Best way to try get clients for mobile mechanics

[colinsautos]

So I've been looking into doing mobile mechanics full time as self employed, however as well as doing personal vehicles I'm also looking at trying to get some contracts with company's who have fleets of vehicles who outsource there work to garages rather than employing mechanics, but I'm struggling to work out how to get research from different company's e.g trying to see if any company's would be interested In a fleet maintaine deal, I've been on google maps and emailed company's round about my area but this is really time consuming as having to write down there name then try trace there email and slot of there emails are just generic ones of straight to a info@ email address, what do yous do to try get contracts ?

Here's a copy of the email I've been sending

Hi... let me introduce myself, so my name is Colin mckay and I'm a fully qualified time served car/hgv/psv/pcv/trailer mechanic and fully qualified inspector.

I've been in the trade now for just over 7 years working for a top end coach fleet of over 120 vehicles and now currently working with a waste management fleet of over 70 vehicles.

I'm currently looking at moving to self employment of offering mobile mechanic services to the public/trade, this will range from small jobs such as bulbs, battery's, services, inspections to modifications, lighting installs, dash cam installs, tracker installs all the way up to full engine swaps.

The area i cover would be all Glasgow and surrounding areas for public and all of uk for trade/fleets, there would also be a full 24/7 365 days call out service to keep your car/fleet on the road making your business money.

For fleet work of multiple of jobs e.g full fleet to have dash cams fitted and hard wired or trackers to be fitted to full fleet there would be discounts for this multiple vehicle fitting. Also for your fleet work I would like to start offering inspection/service plans meaning your vehicles are always inspected within vosas rules on your operators licence with all paperwork upto date for any visits vosa make to your premises.

The reason you were sent this email and data is best your either run a fleet or run a car sales business within the local area.

If this email doesn't involve yourself then it would be greatly appreciated if it can be forwarded onto the manager in charge of vehicle maintenance or transport manager.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email information and I hope to hear back from you as all feedback is welcome, any more information required feel free to contact me as I'm happy to help.

Thank you
Colin's Auto's

 

[lositom]

Hi Colin,

This is really difficult. Your email is very long. People will not have the desire or the time to read it in its entirety, if at all, in my opinion.

Could you try phoning? Or writing? Unfortunately this is going to be tough. Businesses will be used to cold calls - whatever the method - and will be 'screen their calls' to avoid sales people.

You need to really get across the advantages and convenience of you going to them.

I'll have a think.

 

[Discdevil]

Facebook i would say is #1 as people would want a mobile mechanic in their area i would suspect. Also a website contains "dorks" which google picks up on to help searchers come to your website when they search for mechanics near me for example.

 

[colinsautos]

Facebook i would say is #1 as people would want a mobile mechanic in their area i would suspect. Also a website contains "dorks" which google picks up on to help searchers come to your website when they search for mechanics near me for example.

Currenlty have a Facebook page that I've been advertising on buy and sell pages ect for personal cars rather than fleet, but with fleetwork contracts are going to be the biggest part due to helping company's run there fleets with constant money for inspections and any repairs but also when there at there premises the personal will see the sign writing ect and engage more clients, in the both company I've worked for has had plenty drivers wanting 'homers done' so working within different fleets would spread the mobile mechanics name about more and more jobs and a new oppurinty to take on a apprentice to get through work quicker and another young person in a job

 

[colinsautos]

Hi Colin,

This is really difficult. Your email is very long. People will not have the desire or the time to read it in its entirety, if at all, in my opinion.

Could you try phoning? Or writing? Unfortunately this is going to be tough. Businesses will be used to cold calls - whatever the method - and will be 'screen their calls' to avoid sales people.

You need to really get across the advantages and convenience of you going to them.

I'll have a think.

Thank you, I tried to keep the email short but tried to get vital information of services across without see-saw emails, I think phoning is going to be the most cost effective method and have a reply to each company compared to letters just going straight in the bin and the price of stamps for them all

 

[Discdevil]

Currenlty have a Facebook page that I've been advertising on buy and sell pages ect for personal cars rather than fleet, but with fleetwork contracts are going to be the biggest part due to helping company's run there fleets with constant money for inspections and any repairs but also when there at there premises the personal will see the sign writing ect and engage more clients, in the both company I've worked for has had plenty drivers wanting 'homers done' so working within different fleets would spread the mobile mechanics name about more and more jobs and a new oppurinty to take on a apprentice to get through work quicker and another young person in a job

Excellent, you are doing the right thing as far as i can see. Supplying google maps with your business is another good idea.

 

[colinsautos]

Excellent, you are doing the right thing as far as i can see. Supplying google maps with your business is another good idea.

Thank you, doing the Facebook stuff is ok when In a job but couldn't make enough money to go self employed with it, hence why the fleet work would be a good kick start, supplied google maps with the details but they only put down the area rather than address so I can't quite yet verify the account as can't receive a post card but sort of by passed the address bit and managed to add on my address in the fao bit so hopefully it arrives at my house so I can verify it

 

[Discdevil]

Hmm interesting, you are able to use your address yes to verify (the obviously cant deliver to your van ) i think the main aim is to be google searchable in your area. alot of people simply do this by editing their web-page title to include all the surrounding areas (the bit where your tab text) as this is eminently searchable via google and this takes alot of precidence when displaying results

 

[colinsautos]

Hmm interesting, you are able to use your address yes to verify (the obviously cant deliver to your van ) i think the main aim is to be google searchable in your area. alot of people simply do this by editing their web-page title to include all the surrounding areas (the bit where your tab text) as this is eminently searchable via google and this takes alot of precidence when displaying results

I don't actually use a van I'm in the middle of trying to convert my boot of my Vauxhall antara into a sealed van looking unit as there's enough room to have a toolbox, shelfs and build in storage boxes into the floor to hold fluids ect, this still leaves me with my 5 seats in my car plus the heated seats and sat navs so can direct to places plus have a nice warm seat for winter Tbh I haven't really thought about a website due to people mostly searching Facebook or google and clicking on one of googles numbers at the top rather than looking for websites but if I could run a basic site to get to the top of the google list in the area it would be a lot handier

 

[arnydnxluk]

First and most important thought for me - you're emailing potential customers talking about "looking at moving to self employment", this probably doesn't put much confidence in people. It's honest but I doubt anyone wants to be guinea pig for your new service which their business will rely on. I would cut out the negative and focus on the positive.

 

[lositom]

you're emailing potential customers talking about "looking at moving to self employment", this probably doesn't give people much confidence in the service you're offering.

This is an excellent point. You want to state the positive - the years of experience not "I'm having a go at it". Be confident!

 

[fisicx]

Advertise, advertise, advertise.

Huge poster on the side of the van would help. I wouldn't bother with facebook (unless you are advertising) but a website and a strong presence on Google for your local area (with adverts) would have a much better ROI.

How do you lift a vehicle at the side of the road? How do fix brakes when the car is parked on a slope? How do you fit all the diagnostic kit in the back of the van?

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

https://en-gb.facebook.com/Lgmobilemechanics/

This is our local chap Luke and Facebook has brought him some success
He is a really good mechanic and I do most stuff but go to him when "they computers play up on the vans ! (Frigin compuders )

You will notice Luke and Sam are almost as pretty as me !

 

[Annoying Donkey]

Your email is all about you.
Make it about them. What is the client's biggest problem you solve? How is your solution unique to you? Why you, over any other mobile mechanic?
Most of the info about you should be on a website rather than in an email.
Make them an offer they can't refuse... Best guarantee in your industry, free added value or something better... Make a time limited offer.
Send individual personalised emails. Takes more time, but is more effective.
Follow up.

Personal visits. Take A5 card with an "elevator speech in print" rather than a business card, so your big benefit is right in front of them. Hard to ignore someone standing in front of you...

 

[colinsautos]

First and most important thought for me - you're emailing potential customers talking about "looking at moving to self employment", this probably doesn't put much confidence in people. It's honest but I doubt anyone wants to be guinea pig for your new service which their business will rely on. I would cut out the negative and focus on the positive.

Thank you for this, I'm going to come up with new letters to drop into different companies with information on what services I'm going to offer e.g call outs, travelling to do entire fleets at different areas, taking control of there service plans to make sure there all done in time ect plus a rough idea guide lines of costs to them for supplied and fitted prices

 

[colinsautos]

Advertise, advertise, advertise.

Huge poster on the side of the van would help. I wouldn't bother with facebook (unless you are advertising) but a website and a strong presence on Google for your local area (with adverts) would have a much better ROI.

How do you lift a vehicle at the side of the road? How do fix brakes when the car is parked on a slope? How do you fit all the diagnostic kit in the back of the van?

The rear of the car I'm converting will have sign writing at the rear and trying to design sign writing for the sides to stand out, it will also have the yellow and red reflective materiel on the full rear as this is a extreme safety caution for myself when working road side plus grabs attention.

The lifting of vehicles at roadside would be a rare occasion as would offer roadside assistance to get the vehicle back on the road, but I have contacts within recovery industries who I would use to recover it if need be.

Taking wheels of a car on a slope I would use wheel chocks to stop the car from moving

Diagnostics machine are very simple now a days most are hand held devices with not much cables

 

[colinsautos]

Your email is all about you.
Make it about them. What is the client's biggest problem you solve? How is your solution unique to you? Why you, over any other mobile mechanic?
Most of the info about you should be on a website rather than in an email.
Make them an offer they can't refuse... Best guarantee in your industry, free added value or something better... Make a time limited offer.
Send individual personalised emails. Takes more time, but is more effective.
Follow up.

Personal visits. Take A5 card with an "elevator speech in print" rather than a business card, so your big benefit is right in front of them. Hard to ignore someone standing in front of you...

I will take all this info on Board as it's very helpful, Thank you for this, I'm going to come up with new letters to drop into different companies with information on what services I'm going to offer e.g call outs, travelling to do entire fleets at different areas, taking control of there service plans to make sure there all done in time ect plus a rough idea guide lines of costs to them for supplied and fitted prices

 

[Mark T Jones]

In a nutshell, you are trying to say far too much to far too many people.

Nobody is going to read that, all they want to know is why they should contact you, how they should contact you and when they should contact you.

 

[Ace Light]

Hello Colin.

The time consuming stuff:

1. You are in the on-demand mechanic, mobile mechanic, mobile car repair, etc, you got competition (at least partly) like Click Mechanic funded to the tune of £1’115’000. There will be others, I don’t have time to start checking. You don’t have the capital to take them on head-on, so don’t, however still do check, we shouldn’t assume they are on the ball, or off it. They will be doing scalable and un-scalable customer acquisition, you are starting up, limited funds, alas you are going to have to do some un-scalable stuff, while also looking for chinks in the competitions armour. So, has to be done.

2. Now there are somethings you can do to speed certain things up, web scrapers, email hunters, things like that.

3. Sending emails out, there are plugins /add-ons / platforms, where you can put a list of contacts, and have each of them individually emailed with the message you desire. However at your stage, I would not use a platform. So, plugin / add-ons like this: http://www.office-outlook.com/outlook-addins/send-personally.html . I don’t know what you use, I like my desktops, haha.

4. In terms of scalable, you are looking at either highly localised, and different types of vehicles (which you are already doing so), maybe long tail keywords (so, mobile mechanic + most prevalent type of repairs or malfunctions in fleets): Google, Facebook.

5. Other places like industry specific forums, ad networks might have some places where your target audience frequents.

Cheers, Ace.