I need more business. How?

[detaildudes]

Hey guys,

I am a mobile detailer and have hit a slump the past few weeks with the frequency of details that are coming in. Any suggestions or things that have worked for you?

[zmcgovern45]

Some background information would help tremendously.

What is your current advertising/marketing strategy?

Do you have a website?

Do you hand out business cards? (do you have business cards?)

What type of area do you live in/work in? Highly populated city, suburb, rural?

What is your target market? ie high end cars, average joes, soccer moms, tuner teens?

What types of jobs are you hoping to pick up... ie more basic "wash & wax" or very detailed paint corrections?

[inDetail]

Word of mouth, bc's, and brochures. I don't know how long you have been detailing but that is always the best way to get business. Is there competition in your area?
I do details for Friends & Family at a super discounted rate. So friends see my work. Look into car hops and drop off business cards and talk to people. I always have my tablet with me and show them a slide presentation with before and after photos. Explain your services and what you can do for them. I have gotten business from hanging out and talking about good old american muscle. Then someone they know comes along and says wow your car looks awesome. The they ask how they made it look so good. Then they say this is the guy and hands him a bc.
I went to a hop back in May. The best looking car was an 87 Buick GN. The paint was pristine and perfect. Guess who the detailer was. The owner. He ran his own shop and the GN was his ride.
There were custom paint jobs, hand painted pin stripes, powder coated engine bays, Mustang Cobras with mystic paint. Not a single one looked as good as the bone stock black GN. You can go to a show and if you pay attention you can tell the difference between a pro job and a weekend warrior. (I'm not knocking weekend warriors but i'm just trying to make a point.)

[detaildudes]

I have been doing it for 4 years, but just really got into detailing this year. My area is metropolitan area with 4 major cities, and one of them is very rich. I have a website and facebook page, and my current advertising strategy is word of mouth and putting flyers in people doors. I always keep business cards on me. I havent got into paint correction just yet. Right know I am doing waterless mobile detailing, mainly just wash, wax, and interior. I also do airplanes, boats, and RVs. There is some competition in my area. Right know I am getting turned down because I dont clean carpets. Would like to get into that and buffing paint and higher end jobs.

[TopThatDetail]

Buy a cheaper steamer for carpets use some apc and a scrub brush and get to work! Since your a waterless system hit up apartment complexes that don't have water supply or water restrictions, real estate offices are always good they take clients around all the time

[john b]

Some background information would help tremendously.

What is your current advertising/marketing strategy?

Do you have a website?

Do you hand out business cards? (do you have business cards?)

What type of area do you live in/work in? Highly populated city, suburb, rural?

What is your target market? ie high end cars, average joes, soccer moms, tuner teens?

What types of jobs are you hoping to pick up... ie more basic "wash & wax" or very detailed paint corrections?
great info,these are the things you must start to look at. imo you should look at getting a extractor for the calls about getting carpets and such.

[VP Mark]

What do you mean you don't clean carpets?? You don't need a 1500 extractor to make carpets look decent. Heck most carpets can be made to look 95% better even without a machine. Let me know if interested I've got like 3 different processes I use.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online

[detaildudes]

What do you mean you don't clean carpets?? You don't need a 1500 extractor to make carpets look decent. Heck most carpets can be made to look 95% better even without a machine. Let me know if interested I've got like 3 different processes I use.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online

Yes, I am definitely interested!

[inDetail]

Pick yourself up one of the small retail extractor that Bissel or Hoover makes and your in business. Blow out the interior with compressed air. Run the vac over the interior. Pour some resolve carpet cleaner into the hand held and your good to go. Use a stronger cleaner like CG Lightning for the spot and stain cleaning.

[DogRescuer]

What do you mean you don't clean carpets?? You don't need a 1500 extractor to make carpets look decent. Heck most carpets can be made to look 95% better even without a machine. Let me know if interested I've got like 3 different processes I use.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online
I think we'd all like to know.

[VP Mark]

Ok here goes, first are machine process:

Typical extraction method, pre-treat with APC+, extract, rinse, repeat. Standard stuff, but I can get into more detail if desired.

Steam method, pre-treat with CG Fabric Clean, Diluted 1:16, using steam nozzle, steam 1-2 foot section, thoroughly agitate with MF towel or brush, then wipe with separate MF towel, horizontally, then vertically.

Manual method 1, my most used process by hand. Evenly mist entire section of carpet with CG Fabric Clean, agitate with brush or MF towel. Let sit for 1-2 minutes, more if the temps are low. Mist again with FC then wipe with clean, dry MF horizontally, then vertically.

Hand method two, bad carpets. Start with APC+ 1:10(even 1:4 can be used), thoroughly spraying entire section until "damp". Agitate then let sit 5-10 minutes. Vacuum(this pulls any debris out of the carpets that your agitation loosened). Mist with CG FC. Wipe thoroughly horizontally, then vertically. Change MF's. Mist and wipe again.

Hand method three, abandon all hope ye who enter. This is for really bad carpets only, and there is little chance the carpets are going to look good, you are just trying to get them clean and debris free.

1. Strongly spray with APC+, agitate, vacuum.
2. Use a strong foaming cleaner, like Tough Stuff(this is actually a very versatile product). The reason is that the foam is going to "lift" a lot of debris out, and will help kill any bacterial issues that the APC+ did not take care of. It is also a decent stain remover. When I say foam, I mean you are using most of a can on just one vehicle. Again, these are really bad carpets. Let sit 15+ minutes and dwell. Just make sure the carpets don't completely dry. Agitate then vacuum.

3. Mist with CG Fabric Clean, wipe horizontally, then vertically, rinse and repeat as long as you are getting results. Know when to call it quits however.

[Kyle@PrecisionPolish]

Mark I swear if I ever meet you I am buying you beers all night for all the info you've provided. Thanks again. I plan to do exactly what you stated but with Folex.

[VP Mark]

Mark I swear if I ever meet you I am buying you beers all night for all the info you've provided. Thanks again. I plan to do exactly what you stated but with Folex.

I don't drink, but I love ribeyes. :dblthumb2:

I guess I finally need to get on the Folex bandwagon, but I've got such good results without it its hard to add yet another bottle to my piles of products.

[Kyle@PrecisionPolish]

Ribeye it is:) After our talk I went and tried the Folex. I don't think I will even need to followup with steam at this point. Folex works really well.