Depending on where your shop is located and what time of year it is, you may experience heavy service sales periods followed by dry spells. Instead of letting this ebb and flow get the best of you and your team, there are things you can do to help bridge the gap until things pick up again.

Here are some ways to generate sales during slow times at the shop:

• Have a “limited-time only” sale on certain services

During a slow period, it may be more economical to sell service parts at a discount rather than just let them sit on the shelf or in inventory for months. However, this strategy won’t work if customers are not aware of the sale or if there is no time limit.

Use special mailings, ads and signage in front of your shop to announce the sale. Experts say it usually takes a discount of 25% or more to motivate customers to action.

• Offer flexible financing

Promotions such as “90 days same as cash” or “no payments until the new year” can bring in customers who otherwise might have waited to get necessary vehicle repairs scheduled. In some instances, “Buy a (fill in the blank) service and get a free (fill in the blank)” can be attractive to customers, but it is a more appropriate strategy for lower-priced service items.

• Make your off-season sales part of your regular yearly plans and schedule them well in advance

If you wait until the middle of your off-season to start planning sales and special offers, you might be reluctant to part with money for advertising because cash flow is already reduced.

It’s always smart to budget in advance for the off-season and arrange advertising plans ahead of time. You might also be able to negotiate a price reduction by paying for advertising several months in advance.