• The niche coaching role Conceptual Minds has discovered within the auto-repair industry
• Is omnichannel marketing success truly realistic?
• How adopting the crawl-walk-run approach can give you a competitive advantage in your market

From dramatic developments in MarTech and AdTech to shifts in digital channel algorithms and the increasing pressure to incorporate an omnichannel approach in your marketing strategy, it can feel like a race that’s difficult to keep up with.

This is even more true for those without in-house marketers or insider knowledge of best practices. In this recent episode of Vericast’s Business to Human podcast series, I had the chance to sit down with Taran Sodhi, CEO of Conceptual Minds, to discuss how to gain traction and customers through the simple approach of “crawl-walk-run.”

Conceptual Minds specializes in providing guidance to auto-repair shops, focusing specifically on the strategies required to effectively coach businesses through marketing initiatives and gain a significant competitive edge, regardless of their size or industry.

The niche coaching role Conceptual Minds has discovered within the auto-repair industry

Conceptual Minds, despite being a marketing agency, considers themselves marketing coaches.

Throughout their time coaching, they have found a niche industry to serve — the auto-repair industry. Despite having expert-level operational capacities, most mom-and-pop shops in this industry lack dedicated marketing staff and handle all their marketing efforts internally.

While in-house marketing is possible, without the industry know-how, small businesses are often left grasping at straws in a race to the bottom-dollar against high levels of competition.

This is where Taran and his team step in.

“We like to help auto-repair shops look at marketing in a nuanced manner and help them figure out what channels they should participate in that’ll drive the best opportunity for growth,” says Taran.

Marketing assistance can help auto-repair shops reach unprecedented levels of success, as their growth and customer base directly rely on attracting more cars and increasing foot traffic.

Is omnichannel marketing success truly realistic?

The auto-repair industry is incredibly competitive. Figuring out the best marketing strategies comes with myriad challenges.

With the industry being so saturated, many customers don’t see the differences between choosing one company over the next. Because of this, it becomes a pricing game — companies are driven in a mad race to lower their prices, dipping ever-closely to margins.

Conceptual Minds aims to help auto-repair companies find that standout quality that sets them apart from competitors. Differentiation is the key to high margins and overall growth.

“They can create differentiation if they understand what their competition is doing and where the gap is,” Taran says. “This is where our knowledge can help our clients in creating that differentiator.”

Because most auto-repair companies go from little-to-no marketing strategies to attempting omnichannel marketing, it’s important to have a clear focus and know which channels will serve them best. Jumping into every platform at once can be as big of a mistake as participating in only one.

Taran and his team have developed a comprehensive playbook that outlines a step-by-step process for clients to optimize their marketing efforts and achieve outstanding results. The playbook begins by focusing on one or two marketing channels, allowing clients to become familiar with the strategies and see a tangible return on their investment. As clients gain confidence and experience success, they can gradually expand their reach to incorporate more channels over time.

This systematic approach ensures that clients can effectively maximize their marketing potential while minimizing the risk associated with overwhelming themselves by attempting to tackle multiple channels simultaneously.

How adopting the crawl-walk-run approach can give you a competitive advantage in your market

It’s important to test out your marketing strategies before going all in on every idea you have.

The crawl-walk-run approach is an effective strategy for finding your place in the market without risking everything. It involves starting with small risks and focusing on singular channels to assess their performance. This approach is considered best practice when starting from square one.

Using predictive technologies helps get your business in front of customers at the right time. Paying attention to algorithms and knowing your customers, new and old, can help retain and grow your customer base.

“If you can figure out these predictive technologies and use them to your advantage, you can really help a consumer who needs your service, right at the time they need it,” Taran says. “It tells them you are looking out for their best interests and the loyalty can spike tremendously.”

Start your marketing efforts off slow, begin with those small risks, and focus on learning and perfecting the strategies that give your business the greatest results. You will inevitably find what sticks and can run from there.

Want to learn more about how Conceptual Minds are the marketing coaches of the auto-repair industry, how the market for the industry is unique and how to navigate it? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts.