Other than educating the customer, what are some other techniques to overcome steering from large insurance companies? Is there any hope for small shops to overcome such a barrier?

Question asked by Andy Sheldon, Bill's Auto Body, Gatesburg, Ill.

Yes, Andy, there is hope. The key is marketing, marketing, marketing. Marketing is expensive, but the reality is you have to do it, especially if you’re not a DRP shop. And if you were a DRP shop, consider the money you would be losing through all the freebies and concessions you would be giving to the insurer. So why not take that money and lose it in a more beneficial way? Through radio, TV and Internet advertising.

You need to get the name of your shop on people's minds, putting your "brand on their brain," if you will, before they get in an accident. Insurers are able to steer because they usually get to the consumer first, so you need to figure out a way to beat them to the punch. Part of that awareness comes from consistent and repetitive marketing.

Insurers are coming out with smartphone apps so the consumer can hit a button at the scene of the accident and contact them. Why not create an app of your own? There are businesses out there that can build one for you. And if you've established trust with a consumer, they'll contact you first because you have told them you'll "take care of everything."

Back to marketing. Marketing involves more than advertising on radio, TV and online. There are many creative things you can do that cost less than TV or radio advertising that will get your brand on consumers' brains.

How about hooking up with the local Welcome Wagon committee and making sure new residents get a free bottle of water with your logo and contact information plastered on it? Or sponsoring local Little League teams? Or holding a safe driving awareness event at a local high school? There is another shop I know of that bottles its own hot sauce and hands it out free to the community. The catch is if you want more, you can only get it at the shop, which forces people to come in.

So let's say the insurer gets ahold of the consumer before you do after an accident. What will compel the consumer to go to your shop despite the insurer's word games to get them to go to one of their preferred shops? How about credit on an MVP card toward their next repair? Some shops are using MVP cards with preloaded credit ($150 or $200, for example) that customers can use the next time they get in an accident. Again, there are businesses out there that can produce these for you.