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After owning three successful automotive recycling businesses we have become the preferred consultant for hundreds of auto and truck recyclers from San Juan to Anchorage and Newfoundland to Australia. Jim has been a featured speaker at ARA, APRAA, IT conference, Parts Plus in Australia, Parts World in New Zealand, SGI Salvage, Ontario Auto Recyclers of Canada and most US state conventions. As author of the automated pricing and management assistant algorithms used in the Powerlink 2, Pinnacle, Pinnacle Pro and Bid Buddy XL systems Jim has a intregral understanding of how the industry works. Jim is best known for simple solutions to what often appears to be complex problems and was voted Motivator Of The Year by The Locator magazine.
  Counts Consultings goal is to change the image of the junkyard and wrecking yard to that of a professional auto and truck recycler.  Email Jim at Jimcounts@USA.Com or call 817-238-9991.

      Robert Counts is one of the most knowledgeable consultants in the auto and truck recycling industry.
He created the Recycler Quality Management Systems for the automotive recycler. These systems increase efficiency, customer satisfaction, and reduce mistakes and MAKE YOU MORE MONEY! These systems are ideally designed for auto recyclers who have or are developing trading partnerships - a growing trend in the automotive recycling business.  Call Robert at (512) 339-7671 or Email him at Rcounts@sbcglobal.net

Robert has produced staff-training system that insures your staff is trained in the "best practices" of the position for which they are responsible. This training is designed to train most employees within 6 to 8 days. At the end of each training day you know whether your employee has learned that day’s critical information. 


  Bill Stevens brings a whole new level of experience to our industry.  Coming from a recycling family Bill has done it all, pulled parts, bought vehicles, sold parts, production manager, store manager, regional manager for Greenleaf and then Vice President of Schnitzer Steel in charge of 22 Greenleaf sites.  Bill was voted Boss of the Year by employees throughout Greenleaf.  With his unique motivation and organizatial skills Bill can truely take your business to the next level. Email Bill at Bsteve29@gmail.com  or call him at (817) 575-7944

 

 

  Should I Sell To LKQ
Feb 15, 2010
  How To Budget and Predict Future Sales (in: Sales Training)

Do you ever wonder what sales will be next month?
Do you wonder why sales fell off this or last month?
You can very accurately understand why sales have gone up or down and predict futures sales from your inventory. This video discusses what you can do to control your sales levels, how to budget sales and know when your salespeople have sold all they can with the inventory you currently have.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  ..........When its time to move on
Apr 21, 2009
  Advertising that actually works

   When should you advertise and who should you target.  Advertising recycled parts works, IF you have the proper plan, correctly targeted customer and the parts to sell.  Most auto recyclers waist 90% of their advertising dollars because the do not understand know when to advertise to and how to increase profits by effective advertising.

  How To Pay More For Cars And Sell The Parts For Less (in: Buying Inventory)

  With buying becoming more and more of a problem for auto recyclers we need to better understand both how and why we need specific vehicles.  By properly evaluating our needs and controlling the cost to process vehicles we can out bid other recyclers and sell our parts for less than the competition.  This video covers the steps and thinking processes that make this system work so well. 

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  How To Measure Your Buying - Part 1 (in: Buying Inventory)
Ours industry does not have what the customer is looking for over half the time. That is why buying is the most important job in our industry. By improving our buying and measuring what we buy we can predict future sales and therefore budget sales for upcoming months.
We simply cannot sell more inventory than we have. However, since many recyclers don't measure what they buy they don't realize they sell everything they buy. This is often the reason sales fall off and we think it just a bad week or a bad month.
Seven of the most important issues in our industry are covered in these videos. This information is so important that we broke it down into three videos. This is part 1 of 3 videos. This way you can view them as you are ready for the next measurement and what each means

 
  Counting The Cost

Dealing with people who make it difficult to maintain order or keep good employees can be a very trying issue. 

Failing to deal with the situation can handicap your companies growth.
  Counts Products Store
  Part Grading Standards
  How To Write-off Inventory And Have An Accurate Profit And Loss Report (in: Accounting Issues)

Are you or your accountant trying to figure out how to write-off your used parts and vehicle inventory cost? If so, this video was made for you. The video discusses both the good and bad practices the recycling industry uses when deciding how to value and write-off the cost of inventory. It also covers the type of profit centers needed on a good Profit and Loss report and how to make the report more accurate.


To view the video click on the title and then on the word "here" in the red box which will appear on the next screen.
  How To Broker Parts At A Profit (in: Managing The Business)
The auto and truck recycling industry does not have what customers are looking for 50-65% of the time. Therefore, it is imperative that we be prepared to find parts for customers in order to maintain our status as their used parts supplier. However, recyclers often find they do not make money on brokered parts or don’t seem to be able to pay for them when the statements come in each month. This video addresses the 6 common reasons given for NOT brokering and explains why they are not valid. We also explain the most efficient methods of brokering and now to make this an extremely profitable and important part of your business.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  How To Reduce Your Parts Handling Payroll (in: Managing The Business)

You have probably heard me make the comment that most auto and truck recyclers are about 15-20% overstaffed. At the same time you probably could not imagine how you could get by with fewer employees.

This video is designed to explain how this works in the parts handling portion of your business.  We can do this at the same time we show the listener how to have more employee accountability.
Folks we can't keep paying more and more for inventory, cut our prices to match other recyclers and stay in business unless we can pick up income somewhere else or reduce overhead.  Learn how to get more done with less people by having better work flow and payroll utilization.

Click on the article title and then the word HERE which will appear in the red box on the next page to listen to this video by Jim Counts
  Do I Need A Full Time Inventory Person (in: Managing The Business)

I see a lot of recyclers who are behind in getting salvage vehicles inventoried.  One of the main reasons is lack or productivity by the person assigned to this task.  Keep in mind that if they get caught up we give them more work.  If they get behind we pay them overtime or hire them an assistant.  This video breaks the steps down and assigns times to each step so you can evaluate whether your person is truly overloaded.  Normally, we find the inventory person has expanded their work to fill the day to avoid doing other activities.

Click on the title and then on the word HERE in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  Inventory Write-Off Video
Writing off what recyclers pay for inventory is a major issue.  This video explains what is expected by the government and why some methods of writing off used parts cost may not be acceptable.
  "I have one" is not selling video

There is more to selling than just answering the phone.

Enjoy this free video on selling issues.
  Recyclers Power Source
  Hollander Training
Feb 5, 2008
  Hollander Sales
  Checkmate Website
  Pinnacle Website
  Bid Buddy Website
  How To Measure Your Buying - Part 3.. (in: Buying Inventory)

Ours industry does not have what the customer is looking for over half the time.  That is why buying is the most important job in our industry.   By improving our buying and measureing what we buy we can  predict future sales and therefore budget sales for upcoming months.

We simply cannot sell more inventory than we have.  However, since many recyclers don't measure what they buy they don't realize they sell everything they buy.  This is often the reason sales fall off and we think it's just a bad week or a bad month.

Seven of the most important issues in our industy are covered in these videos.  We will cover the last 3 in this video. This information is so important that we broke it down into three videos.  This is part 3 of 3 videos. This way you can view them as you are ready for the next measurement and what each means. 

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to viewthe final part this series.
  How To Measure Your Buying - Part 2 (in: Buying Inventory)

Ours industry does not have what the customer is looking for over half the time.  That is why buying is the most important job in our industry.   By improving our buying and measureing what we buy we can  predict future sales and therefore budget sales for upcoming months.

We simply cannot sell more inventory than we have.  However, since many recyclers don't measure what they buy they don't realize they sell everything they buy.  This is often the reason sales fall off and we think it's just a bad week or a bad month.

Two of the most important issues in our industy are covered in this video.  Measureing buying is so important that we broke it down into three videos.  This is part 2 of 3 videos. This way you can view them as you are ready for the next measurement and what each means. 

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view Part 2 of this 3 part series.
  How To Keep Part Prices Up To Date (in: Part Pricing Issues)

Keeping the prices  of your parts current with supply and demand is one of the most important ways to sell parts for the most amount of money in the shortest period of time.  Learn how to use your inventory management system to spend the least amount of time and re-price the maximun number of parts.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts
  Job Descriptions and Procedures for Delivery Drivers (in: Job Descriptions & Procedures)
Ready to use practical job descriptions and procedures for your drivers, which are based on industry best practices. The job description outlines responsibilities, knowledge's, skills and abilities required in today's recycler operation. They also provide step-by-step detail in how to perform the jobs you need done. Each set provides you a 3 to 4 page job description and a list of procedures that can be easily modified to your business practices.


Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to download this product.
  Job Descriptions and Procedures for Parts Pullers (in: Job Descriptions & Procedures)

Ready to use practical job descriptions and procedures for employees who pull sold parts from shelves and vehicles. These are based on industry best practices. The job description outlines responsibilities, knowledge's, skills and abilities required in today's recycler operation. They also provide step-by-step detail in how to perform the jobs you need done. Each set provides you a 3 to 4 page job description and a list of procedures that can be easily modified to your business practices.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to download this product.
  Job Descriptions and Procedures for Inventory (in: Job Descriptions & Procedures)
Ready to use practical job descriptions and procedures for inventorying vehicles, which are based on industry best practices. The job description outlines responsibilities, knowledge's, skills and abilities required in today's recycler operation. They also provide step-by-step detail in how to perform the jobs you need done.  Each set provides you a 3 to 4 page job description and a list of procedures that can be easily modified to your business practices.


Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to download this product.
  Job Descriptions and Procedures for Sales (in: Job Descriptions & Procedures)

Ready to use practical job descriptions and procedures for your sales department which are based on industry best practices. The job description outlines responsibilities, knowledge, skills and abilities required in today's recycler operation. They also provide step-by-step detail in how to perform the jobs you need done. Each set provides a 3 to 4 page job description and a list of procedures that can be easily modified to your business practices.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to download this product.
  Company Policy Training for New and Current Inventory Person (in: New Employee Training)

Making sure new and current employees are following company policy and procedures is a major challenge for our industry. Most training is little more than "go watch Bill for a day" and then we throw them to the wolves. When they make a mistake, we lecture them, which is their next training session. And on and on it goes until the employee finally learns all the unwritten rules, we fire them or they quit in frustration.
Our manuals have the employee train themselves because you provide them with a daily questionnaire which the new employees must fill in each day as they work with a current employee. This way you can make sure they understand there job responsibilities because they have to write the current policy and procedure for each question on the sheet.

You can also use these questions to verify that current employees know what to do when a situation arises. These manuals take the work out of training and keep employees learning at a rapid and verifiable pace. You can also add questions to the training manuals to customize them to your business.

ick on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view the video and download the manual.
  Company Policy Training for New and Current Drivers (in: New Employee Training)

Making sure new and current employees are following company policy and procedures is a major challenge for our industry. Most training is little more than "go watch Bill for a day" and then we throw them to the wolves. When they make a mistake, we lecture them, which is their next training session. And on and on it goes until the employee finally learns all the unwritten rules, we fire them or they quit in frustration.
Our manuals have the employee train themselves because you provide them with a daily questionnaire which the new employees must fill in each day as they work with a current employee. This way you can make sure they understand there job responsibilities because they have to write the current policy and procedure for each question on the sheet.

You can also use these questions to verify that current employees know what to do when a situation arises. These manuals take the work out of training and keep employees learning at a rapid and verifiable pace. You can also add questions to the training manuals to customize them to your business.

ick on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view the video and download the manual.
  Company Policy Training for New and Current Parts Pullers (in: New Employee Training)
Making sure new and current employees are following company policy and procedures is a major challenge for our industry. Most training is little more than "go watch Bill for a day" and then we throw them to the wolves. When they make a mistake, we lecture them, which is their next training session. And on and on it goes until the employee finally learns all the unwritten rules, we fire them or they quit in frustration.
Our manuals have the employee train themselves because you provide them with a daily questionnaire which the new employees must fill in each day as they work with a current employee. This way you can make sure they understand there job responsibilities because they have to write the current policy and procedure for each question on the sheet.

You can also use these questions to verify that current employees know what to do when a situation arises. These manuals take the work out of training and keep employees learning at a rapid and verifiable pace. You can also add questions to the training manuals to customize them to your business.


Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view the video and download the manual.
  Company Policy Training for New and Current Dismantlers (in: New Employee Training)
Making sure new and current employees are following company policy and procedures is a major challenge for our industry. Most training is little more than "go watch Bill for a day" and then we throw them to the wolves. When they make a mistake, we lecture them, which is their next training session. And on and on it goes until the employee finally learns all the unwritten rules, we fire them or they quit in frustration.
Our manuals have the employee train themselves because you provide them with a daily questionnaire which the new employees must fill in each day as they work with a current employee. This way you can make sure they understand there job responsibilities because they have to write the current policy and procedure for each question on the sheet.

You can also use these questions to verify that current employees know what to do when a situation arises. These manuals take the work out of training and keep employees learning at a rapid and verifiable pace. You can also add questions to the training manuals to customize them to your business.

 

Click the title to visit our store, view the video

and download the manual
  Company Policy Training for New and Current Salesperson (in: New Employee Training)

Making sure new and current employees are following company policy and procedures is a major challenge for our industry. Most training is little more than "go watch Bill for a day" and then we throw them to the wolves. When they make a mistake, we lecture them, which is their next training session. And on and on it goes until the employee finally learns all the unwritten rules, we fire them or they quit in frustration.
Our manuals have the employee train themselves because you provide them with a daily questionnaire which the new employees must fill in each day as they work with a current employee. This way you can make sure they understand there job responsibilities because they have to write the current policy and procedure for each question on the sheet.

You can also use these questions to verify that current employees know what to do when a situation arises. These manuals take the work out of training and keep employees learning at a rapid and verifiable pace. You can also add questions to the training manuals to customize them to your business.

Click the title visit our store and view the video

and download the manual
  Do I Need To Hire Another Salesperson? (in: Managing The Business)

  Hiring another sales person may reduce your sales and your ability to buy inventory.   This is too important of a decision to be left to chance and feelings.  Here are the facts you should consider before making this important decision. This video could save you 30-50 thousand dollars if you can grow without hiring another person.

Click on the title and then the word "here" in the red box which will appear on the next screen to view this video by Jim Counts.
  The Pond and Lake Story (in: The Pond and Lake Story)

 The amount of saleable inventory is one of the most important and misunderstood issues in our industry.   As a result we often believe we have lots of inventory to sell, when in reality sales may be down because we are starving for saleable parts.  I agree that we have a lot of parts, but that is different from the SALEABLE parts.  Saleable parts meet the demand of the customer who is calling TODAY.

This video explains in simple terms how inventory flows like water thru out business.  Once we can visualize the concept presented it will be easy to understand if you are buying enough to support current demand and sales goals.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  Free Adobe Reader Download
  A Simple Half Page Partnership Agreement (in: Managing The Business)

Partnerships can be a wonderful way to get a business started. However, many turn out to be far less than our original expectations and sometimes one party wishes to get out of the relationship or buy out a partner. If you failed to establish a way to accomplish this at the beginning of your partnership it is often difficult to establish an unemotional and reasonable method of parting friends after the business is started.

Several years ago someone provided me with this downloadable agreement. At the time I was in the process of setting up a partnership to buy our first auto and truck recycling business. The person who gave it to me had just dissolved a partnership and they swore this agreement kept both of the parties’ friendship and he was very satisfied with the results. I have executed it twice and both times it worked very well .

You should run this by your lawyer just to make sure it is legal in your state.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to download this product.
  Welcome to your one-stop source of information on recycling vehicles
We want this website to be the one stop shop for all those interested in automotive recycling and the issues of profitably operating a recycling business.
Take a couple of minutes to look at the many subjects which provide "right now" answers to major issues facing the industry.
  About Jim Counts

  About Robert Counts
  The Real Cost Of Processing Your Vehicles (Adjusted Overhead) (in: Managing The Business)

Have you ever figured the real cost of processing a vehicle or selling a part? If you not sure how to get this figure you may be handling vehicles that loss money without realizing it. It is not uncommon for recycles to be selling half their parts at a loss.

Are you having trouble buying trucks, SUV’s and other much needed high dollar vehicles? This video explains in detail how to calculate your overhead per vehicle and how you may be able to buy vehicles you previously thought were out of your price range.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  Should I Do Late Model Vehicles (in: Managing The Business)

 Late model vehicles seem to have a exaulted status in the auto recycling industry.  This video explores the issues of dealing with both the vehicles and the customers who buy this product.  The video also covers the how this product affects inventory turnover and warhousing costs.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  Why Do The Phones Stop Ringing (in: Managing The Business)

How can you sell used parts when the phones are not ringing? It may seem like a helpless situation. After all, what can we do if we aren't getting the calls? Actually, you have more control than you think. This video covers the real reason the phones normally stop ringing and what you can do to get them ringing again.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts. and learn the real reason
the phones don’t ring.
  Who Should Get A Discount (in: Managing The Business)

There are many ways to give discounts.  These include discounts to customers who buy a lot of used parts, graduated discounts for different purchase goals, discounts to trading partners and other recyclers and of course discounts to friends and employees.  In this video Jim discusses the different ways discounts are handled and who should or should NOT get a discount.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  Pay For Performance - Delivery Drivers (in: Pay For Performance)

 Have you noticed that the drivers always get back to the shop about the same time every day, not matter how many stops they have.  That's because they have no incentive to get back and every incentive NOT TO.  If they get back before quitting time you give them more work or send them home early.  Most recyclers get from 25-35 stops a day using incentive pay.  Learn how to set up a pay-per-stop system in your business no matter whether the driver has to drive a 100 miles to the first stop or they are local deliveries.  Don’t hire another driver when the ones you have can handle all of your deliveries.  

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts and download the manual.
  Pay For Performance - Vehicle Dismantlers (in: Pay For Performance)

   If you can’t get your vehicles dismantled in a timely manner you are going to miss sales.  Customers will only wait so long.  Give your dismantler an incentive to process more vehicles without you having to stand over them to get it.  Instead of you worrying about how many vehicle they can process they will be worried that you are not buying enough vehicles.  This video comes with a complete explanation of how this works and worksheets with rule and expectations plus suggested prices for the tasks involved.  Incentive pay really works.

 

  Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts and download the worksheets and price examples.
  Pay For Performance - Parts Pullers and Shippers (in: Pay For Performance)

 You won’t believe the number of parts that can be pulled and shipped when the people have an incentive to do more instead of less work.  Get ready, because they will run out of work the first day and all those special projects that you could never get done will become their top priority.  The video comes with suggested prices and form so they can get paid for the special projects they now have time to do.  This video explains how you can set up a program which can double the number of parts pulled and shipped.  Incentive pay works.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts and download the manual.
  Pay For Performance - Sales People (in: Pay For Performance)
This video shows you why your sales people should be on an incentive pay system and how to set one up. Incentive pay greatly increases the person’s interest in making more sales. It will also allow your best employees to make more money, in direct proportion to the additional sales they make. The package comes with examples of rules and regulations and worksheets that help you determine what you currently pay your people as a percentage of sales.
Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts and download the fill in hte blanks worksheet.
  How to Increase Sales by Controlling the Phone Conversation (in: Sales Training)

  Selling parts can be as easy as asking the right questions. This video discusses how to control the phone call and close more sales. Your sales staff needs to see this video to learn just how easy it is to sell parts. The way you handle phone calls may never be the same after you see how easy it is to sell recycled parts.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts.
  How to Sell Extended Warranties and Make Money Doing It (in: Extended Warranties)

 Extended Warranties are changing both the way we take care of our customers and increasing our bottom line profits. With net profits of 40-60% you cannot afford to miss out on this system. This video by industry expert Jim Counts covers the reason you want to sell extended warranties, how to sell them and how to honor the claims when you have a product fail. You can use this information to have a company meeting to explain the system or set in the comfort of your home and learn how to give the best warranty in town at the same time you increase your profits.

Click on the title and then the "here" in the red box which will appear to view this video by Jim Counts and download the manual.
 
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