You know just about every time I get on social media, check my email or open my regular mail, I find some sort of ad or information telling me how, with their system, I can increase my business by getting my phone to ring more with their new marketing strategy and so on. I also get bombarded with the guy telling how he can get me more sales by using certain secret tactics, word play and proven conversational sales and so on. Eventually leading the customer to buy something they don’t need or want and will regret later. But you know, you closed the deal and that is what matters right? . . . . .I don’t think so! I’m a customer, and I’m not stupid. So most of these gimmicks may work short term, but you know . . . I believe in a few fairly simple, important things that will increase sales and profitability, and guess what? They always work. Here they are: Number one: Location is everything! Be where the customers are. This includes social media, offering free advice. Get involved with local media outlets, churches, charities and other civic organizations. Number two: Have real people who are happy answering your phone. I will hang up on a recording, but I won’t hang up on a person. Number Three: Always show up on time. Always follow through on what you promised. Always call people back immediately. Don’t think someone will wait three days for a call back. Number Four: Since you have spent all of this time, money and effort trying to get into the customer’s home than don’t be in such a big rush to get out of it. Make it worth the visit and perform whole house checks. Both you and the customer will be happy you did. Number Five: Don’t be afraid to make money and raise your price. Everything costs your more doesn’t it? I meet so many contractors that are so afraid to lose business that they work for almost nothing. If you are going to make no profit, why work? Just go fishing or play golf every day, it is more fun, easier and pays about the same! Number six: It’s okay to fire a customer. Look at it this way . . For any of you who have gone through divorce, I’m sure you remember it being very expensive. You know why it is so expensive? Because it was worth it, that’s why! Firing a customer is sometimes like divorce, so don’t be afraid to spend money doing it. Number 7: Be worth it and believe it. Customers’ measure value on the experiences encountered and promised. Just because you can do the repair with your eyes closed doesn’t mean anything to the customer. It is a combination of every interaction they have had, are having, and will have with your organization that will either add to or detract from the overall perceived value. People go to expensive restaurants not because they are hungry and need food. They go because they expect an experience that makes it worth the investment. So make the experience worth it to them. Number 8. Integrity . . . Be upfront and honest in everything you do. This to me is a zero tolerance rule. For you and all of your employees. Number 9. Work as a team. Have rules, processes, procedures and policies in place that everyone understands. Make a plan for anything that could happen and write a policy or procedure on how to handle it. Sure you can bend the rules or change them occasionally but at least you have some basic guidelines to follow. Number 10. Educate, train and practice. Even sports professionals educate themselves and practice regularly because they want to be the best at what they do. Don’t get left behind. And Number 11. Keep score and set goals. If you don’t know how you are doing, how do you know what you need to improve on? Also, if you set no goals, it is kind of like having no destination on a trip . . . Odds are you will never make it. Hopefully you are or are planning on implementing some of these guidelines. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me directly. I am here to help.

Soft Skills is NOT People Skills is NOT Sales Sklls!

A few days ago I had someone ask me if I offer soft skills training. I responded with the question "What do you mean by soft skills?". He responds: "You know, customer relations stuff, sales, professionalism all the non technical things." Of course I said "You need to tell me what challenges your people face and I will help you create a solution that will help meet and correct those challenges." There is a major disconnect in the industry on the definition of soft skills, people skills and the method of handling performance problems that involve these skills. I get people asking about "Soft Skills" classes all of the time. I give them the same answer. . . "What challenges are your people facing and what would you like them to do differently?". The last thing I want to do is get a bunch of people in the room who really need accessory or add-on sales training and I'm telling them they need to wear shoe covers, look the customer in the eye when speaking and smile more often. Yes, those are important but it does not address the specific issue. On the other hand I may have a group that doesn't communicate well who have limited "People Skills". I go in and do a class on dealing with sales objectives or properly explaining fees when what they really need is a simple script to follow when meeting and talking with customers. Too many people get caught up in thinking one blanket "Soft Skills" class will fix every non-technical problem. Folks, this is not possible. To determine the specific need, simply make a statement as to what you want them to be more proficient at. Now we can work backwards and come up with a plan of action that really meets the needs of the group.

The Little Things Matter!

Earlier today I was driving to the post office to pick up a package. I happened to notice a van directly in front of me that indicated they were a local company and they specialized in drywall work and home painting. They also mentioned they were bonded, insured and guaranteed that all customers will be satisfied. While sitting at the light I thought I would write this guy's number down because we are in the process of doing some remodeling work and since I hate painting and drywall work, here is a guy I can call. So I wrote the number down on a small note pad I carry in the car. After driving about a mile or so I happen to notice that the driver was smoking. Not that it should matter, but somehow it did. I was trying to convince myself that it was okay if he smokes because he wouldn't smoke in my home anyway, I'm sure. As we continued along on the road, I saw how he flicked his cigarette butt out of his window and it landed on my hood and bounced off. Okay, I know he didn't mean to do that. A small controversy started in my brain, I could imagine seeing a bunch of cigarette butts in my yard after this guy does the work. Then, I started to relive an experience from about fifteen years ago when I had a guy come over to replace my garage door and how he set my mulch on fire with a cigarette, this lead to losing a shrub and could have possibly burned my house down if I hadn't have noticed it went I went out to get something out of my car. Yes I know what had happened before should have nothing to do with this guy in front of me in the van. But I took the note with his number on it and threw it away. This guy really did nothing wrong, but the one little thing that brought up a bad memory from the past instantly made me decide I didn't want to do business with him. All of this over one little cigarette. Because you see, I am the customer and it doesn't take me much to say no thanks!

Time for a Tune Up!

Time for a Fall Business Tune-Up! You tell customers how important it is to maintain their mechanical systems in their home. But what about you? When was the last time you tuned up your business? Here are some key things to think about: 1. What things are we doing that need improvement? 2. What things are we doing that we should stop doing? 3. Are there any new services or products that need to be considered? 4. What are customers telling us that needs attention? 5. Are there any team members who need fixing? 6. Any significant changes in my trade that I need to learn more about? 7. What is my biggest competitor doing that is different from me, both good and bad? 8. How far along am I in reaching my goals (provided you have goals)? 9. Do I still love my job? How can I change things to love what I am doing? 10. Is everyone having fun? How can I change things to make this more fun?

Things You Should Know

1. Offer something that people will actually spend money for. 2. Decide who your target customer base will be. 3. Figure out a good way to let people know why they need your product or service. 4. Let your customers know why you are so special and actually believe it. 5. Be where the customers are. (Social media, trade shows, etc.) 6. Remind customers that you are around just in case they need you. (Newsletters, specials, postcards, emails) 7. Make sure you charge enough and save enough to retire someday. (YOU ARE NOT WALMART) 8. Always focus on doing the best possible job you can, no matter what. (People don't mind paying more, when they get more) 9. Hire the best employees and always keep and open door to possible new hires.(You never know when they may come along, and don't be afraid to fire when needed) 10. Don't be afraid to lose and sometimes fire a customer. 11. Always look your best and act your best! Stay healthy. 12. Thank people who have helped you on the way. 13. Give to those in need and you will be rewarded in return. 14. Practice makes perfect. 15. Always look for ways to improve and train employees. 16. Maintain 100% integrity, always! 17. Maintain a happy home life. 18. Makes sure you love what you do, this will insure success. 19. Take time off to relax. 20. Share the wealth! Reward employees when things go well and have fun doing it! 21. Don't be afraid to say "I'm Sorry" even if it isn't your fault.

Things You Should Know

1. Offer something that people will actually spend money for. 2. Decide who your target customer base will be. 3. Figure out a good way to let people know why they need your product or service. 4. Let your customers know why you are so special and actually believe it. 5. Be where the customers are. (Social media, trade shows, etc.) 6. Remind customers that you are around just in case they need you. (Newsletters, specials, postcards, emails) 7. Make sure you charge enough and save enough to retire someday. (YOU ARE NOT WALMART) 8. Always focus on doing the best possible job you can, no matter what. (People don't mind paying more, when they get more) 9. Hire the best employees and always keep and open door to possible new hires.(You never know when they may come along, and don't be afraid to fire when needed) 10. Don't be afraid to lose and sometimes fire a customer. 11. Always look your best and act your best! Stay healthy. 12. Thank people who have helped you on the way. 13. Give to those in need and you will be rewarded in return. 14. Practice makes perfect. 15. Always look for ways to improve and train employees. 16. Maintain 100% integrity, always! 17. Maintain a happy home life. 18. Makes sure you love what you do, this will insure success. 19. Take time off to relax. 20. Share the wealth! Reward employees when things go well and have fun doing it! 21. Don't be afraid to say "I'm Sorry" even if it isn't your fault.

Would your customers vote for YOU!

If you were a Candidate in an Election, Would Your Customers Pick You? I've had more than a few people try to encourage me to run for political office. I have strong political views and I love to speak in front of groups and am very motivating when I speak in public. My problem is that I have too many issues from the past that my competitors would have a field day with. I would really not want my personal life dragged through the news and I am sure it would be. Since I have enough things to worry about, politics is not in my future. Imagine yourself being put on a close inspection by the public. Everything you ever did wrong would be displayed in the news. (Unless of course you spend millions of dollars on attorney fees keeping your personal, education and financial records private and sealed). Actually, this is how it kind of really is anyway, isn't it? Anything you do wrong is broadcast to all of the friends, family and neighbors of the client who was dissatisfied. Whether you believe it or not, when you offer services to the public, you are a candidate who is competing with all of the others for your clients' votes. They vote by hiring you. Your advertising, your reviews, complaints, recommendations and actual customer contacts are considered a campaign. When a customer calls and asked questions, you are giving a campaign pledge. When the service is performed properly, you won their vote and hopefully when the next election comes up, they will vote for you again. Running a service business requires promises to get votes. Your voters are your customers, and they vote with their dollars, referrals and loyalty. It takes a campaign with promises to get the client to call and it takes following through on those promises to keep them happy. It is possible to win the election by letting people know you are there, making legitimate promises and following through on them. You just have to do it better than everyone else.

Setting Goals in Life

I was fortunate enough to have my parents bring me to the USA when I was 10 months old. We all became United Sates citizens in 1967, I was eleven years old. My Dad made raised me to believe that hard work, honesty and commitment to my God and family will pay off greatly because we are in the land of opportunity. A day that I will never forget is when my parents decided to buy a house. I was about ten years-old and came home from school to find them taking cash out of coffee cans and counting it. I always knew there were lots of coffee cans in the house; I just thought that my folks really liked coffee. Little did I know that all of the coffee cans in the kitchen cabinets and closets were full of cash! After a lot of counting, my brother, my parents, and I took three large burlap bags full of cash on a bus to downtown Cleveland, Ohio to buy a house. That day in 1966, my parents bought their first house for eleven thousand dollars cash. A few days later I had an opportunity to see our new home. I was thrilled because we actually had a yard with a lawn that we could play in. Of course, it didn't take long for my dad to rip out the lawn so he could plant a vegetable garden. My protests were dismissed by my Dad yelling, "We don't need grass. We aren't raising sheep!" Not long after that my dad acquired a hog and several chickens. Needless to say, we had some major confrontations with some city officials who made sure we didn't raise farm animals in the city. Just like my Dad, I love the USA and am very thankful for all of the opportunities this country has offered me. I now know that my dad was right. Through hard work, dedication to God, my goals and family, while striving to maintain integrity in all that I do, anything is possible in America. God Bless America and everything it stands for. Without it, I could have never reached my dreams and I believe that if I can do it, anyone can.

Employees are NOT created equal

I've managed hundreds of people during my career and I can tell you one thing for sure, people are definitely different! An organization may have one person who is hard working and highly productive but has terrible interpersonal skills. On the other hand there may also be an employee who is great at communicating but has marginal technical ability. Their personal goals and motivations may be all over the place also. I found that the best business leaders are those who understand these differences and have the ability to lead, motivate and coach all types of employees who may have many different personalities. I believe there are three employee types; Minders, Finders and Grinders. The "Minders" are the folks who have organizational and process skills. These people are highly skilled at motivating coaching and getting projects completed. "Finders" are sales-driven and in many cases become CEO's or presidents of businesses. Most of their energy is focused on producing for the future. The "Grinders" live for today. Key attributes of a Grinder are they like to work only in the present, often dismiss the past, fear the insecurity of the future, do not like to delegate, like doing one thing at a time, and will do as instructed, are very skilled at their jobs but rarely generate new ideas. Most of us have a few attributes of each in us, but those who are exceptionally strong in one area are usually very weak in the other two. The key to success when managing people who have strong specific talents is accepting the fact that they are strong at one skill and properly adjusting their tasks and responsibilities so that their great talents can be used for the most benefit of the business and their own personal job satisfaction. I wouldn't put a strong grinder who may have great technical skills and limited interpersonal skills into a job that requires a lot of customer contact. Then again, I may have someone who is a strong finder that is great at sales yet limited technical skills. This person may not be considered highly productive technically, but they can really do a great job selling. The variety of personalities and skills in any employee team may be quite diverse. Understanding these differences, adjusting for the needs of the business and matching them to the types of employees will not only gain great results for the business, but also create a more motivated and satisfied team members.

Busy Does NOT Equal Success

Since it started getting fairly warm here in Kentucky, I've asked several people "how's business?" They usually respond with something like "We're really busy" My next question is, "okay, so are you making good money? . . Be honest!" About half of the time I get the real answer. . . "No, I'm not making good money!" I usually ask why that is, and I get the same stuff: Competition is killing me on price People are demanding discounts Labor costs Fuel costs Economy It's just tough out there! (whatever that means) I have to take whatever is available cause I have to eat! Do you agree that no matter what, there is someone always lower priced than you? So accept that as a fact and talk about why you are better than everyone else and of course it costs more! You can't expect a filet mignon at the price of a generic hotdog! Duh! If you were to raise your price by 10% and lose 15% of your business, you would still probably be doing better. To find our more and if you want to learn more go here to view my video on increasing profits now: http://nordyneu.com/PaidTraining/IncreaseProfitsNow If you haven't raised your price in a long time, you need to consider it now, especially when you are busy. Simply because of the fact that you are busy means that you must be doing something right, because people are doing business with you. In any other business in the world, they increase price when demand increases, it is just good business! Every time we turn around the price of something we buy has changed. Even simple things like milk and bread change from day to day. Yet I still meet people in the contracting business who haven't changed their price in more than five years! Stop measuring your success on total sales and whether you are busy or not. Being profitable equals success. Measure on your net profit and profit margins. You are not Walmart so being the low price leader and trying to make it up in volume is the stupidest thing you could do. Personally I would rather not work seven days a week and sixteen hours a day to pay my bills. Raise your price to a level that makes your life comfortable, focus on customers you can serve well and stop killing yourself needlessly trying to take care of the bargain price shoppers, they are usually the complainers anyway.

Is Business Like Baseball?

I've often compared business leadership to coaching baseball. They both have rules, each player has specific skills, everyone has personal goals and team goals. All players know what it takes to win and they all support each other. Plus hopefully they practice regularly. Just for the heck of it, let's compare the way a business operates to the way that you would run a baseball game. I would assume everyone reading this has a fairly good understanding of the rules in baseball. Imagine if the baseball game was similar to some folks who run a business with no goals, no specific rules and no basic plan for success. Let's say we decided to start a game the way this business was run and we had several individuals playing who are totally unfamiliar with the rules of how to play. So I'm at bat with no one on base. I happen to hit a ground ball to the third baseman. He catches it and instead of trying to throw me out at first, he instead throws it to the pitcher. I get to first and I believe I'm safe. One of the people playing who doesn't know the rules wants to argue that I am out because the third baseman did catch the ball. I argue that he has to throw it to first to get me out, and that I only would have been out if he caught it as a fly ball and not a ground ball. A third person wants to argue that I was out because the third baseman threw the ball to the pitcher and the pitcher caught it before I arrived at first base. We all get into an argument and the whole game never continues because there are too many opinions on what the real rules really are. This was just from one base hit, imagine what it would be like when we decide to keep score! I've been to some businesses where it seems like they are playing a game with no defined rules, no goals, no measurement and no one ever knows if they are winning or not. In baseball, everyone understands the rules of play. Every player knows the ultimate goal is to get the most runs to win while also trying to keep the other team from scoring. Each player has a specific role to play in order for that to happen. Everyone also knows how to handle their own role and objectives in most every possible scenario that could occur. Just so there is no misunderstanding, the scenarios are practiced on a regular basis in order to make sure there are minimum errors during actual play. The team that is most successful in accomplishing all of this wins the most games. Why can't you do the same in business? Business leaders need to make sure everyone on the team completely understands the rules of play and what it takes to win. This begins with making sure there are actually rules of play, like an employee handbook, business objectives, workplace guidelines and also an understanding of possible ramifications if the rules are broken. It may seem difficult sometimes to get everyone playing the same game and playing by the same rules, but if you don't start with communicating the fundamentals, you'll never win. Setting individual goals and overall business goals to win is essential also, every person must know how they could affect the outcome. More about this in future newsletters.

It's Time for Spring Cleaning in Your Business

While helping prepare dinner a few nights ago, I asked my wife, Brenda, what I should write about in my next newsletter. As usual, she responds to my question with another question. She says; "Aren't you doing something like spring cleaning your business right now? Write about that!" It was a wonderful suggestion, so I decided to write about it. I actually do spring clean my business every year. It's something I recommend everyone does. So here are 12 Spring cleaning ideas:
1. Look for things that waste time, energy and money and stop doing them.
2. Evaluate services and products offered to make sure it is consistent with what customers will spend money on.
3. Evaluate and eliminate any products or services that are not producing great margins.
4. Set new goals and guidelines that will get you closer to your final objectives in your life.
5. Look for any possible cost cutting ideas or productivity improvements.
6. Talk to vendors and suppliers who may be able to negotiate better pricing and rates.
7. Re-evaluate my marketing strategy including the website, advertising, trade shows, etc.
8. Research any new ventures or possible investments.
9. Get rid of clutter, not only off the desk, but clutter in business processes. Research any technology that could help.
10. Find something that makes your organization significantly better than the competition and make sure you make a big deal about it.
11. Look at your pricing strategy, is it time for an increase? (Most likely . . . YES!)
12. Ask others for ideas, input and recommendations and reward them! Remember, you don't know everything!

Franks 10 Rules on Keeping Customers Loyal

1. Never let personal needs, self-pride or prejudices get in the way of doing what is right for the customer

2. Appreciate the customers’ business – and tell them through your work, your attitude and communication

3. Pay attention to detail

4. Support your products, your team members, your company and your industry

5. Always look for ways to make it easier and more pleasant to do business with you (be compared to a five star restaurant)

6. Listen to your customers, get the details right

7. Script out and practice what you are going to say and how you are going to do it

8. You don’t know everything

9. Remember, nobody is perfect. Sometimes people screw up

10.Don’t ever be afraid to say “I’m sorry”, even if it isn’t your fault

Do You Do Business With People You Don't Like?

Recently I presented a Customer Satisfaction workshop in Las Vegas at the ACCA "Raise the Stakes" Annual Conference. There was probably 150 - 200 people in my class.

That evening at one of the social events one of the participants came up to me and said; "I was in your class today. You know I saw you speak on the same subject once before and didn't realize it was going to be the same material. I was considering getting up and going to one of the others, but I stayed till the end". I asked him why he stayed, and he said; "I like you and I like what you have to say".

After thinking about this, I realized that I need to add one more essential ingredient to the customer satisfaction pyramid. THE CUSTOMER MUST LIKE YOU.

Think about it, no matter how efficient the service or competitive the price, if you don't like someone, you won't do business with them. Just yesterday morning I called my new accountant's office and asked for a document to help me organize my taxes. The rep on the phone informed me that I am not in the system and she does not provide these documents if you are not in the system. . . leaving me no option for anything else. So naturally I just sat quietly on the phone waiting and she said "hello, are you there? I said yes. She said "Is there anything I can help you with?" I responded, "I don't know, I am not sure what I am allowed to do or say since I am not in your system." Then she asked my name again and now found me in the system. No apology, nothing. At this point, I am debating whether to do business with these people because, I do not like the lady that answered the phone. This doesn't have to happen.

Want to grow your business? Make friends and be nice. Get people to like you. Doesn't seem that difficult to me.

What Makes YOU So Special?

Why Would Someone Do Business With You Rather than Your Competition?

Your answer better not be lower price. You know better than that! My good friend Alex Walter keeps reminding me to tell you that you need to raise your price anyway!

What makes you better, is a question you need to ask yourself on regular basis. Why? If your answer sounds like a good to you and your friends, than you can expect your customers to believe it too!

At a recent workshop of mine I invited Thomas Jackson, CEO of Jackson systems and Duane Shover of Momentum Business Results to speak about their businesses. Tom Jackson immediately began speaking about how his organization can help the contractor improve his business, increase profitability and add value-added services to their customer base. Duane Shover spent a little bit over an hour discussing how small incremental improvements in your business will turn into momentum results with minimal effort.

Both speakers main topics revolved around the idea that you must offer services and experiences for your customer that your competition does not offer or is not willing to offer. A simple promise like "Satisfaction Guarantee", "Drug-Free Workplace" or "We Promise to Arrive When Promised or Your Service Call is Free" will make all of the difference in the world!

You're not in the business of selling boxes of equipment off of some shelf. Realize that what you offer is a great service experience and you commit to deliver as promised, and that they will be thrilled with what you did, no matter what.

If you have not already done so, take a moment to review my schedule below and sign up for a class that will change the way you do business forever. There is plenty of room to move upward. There are more than enough contractors going broke, Don't be one of them.

How Are Your New Years Resolutions Holding Up?

It's 2012 and I'm sure everyone has already started to follow through on some of our resolutions, ideas and objectives that we had meticulously worked on back in the fall or winter of 2011. By now everyone should be getting used to writing 2012 instead of 2011. Or . . . maybe not.

As professionals, we have every intention of making the appropriate changes and improvements that we've been thinking about for months or maybe years. Then, a repeat of 2011 happens. We get too busy once again to do anything differently than we've been doing. We get so overwhelmed with the day to day challenges that we cannot find time, not even one hour a week to devote to our new ideas. Eventually our excitement and motivations of making these great changes eventually fades away, just like they have every prior year. And nothing is implemented.

I remember watching a program on television a few years ago where the guest speaker was discussing the importance of daily exercise. He mentioned that we have to set aside the time to exercise just as we set aside time to eat and use the bathroom. This comment really hit home for me and got me started on a regular exercise routine. I also realized that the same applies in my business. It is essential that specific time is dedicated to work on projects or resolutions just in the same way that time is set aside to eat lunch or breakfast. It is way too easy to just put off change if we look at the process as an additional task or workload. A determination and priority to make it part of the daily routine must be established and followed through on.