Renny Doyle • January 11, 2021

Do You Need Incredible Skills to be a Detailer?

Detailing Skills

Detailers are not born, they are developed and refined. I have trained, coached, and mentored a wide variety of people from twenty-year veterans of detailing to those you have never touched a power tool before.


Detailing skills can be learned, but poor work ethic is hard to change. I can teach most people the essentials of detailing, but I can’t change laziness or an attitude of entitlement. No one is going to give you this business. You are going to need to earn every penny and each step of success you realize.


You may have never touched a polisher before, and that’s okay, as that can be learned. On the flip side, I have witnessed people come into the detailing industry and perform at skill levels that were unbelievable, yet struggle to make a dime.


In turn, I have worked with others who were mediocre in skills yet understood the business, marketing, and sales aspects of their business, and soared to success.


This last group usually has one special trait in common: They are almost always very likable, energetic people with great people skills who also happen to understand what their detailing marketplace is looking for.



Let’s face it, within most markets, most people buying professional-level detail services are not having their vehicles sanded, compounded, polished, and finished to show-car perfection. Most paying for detailing services simply desire a high-quality single step polish with nice long-lasting protection. Most detailing clients want an interior that is nice and clean with stains and odors removed. A smart detailing business owner knows this and can profit in most cases without the need for advanced skills that take a decade to develop.

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