At the end of last year, readers of ImportCar were asked, “What are the top concerns of your business for the coming year?” Several respondents’ comments centered on profitability, increasing car counts and staying competitive (see sidebar for specific comments). Not an easy job in today’s tough business climate.

You already know that to win in this economic battleground, you must continue training and gaining skills, seek out competitive advantages, and work smarter, faster and more efficiently. You also must demonstrate your commitment to serving this marketplace by ensuring you deliver value to your customers with every repair. You do this by exceeding customer expectations in delivering highest-quality repairs, focusing on professionalism and taking steps to gain their trust.

Above all, now is not the time to cut back on the level of service that your customers have come to expect from your shop. Continue to take excellent care of your customers. And, accelerate your marketing efforts.

Just ask Mitch Schneider, who is spending more money on advertising and marketing than ever before, to keep his shop “top of mind” with customers and prospects. And, it’s paying off in record revenue months, he says. In these uncertain economic times, “pulling back on advertising is the worst thing you can do,” he says.

Not only is Schneider allocating m...