Want to Make Much Much More Than You Currently Do?

[Dan]

Anyone ever wonder how some shoomie in a bad suit that knows close to Zero about Car Care can sell a $500 paint protection warranties all month long to someone buying a $14,000 Focus, but many Professional Detailers have a hard time getting more than $75 for a Wash & Wax? You can be the best detailer in your state, but if you can't sell how good you are, you'll never grow as a business person.

Pressure and scare tactics 101?

 

[David Fermani]

Easy, because it is usually financed into the deal, and ads maybe 50 cents to their monthly payment.

Wrong. A $500 increase will add roughly $25 per month on a 5 year purchase.. On many leases, it can’t be rolled in because it can’t be residualized. Big difference from 50 cents right?

I agree selling is a big part of the equation, but if you offer a product or service that is a great value, it is not hard to sell.

Right, but there’s tons of people that offer great products/service, but can’t sell and this ultimately leaves money on the table. No matter how good or how much value is perceived in a product/service, it won’t sell itself on its own. Don’t you agree?

The hard part is thinking big, and taking the calculated risk of investing lots of capital in a big operation.

I disagree. I don’t think it takes that much money to open up a successful and profitable detail operation. A lot less than most think actually. You could build the largest and greatest shop, but if you can’t fill it will work and vision, it will no doubt fail.

We all know that you owned this fantastic money printing detail shop years ago; there is no need to rub it in our faces on a monthly basis.

I don’t purposefully do this. I only speak from direct experience and accomplishments. Others speak from their butts and have no experience running a thriving, successful business. If someone like you is confident with their success, there no need to feel threatened by what I write.

If you learned more selling cars than going to college, than you must have not put much effort into learning what was being taught to you.

You’re right. I didn’t put 100% effort into it. I was more interested in getting finished and getting out into the “real world”.



Brad - You have a college degree and have been detailing 7 years. How has college helped you attain the goals you have thus far? Could you be where you are today in business if you didn’t get this education? How have you positioned yourself to maximize your profitability and has college helped? Will you be doing mobile detailing long term or will you expand your business in other ways? If so, how?

 

[David Fermani]

Pressure and scare tactics 101?

In some places no doubt. In others people don't even know what they're getting. But, I've seen it professionally sold at multiple levels and if done professionally, it can be very lucrative.

 

[Junebug]

OK - when something can be answered by a simple Google search for a Loan Calculator - I'm in. Here's what was previously said:



Originally Posted by brwill2005

Easy, because it is usually financed into the deal, and ads maybe 50 cents to their monthly payment.



Wrong. A $500 increase will add roughly $25 per month on a 5 year purchase.. On many leases, it can’t be rolled in because it can’t be residualized. Big difference from 50 cents right?



Remember - we're talk $14,000 @ 60 months - I figued 5.9% and it's $270.01 per month, add $500 and it's $279.65 per month - so that Paint Package is another $9.64 per month for a total of $578.40 if you pay it through.



So the sales guy says 500 over 5 years is just a few cents a day and some anxious to show off their new car guy says - sure man, hook me up!

 

[David Fermani]

You're right Jimmy - I'm used to saying/thinking every $1000 is ~$25 difference in payment ($50 on a lease). My bad. Regardless, still a substantial difference from 50 cents.

 

[Dan]

In some places no doubt. In others people don't even know what they're getting. But, I've seen it professionally sold at multiple levels and if done professionally, it can be very lucrative.

No doubt about that! We all know how much paint sealant costs. The whole bottle costs less than the labor for the porter to apply it.

 

[Junebug]

Had another thought here, yeah, old age is great! But consider the situation with the new car sale, you've looked at a dozen brands, narrowed it down to 2-3 through research and test drives, finally decided on "the" car, found the one with the options, the right color, got a good deal going, feeling good about the dealership and about to drive off - drum roll please! then they say, hey, wanna keep it looking great? Now, we all all know we on this forum are the small minority so it's natural for Joe Public to take the bait, hook, line and sinker.



Dealers know this, they are afterall - SALESMEN, they've taken the courses on body language, they know a mark when they see one. Case in point, wife and I were looking to get a Toyota 4Runner back in 03. We picked one out but another couple had saw it first and was in the process of getting it - our salesman, quietly pulled us aside and said don't worry, they won't get it. I couldn't believe it, cause they were so excited and ready to buy, sure enough, 10 minutes later they left and we were filling out the paperwork. How did he know? Experience!



Moral to this story - you know detailing, now get to know your customer and put that part first, every time.

 

[brwill2005]

Wrong. A $500 increase will add roughly $25 per month on a 5 year purchase.. On many leases, it can’t be rolled in because it can’t be residualized. Big difference from 50 cents right?









Right, but there’s tons of people that offer great products/service, but can’t sell and this ultimately leaves money on the table. No matter how good or how much value is perceived in a product/service, it won’t sell itself on its own. Don’t you agree?









I disagree. I don’t think it takes that much money to open up a successful and profitable detail operation. A lot less than most think actually. You could build the largest and greatest shop, but if you can’t fill it will work and vision, it will no doubt fail.









I don’t purposefully do this. I only speak from direct experience and accomplishments. Others speak from their butts and have no experience running a thriving, successful business. If someone like you is confident with their success, there no need to feel threatened by what I write.











You’re right. I didn’t put 100% effort into it. I was more interested in getting finished and getting out into the “real world”.



Brad - You have a college degree and have been detailing 7 years. How has college helped you attain the goals you have thus far? Could you be where you are today in business if you didn’t get this education? How have you positioned yourself to maximize your profitability and has college helped? Will you be doing mobile detailing long term or will you expand your business in other ways? If so, how?

Unlike you, I did not waste my time doing the actual math. My numbers were simply to illustrate a point, which is still relevant. I am in no way threatened by what you write, however, I have never understood why you are such an antagonist. It seems like you enjoy acting in this manner. College taught me a wide range of skills that have helped me in life, and running a business. Most importantly, is how to think through and solve problems. This is in addition to things like economics, marketing, and IT skills that I learned in college. Yes, I do have plans to expand my business in the very near future. I plan to open up an express detail type operation in order to capture a bigger share of the car appearance market. Guess what, it is going to take a significant amount of money. Commercial real estate is very expensive in NOVA.

 

[David Fermani]

Unlike you, I did not waste my time doing the actual math. My numbers were simply to illustrate a point, which is still relevant. I am in no way threatened by what you write, however, I have never understood why you are such an antagonist. It seems like you enjoy acting in this manner. College taught me a wide range of skills that have helped me in life, and running a business. Most importantly, is how to think through and solve problems. This is in addition to things like economics, marketing, and IT skills that I learned in college. Yes, I do have plans to expand my business in the very near future. I plan to open up an express detail type operation in order to capture a bigger share of the car appearance market. Guess what, it is going to take a significant amount of money. Commercial real estate is very expensive in NOVA.

Sorry to hurt your sensitive feelings Brad. I guess college didn't teach you to have thick skin, but you'll eventually learn that as you become more successful in business. :secret

 

[MaksimumAuto]

It's a moot subject guys, drop it. Doesn't pertain to the thread at all.

 

[Barry Theal]

I wanna make more money but im dislecix and I have problems reading do they makes these books in audio format?

 

[Tylan_CA]

I read and I forget

I watch and I remember

I do and I understand



Reading the "right" books is important, but watching someone doing it is more important, doing what you just learned is the most important.

 

[MaksimumAuto]

I read and I forget

I watch and I remember

I do and I understand



Reading the "right" books is important, but watching someone doing it is more important, doing what you just learned is the most important.

You're not reading business books correctly then.



Before you begin reading, you must identify where your business/life is lacking. Be it not enough revenue, too much busy work, bad employees, weak advertising...etc. Then when you begin reading, try to look for possible fixes to your problems.

 

[Tylan_CA]

You're not reading business books correctly then.



Before you begin reading, you must identify where your business/life is lacking. Be it not enough revenue, too much busy work, bad employees, weak advertising...etc. Then when you begin reading, try to look for possible fixes to your problems.

Those words belong to Confucius (Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC), they have been repeated by philosophers , business tycoons and political leaders for the last 2500 years. Here is another one,

"The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation." Benjamin Disraeli.



You have a valid point when you almost said "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard . I will not argue against something right in it's self. But it's unrelated to topic at hand(Red herring-logical fallacy). You are saying essentially the same thing that I said, experience is more important but reading is important too, but you said it like a counter argument.

Correct me if I understood you wrong.



I believe the argument was reading books is the key to make more money or is it experience? And my point was both sides are true to some degree but the experience is more important than reading books, because it engages the mental, emotional and physical at the same time.



PS: And as far as me reading business books incorrectly, I usually don't explain my points detailed, and I am not perfect, maybe that's why you said what you said. But when you don't explain true words in a detailed fashion, it has a much powerful impact to it. It reaches to the unconscious, and to your being.



"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said." Peter Drucker

 

[Preachers Sheets]

How about the K.I.S.S. method, keep it simple stupid. Why would anyone need to reference stuff 551 BC if they are just detailing cars, jeepers.



If you’re charging too much, charge less.

If you’re not charging enough, charge more.

If you’re an *******, be a nicer person.

Show examples of work.



I could go on forever, how is it that people need books to run a detailing business? Just get out there, don’t act like a *****, choose what type of clientele you want, charge enough money and spread the word. It seems like common sense to me. It’s not like we’re putting monkeys into outer space.

 

[Tylan_CA]

...how is it that people need books to run a detailing business? .....It’s not like we’re putting monkeys into outer space.

I think that question should be answered by profitable detailing business owner. Are you one of them?

 

[imported_Ivan Rajic]

I'm with Tylan here... good work on the quotes and explaining what wasn't being said as that's the same thing I was thinking when I saw the post about reading incorrectly... what Tylan said is, and correct me if I'm wrong please, that if you read a book, you don't say "ok cool" rather go and employ that knowledge in the real word, in other words experience it or turn it into an experience. Simply put, learning something, whether through books or other things, is useless unless put it into practice and improve your business with it. Not saying Maximum was wrong, just wrong to point out that Tylan was wrong.

How about the K.I.S.S. method, keep it simple stupid. Why would anyone need to reference stuff 551 BC if they are just detailing cars, jeepers.



If you’re charging too much, charge less.

If you’re not charging enough, charge more.

If you’re an *******, be a nicer person.

Show examples of work.



I could go on forever, how is it that people need books to run a detailing business? Just get out there, don’t act like a *****, choose what type of clientele you want, charge enough money and spread the word. It seems like common sense to me. It’s not like we’re putting monkeys into outer space.

I think that works fine and business will stay running, but this thread is about maximizing and reaching the highest, or as high as possible, potential within the business and yourself as a business owner, so KISS method doesn't apply imho.

 

[Tylan_CA]

I'm with Tylan here... that if you read a book, you don't say "ok cool" rather go and employ that knowledge in the real word, in other words experience it or turn it into an experience. Simply put, learning something, whether through books or other things, is useless unless put it into practice and improve your business with it. Not saying Maximum was wrong, just wrong to point out that Tylan was wrong.

That's exactly what I meant.

 

[Preachers Sheets]

hahaha so if your not reading books, listening to audio books, hanging off Donald Trump’s junk, using what people had to say thousands of years ago to detail a car for profit…..yes…..a car then you’re telling me you just cant cut it as a profitable detailer?



Give me a break buddy. You purchase products, learn a skill and perform that skill to make profit. It’s not rocket science here. Look at how much you’re spending on overhead and products and make the money back plus some…..what the heck am I missing? Advertising? Ok, spread the word, start a web site, join forums, go to car shows…..I just of that is seconds without any help.



Am I profitable? I already have a full time job making 100,000.00 a year, detailing is a side job. If I think about what I have spent on detailing products overall and even year to year compared to what I make off detailing cars then yes, I am extremely profitable year in and year out. My products have paid for themselves, my machines have paid for themselves, the profits have been reinvested into detailing allowing me to detail faster and better. I have used the profits on stuff aside from detailing stuff so yes, I had made my money back plus some and I can make as much as I want as long as I’m willing to work.



Maybe if you stopped buying books and about people who are now worm food and spend that money on making your buisness grow and spend the time you’d use to read the book to detail a couple more cars per week then you wouldn’t have to worry about why you’re not making as much as you want. Every dollar you spend on a book or college to make money is delaying when the money coming in will be profit. I’m not knocking college or self help books, college is obviously a help and self help books can put you in the right frame of mind but it’s detailing and I don’t think you need it.



My point is all you need to do is good work, a decent price and bust your butt. The rest will fall into place if you have common sense.



Some simple advice; time is money. Even now, instead of arguing with me why don’t you find a car to detail??????? You don’t need Confucius to tell you that.

 

[Preachers Sheets]

I think that works fine and business will stay running, but this thread is about maximizing and reaching the highest, or as high as possible, potential within the business and yourself as a business owner, so KISS method doesn't apply imho.

I'm not trying to argue just to piss anyone off here but honestly; unless your branching out, opening remote locations, doing the books, crunching numbers come tax time, have air time slots.....you dont think everything else is overkill?



You can quickly reach out to a wider customer base by expanding your range, by offering more services or by catering to the quick in/out type people right off the bat. There is alot of money in the local market that I bet isnt tapped into.



I would really like to see how these books apply.