You hear business coaches talking about USP's all the time, but USPs only matter when you’re at the impact level. Below that, they are a waste of words. They talk about you, not your customers problems. Customers don’t buy slogans, they buy solutions, solutions to their problems. Focus on their external problems (what’s wrong or needed on their car) and their internal problems (what’s worrying them about it). Address those first. If you’re stuck in sales, squeezed on profit or fighting flaky systems, don’t polish a promise — Off er solutions the their problems, speak directly to their pain. Richard Farleigh thinks USP's are unesscesary he suggests that you either: disrupt, discover or defend. You disrupt with price or product. (external problem) You discover what customers actually need. ( internal problem) You defend margin and reputation with systems. Simple. Sharp. If you can’t sell and serve consistently, a clever USP is just a waste of words.

Everytime I ask a garage owner to do more, or do better before they consider doing something additional, they nearly always respond with one of 4 excuses. I call them the 4 M's Money, Market, Method & Model. But the thing that is really holding them back is.....them. The 5th M. Mindset. But they never say it, because it's uncomfortable recognising your shortcomings. It's more comfortable blaming the external factors of money, market, methods and model. But the reason why most garages are not more successful are internal factors. Self limiting beliefs. This week I will be discusing this live straight after the live at 1830 hrs on Wednesday https://www.skool.com/live/5JpQBTbT9WM

Envy, Ego, or Evidence? How do you compare your business with your competitors? The right mindset turns comparison from bitterness to betterment. Do you 'spy' on the competition? Or are you too good or too afraid to learn from your peers? In my experience, Garage owners either ignore the competition or compare themselves unfairly. A typical response is “I just focus on my own business.” Or looking at bigger workshops, better websites and newer kit makes them feel inferior. Neither helps. Because your customer is comparing you and your competitors, whether you do or not. Download the worksheet to help you study the competition without copying, criticising, or crushing your confidence. Learn from their mistakes. Borrow from their success. Improve your own business. Admire. Adapt. Avoid.

Behaviour design, sounds like something out of a 70's Bond Movie, doesn't it? But if you want your staff, your customers or even you to do something, it might be helpful to know which of the three key elements is lacking. Then design your systems and processes to encourage the desired behaviours. The example in the video I'd like you to consider is recording daily income. Once it is habitual, it becomes the action prompt for saving 5% in the VAT vault. Having money in a separate account is a great way to ease the cash flow burden of the VAT bill, but it is the start of something much bigger. Measuring, managing and mastering the financial aspects of your business. Because you are recording daily income, it becomes a focus point: job cards get completed, invoices are sent, and payments are made. It also forces the business to be more efficient, as it has to operate with less cash. This tiny action, recording daily income, is how I started to get to grips with my business. Give it a go, do it for a month, simply record on a spreadsheet your daily income.

How to build a business that goes on and on. This is the latest Training topic in the Garage Owners Facebook group. I will be online to discuss the subject 'live' at 1830 hrs on Wednesday. https://www.skool.com/live/5JpQBTbT9WM