This shop owner wasn't very interested in getting commercial business, but a person at another local shop who was helping with some of the marketing made an effort in that direction. He got out into the neighborhood to talk to businesses where there might be delivery or other commercial vehicles, to try to actually sell them on bringing vehicles to the shop. Here we see a selling activity that would probably work. This was not a professional salesperson, but someone who could answer real questions about repairs, how long they would take, probable costs and possible discounts. With an experiential understanding of the collision repair process, it actually is possible to sell someone on coming to a shop for repairs.

The best inside marketing people I have seen were not professional marketers at all. They did know where their shop's business was coming from and who would be likely to become customers. They used simple techniques like making phone calls to local businesses, putting out brochures in local businesses, keeping in touch with prior customers by periodically sending postcards, greeting cards, coupons and whatever else would remind them the shop was still there and would welcome their business. They took a bit of time to get involved in a few community activities, like car shows, school activities, and safe driving programs where their shop would get some exposure.
 

Those shop owners seeking insurance direct repair program business will have a tougher time of it, but they might be able to find someone who has the ear of insurance executives. Many of the deals I've observed were acquired because of personal relationships, but there is no simple formula to arrange that. Next best is simply staying in touch with prospective customers, sending regular letters to also keep them informed of customer satisfaction statements and other positive news.
  

I know of a few shops that can afford to employ a full-time person to carry out these tasks, but many others simply utilize someone in the shop for a few hours a week to keep promotional information going out. In general, the amount of business coming into a shop is proportional to the amount of positive information that is going out about the shop. The best of that is probably word-of-mouth, but any increase in positive communication going out is better than none. Getting the job done doesn't have to be costly, but it does have to be consistent. A dedicated person who is consistent may be the best salesperson of all for a shop.

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