How I Learned Marketing the Hard Way (And Why Brand Beats Discounts Every Time)

I opened my first Auto Repair Shop on October 4, 2005.

I had $600 to my name, a couple of toolboxes, and a belief that if I did good work, people would find me. For a few weeks, they did. Word of mouth carried me just far enough to feel hopeful.

Then it stopped.

The phones went quiet. The bays sat nearly empty. And I realized very quickly that being a good technician doesn’t mean customers magically show up.

The $200 Flyer That Almost Got Me Killed

When you’re broke and scared, urgency kicks in. And urgency makes you do dumb things.

I opened Microsoft Word, designed what I thought was a “flyer,” grabbed $200, went to a local print shop, and had hundreds of copies printed on bright neon yellow paper.

That night, I drove to the busiest parking lot I could think of, Century Center on Memorial Ave in West Springfield, MA, and spent over an hour placing my flyer on every single windshield I could reach.

When I finished, I stood at the edge of the lot and looked back.

It was a sea of neon yellow.

I remember thinking, I just changed everything.

I drove back to the shop, sat down in my chair, and waited for the phone to ring.

It rang within five minutes.

The voice on the other end was furious.

“If you ever put another flyer on my car,” he said, “I’ll break your arms off, and beat you with them.”

Ten more calls came in. All angry. All hostile.

Then the property management company for the entire called and told me I needed to come back and pick every single one up off the ground.

That was my first marketing campaign.

What I Didn’t Understand Then

At the time, I thought marketing meant more exposure.

I now know marketing means the right exposure and to evoke emotion.

Marketing is about:

• The right person

• With the right message

• At the right time

What I did was loud, desperate, and completely misaligned.

And desperation doesn’t attract good customers.

Perception Is Reality (Even When You’re Winning)

Years later, I moved into a new shop that was twice the size of the previous one. We were busy. The team was thriving. Customers were happy.

But there was a problem I didn’t see coming.

Because the weather was colder, we pulled cars into the bays instead of leaving them outside. From the inside, we were slammed.

From the street, we looked dead.

About 40,000 cars a day drove past our shop and saw closed doors and an empty lot.

Friends would see me in the grocery store and ask, almost sympathetically,“How’s the new shop going?”

When I said, “It’s busy,” they looked confused.

“It always looks empty when I drive by.”

That’s when it clicked again.

Perception matters as much as reality.

We solved it simply. This couldn't be solved by taking in more cars, because we couldn't handle more and taking in more would make customers upset over delays. We were at capacity.

So I called our rental provider and parked loaner cars in the lot. Nothing dishonest. Just correcting perception. This also helped us provide faster loaners to customers dropping off.

The phones went crazy, almost instantly.

Why We Never Compete on Price

Most shops market by trying to be cheaper than the shop down the street.

We do the opposite.

I start by asking:

• What do the best technicians cost

• What tools and equipment do they need

• What does my ideal customer expect

• What parts meet my standards

• What experience would I personally want

Then I build the price after the experience is designed.

I don’t care what other shops charge. Their goals aren’t my goals.

I’m not selling oil changes.

I’m delivering a service and an experience.

Finding the Right Marketing Partners

Over the years, I hired marketers. I got pitched by every sales rep imaginable. Most of them were wrong for where I was in the business.

The mistake shop owners make isn’t hiring marketing help.

It’s hiring marketing help without a clear brand and expectations.

When we finally got it right, everything changed.

We focused on:

• Brand consistency

• Education over discounts

• Showing how we solve problems

• Staying visible without being pushy

We stopped chasing customers and started earning trust over time.

Consistency Beats Clever Every Time

The formula has never changed:

• Right person

• Right message

• Right time

That applies to customers, technicians, vendors, and partners.

We use the same approach across every company we own.

Never loud.

Never desperate.

Always rooted in community, culture, brand, education, competence, and problem solving.

That’s why we built a dedicated marketing company, Northbound Media within our ecosystem. Not to sell ads, but to help build businesses that last in a way that we know is successful and consistent with our message and culture.

The Lesson I’d Give Any Shop Owner

If you’re marketing from urgency, you’re already losing.

Marketing should feel consistent. Predictable. Steady.

Because consistent marketing builds stable businesses.

And stable businesses give you freedom.

Written by James Stephenson, Master Technician, Multi Shop Owner, and Founder of Lotus Consulting.

James Stephenson actively owns and operates Auto Repair and Automotive Service Businesses across Massachusetts and Connecticut.