I suggested Prater might also provide the booklet to local driving schools to give to new students. In

Prater Body Works provides a living for the whole Prater family.

addition to the booklet, she might invite new driving students for a tour of the shop and to see the consequences of bad driving. Down the road those students may very well become customers of the shop. Statistically nearly 22 percent of all motor vehicle accidents involve young drivers.

A marketing lady to copy

Prater knows she is in a very difficult market and must do much more than the average body shop to bring in sufficient business to provide a living for her family. But imagine what would happen if a shop in a more favorable location - with many more vehicles in the market to repair - did all of the marketing actions performed by Prater in her remote, resort area. They would definitely become widely known in their market and, if they performed well, would enjoy a major increase in business.

Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing representative and consultant for forty years and is the author of the books, "Business Battlefield Marketing for Body Shops," "Tom Franklin's Top 40 Marketing Tactics for Body Shops," and "Strategies for Greater Body Shop Growth." His marketing company now provides marketing solutions and services for body shops and other businesses. He can be reached for questions or comments at (323) 871-6862, by fax at (323) 465-2228, or by E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it