Choices. That’s what this business comes down to.
For those that don’t know, I operate Ceramic Pro Pottstown. We are an Elite Dealer for Ceramic Pro – we offer their coatings, paint protection film & window tint exclusively. I’ve been with Ceramic Pro for about 2 years and to date have seen the fastest growth by shop by a large amount vs any other Ceramic Pro Installer in history. There is a reason for this…
In Q2 of this year – I decided I would integrate even more film work into our shop. I wanted to double our paint protection film output in 2023. We looked at several options such as price matching, guerilla marketing and ultimately decided that implementing a new workflow that allowed us to increase our production and gave us better control over quality and turnaround times over a period of time was the best way to go.
The results have been excellent so far – we’ve been able to hit our targets and are now able to offer high-quality PPF install services quickly and efficiently while still providing exceptional customer service. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved over these past few months.
CHANGES
Our changes were significant, but the results were even more prominent. This year we’ve seen a considerable increase in our PPF output, with no decrease in quality or turnaround times. Our success has allowed us to expand into other areas of film production, giving us an even more competitive advantage over other shops in the industry.
ROADMAP
This is not a journey for the faint of heart. These are the steps I took to get there.
- I built out more dedicated shop space for PPF installs. By having more dedicated space for PPF, we were able to streamline our workflow and maximize our efficiency.
- I invested in buying materials in bulk to take advantage of shipping costs. With our bulk orders, we were able to lower the cost of goods drastically – shipping costs are huge right now, and it’s saving us $1000+ per order.
- I doubled down on our video content marketing. I wanted to ensure potential customers could see the quality of our work, so I created more video content showing off our PPF installations. I hired a new media coordinator and video editor to streamline that process.
- I created more SEO content surrounding PPF. I wanted to ensure potential customers could find us in an online search, so I wrote a ton of blog content and created landing pages dedicated to PPF.
- I changed our approach in how we guide clients through the process of selecting paint protection film. We created a more streamlined process and provided better answers to customer questions or concerns before they even asked.
- I became MORE RELENTLESS with our sales follow-up game with GRIT SUITE. I wanted to ensure we were converting more leads into customers, so I started using GRIT SUITE more heavily to help with our sales follow-up game – clients get automated emails, text messages, and reminders about service inquiries.
- I doubled down on our primary pay-per-click ad spend. A large chunk of our competitors was stepping into our online space, so I increased our budget and refined our ad campaigns to get more leads.
- I changed the workflow inside the shop – we removed toxic personnel, adjusted our processes, and moved around equipment. This allowed us to streamline our installation process and increase our efficiency. Taking these steps, we have doubled our output and established ourselves as a leader in the PPF sector in our market. We are taking on more work than ever before and offering faster turnaround times for installs without sacrificing quality.
- I streamlined our packages for PPF, removing the endless list of options and making it easier for clients to pick their coverage, reducing the confusing task of determining the “best” package.
- I started offering more value-added pieces to each package, utilizing the unused space on the plots for things like luggage strips, a-pillars, roof strips, headlights, etc. Simplification is everything. Paint Protection Film Pricing & Packages here.
- I took a chance on someone who didn’t speak English as a primary language – he ended up being a monster installer and fit right into our team. When I took a chance on someone who didn’t speak English as a primary language, I was unsure what to expect. After all, a language barrier could lead to productivity issues, but boy was I wrong. The person I brought on quickly showed me they had the skills necessary to excel and fit into the team. As a wise man once said, “the work is the language.” We communicate almost exclusively through Google Translate, although his English improves daily.
- I changed everything surrounding our Quality Control Process. We now have multiple points during our paint protection film installations where we will QC our work to ensure it is on par with our standards.
- I invested in the right support staff. We have brought our front-of-house phone team up to speed with our offerings, and I have personally relinquished more control of the scheduling process. This keeps me out of the shop and lets the team work hard without worrying about jumping around. I get to focus on the business now more than ever.
- We started having daily meetings first thing in the morning – we formulate our plan of attack and hear any suggestions or potential issues. This allows us to have a team-centric environment and allows everyone to be on the same page.
- I stepped away from a lot of the business and let my operations manager and shop foreman run the show. I am hardly in the shop more than 3-4 hours a day, some days not at all. It has allowed me to focus on and institute growth tools for our business.
- I decided to do more things that I found enjoyable. You don’t always need to be working. I have hard disconnect times where I don’t respond or talk to anyone. I will do things I enjoy and do them for no one else and me. My joy and happiness directly affect my team. I want to make sure I am the best of the best for them.
STAY FOCUSED!
We have completely changed how we approach PPF installations by adjusting and refining our processes. We are now more efficient, productive, and profitable than ever before.
Some of this can be scary and even paralyzing if you’re a high-anxiety individual. You can implement this in your business over time if you break this down into smaller steps and goals. I have helped several other businesses implement these things through our Full Marketing Program (web design, SEO, ad management) and Mentorship program.
I hope that this article was helpful for you and can give you a roadmap to grow your business in 2023.
Happy Holidays.
-Gabe