Thanks for the response Woody.

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Being that your propect clientele is roughly 500 body shops, I'd be paying them a visit once a month. Every month. Setup a simple route system.
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That's the plan Woody! As we contact the shops we grade them according to their "prospect potential"... A,B,C, etc.. Then I've set up a follow-up system in Access to systematically schedule visits, phone calls, letters, and postcards according to their "grade". A and B prospects will hear from us 2 to 3 times per month (visit, phone call, mail).

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Your USP should simply be, showing up continuously. Think about Snap-On or Mac Tool. What do they do. They make a habit of showing up regularly, even if it doesn't convert into a tool sale.
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It's funny that you should mention those. We have modeled their approach. We set up a "cube van" similar to the Mac and Snap-On guys. It's kinda like a "mobile showroom" and a "test spray booth" on wheels. the shops seem to get a kick out of it. We use it to showcase products and brochures, and it allows the prospects to actually use some of our products right there in the van.

So I believe we are on the right path in that regard.

Keep 'em coming!

Joe