Windshield Repair Forum

Chips
The easiest way to do the cold call stuff is start with the little buildings like a little buisness complex with maybe 3 stores or a beauty salon walk the lot with a clip board write down which car has a chip and go into the store and ask who owns it.
My routine is "Hi you probably saw me out there and wondered what I was doing could you tell me who owns the red car?"
Or "Hi Im Mike i was working down the street I do Windshield Repair and am killing time while waiting for my next apointment trying to drum up some extra work, Do You know who owns the red car? I noticed they have a big chip in the windshield and I bet they want it fixed."
There are many variations and you need to mold your greeting to fit your personality just be friendly and likable and you will find people will help you.
Use the its free sales pitch and you have a hour before your next apointment so you can do it right now

Fleet customers are just about anyone with several vehicles either call and ask or I preffer to walk into the office and introduce myself its easier to say no to someone on the phone.
Your right most of the trucks will probably be on the road so you will usually have set up a time when they will all be there you look for the work when the office is open. You do the work when the vehicles are there I have one bus company I do at night in the shop another On Saturdays in thier parking lot pretty much wherever and whenever the customer wants
Sometimes I will walk a company lot when the vehicles are there and come back to the office in the buisness hours and make my pitch its easier to sell if you can say I saw about 20 chips in you fleet when i was here saturday I can come back and do the whole bunch for $
Car lots dont want to be bothered they are busy and only want you if your convenient walk the lot write down whats there and go in and find the used car mgr or sales mgr.
Give the guy your pitch quickly and shut up he will say yes or no then go do the work dont shoot the poop they hate guys who take thier time.
I have 20+ years as a auto salesman so trust me when I tell you this
The car lot customer wants quick & simple and as little bother as possible The salesmen may sit around and talk to you but the sales mgr is watching you take his guys off the floor and away from the phones with your conversation so keep it to a minimum and remember car lots have no loyalty and there is no safe account I have worked with guys who overcharged thier own mothers so what would make you think they would be loyal to you? Sad but true
Most of all just keep asking for the buisness the more no's you hear the closer you are to a yes keep a positive attitude and smile
Good luck

First, I would like to apologies to "Hoosier" for leading this thread off-track. I did not begin this thread however; I did post in it to explain that I, too, was going to go full-time in wsr. I would like to make it clear that I did NOT quit a job that paid $80k a year (that would be foolish, in my opinion); I was "layed-off" from that job, so theoretically I now make $0 a year. Additionally, I do not intend to clear $80k my 1st year (even though it would be nice & I will certainly work towards that amount, and beyond). I do completely expect to clear $1k a week ($50k a year), because that is what I NEED to make to pay my bills without having to sell my house.

I may be wrong, but the way I see it, conducting the actual repair is the easy part. I am very mechanically and somewhat artistically inclined. In another lifetime, I worked 7-years as an auto mechanic, but most recently I have been involved in sales, with 10+ years of experience. For 7 of those years I sold high-end products as an Independent Sales Rep. (selling products such as $2k vacuum cleaners and expensive windows & siding) to mostly home-owners that didn

Well I just completed my 1st full day going out and trying to get business. I stuck with fleet today. Hit about 10 car lots. Everyone said they have their guy but would keep me in mind. I walked up to this 1 lot he had 5 chips on the lot. told him I could take care of those for him...but he said he would get his guy out there. I was wondering if the Coister method with retail would work in the dead cold of winter here in the chicago area. Being I would do the work outside I would need their keys to start the vehicle up and get it warm. It just seems to me that people would be a little afraid to hand some stranger their keys and say go to work on it. Maybe I'm reading too far into this. If anyone has any tips on how to handle the Coister method in Cold Climate conditions. It would be great. BTW thanks guys for all the support.

Joe
(Hoosier Glass Doctor)

If you use the heating device all the mfgs push you dont really have to get the guys keys myself I live in an area where we still leave our doors unlocked and stop to help people broke down beside the road so it doesnt happen much here. On the rare time someone balks at giving me thier keys i laugh and give them the keys to my Mercedes as a hostage or just do it without the defroster

Well in my opinion Hoosier if you are going to go around and try my method on Car lots you had better pack a big lunch because you are going to have to do it for a long time just to make a little bit of money. Thats a great way to go out of business really quick.

The way I go out is I find a small office complex with lots of little business's and then I go find the owner of the vehicle. I recommended calling business's in the morning when you first get going. I don't personaly do a lot of fleet work anymore, I stick with mostly retail but thats just me.
David
Coitster

GlassStarz and Coitster, thanks for all your input, Its very much appreciated, I do work for car lots at the moment and couldnt agree with your statement more, you hit the nail on the head, loyalty is rare...
Sales managers want no hassles and no excuses, at least thats the way I see it...

Car dealers are always hit up by the new W.S.R. guy, thats why I wanted to know more about cold calling, To a cold call customer you are a profesional if you come across good, and you have a much better chance of landing work...

L8 Model, it looks like you have it made, all vendors are salesmen whether they like it or not, so you do have an advantage and understand the process better than most, Im sure 50k for you will be a piece of cake...

I do agree with previous statements about dent pullers, those are used rarely, you couldnt set up a dent biz using just a glue puller, its much more involved than that, I know dent guys, and Ive never seen them use glue pullers on cars. Enough said...

Thanks again guys.

I was recently pink-slipped myself and have decided to dust off my old equipment, dig out my old GM training video, buy some fresh resin and hit the streets looking for some rock spots to fix. I have found some very helpful info here to gain some fresh perspectives on how to get business, so I'm very encouraged. Thanks to everyone here and may you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Coitster, you forgot to mention that while eating that big pack lunch, park in a very visible LOCATION! You can land more jobs eating slow with a lettered out truck than walking around the dealers sometimes. Looking toward 2005 and looking back at a great 2004, this is my approach.
1. Coistering method is the do or die base of work to build off of. It just plain works.
2. Lettered out truck and always parking in a visible spot when not moving around.
3. YELLOW PAGES!! A decent listing with relevant info brings all the smart customers. Nearly free money from what I have experienced.
4. A demographic specific yellow pages, find the demographic you want to reach and place an ad.
5. Business cards strategically placed.
6. More manpower. Wife is now up and running making money. She even get more tips than I do! Two heads are better than one!