For company leaders, the work today is not in doing more of the same, but rather more effective use of the resources we have at our disposal.

At our dispatch we have people. If we as leaders do a poor job of communicating with people, then a result less than adequate is what we reap.

Think about it! From the contacts with 
    a) the people that come to your door, 
    b) the people that send them to your door, to 
    c) the people that help you keep them coming back to your door. 

It is all people communications.

Very little has to do with product. There are many shops that can turn out a quality job.

What will differentiate you is your communication skills with those whom you have relationship. If you as leader of the company do a less than superior job of communicating with all these people, you will receive less than superior results in your bank account.

What is this “relationship” stuff? Is it the “warm & fuzzies?” In a word, NO! If you looked it up in the dictionary you would find “a connection or association” to be the definition.

Relationship in business is NOT warm & fuzzy intangibles. Another thing it is not is fake. That is to say, it is not “wine & dine” to “buy” business. The reason for taking anyone out to lunch, dinner or even coffee within the context of business relationship is to explore the possibilities of servitude. That means you are looking for ways to serve this person. You are getting to know the individual’s challenges in order that you may assist them in overcoming whatever obstacles they have in their path.

With The People That Come to Your Door
Look at what you are supposed to be accomplishing with the visitors to your shop. People all have the same request when they arrive at your door, “I need an estimate.” How well you get into their world and find out the problems they are facing is the first step in their determination of whether you will be doing business together. In other words you need to start building relationship with people.

When this is done properly the results are outstanding! I have seen complete strangers (to our clients) pour out their heart felt gratitude for offering solutions to their problems.

Is it a problem for them to be without their vehicle for the days you will be working on the car? You bet it is! Get into their world and offer solutions.

If you are holding back from “serving by solving” you are simply not building relationship and are missing out on a lot of business.
Is it a problem for them to come up with the deductible? What is a solution that you could offer? Find out what they can afford in terms of payments or use of their credit cards. I have had customers that were fine with paying their deductible after they understood it was charged to them when we completed the work on their car. The time of the repair allowed them to take advantage of another payday.

Do they understand the varying levels of quality in the industry? How can you assist them in making the right decision on repair shop?

With The People That Send Them to Your Door
I said above that relationship is not “wine & dine” to “buy” business. The reason for taking anyone out to lunch, dinner or even coffee within the context of business relationship is to explore the possibilities of servitude. The people that refer to your business, whether they are insurance agents, adjusters, dealerships, repair garages, tow truck drivers etc. all have a set of challenges with which they are faced everyday. What can you do to assist them? It may not be directly related to serving your needs. What is necessary for you to do is to get into their world, finding out what they are up against and offering the benefit of your knowledge and experience. As you position yourself as their assistant, they will benefit you and your business. This happens because relationship is a two way street. As you are getting to know them and the challenges they face, likewise you will allow them to know your challenges and how you feel they could assist you in overcoming obstacles.

Relationship is more powerful than a high profile. One of our clients in the Chicago area was challenged one year ago by the arrival of one of the major US consolidators into his marketplace. Our client grew his business based upon relationships by 32% last year!

These principles apply to the insurance reps that come into your shop to write estimates. They have their challenges too, and by you creating a relationship with them, really understanding what they are up against day to day, offering solutions to make their lives easier, the results become tangible. More cooperation, trust and a willingness to work together to serve your mutual customer is what we see. One of our clients took the time to get to know an insurance appraiser and discovered what upset the appraiser with the shops in the area, then worked to remove those items from his shop’s practices. Guess who ends up with more cooperation and trust than the other shops with whom he must compete? He did by building that relationship. Remember the definition? - “A connection or association.” There was absolutely no “hanky-panky”, just solid relationship building (connection) based upon real problem understanding and solutions.

The People That Help You Keep Them Coming Back to Your Door
Your staff needs to be in alignment with you and your philosophies. Do they know them?

When was the last time you took your staff members to a lunch that did not turn into a “bitch” session? A principle of business leadership that escapes most owners is that their employees have asked them to do for them what they are not willing to do themselves. If this were not true, there would be a lot more self employed people in the workforce.

They are asking (by virtue of being an employee) to take care of them and their problems. Embrace this idea. Look for what you can assist them to accomplish for their families. What things are they afraid of that you have already faced and could assist them? Who do you know that could assist them with problems they face?

You cannot build relationships if you are not willing to take on the job of being responsible for your people and their problems.
Do they need counseling (monetary, family, drug problems, etc.)? can you look into a program that could assist them?

The bottom line is that if you do not know an individual and their problems you cannot help. You are the leader, go first! Share the vision of the future you want to create. People do not complain when you reach out in sincerity with a picture of a better place to be for your customers, contacts and employees.