I recently attended the 14th annual Building Science Summer Camp in Massachusetts; this was my 12th meeting.  Our hosts, Joe and Betsy (last name) bring together leaders in theirperspective fields to teach daily classes.  This year, appr... Read more...

I was having trouble getting a hotel reservation for a convention.  A block of rooms for four nights was available, but I needed five nights.  The hotel staff said they could not help me.  I made several calls to the convention mana... Read more...

How can you make it easier for potential customers to contact you?   ... Read more...

I just finished an article by Marshall Goldsmith who writes that most of us have been raised to believe we have inherent strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses are what we are not good at. Many believe we should ignore our weaknesses, disguise them or delegate to others. What many people consider weaknesses can actually be strengths they don’t want to use, are uncomfortable using or don’t see the value in using. This type of thinking would cause an executive to reject what are ac... Read more...

For a restoration company, your telephone is the lifeline to your clients. When the phone rings, quick and proper response is necessary. Your company’s telephone must be answered quickly by a live person, 24 hours per day, and seven days per week, 365 days per year, weekdays, weekends and holidays alike. The person answering the phone, whether in-house staff or an answering service, must be professional and efficiently obtain key information to determine if the call is an em... Read more...

I read an interesting article by Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Viton about Walt and Roy Disney. Who hasn’t heard of Disneyland or Disneyworld? When you think of the marvelous attractions at these giant theme parks, we automatically think of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, but we should be thinking of Roy Disney. Walt’s vision was Magic Kingdom but it was Roy who was made Walt’s dream come true. Roy was an operational genius and the “yin” to Walt’s “yang.�... Read more...

I went to two different restaurants. Restaurant One is located on the beach and has a great view of the water and people strolling on the boardwalk. The menu offers a variety of selections. The waiter was adequate but didn’t know all the menu items and was reminded twice to bring bread to the table. The quality of the food was very good and the pricing was fair. Restaurant Two is located ... Read more...

I was reading an article written by Management Consultant, Dan Coughlin and was very impressed with the following ideas: Recessions are good for innovation. A recession forces companies to operate on a tight budget and to be focused. Tight concentration generates more useful innovations that the “conceptual free-for-all” that companies use during good economic times. Find out what your focus areas should be by asking your customers. Dan suggested keeping the quest... Read more...

Answer the following questions with a yes or a no answer. Do your customers get what they expect? Do you establish a relationship with your customers? Do you make your customer’s need a priority versus your company need? Do you have company minimum standards in place? Do you and your sales people have a “can do” attitude? Do you arrive on time so customers are not waiting for you? Do you understand that the litt... Read more...

My wife gave me a leather jacket for Christmas but I had a problem with the zipper. I brought it back to the store and explained to the salesman that the jacket was a gift, worn only four times and the receipt was at home. I gave him some information so they could find the transaction in the computer. He asked me to wait a moment and went towards the back room. I mentally steeled myself for the store manager and an argument. I couldn’t have been more wrong. He returned, no manager i... Read more...

I just returned from the big Insights 2010 conference in Miami, Florida. While there, I made some interesting observations. People A: Some people come to these conferences armed with family, golf clubs and suntan lotion, ready for a vacation. They attend a meeting or two, go shopping, stroll through the trade show to grab at literature and give-away items and head to the bar for an early dinner because they have an early tee time. They head back home with stuff and s... Read more...

Communication is the exchange of information. In this day and age, there are more ways to exchange information with people without actually having a live conversation. Between, e-mailing, voice mailing, texting, twittering, IM-ing, chat-rooming, faxing, scanning, booking, spacing, pressing 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, the art of dialogue between people seems to be going by the wayside. Movement of information, confirmation of appointments and sending reports all have a place in our f... Read more...

Just like the gold prospectors of old, we business people are prospectors as well. We may not work with a pick and axe but we are all panning for gold, hoping that a nugget of gold will find itself in our hand. Prospecting is the life blood of any business. Stake your claim in your marketplace and use your tools (marketing, sales staff, services) to sift through your competitors to find your vein of gold. And remember, finding that rich vein is not easy – persevere and keep looking ... Read more...

15 years ago, Mr. Schwartz spoke on how to be a great salesperson. Here are some insights: Don’t limit yourself to pre-determined ideas – expand your horizons Negative thoughts will halt you in your tracks – keep a positive attitude and focus on your goals to keep you moving forward Habits will keep us where we were yesterday but not allow us to make a better tomorrow A closed mind is like a closed fist – it cannot give nor received ... Read more...

I attended the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) conference October 12-16, 2009, in St. Louis where I was lucky to hear John Mosher speak on “The Reality of Change.” I wanted to share some thoughts on his talk with you. I have to change to allow the “new” in but it is not easy to change I am the only one whom can change me Complacency cannot be allowed to linger You should be able to describe the vision that is driving a change in a f... Read more...

Almost 20 years ago, a very successful salesperson I know from Cleveland told me to never practice on my customers. Know your product and service information inside and out before the sales call Rehearse your sales speech and role play with another salesperson switching parts to understand your customer's perspective Anticipate questions and have the answers already formulated Have an organized presentation with a clear beginning and end ... Read more...