Is Your Team ALWAYS Presenting a Professional Image?

Is Your Team ALWAYS Presenting a Professional Image?

 

Paul Riddle
Contributing Writer
Success Group International

I was making my usual flight from Sarasota to Indianapolis, which includes a customary stop in Atlanta. The plane landed and taxied to our gate. While I waited to exit the cabin to scamper to my connecting flight, like so many other people do, I found myself looking at my fellow passengers. That’s when I noticed something that absolutely moved me.

There was a young Marine sitting two seats ahead of me. When the seatbelt light went off, he stood straight up and offered to help a lady get her luggage down from the overhead storage. What happened next is what caught my attention…

The Marine leaned down and lightly brushed his immaculately shining shoes rubbing out a smudge that wasn’t visible to anyone else. He ran his thumb and index finger up the front of his pants bringing the front crease to a razor-sharp edge, and adjusted his shirt smoothing out any slight wrinkles that occurred during the flight.

Before leaving the plane, the young Marine reached to the overhead compartment and brought out his blue uniform jacket that had been carefully folded as if it were a flag. He proceeded to unfold the jacket, slipped it on, and meticulously buttoned one button after another all the way to the top. He reached up again into the compartment to retrieve a white hat and snuggly placed it on his head.

As the Marine walked off the plane he presented an unbelievable image to the busy pedestrians in that plane and in the airport terminal. I stopped the young man in the terminal and thanked him for presenting his best in the service of our country and my family. Of course, he said in return, “My pleasure, sir!” What an impressive young man…

Those few moments reminded me of how proud I am of this country and especially the men and women who freely volunteered to serve it and protect us. They’ve given us some of the best years of their lives to protect you and me. And in many cases these young people gave their lives for that mission.

Sometime later, I found myself thinking about that young Marine again and how that experience relates to us in the contracting industry.  In our organization, Success Group International (SGI), we preach to our clients the importance of image—in particular their company’s image to their customers.  Often, members return home and quickly get their techs in uniforms, start buying shoe covers from Shubee and using them on every call, and have their trucks wrapped. They feel like they’re presenting a professional image. But are they really?  Are you really presenting a professional image?

There’s more to looking professional than pulling on a button-up shirt with a logo and tugging on some work pants. To truly look your best, here some questions to ask yourself and truly reflect upon…

Service vehicles:

  • Do they have a nice wrap and look professional?
  • Do you wash them on a regular basis so they never look dirty?
  • Are the tires scrubbed and immaculate?
  • Are your vehicles not leaking any oil or coolant that could be left after the job for the client to see?
  • Are you certain your techs are parking on the street, as opposed to driveways?

Technicians’ appearance:

  • Are your techs shaved with combed hair and not wearing a hat?
  • Do they carry breath mints with them at all times?
  • Are uniform shirts not only spotless, but crisp?
  • Are pants not only spotless, but nicely creased?
  • Do all of your techs have the exact same uniform shirt—and pants?
  • Are your techs’ boots clean, free of dirt and mud?
  • Do your techs always, always, always use shoe covers from Shubee?
  • Do your techs use mats while working in the home?
  • Do your techs always clean up after themselves, leaving the home as clean as it was when they arrived?

Customer interaction:

  • Are your technicians smiling when being greeted by the customers?
  • Are they mindful to always have a smile on their face?
  • Are your techs mindful to make eye contact when talking with the customer?
  • Do your techs work to build a connection with the customer by stimulating conversation and building a bond?
  • After observing what’s wrong in the home, do your techs carefully explain—in terms the homeowner can clearly understand—what the issue is?
  • Do your techs believe not only in “doing the work,” but educating homeowners and ultimately empowering them?
  • Do your techs always provide options when possible, clearly explain each option, and are careful not to be forceful about any one?

While you assume your trucks are always sparkling and your techs look like the friendly neighbor next door, it doesn’t hurt to evaluate both on a daily basis—and to stress the importance of both to your team. Homeowners will buy from people they like… but also from people that impress them based upon their professionalism and pride in their job. And you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.

 

About the Author: Paul Riddle, Vice President, Success Group International

Paul has extensive experience as a general manager and he knows what it takes to operate a successful contracting company day-in and day-out. In his contracting experience, he’s served as CEO and later an owner, and in that time he consistently helped sales volumes increase an average 10{938cd9e8dae860e800efc538277d4f7684e6f6981618ba70d1c34357a53c2e1f} year after year at an impressive profit margin.  Paul has built and implemented training courses, sales systems, evaluation measures, and other tools to help business owners reach their goals and accomplish their dreams.  Today, he’s SGI™’s Vice President of Operations and is eager to help as many contractors as possible achieve even greater levels of success.