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HOW DO YOU SELL AUTO RECONDITIONING? Miracle Appearance Reconditioning Specialists INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
HOW DO YOU SELL
AUTO RECOND. 1 HOW DO YOU SELL
AUTO RECOND. CONT. 2 REP OF THE MONTH
JULY 3 REP OF THE MONTH
AUGUST 4 REP OF THE MONTH
AUGUST CONT. 5 REP OF THE MONTH
AUGUST CONT. 6 MARS ACROSS
AMERICA 6 M.A.R.S. MISSION WE will become your Car Care Specialist by removing from sight all cosmetic blemishes from your automobile. WE can improve the appearance of all automobiles everywhere by utilizing our proven appearance restoration, cosmetic blemish repair and enhancement services. WE will provide convenient access through the high volume retailers that consumers frequently visit. WE will accomplish this mission by recruiting, training and equipping the industry's finest professionals and supporting them to advance both their skills and their careers. How do you sell auto reconditioning?
In addition to equipping and training
individuals for the auto reconditioning industry,
MARS has long been convinced that
marketing, promotion, pricing and selling of MARS services were essential for success.
MARS has also been aware that the reason
many people want to become identified with
MARS is that MARS assists them in these
efforts. ASPECTS OF MARKETING Experience has taught the company that to
be successful, the individual MARS Rep must
sell professional auto recon services with the
aide of a marketing plan.
For example, even if the prospective MARS
Rep doesn't initially know what a marketing
plan is, that person must have one in order to
succeed in the industry.
Why? Because without a marketing plan, new
Reps really won't know what to do. They will
be guessing and floundering. THE MARS 'SECRET WEAPONS' In helping its new Reps market, promote,
price and sell, MARS has developed two
'secret weapons'.
Interestingly, the first 'secret weapon' is the
MARS recruiting process. That's right. Before Mars accepts new candidates, they
carefully screen interested people. Part of
this screening requires interested prospects
to embark on activities that will inform them
and prepare them for marketing and
promotion of the MARS Systems in their
geographical area.
The second of these weapons is the
MARS Mentor/Field Trainer. In many ways, MARS as a company has profited by
the strong beginning given by the use of a
Mentor/Field Trainer to assist new Reps in
their Start-Up Week. NO GUESSING GAME How do these two 'secret weapons' tie in
to marketing?
Consider the recruiting process: the goal of the MARS marketing plan is to give the
Rep the information needed to attract the
right customers and then sell them MARS
services. So that the beginning of a new
business won't be a guessing game, MARS
does everything possible to make sure that
the New Rep will know exactly who the best
potential target customers are and what
they need.
The role
of the
Mentor is also built
into an
overall
marketing
strategy.
The MARS
Field
Trainer is a
Mentor
who
spends the
first week
of
business
with the
new Rep.
This
person
ensures a good marketing beginning for the
Rep, and is there for advice and counsel
Continued on Page 2. HOW DO YOU SELL AUTO RECONDITIONING Continued from Page 1 later. USING THE SECRET WEAPONS Using its 'secret weapons', MARS helps the new Rep in
these areas:
Identify Target Accounts. As part of the recruiting process, the MARS prospect
must obtain extensive information about their prospective
customers. They must bring a listing of ten
target customers to MARS.
These ten target accounts become a foundation of
marketing.
What MARS services do they need? For example, an important part of putting this list of
prospective target accounts together is to find what
reconditioning services are available to the companies
presently and what they are now using.
Having spoken with numerous companies in identifying
the ten target accounts, the Rep has zeroed in on ten
who are truly interested in what MARS has to offer. Even
before he begins training, the Rep has built a foundation
of support for his business.
Successfully identifying ten target accounts is of
primary importance to the success of a MARS
business in its first year. Often, many of those ten companies will become key
accounts for the new Reps, customers that last for
years. What about later? Well,
during training, MARS
sends letters and
information about the new
Rep to his ten identified
accounts. MARS keeps the
new Rep's image fresh in
the minds of those targets.
Then, MARS calls to
verbally introduce the Rep
once more, alerting the
Target Accounts that the
Rep will be visiting them
during the Rep's first week
of business. PRICING YOUR
SERVICES The other 'secret weapon', the MARS Mentor, becomes invaluable in
areas such as determining pricing of services. Pricing is
very important. For this reason, MARS lets the individual
Rep be flexible. MARS gives firm guidelines about what
prices its services are worth, but the individual Rep can
determine what will 'fly' in his market.
As prices do vary somewhat based on regions of the
country, when the new MARS Rep starts his business,
his Mentor/Field Trainer will be there to help him
determine what prices are common in his particular
market. MOTIVATING THE CUSTOMER TO BUY The Mentor is also an influential aspect of marketing on the lot.
In explanation: every experienced salesperson will tell
you that you motivate different companies in different
ways and that you sell different products in different ways.
How then, do you motivate your customer to use MARS
services?
Providing that answer, through the use of a Mentor/Field
Trainer, has been highly successful for MARS.
MARS realizes that every new Rep in the field needs
guidance and examples of how to speak with customers.
That is why a prime duty of the Mentor during that first
week of business is to help sell accounts.
The Mentors demonstrate how they 'spot work' on the lot
and how to talk to dealership managers and other key
personnel, selling them on using MARS services. MARS ITSELF IS A SECRET WEAPON! MARS has another secret marketing weapon: the
company itself! In many ways, the company can be said to be a 'marketer's dream'. The number of
Reps who have
bragged on how
the MARS vehicle,
and the whole
MARS concept,
attracts attention
and helps open
doors, is unending.

Further, the
company has been
designed, and
continues to be
redesigned, to
provide unique and different services, in addition to many 'standard' services
common nationwide.
MARS is the 'One Stop Super Shop'. How many auto reconditioning techs will they ever meet
who will come in and tell them they can provide over
twenty services and provide virtually every auto
appearance reconditioning service that the dealership
might need? The answer, of course, is: seldom if never.
That alone is a deal motivator.
Therefore, when you speak with potential customers
about MARS, you are not just offering one or two dishes
on your professional menu. You are offering a
smorgasbord of choices and an opportunity the majority
will not have enjoyed previously. Further, MARS is one of the largest auto
reconditioning companies in the nation. Not only
does it offer more services than any other company,
it has the quality equipment, product, training and
company backup to generate success for its Reps. "THOSE WOMEN IN MARS: DENISE REED, REP OF THE MONTH FOR JULY" Editor's note: Denise Reed was selected as Rep of the
Month for July 2003, sharing honors with husband Mike Reed. Mike gave us some interesting ideas in our July issue. We think you'll also enjoy what Denise Reed has to
say. DENISE REED: MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING! When we talked with Denise Reed, she was very proud that she and Mike had achieved a $4,000 week, as it was a goal they had worked toward for several months.
We asked her about her views of setting goals, and she reflected that it was much as Mike had explained. The couple
sees how things are going and then, as Denise puts it, "We push the envelope." Denise was quick to say, however, "Money is not everything.
That was the idea of our getting into MARS. We wanted the freedom of going to the beach, to enjoy the holidays, or simply
not have to face the weather if we didn't want to. Doing that, you can average out your total earnings for a good income. "That's the great thing about this business. You can work as
much as you want. You can make the kind of money to leverage cutting back, if you wish to." YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT "You can do what you want to do in this business. You can
work seven days a week if you want. I look at what Don and Wanda Slater have done. They've cut back to three days a week. That looks good to me. "In this business, you are only limited by yourself. You can make a gadzillion dollars if you want!
"On the other hand, you can't work yourself to a frazzle. Can we make four thousand dollars every week? We probably can,
but I'm not so sure I want to. We can make half that much and still make a good living." THE WORK IS THERE "The work is there," says Denise. She tells how people in their area of Florida will call them while she and Mike are driving from job to job. They'll say, 'We're in our car behind
you. We're on our cell phone. We see your vehicle and all the things you can do. We have some scratches. Can you
fix them?'" Do they take the folks up on it? "Mike did in the early days of our business," says Denise. "It was helpful at first. Now,
we have to tell them there are just so many days in the week, and unless someone makes a new one, we just
don't have time." The couple recalls when one guy actually pulled in front of them, forcing them off the road, to try to get some work
done! We learned that even when Denise and Mike are working
on the lots of their regular accounts, people pull up and talk to them, eager to be customers. "I WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE" We asked Denise how she felt about her role in the MARS business. She explained that for thirty years she sat
behind a desk, and that for Mike to go into the business was a big leap of faith for them. "It was a big jump for us. I knew he could do it. When I
quit my job, it was another big step. However, Mike had reached a point that he had more work than he could
handle. I left my job and joined him, and it was a big leap of faith that worked out well." When asked how it compared to her past career, she
said, "At the end of the day, we can be driving home and I am hot and tired, but I wouldn't do anything else. It's working for us." ENJOYED CONVENTION Denise said that one of the things she has valued most
about MARS was the 2003 Convention. "We enjoyed the Convention," she recalls. "We made some great friends, and we've stayed in contact. The best thing was hearing
people talk about the things you're facing every day. It was great to join in passing ideas back and forth, offering
solutions and tips to each other. We really anticipate going back this year." What would Denise advise a person considering MARS?
She said, "It's easy to get frustrated. After three or four 'no' responses, it's easy to think that it's you they are rejecting.
You have to pick yourself up and keep trying. Try different things, such as body shops and bus barns. "The work is there. Your van is your advertising, and
you'll probably have people calling you while you're driving down the road, too!" BRANDON HARRIS SETS GOALS AND HAS A PLAN! Editor's note: In our lead story this month, we are
talking about marketing. Telling the Brandon Harris
story is a perfect choice to continue that theme, as he
is doing an outstanding job of setting goals and
'marketing' those goals to reality. We asked Brandon Harris (Indiana), the MARS Rep of the Month, if his ears were burning on August 1. The
reason: at the MARS Graduation Lunch that day, David
Jones began the graduation ceremonies by using Brandon as an example of a Rep who has a MARS dream, who sets
goals, and who actively makes that dream come true. As chance would have it, Billy Taylor (Illinois), who was Brandon's Mentor/Field Trainer, had returned to MARS that
week for some training in a new System. He attended the
lunch, and he also had some fine things to say about
Brandon and his sales approach.
We asked Brandon how his original dream for his MARS
business developed. Harris explained that for years he was
at a corporate level where he couldn't go any higher unless
somebody died. "I was always ambitious," he explained,
"always looking for an opportunity. When I heard about MARS, I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of
people." DON'T BE INTIMIDATED BY COMPETITION "I realized I could make MARS large in my area. Some
people discouraged me, but that only motivated me
more." Harris explained that some people he spoke
with were intimidated by the amount of competition in
his area. "Any time you open up in a Metro area, you
are facing a lot of competition," he says. "I have fifteen
to twenty competitors per auto dealership. This includes
individuals, small franchises and nationwide franchises,
most just focusing on a few things.
"When I got back from training and started setting up
my business with my Mentor Billy Taylor, my sales
background pushed me into selling Systems that others
couldn't offer. I also went in with higher prices than my
competitors. Billy tried to discourage me from this, but I
went in with confidence. I told the dealers my
competitors couldn't do the quality work that we could
do with our MARS Systems, which is why we were
more expensive. Billy told me I had a lot of courage."
It worked. The dealers took to MARS and Brandon
right away, and he was soon so busy that he was
working from 7 am to 9 pm at night. MARS IS MY FAMILY As we've mentioned before in the MESSENGER,
some people join MARS because they want a secure
income, but their high priorities are getting out of the
corporate rat-race, being their own boss, and having
more time for their families and hobbies. Others join
MARS eager to grow and expand.
Brandon explained that he definitely falls into that
latter category. "I have an extremely strong desire for
growth," he confides. "I'm growing as fast as I can.
When I first got into MARS, I was confused as to why a
lot of other MARS Reps are content with a one-person
business. I now can understand that. However, I'm not
married with a family yet, and MARS is my family in a
way. I'm young, have lots of energy, I can devote all my
time to it." ENJOYS LEADERSHIP ROLE "Another thing that motivates me is that I've always
enjoyed being a leader. For example, I was a strong
leader in the Marine Corps. I'm working hard now,
establishing the business, but I see myself in the future
Continued on Page 5. BRANDON HARRIS SETS GOALS AND HAS A PLAN! Continued from Page 4 not doing the actual work, but being in charge, managing the
people. I feel that if I set the business up in the right way, the people working with me can make a lot of money, and I can
too." CONFIDENCE Harris explained what he meant about setting up his
business in the right way. "It has to be sold the right way, " he said. "You have to let the dealers know that you're the
best. If you're not really that confident, pretend that you are confident, and in time it will come true. "When I started visiting all these dealerships, in my head I
was saying: 'I know I can do this; I'm not sure how, but I know I can.' The dealers would offer me various kinds of work and they would say, 'Well, are you sure you can do
this?' 'Yes, I am!' I would say. And then I would do it, even if I had to work on one vehicle all day, I'd do it. The dealers
want that. They want the best, and they're willing to pay for it." HOW HAS HIS BUSINESS GROWN SO FAST? "I've had guys call and ask how I can grow so fast," admits Brandon. "To me, growth is simple." Brandon gave an example of how he added his second
vehicle to the business. He hired
Shawn Herring and sent him to MARS for his
training. Then, he says, "While Shawn
was at school, I busted my tail, put a lot of money in
the bank. The way I handled it, I slowly
introduced him after he was trained and working with
me in the field. When he was established, I
slowly phased myself out of
working at those dealerships. Shawn is doing very well
and is on his own now. "Also, I pre-sold the dealers on the fact that Shawn was coming in to help me. I mentioned it to them a long time before he was due to start. I made sure everyone knew him
and that he was well respected at each dealership before I phased out. Now, the dealers still know that if there is a
problem, they may call me, ask me any questions, understanding that MARS is going to get it done, whatever it is.
"I have now hired Chris Shoemaker, who is going to MARS for training soon. I'm using the same techniques to get him established
and up and running." PRE-SELL THE DEALERSHIPS Harris explains that
he always pre-sells his business to the
dealers. "A good month and a half before I expect to
get immediate work at a dealership, I go in and give them a
MARS flyer and introduce myself. I
give local references, which helps a lot. I let them know that I am exclusive. I explain that I and all my vehicles get booked quickly, and if they want the opportunity to use
MARS, we could arrange to come in and show them a few things." This approach has worked well for Harris. When asked to
explain why it has been so effective, Brandon explained, "A lot of it is confidence. Even at the beginning, before I was so
confident, I didn't let them know that. Now I am extremely confident, because I have a lot of people using me, and I have big name dealerships." USE ALL YOUR REFERENCES IMMEDIATELY Speaking of how important references are, Brandon points
out that even during the first week of his business, "One thing I did; Billy tried to talk me out of it, but we went to a new car BMW dealership and scored right away. After we finished the
work there, I'd mention that I had done work for that dealership as we went to other places that day. Dealers think
that if you have the big new car dealerships, you are the best, and they want to use you. As Billy and I went on, I'd use the new accounts to help open doors later in the day." MEETING HIS GOALS When we asked Brandon if he was where he thought he'd be when he finished training, he says, "Yes and No. I thought
I'd have three vehicles and routes by the end of August. I'm still shooting for that, sending Chris to MARS for training
soon. On the other hand, I have reached my goals numbers- wise." As an example, even before Shawn joined the business,
Brandon's highest day working by himself was $1,400. His highest week as a single-person operator was $3,900. FUTURE GOALS With his third route soon to be established, Brandon has other goals to shoot for. "My long term goal for the end of
2003 is to have six trucks running," he tells us. "My eighteen month goal is to have a truck on every side of the metro
area." The goals seem accessible when you consider the fact that Brandon has established 14 full-time accounts for the two
trucks he is running now. One of them, a major Ford dealer,
Continued on Page 6. Editor's note: Few babies that have just come into the
world have a poem written for them. Our new little
Martian, Riley Webb, does have one! The verse below
was written by Leon Carroll, our Tech Assistant, to
welcome Riley. FOR RILEY WEBB 'It doesn't matter that he's Extremely good looking, But nice if he marries someone Good at cooking. It doesn't matter if He's not wealthy, But the very most Important Is that he is born healthy.' "Thoughts by Leon Carroll." BABY SHOWER AT MARS! The MARS Corporate Staff gave a Baby Shower for Mike
and Amanda Webb on June 25. Mike, who has been in the Shipping Department of
Miracle Warehouse for the past year, was recently
reassigned to Training.
Born on July 25, 2003, Riley Cole Webb weighed eight
pounds ten ounces at birth and was twenty inches long.
Riley Cole was born with a head of black hair and dimples! THE MARTIAN MESSENGER Editor: Bob Bowers bobbowers@marsinternational.com (800)909-6277 ext.233 Fax: (800)230-4098 occupies two days of Brandon's time. He says that he and Shawn are presently working six days a week to fulfill their
commitments to these dealerships. OPEN DOOR TO A DREAM When asked to evaluate MARS, Brandon said, "MARS
provided a dream, an open door. The business is not as easy as I thought it would be. It is not easy work. You have to work
on it, have a strong sales ability and a lot of confidence. I have the confidence, and MARS also provides a product I have faith in. I did a lot of research, and we have the best reconditioning
stuff out there. MARS stood behind what they told me." SUPERMAN OF VENDORS "I don't want to be just another reconditioning vendor," says Brandon. Harris explains what he means, telling us it has to do with the large number of MARS services. He believes in the
concept of the MARS ONE STOP SUPER SHOP, as he thinks it puts him (or any Super Shop MARS Rep) in a special
category. "Being that we are MARS, we should use all the Systems. I would advise everyone to do that, and practice to become the
best at every System we sell. We need to sell the dealers on the idea that we are Number One. When we do, they come to
MARS for everything. They don't send it here or there, they send it to MARS. "From the very first contact, let the dealers know that you do
everything." Harris explains that he understands how some Reps may fall into a niche of doing one or two Systems, if they are making
good money with them. He admits that in the early days of his business, he did a lot of scratch removal.
Better established now, he says, "My goal now is to pick out cars that need at least two new MARS Systems I haven't used at that particular dealership before. Let the dealer see
something else we can do. This way, the dealer can recognize I do all those Systems.
"When we get in a rut, dealers tend to think a MARS Rep is just another vendor. I hate that. I am not a typical Vendor, I am the Superman of Vendors!" WORK WITH SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Another thing that has helped Harris succeed is his emphasis
on forming a relationship with the Service Departments of his accounts. He says, "I've got good relations with the Service Manager in every store.
"I tell them, 'You've got a high volume of small repairs coming in. I can do small things at a lower cost, and it won't back up
your service for the big repairs.' "The more you help out at the dealership, the more the dealerships realize that you are an asset. So, I am in both
sides of each store. After all, even when that sales manager is not in that great a mood, he knows he has customers that MARS is helping keep happy." THINK YOU ARE NUMBER ONE! Brandon says that he would recommend MARS very highly to
individuals who are very determined and who extremely want to become business owners. "It falls on your shoulders. You make what you want out of it. You need to set goals and have
a plan. If you don't have the desire to succeed and take your business where you want it to go, it won't happen. "If you want to be Number One, you must think you are number one going in or you never will be!" ROTM: Brandon Harris Continued from Page 5

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