Two of the three generations of Sam T Evans Trucks Tops & Accessories Shop: (from left) Val and Sheri [Evans] Clark, Sam T Evans Jr. and Eric Evans.

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In 1990, I was a mechanic at a Ford dealership in Orlando, Fla., when a storm dropped golf ball-sized hail on all the cars on the lot. A few days later, a couple of guys were set up in our service department repairing the damaged vehicles.

These guys wouldn’t let anyone watch them work—in fact they pulled a big tarp around their work area to keep everyone from seeing what they did. One by one they brought hail damaged cars into the shop and later returned them to the lot, dent-free. It was all very mysterious, and it was my introduction to paintless dent repair.

Five years later, I entered the PDR field.

Independent restylers face more competition than ever before. Online drop shippers are a known and growing problem. But one of the most persistent threats is from brick-and-mortar stores in your own market—big box retailers whose volume purchasing, minimum-wage labor and huge advertising budgets make them a force to be reckoned with regardless of what the small local business sells.

You can beat the big box, though, if you play your own game and not theirs.

SERVICE IS KING

New customers are the lifeblood of any shop, but only if they stick around long enough to become old customers. A one-time buyer is welcome, but the ones who put money in the bank are those who come back again and again.

One breed of new customer that’s tricky to develop is the neophyte, the guy or gal who is new to the restyling world. The way you and your staff respond to that newbie can make or break your relationship with them. Treat them like an idiot the first time and you’ll never see them again. Treat them right, and you’ll create a customer for life.

I entered the aftermarket industry not many years ago, and quickly realized that just like any other business I have been involved with, having the right “business story” can provide you with a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Recreational racks give restylers a chance to serve even more customers.

There’s a leak in your showroom. It’s heading right out your door to the local sporting goods store—unless, that is, you sell and install recreational racks.

Take a look in a parking lot or on the freeway—count how many bare roofs there are, compared to roofs with racks, boxes, pods or other cargo attachments. Not only are these cargo carriers handy, they’re considered by some to be a fashion statement.

A large number of restylers feature adhesive-backed vinyl products in their services to their customers. These products include well known items like premade vinyl graphic kits, a wide variety of vinyl striping, in-house produced decorative graphics and, of course, vinyl signage and lettering.

I attended a breakfast seminar on leadership not long ago and one of the great messages I heard was this: When in doubt, act!

In the current economic climate, it would be very easy for small-business owners to fall into the fear and doubt that leads to inaction; but that is not for us. As business owners, we are leaders. And as leaders, we must act. We must move forward with a vision of success; and we’ve got to bring our employees, our management team and our community with us.

The ‘sweet spot’

But, how? We all want to achieve brand loyalty, but there is a level above brand loyalty that some people in the marketing business call “the sweet spot.” To reach the level of “the sweet spot” with your customers, you must connect with them on a positive emotional level.