Any good leads from car shows?

[Billy Baldone]

I just started my detailing business about 3 months ago I have had anywhere from 8 to 10 cars but at this point I have run through some of the referrals and I'm having a hard time getting newer business. I'm a little bit behind on finishing my website. We have a large car show in our town every year I was thinking about having two cars there,my daily driver Focus, to feature the coating that I offer, which will look better than 99 percent of the "show cars" there. And a black mustang gt which was a swirly mess when I detailed it for the first time 3 years ago. I will also have some flyers printed up with my prices on there and business cards to hand out. What kind of success havevyou guys seen from local car shows? Thanks
Billy
Obsessive Details

[david79z28]

A word of advice from a non Detailer that maintains and shows my own car. Mine isn't what I would consider a show car, most of my friends cars aren't either.

I think it's a good idea to hand out fliers, introduce yourself, and answer questions. I've noticed that people who point out flaws often do themselves more harm by aggravating car owners. They come off as arrogant.

I know a couple of detailers that get work from shows and it's often the owners daily drivers.

A lot of fliers are handed out for future car shows. Make yours stand out somehow.

[Billy Baldone]

I know its a slippery slope. What is kind of funny about that is some people just have no idea that the swirls they see can be easily removed

[Ccrew]

I know its a slippery slope. What is kind of funny about that is some people just have no idea that the swirls they see can be easily removed

But it's a fine line. That "show car" they have they more often than not they maintain themselves and to suggest that it needs correction in any fashion is akin to kicking them in the boys.

[mcate]

I put my Shelby in a lot of local car shows, & I've gotten a fair amount of business from it.

[madmallard]

A word of advice from a non Detailer that maintains and shows my own car. Mine isn't what I would consider a show car, most of my friends cars aren't either.

I think it's a good idea to hand out fliers, introduce yourself, and answer questions. I've noticed that people who point out flaws often do themselves more harm by aggravating car owners. They come off as arrogant.


instead of dropping bombs on people, maybe instead word it "if you have any questions about my process and how it can really address specific things to taking your vehicle presentation to the next level, just let me know."

that plants a seed for them to ask you to tell them whats wrong, as opposed to just going "i can fix that scratch for ya"

[TheAverageMan]

I say you find a nice swirled out "sports" car, and do a full 50/50 detail. As in you tape it straight down the middle bumper to bumper, and you detail only one side. Bring that to the car show as a "Look what I can do" kind of booth or whatever.

[ronkh57]

A word of advice from a non Detailer that maintains and shows my own car. Mine isn't what I would consider a show car, most of my friends cars aren't either.

I think it's a good idea to hand out fliers, introduce yourself, and answer questions. I've noticed that people who point out flaws often do themselves more harm by aggravating car owners. They come off as arrogant.

I know a couple of detailers that get work from shows and it's often the owners daily drivers.

A lot of fliers are handed out for future car shows. Make yours stand out somehow.


Good advice

[DeepReflections]

I do quite a few shows and generate good business from them. But you have to have a little PT Barnum/showmanship in you. Tri-fold brochures are the ticket at a car show. I have tried a single sheet, a two sided sheet, and they just did not click. The Tri-fold seems to extend a classier, more sophisticated look and feel.
People want to read about your services. I do not put any pricing in them. I ask what it is they are trying to solve with their car, or what is it they want to do, and it generates a much more personal touch even before we get to pricing, then based on what I gleaned from the conversation, I make a recommendation on the correct service and price. 90% of the time I have them sold on us and price becomes secondary. By engaging the customer and taking a personal interest in their car, you have instantly created a relationship of trust and endearment. I cannot even begin to tell you how far that goes.

I always ask to go see the potential customer's car. When we get there, I raise my voice just a little and it, more often than not will generate interest from surrounding owners. Once you get a few people listening to you, others will join the crowd and listen in. I was doing a headlight restore at a PT Cruiser show, was heads down on it, and had someone ask me a question. Without looking up I answered, then I got another question, when I turned around there were at least 20 people watching and began asking me questions. I had more headlight restores request than I could handle.

Another thing I learned that is incredibly successful, do a demo of some sort. Post a sign, poster size preferred, even if it is handwritten about doing a clay bar demo, or a polish demo. It draws a crowd, and crowds are the ticket for generating business. I did a Vintage Mustang show and took a car that was absolutely filthy, loaded with talcum powder like dust and pollen. I posted and promoted doing a waterless car wash on this nasty car and not scratching it. People were in total disbelief that I could pull it off. I had at least 50 people come to the demonstration. I brought 2 cases of the wash with me, sold it all and generated 6 appointments for full details.
I NEVER degrade a customers car, only make positive suggestions on how my details will improve the look of their car. Get negative on people and you are dead meat at that show and future shows, as many people go to multiple shows. Negativity spreads 5 times as fast as positive.

As far as having a car in the show...
I try and find someone that is going to the show and will detail their car at a huge discount, or even for free, if they are willing to put my cards/brochures on their car. This way I can point to cars in the show that we have worked on, and they can talk to an unbiased owner and see the quality of work we do. I used to put a car in my booth, but got a lot of comments about it being finished to a much higher quality than normal, so I stopped doing it.
I also make up flyers specific to that show and have had good success with having not only participants come in, but spectators talk to me and make appointments.
I have an iPad that shows the before and afters of the cars we did, and that gets people very interested.
I also have a 3 ring notebook opened up with our Yelp reviews printed out.

I also donate a detail or two, as this usually will generate several mentions over the loudspeakers from the hosting club over the span of the show. That plants your name in people minds. One show we sponsored best paint and I had to describe to the audience why I picked that car, I got 4 details out of it as they wanted their paint to look that good.
I really like doing shows as it shows off what we can do, is much more intimate than phone calls, and the audience is the demographic we want... car people that get it.

[Rod73]

I do quite a few shows and generate good business from them. But you have to have a little PT Barnum/showmanship in you. Tri-fold brochures are the ticket at a car show. I have tried a single sheet, a two sided sheet, and they just did not click. The Tri-fold seems to extend a classier, more sophisticated look and feel.
People want to read about your services. I do not put any pricing in them. I ask what it is they are trying to solve with their car, or what is it they want to do, and it generates a much more personal touch even before we get to pricing, then based on what I gleaned from the conversation, I make a recommendation on the correct service and price. 90% of the time I have them sold on us and price becomes secondary. By engaging the customer and taking a personal interest in their car, you have instantly created a relationship of trust and endearment. I cannot even begin to tell you how far that goes.

I always ask to go see the potential customer's car. When we get there, I raise my voice just a little and it, more often than not will generate interest from surrounding owners. Once you get a few people listening to you, others will join the crowd and listen in. I was doing a headlight restore at a PT Cruiser show, was heads down on it, and had someone ask me a question. Without looking up I answered, then I got another question, when I turned around there were at least 20 people watching and began asking me questions. I had more headlight restores request than I could handle.

Another thing I learned that is incredibly successful, do a demo of some sort. Post a sign, poster size preferred, even if it is handwritten about doing a clay bar demo, or a polish demo. It draws a crowd, and crowds are the ticket for generating business. I did a Vintage Mustang show and took a car that was absolutely filthy, loaded with talcum powder like dust and pollen. I posted and promoted doing a waterless car wash on this nasty car and not scratching it. People were in total disbelief that I could pull it off. I had at least 50 people come to the demonstration. I brought 2 cases of the wash with me, sold it all and generated 6 appointments for full details.
I NEVER degrade a customers car, only make positive suggestions on how my details will improve the look of their car. Get negative on people and you are dead meat at that show and future shows, as many people go to multiple shows. Negativity spreads 5 times as fast as positive.

As far as having a car in the show...
I try and find someone that is going to the show and will detail their car at a huge discount, or even for free, if they are willing to put my cards/brochures on their car. This way I can point to cars in the show that we have worked on, and they can talk to an unbiased owner and see the quality of work we do. I used to put a car in my booth, but got a lot of comments about it being finished to a much higher quality than normal, so I stopped doing it.
I also make up flyers specific to that show and have had good success with having not only participants come in, but spectators talk to me and make appointments.
I have an iPad that shows the before and afters of the cars we did, and that gets people very interested.
I also have a 3 ring notebook opened up with our Yelp reviews printed out.

I also donate a detail or two, as this usually will generate several mentions over the loudspeakers from the hosting club over the span of the show. That plants your name in people minds. One show we sponsored best paint and I had to describe to the audience why I picked that car, I got 4 details out of it as they wanted their paint to look that good.
I really like doing shows as it shows off what we can do, is much more intimate than phone calls, and the audience is the demographic we want... car people that get it.
Absolutely fantastic advice! THANK YOU!