Auto Repair Shop Owners: What Has Your Attention?

What Has Your Attention? Where is Your Focus? by Rick White, President 180BIZ

 Can you believe quarter one of 2021 is over? How are you doing? How are you doing with sales? So that's what we've been kind of focused on this past month is getting these different components of sales into play so that you are more successful on your front counter. Today is about FOCUS. What is your focus and how does your focus either help or hurt you? Your success is built on your focus. When you go into an interaction with anyone, I based on what you're focused on, determines how successful you're going to be.

Are you focused on that person in front of you and their needs, or are you focused on what you need? Are you focused on what you’re lacking? Are you focused on your payroll? Are you focused on your bills? If you're focused on those things,  there’s a psychological term called Perception of Self-interest. If I'm your client or customer perceive a high level of self-interest on your side, it makes them wary. It makes them cautious. It makes them not trust you because are you doing this for them? Or are you doing this for yourself?  I know you want a relationship with your clients. But as long as you're focused on yourself, your needs, your problems, your issues, your growth, you can't be in a relationship because your world ends right here at the end of your nose. It's not possible.

In order for you to grow that relationship, your focus has to be 100% on the person you want to serve. It must be a hundred percent on them, their wants their needs, their pains, their dreams, their goals. The more you can get inside their head and see what's going on and look for opportunities where you can make things better for them, where you can make things a little easier for them, that's when the magic starts to happen. So I'm going to ask you today. Before you get on the phone, before someone walks in the door, do a self-check.  I call them temperature checks Just ask yourself, “Who am I going to focus on?”

The more you focus on them, the more you get.  The more you focus on them, the byproduct is what you want and need. But you must focus on them. Expect nothing. Just be there to help and serve. It might be something as simple as referring someone to another shop.  For example, someone walks into my shop with a problematic Mercedes. I don't work on Mercedes. I would very politely smile and say, “I really wish I could help you, but Mercedes is not in our wheelhouse. But I know the best guy in the whole world to fix these Mercedes, can I give him a call and get him on the phone.  Can I help you get there? Can I show you the directions? I'll print them out for you.” 

This is important because their other vehicle might not be a Mercedes. If I want to look at this from any point of self-serving taking great care of this person right now, I don't know what else they may have in the garage. I don't know who else they know, but if I go above and beyond truly to just help serve, it's going to make all the difference in the world. I truly believe in karma. If you put good stuff out, multiples of good stuff will come back. It's just the way life is. And the more we can tap into that karma, I think the better off we are.

If this video resonates with you, please share it. There are so many people out there struggling right now that don't need to.  There's plenty of work to go around for everyone. We just need to do a better job at connecting.  We need to do a better job of bringing our best selves to that front counter.  Help our advisors to bring their best selves to the front counter so that we can truly help and serve each and every person we come in contact with today. So please, if this resonates with you, share it.

And remember, recognize that quarter one is over. If you've had a rough first quarter, don't let it beat you up. Ask yourself what went great. What could have gone better? What am I going to do better? And the last question, what do I need for resources? Come on. Close this first quarter out big. Close it out strong and use it to springboard off into the second quarter creating the business and life of your dreams.

God bless, stay safe, have fun, and go make some money this week.