Five Way to Overcome Your Fears
I’m willing to bet that I already know your five greatest fears. Am I a mind reader?
No. I have been coaching men through the business start up process for over 20 years. It didn’t take me long to learn what was really frightening my new students. Following are their 5 biggest fears and how to overcome them. I bet your fears are very similar.
Fear 1 – Looking like an idiot
Feeling Like An Idiot Video Link>>
How Not to Look Like an Idiot:
I’ve been running service calls for over 50 years and believe it or not, on some service calls, I still feel like an idiot. It’s a normal problem that goes with the territory. Every service man goes through the same initial uneasiness. The trick is not acting like 
an idiot when you feel like an idiot. With preparation and practice you can minimize how often you are uncomfortable. You need to develop a gift of gab while you play it cool, fiddle around while gathering information and gradually figure things out. Guys often think that they are expected to be geniuses and know everything about every appliance. That’s just not reality. Your best defense is to be well-prepared when you approach each service call and minimize your discomfort. As my son Reid said so accurately when he was a newbie, “Dad, it didn’t take me long to realize that even though I did not know very much about appliances, I certainly know a lot more than my customers.” See a short video on how to handle stumper service calls link here>>.
Fear 2 – Not getting enough business
How Not to Go Broke Video>>
Getting Business Quickly:
As crazy as it sounds there is seldom a shortage of service calls for appliance repairmen. With a minimum of effort you can get your phone ringing. The trickier problem, which we will address within the program, is to learn how to separate good service calls from undesirable ones. Let me give you a beginner’s list on how to get the phone ringing.
1 –Record a friendly Voice mail Greeting on your smart phone. Test it. Become comfortable texting your customers. Today, valuable customers prefer texting. They find it more accurate and efficient.
2 – Set up Google My Business to establish your presence on the web. This is easy and free. You will need a business name, telephone number and address. See the following set up Google My Business link>>. Believe it or not, this may be all that you need to do! Some students report five service calls a week, instantaneously, just by setting up Google My Business. And in spite of what you may believe, a website is not required. Just do it now and set up your website later.
3 –Set up a basic informational website that links to your Google My Business profile. It does not have to be fancy or cost you a lot of money. See Vista print web services >>.
4–Get the word out to everyone that you know – I mean everybody. Announce your new business everywhere you can. Hand out business cards and flyers.
For extensive information on this subject see my Platinum program>>.
Fear 3 –Computerized appliances
Fixing Computerized Appliances
Fixing computerized appliances is a lot easier than you think. First, computers are never repaired, they’re only replaced. You simply unplug the connections to the old one and plug in the new one. The trick is to learn how to accurately diagnose when the computer is faulty. If the computer is bad, it is not difficult to replace. Computers follow predictable failure patterns that are not difficult to learn. Computer replacement is a quick and profitable job.
Fear 4 – Dealing with low price competition
Learning to price your work correctly
Unfortunately, many new entrants in the appliance repair business mistakenly believe that charging a low price is it good way to get your business started. Instead, it is a good way to go broke. Surprisingly, what customers really want is fast, professional service, not low-price. Desirable customers are well aware of what a service call costs and don’t expect bargains. Undesirable customers shop around for the low-priced guy and then cry when he does shabby work and will not come back to fix his errors.
Companies (like those on Craigslist) that play games with pricing seldom stay in business very long. In contrast, professionals charging $100 per hour develop a loyal clientele and quietly stay in business for many decades.
A critical part of my program is pricing guidance and a price book. Learning to use a Flat Rate System is critical.
Fear 5 – I’m Afraid of electricity and schematics
Mastering electricity, meters and reading schematics
This task can be quite intimidating.. However, let’s put things in perspective. The truth is less than 10% of the service calls require any knowledge of electricity. (Believe it or not, 1/3 of all service calls require no tools!)
I had a service man who worked for me for 22 years and never mastered the use of a multimeter. He relied on his memory. He knew the patterns of failures on past service calls and played the odds.
Of course, solving and diagnosing the last 10% is important but it can be slowly mastered. Learning to use test cords is very helpful, along with learning to use a volt meter. Neither of these skills requires intensive training. Reading schematics is a skill that is gradually developed. It is not essential in the beginning. Mastering mathematics and Ohm’s law are not part of the appliance repair business!
Try out my Free Samples>>
For complete training on the above subjects see my Platinum program>>.