The following are the most common examples: “My customers don’t have the money”; “My customers don’t like to be exit scheduled”; “It’s an election year and customers are scared to spend money.”  The first key to overcoming your limiting belief is to realize that the problem is never “them”. 

Taking ownership of your challenge creates possibilities, while limiting beliefs limit your options.  After all, why would you risk trying a new solution to a problem you believe you aren’t responsible for?  

The advantage of YOU being the problem, is that YOU also become the solution.  The realization that you have control, can motivate you to explore options you wouldn’t have considered otherwise. 

When you take responsibility for the parts margins, you will look for opportunities to improve your selling skills. When you take the blame for the lack of exit appointments, you’ll think about ordering the mystery envelopes.

When you become responsible for car count, you’ll be inspired to start networking with retirement / assisted living communities who are looking for a shop they can trust.   I challenge you to remove “them” from your story. 

Seek Progress Instead of Perfection

You will never receive 100% customer approval for any ATI initiative you implement.  If you follow the phone script to the tee, there will still be someone refusing to make an appointment.  

You can watch all thirty one of the selling webinars we have in the resource center, and still have customers decline your estimate presentation. The second key to overcoming your limiting belief is to seek progress instead of perfection.    In other words, don’t let perfect become the enemy of progress. 

Closely measuring your performance will help to shift your focus.  For example, let’s say your writer is upset about how many customers decline his up-sell attempts. He feels frustrated because he’s not experiencing the 100% success rate he expected. 

Once you start tracking his performance on the daily tracker, he’ll realize that he’s selling 50% of what the technician finds compared to the national average of 40%.

As you review his performance weekly during your one on ones, he improves to 60% and is now selling at best practice levels.  The constant measurement shifted his focus from perfection to progress. 

Conclusion

Paul blamed is customers for his phone performance and used feedback from a limited sample size to confirm his limiting beliefs.   If you embrace the fact that it’s never them, and seek progress instead of perfection, you will stop holding yourself back! 

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Now that we have addressed those limiting beliefs, you are ready for a checklist of innovative car count ideas.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net and I will send it to you.

How To Build Your Business on Hidden Diamonds

How To Build Your Business on Hidden Diamonds

By

Eric M. Twiggs

 “Sometimes what you want is right in front of you. All you have to do is open your eyes and see it.”  Meg Cabot

How do you build your business on hidden diamonds? I pondered this question after reading a passage from the book Acres of Diamonds, by  Russel Conwell.  He tells the story of an old farmer who had done well in life but wasn’t satisfied.  One day he heard that a number of other farmers had gone off in search of diamond mines and become instant millionaires. 

He decided to sell his farm and go out to find his own treasure.  He searched the African continent for thirteen years without success.  Sadly, in a fit of despair, he gave up and threw himself into the ocean and drowned. 

Back at his old farm the new owner was out feeding the mule one day and noticed a rock beneath the creek that had a strange light to it.  He took the rock to an expert who confirmed it to be a priceless diamond!  As he continued to walk the property, he saw these rocks everywhere.   

The farm that the original farmer sold in an effort to find a diamond mine, was discovered to be the greatest diamond mine on the African continent!   Instead of complaining about a lack diamonds, he would have done better if he spent the time mining his existing farm. 

Have you been looking for that one new acquisition strategy that will make you a millionaire?  Like the farmer, you’re already surrounded by your best source of wealth.  What if you successfully mined your current data base and achieved a 10% improvement in the number of returning customers? 

Well, I did this math on a shop with 1,514 active customers (10% is 151).  Based on the shop owners average repair order ($493.85), and visits per vehicle (1.85), she would pick up an additional $137,957 in sales for the year! (151 x $493.85 X 1.85= $137,957) 

The math doesn’t lie!  Aggressively marketing to your existing customers is the key to building your business on the hidden diamonds.  I’ve discovered that its hardest to see the solution that’s right in front of you, so keep reading to discover two mining strategies you may have overlooked. 

Wedding Rings

According to a recent study conducted by Experian Automotive, the average family has 2.28 vehicles, with 35% of households owning three or more cars.  Chances are, your customer who’s wearing a wedding ring owns multiple cars. The question is, are you servicing her other vehicles? 

Pay attention to who is wearing a wedding ring and check your customer history to see how many cars they have brought to you. 

The following are the most common reasons customers don’t bring their other vehicles to you:   1. They’re unaware of all the services you provide. 2. They believe they have to take their newer vehicles to the dealer to keep their warranty intact.  3. Their previous experience wasn’t remarkable, so the spouse didn’t remember to suggest bringing the other vehicles back.  For example, If the wife was wowed by your servicing of the Honda, she would remember tell her husband to bring the Volvo to you. 

The best form of marketing is to create an experience that’s so memorable, people refer you without being asked to.  If you create an exceptional experience and educate your customer on the services you provide, you will get their second and third vehicles by paying closer attention to who’s wearing wedding rings.

Oil Changes

Hall of Fame Hockey player Wayne Gretzky is credited with the following quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”   If you fail to include oil changes as a part of your retention strategy, you’re missing the shot that can improve your retention.   

In most markets, there is a major oil change retailer offering a low price basic oil change.  What they’re really doing is creating a low price impression by marketing the lower priced entry level option and then upselling to a more expensive package that’s comparable to what you charge.   

The key is to make sure you offer a competitively priced oil change service. Here’s a news flash:  Holding margin on every oil change won’t make you rich.    What will improve your wealth, is having more of your customers come back to maintain their vehicles.  I challenge you to shop your basic oil change prices to ensure you have a competitive offering. 

One of the most overlooked aspects of oil change marketing is refreshing the sticker and using this to initiate your exit appointment conversation.  Here’s how it would sound: “Mr. Smith, we refreshed your oil change sticker on the window and scheduled your next service for Friday January 6th^th at two o’clock.”     

Summary

So there you have it.  Paying attention to the wedding rings and marketing with your oil change service, will help you build your business on the hidden diamonds.  If the old farmer was able to give advice, he would tell you to look in the creek before selling the farm! 

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  I’ve created a checklist to help you master the fundamentals of car count.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  and I will share it.

   

The Secret To Keeping Good People

The Secret To Keeping Good People

By

Eric Twiggs

“If one person tells you you're a horse, they’re crazy. If three people tell you you're a horse, there's conspiracy afoot. If ten people tell you you're a horse, it's time to buy a saddle” Jack Rosenblum

What’s the secret to keeping good people?   As I ponder this question, I’m reminded of something our CEO, Chris “Chubby” Frederick shared about his experience during a recent shop visit.   He stopped by to visit “Ron”, a local shop owner. 

When Chubby asked how things were going, Ron replied: “Everything’s great! ATI is great, business is great, and I have a great team.” To which Chubby replied: “I’m glad you’re doing so well. Tell me, how would you describe the culture here?” 

“Chubby, we’re one big happy family. The morale is high and everyone likes working here.”    As Ron stepped away to meet with a vendor, Chubby walked out to the bays and was approached by a technician. 

After speaking with the tech, he realized the picture Ron was painting, and the perceptions of his people were different! 

“Jack”, his best technician, mentioned that Ron was impossible to work for and that he and the others were looking for work at other shops!  Ron was missing out on the most critical skill, necessary to keep good people: Self-awareness.

Before laughing at Ron, please answer the following question: Have you ever been blindsided by a key employee’s resignation?  If you answered yes, you and Ron have something in common. 

Self-awareness is the secret to keeping good people. Self-awareness is the ability to see yourself the way your employees see you.  This is important because a recent Gallup survey concluded that 75% of employees voluntarily leave their job because of the boss and NOT the job itself. 

So what can you do to make the most of this concept, and put a stop to the revolving door of turnover?  Stay with me and you’ll learn one big idea to increase your self-awareness.

The Debrief

In most shops, if an employee gives his boss negative feedback, it’s considered to be a career limiting move.  As a result, most people are unwilling to communicate an honest assessment of their supervisor’s shortcomings.    The solution is to use the debrief technique to improve your self-awareness.

This technique started in the military, and is used to create a safe place where everyone on the team, regardless of rank, can share honest feedback on how their team members performed during the mission.  To encourage open communication, everyone is required to remove their rank insignias and name tags before the meeting starts. 

As a result, the high ranking Captain increases his level of self-awareness, because the lower level Private has the freedom to communicate his perceptions of how the Captain lead the mission.

Getting everyone to speak openly is a process, so a good first step would be to get anonymous feedback from your team. 

I recommend using the three ups and three downs technique where you have them anonymously write down three things they like about you or the shop, and three things they would change. You can also use the 360-degree survey form as a feedback tool. 

Next, you would schedule a meeting where you list the most common changes that were recommended and encourage open dialog. These debriefs should be done on a monthly basis.

The Follow-Up Debrief

The goal for the next meeting, is to have them provide their feedback with you in the room.  Trust is built when your employees, see that you’re acting on their suggestions, so kick off the follow-up debrief by letting them know what you’ve done to address their previous concerns. 

For example, if was mentioned that you don’t provide enough recognition, open the session by recognizing the top performers for the month and let them know you are working to get better.  From there, you would ask them for additional suggestions regarding what’s working well and what needs to change.   

The key to improving your self-awareness is to receive regular feedback on how you’re being perceived.  For those employees who aren’t comfortable with responding in public, incorporating private surveys can give you the most accurate information. 

You can set up an account with  Survey Monkey  which will allow you to create survey questions for free that your people can answer anonymously. 

Conclusion

Like a military Captain, you’re on a mission to accomplish a specific objective.   Implementing the debrief meetings will improve your self-awareness and increase your chances of victory!

If Chubby walked into your shop, what would your technicians tell him about working for you?

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Want to know how both your internal and external customers are perceiving you?  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net and I will send you exit interview questions along with the 360 degree survey form  that can be used to increase your self-awareness!

The Secret Behind The Art

The Secret Behind The Art

By

Eric M. Twiggs

Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose, and of action over a long period of time." - Bruce Springsteen

It was a warm Sunday afternoon, and Pablo Picasso was having lunch at an outdoor café.  A young woman approaches him with the following request: “Mr. Picasso, I'm your biggest fan! I would be honored if you would draw me a picture."

He obliges her by grabbing a napkin, drawing the sketch, and handing it back to her. "This is great!" She said. "I can't wait to show this to my kids. Thank you Mr. Picasso! To which he replied: "You’re welcome. That will be five thousand dollars." 

"Five thousand dollars? You’ve got to be kidding! That only took you five minutes." What he said next, inspired this message: "My dear that took me 50 years."   The young lady didn't know the secret behind the art. 

It's easy to underestimate the amount of time and effort required to be great. There's an absentee owner in your 20 group with a 30% net profit. Is she just lucky? There's that Team Twiggs shop in the emails who always makes the list. Is their area different?  Then there's the writer you work with who always holds margin while keeping happy customers.   Is it because she's on the better shift with nicer customers?

If you answered yes to any of my questions, you have something in common with the lady at the cafe'.  Keep reading and you will learn the secret behind the art.  

The secret behind the art is to focus more on the process than you do the event!   The event happens once, but the process is all about doing the right things over a sustained period of time. 

The reason the ATI program is a 30 month road-map, is because the process is the road that leads to your goals.  Below are two keys to mastering the secret behind the art:

Your Beliefs

In her book "Mindset", Carol Dweck illustrates the difference between a "fixed" and a "growth" mindset.  According to Dweck, someone with a fixed mindset believes their talents, and abilities are fixed traits that can't be improved.

They also feel that talent-without effort, creates success. Anyone who responds to coaching, with the words: "I can't…" or "I'm not good at…" is operating with a fixed mentality.  People with a growth mindset believe their abilities can be developed through dedication and training.

You may not be good at exit scheduling, but with dedication, you can get better. You may struggle with selling, but with training, you can improve.  If you don't like your results, revisit your beliefs.  A growth mindset will help you commit to the process.

 Your Comparisons

Don't compare you’re your backstage to someone else's front stage. For example,  I often speak with service writers who try to compare themselves to ATI instructor, Randy Somers.  They say things like: "I can't sell like Randy, he's a natural born salesman." They are comparing their backstage to his front stage. 

The front stage is the one time event they see. The backstage is the years of process, practice, and preparation that’s hidden.  What they miss is the fact that he has been teaching the class for eight years!  That's eight years of practicing and role playing combined with over thirty five years in the business.

The most accurate comparison you can make is to compare today's version of yourself with yesterday's version.  Are you getting better or going backwards?  If you are getting better every day, you have embraced the process, which is the road-map to your goals.  

Summary

If you monitor you beliefs and manage your comparisons, you will master the secret behind the art!  Hopefully, I have painted the picture to help you start the process.

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS. Are you looking for a process to improve your car count?  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  and I will send you my enhanced 7 step marketing plan to help you master the art of attracting the right customers.

The Butterfly Rule

The Butterfly Rule

By

Eric M. Twiggs

"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." Jack Canfield

I was surfing channels after watching my Redskins lose last Sunday, and stumbled across the Entertainment Network.  They were showing an interview from 1998 with actress Helen Hunt.  She had just won the Academy Award for her role in the movie "As Good As It Gets.”   The Oscar, like The ATI Top Shop award, is only given to the best of the best! 

During the interview, the reporter says the following: "Helen, you just won the Oscar! How will you decide on your next film project?"  Her response made me think of you.  She replied:  "I will choose the project that scares me the most."

Why would a successful actress, at the top of her game, seek out something that scares her?   It's because she lives by the Butterfly Rule. 

What task in your business scares you the most?  The "butterflies" you feel are a sign that what you are about to do is critical to your success.   You will not reach your potential until you do whatever you're afraid of. 

Here's where the rule comes in:  You have to do what scares you the most, because growth takes place on the other side of your butterflies.   As you read on, you will learn about two aspects of your business where this applies. 

Coaching Conversations:   

I was speaking with a service manager named "Jack", who talked non-stop about his problem employee.   This technician was coming in late, not doing courtesy checks, and failing to do the test drives. 

I asked Jack if this was costing him money, and he said YES.  I asked if this was affecting morale, and he said YES.  I asked if he had spoken to the technician about it, and there was silence!  Before I could email Verizon to complain about the dropped call, Jack spoke up.   He admitted to being nervous about having the difficult discussion. 

Is there a coaching conversation with a problem employee that you’ve been avoiding?  The queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach is confirmation of your need to have the conversation.   Your people won’t grow from the coaching session that you don't have! 

Customer Calls

 Have you ever felt uneasy with the idea of making follow up calls to customers  you haven't seen in a while, because you fear what they may tell you?  Instead of dreading the phone call, consider this: 

 According to customer service expert Ruby Legner, the average business only gets complaints from 4% of their unhappy customers. 96% of the disappointed customers don't complain.    91% of these unhappy patrons that don't complain, never come back!

The average lifetime value of an automotive customer is around $7,100.  It will be easier to make the call, if you view it as an opportunity to save a valuable relationship. 

Bad news doesn't get better with age, so the sooner you press through your fears, the better chance you have of growing your sales.   The fact that it makes you nervous, is a sign that you need to do it!

Conclusion

So there you have it.  If you apply the butterfly rule to your coaching conversations and customer calls, you increase your chances of becoming a Top Shop.  And that's "As Good As it Gets!"

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS. Does the idea of delivering a presentation to your employees, networking group, 20 group, or Rotary Club, give you the butterflies?   Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  and I will send you a PowerPoint containing 3 strategies to help you press through the butterflies and nail your next presentation!