Comanche Marketing

44 Links From 2011

2011-12-31T15:02:00.002-06:00

Below is a series of links to articles and columns I wrote in 2011 that were published by others and available online. I've written more than these, but not all of them are available on the Internet (e.g., Southern PHC Magazine, some issues of Contracting Canada, etc.). Even so, I found 44 links. Most are articles and columns. A few were interviews I gave or features. Still, this is nearly one per week. No wonder I'm always chasing a deadline.

1. Social Media: It's Where Your Customers Are (1.1.11)

2. Behind the Magic 8-Ball (1.1.11)

3. Purge Your Organizational Negative Energy (1.1.11)

4. Are You Leveraging the Referral Potential of Your Email Marketing? (1.5.11)

5. Do You Cut Off the Ham in Your Company? (1.19.11)

6. Why Aren’t You Cross Marketing? (2.2.11)

7. Ten Ways to Protect Your Company’s Online Reputation (2.16.11)

8. Simple ideas to jump start your marketing (3.1.11)

9. Leaving Money on the Table (3.1.11)

10. Profiting from Chaos (3.1.11)

11. Free Stuff from the Contracting Business Website (Part I) (3.2.11)

12. Free Stuff from the Contracting Business Website (Part II) (3.16.22)

13. How to Create or Update a Service Agreement (3.18.11)

14. Magnetic marketing: make your magnet stand out (4.1.11)

15. Free Stuff from the Contracting Business Website (Part III) (4.6.11)

16. The Service Roundtable takes first place in the Business Services category at 2010 HVAC Comfortech Show (4.14.11)

17. Free Stuff from the Contracting Business Website—Part IV (4.20.11)

18. Generate a flood of add-on sales (5.1.11)

19. Scratching the ISH Itch (5.1.11)

20. The Buzz About QR Codes (5.4.11)

21. The Heat is On (6.1.11)

22. Entrepreneur Interview: Matt Michele of Service Roundtable (6.6.11)

23. Summer Season Marketing (6.15.11)

24. Brandwashing (6.24.11)

25. Do you believe in plumbing marketing myths? (7.1.11)

26. Do You Own a Business, Job, or Is This Just a Hobby? (7.1.11)

27. Are Odors Hurting Your Repeat Business? (7.5.11)

28. Cause and Effect (7.5.11)

29. Advice To Homeowners about Licensed Insured Contractors (7.9.11)

30. Are We Headed for a Double Dip? (7.20.11)

31. Plumbing marketing myths – Part 2 (8.1.11)

32. Should You Attend HVAC Comfortech 2011? (8.3.11)

33. 10 Steps To Get the Economy Booming (9.1.11)

34. Six Ways to Tap Into the Positive Power of Groups (9.7.11)

35. Preparing a Marketing Calendar (9.21.11)

36. The Power of Free (10.5.11)

37. Best practices for employees who pick up product from distribution. (10.12.11)

38. Embarrassed by the Brand (10.19.11)

39. She's Baaaack… The Return of Big Yellow (11.1.11)

40. The ‘Best-of’ Matt Michel (11.10.11)

41. December Marketing Tactics (12.7.11)

42. Fear is the Mind Killer (12.9.11)

43. EPA Rules Will Create Opportunities For HVAC Contractors (12.21.11)

44. Faces of Roundpeg: Matt and the Gift of Words (12.24.11)

What makes one Company or Team better than another?

2011-12-13T14:11:00.002-06:00

We all know of companies that are superior to others; and a tremendous amount of time, effort and money is expended daily by lesser businesses trying to find out what makes them so. For many years now, I have spent a great deal of time thinking and talking about this; and I believe I may have come up with a good example. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we have two professional football teams, the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. The past few years have been dismal for both of them, as they just could not find their way back to their glory days of the past. However, this season both teams brought on new head coaches, as well as making a few changes with their assistant coaches, and saw their fortunes change as well.

There is no doubt you must have talented players on any team for it to be a good one, and both teams had plenty of good players who were receiving substantial amounts of money to perform but were not doing so consistently. However, as has been proven many times in sports, government, and business, just throwing money at something without insuring it works well is not always enough. Both teams did acquire some new players before the season started, however their squad’s talent levels were pretty much unchanged from last year, so that was not a big issue in their progress either. I believe the big difference for them this year is the new and different coaching, training, and positive attitude adjustment they are now receiving, plain and simple.

So what was the end result of this transformation? With the Raiders, after changing head coaches 9 times over the past 16 years, they seem to have finally found a head coach and assistants the players respect and will play for, as well as gaining a new winning attitude. As a result, they are currently in a real dogfight in their division, as apposed to dragging up the rear. As for the 49ers, they also brought in a new head coach along with some assistant coaches, which has resulted in changing the culture of the entire team. Last year the team was 6 and 10, and just did not have “It”. So far this year, they are 10 and 2, and have clinched their division. I do not believe they are the best team in the league, as the Packers and Saints seem to have that honor. However, they are certainly heading in the right direction.

It is reported one of the first things the new Head Coach Jim Harbaugh did, was take Alex Smith, the much beleaguered 49er quarterback for the past 7 years under his wing, and let him know he believed in him, told him he was his quarterback, and empowered him to lead the team. Apparently, this was what he needed, as he has blossomed into the now seventh rated quarterback in the league. What’s more, the entire team has followed suit, and are now proving they have a ton of “It”, every time they play.

So just what is ‘It”, anyway? I submit it is having a total belief in themselves and their ability, and that they will succeed in whatever they attempt to do; no matter the obstacles. To me, successful companies in business mirror top sports teams by having the same superior leadership qualities in their owners, managers, supervisors, and/or lead personal. They also create and manage efficient systems to run their operations, and employ ongoing training programs to insure those systems are followed to the letter. They always reinforce the positive, and dismiss the negative. In addition, they show solid leadership by being consistent in everything they do, while setting good examples for the people around them. One of their big “secrets”, is believing in finding and hiring the best people they can, and then putting them in positions that will work best for them and the team. Of course, they will not tolerate malcontents and slackers, and get rid of them before they destroy the positive chemistry that has been established through hours of sacrifice and hard work by the rest of the team.

Having these characteristics and assets, and being able to then build a great team or business with them, is obviously not a common thing for most of us humans to have and accomplish, or everyone could do it. I believe in order to take advantage of them; you must have a well thought out game plan, which is then followed to the letter. In addition, you need to park your ego at the door, and learn how to empower others to do their jobs. Finally, you must work on your own weaknesses and shortcomings, until you become proficient enough to become a true leader of anything.

As far as determining who are leaders and winners goes, they are not all the same. For instance, in professional football, you have had very aggressive and vocal coaches like Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay packers, who would not hesitate to get in the players faces when a mistake was made. Then you can have someone like the Dallas Cowboys great Tom Landry, who would stand quietly on the sidelines in his famous Stetson Fedora hat with his arms crossed, showing little or no emotion. Whenever a player on his team made a mistake, instead of screaming and yelling, he responded by simply giving them a very disapproving and withering look, which made them wish they would never do that again.

There was also “The Genus” Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers, who helped build a series of teams that won 5 Super Bowls over a period of 13 years. He had a great sense of humor, and also did not holler, rant, and rave. However, everyone knew he was in charge, and they had best listen to, and follow him, if they ever wanted to succeed. All of these great coaches and leaders had another thing in common, they believed in creating systems to run their teams. The Packers Lombardi had the famous “Packer Sweep”; a running play that most opposing teams just could not stop even though they knew it was coming.

This simple running play dominated pro football for almost 10 years, and was unique to the Packers only. It worked by having the Tackle Forrest Gregg, and Guards Jerry Kramer Fuzzy Thurston, pull out in perfect sync to set-up a wall of beef for the great running backs Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor to run behind while gaining chunks of yardage. Hornung said of the ”Packer Sweep”; “It worked because "It made everybody work as a team, as it gave everybody enough responsibility that you took it upon yourself to do the best you could. And it became the best play in football."

Landry’s team ran the “Flex Defense”, along with many other different innovations while he was the coach of the Cowboys for some 29 years, and at one time had a winning record for 20 years in a row.

49er coach Bill Walsh created the “West Coast Offence” in the 80s, which is still being used today. One of Walsh’s many innovations was scripting the first 25 plays before the start of the game. He said that his reasoning for having systems and then rehearsing them so much before playing the game was, “Your ability to make good judgments is much easier on Thursday night, than during the heat of the game”. Just like in business, planning and preparation will always succeed over just winging it, and then hoping for the best.

All of these men also had the ability and vision to find players and coaches that would work well within their particular systems. Walsh for instance, selected a quarterback from Notre Dame named Joe Montana. Although he was a great athlete, he was not selected until the 82^nd spot in the draft, which meant that some of the other teams and coaches did not think of him as a superstar. In fact, when he first came out, some of the “experts” suggested that he had skinny legs, and an average arm. However, Walsh knew Montana was exactly what he needed for his new “West Coast Offense”, which he later proved by leading the team to four Super Bowl wins.

Montana was also a very calm player, so much so he became known as “Joe Cool”, as he just never panicked no matter how stressful the situation. The other big thing Joe possessed was “It”, and as their leader, he transferred those gifts to the rest of the team every time they took the field. Just as the leader of a successful company does every time they put the key in the front door to start the day’s business.

Just my thoughts,

Gene B

Business Secrets of the Aggie 100

2011-12-12T10:14:00.000-06:00

A group of successful entrepreneurs who grew and prospered in 2009 and 2010 share the keys to success. Pay attention.

"Give first and receive later."

Bernie B. Bernard, James M. Brooks

B&B Laboratories

"The people you surround yourself with are critical - they should be hard-working, passionate aobu the business you are in, and ideally, smarter than you."

William Sims

Accent Wire, Ltd.

"Never be scared to take a risk. It is those risks that often push you to the next level and thos risks, successful or not, that teach you the most."

Jackie Lackey

Encore Visions

"Consider your employees one of your most important assets. A happy employee results in a happy customer."

Kimberly Smart Willmott

Pentecom, LLC

"Never accept that there is not a better way. With the speed at which information and technology move in today's world, if something is being done 'the same way it always has been,' then there is probably a great opportunity to improve it. Often it is not the idea for improvement that leads to a strong business, but the drive to change people's way of thinking to accept that improvement."

Ryan Sitton, Jennifer Sitton

Pinnacle Asset Integrity Services

"Take care of your employees as they are hard to find."

Alvin Adamcik

MI Cable Company

"If you don't always do what's in the customer's best interests, someone else will."

Phil Miner

Miner Central Texas Ltd.

"Realize that you'll reach a point when your company's success is despite your efforts and not because of them. Eventually, you must modestly step aside from your daily role, empower your team and make the business about them - it's not about you anymore."

Gary Peterson

gap intelligence

"Establish your company with a clear vision, mission and values... People will commit to something greater than themselves if it is clear and they believe in it. Ultimately, people drive your success."

Stefan LeRow

Capstone Mechanical

"You are never going to grow if you don't take a chance."

Phil Miner

Miner North Texas Ltd

"In business, grow or die."

Donald G. Valentine

John Moore Services, Inc.

"Growth can consumer massive amounts of cash, even when your income statement is showing a healthy profit."

William Sims

Accent Wire, Ltd.

"Don't let 'conventional wisdom' limit your options. Many success stories are the result of people doing what they're not supposed to be able to do."

Ed Muniz

MEI Technologies, Inc.

"Live by the Golden Rule and always ask yourself: 'How would I want them to treat me?' It is a small world in business relationships and the things you do come back to haunt you sooner than you might expect."

Larry Teverbaugh

K2Share, LLC

"Do not allow other people to influence you with their own negativity. If you believe in yourself enough to do something great, then do it. You do not need anyone's approval to make that something a reality."

Trey Jones

Lone Star Land Design

"Hire character and train skill."

Taseer Badar

True View Realty Partners Two, L.P.

"If you wait for the perfect time to begin something new you will be waiting your entire life. There is no 'perfect time' to change the direction of your life. Instead of waiting - commit, persevere, and enjoy the experience."

Kyle D. Barrington

Zajonc Corp

"Seek out a mentor and then become a mentor to someone."

Todd Sorrel, Gordon Sorrel

Select Premium Services, Inc.

"Remember to do the right thing at all costs; it will pay off in the long run, even if it's more expensive in the short term."

Ryan Kobermann, Beth Kobermann

ESN Health

"Constantly work to broaden your knowledge about your industry and business in general."

William Sims

Accent Wire, Ltd.

"Choose well when you choose a business partner; take the time to get to know them well. You will need to trust them as well as depend on them. It's better to pass up a great business opportunity than to go into business with someone who you can't fully trust."

Todd Smith, Scott Holder

Texas Quail Farms L.P.

"You can buy office supplies anywhere but people like buying from people they trust. At Tejas, we believe that personal relationships still matter and as long as we can be a trusted advisor to our clients we can compete with anyone."

Stephen M. Fraga, Lupe Fraga

Tejas Office Products, Inc.

"Hire future leaders that are smarter than you. Cast for them a clear vision of what the future could be and should be. Develop in them the moral courage to always do what is right no matter what, even when it's hard. Empower them to exercise initiative and to develop plans to shape your vision. Finally, give them the authority to execute those plans and make your vision a reality."

Lee Sechrist

Synergy Creations Group, LLC

"Surround yourself with good people and then give them the tools they need to be successful."

Jeff McDougall, Jeff Durrant

PivotPoint Solutions

"Say what you'll do and do what you say. A successful business is built on a foundation of honesty and integrity. A great reputation supported by this foundation may take years to build but can be lost in one day."

Michael Martin

Rio Queen, Inc.

"A lot of people have ideas, but few have the courage and belief in themselves to do something about them. If you aren't willing to invest in yourself, don't expect anyone else to do so."

Joanne Vest

Schedule 2 Drive, L.P.

The Aggie 100 are the 100 fastest growing businesses over the past two years owned, founded, or managed by Texas A&M graduates. Service Nation, Inc., which operates the Service Roundtable, Retail Contractor Coalition, and the Service Nation Alliance, was fortunate enough to be achieve #43 in the 2011 Aggie 100. Dr. Richard Lester, Executive Director of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship with the Mays Business School graciously allowed me to share these quotes, excerpted from "Aggie Legacy of Leadership."

Are You At Risk of an Intellectual Property Lawsuit?

2011-12-12T10:10:00.000-06:00

A picture may or may not be worth a thousand words

...but it can easily cost you a few thousand dollars!

Guest article by David Squires - Contractor's Online-Access

Recently one of our clients received a demand letter and invoice for over $2,000 for a picture that was found on their website that they did not own or license. The company invoicing them was called Masterfile Corporation out of Toronto Canada. If you're thinking "scam" as you read this-you couldn't be more wrong. In fact, if you do a quick search on pending intellectual property lawsuits in the USA, you will find 76 lawsuits filed by Masterfile in 16 states-and these are just the few who didn't settle and pay up.

If you think it can never happen to you-think again. Also, don't think that getting caught means you get a slap on the hand and a gentle warning. Getting caught simply means you're going to pay big. Most of the companies getting these letters weren't even responsible for the choice of pictures in their website. In fact, most of the fines were not deliberate thefts from the stock-image companies, but pictures obtained from other sources that may or may not have had license to use them. Stock image companies like Masterfile are using sophisticated image recognition software to spider the web. This software can recognize even a small piece of the images to which they have copyright.

The irony of the invoice my client received was that the picture they were being billed for was a digital image that a former employee had created in Photoshop where he had blended two pictures together. Unfortunately, he used a piece of a picture he found on the web to do it with. The company assumed that it was appropriately secured. Unfortunately, Masterfile--and the law-say it wasn't. In fact, after doing more research, the $2,000 being demanded from my client was a bargain when I read about other small businesses complaining of having to retroactively pay $40-$50K for illegal use of multiple images found in their websites. One case I followed involved the owner of a small retail business that had to pay $10,000 for two pictures on his website that his daughter's boyfriend built for him. Hopefully the young up-and-coming webmaster will be able to research the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) now that he's probably single again with more time on his hands.

If you do get caught illegally using images from these guys... picture that the hand pointing the finger at you is putting on a latex glove...

Having had to enforce our own intellectual property rights by asking contractors to remove copyrighted content they "borrowed" from the websites we provide our clients, Masterfile appears to have turned what I always saw as a thankless, but necessary, job into a gold mine. Most of the accounts I read on a forum dedicated to victims of these letters were from people that didn't even put the picture on their website, but it was provided by the guy that built it for them. One such victim actually attended a presentation in Toronto given by a "Copyright Compliance Officer" of Masterfile where the representative stated that over 85% of the stock photo industry's revenue now comes from demand letters and litigation.

To give you an idea why the images on everyone's websites are being scrutinized so closely, Getty Images & Corbis, two major players in the stock image industry, annually uncover 42,000 & 70,000 violations respectively. Each of their violations has an average fine of $1,000-$1,200. When you do the math, the 112,000 plagiarized pictures they find that may have been only worth $1-3 million in licensing fees, now bring in about $123 million in the punitive fines they demand-and their fines are fairly low when compared to companies like Masterfile.

Protecting your company in a virtual world from virtual thugs

Although I understand and agree with the need to police copyright, turning litigation into your major profit center is just wrong. Bankrupting a small business for a mistake that may not even be their fault is not my idea of a business of which to be to be proud. So, how do you protect yourself from inadvertently getting squeezed by the new virtual copyright thugs? First off, the best defense is an aggressive offense. Don't wait for Fed-Ex to deliver your own personal invitation to meet their lawyers, instead be proactive. Here are a few things you should consider today.

1. Make sure you are using a reputable web designer who you can trust.

My company, Online-Access goes to great lengths to take its own pictures and create its own images so we can offer our clients access to safe images they can use on their site. However, if your web site designer utilizes stock-photos or professional photos in developing your site ask for and keep on hand a copy of all the licensing documents.

Don't depend on your web guy to keep the proof of license for you since he's not the one who will be getting the Fed Ex package from a "Copyright Compliance Officer" at Masterfile. More than one webmaster who gave an unbelievably low price to build a company a website has quietly disappeared when one of his clients gets a demand letter for $35K for illegal images he mistakenly thought were royalty-free.

2. Take your own pictures and use them in your website.

With digital cameras today there is no excuse not to since, if the picture doesn't look quite right, you simply keep taking more until you get a good one. Sort of like the idea that enough monkeys and typewriters would eventually result in the tome 'War and Peace'. Besides, it's not like you're going to pay additional money developing the ones you don't use.

3. Do not "borrow' pictures where you don't have permission.

If you do get permission, verify that the picture really belongs to the person giving you the OK. A lot of times, many of the borrowed pictures that get caught are pictures borrowed from other sites or brochures the producer of which had obtained a license limited to their use only. Having a license to use a picture does not constitute ownership. Whether the image may be shared depends on how the license reads.

4. In many cases, your product manufacturer will supply you with images to use.

You are probably safe using images from their website since it would be hard to imagine a manufacturer suing their own dealer for using their material to help them sell their product. However, that being said, you probably still should make the effort to obtain permission through your distributor. If, by some stupid logic they tell you no, then follow up with the question, "What brand do you recommend I put on my website instead?" That question has good chance give you the logical 'yes' you were after with your first question.

Be careful to steer away from brochure or non-industry related marketing images on manufacturer material since many of the 'smiling people' images are likely licensed only for marketing produced by the manufacturer. A quick way to judge would be if the image doesn't have a branded piece of their product in the picture-there's a good chance it may not be theirs to let you use it. Of course, if you find any identical photos through stock sources you can obtain your own license and right to use the photo.

Finally, take the time to go through your website and make sure you know that any pictures you've added are ones you either own, have licensed or have obtained permission of the owner to use. When in doubt, ask yourself if it's worth paying a few grand to keep it. If not, deep-six it and replace it with one you do own (see #3 above).

Remember, if you do deliberately choose to use images and written content on your website or in your marketing-material that you don't own or have permission to use-it isn't as easy to get away with it as it used to be. With search engines and image tracking software, finding plagiarism on the web is no longer like you're a 'tiny needle' hiding in the proverbial 'hay stack'. It's more like you're playing 'Russian Roulette' with a fully loaded gun.

This article may be freely used and republished under condition that it is used in its unaltered entirety and all source links and author credits remain intact.

Fear is the Mind Killer

2011-12-05T15:37:00.001-06:00

“Fear is the mind killer,” wrote Frank Herbert in the novel, Dune. When people are overcome with fear, they freeze. They stop thinking. They stop behaving rationally. They are paralyzed.

Growing up, everyone experiences points of fear where we freeze for an instant or perhaps longer. Some freeze at the top of a high dive. Others freeze when sledding or skiing down a steep slope. For some, it’s facing a fastball. Many lock up when forced to stand up in the front of the classroom and give a speech or report.

If we try, all of us can remember a point in childhood where we froze, where fear became our mind killer, if only for a few moments. A degree of fear in childhood is healthy. Many of us would not have survived childhood without fear acting as a brake against our more idiotic notions.

What’s beneficial for preventing an eight year old boy from trying to sail off the roof of his house, using a beach towel as a parachute can be devastating among an adult who is struck by one or more of life’s setbacks and freezes, forestalling any act or motion.

I’ve seen it with the business owner who all but loses his business in a tough economy. Confronted by a series of setbacks and reversals, he becomes locked in place. He spends more time on Facebook than prospecting. He stops trying because he’s convinced he can never succeed again. As long as he’s convinced he can’t succeed, he won’t succeed.

I’ve seen it with the business executive whose career doesn’t pan out as planned. Rather than try for new career in a new company, he mails it in. He retires without notifying anyone and each day… just… shows… up. He’s scared to apply with another company. He’s worried that he’s too old. He’s afraid he’ll have start over. He’s questioning his sense of worth.

Fear has frozen these people in place. They worry that no move can make things better and any move might make things worse. Life ceases being a proactive event. Afraid to change, they do nothing. They wait for things to happen to them.

The great business philosopher, Dr Seuss, wrote about this in the classic motivational book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go.”

The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go, or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a yes or a no or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a better break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or another chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

Fear has trapped these people in hell. The only way out is to take action. Take a risk. By taking a risk, risk failure. Risk it again and again and again, if necessary. The only certainty is success will ever elude those who refuse to reach out for it.

As a child you failed and failed and failed before you learned to walk. Failure precedes success as naturally as falling precedes walking. Few men experience one success after another from the outset in a repetitive string of victory. Most find it only after tasting failure, and usually after much more than a taste.

If you find fear becoming your mind killer, break the cycle. Take one positive action today, no matter how small. Tomorrow take another. Take another the day that. Progress is made by putting one foot ahead of the other, over and over again.

The mere act of action breaks cycle of fear. When fear no longer halts you, it no longer holds power over you. It all begins with one small act.

As Dr. Seuss put it, “Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.”

Little Things

2011-12-01T17:00:00.002-06:00

At our shop meeting yesterday, the subject of what kind of rags should the Techs have and use was brought up, and the discussion concerning this rather mundane topic went on for some 15 minutes or so. At first blush, one might think, “Wow is this really something that requires all of this verbiage and energy?” Well I believe the answer is a resounding YES! Why? Because rags are used in conjunction with keeping their work areas clean both during and when they are finished with the job, which is one of the most important things a Service & Repair Company can ever do.

It was decided that the Techs needed rags made out of towels to soak up water and wipe things down, as well as paper towels for smaller jobs like cleaning glass, along with various cleaning products, etc. Then the question was asked if everyone had their clean-up systems up to speed? It turned out that some of the Techs in fact did not. We also found out there is an area in the shop for their cleaning supplies that had not always been maintained. It was agreed that from now on it would be restocked and kept that way in the future.

A simple solution for a simple problem, but to me it was a prime example of how complex running a business can be, even down to the smallest of details. I gave the others in the meeting my thoughts on why it was so important to make sure they had enough rags and cleaning supplies; and to always leave the work area cleaner than when they found it. Over the years, we have had a few situations where the Techs did a great job installing a Garbage Disposal, Boiler, Furnace, etc., but missed some little thing during the install and/or while finishing up.

The result of this was Mrs. Jones who was so happy to get her new whatever just as short time ago, is now very unhappy. She no longer cared about all of the value you provided while selling the job, or even that your price might have been higher than another company, as she thought you were better than they were, and would do a higher quality job. It was no longer important that you answered the phone properly and with a smile, that your trucks are clean and well stocked, and your Techs display photo I.D.s, and wear pretty uniforms with little Flags displayed on them.

What mattered now; was that a floor or countertop was not cleaned or covered properly, a wall was marked-up where a new Thermostat was installed, pipe dope was not wiped off a fitting or cabinet door, or that some bowl wax was left on a Water Closet, etc. Next comes the angry phone call, and all of the stress, grief, misery, time and applicable money lost with it, just because one of your Techs did not pay attention and wipe up with a clean rag, and therefore failed to leave the area cleaner than when they found it.

Studies used to say that an unhappy customer will tell 40 people or so about it, which is devastating for any company. The issue today however, is that they can now reach hundreds or even thousands of people via E-Mail, Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, etc. Therefore, some simple little thing can override all the time, energy, and money you spend on the training of your Technicians, as well as the advertising and marketing to reach her in the first place. Thousands of dollars down the drain over a dent, stain, or smudge, what a shame!

Just my it is always the little things thoughts,

Gene B

Roman Cab Ride

2011-11-29T13:34:00.000-06:00

The Fear of Open End Pricing & Getting Take For a Ride

Have you ever arrived in a city and worried about the cost of a cab from the airport into town? Try it in a foreign country where you can't speak the language. In my case, the foreign country was Italy.

My wife, in-laws, and I left Dallas at 7:00 p.m. and arrived in London the next morning. After clearing European customs, we spent the next several hours in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, which may be the only airport terminal in the world where it's enjoyable to spend a few hours. Late in the afternoon, we caught a flight for Rome and arrived, wrung out from traveling, at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in the evening.

Upon arriving, we discovered that the in-laws' 50 pound duffle bag was waiting while our luggage stayed in London, adding frustration to weariness. We completed the necessary forms with British Air and hit an ATM before figuring out how to get to the apartment we rented for the week.

We planned on taking a taxi to the apartment. The guidebooks all recommend taxis from the airport to take advantage of the fixed 40 Euro rate for four people and luggage. By contrast, an airport shuttle to the main train station in Rome costs 11 Euros per person. Not only is it more expensive, but once you're at the station, it's still necessary to figure out how to navigate the subway and bus system (or take a taxi) to get to your final destination. As a party of four the cab was a no-brainer. In fact, I never really considered anything else.

At the cab stand, I learned the flaw in my plan. The fixed rate was to central Rome only. The apartment was in a neighborhood located outside of "central" Rome. When I tried to argue that the apartment was still in Rome, the guy at the cab stand's English started to disappear. I felt like we were getting played. Though our apartment was closer to the airport than central Rome, cab stand guy said it was going to cost us more to get there.

"How much more?" I asked cab stand guy.

He shrugged and held out his hands out to his side as his English suddenly improved. "Could be 80. Could be more."

I did some quick math. At 1.4 Euros to the Dollar that was $112 bucksplus. Plus how much? I didn't know.

"You want a private driver?" cab stand guy asks. "You save money. You share a ride."

Cab stand guy motioned to a guy standing beside an unmarked van and engaged him in an fast dialogue, where the apartment's street was mentioned several times.

Unmarked taxis are not recommended by the guidebooks.

"Avoid unmarked, unmetered taxis," warns guidebook author, Rick Steves. "These guys will try to tempt you away from the taxi-stand lineup by offering an immediate (rip-off) ride."

They didn't need to tempt us. Cab stand guy was doing it for them.

"Quanto?" I asked, showing cab stand guy I memorized a few phrases in Italian. This was a mistake.

"Cinquantacinque," he said. I wasn't sure if this was either five, fifteen, fifty, or five hundred.

I switched back to English. "How much?"

"Fifty-five."

Standing there, wrung out from travel, irritated by the lack of luggage, hungry, and uncertain, I had two choices. We could take an official taxi that would cost who knows how much or take the unmarked one that cost a flat 55 Euros.

The driver of the unmarked taxi was better dressed and cleaner cut than the taxi drivers. His van looked in better shape than the official taxis too. He had an official looking photo ID hanging from a lanyard around his neck.

I bucked the advice of Rick Steves and went with the unmarked car. We had to wait while he added other passengers heading to a hotel near our apartment, and then he took off. The guy's driving skills lay somewhere between a NASCAR driver's and a lunatic's, but he got us to the apartment.

After helping take the luggage out of the van, the driver presented a card and offered us a special price of 50 Euros for the return trip. At the end of the week we took him up on it. We never even considered another option.

Standing in front of cab stand guy, I was in the same position as most consumers who are standing in front of your field service personnel. They're anxious. They're frustrated. They're worried about getting taken for a ride.

The most reassuring thing you can do is offer them a fixed price. It takes most of the uncertainty of the unknown away. This can be complemented with a professional appearance, photo ID badge, and clean, late model service vehicle. Each is a tangible clue that reassures the consumer about your legitimacy.

Some aspects of the service business are not hard. Give a price upfront. Wear uniforms. Use ID badges. Take care of your trucks. Make the customer feel at ease.

Winning a customer's business the first time is the biggest challenge. Once he's had a good experience with you, it's easier to do business with you again. However, don't take it for granted. Like our driver, ask for his business and give him a reason to call you back. Give the customer a bounce back coupon or other repeat business incentive.

(c) 2011 Matt Michel

Pictures From ISH

2011-04-02T12:03:00.001-05:00

I've been lax about posting while we were in Germany for the Service Nation Alliance's International Leadership Workshop, led by Ron Smith and the ISH Show. I've also be behind after we returned. If you're in the plumbing, heating, and air conditioning industry and have never been to the bi-annual ISH Show in Frankfurt, put it on your bucket list. The show is amazing. It's the most incredible trade show I've ever attended (and that includes the old Comdex Shows for the computer industry). Here's a few pictures...

The hotel downloaded the Service Roundtable logo for the Service Nation Alliance's Leadership Workshop in Frankfurt, Germany. We held the workshop in the mornings and visited the show in the afternoons.

Ron Smith led the Service Nation Alliance Leadership Workshop in Frankfurt, Germany.

One of eleven exhibit halls of Messe Frankfurt, all filed with exhibitors at the ISH Show (many of them multiple level).

One of the courtyards at the ISH Show. This courtyard is surrounded by exhibit halls, all filled.

The building directly ahead looks like a huge basketball arena, but is really just another exhibit hall at the ISH Show.

This is a stop for the shuttle buses, like the one at the left. The buses carry people between the different exhibit hall entrances. There's another courtyard behind the building on the left and another beyond the building directly ahead (the high rise is not part of ISH).

Another one of the exhibit halls.

Farr had a trailer exhibit in one of the courtyards.

Note the piping over the eating area in this exhibitor's booth.

The scale of the show is matched by the scale of the booths. Nearly every one of them had a full bar plus food.

A company promoting private labeling.

At last... we finally found a truly "green" product.

Nearly every booth at the ISH Show contained a full bar. Servers bring prospects wine in the glass (look at the two guys to the left), beer in the glass, drinks in the glass, cappuccino in porcelain cups, and food on porcelain plates so that you're obligated to stay in the booth.

Picnic tables for eating and drinking in a corner of a booth.

Using a computer tablet to control the HVAC system.

Overhead hydronic heating.

Exhibitors spare little expense.

Diffusers over an exhibitor's "lounge" area. Note the full bar in the back.

One of a series of moving walk ways carrying people between exhibit halls.

Waiting for the tram to go to the show. The trams and trains were included with the ISH ticket and worked great. Yet, many of the people staying in the hotel took the bus service, which cost six Euros (about $9) each way and took longer.

QR Codes were all over the ISH Show. This is a huge poster on the side of a building. I doubt many people scanned it, however. The facing corridor had a moving walkway on the far side and most people were on it. The window frame limited the ability of a phone to get a read.

If you didn't know what a QR code was or how to read it, there's a pop up display to explain.

This vendor put QR codes next to all of their products, such as this hydronic radiator.

In the bath section, we saw this handicap toilet. This is a serious product. If my father had one of these, he likely would have lived longer. Because he was worried about falling, didn't think he could reach the help cord, and dropped his phone. He spent the night on the toilet, pushing against the wall, developing sores that got infected, requiring a lengthy rehab that he never really recovered from. When I went to check on him after he had spent the night on the toilet, he head was pressed so hard into the wall that hair was embedded. Plumbing professionals have a moral responsibility to offer products like this to their elderly customers.

One of the many huge and elaborate booths at the show. There were several panels like this. This is only part of this vendor's booth.

Note the stairs. That's part of the vendor booth display, as is the second floor bar directly in front. This vendor built this display specifically for the ISH Show.

In the plumbing side of the show, there's even more of an emphasis on booth design. Again, the picture doesn't do the sale of these booths justice. They're huge.

A television built into a mirror. It's cool, I guess, but pretty useless. If it ever breaks, what do you do? Remove the mirror? Guess so.

Toilet seats of every possible design were on display.

A unique, black graphite bath tub.

This is not some kind of Asian soup spoon, but a huge bathtub with the sides fully covered by a mosaic.

Add on bidets to existing toilets. This is another product plumbers should offer to their customers.

After a while all of the faucets at ISH began to look alike and look fuzzy.

A rain shower. The water falls straight down.

Buderus may have had the biggest booth at ISH. This is only part of it. To give you an idea of the scale, below the blue on white Buderus logo directly ahead is a balcony leading back into the upstairs bar area that's part of the Buderus booth.

There was a wide variety of elaborate displays.

Stylish hydronic radiators on display at the ISH Show. These make heating more than function. They make heating art and architecture.

A lot of furnaces and boilers used different types of pellets as fuel sources. Some of the pellets were made from wood. Some were recycled. Some were biomass.

A chef preparing food in a booth.

The picture doesn't do this fireplace justice. The flame is in a single, thin line with around four inches of gravel on either side. It's really beautiful.

The Europeans have heating in general and fireplaces in specific down pat. The show had an overhead venting system so all of these were fully functional. I could feel the heat from the one on the left as I took the picture.

Another wood boiler. This could heat up an entire, large room. Note how the design allows heat to radiate from all four sides and the top.

The outside of some of the buildings at Messe Frankfurt (or the Frankfurt Trade Fair).

Ben Stark took a picture of David Heimer and me in the Testo booth with an infrared thermographic camera.

Ben Stark and Steve Lauten getting a demonstration of infrared thermographic cameras at the Testo Booth in ISH. When infrared themography first came on the market, the cameras cost $12 to $40 thousand. These ranged from $2 to $7.5 thousand.

These fireplaces draft down so they can be used indoors in a retrofit situation provided there's pier and beam construction or a basement. They are absolutely beautiful products and can work indoors or out.

Cooking in a booth at the show.

A vendor was giving a seminar inside this booth.

I think this was the bar area of one of the Uponor booths. That's right, booths. There were 11 huge exhibit halls with multiple levels in each so some vendors had booths in more than one exhibit hall.

Almost every booth had an open bar inside it.

Thin solar film. There was surprisingly little solar at ISH.

The perpetual faucet, one of favorite booth tricks. Using clear tubing, a pump, and the faucet of your choice, anyone can make one of these.

Look at the chrome! The booth displays at ISH are not just expensive, they're beautiful.

Hydronic radiators.

This vendor brought in real grass (note the inset at the bottom right).

A Honeywell touchscreen zone controller. Honeywell was one of the few U.S. manufacturers with a presence at ISH.

Profiting From Chaos

2011-03-15T03:36:00.001-05:00

Does the world seem chaotic? Unrest in the Mid-East threatens to disrupt world oil supplies. At home, electric reliability is becoming suspect with whole regions experiencing rolling blackouts. And now, the potential for a nuclear meltdown in Japan will push back the potential resurgence of nuclear energy.

How did we get here? The answer has little to do with the quest for democracy.

And what does it mean for your business? It may not be bad.

While written before the Japanese earthquake, my latest column for Contracting Business Magazine, titled, "Profiting From Chaos" attempts to address these questions for air conditioning contractors.

Click to read the column.

How do you see the world becoming more chaotic? Where do you see opportunities to profit, whether in HVAC or some other field?

The Power of Appreciation

2011-03-02T08:55:00.000-06:00

Service Roundtable and Retail Contractor Coalition member, Penny Luker from Mid-Cities Air Conditioning in Richland Hills, Texas, made my day when she sent me the card shown below...

Click on the image to read the copy.

It was incredibly nice and thoughtful. It stands out accordingly. It also stands out because it's so rare.

Why? It shouldn't be. Yet, all of us get so wrapped up in our own day-to-day activities we forget to show appreciation or complement others. Think how the simple act of showing appreciation, performed consistently, can affect everyone around us. Think how it can get reflected back to us.

Go ahead. Give it a try.

Who Sends Money For This Yellow Pages Solicitation? Apparently 162,000 Business Owners

2011-02-28T15:16:00.003-06:00

This above pseudo-invoice came in the mail today. It's an "order form" for a "yellow pages" listing for just $396. Who would fill this out and send money? Apparently 162,000 businesses did.

A story from July 2010 on CBSNews.com reports, "Prosecutors say 162,000 companies responded to the money laundering scheme, and although United Directories did, in fact, publish a business directory in 2008, it contained only 55,000 of the 162,000 businesses that had paid for advertising space."

According to the story, these guys collected $425 million over a four year period. All they did was send solicitations like the one above and people sent them money. And it's apparently legal. The Jacksonville Business Journal reports that the prosecutors were forced to drop the charges.

Moreover, their attorney truthfully claims, "This company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau."

It's really a half-truth (which is pretty darn honest coming from an attorney). The Florida Times-Union pointed out that three Better Business Bureau's rated the company. Only one was a A+. The other was a B- and the third was an F, which taken together says more about the Better Business Bureau than United Directories.

At the bottom of their solicitation United Directories (un)clearly states, "THIS IS A SOLICITATION FOR THE ORDER OF GOODS OR SERVICES, OR BOTH, AND NOT A BILL INVOICE OR STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT DUE. YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO MAKE ANY PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT OF THIS OFFER UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER. WE ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH YOUR LOCAL PHONE COMPANY AND THE DIRECTORY IS NOT DISTRIBUTED TO ALL LOCAL TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERS. IF YOU ADVERTISE IN YOUR LOCAL PHONE COMPANY'S YELLOW PAGES AND ACCEPT THIS OFFER, THIS DIRECTORY LISTING WILL BE IN ADDITION TO YOUR EXISTING YELLOW PAGES ADVERTISING. THIS IS A NATIONWIDE BUSINESS YELLOW PAGE LISTING SOLICITATION. A LISTING IN WWW.YELLOWPAGESUNITED.COM WILL BE INCLUDED WITH EACH YELLOW PAGES LISTING OF $396.00. SEE TERMS ON REVERSE."

Aside from being poorly written and presented in all caps with narrow line spacing, reducing readability, it appears that nothing is being promised. If anyone demands that something must be provided, they have themselves covered. When I visited their website, I found my business "listed" exactly as it appears in the white pages.

Hmmm. I suspect they "listed" their entire business mail list, sent out the solicitations, and are sitting back waiting for the money to roll in. Paid or unpaid, the companies are listed. Since everyone is listed the directory can claim a service was provided if anyone complains.

There is so much wrong here on so many levels, it's hard to know where to begin...

Apparently the courts don't find this deceptive. I do. If the courts can't stop this, but can drive small businesses under because of the actions of a rogue employee or because the company charges more than a lawyer thinks is right, what use are they?
Businesses like this tarnish everyone in business. Practices like these make people jaded and skeptical. This hurts above-board companies that legitimately try and help other businesses and it hurts the companies who need their services, but won't consider them out of fear of being defrauded.
I won't even get started on the Better Business Bureau.
Deceptive or not, I find it hard to believe that anyone would complete this form, send it in, and send money. Yet they do. If 162,000 business owners responded to this type of marketing, what are the opportunities for companies marketing legitimate products and services?

The answer is unlimited, provided the company is marketing.

Marketing? I knew there was a catch!

Cause & Effect

2011-02-21T13:00:00.000-06:00

Our Sheltie, Humphrey Bogart, likes to herd things and to protect the house. It's instinctive. Unfortunately for Humphrey, we don't keep sheep or cattle in our backyard and the squirrels and rabbits have learned to keep their distance. So what's a Sheltie to do? Chase aircraft!

We live north of DFW Airport and can easily see planes flying over our house on final approach. Humphrey can see them too. He doesn't like them.

Humphrey used to leap into the air trying to catch the planes, but never got close. Now, he just barks at them until they leave. As far as Humphrey's concerned, he's chasing the planes away. He knows it's happening because every time he barks at one, it goes away.

Humphrey associates his barking with the plane's leaving and concludes one causes the other. In a way, he's right. The plane shows up and Humphrey barks until it leaves.

Getting cause and effect wrong is all too common. Service callbacks increase. Is this the result of a lack of training, poorly designed incentives, bad products, or something else? It could be anything. The mistake is to note a correlation and draw a conclusion without understanding the relationships.

In another example, a business owner hears from the media about the poor state of the economy. Nervous, he reduces expenses, cutting marketing and delaying business investment. Sure enough, business falls off, but the slide is more a result of the owner's actions than the economy.

A competitor fills the void left by the first owner by increasing marketing and investing in growth. He figures the economy might make growth more difficult, so he needs to put forth more effort.

In any economy, companies prosper and fail. This suggests the economy may not be as important as the actions of the owner.

Shelties can't tell the difference between correlation and cause and effect. You can. Where have you noticed a correlation that's mistaken for cause and effect?

Ten Ways to Protect Your Company’s Online Reputation

2011-02-17T09:52:00.000-06:00

Online, anyone can say anything anonymously. What if someone says something about your company? How can you defend against it?

Click here to read the latest CB Hotmail and learn about ten ways to defend your online reputation.

Atlas Shrugged - Part One (The Movie)

2011-02-15T14:07:00.007-06:00

On tax day, April 15, Atlas Shrugged - Part One, will premier. If made true to the book, this may be the most important movie in a generation. The trailer, show below, certainly looks promising...

Did you notice how Hank Rearden was unapologetic about making money? Too often, Hollywood, the media, and the government act as though profit is a bad thing. Profitability's not bad. Losses are bad. Bankruptcy's bad. Profitability leads to job creation, increasing standards of living, and investment in the future. There's no future in failure.

While Atlas is a story about individualism and liberty, the heroes are entrepreneurs and laissez faire capitalists. Rand celebrates the people who risk everything to create enterprises from the fruits of their own minds. It's about time business is painted in a positive light!

Crony capitalists, who seek to compete through government manipulation of the capitalist system rather than the free market, are not treated well by Rand. If you're unfamiliar with the book the movie is based upon, here's a short video about the book...

In a famous survey by the Library of Congress and Book of the Month Club on its readers' "lifetime reading habits," Atlas was found to be second only to the Bible in "significance to their lives" (as grudgingly reported in the New York Times). If you have never read it, it's a long book. Rand tends to ramble and lecture at times, though always with a purpose. Buy the book now, today. Read it before the movie comes out. It's amazing how a 50 plus year old book is more relevant today than when it was written.

The following interview with the director of the movie suggests that he "gets" the book and is shooting the movie true to Rand...

John Stossel dedicated one of his television shows to Atlas Shrugged. This is a six segment video series, with the first segment the longest. Part One (10:59)...

Part Two (7:43)...

Part Three (6:33)...

The next two segments do not involve a discussion of Ayn Rand or Atlas Shrugged, but the "Nanny State." Part Four (8:20)...

Part Five (6:10)...

In the final segment, Stossel returns to Atlas Shrugged and addresses the flawed notion that capitalism failed and caused our current financial challenges. Part Six (3:28)...

Brand Pollution

2011-02-14T09:02:00.001-06:00

One of the advantages to franchising is the ability of a business owner to immediately become part of, and benefit from a well-known national brand. It's instant brand equity, bought at a discount. But what if the brand goes bad? What another franchise operator pollutes the brand?

What if you buy a franchise and a nearby franchisee has problems? Worse, what if the franchisee goes bad and it gets picked up by the media, making the brand toxic? Your operation could be golden and yet, your reputation could be tarnished by someone else carrying the same brand in an adjacent territory.

The nearby operator may not do anything wrong. He may merely be the subject of a witch hunt by an overzealous prosecutor out to make a name for himself by attacking a business. You can be sure a compliant media will be ready to pile on, calling the business, "unscrupulous," "greedy," and so on.

A recent example can be found in a Minneapolis Star-Tribune report on the operation of a national plumbing franchise. I don't know whether the local operator actually did anything wrong or not. After all, many in the media and government consider profit to be wrong. Regardless, the brand as a whole was attacked, not just the local operator.

Justifiably or not, consumers piled on. Their comments were harsh and overwhelmingly negative.

In today's wired world, this story and accompanying comments won't merely affect franchisees within the readership range of the paper. The story will come up nationwide on Internet searches. It's going to hurt business owners operating under the brand a thousand miles away and could haunt the brand for years.

The argument a franchiser will offer in defense is that headquarters monitors franchisee quality and reputation. In practice, for many franchisers, such monitoring is limited. Consumer complaints that reach headquarters are typically turned back to the local franchisee. If complaints get excessive, the power to act is limited by the franchise agreement.

The franchise laws that are designed to protect the rights of franchisees can limit the ability of the franchisor to take action. Not only is it legally difficult to remove a franchise, it's expensive. Franchisers will think long and hard before stepping in.

If you're considering franchising or licensing a brand, the risk of contamination by other operations using the brand should be factored into the decision. In the case of an extremely well-known and advertised brand, the risk might be worth it, especially if the brand enjoys a stellar reputation. If the brand is one you will be investing in, that is not already established in your market and that requires your efforts to build awareness, why assume the risk that the brand might be polluted by another company?

Why not build a brand that you control and that can't be polluted by another operator instead? Why not build your own brand?

Are Odors Hurting Your Repeat Business?

2011-02-10T10:42:00.001-06:00

No doubt about it, the pest control technician reeked. I could smell the cigarette smoke half way across the room, and I have a weak sense of smell. I'm reasonably sure he chain smoked whenever he was behind the wheel, with the A/C on and the windows closed. The smell made it hard to be in the same room. I can't imagine it was good for repeat business.

Every now and then I indulge in a cigar. I enjoy the cigar smoke while I'm smoking it, but not the odor that clings to my clothes afterwards. In the act of smoking the cigar, I'm unaware of any bad odors. The next morning, however, the embedded smoke leaps from the laundry hamper to assault my olfactory senses.

If I can be unaware of the odor when smoking the occasional cigar, I imagine the chain smoking technician is oblivious to his scent. Yet, the smoker who is aware of the smell and who tries to cover it up with excessive amounts of cologne, aftershave, or perfume is far worse. Now, it's not simply cigarette smoke that's a problem, but an array of odors.

It's not only the combination that's a problem. Non-smokers who use excessive cologne, aftershave, deodorant, or perfume can be hurting their business. So can anyone with body odor and/or bad breath.

It seems we're more sensitive to odor than in the past. An MSNBC article quoted Dr. Alan Hirsch, with the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation of Chicago on the subject. According to Dr. Hirsch, "People are no longer being inundated by smoke. They’re aware of the ambient aromas around them and they’re also more sensitized to them."

In other words, as fewer people smoke and even fewer smoke indoors, our awareness of all odors has increased. Moreover, women appear to be more sensitive to odors than men. Since women tend to be the decision maker for the selection of home service companies, this gives the elimination of personal odors greater import.

What do you do? The best solution is to strive to be as scentless as possible. Use scentless deodorant and breath spray, but otherwise strive to be scent free.

Keep extra uniforms on your trucks. If summer perspiration gets excessive, put on the spare shirt.

If you must smoke during the day, do it outside, even in cold weather. Use breath spray afterwards. Also, wash or use hand wipes.

You or your field service personnel may not be aware of, or bothered by odors, but odors are present, it's almost certainly a problem for some of your customers. That's reason enough to take steps to minimize scents.

Most Talked About 2011 Superbowl Commercials

2011-02-09T07:34:00.004-06:00

Internet company, Alterian, tracked the social media conversations for the Super Bowl commercials. VW got the most buzz and it was positive by more than a 7:1 ratio. Here's the VW spot...

It's hard to top cute kids. But does it make you want to run out a test drive a VW? Uh, no. For that reason it fails.

Doritos and Pepsi had some clever and some disgusting user generated spots that generated the most buzz for their brands after VW (and Pepsi Max needs it can get). Worth noting is the following, rather disgusting Doritos spot, because the door-to-door salesperson who created it only spent $82 according to Forbes Magazine. That's a budget most contractors can afford.

Disgusting or not, it does communicate the message that Doritos taste good. Plus, it does a good job of reversing the negative of Doritos' mess.

Groupon followed, but their fake "save the Tibetan people" ad generated twice as much negative buzz as positive. Personally, I didn't have any problems with it. I think it accomplished it's objective.

Other than the Tibetan thing, the ad highlights that Groupon is a way to buy stuff for less. Mission accomplished.

Next up was the Motorola Xoom spot, which made fun of Apple. Somehow the buzz was 2:1 positive, despite legions of Apple drones tweeting that they found nothing humorous about it...

By inference, the spot refers to the legendary Apple 1984 spot...

Part of the point is that Apple is now Big Brother. The bigger point is that there's an alternative to the iPad, with different and better capabilities. Mission accomplished.

While this year's collection of Superbowl commercials weren't as entertaining as past years, I thought they were more effective as advertisements. Most of them were not the work of agency creatives self-actualizing at client expense. They had a message and conveyed it. Give me an ad that sells over one that entertains without selling any day!

Does Johnny Need a Four Year Degree?

2011-02-03T07:10:00.002-06:00

The Pathways to Prosperity Project, which is based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, released a fascinating report yesterday titled: Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century.

Do you know what Project Lead the Way is?

According to the press release, the report contends that our national strategy for education and youth development has been too narrowly focused on an academic, classroom-based approach. I know what you're thinking, "leave it to the Harvard intellectuals to publish a report stating what you've known for years." I thought that. Then I thought, but what have I done about it?

Visit Harvard's site here for the press release details. Here is the link to the Pathways to Prosperity report.

Upon reading the report you might think something like this, but I'm just one contractor, I cannot organize government, the public school system and industry into one cohesive machine that can tackle these problems head on. I agree. By understanding the stated problems and offered solutions however, you can begin to prepare for the road ahead. Actually, if you read this report with an open mind, you'll probably begin to get ideas that you can use in the near future. For instance...

If a middle school student asked you for a detailed pathway of education that they could pursue in order to work as a technician or tradesman for your company, could you provide it?

The authors of the report discuss Project Lead The Way. It was developed to introduce high school students to engineering. Right now the program involves 3,500 high schools and 300,000 students. I wonder if there might be value in employing one of these students part time, while they go to school? Visit Project Lead The Way to learn more about what they do and for a high school near you.

Collecting Customer Email Addresses

2011-02-01T17:08:00.001-06:00

Roy Hauser asked, "Any ideas on how to obtain email address' from our customers? Service Techs say customers don't want to share their address' because of spam."

First, collecting email addresses needs to become as routine as getting a phone number. It should not be an option. Include it on the invoice and every other form where an address is requested from the customer. Otherwise, technicians will use the slightest hesitation from the homeowner as a reason not collect the emails.

If the tech is afraid of asking the customer for an email address, instruct him to present the invoice to the customer to complete name and address information and authorization (i.e., signature). People are so used to providing email now that many will simply fill in the blank.

If homeowner fails to provide a phone number, address, or email address, ask for the missing information. If the homeowner demands to know why an email address is needed, explain...

"We're trying to reduce our impact on the environment and to keep our prices low by communicating with our customers by email rather than postal mail. Would you rather we communicate with you by email or postal mail?"

Some may say neither, but that's not being offered as a choice. If the customer is insistent on remaining incommunicado, there's nothing you can do but these customers will be exceptions.

You're giving the customer a choice. The choice is between email and postal mail. Most people will choose email. Pressing "delete" is easier than opening and throwing mail away.

You might add a third option, which is phone calls. Given the choice between email, regular mail, or phone calls, email clearly wins.

However, you should collect email addresses before the technician is dispatched. Some will hesitate to give the call taker an email address. You must give a reason to get an email address. So create one!

Approach #1: The call taker tells the customer he/she wants to send the customer a photo and bio of the technician being dispatched and asks for an email to send it. We have a template for this on the Service Roundtable.

Approach #2: The call taker informs the customer there’s $5 or $10 internet coupon available and will be happy to email it. On the website, require the customer to enter an email address to receive the coupon.

Approach #3: The call taker asks for an email address to send the homeowner a service call warranty.

Do you have a better approach? If so, let me know!

State of the Internet

2011-01-31T11:09:00.000-06:00

Some interesting stats about the current state of the Internet from Focus.com (with my comments in blue)...

Email

Used by 1.9 billion people
There are 2.9 billion known email accounts
25% of email accounts are business or corporate accounts
294 billion emails are sent daily
In 2010, 107 trillion emails were sent (as a number, that's more than seven times the size of the U.S. national debt)
Spam accounts for 89% of all email (I bet closer to 95% of my email is spam)

Websites

There are 255 million websites
21.4 million websites were added in 2010, representing 8% of all websites
There are 109 million domain names
7 million domain names were added in 2010, representing 6% of all domain names (what's really incredible is that there are any domain names left)

Internet Use

The Internet is used by 2 billion people
The number of people using the Internet increased 14% in 2010 (amazing that usage is continuing to grow at this rate)
The leading web browsers are Internet Explorer (47%), Firefox (31%), Chrome (15%), Safari (5%), and Opera (2%) (for all of the hype Apple generates, one would think Safari would enjoy greater share)
Internet use is greatest in

Asia (42%)
Europe (24%)
North America (14%) (Wow! I would not have guessed North America would trail Asia and Europe by this amount)
Latin America/Caribbean (10%)
Africa (6%)
Middle East (3%)
Australia/Oceania (1%)

Spam is greatest in

Europe (39%)
Asia (34%)
Latin America/Caribbean (13%)
North America (10%) (I also would not have guessed North America would be underrepresented in spam - of course, the amount of offshore spam also suggests that there's not much we'll be able to do about it)
Africa (3%)
Australia/Oceania (1%)

Social Media

There are now 600 million Facebook users (gulp)
In 2010, 250 million Facebook users were added (big gulp)
Every day, 20 million Facebook apps are installed
70% of Facebook users live outside of the U.S. (conversely, this means that 58% of the U.S. population is using Facebook)
During 2010, 100 million Twitter accounts were created
During 2010, 25 billion Tweets were sent
There are 152 million blogs

Online Media

Every day, 2 billion videos are watched on YouTube
Every minute, 35 hours of video is being uploaded to YouTube
Videos are watched by 84% of Internet users (how can 16% of Internet users spend any time online and avoid video?)
Only 14% of Internet users have uploaded a video
Every minute, 3 thousand images are uploaded to Flickr
More than 5 billion images are hosted on Flickr
More than 36 billion images were uploaded to Facebook in 2010 (this has gotta be a typo... right?)

So what does all of this mean for your business? No matter what kind of business you operate, you better get wired or you will get wiped out.

The Copper Theves

2011-01-30T14:24:00.001-06:00

Plumbing contractor, Tom Sondergeld took a call from the supply house. An employee was trying to pick up some copper. He was wearing a company shirt and using a company purchase order. The only problem was he wasn't on the list of employees Sondergeld sent to the supply house.

When Sondergeld arrived at the supply house, he did find an employee. The employee wasn't the guy picking up the copper. The employee was waiting in the truck, while is buddy posed as an employee. Both got arrested.

If Sondergeld hadn't sent his suppliers a list of current employees and required his suppliers to check IDs, it's unlikely the wannabe copper thieves would have been caught. Read the full story.

What steps have you taken to protect your company against theft?

(c) 2011 Matt Michel

The Power of Fun

2011-01-29T10:36:00.000-06:00

Credit Andrew Twidwell from ABT Plumbing & Electric in Nevada City, CA for sharing this on Facebook....

As the video shows, fun matters. When we insert "fun" into business, we attract more people.

Fun can be as elaborate as the design of the Rainforest Cafe's restaurant or as simple as John Price's Hawaiian theme for his Texarkana, Texas company, Aloha Aire.

How can you put fun in your business?

What's Your Company's Hassle Factor?

2011-01-28T14:37:00.001-06:00

How friendly are your policies to your customers? How easy are you to do business with? What's your company's hassle factor?

My wife bought a couple of pallets of pavers for a backyard project from Home Depot. When it came time to return the left overs, we took them to a different Home Depot and were informed we could only get store credit. We could get cash if we returned them to the original Home Depot.

I looked at the big stack of very heavy pavers we unloaded from the SUV on to the cart, which we wheeled from the parking lot to the return desk. I didn't want to push the cart back to the parking lot, reload the SUV, drive to the original store, unload them to a different cart, and push them to that store's return desk. I protested. The clerk didn't budge. We ended up taking the store credit.

Still irritated, my next home improvement purchase was made from Lowe's. I bought a couple of items I didn't need and returned them. Because I wrote a check I expected to get the "We need to issue store credit or wait 31 days for the check to clear" nonsense. To my surprise, I was handed cash back, without a fuss, without arguments, without a hassle.

To be honest, I don't care whether I buy from Home Depot, Lowe's, or some other store. Yet, going forward I intend to buy from Lowe's. The retailer has won my business. And it was easy to win. All they had to do was be a little easier to do business with than the competition. Price was not a factor.

Unless Lowe's does something to blow it, I'll drive past their competitors and go out of my way to buy from them. Why? Fewer hassles.

Just like I'm agnostic about home improvement purchases, your customers probably don't care who they call for service. Simply by answering your phones after 5:00 p.m., allowing consumers to schedule service online, offering service on the weekend, accepting credit cards, and otherwise being easier to do business with than your competition will win you business. Ask yourself how you can reduce your hassle factor.

The Kid in the Gym

2011-01-26T23:43:00.001-06:00

Tonight the importance of practice was driven home.

After a run on the treadmill at the city gym, I walked a lap on the indoor track to cool off. The track is on the second floor of the gym and circles the exercise equipment and looks down on the basketball courts. As I walked by the second court, I noticed a kid shooting baskets by himself.

The kid was no more than 13 or 14. He would toss the basketball in the air with a spin, grab it on the bounce, and drain a basket from beyond the 3-point line. After he drained one, he would move a few feet to his right and repeat the process.

Spin. Bounce. Shoot. Swoosh. Move.

Again and again. While I walked around the court, the kid drained five 3-point shots in a row. Each was taken from a different point.

I thought, "This kid's going to be awesome when he gets to high school."

Then, I wondered how many baskets he sank before he could hit five 3-point shots in a row. I wondered how many shots he would take tonight. He was by himself. Spin. Bounce. Shoot. Swoosh Move. Again. And again. And again.

He was barely in his teens and it was clear he must have practiced thousands of hours to reach his current level of proficiency. This was for a game.

How much do you practice for business? How much do your people practice.

Once, after a presentation at a sales meeting, one of the salespeople came up to me and asked how I seemed to know what was coming next, before the slide appeared. I brushed off the question with a joke, but the real answer was practice. Before I gave the presentation at the sales meeting, I gave it over and over again with an audience of none.

How often do your salespeople practice their presentations? How about your technicians and plumbers? How easy do you make it for them to practice? What can you create more practice opportunities? Is it role playing? Is it creating and recording scenarios for them to respond to when driving to and from appointments?

If we're professionals, we should practice at least as hard as a middle school athlete. So think about it. How can you help your people practice?

Marketing plan musts for 2011

2011-01-21T14:50:00.000-06:00

Everyone wants 2011 to be better than last year, but only a few plumbers will take active steps to ensure improvement and prepare a marketing plan. If you haven't already created a marketing plan for 2011, here's what you can do now to ensure improvement this year.

Read more in Contractor Magazine

Do You Cut Off the Ham in Your Company?

2011-01-21T14:41:00.000-06:00

One of Zig Ziglar's classic stories involves a woman who cuts off the end of her ham before baking it. As he discovers why, he learns a fundamental truth that affects many businesses. What is it? You'll have to read the story in Contracting Business.

The Evolving Technology of Learning

2010-12-08T10:20:00.002-06:00

The following column first appeared in Southern PHC Magazine...

Training in service companies is about to undergo a revolution. The widespread diffusion of broadband Internet access will make more training available for more people, more conveniently.

Want an example? Omega Plumbing’s Allan Ferguson brought in Charlie Greer to conduct a training class for his plumbers. Omega Plumbing is located in Sydney, Australia. Charlie is based out of Fort Myers, Florida. Charlie trained a group of plumbers on the other side of the world using video conferencing from his personal computer. Charlie was projected on the wall larger than life in Sydney, while he watched the audience on his screen.

This may sound miraculous (and it is), but it’s no longer all that unusual. Well, it’s no longer unusual outside of the service trades. With exceptions, the service trades are likely to be among the last to embrace changes in training technology. It won’t be the first time.

Twenty years ago I ran marketing for the geographic division of an HVAC manufacturer. While I was based in California, I spent a lot of time attending meetings in Texas. During one of the plane flights it struck me that the entire notion of a geographic division was an anachronism. It was a relic of the days when people traveled by train and getting from North Texas to Northern California required days, not hours. Eventually, this was recognized by top management. The geographic divisional offices were closed. Fewer people provided better support from a central location.

Just as the industry was slow to recognize the impact of changes in the economics and availability of travel technology, we’re probably going to be slow to accept changes in training technology. However, there are exceptions. One of the exceptions is the new Service Nation Alliance.

Service Nation is embracing technology at a deeper level than any other contractor group. Here are three ways the organization is using technology to improve training…

Multi-User Video Conferencing

Broadband has made it personal computer based, multi-user video conferencing feasible. Small groups of contractors meet monthly to share financials, hold each other accountable, solve mutual problems, and push each other to higher levels of performance.

The alliance is also using multi-user video conferencing to create support groups of managers and contractor action teams to focus on best practices. While contractors think twice about flying service managers across the country to meet with the service managers of non-competitive companies, it’s virtually free online.

Distance Learning

The office staff of most contracting companies seldom receive much formal training. Yet, the CSR is the public face of the company. He or she is the first person the prospective customer engages. If there’s any position that merits training, it’s the CSR. Thus, Service Nation is using distance learning training so that CSRs, for example, can receive training at the desktop through short training modules that contain specific learning objectives and post-module testing to ensure the learning objectives were realized. Through the alliance’s learning management system, owners can easily track the progress of each employee.

Webinars

Many contractors have attended a webinar. Most webinars today are glorified sales pitches, disguised as an online seminar. Service Nation is using webinars to reinforce and review their boot camp training class, giving graduates an constant refresher without leaving the office.

Streaming Media

Service Nation is bringing in top consultants, contractors, and vendors to offer short training clips for contractors to use in service meetings. It gives meetings an extra kick and another voice than the boss to reinforce the message.

Apps

The proliferation of smart phones and tablet computers is further revolutionizing the training arena, making it possible to easily deliver training resources to field employees.

Will these changes in the technology of learning eliminate the need for face-to-face meetings and in-person training classes? Hardly. There will always be a need for people to interact and converse. It’s built into our DNA. However, the evolving technology of learning will allow us to train more people with better systems for less money.

While it may take longer for the majority of the organizations in the service trades to apply new technology than other industries, it will happen. In fact, it’s already begun.

For more information about the Service Nation Alliance, call toll free 877.262.3341.

Year-end tax planning......what should we do?

2010-12-01T08:28:00.002-06:00

Congress adjourned in late September without a bi-partisan agreement to extend the tax cuts before the election; apparently many members of Congress were more concerned about saving their own jobs than they were about coming to an agreement on these important tax laws. And important they are: according to the Wall Street Journal, if the existing tax cuts are not continued, taxes will increase for more than 150 million Americans. This issue is now left to the lame-duck session of Congress.

The Bush tax cuts aside, here’s a look at what is clear at this point.

Energy Tax Credit (IRC Section 25C)

This popular industry tax credit expires on December 31, 2010. It allows a taxpayer a 30% tax credit on the installed cost of qualifying equipment (high efficiency furnaces, boilers, water heaters, air conditioners, heat pumps, and wood stoves and main air circulating fan). This credit applies to existing principal residences only. The maximum allowable credit is $1,500 so the credit is maxed out at installation costs of $5,000 and above. This is not an annual credit. If you took any credit in 2009, that amount must be subtracted from the $1,500 limit to see what, if any, credit amount is available for 2010. This provision is not expected to be extended even if the Bush tax cuts are.

Businesses Taxes

Typically, an asset purchased must be depreciated (written off) over a number of years. Section 179 of the Internal Revenue CodeThis deduction allows a business to immediately expense qualified property in the year it is bought.

The Section 179 deduction limits have been increased for 2010 and 2011. The maximum deduction is now $500,000 and the maximum investment limit is now $2,000,000. Any asset purchases in excess of $2,000,000 will reduce the allowable Section 179 deduction dollar-for-dollar from the $500,000 limit. The allowable Section 179 deduction is limited to the taxable income of the business. Any amounts not deductible in the current year may be carried forward. The allowable deduction for luxury autos (i.e. SUVs) is $25,000. The remaining cost is depreciated over five years.

The 50% bonus depreciation provision that expired at the end of 2009 was re-instated for 2010 only by the Small Business Jobs Act passed by Congress in late September. This allows a taxpayer to write off an additional 50% of the adjusted basis of the property placed in service during the year. Again, this revived provision expires December 31, 2010. First year depreciation limits for luxury autos are capped at $10,96011,060 (including the bonus depreciation). First year depreciation limits for light trucks and vans are capped at $11,06011,160 (including the bonus depreciation).

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit allows a business to claim a credit equal to 40% of the first $6,000 of wages paid to employees in a targeted group. The employee must work over 400 hours during the year. Otherwise, the credit is reduced to 25% for those who work at least 120 hours during the year. The 12 targeted groups include qualified veterans of service in the U.S. Armed Forces, vocational rehab individuals, ex-convicts and disconnected youth. For the complete list of targeted groups, go to the U.S. Department of Labor website (www.doleta.gov). This program is administered at the state level. This credit expires on December 31, 2010 as well.

If you are an “S” corporation that previously was a “C” corporation, the built-in gains (BIG) tax holding period for 2010 is seven years. That means any conversions before 2003 can now sell appreciated assets and avoid the BIG tax (35%). Recent legislation has decreased the holding period to five years in 2011.

If you are considering selling your business, you may avoid higher tax rates by closing the sale in 2010. You may also consider electing out of the installment method and recognizing the entire gain in 2010. It’s important that you do the calculations to make sure it makes sense in your situation. You should also consider selling and recognizing the gain on any other appreciated property.

You also may consider paying out “C” corporation dividends prior to the end of the year. The current dividend rate (maximum 15%) is much more favorable than the dividend rate would be in 2011 if the rates are allowed to increase. In that case, dividends would be taxed at ordinary income rates, which would be as high as 39.6%.

Individual Taxes

In this environment, it is extremely difficult to offer year-end tax planning guidance. Traditional general tax planning strategy is to defer (postpone) taxable income and capital losses and accelerate (pull into 2010) deductions. If the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire, then the strategy would be reversed: you would accelerate taxable income into 2010 and defer above-the-line deductions into 2011. Above-the-line deductions include: IRA contributions, health savings account, self-employed health insurance, self-employment taxes and alimony, among others. Whether itemized deductions (medical expenses, real estate taxes, mortgage interest, charitable contributions, etc.) should be deferred into 2011 would be determined on a case-by-case basis. This is especially true if the itemized deduction phase-out provision returns for higher-income taxpayers.

The following chart shows the ordinary income tax rates for this year and 2011 if the Bush tax cuts are not extended.

Tax Rates
2010 2011
10.00% 15.00%
15.00% 28.00%
25.00% 31.00%
28.00% 36.00%
33.00% 39.60%
35.00%

The dividend tax rate (currently 0% for those in the 10 & 15% brackets and 15% for all others) would go to ordinary income rates (which could be as high as 39.6% for some taxpayers)! The long-term capital gain tax rate (currently 0% for those in the 10 & 15% tax brackets and 15% for all others;) would go to 10% for the 15% bracket and 20% for all others (different rates for qualified five-year gain property).

Estate Taxes

There currently is no estate tax for 2010. The estate tax returns for 2011 with the exclusion amount (amount exempt from estate taxes) scheduled to be $1 million and a top tax rate of 55%. In 2009, the exclusion amount was $3.5 million and the top tax rate was 45%. I expect that the estate tax issue will be addressed very quickly by Congress, as five billionaires have died so far in 2010, including New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. The government has lost over $8 billion in estate taxes from these five families alone because of this.

As you can see, with all this uncertainty surrounding the tax laws, it is difficult for businesses and individuals to do their year-end tax planning. While I expect that many of the Bush tax cuts will be extended, it may be well into 2011 before this gets resolved. At this point, my best advice is to pay close attention to news reports coming out of Washington, D.C. and stay in close touch with your CPA or tax preparer.

U.S. Treasury Department Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. This article is not intended to be comprehensive in nature and competent professional tax advice should be sought in determining the issues that impact your specific situation.

Are Your Customers Dumping You?

2010-11-30T07:30:00.000-06:00

This is a surprisingly good parable put out by Microsoft illustrating the way most companies advertise to their customers and what the customers think about it. This is why customer engagement is so important.

The Push

2010-11-03T21:14:00.000-05:00

Is there someone in your company who needs a push? How about your family? How about you?

Lessons From Lanny

2010-11-03T21:06:00.001-05:00

After a mental breakdown cost Lanny Bassham the Gold Medal for International Rifle Shooting in the 1972 Olympics, leaving him with the Silver, he sought answers. What was it about the Gold Medalists’ mental game that set them apart?

At the Service Roundtable’s recent Las Vegas Roundtable, Lanny shared what he discovered, what helped him win a Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympic Games, reign at the top of his sport for six years, set four world records, and help scores of other professional athletes in all sports, sales people, and business leaders. These principles can help you, your company, and your team, perform better.

Can You Be Too Anti-Social For Social Media?

2010-10-21T13:17:00.000-05:00

I put a cartoon in my social media book with the caption, “Burt is too anti-social for social media.” It turns out there are a few Burts in this world.

One of my co-workers showed me a marketing writer’s screen on Facebook. I recognized her name. She writes a lot and her work appears in a number of blogs. She’s always seemed to have a good grasp of the marketing function. That’s what made the status update curious.

This marketing guru essentially told everyone to sod off. She was far too important to be just anyone’s Facebook friend. Only a select few would be so honored. Everyone else should quit sending her friend requests because she’s going to reject them out of hand. She’s simply too busy for this tripe.

The Buzz About QR Codes

2010-10-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

Reprinted from Southern PHC Magazine...

Haven’t heard about QR codes? You will. QR (quick read) codes are similar to bar codes, but easily readable by mobile phones. They also contain significantly more information than bar codes.

I can hear the yawns now. You’re thinking, “So what? Who cares? How does this help me?”

It’s true that QR codes are not a magic pill that will rectify your call shortage. However, they do offer a way to leverage and extend your marketing in new ways.

QR codes allow you to pack a lot of information into a small space that can be instantly read by a mobile device. QR apps are available today for Androids, iPhones, Blackberries, and other smart phones. They will basically work with any mobile device equipped with a camera, which accounts for roughly 70% of all phones sold.

Where would it be beneficial to pack extra information in a limited space? How about a business card? By printing a QR code on the front or back of a business card, you can deliver more information than the card’s footprint allows. What would you add to the business card? Here are a few ideas…

· Make a special offer

· Tell your company story

· List all of the products and services

· Share customer testimonials

· Link to positive articles written about your company

· Link to an article about selecting a good contractor

· Link to your Facebook fan page

The ability to use a QR code to link to a web address offers the potential to promote a daily special. If you still have a yellow pages ad, put a QR code for the daily special. When call volume is light, you can make the daily special more lucrative. When call volume is heavy, reduce the offer or change it for major purchases. Adjust the offer based the weather or local events. Get creative.

If you don’t want to change a webpage, make the QR code a text message. You reply with a text containing the daily special.

The daily special can work with any permanent or semi-permanent advertising. This includes yellow pages, billboards and other outdoor advertising. Put one on the back of your truck for people stuck behind you at a traffic light.

QR codes offer a lot of potential for home shows. Hire someone to stand in front of the entrance wearing a sandwich board with a QR code. The message could invite them to your booth for a special offer or gift. It could direct them to an online map of the show, with your booth highlighted. You could ask a question, such as the following:

· Does anyone in your house suffer from allergies or asthma? If so, come see us at Booth 555.

· Do you run out of hot water? If so, we can solve the problem. Come see us at Booth 555.

· Are any rooms in your house too hot or cold when other rooms are comfortable? Don’t put up with it! Come see us at Booth 555 for a solution.

· Are there seniors or infants in your home? Are they at risk of scalding? We have the safe solution at Booth 555.

Because QR codes are easy for mobile devices to read, they can become an easy way to get your phone number into a prospect’s phone. Print the QR code for your phone number, above or below the number. The code serves as a form of speed dialing.

To increase your local search rankings, include a QR code on your invoice with a link to your Google Places page. In the copy besides the QR code, ask people to go to the site and write a review.

Dozens of free QR code generators have sprung up on the Internet. Simply enter the desired information and the QR code is created. Free QR code apps are also readily available for Androids, Blackberries, iPhones, and other smart phones.

QR code usage is growing, but still at the novelty stage for most people. This can work to the advantage of the contractors who are early adopters. Put a QR code on your trucks or a billboard and see what happens. People who recognize it are likely to scan it because it is still a novelty.

If you would rather sit back and wait, keep an eye out. If you start seeing QR codes in the newspaper and in your community, it’s time to reconsider.

Embarrassed by the Brand

2010-10-08T13:09:00.000-05:00

Yoga by Anna Cervova

Recently, Albert Mohler, the president of a Baptist seminary declared yoga to be inconsistent with Christianity. According to an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the guy wrote that Christian yoga practitioners "must either deny the reality of what yoga represents or fail to see the contradictions between their Christian commitments and their embrace of yoga."

Maybe I'm not with it. I thought yoga was mostly people stretching themselves into contortions and trying to meditate away the pain of their awkward positions. I didn't think it had any more to do with religion than sitting by a serene lake and possibly thinking about God. Shows what I know.

Apparently, it's also a surprise to a lot of people who practice something called "Christ Yoga" and millions more who simply like to stretch and contort their bodies. But it's probably most surprising to the Baptist pastors who are trying to attract new members and converts. Scratch the idea of winning over the yoga crowd, which is larger than the entire membership of the Southern Baptist Convention.

I'm sure many agree with Mohler. Others may not. The point is that all of them are now painted with the same broad, brand brush. Actions like this may explain why two of the nation's three largest local Southern Baptist churches downplay the denominational brand. The pastors of these churches understand that local church brands are built on local relationships. While the big, denominational brand may (i.e., may) help legitimize the local church, it also can hurt the local church when someone like Mohler spouts off. In addition, promotion of the denominational brand promotes other local churches operating under the same brand name.

From Church to Air

Locally, I've been listening to a local air conditioning contractor attack another on the radio. He attacks the owner's accent and the business practices. I don't know much about either company's business practices, though the guy being attacked is a member of the Service Roundtable, which means I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

These are not comparative ads where one advertiser compares his features with the competition's. The ads are more like a political attack ad. They come across as mean. I don't know whether they're effective or not, but I suspect many people find them distasteful.

So no harm, no foul to anyone else right? Well, the guy doing the attacking uses manufacturer co-op and hypes the manufacturer brand in all advertising. Thus, it's as though every contractor associated with the manufacturer's brand is participating in the ad campaign. They're painted with the same broad brand brush.

The solution for contractors is the same used by the leading local churches. Don't play up the big national, denominational brand. Instead, emphasize your local brand and your local brand relationships. It's the only way to avoid being embarrassed by the brand.

It's Time for a New Business Card

2010-10-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

Source: orderedlist from the Kineda blog

The Service Roundtable's business card is starting to look a little stale. Plus, our graphics designer cringes every time she looks at it. I'm tired of the grimaces. If ours is out of date, I'll bet yours could use an upgrade as well. And poor business cards cost sales.

According to a press release from Fidelity Print...

Two thirds of people won't buy from companies with bad business cards.

A new survey has revealed that buying cheap business cards is a false economy - because they actually put off potential customers.

Self-printed business cards or flimsy ones from low cost, low quality online design companies would discourage two thirds of potential buyers, according to the survey by www.fideliltyprint.co.uk.

Yikes!

Fortunately, good business cards can help drive sales. Sarah, our graphics designer, pointed out the Vector Tuts blog to illustrate some great die-cut designs.

As the guy who signs checks, my immediate knee jerk reaction when I see these cards is to grab onto my wallet. How much do they cost, I ask myself.

It's the wrong question. I should ask how much they can help.

Before I turned Sarah loose to come up with new designs, I stressed that I wanted a QR code on the back of the card. The QR code is a type of bar code, readable by smart phones like the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry (you might have to download an app).

The QR codes we will use will take the user to a webpage about the Service Roundtable that will promote upcoming events, contain special offers, and other interesting information. We can change the webpage contents whenever we want while the URL remains constant.

As we were discussing different business card designs, some seemed better for our members, some for prospects, and others for vendors and investors. Sarah asked the obvious question. Shouldn't we just create more than one card? Of course! Targeting our business cards increases their effectiveness. And even the most expensive business card is still cheap. Why not carry more than one?

Is There a Hole In The Ozone Protocol?

2010-10-06T16:24:00.000-05:00

The Montreal Protocol has dealt a death blow to R22 equipment, right? Maybe not.

“I just committed to purchasing the Nitrogen Charged R22 compatible condensing units,” proclaimed a contractor on the Service Roundtable.

Read More at Contracting Business

So, You Want to be Steve Jobs

2010-09-07T09:44:00.002-05:00

Are you a small business owner? Did you ever question why you are in that business? As in, "I went to college to become an accountant or I was destined to take over the company from my dad. But I sure wish I owned some hip, cool business like Google or Apple."

Okay, we ALL wish we could own some hip, cool business like Google or Apple! But I bet you might have had that thought on a smaller scale. Maybe a motorcycle chop shop, a social media company or an advertising company. The thing is, you probably do have that company now.

Let's watch and listen to Tom Peters explain it. By the way, consider this video as a recruitment tool to your particular industry.

Defining Personal Branding

2010-08-20T10:51:00.007-05:00

Personal branding is a hot Internet buzz word. It has been for the last couple of years. To some personal branding means choosing one's own cereal. To others it means applying a hot iron to your favorite head of cattle. And to others it has something to do with marketing one's self...or something like that.

If you were in the personal branding business, do you think that a single, accessible definition of personal branding might be helpful to potential clients? Sure you would! A group of folks in that business thought it might also, so they got together and created this definition:

Personal branding describes the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility, advance their careers, and build self-confidence.

The method in which our group of personal branding experts defined personal branding is fascinating. You're probably familiar with it. They used a Wiki. You've no doubt used a Wiki yourself... as in Wikipedia.org?

Did you ever want to work on a project with people who are scattered about the country, the world? Maybe you're in a business mix group and you'd like to put your collective brains together and come up with a social media policy for your coworkers. Create and use a Wiki. The cool thing about using one is it could be accessible to more folks at your company. This way they can interact with the workers at the other companies and get stuff done.

Here is the Wiki that our experts are using (it can be an ongoing process) to define personal branding.

Interested in starting your own Wiki? Go here.

Photo credit, Yodel Anecdotal

Thriving in Today's Workplace

2010-08-11T10:53:00.004-05:00

Kirsten Olson wrote an article last year titled New Learners for the New Economy. She tells college students and those who recently graduated, what habits and attitudes are crucial for thriving in the workplace.

Kirsten's essay is so relevant, that not only does it pertain to students, it pertains to business owners, managers and coworkers. And, if you substitute a few nouns, it pertains to Australian aborigines. Really. It's that relevant.

Kirsten asks her readers, "What learning attributes do employers seek in the flatter, fragmented, and constantly changing workplace?"

Most of us employers are so busy trying to run our businesses, we don't give much thought to what sort of learning attributes we should be seeking in prospective coworkers. Fortunately for us Kirsten did. She calls them habitudes (habits plus attitudes). Check them out:

New learners for the new economy...

1. Are highly adaptive.
2. Ask great questions.
3. Are curious about everything.
4. Have a broad knowledge base that they are always expanding.
5. Are good at seeing patterns.
6. Are team players who share what they know willingly and generously.
7. Are a glass-half-full resource managers.
8. Understand that every contact matters.
9. Know that hierarchy doesn't matter.
10. Are choiceful about how they socialize.
11. Own mistakes and are error alchemists.
12. See learning as a pleasure.

Kirsten expands on these habitudes in her article.
Kirsten Olson bio.
Wounded by School, Kirsten's book.

Wounded by School is an eye-opening journey into the world of the American school system today. A system that is inept in producing the attributes critical for today's business community and one that was around when Abraham Lincoln presided over our country. The book also offers ways to combat the wounds inflicted by school.

The Technician

2010-08-06T06:52:00.004-05:00

Chances are you are a service contractor owner or employee. It could be an electrical contractor or solar energy or plumbing or HVAC. It doesn't matter. You or your people enter a home or place of business and repair, replace, maintain or install whatever it is that's your specialty. You try to make a difference for your customer.

Keep that thought in mind as you watch this short film. Notice how technician Simon Oliver Fecteau tries to make a difference for his customer. Maybe it's just me, but I do believe Simon is raising the bar for us all...

Keeping Cool Under the Heat

2010-08-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

My latest article on CB Hotmail...

The series of heat waves sweeping across the country this summer have been a welcome source of business activity for HVAC contractors reeling from successive regulatory blows, mild summers, and the nation’s economic malaise. Yet, the heat not only stresses compressors, it stresses customers, employees, and company owners. Losing your cool under the summer’s stress rarely works well for anyone but is especially detrimental if you’re the boss (i.e., the role model in your company). Here’s 11 ways to keep cool under the heat.

Read more at Contracting Business.

Why Executives HATE Social Media (from DemingHill)

2010-08-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

Note: This excellent white paper on executive resistance to social media and why executives should reconsider is getting a lot of play online. While it was written for large company executives, it is equally applicable to small business owners. If you're unsure about social media and consider it a waste of time, it might be worth a small investment of time to read this white paper.

Source: http://www.deminghill.com/blog

Reprinted With Permission

I’m an executive and I HATE social media. There, I said it. It’s finally “out there.” But before you Twitter a flaming flash mob link to assemble pitchfork-wielding Second Life villagers outside my door, I urge you to take a deep breath, put down your double frappuccino, remove your earpiece, step away from your iPad, and set your iPhasers to stun, for I come in peace. If you’ve ever wondered why your CEO ALSO hates social media, social networking and, well, socializing in general, I urge you to continue reading. Just as Fox TV’s Masked Magician series demystified the tricks of the world’s most famous illusionists, I offer the following as both a behind-the-scenes peak and a confessional of sorts, into the mind of the executive. For to truly understand the conflicting yet predictable stonewalling in this domain, one must search deep below the surface, plumbing the depths of the executive psyche, motivations, and worldviews, for only then will you be able to “crack the code,” engage us in our native tongue and communicate in a vocabulary and language to which we will respond. Consider this your own personal backstage pass to the inner sanctum of the Executive Suite.

Executive: More Perception Than Position

For starters, the term “executive” isn’t a title as much as it is a mindset or a set of attributes – often leading to career success and the achievement of such rank – but what might surprise most is that this ambition and executive mentality often begins to manifest itself early in life. For example, while most were partying and hanging out in high school, we were already taking college-level classes while holding down several part time jobs. And when most were “finding themselves” in college and still deciding on a major after three years, we were serving in student leadership, doing internships, or doubling up on classes to finish college a semester early. And when most were finally in the workforce, instead of clubbing and playing in multiple softball leagues, we were completing an advanced degree in night school, pursuing professional certifications, and framing out retirement plans.

Executives are high achievers – that’s just how we’re wired. Give me a mountain and I’ll climb it. And if you don’t have a mountain, I’ll find my own mountain and I’ll climb it. And if I can’t find a mountain, I’ll build one – just so I can climb it. But here’s what most people don’t get about executives. Once a CEO climbs a mountain, he doesn’t feel the need to Tweet to the world that he did it. He doesn’t have the natural desire to blog, “Look what a great climber I am” and include multiple pictures with links to his Facebook and LinkedIn account. He did it because it’s in his DNA. He doesn’t require the attention, approval, or applause of others, and therein lies the fundamental source of the problem – executives are non-narcissistic in a YouTube world. We’re outliers. In a society that brags, blogs, and Tweets about the tiniest personal minutia, we could care less because, frankly, we expect success, it’s normal to us. It’s like Vince Lombardi’s admonition to his running back after an overly exuberant display, “Next time you make a touchdown, act like you’ve been there before.”

Eagles Don’t Flock

Executives are “eagles,” and unlike seagulls, eagles don’t flock. We’re not joiners and we’re not groupies, which is why we overwhelmingly prefer challenging single-person sports like running, cycling, weightlifting, and our one concession to “group sports” – golf (which is still technically a single-person sport, but more fun in groups). Lance Armstrong didn’t win his titles without leaving the peloton, and ditto for greats like Sampras, Tiger, and Arnold. They had to go above and beyond the group to achieve greatness, and for this reason it truly IS lonely at the top (not that we mind).

Social Networking: The Problem is “Networking”

The reason we hate social networking is the same reason we hate REGULAR networking. Exchanging small talk for 2 hours in a room full of strangers, with a drink in one hand and a business card in the other, and a “Hi, I’m Doug” nametag peeling off my lapel, and standing – my goodness the standing – and looking unsuccessfully for ANY food with some protein in it, and wondering if this guy with the too-firm handshake is going to see if we can “LinkIn” after sharing an elevator ride, before glancing at my watch and counting the minutes until I can leave and get back to work. It’s a nightmare. Why? Because – surprise, surprise – most executives are actually introverts, who value their time and their privacy and are constantly evaluating the ROI tradeoffs of every hour of every day. (Quiz: How many times have you heard a CEO describe himself as a “People Person”?)

To say that we are ANTI-social would be a huge misrepresentation, but when you combine the word “social” with “networking” – let’s just say it sends shivers up my spine. Do I like the company of others? Sure I do – but I want the time to be well spent. Instead of random, shallow, unfocused SMALL talk, CEO’s would much rather sit around with a small group of peers for 2 hours and discuss BIG specific challenges – and their solutions. In fact, the reason so much business gets done on the golf course is because it’s one of the few places leaders actually congregate and feel relaxed enough to discuss what’s really on their minds.

Social Networking: The Problem is “Social”

The next hurdle for executives with social networking are the implications of the root word “Social”, and, by its very spelling, its association to Socialism. Socialism is defined as, “Any system of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively,” and further, “An economic and political theory based on public ownership or common ownership and cooperative management of the means of production and allocation of resources.” (At least that’s what someone wrote on Wikipedia). The premise and value of the “social media” movement is the power of the collective in the production, distribution, and ownership of goods, and the reason executives resist this model is that it flies in the face of their existing worldview which, quite frankly, has been pretty successful to date. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Most of us have a pretty big chip on our shoulders, attributing our career success to the years of diligence, education, ambition, delayed gratification and sacrifices we’ve made to reach the leadership levels we’ve achieved. Therefore, the anti-capitalistic notion that my work and contributions would be homogenized with the uninspired masses, and that ultimately my value would be determined by the randomness of the collective is a jarring and unpalatable departure. I want to control my company! I want to control my brand! I want to determine my destiny! It’s too important to leave it to chance (or simply be outvoted by the uninformed bourgeois)! Unfortunately and tragically for us executives, the beauty and power of social media is only fully unleashed when we LET IT GO, and that, my friends, is the hardest thing for us to do (…and also explains why we hate checking luggage at the airport).

Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts

Okay, I promised that this would be a confessional, so here’s a shocker. Over time, there is a tendency for CEO’s to get inflated EGO’s. Now granted, a healthy ego can serve as a necessary defense mechanism to provide protection from the relentless attacks from subordinates, peers, and the media, but too much amounts to just plain pride. We like to think of ourselves as a pretty smart bunch, and our position is such that even if we don’t completely understand something, we often project to our colleagues that we do. A classic example of this phenomenon transpired during the Enron debacle, where ranks of senior executives refused to admit that they couldn’t comprehend the mechanics of this powerful conglomerate, until it was too late. It’s the same with new advances in technology, which has accelerated during our careers from “hit or miss” to “mission critical,” going from bricks to clicks and from mortar to mindshare, while serving as a platform for everything from infrastructure, billing, and product development, to security, scheduling, and sales. The rapid rate of change in digital innovation has caused CEO’s to feel EXTREMELY vulnerable around technology because it is something on which we have become VERY reliant, but which we understand and “control” so little, and this vulnerability leads to fear, and this fear to irrational decisions and suboptimal outcomes. When CEO’s don’t have the confidence in their staff to delegate, or lack the humility to admit their ignorance regarding technology advances, they get defensive and act out in fear – or fail to act altogether.

Social Media: Justified Fear?

Executives justify their fear of social media by pointing back to a historic drumbeat of disappointment and unfulfilled promises. They recall with vivid detail the never-ending parade of new online engagement vehicles and “paradigms” introduced over the past 15 years by turtleneck-wearing gurus with names like Kip or Seth, which were then propagated by self-proclaimed “New Economy” experts sporting titles like “Chief Innovation Officer” and “Director of Chaos,” and then championed by sideburn-wearing hipster foot soldiers who never metafilter they didn’t like. In the 90’s, we were promised that customers would beat a path to our door if we created something called a “web page” and then “posted” it on this thing called the Internet or World Wide Web or something. Then they convinced us to buy electronic lists and send out “Email Blasts” to our target markets, and next it was a website redesign, push technology, pull technology, exchanged links, partner intranets, eBusiness, eCommerce, blogging, webinars, podcasts, search engine optimization, YouTube videos, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, yada, yada, yada. Each time they promised that THIS TIME it would be different, and that this new product/protocol/portal/potion would somehow (magically??) drive revenue, increase efficiency, and optimize utilization (or some other buzz word or invented metric). You told me to blog, so I blogged. You told me to Twitter, so I Tweeted. What’s it going to be tomorrow – scan my body into a mashup simulator to create a hologram so I can telepresence myself into sales calls in Madrid via FourSquare using Flickr? All I know is that I’ve spent a LOT of time and money on a series of disjointed initiatives and campaigns and so far NONE have performed as advertised.

Don’t Feed Me Another Fad

Look, executives aren’t that complicated. While I can handle the many nuanced “grey areas” of business leadership, I prefer to see things in black and white; victories and defeats; profits and losses. I don’t mind making significant, strategic multi-year investments and committing to enterprise-wide initiatives which will improve the future performance of my company – in fact, I ENJOY it – what do you think got me to the Executive Suite in the first place? Just don’t insult me. I don’t want to waste any more time or money on the hype of “the next big thing” or the newest tool or toy, only to be disappointed when the latest flash-in-the-pan fad fades and goes the way of Harvard Graphics. It’s not that I have a fear of commitment – frankly, it’s just the OPPOSITE! I have a healthy fear and distaste for doing things randomly just to be doing something; or because someone saw an article in USA Today, or CNBC did a story on it, or out of fear that I’ll be the last one in my circle to “get on board.” (Believe me, the things that keep me up at night can’t be solved in 140 characters or less). The truth is, I would LOVE to commit to social media in a significant way, but so far nobody in my organization has stepped forward with a cerebral, strategic, multi-generational, integrated, systematic, and sustainable methodology and roadmap for synergistically capitalizing on this medium over the long haul.

Your Network is Your Net Worth

Executives are uniquely conflicted because we know better than anyone the power of relationships, and the truth of the old axiom, “Your network is your net worth,” yet we are inherently introverts, and gravitate towards solitude versus socializing. We understand on an intellectual level that none of us individually are “too big to fail,” and that even the Lone Ranger had Tonto and Batman had Robin, yet we find initiating conversations and exchanges with others to be draining, distracting, and exhausting rather than invigorating and inspiring. Hence we yearn; as a group we pine; for deep within our heart of hearts burns a great bright hope that somehow and in some way this social media movement or platform or culture or whatever could be harnessed and leveraged to cross that chasm and create valuable, authentic exchanges and relevant, real-time dialogue with stakeholders of all persuasions. If we could just develop an all-encompassing framework for how this would integrate into our enterprise-wide strategy, and manage it like a mission-critical project (complete with milestones, deliverables and accountability instead of fuzzy metrics like “buzz”), I am supremely confident that we could achieve escape velocity and – for the first time – truly establish and be able to articulate a synergistic, sustainable, and quantifiable strategy for leveraging “Best-In-Class” social media options to achieve desired corporate outcomes and maximize financial returns.

A Gift From Media To You

You know, it’s interesting. Somewhere in the convoluted catharsis of composing this confessional, I came to a surprising realization. Maybe I don’t HATE social media after all. Maybe I just hate the Quixotic context in which most social media conversations exist, featuring a perpetually moving target, combined with an obsessive, cult-like worship of the default worldview, “If Something is New = It Must Be Good”, and where subjective criteria like “mindshare” and “impressions” are considered quantifiable deliverables and irrefutable barometers of success.

Come to think of it, maybe it’s high time that a C-level individual engaged this topic, and – once and for all –created a high-level overview and synopsis, crystallizing all of the strategic benefits and critical value streams, and distilling them into a language that speaks to executives everywhere in our native tongue – bottom line stakeholder value. So here you go. I’ve done the work for you. What follows is an “Executive Summary” of my findings.

Social Media Value #1: Unfiltered Feedback

As you already know, some of the scarcest (rarest) yet most valuable information a CEO can obtain is honest, unfiltered feedback. Think about it. You interact all day with managers, employees, and handlers working to keep the boss happy and therefore keep their job. Sure, being surrounded by “Yes men” can be more comfortable, but it can also insulate you from the stark realities of your business. If done correctly, social media enables CEO’s to hear raw, candid feedback from real people – people who aren’t afraid of being fired because they CAN’T be fired. The truth is, leaders with their ego in check are already fully aware that they work for the customer – the customer is his boss – so if the customer doesn’t like dropped calls on their iPhone or the sauce on their Domino’s pizza, it’s their job to make it better. Now, every customer is not always right (or wrong), but if 850 out of 1000 user comments say that the new Sketcher’s Sport shoe caused them to sprain their ankle, then something needs to be fixed – and FAST! CoolCleveland’s Founder Thomas Mulready is a perfect example of a CEO with this customer orientation. After emailing out his weekly eMagazine for 7 years, he decided that it needed to be updated, and set about introducing a new format with much fanfare. In doing so, he also did something revolutionary – he asked all 90,000 of his readers for feedback on what they thought of the new style – and boy did they reply with scores of comments submitted over the span of a few days. But then he did something else revolutionary – he actually listened, modifying and improving the new site to reflect reader tastes and preferences. Yes, it takes humility (“Who are these people to give ME feedback? I invented this product! Don’t they know they can just click the links?) but the end result is an engaged audience who now feel genuinely empowered to provide even MORE feedback, emboldened by the knowledge that their comments actually impact (and can improve) the end product.

Social Media Value #2: Authenticity

Hand-in-hand with the unfiltered feedback above is the ability to leverage social media to authentically communicate with your employees, partners, customers (and non-customers), investors, and media, directly engaging ALL of your brand ambassadors efficiently and economically. Rather than layers of staff, spokespeople, and sterile press releases, social media now offers an elegant and effective medium for disseminating information either “straight from the heart” or “straight from the horses’ mouth” depending on your preferred idiom. Dan Gilbert’s recent LeBron James “rant” would qualify as both, capturing the owners’ anger, frustration, and competitive resolve just moments after James’ announced his departure. As you’ve probably noticed, NOBODY can tell the company story and embody the company brand like the CEO (think Steve Jobs) and by offering the ability to immediately and directly engage stakeholders – whether on a typical day, during a product launch, and/or especially during a time of crisis – social media provides an invaluable medium for maximizing brand value and minimizing potential brand degradation. Social media helps firms “Keep it real” but couches it in a positive brand-reinforcing context.

Social Media Value #3: Six Sigma (Low Cost)

In case you were wondering, executives LOVE things like Six Sigma because, 1. It reminds us of our Greek fraternity days in college, 2. The other soccer Dad’s don’t understand Value Stream Mapping, and 3. Six Sigma and lean processes are all about SPEED and COST SAVINGS, two of our favorite topics. By its very architecture, social media is positioned to leverage firms’ Six Sigma orientation by expediting interactions, exchanges, customer service, feedback loops, product launches, marketing, and advertising, AND enabling it at a fraction of the cost of traditional media, to a much more targeted audience, and in a far more nuanced and contextual value exchange. Social media options allow your message distribution format to evolve from shotgun to sniper, from billboard to message board, and from broadcast to narrowcast. PLUS, it takes your marketing posture from a one-way, blanketing, bullhorn approach to a more intimate, just-in-time interaction; offering the opportunity for a more detailed, valuable and more PROFITABLE conversation and connection with your audience (and you don’t need a Black Belt to do it).

Social Media Value #4: Balancing Transparency AND Privacy

The only thing worse than NOT using social media tools is using them in the WRONG way. Your firm could very easily invest time and money on social media, and then end up spending even MORE time and money doing damage control because you did it wrong the first time – talk about a lose-lose situation. With social media, there’s a “right way” and a “wrong way” to do things – so if you’re GOING to do it, do it RIGHT. Remember, anywhere-anytime-anyone social media channels must be handled as the “nuclear options” that they are, with the capability to destroy your brand value in a single Twitter, email, or YouTube video that goes viral.

With great power comes great responsibility, and a healthy respect for the global reach and impact of social media must emanate directly from the CEO, who knows better than anyone that the same programs allowing firms to connect and influence the marketplace can also be turned against you to alienate them. And just as social media can provide the market with a transparent window into the soul of your company, it can also showcase you at your worst, doing more harm than good. Let’s face it, your firm is ALREADY dabbling in social media as it is – so you might as well manage your risk and liability by codifying corporate expectations, establishing specific ground rules, and educating your stakeholders regarding proper use of these seemingly innocent yet powerful tools.

Social Media Value #5: Supporting Statistics

Executives rely on market research to support and substantiate any designated course of action, and devour facts, stats, and data-points like shrimp at a wedding reception. Summarized below are a few statistics buttressing the explosion of this social media trend, and detailing how Corporate America is leveraging it to realize significant revenue and market share growth going forward.

In the last 7 years, Internet usage has increased 70% PER YEAR. Spending for digital advertising this year will be more than $25 billion and surpass print advertising spending (forever)

Lenovo has experienced a 20% reduction in activity to their call center since they launched their community website for customers

Blendtec quintupled sales with its “Will it Blend” series on YouTube

Only 18% of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI

Naked Pizza set a one-day sales record using social media: 68% of their sales came via twitter and 85% of their new customers

Software company Genius.com reports 24% of social media leads convert to sales opportunities

Dell has already made over $7 million in sales via Twitter

37% of Generation Y heard about the Ford Fiesta via social media BEFORE its launch in the US and currently 25% of Ford’s marketing budget is spent on digital/social media

71% of companies plan to increase investments in social media by an average of 40%

A recent Wetpaint/Altimeter Group study found companies that widely engage in social media surpass their peers in both revenue and profit

(Sources for Statistics: meyersreport.com lenovosocial.com George Wright Blendtec Mashable.com econsultancy.com businessweek.com )

Getting Your Board On Board

Lest we forget, even the Boss has a Boss – they’re called the Board of Directors – and these are the people that recruit and hire CEO’s for the purpose of serving as a charismatic and visionary leader of their organization. And so I urge you, don’t disappoint them when it comes to leveraging social media within your organization. The “Bang for the Buck” value proposition is too compelling to ignore, and the fact is – your competitors are already entering this arena and establishing new service baseline norms and minimum threshold expectations – so standing still amounts to losing ground and therefore is not an option. What you need is a plan.

An Offer You Can’t Refuse

My associates and I are going to go out on a limb and try something a little crazy, something we’ve never done before. We are going to offer senior leaders an exclusive, live, invitation-only Executive Briefing entitled“Maximizing Your Social Media Strategy” and presented by the top brass at DemingHill. This executive-to-executive webinar will feature a deep-dive into the ROI and business case for leveraging social media, and will allow participants to ask questions and interact real-time with the authors of this article. (Because there is no charge, we must limit this event to executives and/or members of their management teams. Held August 10 & 11th).

Do I STILL hate social media? No, BUT I’m only going to embrace it on the “executive terms” that have served me so well to this point in my career and they are, “If you’re going to do something, go ALL IN and do it right.” From now on, all social media, social marketing, and social networking will be discussed in the context – not of a CAMPAIGN (which starts and ends) – but as part of an ongoing, strategic, and systematic DIALOG with our stakeholders and marketplace.

Executives have the focus and vision to roadmap strategies playing out 3, 5, and 10 years into the future. But, we’re also “plodders” and are comfortable with short, measured, consistent steps – day in and day out – as long as we know that they are aligned with reaching a desired goal. When we discuss your social media strategy, the focus will be on consistency and sustainability over the long haul. Remember, executives don’t have the ego needs, risk profiles, or the TIME to be on the bleeding edge, or even the cutting edge. We just want it to work.

I can confidently predict that every month for the next 100 years there will be a new “Must Have” application, portal or community that one of your employees will discover, and then try to convince you that your company will implode if you don’t immediately join, link, or Retweet. In five years, all but three of these ideas will probably be forgotten. During our meeting, we will discuss how to frame out an enterprise-wide social media strategy, predicated on the foundation of proven tools and that have stood the test of time and offer “Best-In-Class” results, so that you will be empowered to handle these conversations proactively in the context of a larger roadmap, rather than reacting to these weekly ambushes in a dismissive defensive way. Remember, our goal for social media is not a lark, but a LIFESTYLE, and work-shopping a strategy which builds on stable, scalable tools, yet also affords the flexibility to address unprecedented “Black Swan” technology developments, provides you with a welcome buffer from being whipsawed by a weekly website. Between the two of us, we’ll finally take that reliable “80/20 Rule” and apply it to social media, and then spend time focusing on the 80% of stakeholder value that can be extracted with 20% of the effort (while knowingly and purposefully ignoring the remaining 20% of value which takes up 80% of the effort).

The Bottom Line

In the Forward of Geoffrey Moore’s bestseller “Crossing the Chasm” Regis McKenna writes:

“Fundamentally, marketing must refocus away from selling product and toward creating relationships. Customers don’t like to be ‘owned’ if that implies lack of choice or freedom. But they do like to be ‘owned’ if what that means is a vendor taking ongoing responsibility for the success of their joint ventures. Ownership in this sense means an abiding commitment and a strong sense of mutuality in the development of the marketplace. When customers encounter this kind of ownership, they tend to become fanatically loyal to their supplier, which in turns builds a stable economic base for profitability and growth.”

While there will always be a “me” in media – social media, social marketing, and social networking tools were designed to work best as a conduit for enabling information exchange, establishing a dialog, and creating a two-way conversation with your audience. At the end of the day, social media is simply about creating and maintaining relationships – and even and executive can do that.

Authors:

Douglas J. O’Bryon- MBA

Chief Marketing Officer VendorCert

Nathan Kievman- MBA

Chief Executive Officer DemingHill

Randy Schrum

Executive Vice President DemingHill

Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson

2010-07-29T14:46:00.000-05:00

This is an hour long presentation by Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the excellent Guerrilla Marketing books. Levinson is speaking live over a series of slides. If you're a little ADD, like I am, it's painful to watch this type of presentation. However, anything by Levinson is worth watching. So, you'll want to watch it while you're doing something else (in my case, I watched with signing all of the Roundtable Reward checks going out to Service Roundtable members - and yeah, it took just about an hour to sign them all).

The Raving Fish Got Cheesed And Didn't Get It

2010-07-27T05:58:00.006-05:00

Are you a fan of business parable books? You know, the little books that spin a fictional tale with underlying meanings that pertain to business. Fish, Who Moved My Cheese and Raving Fans are just a few examples.

Perhaps this is a tale of my own ignorance, but I hated parable books with a passion. Once I reached the age of fifty however, I began to mature. Looking back it wasn't the books that cheesed me off, it was corporate America's mandate: "Here is a copy of Fish. Read it. Afterwards we'll have a meeting to discuss how your morale KPI charts. We're expecting a significant increase."

Other than Mark Matteson's work, parable books had been off my radar for a long time until recently reading, They Just Don't Get it! Leslie Yerkes' book is about those times when you're trying to tell someone something and they just don't get it and what you need to do to transform their resistance into understanding.

Holy light bulb Batman! You mean if I read Leslie's book I'll be able to transform my technicians into correct-paperwork-completing-machines? Maybe. Maybe not. I'll give you one hint but you really need to read the book. Transformation begins with that really good looking person in the mirror.

A super huge red flag moment for me came when I read what some others had to say about They Just Don't Get It! To sum up: "I could read five bullet points about the book, get it, and save fifteen bucks." At first I thought wow, they don't get it! Then I thought, no, their left brain gets it. If they could only step off the Hamster Express for just a few minutes and engage their right brain a whole new world of possibility will pop right before them. At this point their left brain will kick back in and say, "the return on this fifteen dollar investment will pay back in 1.15 days."

Next week I'll offer suggestions on how to read business parable books using the right side of your brain.

Photo credit, Jan Tik

Zag

2010-07-25T08:40:00.000-05:00

Recently, I read the book, Zag. Zag is about branding and while I don't agree with everything in the book, I thought it was generally pretty much on the mark and recommend it. This presentation, based on the book is terrific. Take a few minutes and flip through it.

Famous Failures

2010-07-22T11:46:00.000-05:00

It doesn't matter how many times life knocks you down. It only matters how many times you get up. If you doubt it, take 76 seconds to watch this video.

Do You Hire People?

2010-07-20T07:11:00.007-05:00

A world renowned career specialist lists the five worst ways to look for a job:

Looking for employer's job postings on the Internet
Mailing out resumes to employers at random
Answering ads in professional or trade journals, relative to your field
Answering local newspaper ads
Going to private employment agencies or search firms for help

This same gentleman tells his readers there are five questions that people who have the power to hire want to know:

Why are you here?
What can you do for us?
What kind of person are you?
What distinguishes you from nineteen other people who can do the same tasks that you can?
Can I afford you?

If you're in a position to hire people, you're probably saying, "This information is of little use to me."

Really? Think about it for a minute. Do you search for prospective employees using any of the methods described above? Are you quantifying exactly what you need from prospective employees during the interview process? How does your hiring and interviewing process correlate with the advice being given to people looking for jobs by a world renowned career expert?

Sometimes we need to view our problems through a different lens. Instead of using a resource designed for hiring managers, consider a resource designed for job seekers.

The author I refer to here is Richard Bolles. Richard began writing What Color Is Your Parachute? way back in 1970. With the exception of 1971, he has revised and republished it every year since. Translation: It contains a boat load of relevant wisdom and knowledge. This book is one of the best books that I've ever read. I highly recommend picking up a copy today!

To Win The War On Business: Advertise

2010-07-11T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is my latest "Rant" in Contracting Business...

Private enterprise is under assault in America to a degree not seen since the Great Depression. While Hollywood and the media attack business with rhetoric, the government uses rhetoric, regulation, and taxes. It doesn't bode well for those struggling to find employment, though it might present an opportunity for your company.

Read more at Contracting Business (and be sure to add a comment in the new comment box at the bottom of the column).

How Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Screwed Up In His Rant About LeBron James

2010-07-10T11:14:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Dave Hogg

I had little passing interest in basketball star LeBron James' move from Cleveland to Miami until the Cavs' majority owner, Dan Gilbert, launched an online tirade against James. Gilbert considers himself betrayed by James' move. Apparently a lot of Cavs fans feel the same.

Anyone who has ever taken a chance on a new hire and invested in the employee's development only to see the employee leave for a competitor knows how Gilbert feels. It's natural to feel betrayed. It's stupid to rant to the world about it.

By all accounts, LeBron James is about as clean-cut as a tattooed NBA superstar can get. He worked hard. He fulfilled his contract. He made a move for reasons known to him. Maybe it's a better opportunity to earn more money over time. Maybe it's a better opportunity to win a championship. Maybe he's sick of snow. Maybe it's a move designed to avoid paying taxes as the Wall Street Journal notes in LeBron's Tax Holiday.

James has every right to pursue his career the way he wants. What loyalty? Do you think Gilbert would be offering James a new contract if he had a career ending injury a few months ago?

Gilbert's problem is his rant poisoned the well against a potential return by James after he fulfills his contract with Miami. Since you never know what the future holds, it's foolish to close doors. Moreover, budding NBA stars might look at Gilbert's behavior and question whether they really want to work for such a lunatic. Why not play for Sacramento where the weather's better to boot?

When good employees leave, resist the urge to lash out. Wish the employee the best and extend to the employee the opportunity to return in the future. You might get a good employee back when he discovers the grass really isn't greener on the other side of the fence (and what a powerful lesson that will be for anyone thinking about leaving!). At the very least, the employee will be more inclined to say good things about you to his peers and on social media.

Treating departing employees poorly gains nothing and risks sullying your reputation. Don't do it.

The Service Roundtable Business Alliance Will Support Solar Contractors

2010-07-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

The Service Roundtable (www.ServiceRoundtable.com), an Internet based contractor business alliance is launching a dedicated business support program for solar contractors, company officials announced today.

The “Solar Roundtable” will be headed by Jim Hinshaw, one of the top sales trainers in the solar industry. Since 2007, Hinshaw has trained over 1,000 solar contractors on the sales and business side of contracting.

“Most solar contractors know the physics of solar,” noted Hinshaw, “But my experience is that many have questions concerning sales, marketing, advertising, that sort of thing. The Solar Roundtable can help solar contractors answer their questions and solve their problems on almost any topic: business, application, engineering, employees, compensation, advertising, marketing, and sales.”

Since 2002, for a $50 monthly subscription, the Service Roundtable has provided contractors with sales, marketing, and business management tools served over the Internet. Examples include direct mail letters and post cards, consumer newsletters, social media marketing pieces, service agreements, eBooks, training tools, business forms, operations and management tools like pricing calculators, recruiting ads, interview guides, policy guides, employment applications, and more.

The Service Roundtable also hosts moderated peer support groups where contractors post questions about their business and receive input, guidance, and support from other contractors and industry consultants.

In 2010, the company added a free buying group, called Roundtable Rewards. Members receive discounts and cash rebates based on purchases from a variety of vendors who use the program as a way to boost sales and reduce marketing costs.

In addition to solar, the Service Roundtable serves HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors. The company also operates Service Nation Press, the Retail Contractor Coalition product and company branding program, and Service Roundtable MoneyMail turnkey monthly email marketing program.

Service Roundtable contractors hail from all 50 U.S. states, most Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, the Caribbean, and Oceana. For more information visit www.ServiceRoundtable.com or call 877.262.3341.

Solar Can Brighten Your Company’s Outlook

2010-07-07T15:45:00.001-05:00

Are you tired of fighting economic headwinds? Why not try a business opportunity with massive federal, state, and utility tailwinds? Why not add solar to your business mix?

Solar is a natural add-on for HVAC contractors. You’re already well positioned as home energy experts with consumers. You already have relationships with your customers. You know how to sell high ticket items. You know how to use financing. You know how to utilize government and utility incentives. Plus, HVAC contractors tend to be the best marketers in the service trades.

Read More at Contracting Business

This Says It All About The Yellow Pages

2010-07-02T11:31:00.000-05:00

If you're marketing to consumers over age 60, the yellow pages are still necessary. If you're marketing to consumers under age 40, you probably don't need a presence at all. If your target customers fall in between 40 and 60, a yellow page presence may be necessary, but not on the scale (and expense) of the past.

The death of the yellow pages makes marketing more complicated for service companies. You can no longer take out a big yellow pages ad and simply wait for the phone to ring. Today, you must use search engine local search, SEO, SEM, and increasingly, social media. Are you?

For HVAC contractors attending HVAC Comfortech in Baltimore in September, I'm teaching a class on social media. Be sure to attend. I'm also starting on a book titled, "Social Media for the Service Contractor," that will be given away to anyone attending my class at Comfortech. If there are any copies left, I'll make them available for sale.

Gentlemen, This is a Pipe Wrench

2010-06-19T16:23:00.000-05:00

At the start of each season, legendary football coach Vince Lombardi would call a team meeting, hold up a football and declare, "Gentlemen, this is a football." Lombardi focused on the fundamentals, on blocking and tackling. So should you.
Revisiting the fundamentals is a necessary part of any business. It seems especially necessary for plumbing contractors. Most plumbers advanced through their skill at turning a wrench. However, once they hang out their own shingle, they advance by their skill at turning a profit. The skill sets are different and many allow their companies to backslide into bad habits over time, thus, the need for blocking and tackling.
Here are 10 questions to ask yourself about your fundamentals:

Read more at Contractor Magazine.

Technology for the Aging

2010-06-18T08:10:00.001-05:00

The following article by Matt Michel was published in Southern PHC Magazine...

The number of senior citizens will double over the next 25 years, which means opportunities for the contractors who cater to their needs. Here are ten products you should add to your portfolio.

1. Grab Bars

While it’s the lowest of technology, it’s an essential aid as people age. Every senior should have grab bars inside showers and on walls above tubs.

2. Bathtub Safety Handles

Safety handles fit over the side of a tub to provide something secure to grab when entering or leaving a tub. Typically, these are clamped to the tub wall and not permanently installed.

3. Walk-In Tubs

If the senior is unsure about stepping over the side of the tub, even with a safety handle, a walk-in tub may represent a good solution.

4. Mixing Valves

Seniors and small children are the most susceptible to scalding from hot water. Installing a mixing valve at the water heater is the optimum solution to reducing the risk of scalding by holding the temperature of hot water delivered to the taps at 120 degrees.

5. Hand-Held Shower Spray

Many seniors sit to shower, making hand-held shower sprays much better than standard showers.

6. Elevated Toilet Seats

Seniors can have a difficult time getting up from a toilet. Elevated seats are small risers that raise the sitting height. Many include arms for seniors to grab on to when standing from a sitting position. There are also platforms that can be placed under the toilet, raising it several inches. Some consider these unobtrusive platforms more aesthetically pleasing.

7. Toilet Hand Rails

If no problems are present with the seat height seniors may still need hand rails. These are typically attached under the toilet seat.

8. Large Screen, Simple Digital Thermostats

As people age, vision declines. Backlit digital thermostats with large readouts and simple operation are easier for seniors to operate.

9. Air Cleaners

Not only can seniors benefit from the better filtration of electronic air cleaners or pleated media filters, but the reduced frequency of cleaning and/or replacement give seniors one less thing to bother with. This is especially important for attic and crawlspace installations.

10. Carbon Monoxide Detectors

As with scalding, seniors are more sensitive to carbon monoxide than the general population. This makes the presence of carbon monoxide detectors critical.

Selling to Seniors

Most seniors will be reluctant to admit they might need the aid of disability products. Ironically, they will be quick to suggest these are the exact products needed by friends of theirs. Don’t even hint to a senior that he needs a grab bar even if it’s obvious he does. Instead, suggest that he might want one installed for his wife. Or say that while he might not need it yet, it would probably give his children peace of mind to know he’s taking precautions. Often, seniors take action out of concern for a spouse or children.

Marketing to Seniors

Put together one to two page flyers displaying the products (and remember, use large print). Mail these to seniors you’ve identified in your database and distribute them on service calls. Pass them out at home and garden shows. Talk about home safety at service clubs and networking groups. Mail the flyer to your entire database before the holidays, noting that these can be the perfect gifts for the parent who is impossible to buy for.

As people age, they begin to recognize everyday tasks are more difficult. Yet, they tend to be unaware of the many solutions available to help. Merely making them aware will result in more sales. Sometimes the simplest technology can be the most profitable.

Good News: We Won't Run Out of Oil

2010-06-17T11:49:00.000-05:00

There's a lot of demogoging surrounding the great gulf oil leak. Listening to some of the recent speeches, one might conclude that we're about to run out of oil. Hardly.

In a year old article, Jim Ostroff with the Kiplinger Letter identified America's untapped oil bounty. He wrote:

The U.S. is sitting on the world's largest, untapped oil reserves -- reservoirs which energy experts know exist, but which have not yet been tapped and may not be attainable with current technology. In fact, such untapped reserves are estimated at about 2.3 trillion barrels, nearly three times more than the reserves held by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations and sufficient to meet 300 years of demand -- at today's levels -- for auto, truck, aircraft, heating and industrial fuel, without importing a single barrel of oil.

So why not "drill, baby, drill?" Ostroff says, "Those untapped reserves are located in places that either Uncle Sam has put off-limits for environmental reasons or are too costly to get -- or a combination of both."

And since this article was written, we've made even more finds.

Rather than flog the oil industry over an accident, we would be better served to promote oil extraction R&D and free up land and close-in coastal areas for safe extraction. Economically, this could lead to a boom. Our trade deficit would close. We wouldn't need to sell debt to foreign powers who are hardly our friends. The geopolitical importance of the Middle East would lessen.

Our current energy and economic policies are the definition of insanity.

Click to read the Kiplinger article in full.

The Impact of Awareness

2010-06-16T17:21:00.000-05:00

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gagilas/

It’s killing your sales. In fact it may be the single greatest barrier to the growth of your company. It’s prospect and customer ignorance about the products and services you offer.

Read more at Contracting Business.

Laurel & Hardy, Plumbers

2010-06-09T11:08:00.002-05:00

We've got a slab leak in our house. It's not the first time. I wrote about the first slab leak, repaired under warranty in the PHC Profit Report and entered the article in a national contest by Terry Love about the worst consumer plumbing experience. It won first place. While I have much higher expectations from the Service Roundtable member (the staff rotates our plumbing calls among local plumbing members), when my wife texted me, "Giant hole in floor full of muddy water," I couldn't help but remember Laurel and Hardy. It follows...

We had a slab leak in our house, while still under warranty. The builder sent technicians from the installing plumber to take care of the problem. The good news is that they seemed to be technically competent to handle the plumbing. As far as the rest…

The leak was located under the slab in the master bedroom closet. I pointed out the general area where I thought the leak was and not wanting to be a pest, I left them to do their job. I was reading in the living room when the first plumber (Call him Laurel) came out and asked, "How do you unlock the closet door?"

"Well," I said, "You don't because there's no lock on the door."

"Oh," said Laurel and disappeared.

I sat for a minute then decided I better check and see what was going on. I went to the master bath room and heard the other plumber (call him, Hardy) exclaim, "Ouch, that hurts" from behind the closet door.

"Watch it," said Laurel, "that's a sharp knife."

"I just figured that out," muttered Hardy.

I asked, "Is something the matter?"

"He's locked himself in," said Laurel.

"I can't see what I'm doing," said Hardy.

No light was coming from under the door, so I suggested, "Try the light switch. It's on the right, next to the door."

Light poured out of the bottom of the door. "Hey, that's a lot better."

"He's trying to take the door handle off," explained Laurel, "It's the only way he can get out."

Remembering the comment about the knife, I asked, "Do you want a screwdriver?"

Laurel just looked at me, like the concept of a screwdriver to remove a screw was foreign to him. Then again, maybe it was.

I went to get a screwdriver, but by the time I got back, Hardy managed to get the door handle off. He was standing there holding the knife in one hand and wiping blood on his shirt with the other. I left the room to keep from laughing.

A few minutes later, I revisited the scene. Laurel was busy trying to reassemble the door handle. He couldn't quite figure out how to do it, so he left it hanging halfway on the door (it only took me five minutes to fix it after they left).

Since Laurel couldn't get the door handle back on, he was afraid he or Hardy might lock themselves in again (even though the door doesn't lock, never had before, and never has since). Laurel decided to tape the door's bolt open (apparently it never occurred to them to simply leave the door open). All he must have had was some kind of super tacky black duct tape because he covered the door with it. Once applied, parts of it never came off. There are still black marks around the door handle that won't come off. Eventually, I'm going to have to repaint the door.

Laurel located the leak. Trying to be conscientious, he carefully moved the refrigerator back from the wall in the kitchen and took everything off the top. "These might come off when we jackhammer," he said.

I appreciated his thoroughness. However, the refrigerator was fifteen feet away from the leak. Laurel failed to move my wife's treasured breakables that were placed around the master bathtub, around five feet from the leak. Of course, once Laurel started jackhammering, the breakables broke.

Laurel finished the jackhammering and located the leak. He then declared he had to run to the supply house, but that Hardy was staying. A few minutes later Hardy came out and asked for a cup. I thought he was thirsty, so I have him one, filled with ice water. He looked at me like I was strange and disappeared back into the bedroom. I went back to my book in the living room.

A few minutes after that, Hardy came walking out the front door carrying a bucket. He repeated the process a few minutes later and again, a few minutes after that.

Curiosity got the better of me and I went to the closet. Hardy was on the floor over the slab leak using the cup I gave him to scoop water from the hole in the slab and fill the bucket. He was using one hand to scoop the water while he held the other, cut hand, in the air so that he didn't get it dirty (or dirtier). The water was gradually rising in the hole.

"Don't you have a pump?" I asked.

"Pump?" Hardy looked befuddled.

I had to leave to keep from laughing.

After a while (i.e., enough of Hardy's bucket trips that I lost count), Laurel returned. They eventually got the water under control, though the cup was ruined in the process.

Laurel came out to tell me someone from the shop was coming by to pick up Hardy for another job, since he wasn't needed to finish up. I decided to run some errands and told Laurel I was going to Lowe's.

"Could you pick up some rebar?" he asked, "I forgot it."

About the time I returned with Laurel's rebar, the mini-pickup from the shop showed up for Hardy. The truck had been hit somewhere down the line. One rear quarter panel was pushed in so far that the top of the tire was exposed. The bumper was bent straight up over the tailgate, then forward, then sideways, then down, in a pretzel configuration that looked more like a preformed radiator hose than something done to heavy gauge steel. By now, this was the type of vehicle I'd come to expect from these guys. My wife and I call their installation truck, the Exxon Valdez, since it's as big as a tanker and leaves an oil slick everywhere it goes.

Laurel eventually finished. He didn't clean up, though he did move the refrigerator back. He left to door handle hanging partially assembled, with back tape holding the bolt. He never offered to replace the cup or pay for the rebar (remember, this was warranty work). Fortunately, he did get the slab leak fixed.

While this sounds like a funny plumber story, it's really a scary one. Later, when the builder was asking about the repair, he mentioned that the plumbing contractor had sent their best crew to our house. Now that's scary.