Jeff Shirk handles all outside sales activities for Express Transmissions. His
route consists of over 400 accounts and takes nearly four weeks to complete.
Rene Lopez, R&R Tech for Express Transmissions.
lend a hand; no strings attached. Then, after a final examination, hired a retired Snap-on Tools salesper-
For some shop owners, this type of once again Mario asks the customer to son. He knows the area, and knows
community support is just another kind come in for a face-to-face meeting. the shop owners over a large radius.
of advertising; they do it to keep their Sure, there’s an element of the During his sales circuit he visits over
names out there. A press release and a showman involved in asking the cus- 400 shops; a complete circuit takes four
few pictures, or a call to the local TV tomer back. This gives Mario that one- weeks.
station, and they get better coverage on-one contact that helps build trust Unlike many shop owners with
than they could buy at any price. between Mario and the customer. He outside sales programs, Mario isn’t
But Mario isn’t asking for spe- gets to look the customer right in the looking for wholesale customers or
cial attention. In his words, he does it eye, and show his concern for the cus- fleets. He concentrates on referrals,
“because it’s the right thing to do.” And tomer’s wellbeing. And he can recog- where he can handle the entire job.
maybe his actions don’t make as big a nize when the customer has a problem, When he receives a referral from a
splash in the community as they might. and try to work with him to develop a local shop, he thanks them with a gift
But over time, the word gets out. solution that makes everyone happy. certificate to one of the popular nearby
That sense of community is exact- This isn’t a sales technique, it’s a trust restaurants or attractions.
ly what the What’s Working survey technique. It’s a way he can really know Most importantly, Mario’s outside
revealed to be so important for building he understands the customer’s concerns sales program is a regular part of his
your reputation. It’s not about extrava- and that he’s there to address them. daily business; one that the local shops
gant productions that are only there to How do the customers feel about can count on, just like clockwork. This
sell your image; it’s about being part of coming back to the shop three times is a critical component in any success-
the community. For real. during a rebuild? “Just great,” accord- ful outside sales program.
ing to one customer. “This was a big
Sales Procedure investment for me; I appreciate that Everything Isn’t Golden
Once the car is in the shop, Mario Mario took the time to explain the pro- Not every idea or program that
has an ironclad rule for selling the cess every step of the way.” Mario tries is a surefire winner; he tries
repairs: All sales are done face to face. something new, and if it works for him
Nothing gets sold over the phone. Outside Sales he adds it to his processes. If not, he
After the initial diagnosis, the cus- Advertising is a great way to bring dumps it and moves on.
tomer gets a call and gets asked to come cars in, but sometimes you need to step A few years ago, while attending
back to the shop. There Mario takes the things up a notch. For that Mario has Expo, one of the management trainers
customer back into his private office an outside sales person. His job is basi- told Mario that it’s nearly impossible
and discusses what they found, and cally to go out and get the work. for a transmission shop to remain prof-
what they recommend. For Express’s outside sales, Mario itable strictly doing transmission work.
GEARS March 2010 47
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