Elite Worldwide Inc.

Whenever a customer tells you they can’t afford to do the repairs, and they ask you if you can help them out “this one time’”, you need to give careful thought before you lower your price. First of all, there is a cardinal rule in sales that says before lowering your price, you need to build more value in your service. Yet as we all know, there are going to be some occasions where no matter how good your sales skills are, the customer simply won’t have the ability to pay for the recommended services. In such cases, you and your advisors will have three options. One, you can let the customer walk; two, you can drop your price; or three, you can follow the proven path we have provided to tens of thousands of advisors over the years. First of all, if you let them walk, both you and the customer have lost. They’ve lost the time they’ve invested in having their vehicle inspected, and when they leave your shop their problems still exist. You’ve lost the marketing dollars you invested in bringing the customer through your door, you’ve lost the time you’ve invested in inspecting the vehicle and estimating the job, and you’ve lost the opportunity to help someone in need. The second option you have is to lower your price, and while you may close that sale, you’ll also be sending a message to your customer that if they wouldn’t have asked for a discount, they would have paid too much. If that’s not bad enough, it gets worse, because they know if they ever decide to come back they’ll need to negotiate with you, regardless of the prices you quote. The good news is, there’s a third option, and it’s one that’s used by the top shop owners in America with great success…. Putting first things first, you’ll need to see if the customer qualifies for any legitimate discounts you offer, such as Senior Citizen, AAA or Military discounts. You can also limit the number of repairs to the ones they can afford at the time. Another option (which works well in some cases), is to scale back on some of the benefits, such as the length or terms of the warranty. If you and your customer find none of those solutions to be acceptable, you can consider telling them that you will keep their vehicle at your shop (space allowing), and perform the repairs if and when your time allows (when another customer cancels their appointment at the last minute and your tech has the downtime, for example). What your customer would be sacrificing is the immediacy and convenience. Please bear in mind that when making any decision to lower your price, you need to ask yourself who is ultimately going to pay for the discount, because the answer will inevitably be your other customers. Secondly, if you have the right advisors, with the right principles, they’ll know in their hearts it’s just not right to charge two people different prices for the same service. To put it another way, I’m sure you would not want your mom or dad walking into any business and buying a product or service when you know the customer right before them… paid less. Never forget, principles, not shell games, lead to two things: higher profits, and the ability to sleep at night knowing you are not playing games… with other people’s money. Since 1990, Bob Cooper has been the president of Elite Worldwide Inc. (www.EliteWorldwide.com), a company that strives to help shop owners reach their goals and live happier lives, while elevating the industry at the same time. The company offers the industry’s #1 peer group of 90 successful shop owners, training and coaching from top shop owners, service advisor training, along with online and in-class sales, marketing and shop management seminars. You can contact Elite at [email protected], or by calling 800-204-3548. View full article

Elite Business Development Coach and superstar shop owner Darrin Barney shares an easy-to-apply tip that will help you show your employees how much you care about them, and build morale in your shop: Darrin Barney is an industry leading shop owner, and also one of the industry's top marketing experts who heads up Elite's Rapid Results Car Counts Package. Visit our Rapid Results page to learn how you can work one-on-one to generate immediate traffic, improve your phone conversions, effectively monitor and measure your results, and generate more repeat and referral business: https://www.eliteworldwide.com/most-effective-way-to-increase-car-counts.html

Elite Pro Service is a peer group made up of 90 of the most successful shop owners in North America, and is always full, but as of 11/14 we have a couple of rare openings! "Rare" isn't an exaggeration, as well over half of the 90 shop owners in this peer group have been members since Pro Service was started over 10 years ago. In a world where information is everywhere, it is the quality of the information you have access to that will separate you from the competition, and at Elite we feel there's no equal to the quality of real-time data and best practices that come directly from 90 of the industry's top shop owners. Pro Service is more than a “20 Group” process; it is a community. Not only do our Colleagues believe that 90 minds are better than the standard 10-20 that are most groups, but just about every colleague will tell you that Pro Service has connected them with lifelong friends. There have been several occasions where a Colleague was in trouble with their business, and other Colleagues would “jump on a plane” to help them in any way they could. Pro Service is a caring culture. It’s not only about increasing profits, but about becoming better leaders who create better lives for their employees, take better care of their customers, and make more meaningful impacts on their communities. It’s about achieving personal and business success, but also about elevating our great industry and every life it touches. It is worth your time to visit the Pro Service web page to learn more. Pro Service Benefits 90 successful, business savvy shop owners working with you to improve your shop’s performance One-on-one coaching from a nationally recognized business coach with over 20 years of coaching experience and over 40 years spent in the Automotive industry Comprehensive host shop meetings performed twice a year, including onsite shop visits, collaboration and training to provide immediate solutions to current issues Yearly Pro Service Conference with training from outside the industry addressing leadership, marketing, recruiting, employee retention, succession planning and more! Monthly online meetings to keep you tuned up Information-rich financial Dashboard with charting, trending and analytics to benchmark performance Extensive library of information resources developed for owners, service advisors, managers and technical staff Support 24/7 To learn more or to find out if you qualify, visit the Elite Pro Service web page: https://www.eliteworldwide.com/20-group.html

By Jim Murphy of Elite We continue to hear that it is important to be more efficient in our shops; more efficient at the front counter, more efficient techs, more efficient with our time in general. What are we truly doing about it? Expenses and costs keep increasing. The collision industry has already learned that they cannot charge more because the insurance industry has capped their ability to do so. 6 to 7 hours per technician is not going to cut it any longer; the collision shops now need to get 10 to 12 hours per day per tech. How is mechanical repair going to survive? Customers are beginning to reach the upper barrier of what we can charge. We need to improve proficiency by 50% without increasing the charges to the customer. How do we do that? We need to re-evaluate processes, people, equipment and technology. We then need to reassess and improve some more. The collision industry efficiencies were increased, now it is our turn! We need to reconfigure workspaces for the shop and customer service areas. Analyze paper and people flows to minimize steps and remove the barriers that make your staff slow down or stop. We need to constantly review equipment, tools, technology and IT to speed up processes. We need to look for improvements in products to minimize comebacks, and most importantly, we need to continue to upgrade training. The best performing businesses have the highest quality people, the right people for the right positions. Training plus experience equals a highly trained staff. Make sure that you have a training plan in place for each employee. You want to source the right training at the right time for the right price. Don’t just accept whatever becomes available to you at the time and expect that this will be right for your staff. Do your homework and procure what each team member will need this year to become more efficient. Your business is going to depend upon it! This article was brought to you by Jim Murphy. Jim the leader of Elite’s prestigious Pro Service, a peer group made up of 90 of the most successful shop owners in North America. To learn more about the industry's top peer group, visit Elite's Pro Service page: https://www.eliteworldwide.com/20-group.html View full article

Elite is proud to announce that we are partnering with BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY to help auto repair shop owners become more successful. When choosing to partner with a company we always take a careful look at their principles, at their ability to help shop owners, and at the impact they're having on the industry. BOLT ON has been able to exceed our most optimistic expectations in all of these categories, so it's truly an honor to be able to partner with them. BOLT ON and Elite will elevate the auto repair industry by making it more sophisticated, attractive to a new generation of shop owners, perpetuating ethics-based business practices, and overall creating better opportunities for success. The valuable technology and education provided by the companies will give shop owners the critical tools needed to improve car counts, AROs and customer trust. BOLT ON provides an award-winning suite of shop management products that makes shops more attractive to prospective employees and customers. Each tool helps shops operate efficiently by streamlining scheduling and updating customer information, producing more accurate reporting, strengthening customer communication through digital inspection capabilities and allowing managers to stay on top of business performance. Elite provides shop owners premium training in business practices such as recruiting courses, marketing courses, phone skills and sales training, peer group meetings and comprehensive coaching programs where every Elite coach is the past or present owner of a very successful auto repair business. “We’re proud of our partnership with BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY because of all the synergy between the two companies both in our cultures and overall goals,” says Bob Cooper, founder and President of Elite. “Our belief is that every shop owner needs both the right people and the right systems to reach their potential, and this partnership helps them achieve both objectives.” “The key to fulfilling our mission is making every resource available to our customers that will improve their business,” says Mike Risich, founder and CEO of BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY. “We’re extremely excited about our partnership with Elite because the best solution for a shop that wants to grow is not just to train management or implement new technology, but to utilize both.” About BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY equips the automotive repair and maintenance aftermarket with award-winning technology tools to improve customer communication. The company's technology instantly transmits photos, videos and text messages to communicate automotive repair details, thereby increasing customer trust, boosting sales and empowering shops to build long-term customer relationships. Along with ongoing training and support, BOLT ON's mobile and digital tools also reduce problems inherent in the service process, while increasing shop productivity, revenue, and customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.boltontechnology.com or call 610-400-1019. About Elite Elite was founded in 1990 with two primary goals in mind: To help shop owners build more profitable, successful businesses, and to give back to an industry we love. Elite’s services help shops identify business challenges, and improve in the areas of sales, marketing, employee management, recruiting and all facets of shop management so that they may reach their full potential. Elite hires only coaches and trainers with extraordinary track records of success, who share these goals and have the same passion for making this industry a better place by improving the lives of shop owners, their employees, their customers and their communities. For more information, visit www.eliteworldwide.com or call 1-800-204-3548.

Superstar shop owner and Elite Business Development Coach Darrin Barney shares an easy-to-apply tip that will help shop owners ensure that they're following through with the behaviors that are critical to their success: To learn more about how you can team up with a superstar shop owner like Darrin to reach your shop's goals, visit the Elite Coaching Program web page.

Elite's Bob Cooper and Doris Barnes share how your service advisors can use tire analogies to handle even the most difficult sales objections: For additional help increasing your shop's sales, customer satisfaction and customer retention, learn more about our industry acclaimed our Masters Service Advisor Training at https://www.eliteworldwide.com/automotive-service-advisor-training.html

Elite Certified Sales and Leadership Trainer Jen Monclus shares why it's your service advisors' ethical responsibility to disclose absolutely everything that's wrong with a customer's vehicle, even if it's a first-time customer with a long list of repairs:

Here's a can't-miss tip that superstar shop owner Servando Orozco has used to go above and beyond the expectations of his customers, and build 4 of the top shops in the country.

Do your customers ever tell your advisors that they're unable to being their vehicle in today? Top sales trainer Jen Monclus explains how to handle this common sales objection. For additional help generating higher sales and happier customers, learn more about Elite's industry acclaimed Masters Service Advisor Training Program: https://www.eliteworldwide.com/automotive-service-advisor-training.html

Elite's Bob Cooper and Doris Barnes share the 4 sales your service advisors need to make with every single customer: For additional help generating higher sales and happier customers, learn more about the industry's #1 service advisor training.

Superstar shop owner and Elite Business Development Coach Jim Butitta shares a critical employee management tip that will help shop owners build the culture needed to attract the top techs and service advisors: Visit the Elite website to learn how you can team up with a superstar shop owner like Jim to reach your shop's goals: https://www.eliteworldwide.com/one-on-one-coaching.html

Elite Business Development Coach and past superstar shop owner Kevin Vaught shares where both your overall payroll, and your service advisor payroll should land as a percentage of your shop's sales: For additional help building a more successful auto repair business, learn how you can team up with a top shop owner like Kevin to reach your shop's goals.

By Bob Cooper When we had our first taste of cash, we realized its beauty. Regardless of whether it was a weekly allowance for doing household chores, or payment for mowing a neighbor’s lawn, we can all recall someone paying us with cash. It put a smile on our faces, and allowed us to buy the things we often dreamed of. As we matured, many of us found ourselves fixing our neighbors’ cars in our driveways, and we were often paid in cash for those services as well. To this day we pass this learned sense of gratitude along by giving cash to people that do small repairs around our houses, and by tipping the server at our favorite restaurant. The intentions are good, and it comes as no surprise that the recipients are always appreciative. Unfortunately, when we become business owners, that practice of paying others with cash is one practice that has to come to an immediate end, and here’s why… As a business owner, I too know how tempting it can be to give an employee a cash bonus when they’ve gone above and beyond, or when you’ve had a really good week. Their eyes will light up, they’ll smile from ear to ear, it’s not viewed as something that is subject to being taxed, and it’s something they can quickly spend. Unfortunately, at the very moment a shop owner hands an employee cash, there are a number of unintended consequences that occur. First of all, as the money transfers from the owner’s hand to the employee’s, the owner is signaling to the employee that they are someone that cheats on their taxes. Although the employee knows that there are many people who cheat in this way, it stands to reason that they may very well conclude that if their boss cheats the government, there’s a good chance they can, or will, cheat the employee as well. Yet it doesn’t stop there, because at that very same moment the employee is also drawing the conclusion (rightfully or wrongfully) that the owner will be able to make other cash payments to them, and that they may receive a part of their regular pay (if not all of it) in cash. Unfortunately, things can quickly become far worse, because if the employee becomes disgruntled, and is no longer with the company, they can make life miserable for their past employer by reporting them for making unreported cash payments. In such cases the government is often more than happy to not press any charges against the employee in return for them testifying against the employer. Any shop owner that has ever been through a tax or labor law audit knows how agonizing (and expensive) such investigations can be, and if that’s not bad enough, if the agency is able to demonstrate tax evasion, it can quickly go from a tax liability for the shop owner to a criminal case. Now let’s change gears and talk about where that magical, off-the-books cash comes from. Most shop owners that pay their employees in cash (under the table) have a method of generating the cash they’ll need. The most common method is they’ll take cash payments for repairs, and never record the sale on their books. More often than not they don’t realize that making these decisions can be devastating as well. First of all, by not reporting all of their sales they are opening themselves up to IRS audits and possible criminal charges. Additionally, the majority of their key performance indicators will be off, which makes it harder to judge the true performance of their shops and see the real losses. Furthermore, when it comes time for them to sell their shop, this is when the decision they made to try to save a few dollars by not reporting all of their income, or by paying their employees with cash, comes back to haunt them and often destroys everything they’ve built over the years. When their shop is listed for sale, any reasonable buyer will want to see and discuss the financial statements. If the potential buyer questions the reported sales, and if they’re told that in reality the sales are higher because some of the sales were not reported (or there is a second set of books), then any reasonable buyer will walk, because they’ll rightfully conclude if the sales figures are not legitimate, why should they presume any of the other numbers to be correct, and why should they trust anything else the seller might say? Ironically, some shop owners feel that all they’ll need to do is simply not tell the potential buyers about the cash transactions, but unfortunately, what they don’t realize is that any intentional misrepresentation, or intentional omission of anything that is considered material in such a sale, is cause for a lawsuit. Is there a solution? Well, I have some really good news for you, and it’s that “Yes, there is”. Better yet, I know that this solution works because I have helped hundreds of shop owners make the transition from cash, to operating very successful businesses that abide by the law. Here’s all that you’ll need to do. First, make sure every single dollar that comes into your business is properly reported, and make sure all your employees are paid in a matter that meets with all the legal requirements. If you have an employee that demands they be paid in cash, then one thing is for certain; You have the wrong employee. Secondly, do the three things that all the top shop owners in America do: hire the right people, abide by the law, and hire an accountant that knows how to reduce your tax liabilities in every possible way (that conforms with the law). If you follow this path, you have my promise that you will have a more profitable, successful business, you’ll be able to sleep well at night, and you’ll never have to worry about something as simple as cash destroying your life, destroying the value of your business, and destroying the reputation you have worked so hard to create. “Since 1990, Bob Cooper has been the president of Elite (www.EliteWorldwide.com), a company that strives to help shop owners reach their goals and live happier lives, while elevating the industry at the same time. The company offers coaching and training from the industry’s top shop owners, service advisor training, peer groups, along with online and in-class sales, marketing and shop management courses. You can contact Elite at [email protected], or by calling 800-204-3548." View full article

By Bob Cooper According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, some CEO’s are starting to understand the price they have to pay for quick profits, and many of them are now taking a different approach. Although all companies should consider their long-term growth and financial stability, there has been an ongoing challenge that today’s CEO’s face; the relentless demand for immediate profits that is put on them by their stockholders. Look at it like this. Publicly traded companies (i.e., Delta Airlines, General Motors, etc.) are owned by stockholders just like you and me. Although small investors like us don’t have a voice with such large companies, there are Wall Street fund managers that do have their ear. These are the people that buy and sell stock in staggering lump sums, and in order to entice those fund managers to invest in their companies, and to then keep that money invested in their companies, the CEO’s need to show strong profits not just for the year, but for quarter after quarter. The CEO’s know that if they miss their earnings (profit) mark, then there is a strong probability the fund manager will consider pulling their investment, and investing their money elsewhere. In summary, investors like you and me put pressure on our stockbrokers to generate good profits for us, and in order to do so they put pressure on the fund managers, who then put pressure on the CEO’s. The end result? The CEO’s know if they don’t deliver, they may very well be out of a job, which is why so many of them are far more focused on short-term profits than long-term success. Are their exceptions? You bet, and the late Steve Jobs is a classic example of someone who had a long-term vision and who invested his profits back into Apple. Of course there are others who do so, such as Warren Buffet of Berkshire Hathaway and Bill Gates of Microsoft, but they are few in numbers compared to the CEO’s that are driven by short-term success. So now that the Wall Street Journal is reporting a shift in how CEO’s think about squeezing the golden goose, you may want to revisit your shop’s business strategy as well. Since Steve Jobs is considered by many to have been the greatest CEO of all time, you and I should certainly feel comfortable following his lead. How you view and operate your shop is certainly a personal decision, and I understand everyone is going to have different goals in mind, yet I feel there are some principles in business that are too good to be new. As Steve Jobs showed us, one of these principles is that we can’t let short-term interest or a quest for immediate rewards overcome our better judgement. Let your competitors make that mistake. Instead, just as Steve did, you need to set long-term goals that you believe in, you need to create a plan for reaching those goals, and then you need to constantly invest in your future. Some examples would be investing in training programs that address the newest vehicle technology, or taking the time now to implement an apprenticeship program that will help you develop your own superstar advisors and technicians in the coming years. I’d also recommend launching marketing campaigns that build your brand and focus on your principles, rather than campaigns focused on discounts that are designed to generate immediate sales. These are all surefire ways of investing in your future, and keeping you well ahead of your competitors. If you follow the example that Steve jobs set for us by reinvesting in your company, and if you live by the principle of never putting money ahead of people, you will see what your competitors will more than likely never see; a more profitable, successful business that is good for you, your employees, your customers and the industry. I am sure you will agree that beyond the great products, Steve Jobs gave us quite the gift; a lesson in how to build an incredible business. “Since 1990, Bob Cooper has been the president of Elite (www.EliteWorldwide.com), a company that strives to help shop owners reach their goals and live happier lives, while elevating the industry at the same time. The company offers one-on-one coaching from the industry’s top shop owners, service advisor training, peer groups, along with online and in-class sales, marketing and shop management courses. You can contact Elite at [email protected], or by calling 800-204-3548." View full article

Superstar shop owner and grassroots marketing guru Servando Orozco shares a tip that will bring new customers into your shop, humanize your business and have a positive impact on your customers and community: For additional help building a more successful shop while elevating our amazing industry, visit the Elite website at www.EliteWorldwide.com.

Retired superstar shop owner Kevin Vaught shares the rule that every shop owner in America needs to follow when it comes to disclosing needed repairs and services to their customers. If you're interested in teaming up with a top shop owner like Kevin Vaught, who has been in your shoes and overcome the challenges your shop is facing, learn more about the Elite Coaching Program.

By Bob Cooper In order to build a successful auto repair shop, there are a number of things you will have to do. You will need to have clearly defined goals, a plan, and you will need to surround yourself with successful people. You will need gifted techs and advisors, a great support staff, the help of marketing professionals and business coaches, and a great accountant as well. Unfortunately, most shop owners don’t understand how to find the really great accountants, they don’t know what to expect from them, and they don’t know how to utilize their services. With our changing economy, and the ever-increasing tax burdens we face in business, now more than ever before, you need to be working with a great accountant. What I would like to do with this article is help take the mystery out of the relationship most shop owners have with their accountants to help you build a more profitable business. Putting first things first, the overwhelming majority of shop owners make two mistakes with their accountants: they use them as overpaid bookkeepers, and they feel their accountant should be giving them business advice. Unfortunately, that’s the furthest from the truth. Unless your accountant knows the key performance indicators that are hit by the top shops in America, what the loaded cost of labor should be for a profitable shop, and what the top shops generate in part profit as a percentage of sales, they’ll be hard pressed to tell you where you can improve. In essence, with rare exception, accountants don’t know your business. Over the years I have learned that we need to look to accountants for help with one thing, and one thing only; reducing our tax liabilities. So here are my recommendations if you want to build a more profitable business. First of all, make sure you are using a good accounting software program, such as QuickBooks. You’ll also need to make sure you have a well-designed chart of accounts, and you’ll need to have a general understanding of business finance. You don’t need an accounting degree, but you should have an understanding of terms like gross profit, operating expenses and cost of sale. Secondly, you will need to know the ideal targets for your key performance indicators. These are the numbers hit by the top shops in America, and knowing them will allow you to look at your income statement and quickly see where you are doing well, and where you can improve. The third thing you will need to do is ensure you have a great accountant. When looking for the right person, you will need to keep two rules in mind. Rule number one simply states that if we put out peanuts we will get monkeys. Choosing an accountant is no different than choosing a good technician; you get what you pay for. There is a reason the cheap accountants are cheap, and the good ones are not cheap because they produce a good return on investment. Where do you find the superstar accountants? You will find they typically represent higher income earners that need to maximize their tax savings, so the best place to start is by asking your attorney, your doctor and any other high income earners you know for referrals. Once you have the right accountant, you will need to meet with them at least twice a year. Your first meeting should be during the first half of the year to review your shop’s year-to-date performance, to project your yearly income, and to start the conversation about your tax strategy. You should then meet again in the third quarter to ensure you are on track, and make any necessary adjustments. In closing, the top notch accountants will typically help you save a lot of money, and will ensure you are in compliance with all relative tax laws. The low-priced accountants? Just like hiring the low-priced technicians, more often than not they will cost you an absolute fortune. Since 1990, Bob Cooper has been the president of Elite, a company that strives to help shop owners reach their goals and live happier lives, while elevating the industry at the same time. The company offers coaching and training from the industry’s top shop owners, service advisor training, peer groups, along with online and in-class sales, marketing and shop management courses. You can learn more about Elite by visiting www.EliteWorldwide.com, or calling 800-204-3548. View full article