BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL! Building up an effective fleet in an industry of individualists
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stablishing a visual identity for your brand through your vehicles has other benefits. For one thing, uniformity provides a sense of professionalism to your operators--which will help you win over potential clients. Something about making your living on the open road attracts a certain type of rugged individualist into the auto recovery sector. If there’s one thing that individualists tend to avoid, it is working together--unless they believe it is to their advantage. Of course this means that the primary duty for fleet managers is creating a business model which makes it clear to operators that they are better off working with the fleet than competing with it. That might sound like herding cats, but there are a number of ways to make it clear to your team that they are better off working with you than competing against you. So how do you rally a bunch of independently minded operators around one banner? Here are a few ideas. Develop a recognizable brand If your fleet’s name is in the minds of drivers and partner business owners, your drivers will be better off. So how do you go about building recognition? It all starts with a paint job. Tow trucks themselves are excellent
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advertisements--and, unlike billboards, they can be seen over much larger areas. Establishing a visual identity for your brand through your vehicles has other benefits. For one thing, uniformity provides a sense of professionalism to your operators--which will help you win over potential clients. The more clients, the easier time you’ll have convincing your operators of the benefits of being a part of a bigger team. There is another trick related to image uniformity to give the impression of increased professionalism. Fair warning, though, it might be harder to get your team behind you on. That trick? Uniforms. In truth, the pitch should be pretty simple. Ask yourself--and your operators--what impression they have of schools where the students wear uniforms compared to ones without dress codes. Most people agree that schools with uniforms seem more academic and the students better behaved than schools without them--whether or not that is actually the case!
Don’t go around measuring people for blazers, though. A simple, branded overall with safety reflector will be more than enough! Build broad connections Establishing connections are key to finding success in any industry—but, for tow truck businesses, they can be a matter of life and death. For growing companies, ensuring your operators have access to as large a market as possible means figuring out ways to establish the brand in the minds of people in the area-and that means getting the word about your business. One tried-and-true business practice is setting times to meet with local business leaders whose work dovetails with your own. In the towing sector, that means meeting with local collision and auto salvaging business managers, or lot owners. The goal of initial meetings with these business leaders should never be to walk away with a formal agreement. Instead, fleet managers should aim to do two things. The first: to make it clear that your company is eager to provide a tailored service to partner businesses. The second: to identify the ways competing businesses are letting these potential clients down--and working out ways to be better. At the end of the day, most businesses will make decisions based on what company makes
“Package delivery!” The magic words that let you get anyon to open their front door, provided you are wearing a brown polo and shorts.
