Building Connections Builds Business

In the collision repair industry, where quality service and customer satisfaction are key, fostering strong and meaningful relationships is often the unseen machinery driving success. Whether with insurance agents, suppliers, customers, employees, networking organizations, or other business partners, building and maintaining meaningful connections that provide mutual benefit enhances business operations, improves service delivery, and ultimately leads to greater profitability.

Unlike transactional interactions, which occur only when there is a specific need, true relationships contribute to a more resilient and thriving business environment.

Advantages of True Relationships Over Transactional Interactions
Engaging with individuals or businesses only when there is a need can come across as self-serving and often results in missed opportunities for true collaboration and growth. Relationships built on trust and mutual benefit offer numerous advantages:  

• Collaboration and Support: Strong relationships often foster an environment where parties are willing to support one another, share resources, and collaborate on improvements in processes and services.
• Increased Loyalty: Whether from customers, employees, or suppliers, loyalty built on mutual respect and understanding often translates to a more stable and predictable business flow.
• Feedback and Improvement: Relationships invite honest feedback. People are more likely to share their thoughts and suggestions when they know they can benefit both parties.  

Steps to Build Strong Relationships 
While there are unique aspects to each type of relationship, there are also general guidelines to help you get off on the right foot, regardless of the audience. Before diving into the steps listed below, remember to put into this effort what you expect to get out of it. If it’s important to you, dive in deep and make a real difference.

1. Identify your relationship goals. Determine what you want to achieve with the relationship and what you can bring to make it work for all parties involved.
2. Initiate contact and make a connection. Be proactive in reaching out to people you’d like to connect with. Attend industry events, workshops, or community gatherings to meet insurance agents, suppliers, and potential customers.
3. Engage in meaningful conversations. Don’t just show up; research the company or individuals before your meeting so you can actively engage in conversation. Ask open-ended questions, share insights, and express genuine interest in learning more about their businesses and challenges. Actively listen to their responses, show genuine interest, and find common interests to build rapport.
4. Show appreciation and support. Acknowledge and appreciate the other person's contributions and offer support when needed.
5. Be consistent in your outreach. Nurture your connections through consistency. Regular check-ins, whether through phone calls, emails, or in-person visits, show that you value the relationship. For customers, this could mean following up after a service, while for suppliers and agents, it could be discussing industry trends or upcoming new products.
6. Provide transparency. Honesty is crucial in building trust. Be transparent about your processes, pricing, and limitations. If an issue arises, communicate it openly and work together to find a solution. This approach reinforces your integrity and builds the foundation for stronger ties.
7. Cultivate a give-and-take mentality. Offer assistance when possible - providing promotional materials for suppliers, customer referrals for agents, or support for employees in their professional development. When people see you are invested in their success, they are likely to reciprocate.
8. Always follow through: Actions speak louder than words. If you commit to helping someone, ensure you follow through. Reliability is instrumental in creating long-term relationships.
9. Celebrate: Acknowledge and celebrate milestones, whether personal (like a birthday) or professional (like achieving a business goal). Small gestures can make a significant impact on relationship building.
10. Ask for and provide feedback regularly. This open channel can improve service delivery and foster a culture of continuous enhancement.

ProColor Collision understands that the foundation of successful franchise operations lies in nurturing these relationships. We actively support our franchisees through strong supplier relationships, human resource recruitment tools that cultivate a positive workplace culture, relationships and resources to meet each insurance provider’s needs, and ongoing networking and training opportunities to learn from industry leaders, share best practices, and build connections with peers, further strengthening the sense of community within the network.

The value of strong interpersonal relationships in the collision repair industry cannot be overstated. By prioritizing connections with insurance agents, suppliers, customers, and employees, businesses enhance their operations and cultivate an environment that thrives on collaboration, loyalty, and mutual success. Investing time and effort into building authentic relationships creates a strong foundation for a successful business.

Scott Bridges is the senior vice president for Fix Network U.S., the leading global automotive after-market services network, which includes ProColor Collision. The family of brands spans more than 2,000 points of service internationally. In the United States, Mondofix, Inc. has granted an exclusive license to 79411 USA LLC to the FIX AUTO brand.