Ever visit one of those neighborhoods where young urban professionals are moving in, renovating handsome old buildings and revitalizing the community?
Brian Beers’ stewardship of his multiple Philadelphia-area Midas shops is a little like that. In the past six years, he has built on the stellar reputation for service forged over the past 31 years by his father, Tracy Beers, and his uncle, Herb Hollinger, by expanding their service menu and delivering what today’s time-pressed customers want: total car care from an auto-service brand they trust.
Since he took the helm in 2009, sales at Brian’s stores have risen steadily. Buoyed by this success, he has in recent years opened two new locations, expanding the family’s retail footprint to eight Midas car-care outlets.
So how has Brian maximized his Midas opportunity?
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- By being a hands on owner
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- By hiring energetic, upbeat, ambitious employees;
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- By training and developing his team;
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- By paying for results;
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- By communicating with his employees and conveying a vision for the business;
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- By putting his faith in a service category that he feels is Midas’ future: tires;
And most important:
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- By executing a very effective, 10 Absolutes-based “Acquire, Convert, and Retain” strategy.
“We try not to pressure customers”, said Beers. “We approach it in terms of ‘this is what your car is telling me, based on our inspection.’ Our managers provide the total picture – what the customers need now, what they’ll need in the future and what won’t need service for a year or more. You build a lot of trust when you tell somebody that they don’t need something.”
Today, Beers runs a sales– and service–focused organization staffed by a high-energy team that is committed to doing a great job for customers, and, in doing so, driving increased income for themselves. Ongoing in-house team training is a priority for the franchisee, who in recent years transitioned to an operating-profit based plan whereby managers who run very profitable stores can make very good money.
A graduate of the University of Miami, where he majored in business with an entrepreneurship focus, Brian has been around Midas as long as he can remember. “This business has supported our family my whole life. So when I graduated, I thought it would be an opportunity to take the ideas I learned in college and apply them to the business,” said Beers who minored in computer technology and ran a software development company for iPhone applications and database-driven websites while in school.
Beers also picks up on business best practices through his friendships with other Midas franchisees. “It’s important to talk with other experienced dealers; otherwise you might just as well be an independent“, said Beers.
“There is a lot of money to be made in car care, even in today’s competitive market, provided you stay involved,” said Beers. “The programs introduced by Midas are creating opportunities. I like the advertising – it’s fresh simple and it’s driving cars. I came out of business school with a plan and a vision”, he concluded. “We have great advertising, a strong brand and something that we are competitive in — tires. So yes, I’m excited, I’m feeling good about the business, and I think everyone should give these programs a shot and make the best of this opportunity.”