The First Step To Becoming A Top Shop

The First Step To Becoming A Top Shop

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“There’s greatness inside of you, and it’s on the other side of your excuses.” Mel Robbins

Something happened a few weeks ago, that knocked me out of my seat.   I was speaking with a shop owner named “Rose” who was concerned about the performance of her shop. 

She was down in gross profit dollars for the month and suspected that her service manager “Nick” wasn’t fully engaged. 

Rose recommended that we schedule a three way call on the following Tuesday with Nick, to get him on the right track.   I agreed, and suggested that she ask him the following question: “What three things are getting in the way of you achieving the shop’s goals?” 

Before our call, I was bracing myself expecting to hear the typical “reasons” that tend to surface: “You have to be in a big city to make money”; “The vendors say that everybody in town is slow”; and my personal favorite: “We have an older customer base that’s on a fixed income.” My goal was to get these perceived barriers on the table so that we could address them. 

Tuesday morning had arrived and Rose, Nick, and I were on the call.  Before I could speak, Nick interrupted with the following statement: “Eric, I don’t have three things getting in the way, I only have one.”  What he said next knocked me out of my seat: “It’s ME.  I am the problem.”

This was the first time that a service manager ever told me that HE was to blame for the negative performance of the shop.  I approached the call looking to get him on the right track to become a top shop.

By taking personal responsibility for his results, he had already taken the first step.   So, what can personal responsibility do for you? 

You Will Get Motivated

There was an experiment conducted on a group of predatory fish known as the pike.  This species has a reputation for being a ruthless hunter that will eat anything you put in its space. 

A group of researchers conducted the “pike experiment” by placing the fish on one side of the tank, and placing their food on the other.  They then put a glass divider between the fish and the food. 

The pike repeatedly swam towards the food banging its nose against the glass.  This happened again and again, until they sank to the bottom of the tank and stopped trying. 

Even when the researchers removed the barrier, the pike made no effort to swim to the food and eventually starved to death.   Once the pike lost control of reaching its destination, it lost the motivation to move forward.

Here’s the big takeaway: Blaming factors beyond your control, is like placing a barrier in front of your goal.   If the local economy is the problem, you will continue to bang your head against the glass, since there’s nothing you can do to change it.

Taking responsibility for your results will motivate you to move forward, because once YOU become the problem, YOU also become the solution.   You can’t change the economy, but you CAN change yourself!

You Will Get Results 

During my tenure as a district manager, there were occasions when someone working for me would arrive late.  I never heard them say: “Sorry I’m late Eric, I guess I need to leave my house earlier the next time.”  

The number one “reason” I received for tardiness was: “Boss, traffic was really bad today.”  This caused many of my monthly manager’s meetings to begin ten to fifteen minutes after the stated start time. 

This motivated me to take responsibility for the way I communicated the meeting times.  Instead of starting at 9am, I announced an 8:45am start time, with a fifteen-minute grace period. 

I told everyone that after 9am, the door would be locked, and anyone on the wrong side of the door would not be allowed to enter.   After making this change, I never had a problem with managers arriving late to meetings. Everyone was in place before 8:45am.   Why did this work?

Instead of blaming traffic, the managers began taking responsibility for leaving earlier.  Once they took personal responsibility for their punctuality, they arrived on time, every time! 

If you desire to change the results at your shop, its critical to shift from a complex of blaming to culture of owning. 

Want to improve your margins? Try owning how you communicate the estimate findings, instead of blaming the customer’s finances.  Do you need more cars? Try owning how you answer the phones, instead of blaming the size of your city.  Once you change your mindset, you can change your results! 

Conclusion

The following weeks after our three-way conversation, Nick had doubled the gross profit dollar results in comparison to the previous weekly average. 

 By taking personal responsibility, he got motivated and then got results!  Have you taken the first step to becoming a Top Shop?

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS:  Looking to take the first step towards becoming a 2017 Top?  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive a Top Shop Process check sheet.

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.

How To Go From Zero To Hero In Less Than A Second

How To Go From Zero To Hero In Less Than A Second

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“Only small differences in ability translate into large differences in results.” Brian Tracy

What separates the best of the best from everyone else?  I pondered this question as I listened to a press conference interview of NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, after one of his races.  Johnson is the winningest driver on the NASCAR circuit and has won the driver of the year award five times.  However, in this race he finished in second place to his arch rival Jeff Gordon.   

The reporters asked Johnson the following question: “What was different about his car and yours today?”  Johnson surprised me with his response: “a tenth of a second is what separates a zero from a hero. A half a tenth faster and you’re going forward, and a half a tenth slower, you’re going backwards. I just couldn’t get that half a tenth today.”

I didn’t give his response much thought, until I saw the difference in prize money between a 1^st and 2^nd place finish. 

For example, the winner of the 2016 Dayton 500 received $1,587,000 compared to the second-place driver getting $1,157,000.  In other words, a tenth of a second on this day would cost the 2^nd place driver $430,000 in prize money!  How much is that missing tenth of a second costing you?

Have you been searching for the silver bullet?  That one big idea that will instantly change your business forever? The data from Daytona tells us that a small edge can be worth more to you than a big idea. 

You may be a tenth of a second away from hiring your replacement in the business.  You may be a tenth of a second away from being able to pay off your line of credit. You’re only a tenth of a second away from having the right cars in your bay. 

The key to going from zero to hero is to focus on gaining that slight edge instead of the silver bullet. 

So, what can you do to gain that slight edge?  Don’t drive off before I explain. 

Sharpen The Axe

I sat in on a recent shop Owners Part 1 class and saw Dave and Jan Murphy sitting near the front of the room, frantically taking notes.  Their shop, Murphy’s Auto Care, was recognized at the Super Conference as the Shop of the Year.  They are the best of the best.

Now why would these advanced owners be spending their time at an entry level class?  They were sharpening the axe.  Abraham Lincoln put it this way: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” 

The Murphy’s sharpen the axe by being committed to continuous learning, which gives them that slight edge.   When speaking with the Murphy’s or any of the top shop owners, I have never heard the following four words” “I already knew that.”

Instead, they attend classes, read books, watch webinars, and participate in their 20 group. 

It’s a proven fact that the best performers in the ATI program, also have the highest-class completion and webinar participation percentages on our Learning Management System Dashboard. 

In his book Million Dollar Habits, Brian Tracy reports that a 3% difference in performance in a key area that’s sustained over time, can give a person the necessary edge to dominate their field.  So, what are you doing to sharpen the axe? 

If you believe you already know it all, you’re right because you won’t learn anything new!  Sharpening the axe can help you to find that tenth of a second you’ve been looking for.

Focus On Your Blind Spots

Toastmasters International is an organization dedicated to helping its members improve their public speaking skills.  During the meetings, a member will give a prepared speech and an assigned evaluator gives them feedback on how they did.   

Several years ago, I was an active member who had just given a seven-minute speech.  Afterwards, my evaluator told me: “Eric, you used the filler word ‘uhmm’ seven times during your presentation!”   

I didn’t believe her!  She had to be wrong because I didn’t hear myself using fillers!   I felt confident about my conclusion until I saw that one of the member’s video recorded my entire speech.  I watched the video in horror as I realized my evaluator was correct. I did say “Uhmm” seven times!   Using fillers was a blind spot that I was unaware of.   Becoming aware of this habit, gave me an edge as I entered future speech contests.   

According to research that was conducted by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, we all have blind spots that we’re unaware of, but others outside of us can see.  This explains why the top performers in every industry hire a coach to bring this to their attention, which gives them that slight edge.   The key is to focus your blind spots. 

I recommend getting the following people in place to help with this effort:  1.  Your Coach  2. Your accountability partner 3. Your 20 group members. I would then ask the following question: “What three things are getting in the way of me achieving my goals?”  Acting on the answers can give you that edge you’ve been seeking.

Summary

So, there you have it.  Sharpening the axe and focusing your blind spots, will take you from zero to hero.  Jimmie Johnson is a great driver because he has a team of people helping him with his race.  You may not have a pit crew, but you do have the ATI Team to help you gain that edge you need in your race for Top Shop!

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS:  What else do the Top Shops do to gain an edge?  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  to receive a checklist of the seven habits of highly effective shop owners

The Secret To Holding Your People Accountable

The Secret To Holding Your People Accountable

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“The difference between who you are and who you want to be, is what you do.” Bill Phillips

What’s the secret to holding your people accountable?  As I ponder this question, I am reminded of a conversation I had with “Laura”, a shop owner who was trying to determine why her sales and customer count had been down on Saturdays.  In previous months, Saturdays had been her busiest day of the week, but over the past two months, sales had dipped by 25% year over year. 

The decline in sales occurred around the same time she placed “Patrick” as the assistant manager for the location.  And what was the one day of the week, that Patrick oversaw the operation by himself?  You guessed it, Saturday! 

“Eric, Patrick isn’t the problem! He’s great with customers, he told me that he schedules their next service and makes the follow up calls.” Laura stated with confidence. “OK Laura, is he following the sales process?” “Absolutely!  He told me that he visits the car with every customer every time!"

“Well, how does he do on the phones?” I asked.  “Eric, he’s great on the phones.  During our last one on one, he told me that he was following the phone script he got from Randy’s service advisor class.”   

My glass is usually “half full”, but this time I was skeptical.   I suggested that she begin recording all incoming and outgoing phone calls.  She agreed, got the call recording systems in place, and began the habit of listening to the recordings.    When we spoke again, I was surprised by what she found. 

“Coach, I have to admit, when you first asked me to record the calls, I didn’t see the point.  But then I listened to Patrick’s calls and heard him telling our Saturday customers that we close at 1:30pm, when we really close at 5!” 

Next, she conducted an unannounced shop visit the following Saturday, and saw that he wasn’t scheduling appointments or visiting the car with the customers.  None of the things he told her, were true!     This encounter reinforced the following secret to holding your people accountable: Always inspect what you expect.  

Has accountability been an issue at your shop?  Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. In his book Unlocking Potential, Michael Simpson reported on a recent global survey that was conducted with over 50,0000 company employees from around the world.  

The survey concluded that 79% of the respondents felt they were not being held accountable for a lack of progress towards their organizations stated goals.    Stay with me to learn a two-step plan to master the accountability secret. 

Establish Your Non-Negotiables

I was having dinner at one of the chain restaurants recently and noticed an annoying trend.  The waiters each wore these buttons on their suspenders, and sang “the birthday song” whenever they became aware that it was someone’s birthday. Now I must admit, I don’t like the buttons and birthday song routine! 

When the manager stopped by my table to see how I was doing, I asked her the following question: “If I worked here and decided not to wear the buttons and sing the birthday song, what would happen?”  She replied: “You wouldn’t be working here for long!”   And then it hit me.  Wearing the buttons and singing the birthday song are examples of non-negotiables. 

Every job has certain tasks that must be done even if you don’t like them.  When I ran shops, following the phone script, doing the courtesy checks, and scheduling exit appointments fell into this category.    The tasks were critical to the culture I was building, so I was unwilling to negotiate or debate about them with my employees.    

What are the buttons and birthday song items that are critical to your culture?  I recommend putting them in writing and scheduling a meeting with your team to review.   As I previously stated, you must inspect what you expect.  Having clearly communicated non-negotiables is the first step because it lets everyone know what you expect from them. 

Trust What You Verify

During my career as a district manager, I would have meetings with my people where I laid out the non-negotiables.   Next I would have everyone sign a memo agreeing to do the courtesy checks, follow the phone script, and schedule the exit appointment. 

I would have conference calls the following week, where everyone told me they were doing what we agreed to.  My Vice President would call and ask if the shops were executing the non-negotiables, and I assured him that they were.  I trusted what they told me!

When my boss and I would visit a random location, we would find that the employees were doing everything except the courtesy checks, the phone scripts and the exit appointments!   Like Laura, I made the mistake of trusting without verifying.  This experience inspired me to create a show me list. 

I created a list of specific items related to the non-negotiables that the managers had to show me during the visit.   Instead of asking about courtesy checks I said: “Show me your courtesy checks from this week.”  Instead asking about the phone process, I directed them to:“show me your phone log.”  Instead of asking about exit appointments, I required them to: “Show me your appointment log.”  

Once I made a habit of inspecting what I expected, compliance improved.  Have you been trusting what you haven’t verified? Developing a show me list will keep everyone honest.

Summary

So, there you have it.  Once you establish your non-negotiables and trust what you verify, you’ll be on your way to mastering the secret to holding your people accountable.   Trust me when I tell you that inspecting what you expect will increase your odds of become a Top Shop!

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS:  Not sure what to add to your show me list?  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive your show-me checklist

   

Are You A Victim Of Your Business?

Are You A Victim Of Your Business?

By

Eric M. Twiggs

  

“99% of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.”  George Washington Carver

In chapter two of their book Extreme Ownership, former Navy Seals Jocko Willink and Leif Babin wrote about their experience initiating Navy Seal officer candidates.  The final week of testing was referred to as “hell week”.   They observed an interesting trend during one of the hell week sessions. 

As part of their initiation, the candidates were divided into six, seven-man boat crews that competed in a series of races against each other.  Out of the six teams, boat crew #2 won every race in the series while crew #6 finished dead last each time.  The leader of crew #6 blamed his crew members and his crew members blamed each other. 

He believed that the winning leader was lucky, because he inherited a better team which gave him an unfair advantage.  To resolve this debate, Babin swapped boat leaders sending the leader of crew #2 to boat #6 and vice versa.   After making the change they resumed the races.  What do you think happened next?

You guessed it, with the new leader in place, the losing boat crews luck suddenly changed!  Boat crew #6 went from worst to first by winning the rest of their races, with crew #2 finishing second. Why did such a small change make a big difference? The winning leader took full responsibility for everything that happened on his boat.  The leader of the losing boat pointed the finger at his people as the reason for his failure.   

Here’s the big takeaway: You won’t feel accountable for your results until you become responsible for your reasons.   What “reasons” are holding you back from success?   Here are the most common examples that I hear: “The vendors say that all the shops in my area are slow.” “There aren’t any good technicians in my market.”  “Eric, you need to visit me, so you can see that my customers are different.”

During my career as a district manager, I would replace a shop manager who made one of these statements with a new leader, and suddenly the losing location would start winning.    Since they embraced their reasons, both the boat leader and shop manager were playing the role of the victim.

Are you a victim of your business?  Stay with me to learn two strategies that can help you move from victim to victor.   

Practice “My Fault Management”

I was speaking with a shop owner recently who was complaining about the state of his business.  He went on for twenty minutes telling me all about the mild winter, his bad local economy, and the industry shortage on technicians.   I asked him to tell me one thing he had done in the past week to improve business and the line went silent! 

Before I could hang up and dial 911, he admitted that he hadn’t done anything to improve his business. And, why would he?    Since he didn’t believe he was responsible, he didn’t feel accountable.  He was a victim of his business.   

The solution is to assume that everything that happens in your business is your fault.  This is what’s known as “my fault management.”  Phones not ringing? Your fault!  Now that your responsible, you will be motivated to adjust your marketing efforts.  Customers declining your estimates? Your fault!  Now that you’ve taken the blame, you will be more likely to start practicing the sales process.

Don’t have the right techs?  Your fault!  Now that its your fault, you will be more inclined to post a hiring banner and commit to the minimum number of interviews you will conduct each month.  The sooner you take the blame, the faster you’ll experience the gain. 

Establish a Winning Culture

After reading about the boats, I was left with the following question: How was boat crew #2 still able to finish in second place, even after losing their great leader?  And then it hit me.  It was because the leader had established a winning culture.  A sure sign of a winning culture is that people do the right things whether the leader is present or not.

When a winning behavior is ingrained in your culture, it becomes a natural part of what you do.  For example, the Les Schwab Tire Company has been a consistent winner in the automotive industry when comes to customer satisfaction Index scores. 

The service advisors have been trained to run out to the car to greet the customer in the parking lot.   This behavior has been talked about so much during their meetings and training sessions, that it happens whether the boss is watching or not.  Everyone understands, that if you want to work for Les Schwab, you run to the car.   It’s what they do. 

As you attempt to build a winning culture, keep in mind that what you do speaks louder than what you say.  The losing boat leader played the blame game and so did his people.   This makes practicing my fault management critical to establishing a winning culture.

Summary

So, there you have it.  Practicing my fault management and establishing a winning culture will help you to move from victim to victor.    If you aren’t taking extreme ownership, you’re missing the boat. 

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Looking to establish a winning culture, but don’t know where to start?  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive the five keys to a winning culture.