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Approaching The Dealer
Posted by Brian Angelucci
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Approaching The Dealer October 26, 2003 03:43AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
<HTML>For all of you who do dealer work, how did you approch them, get their business, negotiate prices, etc. How many days do you go there a week?
There is a new BMW dealership being built just a mile away from me and would love to get their account.</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
There is a new BMW dealership being built just a mile away from me and would love to get their account.</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 26, 2003 07:11PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 751 |
<HTML>Brian. As dealers vary so much as to what they call a detail and how they run their dealership I dont know of one set way to do this . I work for dealer so what I can do is tell you what you would need to do to get in the door at our place.
Before you do all of this I would suggest finding out if they are doing the detailing in house or not , this will help you decide your sales pitch . Do you need to get all of their work or just the overflow work when thier own detailers are busy ?
Dress smart. We get so many people coming in that look like they have just walked out of the State pen and asking" yeah we we were wondering if you need any vehicles detailed" etc. Get and practice a professional sales pitch. Dont try to bullsh** them, these are sales people, they are experts at it !
Bring references or pictures of your work. Dealers like ours simply dont work with people they cant check out or verify.
As for pricing , this is the big one. Dealers just dont like to pay big bucks, and detailers dont like to work for peanuts. So this is the area where you will really have to work things out . I would suggest in your presentation the extra value your details will bring to the dealership , how it will help them to sell cars, tell them the extra benefits that you can give them over everyone else. I am reading a Franklin Covey book on business right now , and there is a great quote in there .." quality is rememberd long after price is forgotten", sell them on the quality of your services.
Be prepared to do some demo work for them , they may want to see what you can do, and here is another place where you want to be careful. A year ago (before we did all detailing in house) we sent a vehicle out to get detailed , it came back a day later and looked really good. However , as the days went by he never managed to maintain that quality. What happened was that they spent 8 hours detailing the vehicle to get the work, once they got it they started cutting corners and doing a much lower quality detail. Exit one detail business. Dont burn yourself by doing the same thing. We also had a mobile detailer who came in and used one of those 'waterless car washes' and we had to spend some 4 hours getting this vehicle back to normal again, we had to re buff the entire vehicle.
Dealers dont like their lots being cluttered by mobile detail trucks etc being parked on the lot , especially during busy hours. Our place is busy in the evenings and at weekends , tell the dealer that you are a fixed location, and that the cars will be detailed out of the way of customers eyes.
Well, thats my two cents worth Brian, hope it helps a little.
Jim.</HTML>
Before you do all of this I would suggest finding out if they are doing the detailing in house or not , this will help you decide your sales pitch . Do you need to get all of their work or just the overflow work when thier own detailers are busy ?
Dress smart. We get so many people coming in that look like they have just walked out of the State pen and asking" yeah we we were wondering if you need any vehicles detailed" etc. Get and practice a professional sales pitch. Dont try to bullsh** them, these are sales people, they are experts at it !
Bring references or pictures of your work. Dealers like ours simply dont work with people they cant check out or verify.
As for pricing , this is the big one. Dealers just dont like to pay big bucks, and detailers dont like to work for peanuts. So this is the area where you will really have to work things out . I would suggest in your presentation the extra value your details will bring to the dealership , how it will help them to sell cars, tell them the extra benefits that you can give them over everyone else. I am reading a Franklin Covey book on business right now , and there is a great quote in there .." quality is rememberd long after price is forgotten", sell them on the quality of your services.
Be prepared to do some demo work for them , they may want to see what you can do, and here is another place where you want to be careful. A year ago (before we did all detailing in house) we sent a vehicle out to get detailed , it came back a day later and looked really good. However , as the days went by he never managed to maintain that quality. What happened was that they spent 8 hours detailing the vehicle to get the work, once they got it they started cutting corners and doing a much lower quality detail. Exit one detail business. Dont burn yourself by doing the same thing. We also had a mobile detailer who came in and used one of those 'waterless car washes' and we had to spend some 4 hours getting this vehicle back to normal again, we had to re buff the entire vehicle.
Dealers dont like their lots being cluttered by mobile detail trucks etc being parked on the lot , especially during busy hours. Our place is busy in the evenings and at weekends , tell the dealer that you are a fixed location, and that the cars will be detailed out of the way of customers eyes.
Well, thats my two cents worth Brian, hope it helps a little.
Jim.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 26, 2003 08:14PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
<HTML>good advice jim....
It may take time to get a foot in the door..do a car or 2 for free...keep your price reasonable for the market. maybe higher than the hacks, who will eventually screw themselves out of the market with poor quality....When you do the freebies do what you are willing to do for the price you ask and when you get the account produce the same quality time after time after time...Till you get the account, Go back every now and then to see if they are happy with what they have, when the compitition slips you get a foot hold. One rule of thumb i go by is, put quality first and the money will follow. If they do their work in house I wouldnt expect more than the overflow. but you never know.</HTML>
It may take time to get a foot in the door..do a car or 2 for free...keep your price reasonable for the market. maybe higher than the hacks, who will eventually screw themselves out of the market with poor quality....When you do the freebies do what you are willing to do for the price you ask and when you get the account produce the same quality time after time after time...Till you get the account, Go back every now and then to see if they are happy with what they have, when the compitition slips you get a foot hold. One rule of thumb i go by is, put quality first and the money will follow. If they do their work in house I wouldnt expect more than the overflow. but you never know.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 26, 2003 08:31PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
<HTML>Good replies guys. Many thanks!
I always put quality first no matter if I'm getting paid or not. I'm more interested in being an in-house detailer for several dealerships eventually over the next few years. This is exactly what my cousin is doing now and it's a great service. The way he got the 2 Toyota accounts is he married the owners daughter.
My plan for the next years to come is to run several in-house dealership detailing operations, several mobile units for retail and boats, and have a fixed location doing complete car care. I'd like to do this by the time I'm 35. 9 years to go.</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
I always put quality first no matter if I'm getting paid or not. I'm more interested in being an in-house detailer for several dealerships eventually over the next few years. This is exactly what my cousin is doing now and it's a great service. The way he got the 2 Toyota accounts is he married the owners daughter.
My plan for the next years to come is to run several in-house dealership detailing operations, several mobile units for retail and boats, and have a fixed location doing complete car care. I'd like to do this by the time I'm 35. 9 years to go.</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 26, 2003 11:00PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 333 |
<HTML>Good timing, I had a meeting with my Lambo/Lotus dealer the other day. I presented to him the idea of them selling a paint sealant package for their customers. Suprises me that they don't offer it, seeing most of the cars they sell are in excess of six figures. He likes the idea. Especially when I told him the Chevy dealer down the street gets $800 for their sealant package. Here is the breakdown I will be putitng in writing. I will provide the application for $135 per car, he will kick back to the salesman $75, the house needs $200, so they will charge say $425, and still me almost half of what the Chevy and other dealers are doing. He told me I could have a meeting wth their sales staff to inform them how to sell it and what the process is all about. Should be a great deal for all involved. Gary www.perfectautofinish.com</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 27, 2003 05:27AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 56 |
<HTML>Gary...that's agreat market to get into. Is the sealant you use going to be a spray on or a polish? You should also see if the company that supplies the sealant also offers an interior protection product, then you can offer complete paint and leather/fabric protection for even bigger bucks. I've seen the spray stuff applied. It takes maybe 20 minutes per car and the company you buy it from warranties the product for something like 5 or 10 years. If the product fails, the car owner deals directly with the supplying company, not you or the dealership. Good gig to add on to your biz from what I've seen.
Brian...one thing I've learned in working with dealerships doing paint repairs and touch-ups...they're cheap. They don't like to pay a lot of money for services and they don't care if it's perfect. They want the car dressed up and camoflauged so they can get it off their lot at a premium price. If another vendor comes along and undercuts you by say, $5-$10/repair, then there's a good chance he's in and you're either out or scaled back. Dealers have no loyalty except to their bottom line.
As for wholesale detailing, the dealers in this area pay from $50-$90. I talked to the detail shop that has all the high end dealers in my city. The most he gets is $90 for a full detail. Then the shop turns around and charges the customer $199. The thing that's funny is that if the customer went right to the detail shop in the first place, their regular rate for a full detail is $179!!! Anyhow, unless you've got a staff that you're paying $8-9/hour doing the work, it may not be worth it for you to go wholesale. Be careful that you don't sell yourself short. If you do one or 2 details cheap, that's what they'll come to expect all the time. And if you offer to do a free demo, make sure you pick the car. Otherwise, I guarantee they'll give you the nastiest pig on the lot that their clean up crew has been avoiding becasue they don't have a whole day to devote to one car and they don't want to send it out to a shop because they know it'll cost them $200 or more and that will cut into the sales commission.
I don't mean to sound cynical, but I'm basing my opinion on what I've seen and experienced in working with dealers. As far as I'm concerned, retail is the best way to go. You can work for people who are passionate about their cars and really appreciate what you do for them. Dealers are like butchers....every car is just another piece of meat they gotta sell to pay the bills. If they can fool the customers and get away with it cheap, then that's a feather in their cap and they dance all the way to the bank.</HTML>
Brian...one thing I've learned in working with dealerships doing paint repairs and touch-ups...they're cheap. They don't like to pay a lot of money for services and they don't care if it's perfect. They want the car dressed up and camoflauged so they can get it off their lot at a premium price. If another vendor comes along and undercuts you by say, $5-$10/repair, then there's a good chance he's in and you're either out or scaled back. Dealers have no loyalty except to their bottom line.
As for wholesale detailing, the dealers in this area pay from $50-$90. I talked to the detail shop that has all the high end dealers in my city. The most he gets is $90 for a full detail. Then the shop turns around and charges the customer $199. The thing that's funny is that if the customer went right to the detail shop in the first place, their regular rate for a full detail is $179!!! Anyhow, unless you've got a staff that you're paying $8-9/hour doing the work, it may not be worth it for you to go wholesale. Be careful that you don't sell yourself short. If you do one or 2 details cheap, that's what they'll come to expect all the time. And if you offer to do a free demo, make sure you pick the car. Otherwise, I guarantee they'll give you the nastiest pig on the lot that their clean up crew has been avoiding becasue they don't have a whole day to devote to one car and they don't want to send it out to a shop because they know it'll cost them $200 or more and that will cut into the sales commission.
I don't mean to sound cynical, but I'm basing my opinion on what I've seen and experienced in working with dealers. As far as I'm concerned, retail is the best way to go. You can work for people who are passionate about their cars and really appreciate what you do for them. Dealers are like butchers....every car is just another piece of meat they gotta sell to pay the bills. If they can fool the customers and get away with it cheap, then that's a feather in their cap and they dance all the way to the bank.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 28, 2003 12:44AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
<HTML>good point about the pig cars...hehehe..if your courting a dealer that has those types of vehicles....it could be a feather in your cap to do it though...I would recomend letting them know that there will be an extra charge for some extreme cases...........Being a BMW dealer you should be ok....Might be a good idea if one of those cars is the sales managers personal car...Might even pay to do his (or her) car every now and then for free if you get the account......grease the wheel baby, grease the wheel...hehehe</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 28, 2003 01:22AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 2 |
<HTML>What do you charge extra for and how much? Things like, paint chip touch-ups, wiper arm re-paint, wheel polishing, overspray removal, etc. I just opened a shop where there is no other detailers but lots of dealerships so I'm just trying to fiqure out what to charge for the little extras.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 28, 2003 01:35AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 28, 2003 12:51PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 333 |
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 28, 2003 01:56PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 751 |
<HTML>I wouldnt be doing anything for free , the dealers make their money on every single sale, doing it for free will just leave you out of pocket , wether you get the contract or not. And I wouldnt offer to do the sales managers car for free either ,more than likely they drive lot vehicles anyway, once it clock 4 thousand miles it goes back on the lot .
Think about it , if it's dealer work then you arent getting paid top dollar anyway , if you do one for free , the time taken is a direct loss . If you go out there and detail two vehicles. then spend time doing the sales managers vehicle, you will lose some of the little profit you made on the first two vehicles.
Dealers always make their money, I work for one , dont be giving stuff away free to them .
Jim.</HTML>
Think about it , if it's dealer work then you arent getting paid top dollar anyway , if you do one for free , the time taken is a direct loss . If you go out there and detail two vehicles. then spend time doing the sales managers vehicle, you will lose some of the little profit you made on the first two vehicles.
Dealers always make their money, I work for one , dont be giving stuff away free to them .
Jim.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 28, 2003 11:23PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
<HTML>jim
I must apolagize for a quick response. There are lots of factors in determining when you would or would not want to "give something away".
Some things you only learn the hard way. I have been detailing for 10 years and some things I do without even considering it...kind of like stoping for a stop sign, it was a concious effort when I was 16, but after time you dont have to think about it. Let me see if I can give a few basic rules that may help.
1. if you have factored it into the cost of business.
2. My generosity is baised on theirs.
3. if you need to. to gain a competitive edge.
4. anything free is on my terms.
There are lots of other factors, thousands based on the people your dealing with. I would recomend trying to work with people that respect what you do. They wont expect something for nothing. Those are rare and hard to find. Time and quality will gradually move you up. Till then good luck.
Eon
Charging for extras. Thats another mine field...I would say factor all the little things in...know how long it takes you to do the whole job. (little things included) Know how much you need to make. and set your price. Some times you may have to take the good with the bad. If your price is right you are less likely to have a need to ask. About the only thing I would chage extra for is extreme cases...compounding or a really rough car..but still it may be better to bite the bullet.. You dont want them always remembering you holding your hand out for more money. Then they ask questions..you dont want them asking questions, you want them to be happy. This really is another thing where one size doesnt fit all. It varries with what end of the spectrum your dealing with. What i recomended will work reasonably well in the upper end, but probably not as well on the lower. Dang you guys are making me think to much...lol.....Im here more for fun and maybe to learn a new trick i can use.....I didnt want to think...And I really dont have all the answers. ....I wish i did.</HTML>
I must apolagize for a quick response. There are lots of factors in determining when you would or would not want to "give something away".
Some things you only learn the hard way. I have been detailing for 10 years and some things I do without even considering it...kind of like stoping for a stop sign, it was a concious effort when I was 16, but after time you dont have to think about it. Let me see if I can give a few basic rules that may help.
1. if you have factored it into the cost of business.
2. My generosity is baised on theirs.
3. if you need to. to gain a competitive edge.
4. anything free is on my terms.
There are lots of other factors, thousands based on the people your dealing with. I would recomend trying to work with people that respect what you do. They wont expect something for nothing. Those are rare and hard to find. Time and quality will gradually move you up. Till then good luck.
Eon
Charging for extras. Thats another mine field...I would say factor all the little things in...know how long it takes you to do the whole job. (little things included) Know how much you need to make. and set your price. Some times you may have to take the good with the bad. If your price is right you are less likely to have a need to ask. About the only thing I would chage extra for is extreme cases...compounding or a really rough car..but still it may be better to bite the bullet.. You dont want them always remembering you holding your hand out for more money. Then they ask questions..you dont want them asking questions, you want them to be happy. This really is another thing where one size doesnt fit all. It varries with what end of the spectrum your dealing with. What i recomended will work reasonably well in the upper end, but probably not as well on the lower. Dang you guys are making me think to much...lol.....Im here more for fun and maybe to learn a new trick i can use.....I didnt want to think...And I really dont have all the answers. ....I wish i did.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 01:02AM |
<HTML>Pmack, No offense, I wouldnt take the good with the bad, you will get more bad than good doing dealer work. Anytime I have to do extras, and I mean ANYTIME, like wet sand, wipers, trim, water spots on glass, wetsand out trash , strip, dye , etc. I charge more. It is a understood thing when the bill reflects that. I had 1 dealer say so and so will do whatever it needs for 65.00, I said send send it to them. I refused to do any work for this dealer, and he still calls about once a month to see if Ive changed my mind. I told him I would "start" at 125.00. He hasnt took the bait yet.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 03:01AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 48 |
<HTML>working for free lol there is no free lunch.
these car dealers are MULTI MILLIONAIRES dont let them take advantage of you by hustling you for a few free details, tell them you want x amount of dollars, if they dont agree tell them to go rotate.
let them go find some little boy with his can of turtle wax and who is gullible be there car wash boy</HTML>
these car dealers are MULTI MILLIONAIRES dont let them take advantage of you by hustling you for a few free details, tell them you want x amount of dollars, if they dont agree tell them to go rotate.
let them go find some little boy with his can of turtle wax and who is gullible be there car wash boy</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 03:45AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
<HTML>bumpers...
sorry...let me try to make it a little clearer....no offense taken and hopefully none given...
Starting at $170 for cars and more for SUV's, not to mention doing auction cars, that dont require a lot, at the same price..it makes it hard to complain.
I am on the other end of the spectrum...My quality, time after time, makes it worth it...I dont have to do anything for free. In fact I have more work than I have time to do. My customers wait patiently for me to become available...Im not trying to brag...in fact there are people doing less for $300 per detail....it depends on the market...
I detail cars on a regular basis that cost more than my house. That is a touchy market...They have been hit up by everyone in town with a bucket of soap and a desire to get rich quick. There are things i ping on in my posts," when Im not putting my foot in my mouth". One of the biggest things is quality....not just the first time but every time. The thing that makes it difficult do is..most people dont want to pay for it...if they dont pay you naturally adjust your service to reflect pay...Thats where you gotta have the knowledge of the when, where and how much you give away...
For the mobile guys....how much work have you gotten by doing one job in one neighborhood?</HTML>
sorry...let me try to make it a little clearer....no offense taken and hopefully none given...
Starting at $170 for cars and more for SUV's, not to mention doing auction cars, that dont require a lot, at the same price..it makes it hard to complain.
I am on the other end of the spectrum...My quality, time after time, makes it worth it...I dont have to do anything for free. In fact I have more work than I have time to do. My customers wait patiently for me to become available...Im not trying to brag...in fact there are people doing less for $300 per detail....it depends on the market...
I detail cars on a regular basis that cost more than my house. That is a touchy market...They have been hit up by everyone in town with a bucket of soap and a desire to get rich quick. There are things i ping on in my posts," when Im not putting my foot in my mouth". One of the biggest things is quality....not just the first time but every time. The thing that makes it difficult do is..most people dont want to pay for it...if they dont pay you naturally adjust your service to reflect pay...Thats where you gotta have the knowledge of the when, where and how much you give away...
For the mobile guys....how much work have you gotten by doing one job in one neighborhood?</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 03:55AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 04:27AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 435 |
<HTML>Wholesale work in my area is not the best paying gig around but it does fill two voids for me; work on slow days and a place to practice new things. My arrangement with these dealers is simple, I do what you pay for and if a retail customer calls in need of work, I go make money.
As a result, I have gotten soem accounts no one else wants or can keep, now I'm in the door and the boss at one just okay'd my new price.
My wholesale price is my hourly rate times 2.5. It takes me about 2.5 hours to do a car. The insides rock, the outside look good but it is a good quick wax. No sealant, no polish and no problem. Once in a while, I can upsale to headlites or wetsand.
I got these dealers by asking my first one to call his friends. He did, I was in the door from the start.
It is these crap cars that have produced my chops, it is also easy to sell. I could make a decent living just doing this work. But why would I?</HTML>
As a result, I have gotten soem accounts no one else wants or can keep, now I'm in the door and the boss at one just okay'd my new price.
My wholesale price is my hourly rate times 2.5. It takes me about 2.5 hours to do a car. The insides rock, the outside look good but it is a good quick wax. No sealant, no polish and no problem. Once in a while, I can upsale to headlites or wetsand.
I got these dealers by asking my first one to call his friends. He did, I was in the door from the start.
It is these crap cars that have produced my chops, it is also easy to sell. I could make a decent living just doing this work. But why would I?</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 05:09AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 05:38AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 751 |
<HTML>Ok, going to speak up a little bit in defence of the dealers here. Please dont think Iam sounding off on anyone here, just a few thouhgts to try and help you guys get some nore money out of the dealers , or better work.
I work for Ford Blue Oval Certified dealer, so everything I say here is based on that, I have no experience of any other dealer.
Yes dealers make a lot of money , either off of the car you trade in or the one you buy . In thier defence , they have a lot of overheads, large payrolls and advertising probably the biggest two. Now this is how it was explained to me .When you trade your vehicle , the dealer will put a lot of money in to it . Our place does a very thorough used vehicle inspection, the wheels come off and the brakes get replaced, new tires , paint touch up. Everything that could possibly put a prospective customer off of buying the vehicle gets done before it goes on the lot. So a large percentage of the profit is already gone , even before the customer starts haggling over the price. The dealer also has to stand behind the warranty on a used vehicle, so he is taking a bit of a risk there too .
Dealers , in the past, have been ripped off more times than they can care to remember by people who "detail" cars, either fixed or mobile. I think that many of us would agree that our profession has a dire shortage of skilled and ethical tradesmen . Those of us that do care about our craft, and are ethical in the way we do business are sadly the ones who suffer as a result . Dealers dont want to pay big bucks for lot work as they have the impression that nearly all detailers do a poor job , and the thinking in the dealerships is that detailig is an unqualified and unskilled profession.
It is up to us, as skilled and professional detailers , to change that view so we can charge them an attractive price , and make a healthy profit for ourselves. Dealers pay their sales reps a good salary, they pay thier technicians a good salary. They do so because they know these people are skilled and well qualified to do what they do. They have a very good perception of these people, they dont have a very good perception of detailers ..yet.. Just this evening as I was leaving work I was talking to our service manager, he recalled a conversation he had with another Ford Dealer. He asked him if he wanted another good detailer for his shop, to which the other Manager replied " Man , I cant even get one good detailer, let alone another one " This is how our industry is viewed by the dealers. This is why , with most dealers, we find it hard to get a good rate of pay out of them .
How can we change it ? We , some how, have to change the way dealers perceive our profession. The only way we can do that is by developing good realtionships with them , by educating them as to how the detailing industry is changing , how they need a professional detailer to achieve professional results. I firmly believe, that dealers will pay more for a quality service once they see what you can do . It sounds easy to say, but we as detailers also need to change our attitude to them , we have to stop looking at them as a source of "make busy work" or " I do it if I have nothing else to do " . When you stop to think about it, the dealers can provide us with more work than any other source out there . What other industry would take such an attitude to perhaps one if its biggest customer bases ?
Again, please dont take this a personal attack on anyone, I feel that the people who post on this forum are probably some of the best people out there , just thought I would try and give you the story from the other side , and hopefully provide you wth some means to get more work, and more money !
Jim.</HTML>
I work for Ford Blue Oval Certified dealer, so everything I say here is based on that, I have no experience of any other dealer.
Yes dealers make a lot of money , either off of the car you trade in or the one you buy . In thier defence , they have a lot of overheads, large payrolls and advertising probably the biggest two. Now this is how it was explained to me .When you trade your vehicle , the dealer will put a lot of money in to it . Our place does a very thorough used vehicle inspection, the wheels come off and the brakes get replaced, new tires , paint touch up. Everything that could possibly put a prospective customer off of buying the vehicle gets done before it goes on the lot. So a large percentage of the profit is already gone , even before the customer starts haggling over the price. The dealer also has to stand behind the warranty on a used vehicle, so he is taking a bit of a risk there too .
Dealers , in the past, have been ripped off more times than they can care to remember by people who "detail" cars, either fixed or mobile. I think that many of us would agree that our profession has a dire shortage of skilled and ethical tradesmen . Those of us that do care about our craft, and are ethical in the way we do business are sadly the ones who suffer as a result . Dealers dont want to pay big bucks for lot work as they have the impression that nearly all detailers do a poor job , and the thinking in the dealerships is that detailig is an unqualified and unskilled profession.
It is up to us, as skilled and professional detailers , to change that view so we can charge them an attractive price , and make a healthy profit for ourselves. Dealers pay their sales reps a good salary, they pay thier technicians a good salary. They do so because they know these people are skilled and well qualified to do what they do. They have a very good perception of these people, they dont have a very good perception of detailers ..yet.. Just this evening as I was leaving work I was talking to our service manager, he recalled a conversation he had with another Ford Dealer. He asked him if he wanted another good detailer for his shop, to which the other Manager replied " Man , I cant even get one good detailer, let alone another one " This is how our industry is viewed by the dealers. This is why , with most dealers, we find it hard to get a good rate of pay out of them .
How can we change it ? We , some how, have to change the way dealers perceive our profession. The only way we can do that is by developing good realtionships with them , by educating them as to how the detailing industry is changing , how they need a professional detailer to achieve professional results. I firmly believe, that dealers will pay more for a quality service once they see what you can do . It sounds easy to say, but we as detailers also need to change our attitude to them , we have to stop looking at them as a source of "make busy work" or " I do it if I have nothing else to do " . When you stop to think about it, the dealers can provide us with more work than any other source out there . What other industry would take such an attitude to perhaps one if its biggest customer bases ?
Again, please dont take this a personal attack on anyone, I feel that the people who post on this forum are probably some of the best people out there , just thought I would try and give you the story from the other side , and hopefully provide you wth some means to get more work, and more money !
Jim.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 09:10AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 12:27PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
<HTML>jim
that is very true...They may be a little tight for another reason as well...NECESITY...There are dealers that put out 4 to 5 hundred cars a month...for the time and money it takes to do the job right, its just not practical....This is something you need to consider before you even aproach a dealer....
lets say a dealer is selling 200 used cars a month...(aprox 4 weeks)...if you want a 5 day work week...thats 10 cars a day....10 details a day is hard for a small operation to do....make sure you have the resources to handle the work load...A minnow trying to swallow a whale can look a little foolish... Its all with good intention but, thats something to be considered...
Have you thought about the body shop????????? AAAHHHH!!!!!! theres and idea.....
hope you find this helpful
pmack</HTML>
that is very true...They may be a little tight for another reason as well...NECESITY...There are dealers that put out 4 to 5 hundred cars a month...for the time and money it takes to do the job right, its just not practical....This is something you need to consider before you even aproach a dealer....
lets say a dealer is selling 200 used cars a month...(aprox 4 weeks)...if you want a 5 day work week...thats 10 cars a day....10 details a day is hard for a small operation to do....make sure you have the resources to handle the work load...A minnow trying to swallow a whale can look a little foolish... Its all with good intention but, thats something to be considered...
Have you thought about the body shop????????? AAAHHHH!!!!!! theres and idea.....
hope you find this helpful
pmack</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 01:38PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 751 |
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 29, 2003 11:44PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 31, 2003 01:08AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
<HTML>it is very hard to just walk into a dealer and get the deal...You have to know what your selling...Its only natural that a detailer would sell a detail... they are already buying a detail...your selling something they already have... you need to learn to sell without selling... car salesmen call it rope a dope...(bob and weave)...you will find that a salesman will be the first to fall for their own tricks....although if you consider yourself to be tricking or having them take the bait...(no offense)..your taking the wrong attitude...they can tell...you can too...If you want to see my wallet slam shut...try to sell me something...you have to fill a need...So you arent selling anything, your filling a need...You have to be like a detective to find out what they need, and apeal to that need...Just about every dealer out there has the same problem, they cant find a good detailer..they probalby dont pay for a good detailer..so you have to build value...if they are already paying $65 for a detail and arent happy...how much is peace of mind worth. there is lots of things a dealer has to worry about..dead batteries (aprox $50)...a bad tire...(aprox. $60)....those are just 2 things that cost about as much as the difference in the detail your asking....would they consider leaving a car on the lot without fixing that...probably not...A clean car builds confidence in their sales staff....if the salesman has to make an excuse to a customer...the price of the car drops...is the condition of the car an issue at that dealership?..you probably already know the quality of the detailers...It doesnt take much to rise above the rest...I would strongly recomend that you do the math first to make sure you can handle what your taking on..It may take some practice to learn how to transmit these things to the dealer.. for some it comes easy....others have to practice...A LOT..your confidence level will have a big effect on this too..confidence comes from experience...
heres another question...have you tried the back door? is there a back door? how do you open it? you may find enough work there to keep you busy.
hope you find this helpful</HTML>
heres another question...have you tried the back door? is there a back door? how do you open it? you may find enough work there to keep you busy.
hope you find this helpful</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 31, 2003 01:19AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
<HTML>The only car I would detail for free is my girlfriend's car or parent's car. I would never detail a dealer's car for free since they are hyenas and scavangers. But they also can be helpful when it comes time to pay the bills. So therefore, I wouldn't do a car for free, I would have a portfolio ready for them to browse. Showing them what I can do. I'm not physically going to do the cars all the time for them, I want to hire a crew of guys to go to dealerships. I just don't know where to begin, who to talk to. Used car manager or owner? I got into the high end dealership because my customer bought his Ferrari from this place and they are friends. He put in a great word for me and the guy called me. I'd like my crew to be the in-house detailers. How would you swing that?</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 31, 2003 02:16AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 4 |
<HTML>I also will never do a free detail for anyone, anytime anywhere ever again. I learned the hard way that this is the used car managers way to get a freebie for the real dog he has sitting around and doesn't want to have to pay to get cleaned up. We did that once and found that even though we did so good of a job that the sales staff though we were returning the car from being repainted we still never ever got any work from that dealer. A salesman I know there later told me how the dealership sold the car the next day after having it in inventory for 3 months and the used car manager laughed about how he finally got the sale on the car and got it cleaned for free to boot. I have the perfect answer for when the dealer says they want a freebie - "no problem and by the way, I am in the market for a new car. Since we are on the topic of freebies, you can give me my first car I buy from you for free right? That way I can see if I like your product". You should have seen the look on my VW dealers face when I hit him with that one! He laughed and now sends all his work to me. Dealers are every bit as crappy to work for as their reputation describes them to be. They are all about one thing - money and will drop you in a heartbeat over a penny if they can. Steady work with small margins is what you can expect if you decide to get into the dealer market but beware of the more than numerous pitfalls that have been discussed already.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 31, 2003 03:34AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 435 |
<HTML>It is my experince that the more i give away, the more I tend to recieve. Dealer work (for me, "dealers" are the buy here pay here guys) is a place to bust in some new moves or new ideas as well as some extra cash. I do these lots when the retail end slides off.
I went in to the first one, got low balled, took the bait, did a few cars, learned a ton cause these cars are in really bad shape , improved my skills, then started going up. Along the way, my dealers are also learning that there is such a thing as a professional detailer.
Profit margin is not an absolute. If I do one car for free and it takes me twenty hours and I never get the account, I would not have gotten the account just because I charged for the same job. I do a lot of free work. As amatter of fact, my customers get serious wrok done for free just because the work needs to be done. They can all afford it too. But, this magical thing happens, They call me when it counts...and now thier frinds are starting to.
Stop being afraid to give away your services. It really is more profitable sometimes...on many levels.</HTML>
I went in to the first one, got low balled, took the bait, did a few cars, learned a ton cause these cars are in really bad shape , improved my skills, then started going up. Along the way, my dealers are also learning that there is such a thing as a professional detailer.
Profit margin is not an absolute. If I do one car for free and it takes me twenty hours and I never get the account, I would not have gotten the account just because I charged for the same job. I do a lot of free work. As amatter of fact, my customers get serious wrok done for free just because the work needs to be done. They can all afford it too. But, this magical thing happens, They call me when it counts...and now thier frinds are starting to.
Stop being afraid to give away your services. It really is more profitable sometimes...on many levels.</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 31, 2003 11:44AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
<HTML>you guys dont forget anything.....lol.....
it depends on if you want to look at it short term or long term.....
does your chemical supplier provide free samples?
does your supplier provide you with demo equipment?
does your supplier provide equipment when yours is being repaired?
does your supplier provide free training? (even fly you to their facility)
how would that make you feel?
would that build loyalty?
have you ever seen a chemical supplier go into a shop and buy their competitors chemicals and replace them with their own?
In a shop spending thousands a month, what could that mean in the long run?
There are many areas in detailing. Dealers are just one. How often would you be looking for work if you got in a dealership?
Did you know...studies show it cost 5 times as much to find a new client as it does to keep an old one? A 30 to 40 minute wash and vac every few weeks may provide a littel job security and a good working relationship with the one that signs your check.
Do you send christmas cards? I bet your competitors dont.
It really depends on the need...sometimes you may need to....if things are good, you just may want to..if things are really good you wont have time to...
remember your customer probably only likes you as much as you like him.
what would you do for someone you dont like?
what would you do for someone you do like?
The door swings both ways.
Dealerships are looking for a long term realtionship..its not unusual for a vendor to do work for 7-10 years, and continue that for another who knows how many. If your not looking at it long term you may be limited with your sucess in a dealership. If they do their work in house, you may only get the overflow anyway.
here are some life lessons i have learned.
when your starting out, your out to conqure the world looking at things in short term...as time goes by you figure out your not going to get rich quick... you settle into a routine and learn to relax...start thinking long term...when you become discontent you take another step..and you just keep taking steps...life is full of many twists and turns...</HTML>
it depends on if you want to look at it short term or long term.....
does your chemical supplier provide free samples?
does your supplier provide you with demo equipment?
does your supplier provide equipment when yours is being repaired?
does your supplier provide free training? (even fly you to their facility)
how would that make you feel?
would that build loyalty?
have you ever seen a chemical supplier go into a shop and buy their competitors chemicals and replace them with their own?
In a shop spending thousands a month, what could that mean in the long run?
There are many areas in detailing. Dealers are just one. How often would you be looking for work if you got in a dealership?
Did you know...studies show it cost 5 times as much to find a new client as it does to keep an old one? A 30 to 40 minute wash and vac every few weeks may provide a littel job security and a good working relationship with the one that signs your check.
Do you send christmas cards? I bet your competitors dont.
It really depends on the need...sometimes you may need to....if things are good, you just may want to..if things are really good you wont have time to...
remember your customer probably only likes you as much as you like him.
what would you do for someone you dont like?
what would you do for someone you do like?
The door swings both ways.
Dealerships are looking for a long term realtionship..its not unusual for a vendor to do work for 7-10 years, and continue that for another who knows how many. If your not looking at it long term you may be limited with your sucess in a dealership. If they do their work in house, you may only get the overflow anyway.
here are some life lessons i have learned.
when your starting out, your out to conqure the world looking at things in short term...as time goes by you figure out your not going to get rich quick... you settle into a routine and learn to relax...start thinking long term...when you become discontent you take another step..and you just keep taking steps...life is full of many twists and turns...</HTML>
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Re: Approaching The Dealer October 31, 2003 12:35PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 73 |
<HTML>scott
Im sure everyone on this site has been burnt like that. The dealer has no respect for a detailer because they see no value. The sale doesnt stop when the freebie is done. Watch that car. It will usually sell within days. They may think YOUR the sucker and laugh like hell. If you see the car gone inquire about it. He may stand there thinking your the sucker and laugh at you on the inside..great...He wont laugh to long when you say something like...what if you could do that with all your cars...If hes smart enough, and he pobably is, he will do the math and see who the real sucker is. Thats how you build value and change the dealers preception of detailers.
Thats only one aproach. The method you used to get the VW dealer works well too. a little risky if you want the account. Having confidence is something they like. If you dont have confidence they will get you every time no matter how you aproach them. People would be suprised how well your method will work too.</HTML>
Im sure everyone on this site has been burnt like that. The dealer has no respect for a detailer because they see no value. The sale doesnt stop when the freebie is done. Watch that car. It will usually sell within days. They may think YOUR the sucker and laugh like hell. If you see the car gone inquire about it. He may stand there thinking your the sucker and laugh at you on the inside..great...He wont laugh to long when you say something like...what if you could do that with all your cars...If hes smart enough, and he pobably is, he will do the math and see who the real sucker is. Thats how you build value and change the dealers preception of detailers.
Thats only one aproach. The method you used to get the VW dealer works well too. a little risky if you want the account. Having confidence is something they like. If you dont have confidence they will get you every time no matter how you aproach them. People would be suprised how well your method will work too.</HTML>
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