Demonstration dilemma

[NinjaPain]

Whats good guys...

I've been doing a few Express Details lately in collaboration with Deal Chicken. I can do an Express Detail $45 (hand wash, dry, removing most spots from interior, glass, bug and tar removal, tire/wheels) in about 1.25 hours for a mid size car. The deal charges $15 more for a mini van or suv--and/or $15 charge for excessive dirt/pet hair . Out of the $45, I get half of the deal for myself.

I'm having problems upselling, but here lately I'm thinking about demonstrating rather than talking about upselling. Here's what I mean; after I'm finish hand-washing and drying the vehicle, I will choose a small area of the car to apply UC. I want to demonstrate to my client what their vehicle could really look like.

My question/concern is how would I blend the corrected side back in with the uncorrected side. Although the corrected side will look better, it will still leave a noticeable line (if using tape). All this is based upon the assumption that the client not being sold even after paint is corrected.

[Kyle_Elantra]

That sounds like a terrible idea. Don't do something to their car that they didn't ask for and aren't aware of.

I know I'd be very angry. The only way to make it look "right" is to pay you to fix the rest of the car...that's robbery.

[BlackHawk]

^^

[stibuki]

Without lots of up selling which you say your having a hard time with seems like a very low return after figuring in expenses. You might be better off working out some kind of deal with local merchants. Throwing them a bone once or twice a month might get you better results.

That said... I would shy away from doing demo's on customer cars without their permission, even with permission you might be opening up a can of worms for yourself! A little spray wax, tire shine is one thing and should be an easy up sell but any kind of paint correction/cleaning could potentially piss them off. Concentrate on up sell services your local customers want and need.
It's your job to educate them but even if you do a great job it still will be lost on 85% of the people out there. I try to keep it simple and deploy the KISS principal.
1. What it is.
2. What it does.
3. Why it's good for them.

Maybe change your up sell tactics around, practice your speal a little and find something that works for you. You would be surprised what a little practice and role playing can do.

Just some thoughts. All the best.

[Dr_Pain]

If you truly want to "show" the correction potential, then my suggestion is to go to a salvage yard and get a couple of different color deck lids and do have while leaving the other alone. I agree with the above comments that you do not want to do a test spot on a potential customer's car with hopes they will want to finish the work.

[Mike Phillips]

I've been doing a few Express Details lately in collaboration with Deal Chicken.


I'm having problems upselling,

The market you're going after is not the right market for upselling, you're basically going for people that are buying for price, not because they are "into" their cars.

What you want to do is put a show car shine on someone's daily driver because it's in your blood to do your best. A lot of us are like that. The trick is to know your customer and match your services to your customer.

Don't put a show car finish on someone's daily driver that won't appreciate it or understand what they must now do after the fact to maintain our hard work.


Read this article, don't scan it... read it...



A few tips on starting a part-time detailing business
Match your services to your customer


If you want to do high-end work, that is if you want to do a multiple step process to create a better than new finish on a neglected car to feed the need for your detailing obsession, then focus on marketing your talent and skills to people that have cool cars or what I call, Special Interest Vehicles, or SIV's. Not people that shop Deal Chicken.


FWIW

[FUNX650]

Gaining 'detailing-experience' working for "companies" like DealChicken, while making 1/2 the deal's price-point, may seem like a good deal.
That good-deal-feeling will soon pass. If it hasn't already, that is.

I'm sure it's difficult to upsell, and actually perform that upsell service (such as a paint-correction-step), to a DealChicken-customer...
While there is another DealChicken customer breathing down your neck.

If there's anyway foreseeably possible...
Please...Please: ditch this gig...

Let the DealChickens of the World cross over to the other side of the road.
I see no reason to ever ask why they did...


Bob

[T3 AutoDetails]

All great replies here.

If you don't have another market to extend your higher end services to and this is it..Here's what I would do.

As mentioned previously, go check your salvage yard and look for some of the worst of these things (This is saying you have the room to tote your findings with you to display to potential clients).

Neglected swirled hood ( If space is tight than still get the hood and use a little creativity and try this) Do not quote me on this I have not tried this its only an *Idea* for if space is limited.

Get the appropriate tools and cut the a section of the panel say 16" x 16" and correct half with a tape line. I'm sure there is a way and it would save room but get the point across on a much smaller scale.

Get the worst headlight you can find. Yellowish,Dull,Faded,Oxidized...Whatever...And run a tape line and correct that.

Lastly I would look for faded plastics and again run a tape line and correct that as well with a trim restorer.

If by whatever means you can upsell one of those 3 services they all pay more than what you did "Express package" for and thus can generate more revenue without the "Middle man" taking their cut.

A quick run down would be something like this I would imagine if you could work this type of strategy into your business plan.

The small work gets them in the door at $45.

You then proceed to do the work at which you get half and it takes you 1 1/2 hours give or take right? At the end of the detail you generated a PPH (price per hour) of $15.00 and made a grand total of $22.50 IMHO that's to low for such work/services.

If the volume is there and you don't mind that price range, Use that as the ticket in the door to promote your upsells like this for an example.

Paint correction $45-75/ Hr
Headlight resto $60/Set (Takes 1 hour)
Trim resto $20-30/Hr (Not hard time depends on size/condition)

If you got a few people to do this and had them leave a positive review and share with their friends/family. You now have an advantage in your market because you are "Specializing" in a service and do a great job. Word will spread and you will have the pull em in the door price with the knock em out upsells..

I hope that made sense and didn't confuse no one. Kinda wrote a book right there but I generally like to explain as best I can. - Tory

[greatwhitenorth]

All great replies here.

If you don't have another market to extend your higher end services to and this is it..Here's what I would do.

As mentioned previously, go check your salvage yard and look for some of the worst of these things (This is saying you have the room to tote your findings with you to display to potential clients).

Neglected swirled hood ( If space is tight than still get the hood and use a little creativity and try this) Do not quote me on this I have not tried this its only an *Idea* for if space is limited.

Get the appropriate tools and cut the a section of the panel say 16" x 16" and correct half with a tape line. I'm sure there is a way and it would save room but get the point across on a much smaller scale.

Get the worst headlight you can find. Yellowish,Dull,Faded,Oxidized...Whatever...And run a tape line and correct that.

Lastly I would look for faded plastics and again run a tape line and correct that as well with a trim restorer.

If by whatever means you can upsell one of those 3 services they all pay more than what you did "Express package" for and thus can generate more revenue without the "Middle man" taking their cut.

A quick run down would be something like this I would imagine if you could work this type of strategy into your business plan.

The small work gets them in the door at $45.

You then proceed to do the work at which you get half and it takes you 1 1/2 hours give or take right? At the end of the detail you generated a PPH (price per hour) of $15.00 and made a grand total of $22.50 IMHO that's to low for such work/services.

If the volume is there and you don't mind that price range, Use that as the ticket in the door to promote your upsells like this for an example.

Paint correction $45-75/ Hr
Headlight resto $60/Set (Takes 1 hour)
Trim resto $20-30/Hr (Not hard time depends on size/condition)

If you got a few people to do this and had them leave a positive review and share with their friends/family. You now have an advantage in your market because you are "Specializing" in a service and do a great job. Word will spread and you will have the pull em in the door price with the knock em out upsells..

I hope that made sense and didn't confuse no one. Kinda wrote a book right there but I generally like to explain as best I can. - Tory

Fantastic advice!
I never thought about having an old headlight half restored on hand just to show. Good for brick and mortar shops too!

[VP Mark]

I feel like you would be better off giving people literature, perhaps even a loyalty card (buy any 3 services get a free wash, etc.) to the groupon crowd than up selling. Even a referral bonus such as a free wash if they send you someone for a full price detail. There are ways to market successfully out of this but trying to sell a steak to the hot dog buyers is going to be slim pickings.