Hello ,
It has been an amazing year and we are very excited about what 2025 has in store. New products, new events, new jobbers and a new jobber program that is designed to help you grow.
I plan to head out east in 2025 and visit as many of you that I can while also attending a few off-road events along the way. I am meeting with our Corey and Jessy (our amazing CTI crew) this week to go over our plan of attack and I hope to meet many of you in person throughout the year. We have a lot of territory, and I may not be able to poke my head in EVERY shop, but I'll do my best!
We have had yet another great year and we appreciate you and your efforts to promote the Metalcloak line and brand along the way. I personally look forward to working more with each of you and outfitting Jeeps throughout the world with more gold!
-Mike and the Team here at Metalcloak!
Holiday Hours: We will be running shorter hours the week of Christmas but will do our best to answer calls, emails, IG/FB messages in a timely manner.
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REMINDER
Once again, the new Jobber Program goes into effect 1/1/25. Some of the more notable changes are:
- Silver level threshold is lowered and we've added the option to obtain Gold level pricing (35% off on Suspension components) for orders over $3000 MAP.
- Silver and Bronze Levels will pay shipping on orders less than $750, so plan accordingly.
- Gold+ Jobbers can receive 4% annual reward for total invoiced over $100k
- Gold level hasn't changed much, but that's more reason to get to Gold+
Note: Your Jobber Levels will be updated soon based on your sales volume for the past 12 months (January 1 - December 31), so this is your opportunity to boost those numbers before the new program kicks in.
If you haven't read through the new program, click the link below to download a copy for yourself. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me [email protected] or 916-823-3563 (direct office line).
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"Build your Marketing Department, One Customer at a Time"
Unless you are a large shop with multiple locations, you probably do not have a large marketing department or marketing team. You do however have customers and those customers can potentially drive more traffic to your store than any large-spend advertising campaign.
But how do you turn customers into an effective marketing team?
Here's a tip that I've seen very effective in another industry when attempting to win over that customer and help them advocate for you.
1. Sell the customer on "you" and your business first. Communicate your values and make an attempt to create a strong connection with each and every customer. As the owner, try to schedule some time each day so that you are 
Quick Story:
I once had a customer come in my retail store and we spent a 15 minutes just chatting about his Landcruiser (I was a cruiser nut in another life). We kinda bonded to some degree and by the end of the conversation about cruisers and random things... I asked him, "so what actually brings you in today?"
His reply: "I don't know, but I know that I'm going to buy it HERE!"
I had somehow turned a random customer into a loyalist because he got a good vibe from me. I shared that experience with my entire staff and we went on a mission to do the same with every customer by finding that thing in common that had nothing to do with what we had to sell. That approach took my business to a new level, landing us a "Best Of" title in the area for 5 years running.
2. Always take care of the customer and make things "right". There's a certain feeling you get when you know that a business will stand behind their work or product. The feeling will keep them coming back, and keep them talking good things about your business. It may cost you money to fix a problem, but 
3. Under-promise and over-deliver. Quotes, time estimates, etc. all come into play with expectations and you're better off adding in some cushion so that you have room to surprise them with something in the end. A cost savings, an extra add-on or a quicker turn-around time in the end will go a long ways to exceed their expectations which is a story they'd be willing to tell. Look for 
Bottom line: Give them an experience that they will want to brag about.
4. The Price Shopper:
Build a package that can't compare against others
We get customers who aren't loyal (yet) and they are just going door-to-door looking for the best deal. If you're quoting them out, add in something that they can't compare to the "other guy". At the end of the day, if your price is higher, it might shine more because of the added "features". Be creative and make if fun.
Idea/Example: "Every lift kit install includes a XXX?"
Toss a few fun items in a branded recovery bag with your logo?
Hoodie? Tumbler? Work gloves? Beanie? A fruitcake? 😂
Be creative and make it fun!
Bring up your price a little to cover the items and sweeten the deal, or reach out to vendors and see if they will donate some product for the shwag, minimizing the spend. Some businesses will jump at the opportunity to be involved with a promotions like this.
Just some thoughts to help your business stand out amongst the rest. It may require a little work on the front-end to get these in-play, but at the end of the day, your quote might be a little more interesting and desirable.
I also recommend sharing up ideas like this on the Installer Facebook group so other Installers might be able to benefit from your successes.
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Please join the Metalcloak Authorized Installer Group on Facebook if you have not done so already.
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Thanks for taking the time to read to the bottom and I look forward to meeting you all in person at some point! See you on the trail!
-Mike Upchurch
Brand Strategist and Jobber Account Manager
916-823-3563
Instagram: metalcloakmike
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