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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/black-rotary-phone-300x282.jpg\" "\\"Phone")
It\u2019s no secret that things are different today. The economy stinks. Get over it.<\/strong><\/span>\n\u201cIn this economy\u2026\u201d has become the introduction to every rationalization for mediocre performance from every repair shop owner and manager I have talked to in recent months.
\n\u201cIn this economy\u2026\u201d is the precursor to statements like \u201cI\u2019m only down ten percent\u201d and \u201cWe\u2019re surviving.\u201d
\n\u201cIn this economy\u2026\u201d is a symptom. It\u2019s a symptom not of a poor economy, but of a poor attitude. Your<\/strong> poor attitude.
\nHere\u2019s the harsh reality: most people think they have a great attitude, but few actually do. Let me frame this in a way that you will get it:
\nHave you ever been in an argument where the best comeback popped into your head ten minutes after the argument ended? It\u2019s because you couldn\u2019t think straight during the argument.
\nIt\u2019s because NEGATIVITY blocks CREATIVITY. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nIn business, your creativity defines your ability to differentiate yourself from the competition and to win despite the challenges you face.
\nIf there is only one element that will help you to be successful in life more than anything else, it is that of having a positive attitude. Attitude is the foundation for success. It\u2019s the difference between complaining and blaming everyone else, and doubling your average weekly gross.
\nThere\u2019s a million quotes on attitude, but the one that sticks with me most is:
\n\u201cLife is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react it.\u201d <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nIt is a Charles Swindoll quote that my mom hung on the refrigerator when I was growing up. There are many more quotes that I often refer back to, but my mom\u2019s refrigerator magnet has been burned into my mind.
\nI have been visiting shops since 2001, and I have heard nothing but complaints from 95% of their owners about how things \u201caren\u2019t as good as they used to be,\u201d and of course, \u201cthe phone doesn\u2019t ring like it used to!\u201d
\nBe honest with yourself. <\/span><\/strong>
\nThe phone has never really \u201crang like it used to.\u201d Sure, twenty years ago when cars were totally different and the internet had not yet been invented, the phone might have rung more. That might be because there was no other effective form of communication \u2014 or of researching repair options.\u00a0 When did you receive your first email? How about your first text message? When did you first make a purchase online?
\nI\u2019ll bet if you really think about it, they all happened about the same time.
\nPeople long for the past when they have no understanding of the future. While you were sitting around complaining about the lack of phone calls, the future arrived and suddenly you were not only unprepared for the future \u2014 you were no longer prepared for the PRESENT.
\nOnce you come to the realization that the success (or failure) of your business is entirely dependent on YOU, you will have made the first step toward achieving growth in any economy.
\nIt\u2019s all about YOU. Always has been.<\/strong><\/span>
\nWhen you accept that reality, you\u2019ll be ready to start the rest of your business life.
\nHere\u2019s what to do to make yourself (and your team) the best they can be:
\n1. Find something inspirational to you<\/strong>. Something to help you focus on the big picture. For me, it\u2019s reading great books or quotes on attitude every day. Ten or fifteen minutes in the morning and I\u2019m ready to take over the world. Jeffrey Gitomer\u2019s Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, Elbert Hubbard\u2019s Message to Garcia, Napoleon Hill\u2019s Think and Grow Rich, or quotes my friends and customers have sent me over the years. They know I have a collection.
\n2. Call your last one hundred customers<\/strong> and ask them simply, \u201cWhy did you buy from me?\u201d Document their buying motives, their story, and their testimony and you will not only double your sales, you will also reaffirm your own self-belief.
\nBy interviewing your past customers, you will uncover additional opportunities for business as they share their experiences, their buying motives, issues with the other cars in their household, and their level of satisfaction with your services. When you hear why people do business with you straight from their lips, you will automatically approach new prospects armed with powerful insight\u2014insight that will lead to your ability to create a buying atmosphere and to earn more business than ever before.
\nWhat\u2019s more, when you listen to your customers explain their reasons for doing business with you, you\u2019ll receive an instant boost to your self-esteem. The more confident you are in your ability to help your customers, the more believable your pitch will become.
\n3. Join LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and then go one step deeper<\/strong> \u2014 almost every automotive association has an online group or forum. Join the group, post new ideas and respond to others. Ask your customers to follow, friend, and link to you so that you can communicate with them quickly and cost-effectively. Look for the opportunity to capture customer testimonials online and then share them!!
\n4. Become known as a person of value within your local community<\/strong>. Take leadership positions at your chamber of commerce, rotary club, and other networking groups. Give a talk on the importance of changing your oil. Or on the effect of under-inflated tires on fuel efficiency.
\nGive value first, and enjoy never having to cold call again.<\/span><\/strong>
\n5. Train and educate your employees.<\/strong> I\u2019ll bet you\u2019ve put your technicians through all sorts of ASE certifications and ongoing technical seminars. And, I\u2019ll also bet that you haven\u2019t provided one ounce of valuable sales training to your manager. That puts your shop at a decided disadvantage to those who invest in education. With the advent of low-cost, online sales training the financial investment itself has become nominal but the return can make the difference between success and failure.
\nAre these 5 things revolutionary? Nope. Are they effective? Absolutely! Get off your butt and go make the phone ring TODAY! Just because the phone doesn’t ring like it used to doesn’t mean it can’t start ringing if you change your attitude to focus on the present instead of the past.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(And why it never really has) Prefer a video? Watch this article here. It\u2019s no secret that things are different today. The economy stinks. Get over it. \u201cIn this economy\u2026\u201d has become the introduction to every rationalization for mediocre performance from every repair shop owner and manager I have talked to in recent months. \u201cIn […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n