Paintless Mentor Podcast

Paintless repair always gets good reviews. Touch up does not. Is there something we are doing to cause problems for our customers? What can you do to protect your business? SHOWNOTES

By the time the storm was over and they fixed all the cars, Jim and his partner lost $25,000. Each.    The worst part? It didn't have to happen.    Jim even saw it coming.    At one point, he suggested the body shop should sign the invoices on all the cars.    “Oh no, Dusty always pays.”   Only this time, Dusty didn’t pay.   Why did Jim Sullivan tell us this story? Because he provides PDR estimating software. The program which could have stopped this huge hail storm loss.    Listen to find out how you can:   protect yourself and your partners at a storm track whats happening at your body shop hail sites allow your shops to write estimates get more money on your big dent jobs   Be sure and listen to the end. Especially if you never want to get ripped off at a hail storm. SHOWNOTES

Customers are the lifeblood of your paintless business. Would you trust your interactions with them to artificial intelligence? Only if you were certain it would result in a better experience for them. Have we reached the point in tech advancements to allow for this? Yes, we think so. Listen to see how we are implementing a better start to the pdr estimating process using bots and believe it or not, facebook. SHOWNOTES

Your dad liked them. You liked them. Now your kids like them and they are telling all their friends.  Something which appeals to three generations or more, this is what we call timeless.  Baseball? Yeah, but its really a pastime.  We’re talking about things which seem temporary, like popular music.  Music is popular for a small window of time, then it falls off a cliff into the realm of yesterday. But not all.  Led Zeppelin to wit. Each new group of teenagers “discovers” this group and their world is changed forever.  This is timeless.  Is there a way to position your business in your customer’s minds the same way? How to stand out Create an experience Stay “top of mind” Also in this episode: How we lost 8 reviews and why we love how we got them.  SHOWNOTES

Robo calls. Always an interruption when you’re in the middle of a dent repair. Every call starts with a lie, too.  “You’re listing is not correct…” or some such nonsense.  But there really is a way for a well meaning person, or worse an evil competitor to alter your listing. If you’re not careful, you may not even know about it for a time.   Also, year end, we talk tax planning again.    Finally, the best way to negotiate with an insurance adjuster, and exactly when and where you will need it.    SHOWNOTES Click above to see links to all the articles we talked about in today's episode

You sell dent repair services. This customer has a dent. Naturally, you start selling your dent repair service.  Oops you missed it.  Fixing the dent is only one of the things they want (and its the last they want to talk about).  Listen to uncover the six things your customer really wants. Then check out the shownotes for the list which will help you sell more, and write unbeatable ads.

If you’re like every PDR tech who ever pushed a dent, you love new tools. We love seeing the new stuff too, even when its just for using around the office.  Over the years, we’ve found some apps or software which makes life easier. Listen to the tools we use in the dent repair office.    SHOWNOTES   You're going to want to click above, lots of links to these great tools!

They say every idea worth spreading starts on the West Coast of the USA. Not this time. PDR started two different places at the same time. Neither of them have a zip code starting with 9. Listen to how paintless began according to all the mostly true stories we’ve heard through the years. Also, why the changes coming in PDR will totally catch you off guard. SHOWNOTES Links Mentioned: Ep. 21 Should You Design Your Own PDR Tools

Ninety days from starting. All the time needed for you to realize running a PDR business is not as great as you thought it might be. You get more deductions, but also find you pay higher personal taxes.  The competition are fools and are ruining the business with unsustainable pricing. The state government is threatening to pass a law which will take away a good part of your business.  Somebody's gotta do something about this industry! What is the single most important thing to remember about your industry? What’s the most effective way to make changes? The real driving force behind most industry associations.  Listen as we pull back the curtain on what’s real and what’s not in the PDR industry.  SHOWNOTES  

Imagine coughing up money for a new car only to find it has hail damage on it. The underhanded way the dealer treated this customer would make Bernie Madoff blush.    Herein lies the reason for becoming more than just a metal pusher.   Consumer education builds trust.Trust builds sales. The stories you hear and experience can become public service announcements. You’ll see how to forearm your clients against dealer fraud and other shenanigans.    SHOWNOTES

Want to make more money in your PDR business? Raise your prices.  Easy for you to say, friend. We are first to admit, charging more is scary. At first.  When you hear what happened to us in this episode, you’ll see why it gets easier. Listen for a real example of a low price scaring a customer right into our shop.    How to get to the most important thing in your customer’s mind Where the money is coming from is important  Do your customer’s brag about your pricing? Amazon is all about price, right? The answer will surprise you SHOWNOTES

The best thing you can do for your PDR business website is make it google, or search engine friendly. Once your site is fixed up, the next best thing is to build links coming in to it. Google counts these as votes for your content and give you authority in the form of better placement in the listing. Local businesses can be easy to build links to if you know where to start. We found an article from Moz with some great suggestions. Listen as we tailor it to your PDR site. SHOWNOTES Also in this episode: #propsandchops - a tongue-in-cheek nod to PDR after shots, especially videos where the PDR tech obscures the outcome of the repair by the way its filmed. A gentle and humorous way to say “I see whatcha did there" Discussion on Honda Fit Lawsuit and $37 Million award Links mentioned: Choosing the Right PDR Customer 11 Ways for Local Businesses can Get Links How to get on the National News

Your customers are smart, that’s how they wound up in your shop or on the phone with you.  From you they need guidance, but what’s the best way to give it? Come right out and tell them what to do? Might work sometimes.  Better if you help them in a way which makes them feel as if it was their own discovery. What follows will be their own decision.  For this, you need influence. The ethical means to build the bridge to your business.  This is part 2 of our Persuasion episodes. Based on the newest book by Robert Cialdini   SHOWNOTES   Links in this Episode Persuasion PDR Marketing Part 1 Pre-suasion by Robert Cialdini

Have an idea for a PDR Light? Great! Please share it with the world. Better yet, build it, sell it and make lots of money.  No really you should.  But tread carefully, for it appears paintless dent repair tool innovation has sunk to the level of litigation.  Could you be sued for your innovative idea? Maybe. At the least, you can expect a cease and desist letter.  On one side of the court is James Lee and Elimadent, who holds a patent on mobile pdr lighting.  The other corner is filled with those who copy (or appear to) the designs of Elimadent.  But is that all there is there is to the story? What are we missing? Only all the history of LED based PDR lights which dates back to at least 2009.  This episode will highlight some key factors in the patent fight, and why we are against patents in general.    All links mentioned in this episode are in the SHOWNOTES

“You charge too much!” Those words ring in your mind for a long time.  Even days later, you realize what bothers you most is your reaction. What you replied in the heat of the moment.  If you ever wished you could go back and change something, then you know the power of negative prep.  The time to work these things out is before they happen. Once the missile is launched, its too late to aim it.  Listen as we uncover a technique for mental and emotional targeting as taught by Dr. Maxwell Maltz.  Psycho-cybernetics is all about aiming your brain in advance toward better outcomes.  SHOWNOTES Links mentioned in this episode: Psycho-Cybernetics book Flow of PDR Your 2 minds Brain Balance Avoid Overwhelm in PDR

What ya gonna do on this dent? Push it, pull it, knock it down. Look again. How about now? Explore with us a simple approach for paintless dent repair. See why and how the best use it daily and some don’t even know they’re using it.  This is how all the methods of dent removal come together for you to make faster, easier repairs.  Once you see it, you’ll know why we call it the Unified Theory of PDR. Because I don’t love the word “theory” for its dual meaning, a definition is needed. As used in our discussion, it “a set of principles on which the practice of an activity is based."   SHOWNOTES

Fixing a dent without painting is solving lots of tiny problems. Running a paintless shop means solving bigger problems.    An unauthorized, unskilled broker comes to town. A competitor stealing “your” account. Someone makes a false statement about PDR on the internet.    Must you tackle these head on?   Someone needs to do something.   The temptation is there, and they do get a lot of our attention, but is this where you want to put your focus?   This episode is a reminder to us that some problems are like gravity. Can’t change it. But it doesn’t have to hold you down.    SHOWNOTES   You’ll face the truth about:   dents unfixable used car dealers behavior competitors customers  PDR training  Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Designing Your Life Hail Car Trouble - episode 84

Your side gig. Your hobbies. Bet you have one or both. When you study these and compare to the paintless dent business, do you notice the similarities in their behaviors? The things which make a group turn on itself are not really unique to PDR. Other niches make this painfully clear: the same attitudes and strange views exist everywhere you look. People are people, right? Flame wars and cyber bullies on a PDR forum, do they only exist in your business? What makes the trolls come out anyways? What can you learn from it? You and I sell dent repair service. Understanding why someone behaves as they do, is helpful. Listen as we veer far afield and look at some other niches, then bring you back sideways to put it all to good use. Tips you can apply when hiring, in your own family, and even in situations where you are the one being served. SHOWNOTES

Ever price a hail damage car too low or take on one too severe to fix properly? Travis Daniels faced this very thing in his paintless business. “I’ll give you all my dent work if you fix this one car”. Listen to his story and what he learned from it. Also, we talk about some ways to change his website to optimize for his local market. make your customer see you as a hero getting the best domain name for your business SHOWNOTES  

On August 6 a tornado damaged many buildings near our paintless dent shop. The shop we left a few weeks before is a quarter mile away. It still stands, but is not safe to be in, much less to do business out of. Some have said, “You must be living right,” or “just good clean living!” Is this how it really works? Did our old neighbors lose their location for some hidden transgression? Maybe we were just lucky, or maybe its something else. Follow us as we examine the beliefs which can cost you money without knowing it. Also, what you must understand about any decision large or small. How it affects you and how it can help your sales. SHOWNOTES

Used car work is the low hanging fruit of any reconditioning business. PDR, detailing, touchup, just a snippet of what gets done to a used car.  Get some dealers, build your confidence in dent repair, yes. What are the perils of doing so? Can where you start also be the end of your paintless business growth? Uncover these dangers: the tainted referral confusing selling with negotiating Ironic account holding. What it is, and how to spot it     holds your retail pricing low If they get hailed on I’m getting all their work SHOWNOTES Links mentioned in this episode: Work PDR Wholesale the Right Way  

Everything is going up in price, you know this. You also know prices need to go up for your PDR services. You might also know its the easiest way to increase profits, just charge more.  But will you start to lose dent customers? What about the wholesale customers who see your prices be one level every week, then suddenly go up? What is the best strategy for going up in a way they can understand?   Also in this episode: can you be sued for the way you fix a dent? How a collision after repair left a body shop open to lawsuit.  What you should do now to protect yourself and your pdr business   SHOWNOTES

Lots of work, lots of techs to do it. Some enterprising fellow sees a chance to put himself between it all and make some easy money.  Broker is a 4 letter word in most PDR circles and sometimes with good reason. But is there a way to stop it, or at least minimize their impact on your market?   Tools we use: We picked up a Woyo induction hotbox dent puller. Hear about our misadventures with learning to use it.  SHOWNOTES

'Why didn’t you become a doctor or lawyer?' 'You should marry a doctor or lawyer.' A cliche for sure, but are we secretly embarrassed to call ourselves technicians? Some are.  Once had this conversation with a young man in the hail business earning 6 figures: “Are you proud of what you’ve accomplished?” "I am, but most of my friends went to college, and though I make more, they still look down on me."   Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer of the band Weezer went back to college (twice) after finding music success.  What makes us want more status? How can we get it, or better yet, how can we make the switch internally? Should we be so quick to turn over important jobs to others? The big secret about high earning “boutique” jobs   SHOWNOTES   Links mentioned in this episode: Power of No in your Paintless Business

“Have you guys ever burned out pushing dents?” "No, I haven’t” This was my answer to Ron Kronon in this episode’s interview.  But I was not completely honest. Burn out just might be why I stopped the paintless dealer work in 2003.  What I felt then was the hopeless futility of doing dealer work.  They tried to hire one of my employees to compete with me. They set the prices. They dictated my earnings.  The only way to win the game was not to play.  If you do dealer work and this bothers you, sorry. It still bothers me.  Looking back now, I see most of my beliefs about doing dealer work were internal nonsense.  I think there is a right way to do it. Stay in charge. Keep your sanity. Not feel backed into a corner.  The “I gotta do this unfixable car or I’ll lose the account” nonsense that seems to rule the PDR vendors belief system.  Derek and I have worked hard to overcome this.  Its worked out well, both in income and emotional well being.  But here’s the reality.  A good business setup for any paintless tech is going to be a balanced mix of retail and wholesale. How we choose to do business is not right for all and we know this.  What does a dealer used car manager or recon manager think of you as a vendor? What mistakes does he see you making when you try to get his work? To find out, we interviewed Ron Kronon, a 30 year vet of wholesale PDR. He also grew up around dealerships.    SHOWNOTES   In this episode you’ll discover: Why some PDR techs give up too soon on dealer accounts A better way to give a price so you don’t lose the gravy part of the repair Why selective quality may be a necessary evil when doing dealer work  Related Episode: Work Wholesale the Right Way

Social Media can make your paintless business grow. But its a lot of work. To get traction, you have to post a minimum of once a day.  Not only can this be a lot of work, its a huge distraction which can take you away from making money pushing dents.  Is there a way to control the timesuck? More and more sites are allowing you to schedule out your posts. Sit down once a week and set up your posting in advance and you’re done. Sort of.  Once you make a post, its a flash in someone’s timeline or feed. They might miss it.  Today, there are tools which allow you to build a library of posts which can be recirculated over time. Listen to hear our thoughts on these tools.    SHOWNOTES   Links mentioned in this episode: Buffer App IFTT (If This Then That) Zapier Meet Edgar Smarter Queue   Tool Reviews: Druztoolz Carbon Fiber Rod  Ti-Tack Tip   Also in this episode: How to identify where your customer is in the sales timeline A quick tip to get better search engine rankings with just one tweak to your site

As you apply good marketing strategies to your business, you will feel growth pains. You might consider adding a tech or two to the paintless team.  Be warned: hiring is fraught with danger in any business. Paintless dent repair companies have issues totally unique in managing new hires.    What are the dangers and how can you protect your company? What is the best type person to hire, and how would you even know if they are a fit? How will you pay them? Fixed wage vs. commission? Don’t worry, if you are still working as an employee yourself,  you’ll find some tips on how to apply good marketing in your own job Also in this episode - why you should hire on purpose.    SHOWNOTES - free download: What I learned from Garth Brooks pool guy about hiring

I have this strange fear of cave diving. Those scuba tank and flipper wearing adventurers have my admiration. Still, just thinking about them doing it can send me into a sitting panic.  Irrational? Yes, I know its true. But the feeling is overwhelming.  Therein lies the topic of today's podcast. Avoiding overwhelm is an inside job, meaning our conscious thought.  Can you train your way out of overwhelm? We think so and I’ll bet the scuba cave diving school could teach me a thing or two. Maybe even calm me down.  Listen for some helpful tidbits to train your way out of overwhelm in these key areas:   SHOWNOTES Hail Dings When you’re busy Even when you’re slow Also: pomodoro method how do you switch modes when a customer walks in how to conquer an overwhelming task Links mentioned in this episode: Fix Hail Dents Faster

What really happens when you bid a hail job for a body shop and say, “I’ll do it for X”? Is it possible to sell your future on just one job? A hail season’s worth? I once felt that, hey, I’m just one guy. How I price doesn’t matter, right? Except it does.  You and I and every PDR tech good enough to work for body shops are now part of a big machine. Like it or not we drive the paintless division of the collision industry.  Think about it. For years it was body, frame, paint and mechanical. Now throw in paintless. Listen snd see how and why you price for hail and dents at collision shops makes a big impact.    SHOWNOTES   You say charge like a pro, aren’t you just being greedy? Why dropping your price is the greediest tactic of all Some of the most important real estate in your business (all have it many never use it) Get a good photo of flayed out car for estimating without stealing it Links mentioned in this episode: Gotprint.com for business cards Appsumo for deals on stockphotos

Please a customer and they will tell 10 others. Its a tired old axiom, but it only scratches the surface of what’s really going on in your paintless business.  Is it possible that one client could become a “super” customer? This is the person who loves you and your PDR service so much, they tell everyone about you. They repeat the story over and over to any who will listen. They will not forget you.  How do you recognize this kind of client? What should you do when you find one? What can you do to create an experience so great they can’t help but talk about you? How to fix your customer’s dented ego SHOWNOTES Links mentioned in this episode: PDR Review Getting System Are You Choosing the Right Customer? How to make a Customer feel indebted to you

All the excitement of getting a new shop or house is too often snuffed out by the labor of packing and moving. We've been throwing stuff in corners and cubbies, never to touch it again for years. Now its all in our face. Take the nostalgia walk with us and discover why some of our current setup won’t be going with us. Also in this episode: Elimadent Glue gun review Shocking, but even your best customer is going to other shops, here’s what you need to do now Is it really possible to have too many lights? SHOWNOTES Links mentioned in this episode: Put Your PDR Business at the Top of the Mountain

Hail Season puts a paintless tech and business owner in a unique position.  You are viewed as the authority on price, fixability, repair options, etc.  But some PDR business owners are shy and reserved about stepping into the expert role. We cover 2 key areas where your expertise is needed: Insurance supplements Getting paid You’ll also hear  how we finally solved a problem with our bank and accepting two party checks.   How the changes in banking are affecting service How to behave when filing and negotiating a supplement SHOWNOTES Links Mentioned in this Episode: Direction to Pay sheets for hail PDR  Hail Money Coming - be Ready How Not to Be Intimidated in PDR  

Ever wonder what your PDR business might be worth? Would you sell it? Never kill the goose that lays golden eggs, they say.  What are some factors to consider? Who will buy it? Will they run it well? Do they have more resources than you? Time? How long will you stay on during transiition? SHOWNOTES   Also in this episode: Tool review - Druztools pimp stick Prior hail damage - update Facebook slander - how we handled it      

Overhead. The largest expense you have. Some techs say, I don’t want to be tied to a shop. Some would never be without one.  Others think its too expensive and opt for a $700 truck payment instead. Here is our take on expansion and what’s coming up in our PDR business.   Should I even have a shop at all? How you know when its time to expand Your customers perception - we discovered ours in the strangest way The shops we’ve had through the years and why SHOWNOTES

I really like the picture on our paintless repair website. But what does it say to customers? Does it convey the message which will get them to call and give us money? How would you even know? This episode tells you exactly how to know which picture, headline or element is the best for maximizing your web results.  We’ll show you some ways to do it free and tell you the things we are testing very soon.  Where to split test for free How to set it up Why its important  Tips on images for your PDR site Derek has some reviews on tools as well: Edgy Tools Knockdown Plastic Hammer from Druztools Dentgear Buddy Tool 18" SHOWNOTES   Links mentioned in this episode:   crazy egg google analytics "Everybody Lies" by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz   Appsumo.com imageoptim app  kraken.io

“How much for a small dent?” You hear this many times a day if you do retail.  Of course, you have to get to the bottom of the real deal. We show you how in this episode.  But should you give a price or range by phone? I know we don’t want to and we discuss why, and how a recent observation is causing us to change our ways.    What to put in a texted or emailed price for protection Why your customer wants a price in the first place Your customer thinks one way, but here’s why you shouldn’t SHOWNOTES Links mentioned: Finding the Right Price for Your Dent Work How to Negotiate in Paintless Dent Repair Why You Need to Charge More for Dents

Could the rules you impose in your business be anti customer? You might be surprised to learn that company rules led to the death of over 100 people in Japan.  We share our own nightmare customer story, and tell you how to avoid your own.    Why we turned our Paintless business website upside down How a confused lady turned into a raving fan customer Your website needs to do one thing, here’s how many miss it Security certificate on your site: what to watch out for How to use text messages the right way SHOWNOTES   Links mentioned in this episode: Episode 46 Customer Service Issues Done Right

Making videos is exciting. Its fun, its new, woo hoo! Until it comes time to edit. Voiceover? Narration? You need to tell a story, get your message across, get them to call you. What should you say? The same things you say when a customer is in front of you might be good. Maybe you should record what you say, and make a script from that.  Wistia, a video hosting company has put together a useful tickler file you can use to narrow down your thoughts about what you do. It has all the stuff you would want in any direct response video where you want the customer to take action.  No more staring at a blank page. I found this process eye opening and useful for where to go next in my paintless videos.    SHOWNOTES Also in this episode: How to turn down stupid deals quickly 2 guys buy a hail car, one gets ripped while another gets away with it build a list in your local market? the ins and outs changes we are making to our PDR site how to switch to a secure site without losing rank how to turn your website into an indoctrination machine

In a theme park like Disneyworld, you get an immersive experience. Every where you look, fantasy. Oh, and something to buy too. Fun.  Disney and Las Vegas are the two places where all your money gets taken, yet you typically leave with a smile.  Your website is, or should be like a theme park. Once a visitor comes in, you want to keep them there. At least up till the time they pick up the phone and call you.  We talk with Justin Huffman of Three Rivers Dent in Pittsburgh, PA, USA about marketing, web stuff and dents. Justin’s a sharp guy and we fell down multiple rabbit holes.  How his website dropped a step or two marketing makes you unemployable would you take a job as PDR employee - freedom of time Why you should work on commission at least once in your life SHOWNOTES   Links mentioned in this episode:  Startpage.com ThreeRiversDent.com

Ever feel like a small fish in a big pond? How can you get ahead of your competition? Good news, you only have to be a tiny bit better to win.  Do better at these 5 key areas of your business by just 1% and you come out on top. These tiny, incremental improvements will give you an accumulated advantage over all your competitors. In a short time, you could easily wind up with 80% of all the retail paintless dent repair [link] in your area. By the time your market figures it out, your business stands above all and there is no chance for them to catch up.    How to gain accumulated advantage the 5 parts of your business to notch up for best leverage Strong example why social media is not a place for customer service interaction SHOWNOTES Links and resources mentioned in this episode: James Clear on 80/20  Tim and Derek on 80/20 advantage Handling customer complaints the right way

The grass looks greener, yes, but sometimes your side looks pretty good too. What is behind this bipolar, love and hate thing we have going with our own business? If you look close enough, there are some really amazing things going for you. Raving fans, a great location, props from people  you might not even know about. Yet, even when forced to acknowledge these fortunes, we turn around and forget as soon as the next struggle happens.  Listen to discover why it happens, and even how to overcome it.  Also: Customer freaks out and teaches us a lesson about pricing dents How I lost a hail job and how to prevent it  No, I won’t fix your mangled up RV door, but here’s why I let you down easy SHOWNOTES Links and Resources mentioned in this episode: Headwinds/Tailwinds Assymetry by Davidai and Gilovich How to Get Reviews on Purpose - Episode 51

Adding video to your paintless marketing plan is no longer optional. It is the best way to optimize the results from your website and social media. But what kind of videos are needed? Is their a best method for posting videos to get the best ranking results? Steven Dumala from the facebook group "PDR Video Marketing" joins us and explains: The "Push, Pull, Pop" method for video creation ideas 3 areas of a video which you want to pay special attention to. The proper way to post and embed videos SHOWNOTES Links mentioned in this episode: PDR Video Marketing Facebook Group Download the free Video Marketing Checklist How to Market Your PDR Business Part 1 and Part 2 Persuade Your Customers in 6 Ethical Ways

Technology is changing businesses all over the world. Think about taxi services. Uber and Lyft come along and grab a whole bunch of their business. How? Better service through technology. Biggest gripe of a taxi customer? Never know if they are going to show up when they said they would. Could your dent business by affected by technology like this? Listen as we talk about some potential disruptors and what to do about them. How you can be the disruptive factor in your market with pricing How to get a link out of your Google My Business to get more reviews Facebook group now open - why it took us so long SHOWNOTES

Do you need to get certified or is it all propaganda? No matter which camp you are in, you are being influenced. You might even turn around and influence others to join your camp. Why would you do this? The only way to make a good decision about certification is to understand the motivations behind it. Tech frustration. Its the big reason. Are you ruled by it? Certified or not, what's the most important thing you must say to the mirror and the world? What's our position on certification? The answer may surprise you. SHOWNOTES

Is there really a state of mind where you become 5x more efficient, focused and productive? Its called the "Flow State" and you've seen it in sports many times. But it is not just a tool for athletes. It works in anything you do. How to get yourself in the flow state on purpose The surprising way to get yourself in flow on purpose Just how much risk is needed to get yourself into "flow" Callout to thought leaders in PDR: Be honest about drilling, please SHOWNOTES Links mentioned in this episode: "Stealing Fire - How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work"

Sheets of paper, sheets of metal. Two very different things. Or so you would think. Make a few folds in paper and you've got a paper airplane. Folds in metal? Turns it into a door, a hood, ultimately, a car. Every fold, crease and curve in sheet metal allows a car to hold its shape. Understand this and your dent repair will get better by leaps and bounds. You'll even have more fun pushing as you learn to make things work in your favor. Why does one dent behave different from another? How this fundamental principle applies to every dent and every repair method too What every push is really doing to your panel SHOWNOTES

25 years in business, best in your town, certified, bonafide, yada yada. Who cares? Not your customer! One word will make your customers pay attention to you, bring their car in and yes, give you money. This one word could get you 66% more views on Youtube. Ready? You need to hear this. Tom's Shoes gives a pair away with every purchase. This social business model is helping drive very large sales. Can it be adopted for a service business like paintless dent repair? SHOWNOTES

Fixing dents without painting is addictive. Good, clean, fun. At least we think so. But, what if you're just starting out and pushing dents is the last thing you want to do? How can you know where you are in the road to the ultimate brain balance? Learn the 4 levels of competence, and some exercises you can do to start the process off right. SHOWNOTES Links mentioned in this episode: Brain Gyms Stroke of insight Ted Talk

Follow up to last weeks question. PDR business owner Justin Huffman asked us to dig deeper into his site rankings. What we found surprised us. His site shows to rank for his town's keyword, but the site does not actually appear in the listing. Was it changing the content management system from wordpress to Wix? Perhaps some sketchy links purchased on Fiverr? Also in this episode: What reasons does Google have for leaving a site off the index? Sharing links within the industry, what's the right way to do it?` An image hack for making text over photos show better. Proper site structure for SEO. Turn reviews into this for maximum impact SHOWNOTES  

Your name in lights. 15 minutes of fame. First page of google. Three things you might want. First two? Not likely. The third we can help you with. SEO, or search engine optimization. Big words simply saying your Paintless dent business on page 1 for your search term. e.g. (your town)+dent repair. Interesting subject? Not unless you understand the power of getting, having and yes keeping a front page listing. We're talking about natural listings, the kind which give you credibility and a steady stream of dent customers. You will discover why a site makes it to the top, the tools to use get there and finally, a couple of tweaks to dominate your town's PDR listings. In this episode: How to check and then make your site google friendly What you need on all your social media sites Why user experience is key to SEO Links mentioned in this episode: SHOWNOTES Paintless Mentor Podcast Episode 5 and Episode 6 Google Webmaster Tools Startpage.com  

Where are we headed and when will get there? Will the paintless dent repair business get easier? Harder? Are brokers taking over the hail business? What can you do about it? Will the T-hotbox take over the business and make push-behinders obsolete? Should you switch to glue pull PDR only? Listen as we talk about what's to come and some updates too: What's the final cost of our thank you card program? How State Farm thinks about what you do. SHOWNOTES Also mentioned in this episode: Get PDR Reviews on Purpose T-Hotbox tips with Drew Lechtenberg of Druztoolz.com