Never Stop Courting
Chuck Violand explores the similarities between the relationship of a courting couple and you with your employees, customers, suppliers, and other business “partners” who support you every day.
Steve’s Top 5 “Grow Your Business TIPS”
Increased sales can bring growing pains that have destroyed many small business contractors. Here is some help …
She wants me to “price match”! Help!
The “Great Recession” has made it “fashionable to haggle”! Here are some thoughts on how to handle value-conscious customers and the other “can you beat this price” shoppers that inevitably are going come your way.
Winning over a traumatized fire or water damage client!
Tired of getting blown off by adjusters? Then prove to them that you will make their lives easier! Steve shares a great tip on getting the loss started off right.
Paging Vince Lombardi
What can you learn from the man many consider to be the greatest coach? It may not be blocking and tackling but is just as important in your game plan.
Make a ‘Preemptive Strike’ on your client!
You’ve surely heard the old saying: “You discover the problem and point it out to the client- they still ‘own it’. But when they find it and complain about it to you- now you ‘own it’!” Here’s how to make this into a system in your company.
Cell phone use by janitorial employees?
A Portland janitorial service manager deals with the frustrating plague of techno-addiction. What is YOUR policy on cell phones and their usage in the field? Steve gives his preferred guidelines.
Ban the phrase “Traffic Lanes”
Words are powerful. Steve illustrates how a simple change of phrase will get you the credit you deserve!
Respect? You have to earn it first!
It is simple- to get respect you have to give it first. Harried business owners especially need to be wary of breaking this rule. Consider carefully Chuck’s thoughts on enhancing your “respect earning potential”…
Quit making your last minute callers feel guilty!
Work with a desperate home owner’s “sense of urgency” and you’ll snare a client for life. Steve shares why and how you should offer “Same Day Service”…
How can I increase the cleaning frequency of our accounts?
How can a big city commercial cleaner tie-up his commercial customers for the long-term and avoid back-breaking restorative cleanings? Zoned “Maintenance agreements” are the answer but how should he structure (and sell) them? Steve weighs in …
Cut your home owner complaints by placing this “Spot and Stain Card” after the cleaning!
Don’t you just hate those nasty call-backs and complaints after you are convinced you left the carpets looking great? (Especially when the customer wasn’t even there when you did the work! Grrrr …) Here is one great way to pro-actively solve this problem before it even starts …
Why (and how) to market to your commercial account’s employees
Use personalized carpet spotter bottles to attract new customers at people’s place of business.
The dangers of “carcass feeding” in your cleaning/restoration business
Chuck Violand shows that we can learn a lot from the efficiency found in a pride of lions roaming the African Serengeti. However, many times new accounts take much longer to bring down than a plump gazelle. So you should just maybe check out Chuck’s warning admonition …
Cut your stress with Red Tags!
Increase profits and efficiency (and lower your blood pressure!) when you avoid missing equipment on the job by insisting on “Red Tagging” the steering wheel!