Tips for starting (lack of confidence)

[heldersantos]

Hey guys! I'm just starting out tinting vehicles.

 

I've taken a 2 days course for the installation certificate already. And I've done a total of 6 cars. I also have some experience with residential film (even before the course). 

 

Since I alread have a business, this is a new service we're offering our customers, so I already get some paid clients. The problem is I don't yet feel confident and I take too long to do the job. Altough all works I've delivered I made sure they were close to perfect. But, I cannot practice without customers, but I don't feel 100% confident to take on customers. Also, I don't want to take on free jobs because I'm afraid it could hurt my business rep. 

 

How did you guys started out? What was your process? 🙂

[WearTheFoxHat]

Start with Dave Ramseys Entre Leadership

 

https://www.entreleadership.com/

[Old timer]

Apprenticed at a friend's shop for about 6 months. Got a job had a busy shop work there for about a year-and-a-half. Got hired by a good guy work for him for 18 years. Toward the end he encouraged me to go out on my own. Been doing my own thing for the last 20 years.

[heldersantos]

On 8/8/2020 at 3:34 AM, WearTheFoxHat said:

Start with Dave Ramseys Entre Leadership

 

https://www.entreleadership.com/

 

Thanks! I will read this book.  

 

On 8/8/2020 at 3:51 AM, Old timer said:

Apprenticed at a friend's shop for about 6 months. Got a job had a busy shop work there for about a year-and-a-half. Got hired by a good guy work for him for 18 years. Toward the end he encouraged me to go out on my own. Been doing my own thing for the last 20 years.

 

Wow! Thats a really long time. But I'm glad you made it so well.  

[Old timer]

Confidence is built through experience. You need to be grinding out cars every day. My experience with people I've trained is it usually takes a couple of years to not struggle. I'm sure some can pick it up quicker. But on average two or three years.

[Jerry Hernandez]

As you get experience you'll start noticing different tricks for different cars. Old cars, new cars, different models, different techniques.  I've been at it for 27 years and there are times I have to dig deep into my memory on older vehicles.  IMO, overall, most American and Japanese (excluding Lexus) are easier than luxury and European cars. I typically charge about $40-50 more on Mercedes and BMW because the vertical panels overlap the windows more than most cars, I'm not big on removing bottom sweeps, I only find it necessary on maybe 6 different models.  

At the end of the day, it's a non-stop learning curve.  Best advice I can give you is to be honest with your customers, and realize that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and that's how your learn and get better.

Good luck!