Might it now be possible that, although some will continue to prefer multi-shop operations and risk losses like M-2, others might recognize the value in dealing with smaller, superior independent craftsmen, and shift referrals to more personal, customer-oriented shops? If so, it may be productive to begin a promotional campaign to try for insurance referral business that may have seemed impossible to get just a few months ago.

It still pays to stay in touch and keep dripping information on DRP coordinators (if you really want a DRP relationship). As I've said many times, these relationships are like marriages. Many end in divorce and, if you're the one suitor who has been patiently making a proposal every month or so, you may become the new preferred shop.

Capitalizing on the internet

This past year millions more people purchased home computers and got online. Many shops have a rudimentary website, but make very little use of it. More and more people are looking to major search engines to obtain every kind of information imaginable.

This new hunger for information may open new doors for you, the knowledgeable shop owner. Car owners have many questions about vehicle repairs: Can minor windshield damage be repaired without replacing the windshield? Can small dents, dings and scratches be repaired inexpensively? Will it cost more to have a custom color paint job?

As a long-term professional, you have all of the answers. These inquirers just need to know you are the best local resource for those answers. You can answer them through a website, e-mail, or special "800 collision answer-man" number. If you can afford radio or TV time, that's great! If not, some inexpensive classified ads may capture their attention.

Strategically located bus benches or billboards could also prompt some inquiries, but you might be able to inexpensively accomplish the same thing with a big banner in front of your shop if you have the right kind of location. In my area, a 3' x 10' banner costs just a bit more than a hundred dollars. Be sure to include your web address (and possibly an 800 number) on every sign and ad.

Overcoming the steering problem

Nearly every shop owner I speak to, regardless of what part of the country he or she inhabits, tells me they lose jobs because of insurance company steering. Some say their former customers have been so dissatisfied with the insurance company's selected shop, they actually come back. Is there a way to "see the future" and head off that steering situation so your customer remains loyal to your shop?

The key here is to build a deeper relationship with your customer. A visit once every three or four years isn't enough to create a solid enough bond to withstand insurance pressure. It may not always be profitable to perform minor repairs on windshields, paintless dent repairs, accessory installations, pinstriping, or graphics, but these miscellaneous services give the customer reasons to come back again and again. After many satisfactory visits, experiencing your superior workmanship and customer service, you can be sure your customer will be far less susceptible to insurance pressure.

See the future and profit from it

So the new year is upon us once again. With the new year, many of us make resolutions that this year will be different. We hope that those resolutions we've made several years in a row that somehow never got done, will miraculously be accomplished this year.

One way to increase your chances of keeping your resolutions is to take the time to be like a chess master: (1) Take a look at the thousands of repairs you've made and the relationships you've built in the past; (2) Take an in-depth look at how you might capitalize on both past and present relationships more in the present; (3) See the future in every relationship by recognizing opportunities or consequences in each one; and (4) boldly take action and make the moves that will prove to be most strategically advantageous this year!

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