FTR 049: Tom Lambert – Discount Model Marketing - a podcast by Carm Capriotto, AAP

Tom Lambert, owner of Shadetree Automotive. Tom Lambert got his start right at home.  His dad and uncles always had projects going on in the home garage.  During the summer vacation, his dad would have Tom remove engines from the vehicles that were being sent to the local machine shop for rebuilding.

In the past three and a half years, Tom and his dad have made strategic adjustments in the business.  They are now a $2.5 million dollar ayear shop with 10% annual growth and profitability. They continue to improve every day.  Tom says he has the best team and a strong culture. In January 2017 Tom bought his dad completely out of the business.

Tom struggled for many years because he had lost his passion for the auto industry.  After receiving all the guidance and coaching over the past few years, he is rejuvenated and has more passion than ever and is currently doing everything he can to pay it forward to other local shop owners. Tom’s previous episodes https://remarkableresults.biz/?s=%22Tom+Lambert%22 (HERE).Key Talking Points:


Three Leg stool theory of marketingEveryone wins: Team, Customer, Tom (the shop owner)

Tom’s team is the largest leg on his stoolTake care of your team who will take care of your customers







Service advisor position is one of the most difficult positionsOwners job is to make everyone job easy

Provide the tools they need to get the job done and be successfulSe sets the vision and empowers the team

Marketing is one of the most important tasks to bring in the ‘right’ customer to keep his team busyHe markets himself as a higher price business than he really is

He believes he provides a great value to his customerHe has learned that everyone does not need to be his customer

He will refer people to the lowest price shop in townQuality parts and how he pays his folks predicates his pricing

They market fun and they work to attract people who want that experienceThey market to specific vehicle owners

A few makes and models that are more commonly knows that appreciate Tom’s cultureHe believes that the discount model is hurting our industry

The gaps between shops give the consumer the wrong impression that the margins are hugeCustomer’s perception is it




Problem most shop owners are only making a 4% NetA $1,000 job the shop owner made $40 at a 4% net

A hobby job not a careerA shop that maintains a 20% net profit will earn $200 on a $1,000 job




He is a bottom-up pricing shop to cover all his costs and then create his labor rate and parts marginGo after the customer that fits your shop 


A special thanks to Tom Lambert for sharing his passion– For The Record.

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