Part time detailers: How do you convince your customers that you are capable?

[szjalo]

I am a part time detailer. I trust my hands and I know that all ppl came to me so far were totally satisfied. However things come to me all the time that, when new customers appear, they ask price, they ask what I can achieve, then they ask "how long you've been doing this" or "do you own a workshop" or similar things that most part time detailers(at least me) feel shy about.

This is usually the moment I tell them that I am a part time detailer and try really hard to convince then I am still capable of making their cars look the best and as good as those "pros" can do. However this is usually the time people say: I will get you back soon. and never come back.

So I just wonder, as for a part time detailer, how do you usually do to convince your customer or clients, before they agree to let you touch the car?

Thanks

[Cosmin]

a website is a good thing to have , it show your work. that will be the first thing.
once they call they have an issue ( dirty car , stain , swirls etc) so they need a detailer service, now... if you are capable or not , is up to you and your previous work examples

i don`t try to convince anyone. i just explain and recommend what`s the best package as finish or as price, depends what they look for.
as far as you know what you are capable of u shouldn`t have problems selling it. period!
u are full or part time doesn`t matter , if you detail for 2 days or 20 years same , as far as you have the right tools , products , knowledge and know how to use them

[storm100]

a website is a good thing to have , it show your work. that will be the first thing.
once they call they have an issue ( dirty car , stain , swirls etc) so they need a detailer service, now... if you are capable or not , is up to you and your previous work examples

i don`t try to convince anyone. i just explain and recommend what`s the best package as finish or as price, depends what they look for.
as far as you know what you are capable of u shouldn`t have problems selling it. period!
u are full or part time doesn`t matter , if you detail for 2 days or 20 years same , as far as you have the right tools , products , knowledge and know how to use them

[tuscarora dave]

When I started out I had to do a number of price reduced or free details for family members, friends and co-workers and take a lot of photographs of before and a lot of after photographs as well. The work doesn't have to be free or even price reduced but the cars in the worst condition make for the most dramatic before and after photos and the guy who is content with driving a car that is severely neglected most likely won't be too thrilled about paying to have the paint corrected or the interior brought back to like new condition so a lot were done free.

There can be a lot of future value in the best photographs that you can take so if you think with a vision into the future (about the photos) then rather than these transformations being free details or paint corrections you should be looking at them as an investment in your company's future.

I would concentrate on stellar 50/50 photos and before and after photos. Below are a few links of some examples of some paint corrections that I had gotten a lot of mileage out of in the way gaining new clientele. Not only did I make a thread outlining the process, products and techniques with good photos but I also got glossy photo paper and printed the most stellar of the photos that I had gained from these jobs, placed them into clear document protectors and made up a 3 ring binder full of examples of my work that I could carry with me in my car or van at all times.

Here is one of the first details I did that gained me additional clientele through presenting the photos. It was not a free paint correction but compared to what I can now charge, it might as well have been free.

black 99 Olds Alero detailed w/ pics - Autopia Forums - Auto Detailing & Car Care Discussion Forum

Here is another job I did where the photos, especially the 50/50 shot of the hood gained me a ton of future jobs. This job also was not free but today I know what my time and the transformation is worth. One day while searching the words "paint correction" in google images I found my 50/50 shot of this particular car in with the images that came up, so I know this photo has been viewed by an untold amount of viewers.

Red Subaru Outback Paint correction - Autopia Forums - Auto Detailing & Car Care Discussion Forum

The link I am about to paste next was a co-workers car that was one of the best examples of neglect and hack work that I have ever seen. This thread and the photos gained from this paint correction, displayed to the right people with the right "rap" always convinces them that they need not look any further than me. When this transformation is displayed, I always get the job. I salivated over the before condition of this car and offered to do it for free just to get the photos because the owner would have never paid to have it done. Not only have I gotten a ton of work because of the photos of this car but the owner also refers me to anyone he knows who owns a car in similar condition as the before photos in this thread.

93 Mazda Miata paint correction, Megs VS. Mothers - Autopia Forums - Auto Detailing & Car Care Discussion Forum

It is said that you must spend money to make money and this is true. Just the ink and glossy paper cost around $200 to print out all of the photos that I have in my 3 ring binder portfolio, not to mention the hours and products/supplies that it took to attain the photos. It is all investing in the future and has paid off 100 fold. Below are a few more photos that are in my portfolio that convince the viewer that I am much more than just a kid with a wash bucket and a can of wax.









They say that life is what you make it. This is so true and lots of hard work and some thinking and investing in the future goes a long way. If you build it and show it to everyone who has a car or special interest vehicle, you will get work.

Hope this helped you out. TD

[highgrade]

I guess you could call me a "part-time" detailer. I don't have a store front...work from home...out of the garage. I had the same concerns you had initially. In fact, I talked with a lot of people when deciding on a name so I could print up some business cards. I had all kinds of suggestions on how to get more clients quickly and the wide array of services to offer. In the end, I chose what was fitting to my goals and capabilities, and more importantly, what would not burn me out.
I don't offer "super simple" details, car washes, etc. (Maybe in the future, but not at the moment)
The biggest mistake I made was to lower the price to get a few new clients. There was good and bad from this mistake. The bad...I wore myself out and the client got a lot more than they paid for. The good...well, the honesty of the client. Two clients gave huge tips and made it very clear when they talked to me. Their advise....don't charge less to get a job. Your work speaks for itself.
If you have skills and the work speaks for itself, then that is the end-all truth you have to believe about yourself and offer as an answer.
When or if I am asked about being "part-time", I simply tell them that my work speaks for itself and I am happy to offer them a few clients to talk to. The jobs I get now are by referral and I am not having any problems getting work. In fact, folks are booking as far out as March. IMO, that is not bad for a part-timer.

[Flannigan]

Lots of pictures. I have several hundred before and after pictures on my iPad that I take everywhere with me. If anyone is ever worried about my skill or professionalism, I just whip out the iPad and let them take a look. I work out of my home, and only do it part time and I have never had a customer question it.

[Meticulous-Detail]

I am a part-time newbie and the best advertisement or example of capabilities for me are my own rides. My GT500 is immaculate and my 2 DD are also immaculate. Even my GOV gets personal TLC and looks great.

One of the main reasons I got started was because friends, family and neighbors kept asking for help or do their own cars. My business is registered, I have business cards and a website. I have a full time job that requires me to be on call 24/7 and respond if needed, and that comes first.

[Old Tiger]

I only do cars from people who work at the same place I do. They can see my work in the parking lot. I only do correction and coating with Opti Guard. I have some buddies who help me. I pick the people I want to sell. Have done about 12 vehicles now. I dont do more than 1 a week. OG sells itself IME. I wont do more than 2 step corrections. I wouldnt want to make a living doing this. I am an engineer with a small firm. I detail for fun only.

[shoeless89]

Dave, where did you get that Vac for the back of your van? lol

[Meticulous-Detail]

I only do cars from people who work at the same place I do. They can see my work in the parking lot. I only do correction and coating with Opti Guard. I have some buddies who help me. I pick the people I want to sell. Have done about 12 vehicles now. I dont do more than 1 a week. OG sells itself IME. I wont do more than 2 step corrections. I wouldnt want to make a living doing this. I am an engineer with a small firm. I detail for fun only.

Same here except for the Opti Guard and engineer.............lol