APM has different types of groups, in order to fit all the various levels of sophistication, as well as the specific needs of each of the shops and owners.
You've probably heard of
20 Groups. The idea
sounds great, but have you ever belonged to one? We have, and truth be told, we were nothing short of disappointed. After the initial benefit of hearing whatever the other members were willing to share, our 20 Group deteriorated into a roomful of guys just telling each other lies and skewing their reports so that they could look good in front of each other (not such a bad thing when you're fishing, but not such a good thing when it comes to running a successful shop). Sure, the wives like the chance to travel to the meeting sites and shop and stay in hotels,
but where was the help for our business?!
No matter how hard we tried, we never found the help we were looking for there. And we're not the only ones -- we hear stories like our own every day when we are meeting and visiting with shop owners who are frustrated with their present coaching and 20 Groups.
So what are we doing that is so different?
First of all, the members of each group are selected based upon specific criteria such as:
- » size of shop
- » number of techs
- » annual revenues
- » previous training and
- » business philosophy
This allows us to ensure a greater degree of success and faster progress in the group since there's no need to "catch someone up" in order to allow the group to grow and move through the process quickly. It also gives the participants a chance to work closely with other owners who have "climbed some of the same mountains," and who truly understand what each other are struggling with.
APM offers two types of group coaching. To learn more about each group, simply click on the following:
Group 5™ &
Group 10™.
Group 5™
Why a group of 5?
First of all, 5 is an uneven number that invites debate, discussion, and it's impossible to have an even split when it comes to opinions and viewpoints. You'll make your own, informed decisions, after you've heard the experiences and ideas of the other four owners and your facilitators (always one of our founders, Terry and/or David).
Furthermore, there are many benefits to having a group of owners meeting and reviewing everyone's goals and shop numbers -- and the obstacles we all face in running our own shops.
One of the greatest benefits is that only a
shop owner can truly understand the dilemmas we face. There will never be a therapist or "consultant" who is more interested in throwing around theories and opinions than in offering solutions based upon personal experience. We certainly wouldn't want someone like that at our shop, and we won't kid ourselves into thinking that someone like that could help anybody else, either. The Group 5™ is radically simple: it's a group consisting
entirely of
shop owners and facilitated
only by
current shop owners.
In the ideal situation, there is never a totally dominant member, nor are there members of the group that are non-participatory in meeting after meeting. We select the members of Group5's™ the same way that we choose managers and key personnel -- and with a turnover rate of over 5 years per position (national average is 1.5), we think the method speaks for itself.
As a bonus, Group 5™ members receive special discounts on all training materials, training classes and boot camps that we offer, as well as on the
marketing programs that we use inside our shop, Keller Bros. Auto in Littleton Colorado -- the same programs that allowed us to grow from $1.2m per year to $3m+, and sustain that right through 9/11 and the economic crash that Denver has been in the middle of ever since (#1 state in the nation for bankruptcy and #2 for jobs lost). In spite of the odds, we continue to grow and improve.
Group 5™ members also receive the personal attention and a
weekly review of their shop's numbers from the founders of our company, Terry Keller and David Rogers. When something looks out of line, you can count on us to notify you, and to help you set out on the right path to fixing the problem immediately,
before it hurts your end of the month results.
Once each year, Group 5™ members will meet for a
Training Weekend -- complete with a yearly meeting, a training session, an awards ceremony and some fun activities (one client called it a business man's holiday!). This weekend is a chance to bring the wives and kids for a little vacation, as these events are held in resorts and beautiful locations all over the nation. Group 5™ members receive travel and lodging at a reduced rate for these events, should they wish to attend.
Group 10™
Imagine being able to pull your service writer off the desk for an hour and slide them into a group of other top service advisors from all over the U.S. for a training session with a service writer/shop owner/trainer who has achieved national recognition for his training programs and the customer service he and his staff provide inside their own repair shop every day.
The Group 10™ concept is all about training that sticks. It's one thing to go to some class for a couple days and then come back to the grind and forget everything you thought you'd learned. How can you take something you heard in a class and then expect much of it to stick when you get back to the heat of the moment and the demands of the day? It's the same story time and time again: training gets everyone all excited and worked up -- and then they get back to the shop and it's like they never went anywhere. Only the smallest percentage sticks, even for the smartest trainee.
That's why we came up with this approach -- a way for your staff (or you), to participate on a weekly basis. This means consistent input and information, and a chance to retain it. You learn something, you try it out, and then you bring the experience back into the Group 10™ the next week. And if something didn't work out, we figure out why and fix it right then.
Repetition and consistency are two of the most important things we need to ensure whenever we are trying to learn or to teach anything. Group 10™ ensures those things are part of your training.
With Service Advisors and Writers (and owners too) from all over the country participating, there are unique tips and solutions that come to light, as well as new ideas and approaches that are already working in many of these other shops.
Once a year, the Group 10™ will meet for a Training Weekend -- complete with an awards ceremony and some fun activities designed to build even more confidence, as well as relationships with the rest of the group.
If you've always wondered why training sometimes didn't seem to work -- Group 10™ is the answer.