Six things you can learn from tow-truck drivers: it’s all in the numbers

I live on a busy street in East Melbourne near the CBD (downtown area). To make sure the traffic flows smoothly during peak hours there are clearway zones; cars are prohibited from parking between 7:00 am and 9:30 am, Monday to Friday. Between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm, the same restriction applies to the other side of the road.

Tow-truck drivers, many of whom work as owner-operators, as taxi drivers do, are paid by results. Around 6:45 am each morning, the tow-truck drivers cruise the area near the clearways to look for potential offending vehicles; then they wait until 7:00 am to tow them away.

Most mornings I see two cars being towed and sometimes as many as five. Tow truck drivers are self-employed professionals and are compensated by “eating what they kill”; therefore they are highly motivated to get up early to start prospecting.

Top professionals are also highly motivated, and prospect on a continuous basis to build their sales pipelines. Commissions form a major part of their remuneration. Based on my observations, here are six things that all professionals can learn about prospecting from tow truck drivers:

1.Know the ideal client. Tow truck drivers know exactly the type of vehicles they are looking for: cars and trucks (the majority of the market) than can be towed away quickly and safely.

All top professionals have a profile of the ideal client, including demographics (size, location, type of business) and psychographics (the right fit). They use the profile to build a powerful list of prospective clients.

2. Understand the territory. Tow truck drivers do their homework. They manage their territory by knowing where the clearway zones are located during the day.

Questions top professionals ask: Where are my ideal prospective clients located? What is the best time to contact them? How can I get them to contact me?

3. Be efficient. Drivers know how to tow away vehicles of all makes and sizes, doing it quickly, without causing damage and setting off alarms. Clearway zones operate from 7:00 am to 9:30 am and from 4:30pm to 6:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

Professionals can also can manage times and days to get maximum results for their time and energy.

4. Practise and update skills. Tow-truck drivers continuously improve their methods.

Top professionals constantly ask for referrals, and build and maintain solid relationships with centres of influence. Create time blocks of 60–90 minutes, during which you focus only on prospecting and marketing tasks.

5. Be prepared for objections. Occasionally vehicle owners will return to find their cars being towed. Tow-truck drivers know how deal with people calmly; they have already heard all the excuses and know how to handle them.

Top professionals expect objections or resistance when they are prospecting; they are also prepared. There is no objection they have not heard before, so they can script and practise their responses in advance, to improve their conversion rates.

6. Never stop prospecting. Tow-truck drivers prospect in their territory every day. They know their numbers and understand the law of averages. Although there are dozens of cars parked on the street each day, the tow-truck driver is only interested in finding two or three cars each day; that’s enough to make a very good living.

Top professionals need only acquire one or two new clients each month to build a terrific business and career. They prospect every day, sometimes for as little 15-30 minutes, to maintain a healthy sales pipeline.

You don’t need to work as hard, or as long, as you think. All you need do is just a little bit every day. It’s all in the numbers.