Hoffman says firefighters often promote shops that they see as experts in the industry, and feel comfortable calling with questions.
“Firefighters commonly speak with people at accident scenes and offer shop recommendations,” Hoffman says. “Firefighters have a lot of respect in many U.S. communities, so their recommendations tend to carry a lot of weight.”
McSherry says it took roughly 25 hours to prepare for the event administratively, but it wasn’t very costly. He partnered with a few insurance companies to donate five late-model cars for firefighters to practice on during the training. And he even got one of his vendors, Kent Automotive, to sponsor the event and cover the instructor overhead costs.
McSherry did opt to go above and beyond to make a good impression by supplying $3,000 worth of food and beverages for the 125 attendees.
McSherry’s goodwill educational efforts quickly led to big business pay-off. He says the event showed the community that he cares about the town where he does business, intertwined his brand name with a positive idea, and gained shop recognition through local press. All of those things, he says, improves your image and drives business.
“Giving back to the community is a huge part of improving your image,” he says. “People remember that.”
McSherry tracked the marketing value of the event for six months after. In that time, he acquired 50 jobs as a direct result, including several family and friend referrals from attendees.
“It’s good for business, and it’s great for public relations. It brought more than 100 people to my shop that I otherwise would never have gotten through the door,” McSherry says. “It promotes our brand positively, and it’s something that few others are doing—making us unique in the market.”
McSherry’s event was such a huge success, both for firefighters and his business, that he plans to host another training event this fall when the state firefighter’s convention comes to town.
There are a variety of trainers available to help you conduct the event if you’re interested in getting involved. Here are two resources to get you started:
• NABC’s FREE program: autobodycouncil.org
• Scene of the Accident: sceneoftheaccident.org
Emergency first responder training events are a perfect tactic for collision repairers to add to their shop’s marketing strategy, says Tom Zoebelien, owner of body shop marketing firm Stratosphere Studio in Bel Air, Md. That’s because repairers put vehicles back together every day and have intimate knowledge of new vehicle structures. And the training effort allows shops to gain recognition by participating in the community.
Zoebelien says sponsoring these events impresses community members by proving that your shop helped train the people who might help them in an emergency. That shows you care about your community, improves your business’ credibility, and ultimately builds your brand name.
“It’s a grassroots marketing effort, and another reason to get people to come to your shop when they don’t need repairs,” Zoebelien says. “These are the kinds of events that people will remember for years to come.”
Maximize Your Recognition
Todd Hoffman instructs about 225 first responder emergency extrication classes annually across the country. As executive director of Scene of the Accident, a nonprofit organization dedicated solely to this type of training, Hoffman leads these classes day in and day out.
Hoffman says the local media, both newspapers and TV stations, have been present at every class he’s ever conducted. He offers a few tips on how to maximize the marketing potential of the event when they do show up:
