In 1991, a group of psychics joined forces to start The Psychic Friends Network. Singer Dionne Warwick was the host of this popular show that used infomercials to attract its customers. By 1994 the show had aired over 12,000 episodes and was generating $125 million per year! By 1998, the company had declared bankruptcy with…
I would count to ten and take deep breaths before my coaching calls with “Tom.” Tom is a shop owner who would agree to do certain things but never followed through. For example, he would consistently fail to conduct the daily repair order audits. When I asked what happened, his response was, “I didn’t have…
Are you looking to raise the bar? One morning I came across a video from John Taffer, the host of “The Bar Rescue” reality show. I was surprised to hear that he’d been working with bar owners for over 31 years. His next statement really grabbed me. Taffer concluded that in all that time there…
Meet “Ron.” Ron had just graduated from college as a star athlete, with a short-term goal of becoming the sporting goods manager with Montgomery Wards, a major retailer at the time. (FYI to the millennials who’ve never heard of Montgomery Wards: They went under in the 90s!) Ron’s goal was to sit in “the big…
What’s the difference between success and failure at your shop? As I wrestle with this question, I’m reminded of two stories. First, there’s the story of Kano Jigoro who was considered to be the father of Judo. He’s credited with creating the belt system to measure martial arts rank and skill level. He was a highly…
I was having a bad day! I made my first coaching call in the morning to “Joe” who says he can’t find an “A” Technician. I asked him: “What are you doing to find a tech?” Joe replied: “I am doing everything I can to find help. I ran an ad on Craigslist but nobody…
What’s keeping you from achieving your goals? The following scenario may reveal the answer. If you were to speak into your phone and ask “Alexa,” “Who’s the best technician at my shop?” An image of YOU holding a wrench would appear! Finding and hiring a qualified replacement would free you up to focus on the…
“How do I put more profit in my pocket?” asked “Jason,” a shop owner who heard about our upcoming webinar on the topic. I responded as follows: “Jason, you’re averaging a 32% parts margin over the last four weeks, so using the parts matrix would be helpful.” To which he replied, “Yeah, but it’s a…
I’m with the “Twiggs Publishers Clearing House,” and I have a one-million-dollar prize just for you. I will show up at your shop to present your winnings with my selfie stick in hand so we can take a photo with the symbolic, super-sized, check that has one million dollars written across the front. (BTW, don’t try…
Join me as we journey through a typical morning in my life. I make my first call to a new client named “Richard.” I notice he’s had the same labor rate for the past three years. “Richard, it’s time to increase your labor rate,” I suggest. “I can’t do that, coach. My customers are on…