Our society has never experienced such upheaval and economic uncertainty. Faced with such events, a significant feeling of insecurity affects us all.

We have the choice to believe that this will be absolutely harmful, that nothing will improve, that disaster is at our doorstep.

How do we react to this insecurity? What will be the impacts on the prices of our products, on our businesses, but especially on our customers?

I prefer to believe in our resilience and our ability to react to the various situations we’ve had to face.

I like to remember our solutions in training and equipment to respond to new technologies, our adaptation and creativity in the face of immigration in response to the decreasing available workforce, and the social and economic impacts of the pandemic.

It seems unnecessary to remind everyone that when it’s easy, everyone is good, but it’s in difficult times that we can identify the best.

A series of challenges

Never has our sector experienced such opportunities. Consider simply the confirmation of our status as an “essential sector to society” obtained during the pandemic period, the benefits that new technologies bring us, which ensure that the average age of vehicles is constantly increasing, the suspension of subsidies for EV purchases that encourages consumers to pause the choice of their next vehicles, as well as the economic pressure experienced by our society, favouring maintenance and repairs.

Our first reaction to such statements is that success is more possible than ever. However, be careful: behind great opportunities hide the greatest challenges. This time, our technical knowledge and our “know-how” are not the only solutions.

Just like our ability to make the right technical diagnosis on a vehicle, it will be imperative for us to master the art of human diagnosis, namely “interpersonal skills.”

In connection with this observation, our attitudes and behaviours are not only important but essential to creating a climate of trust.

The level of trust you build with your customer must go well beyond your image, your abilities to properly repair and explain the invoice.

The interpersonal skills toolbox

The skills associated with interpersonal abilities are primarily linked to emotions. Considering the challenges we face, our ability to convert a price into value will make more difference than ever.

The best are better because they have progressively added tools to their interpersonal skills toolkit.

• Motivation and leadership.
• Mobilization and commitment.
• The ability to take a step back.
• Being sensitive to others and their environment.
• Empathy, sincerity.
• Welcoming each customer as if they were important to us.

Your know-how will give you access to that feeling of confidence that will allow you to put into practice my signature phrase, “take on less, but take care of them.”

In my upcoming columns, we will delve deeper into obtaining and using the tools in our interpersonal skills toolbox.