Invest in your industry

by Prentice St. Clair

I heard a great quote the other day. It was by Theodore Roosevelt and goes like this: “Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged.”

This inspiring quote was shared with the Board of Directors of the International Detailing Association (IDA) by its new management company, Association Development Services, at our annual Board of Directors meeting last May.

This is a telling quote. What it means for us as detailers is this: If you are a professional detailer, that is, automotive detailing is your profession of choice, then part of your commitment to the profession ought to be in serving the detailing industry in some capacity.

For some of us, especially those who have or currently donate their time serving on the Board of Directors of the IDA, this means actual time spent finding ways to advance the industry. For others whose time is already occupied, this may simply mean paying the annual membership dues to the IDA, which then goes to pay for the programs that support the industry as a whole.

I suggest, furthermore, that a commitment to the industry includes finding ways to better represent that industry. So I, as a professional detailer, make a personal and business commitment to better myself as a professional so that I can better serve my customer base, which then, hopefully, has a better perception of automotive detailers in general. These ideas are effectively summed up in the IDA’s Code of Ethics, which successfully encapsulates several factors of professional detailing commitment into one document.

You might wonder how your support of the industry can help. It’s a stretch but relatively simple. If the detail industry as a whole is perceived in a positive light by the general motoring public, we as individual operators can benefit by inclusion in that group of professionals that are sought out by said motoring public to serve its automotive reconditioning needs.

What are some ways that you can invest in your industry? Please read on.

A Recent Example

The quote at the beginning of the article encapsulates the spirit and enthusiasm of those detail operators and suppliers who were in attendance at this year’s Car Care World Expo (CCWE), which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, May 12-14. Most of us were there to take advantage of the offerings of the IDA, which included educational sessions, a booth in the Detailing Pavilion on the trade show floor, and other networking opportunities.

Educational Sessions

The IDA offered four seminars during CCWE.  No, they were not very long and were not meant to be comprehensive events. Instead, these seminars were meant to offer attendees a number of ideas, concepts, and “nuggets” to explore upon returning home. The feedback that I received during and after the seminars indicates that all in attendance were quite satisfied with the presentations. Heck, I was one of the presenters and I learned a bunch from the others!

Speaking of which, Keith Duplessie of Detail Plus and I offered a session that forwarded ideas on increasing the per vehicle revenue by expanding the services that you offer. We discussed the concept of “specialized detailing services” that are relatively easy to learn and inexpensive to supply. Such services to consider include premium protection packages, convertible top care, deodorization, faded trim rejuvenation, headlamp restoration, and biohazard removal.

Keith and I also went over a second set of added services that involve more investment of time, money and training, but also have more profit potential. These include paint touch-up and spot panel repair, windshield chip repair, interior surface (e.g., leather and vinyl) repair, wheel repair, carpet dyeing, paintless dent removal, and gold plating.

If you ever want to get your mind blown wide open, listen to Renny Doyle of Attention to Details talk about some of the cutting edge technology that is available to the craftsman detailer. Renny is the guy to listen to if you want to take your detailing knowledge and specialized proficiency up several notches.

Kevin Iden of Iden’s Detailing spoke of “offering the fries and the cola” with the hamburger. His point was that you can increase revenue per vehicle by offering multiple services to the customer at a one-stop shop. Most importantly, he encouraged operators to replace the idea of simply discounting your current prices with the concept of packaging multiple services at a “package price” that is attractive to the customer. It’s the same idea that all the fast food places have with their “combo meals.”

Greg Swett of Classic Appreciation shared how his marketing efforts during our down economy have tapped into the idea that vehicle owners are keeping their cars longer these days. Greg’s marketing thus focuses on the fact that detailing can both preserve the value of the vehicle as well as increase the customer’s enjoyment by helping to make it look and feel new. He offered us a number of great, low-cost ways to increase traffic to the operation.

Bud Abraham spoke on the relevance of traditional marketing efforts and the ever increasing popularity of online marketing, which seems to be the more efficient way to market your business these days.

Networking

Another great benefit of attending such events is the opportunity to network with others in our industry. By just hanging out before and after the seminars, those in attendance got a chance to chew the fat with others who are fighting some of the same battles. Even during the breaks, attendees could be seen in the room and in the halls, comingling with IDA board members, the speakers and other operators.

Additionally, the IDA hosted a detailer’s networking social one evening during the show. It was attended by at least 30 professionals representing all aspects of the industry. Those operators who enjoyed a beverage with their colleagues commented on how great it was to chat with other operators from around the country. They were able to swap stories about operational challenges and successes and to offer possible solutions for each other’s day-to-day business and technical problems.

The IDA booth also acted as a hub for detail operators and vendors to gather and discuss the state of the industry. Despite relatively low attendance at this year’s CCWE, and despite low foot traffic in the booths around ours, the IDA booth seemed to have no shortage of activity. It was especially encouraging to see current members bringing over potential new members to see us. Encouragingly, the IDA had a number of new members sign up during the show.

The Detailing Pavilion

The idea behind the Detailing Pavilion on the trade show floor was originally to create a center that attracted detailing vendors and suppliers into one area of concentrated industry representation that could be perused by detailing operators. The pavilion booth occupancy was less than what we hoped, which was par for the entire CCWE, but we nonetheless had some interesting detailing equipment and chemical vendors to chat with across the trade show floor.

Those in attendance had the opportunity to see and feel some of the newer equipment and chemicals available to the detailing industry. With the buzz that was created by the IDA’s presence this year, as well as a number of suppliers and vendors recently joining the association, we hope to have a much larger and worthwhile Detailing Pavilion at next year’s CCWE

So What?

If you have read this far into the article, you might be mumbling, “well that’s all fine and dandy, but CCWE 2011 is a year away. What can I do between now and then to ‘get more involved in my industry?’” The first thing to do, if you have not already done so, is to go to the IDA Web site and JOIN! (www.the-ida.com) Then visit the site often and keep informed about upcoming events.

Our new Board of Directors just took over, so our planning is in the young stages, but it is possible that we might do something between now and next year’s CCWE.

In the meantime, if this concept of a “trade association by, for, and about detailing and detailers” makes any sense to you, encourage fellow operators in your area to check it out as well. The more members join, the more resources the association will have, which means the more benefits the association will be able to roll out for all members.

Also, look to your local detail suppliers for any seminars or networking opportunities that they might have. In other words, get involved in your industry at home. If nothing else, have lunch or breakfast with fellow operators in your area. A confident and upstanding business owner will gladly sit down with his or her “competition” and find out ways to help each other.

Summary

Another Roosevelt, “no man has a right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere.” Get involved in your industry through membership in its’ premier representative association. Attend industry events and get to know your local compatriots. Together we can work to uplift the detailing industry as a whole.

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.