Lions And Tigers And Bears, Oh My!
Question of the Month
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Today I will let you decide if we are in a recession, examine where we currently stand on your recession plan and decide what
we are going to do about it. I received a great e-mail from a shop owner upset that one of our earlier articles might be blaming
you guys for the recession. Although I do not feel that way, perception is reality, so I want to certainly apologize if any
of you felt the same way before we get started.
When you coach 847 shop owners every week in North America, you get a great feel for what is really happening in the trenches.
Many of my coaches were shop owners in their previous lives, and they understand how hard the automotive service business
can be at times. They also understand that most of the time the difference between success and failure in a recession can
be simple confidence. Staying confident and positive is what the people you lead need to see and hear. Let's read a conversation
from Coach George Zeeks to one of his shop owners, it may just help you!
Please remember back to when you were 6 years old, when the world was filled with fun and discovery, when your dog was your
bestest friend and the boogieman lived in your closet. On some nights, when the rain fell and the thunder shook the house,
you could swear that the closet door was coming open. Not all of us had an evil spirit in the closet; sometimes it was under
the bed and sometimes in the basement. We know now, as adults, that there never was anything in the closet or under the bed,
but it seemed awful real then. When something seems that real, then the effect it has on us becomes real. The economy we find
ourselves in is filled with rain, thunder and lightning; they are very real. The question is whether or not the recession
boogieman is coming out of the closet to get us while we are in our beds with the covers up to our nose shaking from fear.
A recession as defined by Webster's Dictionary as "technically defined as at least two consecutive quarters when the economy
shrinks or fails to grow." Well then, I guess we find ourselves in a recession. The next step is to throw off the covers,
drag this thing out of the closet into the light of day and examine just how bad things really are.
I coach shops all around the country and find that most shops fall into two different categories. One group is shops that
are doing well despite the "recession," and many are even prospering. The other group contains shops that were doing poorly
before the "recession" and continue to do the same but worse, sometimes much worse. A period of extended growth in the marketplace,
especially inflated growth, is followed by a period of adjustment.
Some of the owners reading this may not survive this adjustment unless you take a hard look at what you do and what you need
to change. The shops that fail will create a windfall for the shops that survive. Technicians, managers and, most importantly,
customers will be left looking for a new shop to go to. Good employees and good customers are always hard to find; let's see
what we can do to make sure that they did not belong to you.
The first step is to take a long hard look in the mirror. The owner is the role model of the shop, and if you are worried,
then everyone will be scared. Fear is false evidence appearing real. You must always lead with an air of confidence, knowing
that it will be A-OK. It spreads like the flu, until everyone in the shop is infected with fear or enthusiasm. You make the
choice. If you are afraid, then cry in the shower but win the Academy Award while you are at work.
