The Good News and The Bad News Last week, one of our clients called me frustrated as hell. "Chris, the ads are working TOO well. My phone's ringing off the hook. I've got 50+ applications. But they're all jiffy lube refugees who think changing oil makes them a master tech." Sound familiar? Here's the thing - this is actually GOOD news. You've proven you can get attention. You've proven techs in your area are looking. You've proven your ads are visible. Now we just need to dial in who RESPONDS to them. The #1 Rule Most Shops Get Wrong You can't improve what doesn't exist. I see shops all the time trying to write the "perfect" ad with 15 requirements, ASE certifications, specific tool lists, and diagnostic experience minimums. Then they wonder why they get zero applications. Here's the truth: Getting applications - even bad ones - is Step 1. You NEED that flow first. Once you've proven you can get 10-20 applications consistently, THEN you add the filters. Think of it like tuning an engine. You don't start with the fine adjustments. You get it running first, then you dial it in. The Sweet Spot Strategy That Actually Works Here's exactly when and how to transition from quantity to quality: Phase 1: Cast the Wide Net (Weeks 1-2) Start with an ad that's 80% culture and benefits, 20% basic requirements. Example headline: "Experienced Automotive Technician - $90K - $120K, No Weekends, Family Shop" Why? You're testing the market. You're building momentum. You're getting your ad noticed. Phase 2: Add Your First Filter (Week 3) Once you're getting 10 - 20 applications per week, add ONE specific requirement to your headline. Change to: "Diagnostic Technician - Must Know Scan Tools: $90K - $120K, No Weekends, Family Shop" Watch what happens. You'll drop from 20 applications to maybe 12. But 3-4 of those 12 will actually be qualified. Phase 3: Get Surgical (Week 4+) Now that you know applications are flowing, get specific about exactly what you need. Final version: "Master Diagnostic Tech – Lab Scope Pro Required: $90K - $120K, No Weekends, Family Shop" This might only get you 5-8 applications. But those 5-8? They're the real deal.

Napoleon lost the war because he ran out of horses. Not soldiers. Not cannons. Not courage. Horses. After his disastrous Russian campaign, Napoleon had plenty of men in uniform. What he didn't have were the 64,000 cavalry horses he desperately needed to move artillery, supplies, and maintain battlefield mobility. His generals begged him to wait. To rebuild the cavalry properly. But Napoleon rushed ahead anyway, assuming horses would materialize on his timeline. They didn't. And it cost him everything. Here's why this matters to you: Your shop's constraint isn't customers. It isn't equipment. It isn't even capital. It's high-quality staff (quality technicians specifically). And just like Napoleon, many shop owners are living in denial about this reality. THE DANGEROUS ASSUMPTION MANY SHOP OWNERS MAKE You assume if you post a generic "Now Hiring" ad, technicians will appear. You assume if you match the shop down the street's wages, talent will come. You assume the "technician shortage" is someone else's problem. Napoleon made the same assumption about horses. He thought he could order them like supplies and they'd show up battlefield-ready. Reality check: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an average of 67,800 openings for automotive service technicians and mechanics each year through 2033. The math doesn't work in your favor. WHY MOST SHOPS STAY STUCK (THE COMFORTABLE LIE) Here's what I see every day: Shop owners complaining about "lazy techs" while posting the same recycled job descriptions. Owners focused on increasing car count while their best tech is one bad day away from quitting. Owners investing $50K in new equipment while offering $2/hour raises to keep their A-players. It's easier to blame the "technician shortage" than to admit you're fishing in the wrong pond with the wrong bait. THE NAVY SEAL APPROACH (WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS) Last week, one of our clients was more than a bit apprehensive to post an unconventional job ad.

Yesterday, I fed two nearly identical job ad headlines to Jason Perkins—my custom AI GPT automotive technician avatar. Both offered $90K+, full benefits, and promoted a family shop. But Jason instantly knew which one he'd click first. And his reasoning? Pure gold. Here's what Jason revealed about Headline #1 that shop owners miss: ✅ "Experienced Auto Techs" → Immediately tells techs they're valued, not entry-level ✅ "Family Shop Since '86" → 39 years of stability in just 4 words ✅ "$90+K" (no "potential" BS) → Realistic earnings floor, not fantasy numbers ✅ "No Weekends" BEFORE other benefits → Solves their #1 pain point first ✅ "100% Paid Health" → Quantifiable, comparable, real value Jason's verdict? "Every word answers a top-of-mind question: Am I qualified? Is this shop solid? Will my family be better off?" Meanwhile, Headline #2 used "potential" earnings and generic "Automotive Technicians"—instant trust killers. Want to test YOUR job ads through the mind of an experienced tech before you waste money on Indeed? Drop your headline below 👇 and I'll run it through Jason for free this week. Even better? Grab the GPT yourself in the Shop Owner's AI Toolbox and test unlimited variations: [Link to Jason Perkins the Auto Tech GPT] If you don't have access yet, DM me and I'll get you set up. The GPT's are still in Beta but they work great! Testing headlines for your shop used to cost hundreds of dollars and dozens of hours in setting up failed ads (believe me, I've spent over $1 million testing thousands of ads for hundreds of shops over the past 7 years!). Now it takes 30 seconds. You're welcome😁 P.S. Jason also suggested micro-tweaks that could 10x responses: - "$90-$120K Actual Pay Range" (believable ceiling) - "4-Day Workweek, No Weekends" (work-life on steroids) - "3-Bay Family Shop" (helps techs picture the workplace) P.P.S. Here are the actual headlines for those of you who are really paying attention:

That’s what one of our newest community members said when asked about his biggest frustration with finding good techs. And he’s not the only one. A lot of shop owners feel this way. But here’s the thing: The best technicians aren’t walking in off the street. They’re already working. They’re not cruising job boards or randomly pulling into shops asking if you’re hiring. They’re busy turning wrenches somewhere else—often for someone who figured out how to get in front of them. That’s the shift: You don’t wait for them to show up. You go where they are and give them a reason to consider something better. That means: 🔧 Writing ads that actually speak to their motivations 🔧 Putting those ads where techs already spend time 🔧 Showcasing the stuff that makes your shop different (and better) If this resonates with you, check out this free Classroom lesson: Short & Actionable Hiring Tactics It walks through why the old “post-and-pray” method doesn’t work—and what to do instead. This community is here to help you make that shift. You’re not alone.

Hey Shop Owners! Every day your job ad misses the mark, another qualified technician joins your competitor—leaving you overwhelmed, understaffed, and losing money. Not every shop wants to work with us directly to draft custom ads from scratch, I get it. But I got tired of seeing so many crappy ads from independent shops so I created a free custom GPT in ChatGPT to help. All you have to do is paste your current job ad into the "Tech Ad Tuner" and receive a clear diagnosis, proven remedies, and a rewritten ad that grabs the attention of the right technicians—fast. You wouldn’t fix cars without diagnosing first—so why gamble on hiring? Find out exactly what's wrong with your technician job ads instantly with my new custom GPT. It's perfect for busy shops that aren't getting any results from their current ads. Comment "Interested" below and I'll share the ChatGPT link with you. If I get good feedback on this one, I'll add it to the AI Toolbox with the rest of the custom GPT's.