Auto Repair Sales Technique: Tell less Show More | JMC Auto

Talk to any auto repair shop owner and they’ll tell you completely different tips they utilize to sell their business. Many have their own tactics that have been devised by a team of marketing experts and have worked for them. Unfortunately, not all business owners have the time or the money to invest in such a team so for that reason we tell you, talk less and show more.

Not everyone will agree that walking with customers all the way back to their cars to discuss services is a good idea but here are four reasons as to why you need to go the extra mile by showing rather than telling.

Seeing is Always Believing

In an age where technology is so advanced that we can take regular people and photoshop them to the point where you know longer believe it’s the same person, people are skeptical with images. Which is why you shouldn’t blatantly call out the services your customers’ vehicles need. Why not be friendly and show them what the problem is? Customers often have the impression that many mechanics are just trying to get their money and push products and services that are not needed. For that reason, if a picture is worth a thousand words then reality should be worth a million.

If they came for brake noise, you could probably just point out and tell them the pads have gone metal-to-metal and chances are they’d do what you say but what if they have another problem? What if the rotors are toast as well? They were probably prepared to spend just on fixing the brake problem but when you show them the difference between a good rotor and their rotor, most likely they’ll know this needs to be done.

This concept applies for most inspection-related services as well. If you have a customer coming in for an oil change or simple tire rotation, if you bring them out with you to inspect the vehicle, this not only makes you look better with the customer but it also gives you the opportunity to have them see first-hand that there are other issues that need to be addressed.

Their Car is on the Rack

Customers that come in for inspection services are usually in a hurry and want things done fast which is completely understandable. However, they should also know that rushing will only create more problems that will probably lead them to coming back sooner than they wanted to.

Take advantage that their vehicle is still on the rack and invite them to go out back and watch the process take place. Many customers will be hesitant but considering that their vehicle is already on the rack anyway, they will surely reconsider taking a look out back.

Let Customers know more about your Technicians

Many shops just say the name of the technician that will be handling customers’ vehicles but a name is pretty much meaningless when there’s no face behind it. Bring your customers out to the vehicle to meet the technician. This not only creates a bond and trust but it also allows for a more personalized service. When the faceless mastermind behind the work on their car is just referred to as “our technician” it doesn’t create much of a bond.

Introducing the technician you formalize a relationship and let customers get access to more parts of your business than just the front counter. Break that barrier and let them see exactly who the technician is. Your shop will look better and your customers will appreciate knowing that there is a face behind the work done on their expensive machines.

Show off your Shop

Your shop has many expensive pieces of equipment that most customers probably have never seen so another advantage to letting customers see more of it is having them learn about all of the state of the art equipment you have. When customers go out back to see their vehicles, some will ask about machines that they’ve never seen before and it is here where you can use that wow factor to help them feel more confident about your recommendations.

There’s a fine line between being a good salesmen and being pushy but once you learn to find the balance, you will see that going the extra mile to sell your auto repair shop to customers will be beneficial to get more sales. There are many advantages to bringing customers out to see their vehicles while being worked on but these are just 4 simple tips in order to make your customers feel more at ease with choosing you and also helping you sell more.

Do you have any other tips you use?