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Social Media Marketing to Technicians – Kim and Brian Walker [RR 665]


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Kim Walker from Shop Marketing Pros is a social media expert. Kim’s experience includes a school counselor and teacher. Her husband Brian, started his own shop while he was a Mercedes technician in North Carolina. Then asked Kim to leave her school job and join his service business. Then for specific reasons left to go back home to Louisiana. It was almost destiny that they engaged with Shop Marketing Pros. As a former shop owner, Kim’s advice and expertise on social media is perfectly matched because she’s been there and done that. She is on the Car Care Council’s Women’s Board, an ATI and Management Success Graduate, and their shop was a Motor Age Top Shop winner two years in a row. Their shop experience is without question, so when she talks about social media as it relates to the automotive service professional, she has the experience that matters. Look for Kim’s other episodes HEREShop Marketing Pros Website HERE. Brian Walker was a Mercedes Benz Master dealer technician and was ASE certified with L1. He owned Peak Automotive in Apex, NC and was recognized by Motor Age Magazine as a Top Ten Shops twice. Brian is co-owner of Shop Marketing Pros. He does “Done for you” marketing services for auto repair shops. Brian believes that most people overcomplicate their marketing in an effort to make it easier. Look for Brian's other episodes HERE. Key Talking Points

  • Technician shortage- does your marketing attract technicians? Technicians that are in the industry are already working. 
  • Marketing is attracting people- how does your shop look? What is your business culture?- show pictures/videos of training, milestones, employee gatherings etc. Did your shop get new equipment? Share a picture! Technicians want updated and efficient tools. Do you have air conditioning? How much work do you have? Do you promote events like marriage, children, anniversaries? Do you promote events like marriage, children, anniversaries?
  • Social media/website/emails- technicians aren’t following every single shop but when their friends “like, comment, and interact” with posts it will show up on their social media feed. Consider adding “A Great Place to Work” to your posts. Plant seeds even for younger children that are middle schoolers/high schoolers. Virtual field trips/host classes at the shop, “touch a tool class.” 
  • Working with trade schools/local schools- the best technicians are often the ones that were fidgeting in grade school and couldn’t ‘sit still.’ Educate school counselors about the auto repair industry. 
  • Thanks to Kim and Brian Walker for their contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
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Be socially involved and in touch with the show: Facebook   Twitter  LinkedIn   Instagram  Youtube   Email   Join the Ecosystem - Subscribe to the INSIDER NEWSLETTER HERE. Buy me a coffee NAPA-Call-to-Action-Graphic-v3.png As a member of the NAPA family, AutoCare Center owners can take advantage of the NAPA National Health Program from the NAPA Insurance Center. This “NAPA only” program gives you and your employees access to national “large group” rates on medical insurance with premiums discounted up to 30 percent. These rates are based on the collective purchasing potential of 22,500 NAPA locations including both NAPA AUTO PARTS stores and NAPA AutoCare Centers. The NAPA Insurance Center can help you with a variety of other insurance benefits too. For more information about The NAPA National Health Benefits program as well as all of the insurance benefits available to your AutoCare Center and your employees, visit the NAPA Benefits Center, at www.napabenefitscenter.com or call the NAPA Benefits Center at 844-627-2123.

Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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      How To Get In Touch
       
      Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
      Website - shopmarketingpros.com 
      Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros 
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      Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
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