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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
On-The-Air Radio Guest - Tuesday Feb 26th 9PM-10PM
Once again I was invited to be a guest speaker on WVLT 92.1 FM, Vineland, NJ
radio show Cruisin with the Editor. And the best news, people got a chance to listen in online. The show aired live
from 9pm-10PM on Tuesday evening February 26, 2008 at; http://wvlt.com/home/mutimedia/listen-live/The show is basically a weekly talk show about antique and classic cars. With plenty of information
about local car shows in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Larry Lazareff and Ben Notaro are the hosts of the show. Larry
is also the Editor of Cruisin News and Ben is a contributing writer to the monthly magazine.
As a guest, I had the opportunity
to field a few questions phoned in by listeners. Of course, the topic of the evening was centered around what it takes
to keep your car looking good. It has been a lot of fun doing the show in the past, however since the show is now online live,
that was a first for me.
Frank Canna
Mirror Finish Detailing
Williamstown, NJ
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Boat Detailing from a slightly different angle.
Try
to think about what the average boat will look like one month after it has been completely cleaned, polished and waxed. How
will it look two to three months after that?
Now
think about the daily contamination from salt water, rain, morning dew and constant dirt that is beginning to build-up, even
after frequent washings. And how about the UV rays of the sun that are affecting the fiberglass gelcoat on a daily basis?
Regardless
of how long various products last, most boats will need to be thoroughly cleaned, polished and waxed every few months, just
to keep an overall good looking appearance.
Let's
face it, from a business point of view, it is much better to offer one complete boat detailing at the beginning of each season,
along with periodic maintenance detailings every couple of months throughout the season. There is much more profit in doing
it that way and you stand to gain many more customers who will be completely satisfied with your work.
Frank
Canna
Mirror
Finish Detailing
Williamstown,
NJ
Saturday, January 26, 2008
taking a vehicle up to another level
Back in the 1980's, most people did not understand what detailing was all about. And thanks to all of the
low cost car wash offering express detailing, some people still do not have a clue about detailing. Offering both
full details and quick wash and waxes only further confuses the true detailing customer.
The key to operating a successful detailing business is to first understand that you are in the business of
taking the customer's vehicle up to another level. A level that they cannot get with a simple low priced wash and wax. It
is all about detailing cars. It is a process that takes time. Detailing has never been about offering a quick service and
anyone who thinks they can have it both ways is certainly mistaken.
Frank Canna
Mirror Finish Detailing
Williamstown, NJ
Thursday, January 3, 2008
feast or famine
When
you are in business it is usually either feast or famine.
Here in the northeast part of the country, you can basically
figure that most detailing businesses are not very busy during the months of January and February. Hey, who wants to get their
car detailed with a foot of snow on the ground? Once the weather starts to get a little milder by the beginning of March and
the chance of snow, ice and road salt are gone, that is the time when detailing really begins to pick up again.
The
demand for detailing here in New Jersey usually remains high until late August, right before schools open again. That bit
of a slowdown usually only lasts a few weeks until everything gets back to normal from summer vacations, etc.
By the
end of September, the phone starts ringing again and doesn't stop until the holidays in December. The autumn is the time of
year when just about everyone wants to protect their car from the upcoming extremes of winter weather. Usually, December is
relatively busy, however when the extreme cold weather comes a bit early, that can have an effect on demand at that time of
the year. As you can see, some detailing businesses are affected by seasonal conditions more than others.
Frank
Canna
Mirror
Finish Detailing
Williamstown,
NJ
Saturday, December 22, 2007
creating an image and reputation
You
only get one chance at creating an image of what your business represents in the marketplace. And at the same time you also
only get one reputation too. When
it comes to running a profitable business it is not a good idea to try to be all things to all people. That approach makes
it very difficult to maintain a clear image of how your business is identified in the marketplace. It is the difference between
being thought of as a car wash compared to a detailing business. Hey, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to have no association
with being thought of as a car wash. That's why even to this day I never list on any of my printed materials that I wash the
car prior to detailing. It's just taken for granted. It is really up to you to find a need and fill it. Personally, I have
found that it is much better in the long run to do one thing and do it right.
Frank
Canna
Mirror
Finish Detailing
Williamstown,
NJ
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
wintertime mobile detailing
As we all know, most businesses are affected by seasonal changes and the daily operations should
be adjusted accordingly. Just like a farmer would not be able to go out there and plow their fields when the ground is frozen,
those of us in the Northern States also see a slow down in the mobile detailing business during the winter months. It is all
part of the business cycle. Here in New Jersey, unless December is unusually cold, I can remain
rather busy up until the holidays. However, by the time January and February arrive, it is just way too cold to get anything
done outside. Although I usually have a few customers on standby, just in case we do get a few days of a warmup.
I use those cold winter days to catch up on some much needed business activities; such as updating
newsletters, flyers, business cards and making changes to my website. I also get a chance to work on all of those antique
and classic cars that are stored indoors at the customers' location. There is nothing better than going out the door on a
cold winters day, only to end up in a nice warm heated garage working on an old-time collector car. It is a day like that when
I get to thinking that I should be paying my customer, instead of them paying me, just for giving me a chance to get out there
and do some detailing on a cold snowy day. I also take care of detailing a few boats that are stored indoors. That is another
way I keep busy detailing in winter. What I especially like about detailing cars and boats indoors in winter is that you can
really slow down, relax and take plenty of time knowing that you have got all day to keep out of the cold. It is one of the
true benefits of detailing in winter. Before you know it, the days start to get longer, the snows begins to melt and the cycle
starts all over again. That's what business is like for me in the winter.
Frank Canna
Mirror Finish Detailing
Williamstown, NJ
Friday, November 2, 2007
high pressure sales tactics
A
good sales pitch will not do very much when it comes to getting someone interested in having their car detailed. High pressure
sales tactics usually do not work. What does work is going out there and finding clients who already have a need for the services
I offer and then filling that need. Keeping it simple. Being in the detailing business is not about becoming
a good sales person. It has more to do with being a good business person.
Frank
Canna
Mirror
Finish Detailing
Williamstown,
NJ
Friday, October 26, 2007
taking care of wheels and tires
I recently wrote another article for Professional Carwashing & Detailing Magazine. This time
it is about taking care of wheels and tires. The article talks about the changes that wheels and tires have gone
through over the years and the processes involved in order to safely clean and protect todays specialty wheels and
low profile tires. Look for the article to appear in the December issue of the magazine. Of course, I will post
a copy of the article on the Newsletter page of the website as soon as it becomes available.
Frank Canna
Mirror Finish Detailing
Williamstown, NJ
Friday, October 12, 2007
rewards for new customer referrals
The highest compliment
my customers can give me is the referral of their friends, family and business associates. That's why I mail
out a Twenty Dollar Gift Card to every current customer who sends me a new customer. Over the years this type of
reward has worked out very well. Some people who send me two or more new customers end up saving either $40
or more off of their next car detailing. While a few others appreciate the gesture and do not even use
the gift card. What this type of incentive does, at the very least, is let my customers know that I appreciate
when they tell their friends, family and business associates about my mobile detailing services. After all,
that is the primary goal.
Frank Canna
Mirror Finish Detailing
Williamstown, NJ
Saturday, October 6, 2007
quaility assurance
Customers just seem to notice some things more that others. That
is why windows are at the top of my quality checklist. Windows that are not completely clean are the one thing
that customers will notice first. I could spend hours polishing and waxing and achieve a flawless finish, however, if
the windows are not completely clean, the quality of my work could be judged as sub-standard.
Also, I am not really finished detailing a vehicle until it gets a final wipe-down. That
is the time when I spend a few extra minutes inspecting every thing that has been thoroughly cleaned, polished, waxed
and protected. This is one of the most important steps in my entire detailing process. I always allow more than
enough time to check the finished appearance of both the exterior and interior of each completed vehicle. The result
must be a vehicle that so clean, it actually exceeds my own quality standards.
Frank Canna
Mirror Finish Detailing
Williamstown, NJ
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