Strategies to get a jump-start on next year

by Prentice St. Clair

In some parts of the country, the detail shop all but shuts down during the worst part of the winter. Other operators rely on dealership work during these times because the dealers, regardless of the weather, must have incoming used cars cleaned up in preparation for display on the lot.

So, as we approach the “slow season,” I thought it would be a good idea to discuss some ideas that will help you keep the doors open. Additionally, it’s probably a good idea to consider some strategies that will assist you in jumpstarting the busy season next year.

New Options for the New Year

While you are waiting for the phone to ring, take advantage of the time you have to strategize how you are going to make next year a banner year. It’s during these bleak, cold, dark months that you have an opportunity to get some things done. Start planning for the next year’s worth of work. If this is going to be a particularly slow season, start thinking about the steps you need to take to prevent this from happening next year. Some of your options may take several months to put in place, so now’s the time to get started. Among the things that you can do:

• increase your customer base;
• increase your service offerings;
• decrease the weather sensitivity of your customers; and
• offer pre-pay packages and discounts. 

Increase your customer base

Think about ways that you can add more customers to your data base so that next year, you have an increased likelihood of receiving business throughout the winter season. The more people that are in your data base, the more chances you have of getting yes’s to next year’s spring specials.

Increase your service offerings

Consider offering services that are not as dependent upon good weather. Services like windshield repair, paintless dent removal, bumper and wheel repair, and leather and vinyl repair are great added profit centers to your business during <I>any<$< season. It’s quite simple: the more things you can do, the more likely you are to get interested customers (assuming, of course, that you get the word out through effective marketing).

During these slow months, you can research and acquire the training and equipment needed to put these services in place next spring or sooner!

Decrease the sensitivity of your customers

As the days shorten, take the time to educate your customers on the importance of regular detailing to maintain the appearance and value of their vehicles. Thus, when the winter season comes along, you have a better chance of locking some customers into a regular maintenance program that continues regardless of the weather. A great way to increase sales just before the beginning of winter is to offer a “winterizing” special that includes a complete detail with application of paint sealant and carpet/fabric protection.

Offer pre-pay packages

Another great way to buffer yourself financially is to offer pre-payment packages. This works great with customers who have their vehicles regularly detailed. Simply offer them a modest discount if the customer pre-pays for a year’s worth of detailing. Now, you have to be financially disciplined to save some of this pre-payment money so that it lasts throughout the season.

Getting a Jump on the Season

There are some relatively simple things that you can do to jump-start your business for the upcoming busy season. The sooner you get started, the sooner you have a chance to start paying off the bills that tend to accumulate during the holiday season. You also have the opportunity to lay the foundation for a “best year ever.” A really easy way to get things going is to contact your customers by sending out a mailer or making some phone calls.

Contact your customers

Now’s the time to “prime the pump.” Start reminding your customers about the benefits of a post-winter detail. Explain to them how nice it would be to remove all of that built-up dirt, mud, and debris from the inside and outside of the vehicle. Remind them also of the importance of applying a layer of protection to the outside of the vehicle, as the ravages of winter will have probably stripped the vehicle’s surface of any protection it may have had.

Even if you work in a part of the country that has a relatively mild winter, it’s still important for the vehicle to have its regular application of wax or sealant, and the end of the winter is a perfect time to do so. Regardless of your climate zone, however, the benefit to the customer is two-fold:

1. The car is “refreshed” and cleaned up from the “dirtiest” season; and
2. The car is protected from the glaring sun associated with the upcoming warmer seasons.

Send out a mailer

Since the beginning of your company, you have been (or should have been) collecting names, addresses, and emails of paying customers and potential customers who have responded to your marketing efforts. It’s time to send out a mailer to these folks. Mailing to existing customers is relatively inexpensive compared to advertising to attract new customers. A simple letter reminding customers about your operation can cost as little as 57 cents per customer, for a do-it-yourself version (44 cents for the stamp, 10 cents per photocopy, and 3 cents per envelope).

You can get a bit fancier and put together a postcard. There are companies now that will design and print 500 color postcards for about $100! And postcards only cost 28 cents to send. If you have a computer and a printer, you can even print your own postcards on card stock available at your local office supply store.

In your direct mail piece, point up the probable condition that the vehicle is currently in, and the potential benefits of a complete detail at this time. Include in your mailer a before and after photo series. A visual depiction of the situation is an incredibly effective way to impact the customer with the benefits of detailing. Also include key phrases like:

• How’s your car looking after this winter?
• Tired of looking at dirty mats and carpeting? Bring in your car and let us “get rid of the winter.”
• Was your car thoroughly “winterized” this year?
• Time to get your car cleaned up and ready for spring!
• Let us get rid of the salt and mud build-up from this last winter
• Spring cleaning for your car!

Make some phone calls

Since the inception of your detail operation, you have also been collecting phone numbers of paying and potential customers. Should you have no money for a direct mail piece, then consider making a round of calls, which costs nothing, assuming you already have phone service in place. In fact, a round of phone calls is a great follow-up to a direct mail piece. Here are a couple of scripts that you could use:

“Hi, Joe, it’s Sam from Sam’s Detailing. How’s the winter treating you this year? (Engage in some light conversation—treat your customer like a friend.) Hey, I’ll bet your car’s pretty beat up by now after several months of winter. I’m calling because we have a spring special going on right now. We can make your car look great again inside and out for only ___. Joe, wouldn’t it be nice to have your car looking as clean as it did the last time we detailed it? Plus, we can get some protection on it in preparation for the warm, sunny months to come. When can we get you scheduled?”

Or a more direct approach:

“Hi, Joe, it’s Sam from Sam’s Detailing. How are you? Just updating the files and I see that it’s been X months since we last detailed your car. Since we’re just about done with winter weather, how’d you like to get that vehicle looking great again?”

Your “spring special” could be as simple as “last year’s price” on a complete detail. Or you could include something extra for free, like an application of paint sealant instead of wax, for which most operators charge a premium. The idea here is to offer an enticement to the customer without beating yourself up too much on price.

You may have to make 100 phone calls to book 10 appointments. Hopefully, your customers are a bit more loyal than that, but at least it’s 10 appointments that you didn’t have before you picked up the phone. And there’s something about staying in contact with customers that helps increase your business. I don’t know exactly how to describe it—call it “phone karma.” When you start to put out the word that you’re looking for business, the phone starts to magically ring. If you sit around, mope, and complain that you have no business, you are guaranteeing that nothing happens.

If nothing else, your customers will appreciate the fact that you are thinking about them. They will also start thinking about you. Even though many of your phone calls may end up in “no, thanks,” you have planted a seed in some of these no’s that will turn into an unsolicited incoming service request in the next couple of months.

You may receive an objection like, “well, that sounds great, but I’m not sure we’re out of the woods yet; we could still get another storm in the next month.” To this, you can simply reply, “I understand your hesitation. If you go ahead and let us detail your vehicle, and we do get another storm in the next 30 days, bring it back in for a free cleaning.” This “free cleaning” can be simply a full-service wash that takes 30 minutes or so. Customers like guarantees that their money is well-spent, and in all actuality, it is likely that very few customers who are sold on such a guarantee will actually take advantage of it.

You may want to offer your better customers a pre-pay discount. That is, if the customer pre-pays for their “end-of-winter” detail now, they get 10 percent to 20 percent off the full retail price of that detail. Essentially, the customer is paying for their own gift certificate, to be used when the customer is comfortable with the stability of the weather conditions. This will bring in some needed cash right now. Later, as customers start coming in to make appointments to cash in their gift certificates, make sure you spread out the appointments for these “no money” jobs over the weeks so that you don’t end up with a low-income week.

Advertise your spring special

If you have a larger advertising budget, you may consider promoting your spring special via print media (newspaper) or broadcast media (local radio, television, and cable). Make sure to show some before and after photos and mention all of the benefits listed earlier. You may be surprised to find that you are the only detail shop in town that is making it clear that “you are open and ready for business.”

Summary

We are coming into another winter season. It’s time to start tapping your resources and getting the message out to your customers that their cars need attention. If you are expecting a particularly slow winter season, now is also the time to start preparing for the next busy season so that you can take advantage of the good weather to come!

Prentice St. Clair is the president of San Diego-based Detail in Progress Inc. which offers consulting and training in the automotive detailing and reconditioning industries. He can be reached directly at 619.701.1100 or by e-mail at prentice@detailinprogress.com.