The Best Recruiting Tool You Already Have

Speaker 1 00:00:00  This is the Automotive Repair Podcast Network.

Kim Walker 00:00:10  All right. Hello, everybody. Welcome back to The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast. I am your host for today, Kim Walker. Brian is doing his own thing, busy. And so I'm really happy to be here with one of our customer success managers, Hannah Cribbs. Hannah, thanks for jumping on the podcast with me today.

Hannah Cribbs 00:00:32  Of course. Happy to be here.

Kim Walker 00:00:34  Awesome. Okay everybody, we're going to be talking today about the best recruiting tool you already have. And we're going to dig in here. We have a client example we're going to share with you. But before we do that let's just take a pause and give our sponsor some love.

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Kim Walker 00:01:11  Okay, so here's the thing. We're going to talk today about a tool that you already have and some of you are using it.

Kim Walker 00:01:19  Some of you could be using it maybe a little better or just change it up somehow. But it is your recruiting tool which is your marketing. And so the thing about that is that your marketing is just not for your customers and telling them why to choose your shop. We always talk about how your marketing helps people get to know, like and trust you, but it is also helping your potential next team member understand why they should be choosing your shop. And so marketing and recruiting, they're not two separate things. You know we've had so much in the last couple of years where the conversation has been about hiring and lacking technicians. I mean, Hannah, how often when you're meeting with a client, does someone talk about needing someone on their team?

Hannah Cribbs 00:02:17  Oh, I would say it's definitely a weekly conversation. Sometimes it's every single meeting I have that week, someone has to fill some position in their shop. Sometimes it's one. But I would say every single week we hear about some kind of position needing to be filled, and most of the time it needs to be filled, you know, as soon as possible, right?

Kim Walker 00:02:37  Immediately.

Kim Walker 00:02:38  I need this person right now. That is going to be something we're going to talk about that we do here at Shop Marketing Pros is working to constantly fill our bench. Right. Have someone just kind of waiting. So y'all, Hannah actually joined our team as a social media strategist. And when a Customer Success Manager position opened up, she applied for it, and it was really kind of a no brainer to bring her on to that team. She already had some experience in there, so maybe some of you listening. She is your CSM. You're really lucky. I actually saw someone post in one of the Facebook groups recently. Every day somebody is in there, just like your conversations, Hannah. But somebody was talking about their marketing and I'm like, you know, it's been a minute since we've done a podcast about this. Let's do a new podcast. But at the same time, you shared in one of our slack channels about Jen's conversation or Jen sharing something and how she was really just happy with the partnership.

Kim Walker 00:03:44  I guess we should say that we have here. And so we got permission from Jen Rindflesh at Collinsville in Canton, Connecticut, and she's allowing us to kind of Share sort of her story. So we're going to hit on some of the highlights of the tools that shops already have. But Hannah, before we dig into that stuff, why don't you bring us back to the conversation where because Jen's been a client for a long time. Jen has been on this podcast with me before. Just like every shop, no matter how great your culture is, life happens and people are going to leave or you have to let someone go or whatever it might be, just kind of take us back and fill in the story. Talk about when Jen reached out and talk about her situation specifically.

Hannah Cribbs 00:04:40  It's just like definitely a big team effort between like all departments. So she reached out and said she had basically immediate needs, and there was three different positions that she needed to hire for. And basically saying, like, she needed these people, almost like yesterday, you know, like it needed to be immediate thing.

Hannah Cribbs 00:04:56  So We started all brainstorming of like, what we could do. It started off with Wendy, and she got everything scheduled and figured out what the social posts and the details for the positions and like the job listings. And then she transferred those over to Cheryl and I, and we got to work. So Cheryl started immediately getting the ads figured out. And so we were actually running multiple ads for multiple positions, making sure that we could, you know, just get it in the eyes of anyone and everyone out there who could be a great fit for these positions. And then we actually like as time went on and we kind of monitored how things were going. Jen was, you know, kind of checking in to see what kind of, you know, responses she was getting for certain things from the ads. We made some edits after that because she was like, I don't feel like I'm getting the, you know, right, people I'm looking for. I think these some of the words are too complicated that I chose.

Hannah Cribbs 00:05:53  So let's, you know, dial it back and make it just really simple. And so we changed some wording on the ads and the job listings. And then we got those back up and running. And then Jen and I had our monthly marketing meeting that week and so on, that weekly meeting or the monthly meeting, we actually just discussed a lot of the hiring and making sure we were all on the same page. We went over updates that were coming in, things she was hearing, people they were interviewing, how it was going, and we were actually able to fill one of the positions super quickly. You know, the other two are well on their way to be there as well. So she was very satisfied with the way that our team was communicating. And like the speed in which we were able to help her and the speed in which we were able to help make her edits as well, she was like, I really just appreciate the, you know, the team effort that you all have given me during what was already a stressful time.

Hannah Cribbs 00:06:46  You all have been able to take, you know, a lot of stress off my plate. So that was really great to be able to be a part of that and just see it firsthand how we're able to help our clients in a stressful time.

Kim Walker 00:06:57  Yeah. So I want to kind of break that down a little bit, and we don't have to go over all of the changes, but I find it fascinating and intriguing that she said, based on things she's hearing or like, I want to change this word or I want to change that in in the past and still a little bit, we're big fans of StoryBrand, which is capturing the attention of your audience and helping them see themselves in the story and really connecting with what their problem is. What were some of the things that she wanted changed, whether it was on the website or in the ads or whatever it might be? What were some of those things? Because somebody listening may hear that and say, oh, wow, that's really good for me too.

Hannah Cribbs 00:07:43  Yeah. So it wasn't like anything big. It was like just simple word changes. And it was like changing out the same word. Like it was already the same meaning for the word, but just changing it out a little bit and making it more simplified, really, because we had a lot of different, just kind of like detailed words in the listing at first. And she thought that's the way she wanted to go. And then like she said, once she started getting an interview, she was like, I think that it's just not telling the full picture of like what this position actually is and what they actually do. So like, let's dial it back and just like simplify it. So that's what we did. We made edit and we just made it a super simple listing like telling all the perks, the benefits of the business or of the position, and then also just sharing like exactly what they would be doing. And then once that was done, she started getting more conversations of people that were actually a fit for the job and, you know, knew what they were going into, knew what it would be.

Hannah Cribbs 00:08:38  And, you know, it felt like it was just an overall fit. So it wasn't even like, I'm trying to think of a specific change I can't think of, like the specifics, because they were really just like simple word changes and just honestly taking away words, if that makes sense. Like just making it simple.

Kim Walker 00:08:52  Yeah. Less is more. And, you know, it's the message is so important. And I see people posting regularly about technician jobs or whatever it might be. And there are these really long, drawn out like books. And I'm thinking one, it captured my attention because I'm a marketer in the automotive space and I'm like critiquing and looking and like taking things away from the posts that I'm seeing. But for the most part, I'm thinking if I were the technician looking for a job, would that grab my attention? Would it slow my scroll? Would it cause me to stop and look and want to learn more about that shop? So I think that it's very smart to really put yourself in the shoes of the reader, the potential technician, service advisor, whatever it might be, and make sure that the message is speaking to them.

Kim Walker 00:09:46  And with regard to the website, like I've got their website pulled up and I love how they start off with a video right up at the very top of their careers page. There's a video, and it's really kind of from the perspective of team members sharing what it's like to work there. And then they go in to why work for Collinsville? And what I love about this part on their careers page is that they're answering questions that a potential team member might be wondering. For example, we have a loyal customer base. What problem is that solving? Lots of technicians are paid based on the work in their base, so if they don't have work, they don't have loyal customers. They're worried about, am I going to be able to make enough pay there to support my family or whatever? The shop is always busy. Bays are always full, updated, high quality equipment. Most technicians probably are already working. There's such a shortage, they probably are already working. And so what if you capture the attention of the tech who is working in a dark, unorganized shop with old outdated equipment? And hear your ad and your website are talking about the great equipment that you have techs working with a completely paperless system, and then they label which system it is so that people will say, oh yeah, I use that.

Kim Walker 00:11:13  I love shop where the team atmosphere, the four day workweek, they go over their mission, their vision, their values, they make the application easy to access. And then they go into the the positions that are available, and then they tell you exactly what they're looking for so people can have a good understanding of I can be successful there. So one tool that we're saying, right, Anna, that you already have is your website. You know, a lot of people just get right to panic mode. I need someone and they go do a post on social media, but reach out to your whoever's doing your website. If you're doing your own website, great. If someone else is doing your website, it's that partnership reaching out like you said. Hannah. You know, Jen, it's stressful time when you are down a team member or 2 or 3 and letting some of that stress off of your shoulder and partnering with the people that are working with you. So talk to us a little bit about on the website.

Kim Walker 00:12:14  They put things in there. There's the video. There's the part about a great working environment. I know that Jen really cares about that. What can you say to people listening when it comes to culture as a part of your marketing, and how that relates to recruiting, and what can people be posting and that sort of thing?

Hannah Cribbs 00:12:38  Yeah, I would say it's super important because the point that you made most of these technicians are already like currently working and have positions. So you really have to figure out how you're going to market to somebody in that scenario two who may already have a position. And I think it is really all about the culture and showing what your shop has to offer. And I think we do that throughout all of the social media marketing we do for our clients. That's like a big thing that we want to do. Coming from my experience on like the social media team, we always want to show that in shop things we want to show. That's why we like having the team rosters updated, because we love to see and showcase the teams birthdays, their work anniversaries and that we share like a little bit of bio about each client or each person who works at the shop so that we can just share, like who they are, you know, and who's behind the shop, who's working in the shop, and the fun videos that we get from our clients to share on social media, just showcasing like the shop's culture of, you know, a fun little video saying like, you know, what's your favorite thing to work on in the shop? Or what's your least favorite thing to work on in the shop? And they kind of share some funny stuff back and forth.

Hannah Cribbs 00:13:45  But I think that goes so far when someone is looking at a shop to potentially interview for. They want to see like what the vibe is, what the culture is, how people work together there. And if they're able to easily go to all of your marketing and just see a clear picture of what to expect, it takes a lot of the nerves out of, you know, sending in your application because they feel like they know what they're getting on the other side. And then, you know, if you're truthful in those things and you're really able to show that when they get the position, they're happy, they feel like they are satisfied that it's a good fit for them. So I feel like the more culture and like details you can share behind what to really expect when you work there, the better, because not only do you hire quicker, you also keep that person way longer. So I just think it's a win win to show, you know, the personalities behind the shop.

Kim Walker 00:14:40  Yeah. So ultimately you're saying that when that potential team member, maybe they're at lunch right in the middle of their workday.

Kim Walker 00:14:50  They're already frustrated that they're not busy. They're frustrated that the shop is dirty, disorganized, dark. Maybe the culture, they just don't feel like they belong there or whatever it might be, and they're having lunch and see a post from you. While I generally kind of make fun of the grass is greener kind of thing, but if you can water that seed and have them thinking about what it might be like to work at your shop, and they see all these great posts and they're like, my shop's not doing that, but they're seeing that post. Probably the next thing they're doing is going to the website and looking and seeing, hey, who are these people? Let me see more about this shop. Let me go drive by this shop. I've talked about the first impressions checklist. Like, you know, not only does your shop, you know, should you be asking yourself, does it look appealing to a potential client, a customer. But how does it look to the potential next team member? And then they're also probably looking at your reviews.

Kim Walker 00:15:59  What can you say about the importance of reviews and how that might play in to whether it's, I mean, I think a potential team member can look at the reviews of what customers are saying about the shop and it applies to them, but then also employee reviews on the website. Like what? What's your take on that?

Hannah Cribbs 00:16:24  Yeah, I think that is another super important factor because like I was sharing earlier, I think just the more details you can share about the actual shops atmosphere and culture is huge. So if they log on there and they see people coming in and they're like, they were, you know, super slow on my vehicle, X, y, Z went wrong. They tried to, you know, sell me all these things. Like they weren't honest, you know. Those are things they're not going to want to be a part of that. Like, why would they want to set themselves up for, you know, more stress or the equal stress that they're already coming from, know they want to see on these reviews that they were an honest crew, that they were quick but efficient.

Hannah Cribbs 00:17:03  You know, they weren't just rushing through the job to get it done, but they really, you know, took the time that it needed but still was quick. You know, and yeah, they want to know like what the shops like. They don't want it to be a dirty shop. They don't want it to be, like you said, dark. And just like not good atmosphere. They want it to be, you know, clean and bright and they want to know they have the tools to succeed. So I just think, like the more details you can share in any kind of review, whether it's a customer review or whether it's someone that you know currently works for you, those go so far because they just tell the truth in the whole story. And this, you know, perspective person coming to work for you, they don't have to dig for it. They can just find it right there on the website or right there on your reviews, you know, and get a truthful idea of like what it's really like there.

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Kim Walker 00:18:54  I know Jen personally. We're like sweet friends. I love her and I know her heart, and I know how much she cares about her team and the culture and her community.

Kim Walker 00:19:04  I know that that's not something that she includes in her marketing just when she needs someone, but she's sharing all that stuff constantly, repetitively, all throughout the year. Not just when she needs someone, but what about the benefits? Like, you know, I know that they have a four day workweek, and oftentimes on those Fridays that they're off, I know that they've gone camping with their team or they've just done four wheel and off road kind of things. Where do the benefits belong in the marketing content? Were those in the ads? Were those just in social media, like talk about the benefits part of it.

Hannah Cribbs 00:19:48  Yes. So the benefits belong everywhere because people want to know. That's pretty much the first thing people want to know is like, what are the benefits? What is my workweek going to look like? What are the hours? You know, what are the details. So I believe that should be in the social media posts. It should be like in the captions. It should be on some of the graphics.

Hannah Cribbs 00:20:07  It should be all throughout the ads and keeping it short and sweet. You know, four day work week. Here is the benefits you get, like bullet points, making them clear, concise, but still telling the full story. Yeah, you want that to be everywhere. You don't want people to have to question that and like, ask too many questions. Or they may just scroll on by without, you know, reaching out.

Kim Walker 00:20:27  Yeah, we've talked about the website. We've talked about social media. I don't want to forget about ads. Tell us about the journey of the ads. Like, what did y'all find? Because every shop is different. And I know we're talking about gen, but and I know that we made some tweaks and that sort of thing. But talk about what was in the ad and then they're clicking and where are they going and what are they doing from there?

Hannah Cribbs 00:20:49  The ad is, again, just like a very clear, simple ad, really. It just has a simple graphic.

Hannah Cribbs 00:20:56  It has a link to the careers page on the website. So someone can, you know, just go directly to the website, apply right then and there. Sometimes they have like an email on there so people can reach out for questions or send it in there, but usually it's just a direct link to the career site. So the like context and like the content of the ad is really just like like I shared earlier, it's sharing the benefits, sharing a quick little bullet point, what they're looking for, you know, the job title and then a few details. So I think it needs to be like eye catching, you know, in some way it needs to be easy to read. It needs to have a, you know, a bright graphic that catches attention, but it needs to just stay simple. I think that's like the most important thing once you get to sharing too many paragraphs and it looks like way too much text, it really just gets scrolled on by and people are like, this looks overwhelming.

Hannah Cribbs 00:21:44  You know, you want it to be simple for your audience to see and, you know, intriguing enough for them to want to click. So that's really it. I think the most important part is the link to the careers page. So you can just keep it as simple as possible for them to actually send you the resume and apply.

Kim Walker 00:22:00  And so people were applying from the careers page. There wasn't a form that they. Okay. And did she have basically one main ad or did she have several ads running just with different graphics maybe, or different text?

Hannah Cribbs 00:22:15  Yeah, we had several ads. I believe we did three because we had three positions she was hiring for. So I believe we did three different ads. And then obviously once the once the position gets filled, we turned that ad off. So yeah, sometimes people will choose to do, you know, one ad and put the different positions on there with the different details. Sometimes people choose to do separate ads. It's definitely up to the client and what they're looking for.

Hannah Cribbs 00:22:38  And we can kind of, you know, fill in the gaps of what exactly their needs are.

Kim Walker 00:22:42  Okay, so the best recruiting tool or tools that you already have, your website, your social media, running Facebook ads, building that company culture that you can share. But what I want to talk about next, and we kind of touched on this a little bit, is the people that you have to partner with. Like you talked about Jen bringing it into her monthly meeting with you. So not everybody listening here. And this isn't meant to be a shop marketing pro's sales pitch or anything like that, because people listening, maybe working with a different marketer or they have someone internally who's doing their marketing. So when I say bring it to your meeting, I mean whoever you're meeting with, right? Even if you have someone internally, a lot of times I find that shops are running a promotion, but they haven't talked to their service advisors, you know. So it could be that you bring it into your team meeting, like share with everyone.

Kim Walker 00:23:41  Get everyone on board. So talk a little bit about are you asking every customer, hey, are you how's your staffing right now or do they just bring it to you like talk a little bit more about Jen bringing it to you and y'all unpacking that. You know, because there's a lot of moving parts and pieces to it. And one thing I'm hearing more than anything is that Jen worked with you. She brought you her perspective. You have your perspective. But then she brought, hey, I see the ad and I want to change this word or I want to simplify this. So there's a lot of communication partnership and just that team work of getting it done. So what else do you have to say about that part.

Hannah Cribbs 00:24:28  Yeah. So the conversation first started between Jen and Wendy. So Wendy is the lead of our social team. And so she came to usually it's kind of like a mix. Sometimes if they have social media, they all sometimes go to Wendy for the first touchpoint because they're like, I need to get my social post up right.

Hannah Cribbs 00:24:46  So sometimes they'll reach out to Wendy first about a job listing. Sometimes they'll reach out to the CSM. It just depends on what route they take and how fast they're trying to get places. So it started with Wendy, and then Jen was very organized from the start. So, you know, that's how Jen is. She knows what she wants. She's organized. So she came to it and she's like, I'm hiring for, you know, these three positions. Here is all the information I have. And she had tons of info to provide for us. And so that's where it kind of became a team effort through shop marketing pros is like Wendy relay the information to me and Sheryl from the ads team. And then we kind of got to work in our perspective areas. So when Jen and I met, the ads had been running a little bit for, I think about a week or so. So in our marketing meeting, we basically just started off the marketing meeting, focusing on the hiring. So, you know, I'm asking like, hey, fill me in.

Hannah Cribbs 00:25:39  Where are we at? How are things looking? Are, you know, are you getting the people you know in interviews who feel like a good fit? Just fill me in. You know, so it's just really the conversation of, like, give me all the updates. And so she's giving me all the updates. And that's kind of where that conversation where we discussed that, like changing up a few things. And she came to that already knowing what she wanted to. She was like, I think we need to change, you know, and keep make this little more simple. I'm just not getting the exact people you know I'm looking for. So she knew the changes that she needed to make and then, you know, were able to go and implement those changes. But I would say, like on just like a daily basis when I meet with my clients, that's definitely a conversation that we're always having is tell me what's going on in the shop, what has happened differently and what's new since the last time we talked, because usually there's about 3 to 4 weeks in between our meetings for most clients.

Hannah Cribbs 00:26:33  And so, you know, in between that time, a lot can change. A lot can change for the better. A lot can change. You know, that's not very positive. So we always want to start off the meeting and say like, you know, fill me in on the good, the bad, the ugly, and let's figure out how to, you know, make this even better for you. So that's where we started the meeting. I always like to ask, have you had there been any staff changes? Because sometimes people don't really realize that's an important part of their marketing. Sometimes we could go a couple meetings. If I didn't ask that question without staffing conversations, then I think it can kind of turn into an immediate like stressor when the time is, oh my gosh, like, I am now. Need for new people on my team out of nowhere. When that hadn't been a conversation we discussed at all recently. So I've definitely learned to ask that question consistently and hear out, because sometimes it's just like, we may need to hire soon.

Hannah Cribbs 00:27:28  I'm not sure yet, but that may be a conversation in the future. And then sometimes it's like, oh, I'm so glad you asked. We need to hire someone. An ad would be wonderful because sometimes people just don't know where to put that listing, what to do with it. So that's where we come in and, you know, can help them figure out the details.

Kim Walker 00:27:46  Well, and you know, they're not thinking hiring with marketing. And they come into your meeting super stressed, tense shoulders, neck back. They really probably don't even want to be in this meeting. They're like, I need to get out here and go find this person. But when you open that door to giving them the space to talk about it and they realize, wait, I have somebody else who can help me solve this problem. It's so big. And one of my favorite things that you said was the talking about it after it started. Right. How's it going? What are you hearing in the interviews? What's working, what's not working? And so I think that's a critical, critical piece.

Kim Walker 00:28:26  Don't just set it and forget it. Like let's tweak it and make it work. And so I think that's just huge. I know for us here we're constantly recruiting like we don't stop. We actually made it on our careers page to where it used to be that you could only apply when there was an available position, and now it says something like, don't see the job that you want, apply for your dream job anyway or something like that. And so we're just constantly recruiting before we need someone. And I think that shops tend to start recruiting the day someone quits or the day they fire someone. But your marketing lets you build familiarity with future candidates months or years before there's an opening. There are people that I talked to for months before we had a position. There was one girl several years ago, I literally went back to my inbox and I counted. She followed up with me 27 times before we had a position to hire her, and I screw up sayings all the time, but I think this is right.

Kim Walker 00:29:36  The squeaky wheel gets the grease or the oil or whatever. I finally was like, I remember telling Brian, I'm like, this girl wants to be here so bad. And she was a tremendous, amazing fit when we had the right position for her. So I think it's important for people to really think about having those conversations ongoing. If you see someone that is fantastic, talk to them. Don't think, well, not worth talking to them now because I don't have a position. You might have a position tomorrow, you might have a position before the end of today and you don't know it. And it's gotten to where I tell people, look, I don't have a position today, but my history tells me that I never know. So we might as well start the conversation now. Not only could you potentially find your next great person, but you may find, okay, this is not the right person and you can move on. So I hope that anyone that's listening like I want you to think about this question.

Kim Walker 00:30:39  Has losing people changed the way you think about telling your story and intentionally attracting the right next person? Hannah that's something that I know Jen cares very much about. She's not just looking for a warm body. She's looking for someone who is going to be a part of their work family, who is going to fit into the the team, the environment, the culture there. What is Jen told you or what have we done with or for her to help? And I know some of it is what you've already said, right? Tweaking the language, the message. But is there anything else that you want to add to Jen's approach? And what a shop owner listening to this can do to not just put out their now hiring technician, but to really fine tune and find the right next person.

Hannah Cribbs 00:31:36  Yeah, I would say the main thing that made it a like just a simple process. Working with Jen from the start is for the three positions. She knew exactly what she was looking for for each. And so we made it very detailed of like it was detailed but still simple, if that makes sense.

Hannah Cribbs 00:31:54  Like it was very clear on what each position, what kind of person was, you know, the fit for each position. So you know, someone reading that they didn't have to do any kind of guesswork. It was very clear on what she was looking for, what was expected and what you were going to get and if you were a fit. And so I think, like, that's the most important thing that a shop owner can come with is no one can figure that part out for you. We can help you with all of the steps after that. But as far as looking for what's the fit for your shop, only a shop owner will know that, or only someone on the team will know that. You know, because every culture and every shop is so different. So I would say coming to, you know, your meeting, whoever that's with, with a clear and concise idea of what kind of person you want to hire for that job, and then allowing them to take that information and help you in the next steps.

Hannah Cribbs 00:32:44  And so that's what Jen did really well from the start. Like you said, she wasn't just looking for someone. She wanted the right fit because like we discussed earlier, sometimes you can hire really fast and get a person in there. But then what does that do for you? If it's not the right fit, it sends you back into the hiring process. You know, a few weeks later, or it makes for an unhappy hire, and then it's kind of miserable. And then you got to figure out, you know, what you're going to do from that point if you're going to let them go. It's just a stressful situation. So sometimes it's really important. Not sometimes. It's always important to spend the time during hiring to find the right person, even if it does take a little bit longer. So you can have that, you know, long term person on your team who's the best fit for the job. So that's what Jen did really well. It's just the knowledge of what she needed to bring to her team.

Kim Walker 00:33:32  Well, she's got her core values and she really lives by them like we do here. And I'm on her website right now, and I love this section that probably feeds into the ad content, the social media content, even the interview. But she's got this section that says we're looking for someone who has five plus years of professional automotive experience, enjoys working on both passenger vehicles and light medium duty trucks, is comfortable with a wide range of maintenance, testing and repair. Has some diesel experience. Moves with purpose, moves with purpose that like if you're a sloth, if you like, are slow and take your time. No, she wants someone who moves with purpose and likes staying busy. That's the military language right there. I know our son. He has said like drill sergeants would move with purpose, son. Let's go. You know, so that's funny. We're looking for someone who can produce hours without sacrificing quality. Right. We don't want comebacks. Takes pride in doing the job right the first time.

Kim Walker 00:34:39  They enjoy troubleshooting and solving problems like not everybody likes that. Takes ownership of their work. Wants to keep learning and improving. You know, not someone who is has a big ego and thinks they know everything and they can't learn anything new. I know that Jen and her team are big into training and staying updated, and then it says comes to work, ready to contribute to the team. Like she lays it all out. And I know for us we do the same thing. Like you have to start with our core values first, and our core values really describe who we are as a company, but then we call it our pro team charter. That's who you are as a person. And I go over that in our very first interview, and my intention is that they saw it before they come to the interview, because it's part of the application process. Hey, go look at this. And so we go over because we've learned, Hannah, as you well know, that people that come to work here generally need to have had agency experience, because working for one company and doing one company's stuff is completely different from working in an agency where you're working for hundreds of people, clients.

Kim Walker 00:35:51  And so I want to really just kind of wrap up here for anybody listening. Again, the best recruiting tool you already have, and it is all of the marketing opportunities you have available. It's the uniform your team wears when they leave your shop and they're at the grocery store. It's every single touchpoint. It's how you answer the phone. It's how what the appearance of the shop looks like. It's what is being said in your reviews. Everything. Everything. Your website, your social media, the billboard, all the stuff. You have an opportunity with every single marketing touchpoint to water a seed. And I say over here all the time, water what you want to grow. Well, somebody is thinking, looks like the grass is greener over there. Will you want to water that seed? And every time they encounter your shop in their social media feed, or when they drive by, or whatever it might be, that seed is being watered. If someone is feeling unappreciated and they see your birthday post or your post where you took someone to lunch and they're like, my boss isn't doing that, they feel under compensated.

Kim Walker 00:37:08  Maybe it's not what they get paid as, maybe an hourly rate or whatever it might be, but it's just that the shop is slow. Maybe they feel undervalued. They hate Sunday nights because they have to go to work on Monday. They're miserable at the end of the day and they bring that home, and now they're in a miserable environment with their spouse and their children because they're bringing their garbage home from the day, but then they see your shop's content, or they hear about your shop from someone else. You want your marketing to show them that greener grass idea and nurture it. So. Thank you, Jen, for allowing us to share your story. We'll put a link to her website in the show notes, and from there you can follow her social and all of that kind of stuff. Hannah, thank you so much for I know you. Our CSM team is so busy and I know we planned this kind of at the last minute and you jumped in here, so I really appreciate it.

Kim Walker 00:38:04  Is there anything that you want to say that you didn't say before we wrap it up?

Hannah Cribbs 00:38:09  I don't think so. I think we covered it all. But thank you so much for having me on. This is a fun conversation and I love working with Jen, so it's always nice to get to know our clients on just a deeper level. When you meet with them each month, you get to know their personalities and form a relationship. So it's really nice to be able to help your clients and just be able to, you know, cheer them on through distressing times and, you know, the highest of highs. So thank you for sure.

Kim Walker 00:38:35  Absolutely. All right everybody. Well, thank you again for listening to The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast on the Automotive Repair Podcast Network. There are some other great shows on this network, and you can find them all at AutomotiveRepairPodcastNetwork.com or through the free mobile app, which you can find at ARPN to listen ad free. Tune in for another episode next week.

Kim Walker 00:39:01  Until then, go fill those bays.

Speaker 4 00:39:05  You've been listening to The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker on the Automotive Repair Podcast Network, and download our exclusive podcast app at AutomotiveRepairPodcastNetwork.com because the best conversations in the industry start here. Marketing questions? Well, the Walkers have the answers. Check the show notes for their email.