I am a restaurant person.  My first job was handing out cheese samples in the mall for a gourmet cheese company.  That was my first job serving food and making sales.  I love restaurants…and have worked in virtually every position on the org chart.  Perhaps I would still be in the restaurant business if my husband hot rod’s partner had not died.
Team Pride…
My nephew Christian is a restaurant manager with a very cool company in Park City, Utah.  It’s called Bill White Enterprises.  http://billwhiteenterprises.com Owner, Bill White operates differently from most restaurateurs.  His focus is on happy diners.  That is the statistic that drives every decision.  How do we create an amazing dining experience…and how many people do we make happy?  Every day, that’s the basis of the management team’s discussion.  Sales revenues are reviewed monthly…and not of immediate interest.   The team understands that a fantastic gastronomical experience delivered to enough people drives the top line and bottom line numbers.  [...]

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I have received numerous letters more or less along the same lines, but none as eloquent as what you are about to read. Please excuse it’s length, but it is the heart-felt story of a plumber’s career and he deserves to be heard. It requires no further commentary from me. It speaks for itself.
Dear Mr. Blau,
I am writing to you in hope that maybe my screams into the night may be heard. People say that a letter should be direct and to the point but I won’t be able to do that. You have probably heard this story a thousand times, but if you could hear it one more time and possibly end with some of your famous advice it would be greatly appreciated.
First, I have become an admirer of yours through your articles in the Buzz. Every one of your articles rings the bell of truth, but so many plumbers are deaf and cannot hear it.
My history has been [...]

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For 20 years I traveled all over this country attempting to stamp the message of profitability into the lives of the wonderful people in this great industry, and teach them self-respect for the indispensable work they do. It has been a burning passion of mine.
At various times I tried to enlighten, cajole, embarrass or do whatever else it takes to get the message across. I made numerous friends along the way – as well as a few enemies. What is frustrating to me, however, is knowing that my articles and seminars are not enough. If a seminar was all it took for a contractor to turn his or her life around, you would find me presenting them every week of the year. A seminar helps, but it takes more.
Think about it. What is more demanding than single-handedly taking an existing PHC business that has under-performed for years, with an underpaid and demoralized work force, and turning that business into a [...]

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As many of you know, Bio-Clean® is one of the best add-on sales products available to service plumbing contractors. This environmentally friendly biological drain cleaner, which comes in powdered form, is a trade exclusive sold directly to plumbing contractors. You won’t find it in any home centers or even on wholesaler shelves. This little gem is key to upping your average ticket and showing your clients that you do more than just install and repair.
Getting Techs To Sell It: How do you get your service techs to sell it? The answer is that you begin by having everyone learn the fundamentals of salesmanship. Most contractors are not good marketers. First, they don’t charge enough for their work, and therefore they don’t have the time or money needed to train their people.
There are no natural born salesmen. Yet everyone who deals with customers, whether a dispatcher, customer service rep or service tech, is a salesperson. It is the contractor’s responsibility to [...]

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What does it Mean to be a Manager…
Today, let’s embrace the Manager position.  Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.”  The “end” or the goal of the Manager is to have the people who report to you performing at or above minimum standards of performance.  It’s an awesome responsibility and it can be a super satisfying career.
The problem with the word “Manager”
Have you ever noticed this:  Someone gets promoted to manager because they are a fireball of energy and productivity?  Then, he or she becomes a chair-bound bossy-pants who never seems to actually do anything.
So, let’s shed these myths:

Management is a desk job.
Managing others depends on wielding your superior status on the Organizational Chart.
Managing others involves raising your voice.
Managers have a different set of rules than everyone else.

And, let’s adopt a new management model.   Management is about helping people – in the field and in the office – be successful.  It is about leading by example and holding [...]

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Leadership is an important component of all successful HVAC, plumbing, and electrical independent contracting companies.  But a strong and mature leader is one who desires to mentor, grow, and cultivate future leaders that are following in their footsteps.  While recruiting great coworkers is always an important part of growing a company, it is also vitally important that leaders cultivate leadership skills in longtime and loyal coworkers that have been part of their company team through good and bad.  Many times, the best leaders are those that come from within the company and who have been trained through the company. They may not have been at the top of the “business ladder” when joining the company team but they have been dependable, solid, growth-oriented coworkers who have consistently worked to better the company and each team member.
Strong leaders can only emerge in your service company if current leaders choose to cultivate and share their knowledge, experience, and leadership skills.  Growing effective [...]

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Paul Gassett
Contributing Author
Service Excellence Training
 
Everything has a beginning. And everything has an end. Or does it?
Last month we examined the difference between accountability and responsibility. Accountability, we determined, has a bit of a negative connotation when you are the one being “held accountable”. How does that impact our employees, and ourselves?
First, when we set goals, we are initially outlining the elements of accountability. These goals keep us as managers focused on what is most important for the overall success of our company. And they keep our team members on task and motivated to achieve their own individual objectives.
Most products have life cycles. They typically begin with Emergence, where a product is first introduced. Here is where the product is fairly new, like the original plasma televisions, when they cost $10,000 or more. Next is Growth. Here is where a product begins to gain popularity and the price, while still high, becomes more reasonable. Then comes the Maturity stage. During maturity [...]

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When you come to a fork in the road – take it.”  ~Yogi Berra
Do you ever feel like you hate absolutely everything and everyone involved with your business?  Do you wonder why you even show up in the morning?  Do you fantasize about pitching it all and running away to Costa Rica?  Do you doubt your ability to make the business a success, to make it WORK?
On a Day of Doubt, give it one more day.
It’s OK to give up on your business. If you are not succeeding, you may not have yet found your true calling. Or, you may not have given it enough time. Or taken the right steps.  How do you know?
Pray for a sign. Why not? You might get one. Or, you might realize the signs have been there all along. You’ve just not seen them.
Is it too much to ask for a bolt of lightning?
Today, on a Day of Doubt…play “hookie.”  Punch out for a [...]

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I’ve spoken with a number of Nexstar® Network members who’ve asked for ideas to get the phone to ring. Together, we’ve come up with thoughts that we have gotten quite excited about, and I’d like to share some of them with you. Continue Reading »

In this country, in these times, we have access to everything we need to be healthy, wealthy and wise. So…what’s getting in the way? Maybe you are. The stumbling blocks on the road to success are of your own creation. I’ve listed the most common ones below. Recognize any of them? Continue Reading »