The Sharpest Tool™

Combine email marketing and video marketing by adding personalized videos to your sales process. In this episode, we introduce the Bonjoro method of gaining the trust of your customers. You'll learn how to: Convert leads Get more calls and estimates Showcase your customer service Retain and engage previous and current customers Visit our website to learn more about our home services marketing: http://www.Scorpion.co Learn about Bonjoro here: https://www.bonjoro.com/ #TheSharpestTool #Marketing #EmailMarketing #VideoMarketing #PersonalizedVideo

Learn how to gain trust and improve customer loyalty with email marketing. We talk about: -- Best email marketing strategies -- How to automate your email marketing -- Where content marketing and email marketing meet -- How to grow your home services business -- How to provide value and gain trust -- Setting goals for your marketing campaigns Visit our website to learn more about our home services marketing: http://www.Scorpion.co Learn about Ruby here: https://www.ruby.com/ #TheSharpestTool #Marketing #EmailMarketing #ContentMarketing

15-20 years ago having a social media presence wasn't a necessity. Today it is. But what does that look like exactly and how strong of a personality does one need to have in order to pull it off effectively? Listen as Holly Hoenshell-Nelson, Lead Content & Social Manager at Scorpion, Content Marketing Expert & Strategist, discusses her own experience about how to build the best social media presence you can. Join us as we discuss:  What staying consistent looks like  Where to focus your social media content strategy  How to switch into social media marathon thinking

Give something really good, but give it away.  There are a few things any successful marketer needs to do in order to get people to look your way: teach people, build trust, and make them an offer they can't refuse. According to Dan Bedell, EVP of Innovation at Scorpion, these are some of the best tools you can use today to take your social media marketing to the next level.  Join us as we discuss: YouTube integration into your existing social media Capturing the one thing more valuable than your customer's money - their attention How to stand out in a sea of content on social media

Connecting with your ideal audience can be as simple as creating engaging content for them.   That's exactly what Susan Kadilak and Paul Kadilak, Owners of Kadilak Homes and Hosts of Renovation Rekindle are doing.  The wife and husband duo have grown a dedicated pool of engaged customers and clients by simply making content their audience wants to see.  Join us as we discuss: Creating content that entertains and educates your audience  Making real content by being real Transforming your company and have fun doing it  Check out the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For those business owners looking to develop their own brand, the process can be broken down into 4 main factors: Company mission Benefits of product or service Customer opinion of your current business Qualities you want associated with your company  Join us on this introductory episode as we discuss why a great leader leads to better business results, the impact your business has on people, and a key takeaway for the audience. What we discussed: Developing your brand Your business impact Key takeaway for the audience  Find every episode of The Sharpest Tool on Apple, Spotify, and more. Find us on our website and join the conversation on LinkedIn. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Sharpest Tool in your favorite podcast player.

Al Levi is an author, business consultant, and president of The 7-Power Contractor®. In this episode, Al shares his best tips for retaining technicians and creating a career opportunity for your employees.  Building From Scratch Everyone oversells themselves in interviews. It is what we are taught to do from the moment we start applying for jobs. So when you are recruiting, it is essential that you are aware of this. Al says the best way to ensure that your new hires can do everything they alluded to, is to put them through hands-on tests. Some won't pass these tests or will be unsure of where to begin but you will have a clear idea of who is ready and willing to learn. >“With manuals and with training, I can fix the holes in the existing staff because I make it safe for them… [When training new hires] Whatever you don't know, is now my problem. We're going to go through it together and you're going to demonstrate that you can do it. Once you demonstrate it, then you're now responsible.” You will never find someone who knows everything on the first day, but it's up to you to understand their blindspots and teach them what they do need to know. Create a Safe Space Help your hires build a career not a job. Employees aren't overly concerned with the goals of the business unless it in some way helps them reach their goals. Show them that you are there to help them on their journey, and lay out an obvious talent pathway for them to follow. Your employees should not have to reach management positions to feel valued. Don't think about only the top of the pyramid when the bottom blocks are what holds the pyramid up. Al emphasizes that your entire team should have clear answers to these questions: 1. Where am I today?2. Where can I go with the business tomorrow?3. Who truly is my boss and can I rely on them?4. If I need help, who can I go to? If they're feeling uncertain about anything listed above then it is up to you, as the leader, to secure their confidence again. Help them see the potential and become excited about the journey. Continue to support their development by providing team building exercises and opportunities for growth. While hiring the right employees can help you delegate and work less in the field, it's important to maintain a certain level of presence to spot any areas that are lacking. Al is a strong proponent of doing consistent ride alongs so you can spot problems immediately. He also recommends setting up mystery shoppers. This holds everyone accountable to good business ethics. >"You have to help people stay right. We're not looking to try and find you doing something wrong. We're looking to capture you doing something right and make a big deal about it. Because if you do something wrong and it ends up in one of these sting operations, we all go down." Pay Raises, Salaries and Bonuses Giving your hardworking employees a bonus or raise can decrease turnover and boost staff morale. Al recommends implementing these monetary rewards because they incentivize your employees to go above and beyond, which ultimately benefits your business. For more information on Al's business and services, visit 7-Power Contractor.

Al Levi is an author, business consultant, and president of The 7-Power Contractor®. He shares how to find, hire and train the best technicians available for your company.  Hire Willing People Instead of hiring people for their experience, Al's philosophy on hiring is to find willing people and provide them with the right skills. That way, you are helping people build a career instead of just offering a job.  This strategy helps you identify hires that truly want to join your team and are excited about their future with your company. >“The power of getting willing people to work for you and helping them build a career is life changing not just for your customers, not just for your company, not just for your staff but it's actually life changing for you. I've experienced that myself, so I know that it's true.” Train your employees to fit your company's needs and they will be better at filling that open position than any “magical hire” or experienced veteran. Always Be Training Employee training is critical to long-term success. To implement an effective training program, you want to make sure it equips employees with the proper communication skills (with both customers and team members), as well as the technical skills they need to progress. Keep the training clear and objective. This will allow you to see where your new apprentices are thriving and what makes them tick. Creating an excellent employee training program is the first step, the next is setting yourself apart from the competition.  Al highlights two things you need to do to own your market and be the best choice out of local contractors: Make more techs.Make more calls. >“You've got to make more techs that can be in more trucks that are great at communication which leads to more sales. Neat and clean operationally. Their trucks are neat and clean, they're neat and clean, their jobs are neat and clean. They can do the right job and make it work with a minimal amount of callbacks running back to it.” Your training can be the greatest in the world but if you're not a good teacher, your training is worthless. If you take your training and teaching seriously, you can create a career not a job and you will have people lining up for a spot in your company. Make the Investment Al is also passionate about creating a space for your apprentices to practice. Creating a training center where your apprentices can practice the trade instead of practicing on your paying customers is a valuable way to build experience without jeopardizing business.  If you don't have the finances to support the building of a training center, reach out to family, friends and local organizations that may have something to offer your team in terms of material or equipment. >“[Creating a training centre] is an investment. It's time, energy and money. Money is not the biggest problem, and even time you can find people to leverage. Most of the training centers I have worked at were built by volunteer labor… The trick is committing the energy to it.” Putting the right training in place will be a win for your team, for your customers and for your company. For more information on Al's business and services, visit 7-Power Contractor.

Al Levi  is an author, business consultant, and president of The 7-Power Contractor®. Today, he shares how to implement clear systems and train the right people so that your home services business can run with less stress and more success.  Learn From Your Mistakes No one is immune to making mistakes – we are all human, after all! But if we simply acknowledge the problem and carry on as before, we're in danger of repeating the same errors.  Al says it is essential to learn from your mistakes and consciously think about how to do better in the future. >“I'm not brilliant. I fell in every single hole as a business person, climbed out of the hole, dusted myself off. And the only one thing I will give myself credit for is, I said ‘That really hurt, let's not fall back in that same hole.' But you know, having been a consultant now for 19 years, I've watched others do what I did for so long, which is just continually fall back in the same hole... To solve today's problem with no thought about tomorrow. And that's what really robs your progress and kills your growth.” Learning from your mistakes is one thing. Putting what you've learned into practice is another. Look ahead and change your ways. Or else, you may never reach your goals. Run Your Business Systematically Al learned the hard way how lacking formal systems and documented processes can lead to a lack of progress. He shares how important it is to have everyone in your business on the same page, following clear, established processes.  He lays out seven simple business powers that hundreds of owners have applied to run their businesses successfully: PlanningOperatingStaffingSalesSales CoachingMarketingFinancial >“Until you have systems, you can't leverage. Until you bring people in that are trained right, you can't leverage.” Staffing Power When it comes to staffing, Al encourages business owners to flip the script.  Instead of finding skilled people and retraining them, find willing people and teach them skills. When you train service techs the way you want them to be trained, you have less rewiring to do later. >“Let's start building techs from scratch, from young, willing apprentices, and move them up the ladder. And let's build them our way, instead of trying to rewire these guys, trying to steal them.” By putting time and work into finding the right people, you will improve your chances of hiring the best performers and avoid costly, painful mistakes. To increase employee satisfaction and strengthen your staffing system, Al recommends implementing these five staffing actions:  Always be recruiting.Always be hiring.Always be orienting.Always be training.Always be retaining.  When you build a company of willing people equipped with strong training and clear systems, you will achieve success. For more information on his business and services, visit 7-Power Contractor.

John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Plumbing & Heating, shares his best practices for aggressively scaling a company through marketing, acquisitions and personal growth.  Overcoming Plateaus In Business Don't fear the dreaded business plateau. As an entrepreneur, seeing your business grow and reach milestones is incredibly exciting. Everything looks like you're on the right track until you hit a plateau. The first plateau that many businesses hit is at a million to a million and a half dollars in sales, says John. This often happens because the owner is not prepared to hire an operations manager to take care of what is happening in the field. Instead, they spread themselves too thin trying to do it all. You have to hire help in order to grow. You cannot do everything by yourself. Play To Your Strengths Know what you are good at and stick to that. John explains that although he knew he was better on the business side of things rather than being in the field, this isn't the case for everyone.  >“If you're not good at the business side or you don't want to do it, then you probably shouldn't and you should hire someone else to do it. Or just stay super small and that's okay too… You don't need to get big.” Understanding your strengths and your weaknesses is half the battle. Leveraging Social Media One of the biggest barriers to talent is whether the individual wants to work for your company. John says one way to avoid this is to have people apply to work for you through other mediums. For example, social media and/or podcasts are helpful platforms that can help potential employees understand: Who you areWho your company isWhat your values are Showcase what you do on your platforms and put your ideas forward. John has found success building future customer and employee relationships on social media by providing value. He shares his own experiences and failures on Twitter and then interacts with people whenever they ask questions. >“Audience is king… even with just a few thousand people, you can make an impact, in your business or wherever your goals are. That would be consistently driving traffic towards it (social media), posting on it frequently and making somebody own it so that way you are driving towards the results you want.” Enhancing Your Team A solid onboarding process is a major component of employee engagement and retention. It impacts the productivity and success of your new hires. Focusing on developing a strong connection is vital for earning their loyalty and commitment to your home services business. Creating a hiring process is one of the most important tactics John's team has implemented. >“Every company needs the same two people. You have the visionary and you have the integrator… you need someone to figure out the vision and someone to run the company. So figuring out which one you're best at is important and then hiring your exact opposite who plays the opposite role is important.” For more information on John's business and services, visit Wilson Plumbing & Heating.

John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Plumbing & Heating, shares the importance of understanding your strengths and taking calculated risks. He also highlights the marketing strategy that has helped him scale his family business. Recognize Potential One opportunity can change your life dramatically. John was unsure about getting into the family business when the idea first surfaced. As the grandson of the founders of the company, he had his mind set on founding his own business in a different industry. However, he saw a chance for growth and expansion in the business and decided it was the right time to buy in — a decision he's grateful for today. In order to help the business grow, John shares that he and his team implemented these upgrades: Updated website for user experience and improved accessibility to service offers and testimonials.Moved from paper-based filings to computer based filings.Switched to a flat-rate model. Improved marketing efforts.  Recognizing the potential in the family business and optimizing the strategies already in place helped John scale the business by 5 times since he first bought in. Understand Your Strengths (And Your Weaknesses) John says he has a good understanding of who he is and what he isn't good at. This allows him to delegate to the right team members. “Over the past four years it's really been about getting me only doing what I am good at and getting rid of everything that I am not good at. People seem to make that harder than it is but it's really not. One, I am not good at operating a company and two, I don't like doing it. That said, there are plenty of people out there who would love nothing more than to do all of the things that I don't like doing.” Take Calculated Risks John has learned firsthand how investing in the right areas of your business instead of just slashing budgets pays off. “When there is blood in the streets, you go. That's the rule. What's the real damage? What is actually going to happen? The stock market is not going to go to zero. That's not going to happen. If it does, then I have bigger problems than the money I just lost.” He believes that businesses operate far too much on fear and this will not lead to growth. You have to make investments and take risks. This mindset allowed John to triple their business during one of the toughest market years in history. Buy Businesses Strategically When looking to buy or sell a company, there are several factors to keep in mind. John has engaged in many conversations around buying other businesses and shares how he identifies a company worth pursuing: The company understands their true value and they don't believe they are worth more (or less) than they are.They keep clean financial records.There is a clear upside to purchasing.The seller is understanding and communicates well.The business is reasonably priced. If a business checks all of these boxes, it may be worth investing your time and money. Market Effectively Take a balanced approach to your marketing efforts, says John. Don't only invest in digital, and on the flip side, avoid investing only in the traditional.  “The traditional media has gotten severely underpriced because everyone has gone digital, so for the moment, traditional media is bargain basement. So we have been investing a lot more money into that because other people aren't looking at it.” When it comes to marketing, focus on who you want to target and keep your options open.  For more information on his business and services, visit Wilson Plumbing & Heating.

Tatiana Schafer, Strategic Partnerships Manager for Google, and Vanessa Villa, LSA Manager for Scorpion, discuss advances in the Google Local Services Ads and how they can drive growth for home services businesses.  The Onboarding Process Embracing a new approach to driving leads in your business can be intimidating. But if you're willing to invest the time and attention to detail it requires, the results are well worth it. Tatiana explains that in order to take advantage of Local Services Ads (LSAs), businesses must pass Google screening and qualification processes for their business. The screening process is free for businesses that want to participate and it varies by category. This process may include reviews of licenses, insurance, employee background checks, and advanced verification. The onboarding process is 2-4 weeks minimum, but this is mostly due to rigorous background checks. “Businesses that advertise directly with Google will undergo background checks with a third party that Google has vetted themselves, to make sure they're legitimate… The background check involves identity and criminal history checks… and then the company goes through a background check and that process includes civil litigation history.” - Tatiana If you're feeling unsure, Vanessa encourages business owners to contact their local background check companies with any questions. How LSA Bidding Works In November 2020, Google began offering bidding on LSAs for home services companies and law firms nationwide. Tatiana says this gives businesses more leverage in their marketing efforts. The higher you bid, the higher your chances are of having your ads viewed by more customers. Google offers two types of bidding.  Maximize leads: this gives Google the ability to choose your bid based on the competition in the market.Set max per lead: this allows business owners to set the amount of money that they're willing to spend on a lead. “Scorpion also has some more customizable sort of approaches to LSAs for our clients to take it to the next level. If a business wants to maximize the performance and the ROI of their LSAs, Scorpion's bidding strategy and marketing technology can make that happen for them. Our system automatically bills and employs a strategy that maximizes your budget on the platform bringing those business owners into a new kind of intelligent growth for their business.” - Vanessa Vanessa and Tatiana highlight how Google LSAs utilize technology that allows you to create a picture of what your ideal customer looks like. You will be able to see how they move on and offline and where they hang out. This will help you understand where to invest your marketing budget so that you can get your product in front of your customers and build connections.  Improve Lead Generation LSAs also simplify the booking process. This minimizes lead drop off and increases engagement with your customers. However, in order for this to be effective, you must have the Google Guarantee badge, says Tatiana.  “Radius. Reviews. Responsiveness. Add in all of the relevant zip codes you serve, ask for reviews on every job that you do and answer as many calls or requests as you can. Add all of the relevant job types and verticals so that you're showing up in the ways that matter to you. Highlight your differentiators… Upload photos of your team… Base your budget on the amount of new calls that you want to receive and always stay in the know and try new features.” Implement Tatiana's advice, and see how LSAs can help your home services business grow.

Tatiana Schafer, Strategic Partnerships Manager for Google, and Vanessa Villa, LSA Manager for Scorpion, discuss how Google Partners and home services businesses can work together to achieve results.  How Google Partners Can Help Your Business Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to understanding how your marketing is helping or hindering your home services business. And while there are lots of tools available online for learning the how and why behind the numbers, time is a precious commodity. Working with a Google Partner can help you maximize your time and most importantly, your marketing. Google Partners are leading companies recognized for having advanced Google Ad skills and the expertise to optimize campaigns.  “It's great to have a partnership that helps us ensure that everyone is working together diligently and helping businesses grow with those trends and changes.” - Vanessa  New Requirements Help You Choose the Right Partners Tatiana explains that new requirements for Google Partners are being put in place to help small businesses choose the ideal partner for their unique needs.  Come February 2022, Google will be selecting the top 3% of partners to receive the new Premier Partner badge. There will be a constant evaluation moving forward to ensure the partners are meeting these set expectations. “One thing about Google, and technology overall, is that change is the only constant we have.” - Tatiana Build Trust With Local Services Ads Working with a Google Partner can help your business build trust online through Local Services Ads (LSAs). Tatiana summarizes how search has evolved from organic search to paid search, and how LSAs fit into today's marketing landscape. “LSAs make it easy for you as a local provider to connect with people who search on Google for the services that you offer. It is a lead generation-based product charged on cost per lead (CPL for short). You can advertise your services, get leads in the area that you choose, all while tracking performance and staying in control.” - Tatiana It's important to consider that LSAs are not a replacement for your Google Ads, but rather a complimentary product that works synergistically with your pay-per-click (PPC) strategy. Working with a Google Partner to understand these nuances can be key for helping your business secure the right leads.  LSAs and home services businesses are a match made in heaven. LSAs attract local leads, show up above regular Google search results, and only require you to pay for the results you get (since pricing is cost per lead). To optimize your LSA performance, Tatiana recommends focusing on these factors: Your verification status and whether you obtained a Google badge of trust.Your review score and the reviews that you currently have.Your responsiveness to customer inquiries online.Your business hours and information. For more information on LSAs, listen to Part 2.

Skylar Lewis is the CEO of Superior Restoration and Rise Up Kings. After overcoming the inconsistencies in his own life, Skylar shares what he has learned: caring for your employees and investing in personal growth will bring you fulfillment. Rising Up After noticing a lot of male entrepreneurs and business owners playing below their potential, Skylar saw an opportunity to help them show up for themselves and get more consistent with their routines. Through Rise Up Kings' three-day event, he helps men (specifically men who are married with children) expose the areas that are preventing them from getting to the next level. Skylar shares that there are four pillars that every man needs to focus on to become balanced in their life: 1. Faith2. Family3. Fitness4. Finance When you have a better grasp on these four pillars, you will grow in your business and personal life. “Life happens, but we don't realize that all those crazy things throw up walls, and they create insecurities and they prevent us from creating million dollar businesses.” Care for Your People Put your employees' needs first. Skylar explains that in order to achieve his desired level of freedom within his business, he had to dig deep and reassess personal areas where growth was necessary. One of those was to care more about his employees. If you care more about your employees than you do your income, it allows you to operate better as a leader. “People can tell if you actually care about them or if you don't. They will read you and even if they know in the back of their mind that you don't really care, they'll still follow you. But you build such a stronger tribe, and loyalty, and a team of committed people if you actually, at your core, do care about your people.” Self-Reflection Leads to Growth Don't blame others for your business failures. Although it is easy to fault others for things not going right, Skylar encourages you to look at yourself first. Realization is generally the first step to overcoming these issues. Focus on what you have control over and where you have potential deficiencies. That is where the real change starts to happen - in your sphere of influence. Evaluate your inconsistencies. Inconsistent behavior is a silent killer in the workplace that can lead to confusion, distrust, and error. Furthermore, you may not realize how damaging your unintentional inconsistencies may be. When you're not showing up for your employees the way they need, there is room left for uncertainty. This can lead to a lack of direction. “First, get clear on what you want. That's the most important thing. Most people don't know. They may be like ‘I want to grow but I don't know how.' Just get clear on what you want and who you want to be.”  Start a to-do list. Hire a coach. Take a risk. You're the only one blocking yourself from success.  For more information on his business and services, visit Rise Up Kings. .

Skylar Lewis is the CEO of Superior Restoration and Rise Up Kings. Scaling a business from start-up to $10 million himself, Skylar shares how to hire the right people for growth, culture and stability. Hiring For Growth Hiring the right people is crucial for the success of your business. After starting his company over 10 years ago, Skylar learned quickly that in order to leverage his company, he would have to hire people to do the work he was currently doing. Have a formal hiring process in place when looking for new staff. By putting time and work into finding the right people, you will improve your chance of hiring the best performers and avoiding costly mistakes. Despite having a good initial gut instinct about someone, Skylar says it is important to have a multi-step process in place before making any solid recruitment decisions. In his company's unique process, potential candidates are assessed according to these standards:  Skills. Do they have the skills that are required to be able to do the job and do it well?Core Values. Does the candidate show that they can embody the company's core values?Reliability. Are they going to be consistently a high performer in their role? Make sure you document each step of the process and have solid, objective, evidenced-based reasons for deciding to hire someone or not. “The whole goal is to get it out of your head and make it a duplicatable process. Simplify the process, make it duplicatable. So, what I started doing is writing down specific questions that would give me the answer as to whether the candidate is a good fit.” Creating An Employee-Driven Company Skylar emphasizes that it's important to hire people with an ownership mentality. An inability to perceive and admit mistakes is not at all a strength, but a weakness – and in a business, it's dangerous. If you hire people with an ownership and leadership mentality, your company will be able to run itself, says Skylar, because each employee has something that they are solely responsible for. Trust Your Instincts Time is of the essence when you first start your business. Everyday that you aren't propelling forward can be an opportunity for your competition to get stronger. This often leaves entrepreneurs feeling pressured to make fast decisions, or decisions they aren't confident about. The downside to moving fast is that you make a lot of mistakes. You may hire the wrong people, trust employees with too much or make bad business decisions. Look at this as an opportunity to learn from those mistakes quickly and then move on. “We know when we trust somebody and when we don't. You can tell when you're looking at somebody… there is something there. You have to dig into that, instead of just ignoring it, because it will cost you a lot of money down the road.” Training “A” Players Creating consistency within an organization is difficult but training helps reduce disparities. Training should help employees understand: Their individual goals and the company's goalsTheir role and responsibilities on the team. Skylar says the best way to ensure all employees have effective training is consistency.  “So we first teach them, we show them, we let them do it and then we let them do it on their own. There is a process to properly train people. People skip essential steps… but those steps are critical. You have to tell them how, show them, let them do it while you're watching and then let them do it on their own and then follow up.” Through following these steps and creating long-term training systems, you will be on your way to creating an amazing team with strong ownership.  For more information on his business and services, visit Superior Restoration

Allan Draper is the CEO and Co-Founder of proof. Pest Control. Scaling his own business from an idea to a thriving enterprise, Allan shares what it takes to see significant growth using visualization and goal-setting. Take Time To Learn Reading is one of the best forms of self-education for adults and should always be made a priority. Allan attributes part of his success in business to his dedication to reading business books from a young age. When you take the time to learn, you're opening up the possibility to expand your world view of what you can actually achieve. “As I started to read, I started to realize what was possible. It was weird because I don't have any direct mentors per se, there were a couple of people who have helped but reading is what really allowed me to see what was possible. I always say my best mentors are the authors of books and people I have never met before.” Take one thing that you have learned from a recent book and apply it to your life today. Use the knowledge that you receive from reading (or a mentor) and put it to use. Allan emphasizes that knowledge is power. Visualize Your Goals Having a vision ensures you have a clear sense of purpose and a mental picture of the future you desire. It is a practical guide for planning, goal-setting, and decision making. Allan believes that creating a trajectory for your company has more to do with finding your “why” than it does projecting your numbers. “So there are the SMART Goals. It has to be specific, measurable and attainable and all of those things, but I think it has to be consistent with the company… The goals that you set are just a reflection of the company. Creating goals, it gives you a little bit of a road map.” Visualize what you want, make sure your team is on the same page and keep track of your progress. Find Your Why Entrepreneurship is about so much more than simply starting a business. Find your purpose and acknowledge what makes you do what you do. The more successful you are the less money means, Allan says. Find what pushes you to keep going once you reach your goals. “People ask me what my definition of success is and I always say it's being able to control your time in a way that you see fit. You can do whatever you want… But when you visualize that before you have it, not only does it help put things in context but it gives you this motivation.” For more information on Allan's business and services, visit proof. Pest Control.

Allan Draper is the CEO and Co-Founder of proof. Pest Control. Growing up in a small farming town, Allan knows the importance of community and persistence. He shares how to scale a business from an idea to a thriving eight-figure enterprise.  Embrace Learning New Things Think outside the box. If you embrace data from other industries and focus on constantly learning new things, you increase the opportunity for unique insights and potentially new services. You will learn how to be more analytical and your thought process will change. “I think when you expand your horizons, as people say, and you learn new things, you acquire an ability to be able to solve problems. Business owners, I look at it as two things, they create something and they solve problems, and usually those two things go hand-in-hand.” Prepare For Growth Plan for the possibility of scaling your home services business from the beginning. Allan states that his company was prepared for growth from the moment they opened their doors. As Allan himself was not on the ground working as a technician, he was able to hire the right people for the right positions. This ensured that the foundations of the company were working and stable. Look at the goals of your business. If you are searching for a way to grow, be willing to put in the work required to do so. “You get to a crossroads where you are like “Am I doing this, or am I not?” because growing a company is very painful in many ways… To get to a point where you want to really scale a company, you have to get comfortable with those growing pains and embrace the unknown.” Build The Right Foundations When bringing on new talent, using hiring strategies might help make it more efficient. For example, Allan explains that for his company, it is more important to hire a person for their personality than their skillset. If you have the right processes in place, your team will be able to train your new hire to do the job. “That first 30, 60, 90 days is really important. And you can get people that initially weren't there for the right reason, but you can coach them and train them and help them, if you don't give up on them too early.” For more information on Allan's business and services, visit  proof. Pest Control.

Patrick Lange is an experienced HVAC business broker heading up The Business Modification Group. Coming from a unique background in financial planning and owning an HVAC business himself, Patrick shares why you shouldn't fear focusing on one area of expertise as well as how to sell or acquire a new business.  Don't Fear Niching Down Customers want expertise. They want to know the broker knows about their needs and knows about serving them. Many business owners in the broker world fear losing out on opportunities if they create a more specific selling point. However, niching down gives you the ability to make more money, become more valuable, and enjoy your work more. “The biggest thing is educating yourself because you know the more value you deliver to the customer, and that's whether you own a heating and air company or a plumbing company or an electrical company or you're selling them… the more people seek you out.” The more you learn about your specific niche, the more information you will then be able to provide your client with. Immerse yourself in whatever area of expertise you are wanting to go in. Patrick says that success leaves clues—find those people and listen as much as you can. Successfully Selling Your Business Laying the groundwork for a successful transition when selling your business can help you receive the full value that your company is worth, without any hiccups. Selling requires careful planning.  Patrick says that by following these four simple steps, you will remain on the offensive: 1. Keep clean books and records. Stop treating your business like your personal bank account. Pay your taxes, receive the correct income and you will benefit later down the track. “The least amount of personal expenses you have in there [books], the better off you're going to be.” 2. Take yourself out of the truck. Don't be the only person doing the hard work and “turning the wrenches.” People do not want to purchase that kind of business and your exit strategy will be far more complicated. 3. Focus on service. Service should be placed above new construction. Buyers are fearful of new construction. The more service you focus on, the better your business is going to be. 4. Deepen those customer relationships. Get into customer homes more often, deliver a better maintenance agreement and this will lead to long-term profitability. How To Find a Suitable Business To Purchase If you have a problem in your business, having more leads come in is not going to fix your issues. Patrick's advice for anyone searching for a business to acquire is to first look at what is happening within your own company. Once you have the right systems in place in your own company then you are better prepared to purchase someone else's. “Don't buy anything until your ducks are in a row in your own business. Many people think, and I'm sure you see it on the marketing side, they've got all these other problems, and they think that if we have more leads coming in that will fix the problems. That's not the fix… Make sure your house is in order first, and that you've got systems in place in your own business before you go taking on somebody else's. That's the first step.” Determine how and where you want to grow. Look at the location of the companies you are thinking about purchasing and decide whether these fit within your expansion. Patrick also explains the importance of checking in on the size and affordability of the business you are considering. Understand what your business and clients need and go from there.  For more information on his business and services, visit Business Modification Group.

Patrick Lange is an experienced HVAC business broker heading up The Business Modification Group. Coming from a unique background in financial planning and owning an HVAC business himself, Patrick shares how to run a successful services business, so that when it comes time to sell it, people are lining up to purchase.  Selling Versus Running A Business If you don't enjoy your work, make a change. Find a career that you can take pleasure in, like selling products that you are knowledgeable and passionate about. Patrick shares that although he started out in the finance industry, he knew it was not the space for him. He decided to pivot, pursuing a career as an HVAC business broker instead. Patrick emphasizes that success leaves clues. Finding your way in a new career path is not always easy. His advice is to:  Try new things.Learn from successful business owners.Improve on what you learn. “I get to steal a lot of ideas from successful companies that I see every day. I love successful businesses. So, for me it's kind of neat to kind of peel back the layers and see what works… seeing what's successful and what's not successful and there is a fine line that separates the two, that's extremely exciting to me.” Making A Business Sellable Buyers love simplicity and ease. When selling a business, it is important that you have clean records and great relationships with your clients. Patrick says these are the first things that buyers look for when considering a purchase. “Separation of service, clean books and records, repetitive income and a business built on service. Those four things if they build their heating and air company, and plumbing company and electrical company that way, they'll be able to cash a bigger check.” Be aware of what the general rate for a business of your size is going for and try not to oversell or undersell yourself. People will not always be truthful with what they can truly afford, so you have to have to make a judgement call and understand how to communicate your desires. Becoming A Buyer Great customer service is an essential quality you should look for when buying a business. Patrick knows a lot about what is needed when acquiring a new company. Aside from assessing the right pricing and the paperwork, you have to ensure you have a good understanding of how the business was run previously. If the company you are considering purchasing has a bad reputation for inconsistency or bad customer service, those issues will now fall on you. The Opportunities Of The Trade You can be incredibly successful in the trades. These jobs are always going to be needed, and Patrick believes this industry will continue to grow. “I can tell you I know more people in the heating and air business that make more money than the people I knew in the financial planning business... It's not all about income and I am not trying to make it like it is, but the opportunities that the trades offer that I didn't realize existed, I get to see that on a daily basis and that's incredible to me.” For more information on Patrick's business and services, visit Business Modification Group.

Idan Shpizear is a speaker, thought leader and the founder of 911 Restoration Franchise. He shares how to find alignment within yourself in order to grow your business and why this will help you care for your customers. Define Your Purpose Businesses that define their purpose and values are better positioned for long-term success in an ever-changing climate. Idan believes that in order to align your business and your vision, you must first ensure you have found alignment within yourself. “As a leader if your vision is not really connected to who you are… I think we need to embody our vision… First of all, you need to spend time with yourself and really connect with where you want to be, who you want to become, and why it's important to you.” Once you become clear on your mission, bring your team in and ask them for their thoughts and opinions. Idan shares that your vision should have a life of itself. Make sure everyone on your team feels as passionately about it as you do, because you want your organization to work as a whole - not as a bunch of individuals. A Fresh Start Attitude 911 Restoration and its team are dedicated to living a ‘fresh start' attitude. Idan describes this mindset as being the positive in every negative situation as well as providing support for every member of the team. You are there to be of service to your client. Once you adopt this mentality everything else will fall into place. “We're going back to empowering every person in the company and we know that once you're empowered, everybody around you will kind of get that sense, get that feeling as well. So, it's really, are you fit for service? When you go out there to work with somebody who is going through a disaster - water damage or fire - are you really present to be there for them and support them?”  You want to be the calm in your client's traumatic storm. When you are worried about how your team members are, how your business is running or anything else that is happening in the background, you are not giving your client your full attention. You are adding to the chaos they are already experiencing. Be The Person Who Listens Most people want to be heard and listened to. If you are actively listening to your clients and helping them through their tough times, you will gain their trust. Plus, when you really listen, Idan says, you don't need to sell anything because people will tell you exactly what they want. Personal Development in Business It is not about what you want to have in life, it is about who you want to become. You will find a greater sense of fulfillment from the level of contributions you make to your work, your family and your community. Find alignment with who you want to be and success will follow. “When you put a light on a limited belief, it dissolves, it gets transformed. Suddenly I am seeing I am not working hard but I am making more money. I am putting meaningful relationships and adding value at the core of what I do. So it's not about how much money can I make, it's about can I build a meaningful business with that person. Can you really be aligned on the business and mission… Once my focus was on that, the growth was unbelievable. So when you chase something, you're just really pushing it further away from you.” Idan closes with the advice to start nurturing yourself, learn new information, and do things that bring you closer to who you want to become. Idan's LinkedIn911 Restoration Franchise

Idan Shpizear is a speaker, thought leader and the founder of 911 Restoration Franchise. He shares how to generate consistent leads and build a culture where everyone - team and clients included - feels supported.  Small Business to Leading Franchise Originally from Israel, Idan moved to the USA after leaving the military in search of lucrative business opportunities. Through perseverance and great business sense, he has flourished as an entrepreneur and found his footing among some of the top business leaders. Idan says the customer experience is what drives him to work harder. Once Idan discovered the restoration world (including water, mold and fire) and he saw how elated his customers were to have their property back, he realized that was the type of business he wanted to be in. He is now the founder and CEO of 911 Restorations, which is ranked among the top restoration franchises in the nation by Entrepreneur. Striving for Success Through Digital Marketing Idan attributes much of his company's initial growth to digital marketing. After hearing about Google and online marketing, Idan was ready to put in the time required to learn everything he could about scaling his business and reaching more people through Google AdWords. “We grew our business from $250,000 a year to $3 million a year in about two years. So this was our first crazy growth experience… that growth was one thousand percent from digital advertising.” Nurture Your Customers and Your Team Idan believes you must put your customers first. Every customer you are helping in restoration is going through an emotional journey, and you must be there to support them through that. If you are able to provide fair and excellent service to your clients, they will refer you to more people and help you grow your business.  “We're very conscious of the emotional journey of the client, right. So if you work with the manager of a building we didn't think about what we need, we always thought about how we can help do better. How can I help him get to where he wants to get. And what we saw was that the more we can help more people, everything just comes back to you. So that was always in the back of our mind. The idea of us as a company, we want to build a culture where we are really nurturing our team, our franchises and our clients and really helping them go through this journey. That's at the core of everything we do.” Generating Consistent Leads 911 Restoration continues to grow steadily, accepting new clients every day. In order to achieve this level of growth, Idan shares the three areas that his company has always focused on: Online lead generation: Be available whenever a customer needs you.Work your local market: Get out in the field and build relationships.Create an account with a national list: If you work with a retailer that has many stores across the USA, you want to try and get on their list. Personal Development Drives Company Development Idan firmly believes personal development holds an important role in business success. Idan explains that every one of his team members is responsible for their development but is there to support their colleagues as well. A company only thrives when its employees do. “When you get everyone aligned, when everyone knows your expectations, everybody knows what they need to do and what success looks like. That way you celebrate as a team. You know when you guys are winning.” He prioritizes people before profit. When you are clear about what is important, it is a lot easier to make decisions and you will have a far more obvious direction for the business.  Idan's LinkedIn911 Restoration Franchise

Marika Carter is the Director of Internet Marketing at Scorpion. She shares her wealth of 20 years marketing experience to help home services business owners create strong online reputations. Why Your Online Reputation Matters Your online reputation really matters, especially for home services businesses. Remember, your marketing funnel begins with the consumer looking in many different places for someone to fix their problem. So you want to make sure that you give a good first impression and show up where they are looking. Marika highlights that according to the current data, the consumer typically has five touchpoints with your business before they take action. These touchpoints should be searchable, educational, and valuable.  Apps home services businesses should consider creating a profile on (in addition to Google, service ads, and paper ads): NextdoorHomeAdvisorAngie's ListYelp Porch The final touch? Make sure your information is consistent across all platforms. Consumers Have Options In today's market, consumers have a lot of options and places they can search for information.  “Some studies show that the online reviews are basically 90% of what matters in somebody making a decision. So, in the past, somebody used to just call their neighbor or friends, family, whoever to recommend someone. But now, if you don't have a good set of reviews, and it's okay to have some not so good reviews too, but you have to show that you're interacting with your client, so that online reputation really matters much more so than before.”  Marika's advice is to treat your Google My Business page as a little microsite. If your website is your house entryway, then consider Google My Business your front porch. Populate it with: PhotosCouponsWebsiteHoursPhone Local service ads are also a helpful tool for promoting your business, and it is critical that your team on the other end of that phone number is responsive. You have to pick up the phone. With the high level of competition and low loyalty today, consumers will move right along to a competitor if you don't answer immediately. Responding to Reviews Marika acknowledges that being a business owner and trying to keep track of all of your responsibilities and respond to reviews can be overwhelming. She recommends thinking of your online reputation like building your credit history. Do what you can to improve it and monitor it closely.  Responding to both good and bad reviews as soon as you see them is important. What other people want to see is that you are willing to make things right and resolve any issues that the poster addresses. Be charitable, consistent, and follow up. If you need support, Marika recommends taking action: Choose someone in-house to help you manage your online reputation.Find a trusted, expert partner outside your company to help you.  Marika's Tip for Capturing Reviews “I think people are happy to leave reviews but it has to be in that moment. So, the best way to handle it is to have the technician ask for a review before they leave the house and then follow up from there. But you have a very, very short window to even get that review and you have to ask for it. Some companies, they do friendly competition between the technicians, a little incentive program there to motivate the technicians to get more.”

Chad Peterman is the president at Peterman Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. He shares how his company is developing a unique process to allow their technicians to grow and thrive in their workspace. Elevating Individuals to Elevate the Industry Chad knows the importance of putting in the time required to elevate the trades industry as a whole. Building a company made up of over 180 employees does not happen if you do not have a solid process and vision in place for developing your people. Through Peterman Top Tech Academy, Chad's team brings in people who have no background in the trades and gives them the opportunity to learn from Peterman HVAC technicians. After a three-and-a-half-month period of spending three days in the classroom and two days on the field, the students are ready to start their careers in an entirely new industry. Finding and Hiring Great Techs In an environment where good techs are difficult to come by, Chad believes it is important to open up the opportunity to all individuals and then narrow the applicants down from there. “Hungry, humble, smart. We took those three qualities and basically created a rubric for which we would grade people.” Knowing the applicants they were taking in did not have a technical background, provided them with the advantage of being in the driver's seat. Instead of feeling rushed to hire someone new simply to fill a spot, they were able to assess individuals for who they are and decide if they would be a good fit for the team. They narrowed 600 applicants down to 30-40 through their rigorous process, but ended up with students who were willing to learn the skills without any preconceived ideas. “I would say the non-negotiables were really the values for us. We kind of went into this process saying we are going to be very, very stringent on, ‘you need to answer these questions and really show us that your values align with the company.' And that is really what we were looking for.” Always Be Serving Others Chad shares that as his team has made it through this year, they have uncovered where their training program will continue to help them, moving forward. As you continue to grow, your rate of customer acquisition and membership acquisition will naturally begin to pick up velocity. The more technicians you have on the field, the more memberships you will acquire. “When you add more people, you can run more calls which equates to more opportunity. What we have found is if we were sitting in this exact same spot and we didn't have the school in the works, we would be in a very peculiar place because I don't know that we could hire enough people to satisfy the demand.” Through the school, they are able to bring more people in and impact more lives. Allowing people who would normally not have a chance to work in the trades the opportunity to thrive is something Chad is most proud of. Chad encourages all home services owners to stay focused on serving others. Through this process, you will see exponential results and find authentic success.  Resources:  Peterman Top Tech Academy The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni

Chad Peterman is the president at Peterman Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. He shares how to build leaders by setting the foundation for culture and providing a roadmap for people who want to advance or take on a leadership role. Be A Trailblazer Chad has always been a visionary. He explains that you can't be afraid of taking risks and using your imagination. You must be willing to learn new things and be open to new technology or ideas that may help your company along the way. Don't be afraid to take someone's idea and put your own spin on it! “Rather than think up ten reasons why it can't be done, say well they're doing it, we just really have to dive in to figure out how they're doing it or put our own spin on it to make it successful.”  Attracting Great People To A Great Company Finding applicants for your company can be tough, and ensuring you are attracting the right people for your team can be even tougher. Chad recognized that most people are not regularly introduced to the trades as a viable career option. So his company decided to create a place where they could attract people, introduce them to the trades, and provide them with opportunities for success. “Maybe it's not that there aren't a lot of good people, maybe it is more so that they don't want to work for my company. And so we kind of went and took that perspective and understood that we've got to make this a place that people want to come. And I think after kind of getting through those two phases, what we figured out is there may not be good people and we may have a great place to work so how can we build those people? Because there's a lot of great people out there, they just may have never been introduced to the trades.” Chad highlights that the quality of people entering his company now, is far higher than before they changed their mindset around who they take on. Introducing people from different walks of life into the trades, allows for the industry to grow as a whole.  The Art Of The Trades Chad wants future generations to see the potential in having a trade career. There is so much honor to be had in becoming someone who can fix something. Take pride in the industry you work in.  “The one thing that has allowed us to grow is to understand that the quality and the integrity with which you treat your people, ultimately results in your growth. I always explain it to people. If I can take whoever in whatever position and they can be better next year than they were this year, then we're going to grow. And then when you multiply that by 180 people you start to grow exponentially which is really what you're looking for.” Don't get ahead of yourself and try to do too many things too quickly. If you provide the correct platform for your team, allowing the room for them to be successful, you will have a group of people who are intent on getting better.  Build Leaders “Reading has no value unless you share what you're learning. You can read all the books in the world, but if you refuse to tell anybody or share with anybody what you're learning… that's not really beneficial to what you're trying to do.” Chad recommends giving your team the chance to learn from you but explains that not everyone will take the opportunity. Set the foundation for the culture and provide a roadmap for people who do want to advance or take on a leadership role and you will see organic and sustainable growth.

Howard Partridge is an internationally recognized business coach, bestselling author, and experienced business owner. He continues his discussion on how to build a scalable, turnkey home services business by focusing on systems, leadership, and vision. Scaling Requires Systems and Strong Leadership Howard emphasizes that in order to scale, you need to have the right systems and processes in place that you can duplicate. You can't grow if you are trying to do everything yourself. Over the years, he has been able to grow his service company into a multi-million dollar turnkey business by prioritizing: Systems that will move you off of the organization chart so that you can work on the business instead of in it.People who will do the work the way it needs to be done. A leadership team that will help these people and systems work together synergistically. Build Your Framework For Howard, his dream to spend as much time on his favorite beach and build a house there while helping other people build a phenomenal business. This vision is what kept him committed to building a turnkey business. He identifies defining your vision as the first step to building your business framework. “My definition of leadership is leadership effectively communicating the vision. You have to have a vision. People who are on your team want to know ‘Where are we going, and why are we going there?'… So that's the first piece of the framework.” Define your vision.Fill in the organization chart to see how all of the levels and departments should fit together.Develop your Performance Results Description (PRD): how your employees need to perform in order to reach your business goals. Create policies and procedures for every role in the company. These need to be updated consistently as your business evolves.  Howard also emphasizes the importance of meeting with your leadership team weekly and monthly to review the numbers, address any issues, and adapt any processes to make your workflow more effective.  Get Off the Truck Howard says that in order to get yourself off of the truck, you need to want it and know why you want it. This is why having a vision is so important. “You're so in love with the technical, you know you feel like you can do it better than anybody and that's probably true, but you're going to be stuck there forever as long as you have that mentality. You have to want to. You have to have a vision - a life off the truck. You have to fall out of love with the technical part and understand that if someone else can do it 85% as good as you can, you're able to scale.” Howard outlines this process to systematically replace yourself in every role at every level of your business in a few steps. Train your technicians in the classroom and do ride-alongs. Once they can do the job to your satisfaction with your supervision, you're ready to get off the truck. Next, encourage them to utilize the manual instead of calling you with every question. Now that you're off the truck, use this time to develop the rest of your organization and remove yourself from the administration work to become the manager. Finally, help develop your employees into great managers and leaders so that you can move from the manager role into the director role. Now, you're ready to work on your business instead of in it.  Howard's Advice Howard recommends investing in a coach, someone who has scaled before, in order to do this because building systems and seeing this process through will be one of the hardest things you'll ever do. Finally, stay focused on your vision and let that drive you to build a phenomenal business and a phenomenal life.

Howard Partridge is an internationally recognized business coach, best-selling author, and experienced business owner. He discusses Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and their crucial role in building a successful home services business.  Howard likens KPIs to a scoreboard for your business. It helps you understand how you are performing in the game of business, when you are winning and losing, and where you can improve.  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Howard says that there are several important data points and numbers to track, but the priority should be: “The Critical Number.” He learned about “The Critical Number through the Great Game of Business” program by Jack Stack. This is the number that is most important for you to focus on during the specific chapter of growth your business is in.  He shares the example of when his business was bringing in an income of 2 million dollars but had a very small profit. Ellen Rohr, business makeover expert, helped him build on his understanding of “The Critical Number” by identifying his Known Financial Position (KFP). Identifying your KFP requires going through line by line of your income statement and balance sheet and knowing exactly what each number means and where it goes.  Establish Your Known Financial Position (KFP) Howard recommends tracking on a weekly basis so that you can pivot and take action based on real numbers. Questions to consider to improve your business success: What are your weekly and monthly profits and losses? What is your profit margin? Set up a 12-month budget to guide you.Look at your labor cost and what percentage of it is of your income. How can you improve in this area?Are you pricing profitably?What are your daily sales?Look at your marketing: How much does it cost to acquire a client? Market to your past and existing clients and work on generating referrals. Howard recommends Ellen's book “Where Did the Money Go” for a more in-depth understanding of how to implement these strategies. Track Your Return on Investment (ROI) Howard makes sure he includes his team is in the game by tracking their company sales and updating them on the numbers each day. This keeps everyone invested and working toward hitting their monthly sales goal. If they hit it, rewards like bonus checks are passed out.  The important numbers Howard recommends focusing on in order to track your ROIs begin with a financial forecast or annual projection for your year.  Consider the busy and slower seasons to identify trends during the 12 months that you should be prepared for.How much profit do you want to make?Create a budget and stick to it.Decide in advance what you want to invest in marketing.Track how your marketing is performing in key areas:Repeat business.Referral businessDirect advertising This helps you understand your client acquisition cost.  “I know how hard you work. One of these days, it's all going to be over. And my question to you is: ‘Do you want to do all of this work and not have anything to show for it? Do you know what the score is?' I mean some people are working seven days a week, 24 hours a day to lose money! If you're like me and you hate the numbers, do yourself a favor, get some help, get somebody to help you understand those numbers. Because the way to win the game is through profit. And if you don't know your numbers, you don't know whether you're profitable or not.”

Lenny Gray is the CEO of Rove Pest Control and D2D Millionaire. He shares the skills and traits that make a door-to-door salesman successful, and why communication is key.  Lenny started Rove Pest Control in 2003 after working in door-to-door sales for another pest control company and also serving as Vice President of training for door-to-door sales for Orkin.  Busting Door-to-Door Sales Myths Lenny is straightforward when he says that door-to-door sales is not for everybody. Most people will find out within two weeks of trying it out if it is the right role for them. For him, it was about a month into his first door-to-door sales job that he realized he could be successful.  He had just finished selling in Homewood, AL, a blue-collar neighborhood. He decided he would go to Mountainbrook, a well-off neighborhood nearby, although most of his fellow salesmen said it was too hard to sell there.  On his first knock in Mountainbrook, he was able to sell to a doctor and his wife. In that moment, he says he realized he could sell anything to anyone, anywhere.  He shares that he learned everything about selling by doing, as his company had a very short training manual. It wasn't until after he wrote his own sales book that he read other books. He felt he had his own selling style that he didn't want confused with other styles.  The Most Important Skill a Salesman Needs to Master Make each door think you've sold to everyone else in the neighborhood.  “In our company, we call it mental toughness. But at the end of the day, it's being able to go to one door and have that person at that one door be incredibly rude, condescending, you know, they call your mom a name. I don't care, whatever it is, and then you bounce back to that very next door and you act like that never happened. You can just erase it from your memory.” Weathering the Highs and Lows On July 4, 2000, in Jacksonville, FL, Lenny remembers selling 23 accounts. It was his best day ever. Two or three weeks later, he had a day where he didn't sell anything. His advice is to stay balanced during these times of highs and lows. Don't carry your negative momentum with you, only the positive.  He captured these stories of success and failure in his book “Door-to-Door Millionaire” and eventually started his consulting company that goes by the same name. During his time working in pest control and consulting other home services businesses, he has identified the traits that make or break a salesman. Successful salesmen are: Good communicators:Eye contactSmileCreative Think on their toesKnow a little about a lotRelatableHardworkingMentally toughAsk open-ended questions instead of yes or no questionsNever forget to close the sale D2D Selling In the Trades “I'm convinced that you can sell anything door to door, any type of trade industry you have, any type of home service industry, you can craft a way to have people go out, knock doors, and generate interest. Because you're actually kind of at that place where those things are needed, so it's pretty easy.” Lenny highlights that he has even seen his plan work for a no credit check finance company. If you have the right processes and system, you will be successful, no matter what industry you are in.  Lenny has just finished the rough draft of his new book that covers next level door-to-door sales tactics. You can learn more at LennyGray.com.

Lenny Gray is the CEO of Rove Pest Control and D2D Millionaire. He shares how he built his million-dollar home services business based on principles of hard work, mental toughness, and commitment.  Entering the Door-to-Door Sales Industry Lenny says that his door-to-door experience all began when a buddy encouraged him to take a door-to-door sales job to pay for tuition and books in college. In the summer of 1998, he drove across the country to Birmingham, AL with his wife. That summer, he became the top sales representative for a pest control company and never looked back.  After graduation, he was hired to run Orkin's marketing team and developed their sales training for them. He set out to start his own business Rove Pest Control once his first child was born, with a partner who knew how to do the fieldwork. With his expertise in knocking on doors, and his partner working in the field, they did half a million in sales in the first year and hit the million-dollar mark in two years.  The Road to Scaling Success “We put it all on the line. It wasn't just me, it was my business partner as well. We needed each other to make this thing work from the get-go. And I mean It was 6 days a week, 10 hours a day, whether I was busting out knocking doors, or he was spraying, from sun up to sundown. And I mean you hear that all the time, but that's the first core value, we call the value of victory in our company, is it's hard work.”  Lenny highlights that scaling with door-to-door sales is a numbers game. How many doors you knock on and how many customers you are able to interact with each day, will determine how many opportunities you have to sell.  In order to maximize these opportunities, Lenny prioritized growing smart, not crazy. He also says that they focused on growing with the right people, which is key. These steps led to them hiring new salesmen, and opening new locations across states in the Midwest. By year five, they became the largest pest control company in Alabama, and an acquirer bought them out in that state. Lenny shares that they continued to grow in their other locations by: Delegating.Letting go and trying to get to know people and their fears.Helping employees overcome those fears so that they can do their best. Personalized Training Process “There's not a single rep that's not from my company that hasn't been on the doors with me. And that's crazy to think because I've been doing this for a long time. But I still go knock doors with my guys. I kind of feel like if I can't see them, hear them, kind of interact and read kind of those nonverbals, that's a big part of the communication and sales game is just reading some of those nuances that you're not going to pick up any other way than just being there. And for me, actually spending the time to be on the doors with my guys, I mean that holds a lot of values in other ways too, right. They see you're willing to go to bat for them, they see you're willing to be there side by side with them.” He credits this training system as an important part of being able to replicate himself, build a positive company culture, boost employee retention, and cultivate strong personal relationships.  Company Principles The company principles that define Rove Pest Control are:  Hard workMental toughnessCommitment Lenny says that whether you're a tech or a CSR or middle management or a door-to-door sales representative, if you can stick to these values, you will be successful in any area. He also emphasizes that you will only have success in business if you have success at home.  “If you want to be the type of person that other people want to work for, I hope you're a good husband, I hope you're a good father, I hope you're a good person not just those 8 to 10 to 12 hours you're at work but those five or six to eight hours you have to be home with the people you should care about the most. So I think it all goes together and those that are the most successful aren't just successful in business.” As a busy leader, Lenny's tips for success are simple:  Pray and maintain an organized, detailed calendar filled with your personal and professional commitments. Be willing to do anything in your company that is necessary for success. Just get the work done.

Mother-daughter duo of Texas-based S & D Plumbing, CEO Rhonda Dowdy and Director of Business Development Amanda Dowdy Lawson share how they have invested in leadership training in order to grow and evolve as a business. They highlight the importance of staying innovative, humble, and curious.  Defining Business Leadership As CEO of S & D Plumbing, grandma, and mother, Rhonda has a lot on her plate. After starting S & D Plumbing 40 years ago, it has now grown into two locations with 35 employees. While she now has a General Manager that handles the day-to-day processes, she shares that it took hard work to find and develop the right business leadership. Rhonda credits this training to creating a culture of teamwork that they have worked hard to foster.  “It's a continual journey. Because as long as you're wanting to grow, as long as you're wanting to stay in business, much less grow your business, you've got to have that leadership capability. I could tell you some of the things we've implemented. We believe in training. We train at every level of the company, all the way to me. I have a leadership coach, my General Manager has a leadership coach. We train our technicians, we train our CSRs, and we've got the best of the best.” - Rhonda  Amanda Lawson recently moved from California to Texas after spending nearly a decade as a professional beach volleyball player. During this time, she shares that she had to create her own path and personal brand. Now, as the Director of Business Development, these skills are playing an important role as she builds the S & D brand and networks in the community.  Taking Pride in Both Legacy and Innovation Rhonda says that while their legacy is important to them, they also value innovation and understand how important it is to evolve with the times. Her tips for staying on the cutting edge of the industry include: Join best practice groups. These will encourage you to invest in your business and yourself, and equip you with valuable tools, connections, and resources.Hire young people.Prioritize work ethic and value hard work. From the beginning, Rhonda emphasizes that S & D Plumbing has been about establishing a business that can be passed onto the next generation. She says that they named their business after their two sons, Sam and Dan, and that this generational value is instilled in the very foundation of the company.  Their mission is to help people hone their skills, grow into management positions, and learn leadership skills. With this approach and mission, S & D Plumbing has been able to cultivate and build a business legacy that can stand the test of time. Leadership: Nature vs. Nurture Both Rhonda and Amanda share the view that leaders are learners, and have leadership written into their character. Rhonda also believes that true leaders often lead before they even command a leadership position or role. To inspire leadership and personal growth in their business, Rhonda says that they all share resources and learn from each other as a team. Most importantly, they implement what they learn.  Podcasts:  Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast Books:  What the Heck Is EOS? A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS by Gino Wickman and Tom Bouwer Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues by Patrick Lencioni “Life is a series of decisions. And you make one decision at a time. And depending on where you are in your business, because I remember where we were 20 years ago, and where we are today, it's just a huge difference. And I remember when we first got started in the best practices groups and we'd go and we'd learn all this stuff and it would just blow our minds and we would go ‘Oh my gosh, we're going to do this, we're going to do this, we're going to do this,' and we had to say ‘What's the most important thing we can take away from this conference? We'll go back. Let's implement it.' And then you build on that. You can't do it all at one time.” - Rhonda Advice From Rhonda and Amanda Rhonda: There will always be challenges in life and business. It's a journey.Let go of things and delegate. Hire the right people so that you can focus on what you need to do.Take it one day at a time and one step at a time.Value and exemplify servant leadership. Amanda:  Take chances.Look for opportunities.Be present and show up with your best self every day.Stay humble and open-minded.

Mother-daughter duo of Texas-based S & D Plumbing, CEO Rhonda Dowdy and Director of Business Development Amanda Dowdy Lawson share what it takes to create a family-centered home services business. They highlight the lessons, relationships, and new projects that are taking their company to new heights.  Building From the Ground Up Rhonda shares that the business began when her husband Sam Dowdy decided to build his own business after working in the industry as a tech for several years. When they founded S & D Plumbing 40 years ago, she had a background as an accountant, but no experience running a business. The first 20-25 years were filled with many lessons and challenges, but in the last 15 years or so they have really perfected best practices and found their niche.  Although Amanda grew up in the family business, it is only in the last month that she has become an official employee. In her role as Director of Business Development, she is focused on building relationships with vendors and employees, branding and social media, and shaping her position as she learns how she can best serve the business. Her first project was the successful grand opening of their second location.  Navigating Seasons of Growth  About 28 years ago, Rhonda shares that Sam was able to make the move from working in the truck to working on building the company. “It's scary to do, you know, it's a big step, but it's what it took to be able to build his team and his technicians as well as go out and meet customers and kind of be the PR of the company in that way. And then you know, really what happened over time is we realized the need for processes, it's a big step, and so we have processes now and that's critical for starting that second location.” The way you do business builds your brand and reputation. Rhonda emphasizes that preparing your techs with training and processes to represent your company well is essential.  S & D Plumbing's second location is a managed repair location. Over the years, Rhonda has seen how many of their best techs go on to build their own company. The creation of this second location was born out of their desire to provide a platform for these techs who want to grow in leadership and ownership without having to worry about where their leads are coming from or the customer service side of the business.  Establishing Your Home Services Niche S & D Plumbing has built its business on a reputation of excellence. Rhonda shares that even in the early years when they were learning the ropes, Sam was confident that they were going to find their niche. They did, and leak detection became an innovative path to consistent leads and business growth.  Amanda also emphasizes that her parents were both willing to adapt to current trends and new approaches in order to grow.  Went paperlessProvided menu pricingOffered commission payCreated opportunities for techs and employeesShowed up every day and made sacrifices  When they first went into business, Rhonda says they took any lead that came in. Experience taught them to focus on their strengths in repairing residential and they eventually moved away from commercial jobs. Family-centered Business Although S & D Plumbing moved away from commercial jobs, their son Sam Dowdy Jr. decided to pursue it and he founded Coppera Co., of which Rhonda is also an owner. Their son Dan Dowdy was instrumental in leading S & D Plumbing to its successful position today, and has now begun to focus more on building a coaching business. Amanda shares that unlike her brothers, she didn't want to work in the plumbing industry or family business initially. But now she sees that there is room for growth and opportunity. “The pandemic is actually what shifted my mindset into coming into the family business, realizing how essential it is and I love being on a team and it's even better when that team is your family. And so it's been extremely positive to see all of the hard work they have put in and really those seeds starting to grow now, and I get to step and learn on fast forward and be a part of this amazing team and just see it grow even more.”  Rhonda and Amanda both have a vision for building S & D Plumbing into a generational business not just for their own family, but also for their employees and techs. In the future, they look forward to building a school for tech training, leadership, and business ownership.

Ellen Rohr is the President and Franchise Operations Manager of ZOOM DRAIN and a home services business makeover expert. Howard Partridge is an internationally recognized business coach, bestselling author, and experienced business owner. Together, they discuss the timing, terms, and negotiating tactics that make up successful acquisition deals.  Business Acquisition  Ellen shares the reminder from Michael Gerber that you want to build your business so you can sell it. The people who are buying companies are looking for valuable businesses. What makes a valuable business? Profits that are: PredictableConsistentTurnkey At the same time, if a business presents the potential to reach profits that check these boxes, it is worth considering. Howard echoes Ellen's advice, adding that considering a business's current client base and potential client base is also a good indicator of whether they might bring in a strong, predictable income.  When Is the Right Time? “The idea of acquiring companies is really so that you don't have to spend marketing elsewhere. So when is the time right? Always… our recommendation is that you get a list together, you make up that list, you get it from a list service, or you go through and search your market area for your competitors, and you assemble a list, and then you're going to reach out and try to make a friend.” - Ellen Once you create your list, Ellen recommends beginning to fish and connect. You are reaching out to see how you could be of service to their company. You will face rejection, but eventually, you might find someone who will say, “Why don't you just buy my company?” Howard points out that even if you don't get the acquisition of a company right away, you might acquire a great employee through that relationship or plant a seed that will blossom down the road.  Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, some home services businesses are struggling right now. If you are looking to acquire, Howard recommends looking at three areas of that business: Quality of their service experience.How they are currently marketing or using referral strategies. Potential to increase revenue and profits.  Ellen emphasizes that no matter where you are as a buyer in your financial place, you can offer creative arrangements for compensation, like an owner finance arrangement to take an income stream instead of a lump sum. To Merge or Not to Merge? Howard shares that his first acquisition was one of his suppliers. When he acquired his second business, he quickly was able to take his business from $360,000 to over 4 million, and today they are a turnkey business. These first mergers helped him build his staff internally and scale.  “If you want to grow, this is like one of the best ways you can do it. It's instantaneous. You just got to make the right financial deal and so you need to understand the numbers and you need to understand the marketing and sales. Like, you'll look at some companies, and the reason I know this is not because I've acquired a bunch of companies but because I coach small businesses in-home services every single day. And what I know is that some businesses, some service companies, they have this humongo account, if they lose that one account, they're sunk. So, you want to look for predictable revenue that comes in day in and day out. And because they aren't doing some of the things they need to be doing, they're not going as deep into that well as they could be.” - Howard Ellen also highlights the benefits of bringing your acquisitions under one brand. However, she emphasizes that it's important to be sensitive to the fact that this may mean a business is retiring a family name that means a lot to them. Be prepared for emotional conversations.  Approaching the Negotiating Table  Whether you're buying or selling, Howard and Ellen underline that it's important to ask: what is it that is needed and what is it that is wanted? When it comes to money, it's important that buyers respect what the seller says they want, even if you can't meet it. Put what you can on the table with respect for the hard work they put into their business, and see what happens. At the same time,  if you're selling, don't settle for something that doesn't meet your expectations. Take the ego off the table.Remember that the agreement should benefit both parties. Clearly define your goals and your whys for selling and buying.

Charlene Ierna is the owner of Ierna's Heating, Cooling and Plumbing in the Greater Tampa Bay, FL area and a certified alligator trapper. She shares why culture, training, and creative thinking are foundational materials for building a resilient home services business. Your Business Runs on People Charlene makes it clear that her focus in the business is the people she serves and the people she employs. At Ierna's Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, she strives to create a work-family culture, recognizing that most employees spend a significant time in the workplace. Some key features of her approach to cultivating this work-family culture include:Let your team know you support them and have their back.Discipline and hold each other accountable as a family would.Teach and help each other grow with purpose. They've also invested in creating valuable rewards programs that recognize employees who hit their goals. From company cruises to renting yachts and hosting lake days with fun activities, Charlene emphasizes that this relationship and team-building time is what keeps them rooted, humble, real, and human. On the customer service side, attention to detail and intentionality are hallmarks of the Ierna white-glove experience. “I think that white-glove treatment today is similar to kind of what we would consider old school treatment. Back in the day when you would call your A/C company, you had his home phone number and you'd call him up and he'd come over next door and fix your A/C. They do those little extra things. They know you by name, they know a little bit about your history, just give a little extra something that perhaps they wouldn't have received from a prior contractor… just setting us apart and really making sure that we're going the extra mile for every customer.” Employee Training and Onboarding Charlene prioritizes teaching, training, coaching, communication, and lots of touchpoints during the employee training and onboarding processes. She believes that this is key to helping techs be successful in the field and equipping employees with the tools and knowledge they need to do their job well. This translates to strong retention and your staff knowing their purpose. She also emphasizes that your onboarding process can never be too lengthy or too much. There's a skill set, industry lingo, and processes to learn, and now COVID-19 measures to maintain. It's important to stay current, adapt, and check in to see what is working and what's not working. While retention in the trades can be challenging, Charlene shares that creating a positive, empowering environment with your team is the best way to create ambassadors. When your team is happy and fulfilled, they become the best marketers for your company. Managing Costs During the Pandemic Operating costs and solvency are always a priority, but during the pandemic Charlene shares that she didn't want to cut employees. Instead, she focused on reallocating her resources and being creative. “What I did in terms of cost-cutting was being creative and looking at some areas that were not effective... schools are closed, we sponsor a lot of schools. Restaurants are closed… we didn't do anything in terms of cutting back employment or cutting back our roster. So I think that trying to stay consistent and again signaling safety to your team is important… I think it's important to stay calm, stay the course, and just keep moving forward.” She highlights that people still need heating, cooling and plumbing right now, and their appliances and plumbing are being taxed more now than ever since everyone is home. So, don't cut your marketing budget. Instead, figure out where your people are in their new environment and connect with them there. Shift your budget from advertising at schools and restaurants and on billboards, and reach people online where they are spending the majority of their time. Charlene's Advice Through all of these changes and challenges, it's important to stay focused and make sure your team sees your passion. This will help retention and help your home services business weather anything that comes your way.

Charlene Ierna is the owner of Ierna's Heating, Cooling and Plumbing in the Greater Tampa Bay, FL area and a certified alligator trapper. She shares how she balances her role as a leader and visionary in her home services business, and why valuing relationships is key when facing challenges. Building a Home Services Business Charlene shares that she was inspired to enter the home services industry when she saw the huge market for the trades, specifically air conditioning services, in her hometown. Seventeen years ago, they had to call into Tampa for A/C service, and she saw this gap as an opportunity for a business. From two employees to 90, Ierna's Heating, Cooling and Plumbing has grown steadily with hard work. Today, Charlene embraces the multi-faceted role of visionary, innovator, leader, and brand ambassador. She emphasizes that she thrives in this position because she enjoys being involved and engaged in her local community, but getting to this place where she could do what she loves took intentional business and team building. “I love what I do, and I think that I am better suited for that, like I said I like to be a visionary for the company and I think that as any wise leader would do… my time is better spent managing employees that can do things that maybe I'm not necessarily great at or do things that I maybe don't necessarily enjoy doing, so I've put people in place that have built that team, so I that I can do the things that I'm really good at or things that I'm good at doing.” Adapting and Overcoming Challenges In the home services industry, Charlene has found that most of the challenges her business faces are rooted in relationships: employees, colleagues, competitors, and customers. These challenges are constantly changing and evolving as people are unique and relationships are dynamic. Social media and people's desire for instant gratification have also added a layer to this challenge, by making the industry more fast-paced. While Charlene acknowledges that women do not make up the majority of people in the trades, she has never found her gender to be a barrier to success. She is also excited to see more females joining the field and taking advantage of the many opportunities that exist within the industry. Thriving in the Pandemic “I think you know, it's like everything in life really that's unexpected. You can't control the challenges that are happening in your life, but you can try really hard to control the way you respond to those challenges. And I think that's been super important to over-communicate with your team, collaborate with your team on all levels. I think it's been important to signal safety out there… and one way we've done that is to not do a single layoff since. We've not pulled back in any way, shape, or form.” Charlene highlights that protecting your human resources, especially during a crisis, needs to be your priority. She made sure her business's actions reflected how they valued their relationships by: Over communicating with her team.Making it clear that their jobs are not in jeopardy.Being totally transparent.Supporting them as her work family.Staying calm.Providing her team with the necessary safety measures. Charlene's Advice Have tenacity. Have a plan but make sure it's flexible. Be ready to pivot, and know that changes and challenges are part of what make your job so important.

Roger Wakefield is the founder of Texas Green Plumbing, a Green Certified Plumber, speaker, and successful YouTuber whose channel focuses on plumbing and trade advice. He shares how using social media for local leads has brought his business growth and success.  Texas Green Plumbing is a full service, residential plumbing company that specializes in slab leaks and leak detection, just Northeast of Dallas, TX. With only three trucks, they're not a big company, but they are a very busy company that does well in their area.  Social Local Growth Leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok is often an undervalued and tough to tackle part of running a home services business. But Roger argues it doesn't have to be.  A few of his tips for simplifying and making your marketing strategy effective include: Utilize keywords that pertain to your home services industry and geographic location.Define who your customer is and figure out which platforms they like to hang out on. That's where you should be publishing your content. Focus on creating a synergy between all of the platforms you are using by repurposing content in creative ways. Network on social media like you would in real life by telling your story, sharing why you do what you, and answering questions. Networking  You only get one chance to make a first impression. Roger shares how when his wife encouraged him to attend a local networking event, he was hesitant. However, once he was there, he was in his element.  “And I kid you not, that first night networking, we got three lead calls the next week… and I was like wow, that was really really easy. I think all tradespeople should be out networking. All you do is talk about the business that you do. People will love you for that.” He emphasizes that this kind of organic sharing is exactly how you should approach your social media content. For example, we all love to buy but we all hate to be sold to. When you're meeting people at a networking event, anyone who tries to hard sell or cold sell to you is not going to be someone you want to keep in touch with.  After this first successful networking event, Roger and his wife eventually got involved in the group called Master Networks which teaches you how to bond, find common interests, and build relationships. He started applying these concepts he was learning about networking in real life to his networking on LinkedIn. “How could I use LinkedIn to get in front of not just people, but the people that can introduce me to people. So I started looking at real estate agents. And I thought, ‘I want to be the most informative plumber that there could ever be for real estate agents. I want to teach them about plumbing… I want them to understand the value of it…' and I started using LinkedIn to grow locally. I started reaching out to local real estate agents. And I would just tell them ‘Hey, I'm Roger Wakefield -  I put out valuable content that can help you help your customers.' And I started building connections.” Roger highlights that by telling your story in this way, by adding value, you become a trusted advisor to your audience. You position yourself as the first person they think of when they need help.  Websites Websites are crucial, but they don't need to be complicated. They also don't need a lot of pages in order to be effective. Instead, make it easy for your customer to find what they are looking for.  A website should:  Tell your story and tell the customer why you do what you do. Tell your customer how to get in touch with you. Add value to the customer's life with helpful information about questions they need answered.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will make your website easy for Google to find and retrieve when your customer is searching for an answer. By positioning your blog around topics and keywords your customers are asking about, you will help Google direct your customers to your site.  YouTube On YouTube, SEO is equally important, since it is owned by Google and functions as a search engine.  Roger shares that he likes to utilize long-tail keywords to attract his target audience. These are people searching for specific plumbing and trade content. Long-tail keywords are more specific and have a lower search volume, but often yield higher conversion rates because they attract a very niche audience.  Roger's tips for creating content for your social media platforms and blog are simple: Ask your receptionist what questions they are receiving on the phone from customers. Create content that answers those specific questions. Never stop learning. And never stop sharing what you are learning, whether it's a new tool or new technique in your industry. Start! You don't have to have everything perfect to begin. You just need to start, and improve a little bit everyday.   YouTube: Roger Wakefield  LinkedIn: Roger Wakefield  Website: Texas Green Plumbing Podcast: The Trade Talks (coming soon!)

Roger Wakefield is the founder of Texas Green Plumbing, a Green Certified Plumber, speaker, and successful YouTuber whose channel focuses on plumbing and trade advice. He shares what his 40 years of experience in the industry have taught him, from the importance of processes and planning to finding focus in chaos and spotting marketing red flags.   After quitting high school his junior year, he went on to manage a burger joint. When his coworker told him about his family's successful career in plumbing, Roger was interested. He applied to work for them, and started his first project at $4.75 an hour.  Plumbing Journey He went on to work with Green Plumbers USA, becoming an Elite AP and Director of Operations. These roles and responsibilities ignited his passion for green plumbing and water conservation. He also saw how community concern for conservation varied based on geographic location to bodies of water and access. He believes that water conservation and management should be a priority no matter what, and has continued to advocate for this in his own business.  Building a Business Five years ago, he founded Texas Green Plumbing, a nod to his Texan pride and formative years with Green Plumbers USA. Today, he spends his days split evenly between running the business and running his social media platforms, which includes a YouTube channel with over 50,000 subscribers.  When he started out, growth happened organically through networking and talking to people in his community. As his business grew, his staff grew, and he realized how important it is to be selective in the hiring process.  “You want to make sure you're getting people in who believe in your culture and want to do things the way you want it done.” Operating Processes Over the years, Roger shares how he saw what made the businesses he worked for fail and what made them succeed. Something that stood out to him, was how often they lack a real plan for achieving their goals and creating the culture they want. In his business, he wanted to have real tangible processes.  He hired a company that equipped them with the processes and education necessary to track daily Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), stick to their budgets, set their pricing, and create a strong workflow. He says this was a phenomenal investment that set them up to thrive. Thriving in Chaos Before founding Texas Green Plumbers, Roger went on to become a cosmetologist. He helped his sister manage her hair salon, went to cosmetology school to learn how he could better support her, and then ended up also opening up his own hair salon. Soon after, he went to school to become a massage therapist. Eventually, he realized he really missed plumbing, and he returned to the industry to start his company. While this may sound crazy to some, for Roger, this is his secret recipe. When things get crazy, he finds clarity.  “If I'm starting one business, it's just as easy to start two. As long as they're close or similar or something like that, I know what I need to focus on. Sometimes that chaos is just enough to make you look at it sharper than you ever have, and say okay, this is where I need to focus. And when we focus, we win.”  Navigating the Marketing Industry For Roger, finding the right marketing agency took a lot of trial and error. He highlights the red flags to look out for when searching for a trustworthy marketing partner: They tell you what you want to hear, but you aren't seeing results. You're paying the marketing company more money than you are paying for Google ads. They don't tell you the full story: like encouraging you to get a new website without informing you that it won't include SEO and you'll need to invest in that crucial part after the fact.They are poor communicators.They can't give you a good idea of what kind of ROI you should expect.  “I believe in marketing. It doesn't matter how great of a company you have, if nobody outside your door knows about it, they're never going to find you… a great marketing company, they can change your life. Think about somebody that walks out, they're a good plumber, a good HVAC tech, or something like that, they walk out on the street with the right marketing company - life is amazing. But when you get a bad one, that can put a company out of business.” Social Leads to Local Leads Roger says that all of the marketing conferences he went to always told him that social media was a tool for global connection. However, he has since figured out a formula to make it work locally, which he calls “Social Local Growth.” Learning how to do this has changed everything for Texas Green Plumbing, and he'll be sharing how they make it happen in Part 2 of his interview.

Chad and Amy Hart are the husband and wife team behind Continental Plumbing in New Port Richey, FL. Together, they have built their home services business from the ground up to the strong, eight-truck fleet it is today. They continue their conversation from part 1, highlighting how education and training has strengthened their business and why the trades are such a great source of opportunity for both men and women. Educating Beyond the Team Chad and Amy are passionate about training and educating their own team, and paying it forward to other business owners, including their competitors. Their open-door policy allows other business owners to come observe how Continental Plumbing runs their business from the inside out. Chad believes that giving back in this way also pushes them to stay one step ahead of the competition. And Amy has seen how empowering their team with strong educational resources makes for happy employees, which results in happy customers.  “I think customers know… if our people are happy, the customers will be happy.” - Amy The Importance of Setting Expectations At Continental Plumbing, Chad and Amy have seen how important it is to set expectations. When the team understands the expectations and follows through on the values of the company, everyone wins. For example, Amy highlights the importance of having the front desk prepare customers for what to expect, and then it is up for the techs to provide exceptional service. Chad credits working with a business coach as the driver behind setting these expectations for his team. “For me personally, what made me get in front of it was a business coach ‘cause they see things from the outside. They don't see it from the inside like I do so if someone else can sit back and have a thousand-foot view of your company, and they look down and say ‘You know what, this can help you, I've seen this work, try this' a business coach to me is priceless to be honest with you.” - Chad They will push you, and if you're not uncomfortable, you're not growing.  Amy also emphasizes how important consistent meetings are. These check-ins help everyone stay educated, connected, and focused on meeting expectations. Lifelong Learning Chad and Amy both prioritize learning as part of their business success. A few of their methods of learning include: ReadingOnline webinars Attending Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PPHC) and Quality Service Contractors (QSC) eventsAudiobooksConventionsListening to older contractors' advice Opportunity in the Trades “I would like to see some of the stigma removed from the trades… you don't have to go the path of college to have success in life and I think the trades right now really need more people coming into the trades especially because the older ones are getting ready to exit.” - Amy Chad also hopes to see high schools bring back shop classes on welding, AC, and more. He believes that giving kids a taste of the trades in this way, even just for a semester, could inspire future careers. There is so much opportunity to learn, build wealth, and master skills in the trades that people do not realize. Amy also shares that there is a great need for women in the trades, and that they can bring unique value to the industry. Advice Chad and Amy's advice to fellow home services business owners is: Never sacrifice time with your family for business. You will never get that time back, Your business will always be there.Learn how to say no.People first. Business second. This is how you will find success.  Learn more about Chad and Amy's company at Continental Plumbing.

Chad and Amy Hart are the husband and wife team behind Continental Plumbing in New Port Richey, FL. Together, they have built their home services business from the ground up to the strong, eight-truck fleet it is today. They share how an internal theft pushed them to reset their whole business, define their values, and transform their culture.  Up for the Challenge Chad, a master plumber with 25 years of experience, got started in plumbing by helping out a friend's family plumbing business. He relished the challenge and expertise it required, and soon set off to build Continental Plumbing. In the early years, Chad was a one man show. But after he developed epilepsy, Amy left her job as an elementary school teacher to drive his truck for him while he continued servicing homes. Today, she jokes that running a small business and running a classroom are not too different.  Working Together Chad and Amy share how working with your significant other is both a strength and a struggle. Setting boundaries is key to finding a healthy work/life balance. “It came to the point where we realized that all we were doing was talking about work and we weren't working on our family or ourselves… so we had to make that decision where we said ‘Okay, we're stopping at a certain time and if we need to talk about something let's write it down, email it to one another, and we'll deal with it later.” - Chad Chad also emphasizes the importance of hiring employees who you trust will do their job. This gives you freedom outside of the office to focus on your other priorities, like family. Hiring Intentionally At Continental Plumbing, they use DiSC, a personality assessment tool, for hiring. This helps them gain a better understanding of their applicants' personalities when they are reviewing their resume. If they seem like they would be a good fit, they are then invited into the office for a few face-to-face interviews. Amy looks for individuals with these traits: AltruismWork ethicRespect for propertyDesire to learn/preferred methods of learningCommunication Chad highlights that over time, they have learned that it's more about finding the right person, than the right set of skills. Total Business Reset A few years ago, Chad and Amy had an employee theft inside the business. Looking back, they see how this experience gave them a wake up call and a chance to reset their business. They fired nearly everyone on their team, and started rebuilding with more intentional hires. Bringing in a business coach to guide them during this time was a big turning point, and helped them define their company values. Today, these values help them navigate every decision and hiring choice: FamilyTrustReliabilityConsistencyHappiness Holistic Training  At Continental Plumbing, all employees spend time understanding both sides of the job: from the office where they take client phone calls to the field, where they provide their expert plumbing services. Pairing different age ranges together has also proved fruitful. Chad has older techs teach young techs the ropes, and young techs teach older techs how to navigate the more technological side of the job. Most importantly, Chad and Amy focus on letting their team know they really care about them and their families.  “As a teacher, you know, you get this fresh batch of kids going into the school year and they're basically yours. It's like your own little family during the day. You have to have house rules, classroom rules, you know, there's procedures, and you have to care about them... I guess I kind of look at it the same way. We have people in our care. We have people that depend on us for their livelihoods and their families, just like those kids in my classroom were dependent on me to take care of them and teach them.” - Amy You can learn more about Chad and Amy's business at Continental Plumbing. Tune in for Part 2 with Chad and Amy next week.

Southwest Industrial Electric is an industry-leading electrical solutions provider based in Los Angeles, CA. In this episode, CEO Kristin Larson, and COO Elizabeth Rochefort, share the mindset and strategies that have helped their business cultivate long-lasting customer relationships.  Great Customer Relationships Kristin and Elizabeth highlight how the customer relationship is prioritized and given intentional focus. This is a value that is ingrained in their sales team from the moment a new employee begins their job. They understand that creating great relationships and return customers is a key part of their role in the company.  From working hard to meet concerns, budget restraints, and schedule changes, Southwest is willing to do what it takes to continue the relationship.  “The big thing that Southwest really focuses on is that we kind of operate like we are part of the customer's team... Even though we're a totally different company and different entity, we operate like we are a branch of your company. If you need something done, we're going to make it happen... And that's kind of the philosophy we've always taken. So, with these customers that we've had for forever, they all know that they can call us at any time and we're going to from our scheduling, to our electricians, to our invoices, to everything, we're going to make sure that we can service them with what they need.” - Elizabeth Kristin and Elizabeth both credit clear communication as a core principle in creating great relationships, from big jobs to little residential jobs.  Receptionists are always on call and ready to connect the customer with the right person, answer questions, and solve problems.Schedulers call customers the day before the job to let them know what the schedule looks like and what to expect. Electricians are trained to clearly communicate what they are working on, keep their space clean, and let the customer know when the job is finished and any necessary updates.  Longevity Is a Choice Kristin and Elizabeth both share that this mindset of longevity has always been what drives the business, ever since the company was founded 40 years ago. This mindset guides all of their business decisions and is reflected in how they treat their employees and customers. Being a part of something that is continuing to thrive and grow makes everyone feel important, valued, and recognized, which results in return customers and happy employees.  Identifying Your Ideal Customer Southwest works in both the residential and commercial and industrial space.  Identifying the ideal customer for their business model has been a formative piece of their success. However, even if a business doesn't check all of the boxes of their ideal customer, they still treat them with the same care and expertise with the hopes that the relationship will be fruitful and long-lasting. This approach has helped them balance their customer base and tackle the challenge of quality vs. quantity while working toward growth.  In-House Approach to Public Relations The electrical contracting world often isn't regarded as highly in social circles as many other roles like being an actor or a fashion designer.  “I just sort of always felt like there was this idea of it that was just not necessarily good. It wasn't like ‘Oh wow, cool, you do that?' …so we also really want to spread the word and get good PR out there for the electrical contracting industry as well as contractors in general, sort of set the example, and get more people doing the same thing because we love what we do, we think it's super interesting to be able to provide a service that so many people can't operate without this service. We're working for people in the aerospace industry where they're building rocket ships... we're doing projects to expand distribution companies that service the world. That's really fun!” - Kristin Kristin and Elizabeth are passionate about increasing awareness and respect around the trades and their essential expertise. At Southwest, they treat their installations and their work as art, they get involved in community events to help others and increase their visibility, and use their social media and YouTube accounts to share their work and showcase who they are. Through these intentional connections with their community, they hope other contractors will be inspired by their example and join them in highlighting the amazing opportunities in this field of work. Customer testimonials are another important part of Southwest's PR strategy. Kristin makes it a priority to share their testimonials in their monthly newsletters to customers, on social media, and with their staff to keep everyone encouraged.  Advice Focus on helping people. If that's what's driving your actions, that will come through to the people you're working with and they will appreciate that. When your employees are happy and feel invested in, that will show in their work, impact your customers, and help your business grow.

Southwest Industrial Electric is an industry-leading electrical solutions provider based in Los Angeles, CA. In this episode, CEO Kristin Larson, and COO Elizabeth Rochefort, share the ins and outs behind their creation and implementation of a robust training program that has resulted in outstanding employee retention and performance.  Family Business Kristin and Elizabeth are cousins. The company is a family business that Kristin's father (Elizabeth's uncle) started 30 years ago in 1998. He kept it pretty small, just him and a few other electricians. When Kristin was hired about 15 years ago on the administrative side, they started creating streamlined procedures and protocols so they could grow. As CEO, Kristin oversees the entire business, with a special focus on the financial health of the company.  Elizabeth joined 10 years ago, and mainly oversees the production division. She makes sure Southwest has everything they need to do to be out in the field completing jobs, from hiring new staff to stocking supplies, updating training courses, and scheduling electricians. The Evolution of Training At Southwest Industrial Electric, Kristin and Elizabeth have created a robust training program for their staff. Their approach is unique in several ways, including: Individuals move through the training program at their own pace. There are several courses within each program, and a checklist to accompany each course. The focus is on understanding each course thoroughly, not just completing it. It involves reading documents, watching videos, and then actually practicing those skills in real-time, like working on wiring a dummy light fixture, or answering a customer call. Every time a course's checklist is completed, staff must take a test and score 100% to move on. If they don't score 100%, they go back to studying and reviewing the course, asking for clarification, and take the test again. “It is constantly evolving. A few reasons, one, the technology is always changing. You know, there are certain things that stay the same in our industry, but there are things that change. We are constantly moving toward better lighting, more energy-efficient lighting… And we look out for if there are any areas where… the same question keeps coming up, or the same thing is hard to understand, and we'll go how do we add something, or make it a little more clear? And then of course with technology, we're now trying to put our whole program into a lot more videos, when for years, we had it all written down in a book.” - Kristin The training program is also constantly evolving as they add new positions, adapt to new challenges like COVID-19, and shift responsibilities around to make each role work synergistically. When they see gaps in their employee training, they create new courses called “pilot” courses to ensure that that gap of knowledge is filled and their employees are set up for success.  Finding Their Stride Elizabeth first started seeing significant improvement in the team when they began implementing their initial training, which helped employees hit the ground running much quicker and more efficiently. She continued to see improvement as they added courses and more details. About 10 years ago they started running the training program that has evolved to what it is today, and five years ago, they were able to identify some themes in hiring that changed how they selected their team.  “Maybe about 5 years ago, we sort of came to the conclusion after some trial and error, that when we just looked for people that had like 10 years plus experience, they had a really big background in whatever we were hiring for, they would sometimes come with procedures or protocols that were ingrained in them which didn't really match what we were going for and what our protocols were. And we would sort of run into butting of heads… it just didn't work as well as it could… We started to see more and more that people with not as much experience, but the basic skill level and basic experience we needed, could go through our training and would take to our procedures and protocols faster and easier because we weren't sort of trying to undo whatever had already been ingrained.” - Kristin Kristin and Elizabeth also saw that these individuals often moved up the ranks quicker than their more experienced counterparts. While some positions they hire for do require more experience, this revelation has shifted their perspective when they are considering new hires.  Field versus Office Having such a high-level training program has also made it easier to identify and solve problems in real-time.  For example, Kristin and Elizabeth share how they saw their office staff struggling with some of the higher level electric terms and topics when scheduling consultations and projects. They not only updated training courses to address this, they also added meetings during the week to tackle any new questions their staff was facing. When they saw that their field staff was struggling with understanding some internal office topics like invoicing and scheduling, they went back to the training drawing board to update the information and make it really clear in these areas.  During COVID-19, they have also been doing a lot of Zoom calls with their electricians out on the job. This allows the office staff to see what the field staff is doing, ask questions, and be immersed in the projects. Having an evolving system in place to address these questions and challenges is key to helping their team and business flourish.  Employee Retention Kristin estimates that their current employee retention sits at a whopping 90-95%. She and Elizabeth credit this to their employees fully understanding their roles and responsibilities, which leads to success. And when you're successful and good at what you do, this leads to satisfaction.  Advice: Set aside time and start. Make a list, or a roadmap of what you want to do, and then start tackling it one step at a time. Learn more about Southwest Industrial Electric and stay tuned for Part 2 with Kristin and Elizabeth next week!

Steven Deyo is the Vice President of West Houston Electric, and leading their current expansion from Katy, Texas to Los Angeles, California. He shares how his family-owned and operated, third-generation company has made the transition from commercial new builds to residential. He also highlights how they are identifying and capitalizing on new opportunities in the market.  Growing Up in the Trades Steven grew up working in the company as a kid. At 10 years old, he asked his dad for an interview. He began as a tech, became a journeyman, and worked his way up into a leadership position. In addition to twisting wires as a profession, he is also a guitarist and songwriter. These aspirations coupled with the budding opportunity in our increasingly electricity-powered society inspired him to expand the family business to Los Angeles.  “I came out here and became a California-licensed electrical contractor… knowing there's a lot of technology coming with solar, and electric cars, and their future, I definitely thought it would be a good idea to have my contracting license out here and continue the business in TX, so we are able to develop in both cities, in LA and Houston.” Identifying Opportunities Steven was only a one-year-old when his parents won the bid to wire George W. Bush Senior and Barbara Bush's home in 1991. Since then, they have had a storied roster of high-end customers.  However, because of these high-profile homes, their reputation grew and demand across neighborhoods began to rise. This catapulted them to pivot their business in order to focus on residential. They saw this as an opportunity for long-term relationships with their customers, troubleshooting common problems, ensuring important safety upgrades, and providing precise, careful service within each unique home.  Of course, there were tensions and growing pains that come with every transition, but Steven credits their success to his family's work ethic. He emphasizes the lessons that going out and doing these jobs with his father taught him, and how this leadership from the top down helped them establish clear processes that would help their team and serve their clients best.  “I definitely learned about gathering a team and partnering with the right people to make it happen. It's a lot of processes that are going into getting new customers and developing our market. So, over time learning from the companies that we work with that help us to make it happen, doing podcasts, also listening to podcasts like this one, this let me gather a lot of content and learn from industry experts... I try to attend trade conventions, expos where I can learn, I'm part of coaching groups where they teach us this material, Blue Collar Success Group is one that I'm having success with.” Building a Culture  Building a culture begins with hiring the right people. Steven acknowledges that it is tough and challenging, but these key pillars help make it happen: Know what you're looking for in an employee.Follow up with people.Always be recruiting and looking.Maintain an organic presence on digital and online platforms.Provide incentive-based pay for technicians and team. Your company values also have a profound impact on your culture. Steven credits hard work, integrity, communication, and serving each customer as if they were the only customer for shaping the customer and employee experience at West Houston Electric.  Expansion Driven by Technological Boom Steven shares that the expansion to Los Angeles is a different, separate entity from West Houston Electric, but will share the same processes and values that make their original location successful.  Some of the trends that inspired them to expand and capitalize on consistent developments in their industry were: The increasing adoption of the Internet of Things and smart homes.Older homes in need of electrical renovations and code compliance.LED lighting.Security systems.Electric cars.Energy conservation and sustainability: generators, solar systems. Steven's advice to those pursuing growth and expansion during this time is to surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable.  “Be clear on your goals and partner with people that can help you be accountable to those goals and check on them regularly.”

Dan Dowdy, Founder of Built for the Trades, and Tim Flynn, Owner of Winters Home Services, are two powerhouses in the home services industry. In this episode, they share how to conquer seasonality during the election year, battle complacency, and make strategic decisions.  Why Election Years Impact Home Services During election years, Tim highlights how there is a natural dip in demand. “Always work as if you're in a deficit. Always work as if you're in a recession. Call by call.” - Tim While this slower season may seem daunting at first, Dan recommends taking it as an opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive. Work on your maintenance contracts, tighten up your inside sales, and work with your staff to really hone the customer experience so that every call makes money.  Dan surmises that the reason these election years impact sales is due in part to people being tighter with their money because they're not sure what the economy is going to do.  How to Be Proactive If you are complacent, then when the economy slows down, you're stuck. Three tangible ways you can be proactive are: Start with your training. Your front line needs a good checklist and questions that will set your tech up for success. Work on improving your customer experience from start to finish.Check your phone lines for dead numbers. This sounds simple, but you should never blindly trust. Verify and do quality checks often to ensure you're receiving calls.Stay optimistic and communicate clearly with your staff. When things get slow, it can be tempting to jump over your managers to get things done, thereby undermining the systems you have established. “As a business owner, when things slow down and you start seeing all the flaws in your business, you just want to jump back in and start directing your customer service rep and your technician and going around your management team that you built. You really have to make sure that you stick with your chain of command and you're empowering your leaders and managers in your company.” - Dan Marketing for Seasonality Another piece of being proactive is checking in with your marketing company or department for quality and verification. Keeping up consistent communication ensures that you aren't spending unnecessary money, and your marketing tactics are helping you meet your goals. For a bonus point, do it with a smile! “You're the reflection of your people.” - Tim Tips for maximizing your marketing: Focus on the demographics, geographics, and psychographics of your audience and how you are connecting with them.Diversify your marketing with various touch points (choose strategically) from door hangers to yard signs.Serve, educate, and sell on social media. Think Strategically Both Dan and Tim emphasize the importance of solving current problems with your long-term vision and goals in mind. Think strategically, take action, and plan for what you want the future to look like.  Joining a mastermind group is a great way to connect with other owners and leaders in the home services community who can help you shoot holes in your ideas, improve your plan, and offer support along your journey.  Dan: Dan@Builtforthetrades.com BuiltfortheTrades.com Tim: Tim.Flynn@wintershomeservices.com Winters Home Services

Justin and Kristen Deese have 20 years of experience in the home services industry. They've channeled everything they have learned into their book “When Your Business Partner Is Your Spouse” and their coaching and mastermind services in addition to overseeing their two home services businesses. They share why having a vision is essential to success and how to find a balance between work and marriage. Transform Your Relationship and Your Business Will Follow When they started their careers in the home services trades years ago, they were working longer hours than ever and felt like they could never take a break. It took them several lessons and failures to learn that it was less of the business's fault, and more of how they were approaching it that was causing these struggles. When a friend gave Justin the book “EMyth,” his world began to expand and he realized that there were people out there who could help them overcome their challenges. Today, they have successfully reached a point where their home services businesses can run without them, and they have time to work on the business rather than in them. They have published a book “When Your Business Partner Is Your Spouse,” started a coaching program, and are about to launch their second podcast on July 15, 2020. Strengths and Weaknesses of Marriage in Business Strengths: Justin and Kristen highlight that they are very complementary in nature so their strengths and weaknesses balance each other out.There is a level of trust between spouses that goes deeper than a typical business partner.Finding your lane, what you are good at and what you are responsible for, and staying in it is a game-changer. Weaknesses: Drawing a line between business and home life is a challenge and something you need to intentionally fight for.If you are not setting time aside to focus on hobbies, interests, and quality time outside of business with your spouse, you will revert to talking about business.Without a strong understanding of your partner's personality and social tendencies, you will struggle. Take time to learn whether they are an introvert or extrovert, and utilize personality tests to understand how you can meet their needs and help each other thrive. Why Having a Vision Matters Kristen admits that their lack of vision was a big stumbling block during their first years. They were solely focused on paying the bills which left them feeling pulled in too many directions. “Every time an opportunity came along that looked like money coming in, we would say yes because that was our vision. And so we added several lines into our services that we probably shouldn't have or that were a little too far from our main service. But then once we got clear and said ‘okay, we're going to be the very best at this... it got a lot easier when other opportunities came along', we said ‘okay, is that going to help us be the very best at this or is that going to distract us?' And that makes it a lot easier to say yes or no to the opportunity.” Justin emphasizes that a vision is the best accountability tool to use that will help you narrow down your focus and find success. He used to think that if he was so busy that he was running around with his hair on fire, he was successful. But now he knows that the opposite is true: a clear focus brings a calm, measured approach to growing a healthy business. What Doesn't Get Measured Doesn't Get Managed One of Justin's favorite sayings is “Measure, Motivate, and Manage.” It is critical to know what numbers are dictating your business's success and measure those. Otherwise, you'll be operating off of feelings instead of facts. Setting these clear goals and expectations for every member of your team helps everyone show up and perform their best. “Your team needs to know exactly what to do, so especially when there's uncertainty going on in the world the more they can come to work and kind of feel that ease of ‘Okay, I know what to expect at work, or what needs to be done, or what expectations I need to meet,' I think it kind of helps them a little bit.” Justin and Kristen have seen that the businesses who succeed are the ones who refused to be indecisive and instead took intentional action. Justin and Kristen's Advice Ask your spouse what they want! Learn more about Justin and Kristen Deese at Business Spouse, like their page on Facebook, and follow along on Instagram.

Max Rohr is the Marketing Academy Manager of Building Solutions for REHAU Academy and the host of the podcast REHAU Academy on Air. REHAU is a sustainable, polymer-based solution company focused on improving energy efficiency in businesses, homes, and automobiles. He shares how growing up in the home services trades shaped his passion for radiant heating and cooling, and why you should never be afraid to pitch your premium product.  Growing up, his parents Ellen Rohr and Bob Rohr were leading Zoom Drain, so he learned the ropes of the trades early on. When he learned about radiant heating and cooling systems, and how it is made possible with hydronics, he was amazed. This concept circulates water through pipes in the ceiling embedded in concrete. A combination of forced air and radiant heating creates the perfect environment where you have warm feet and a cool head, mimicking humans' natural state. Radiant heating and cooling solutions can achieve net-zero energy project goals and it is largely underutilized in the United States, as opposed to Europe, where it is more common.  “The Energy Information Agency in a 2012 study said that radiant heating saves about 32% energy especially on commercial projects so it's a great way to maintain comfort and have energy efficiency both in the same package, which is one of the reasons I love to talk about it.” Buildings Use More Energy Than Vehicles If you could take your automobile to the mechanic and have him flip a switch and make it 30% more efficient, wouldn't you do it? This is possible with our buildings too.  Even in homes or businesses with standard forced air, there are options and solutions that can utilize radiant heating and cooling.  Max highlights that he believes the reason this option is less recognized in the United States is it is 5-10 years ahead of the curve so not that many HVAC companies offer it yet. And if they do, it is a premium product. But don't be intimidated! Don't be afraid to sell your premium product and services! Remember, your trade and your skills as a trades professional are essential and your services deserve to be valued as such.  Explain Invisible Value “I think one of the things is that our history has quietly done such an incredible job of making thermal comfort and plumbing disappear. The average homeowner doesn't even think about it. We've done our job so well that we don't think, ‘What happens when I flush the toilet?' ‘What happens when I push up on a thermostat?' We've made all of that hide behind a wall because we've done our job well and if you install the system well, your homeowner doesn't even know what the equipment is, they may not even know where it is in a big house, you have just made it invisible.”  When you're interacting with your customers, paint a picture for them of how your products and services benefit them. Find a way to make a complex topic easier, and explain why upgrading to an energy-efficient solution like radiant heating and cooling increases sustainability and comfort.  Get Involved in Code Committees Max shares how important it is to get involved in IAPMO, your local community, and understand the current codes and ones coming down the pipeline. You can provide expertise and have an impact on the future. If you're in traditional HVAC, now is a great time to make the leap and help your customers save energy with radiant heating and cooling.  Business Tips For Max, finding his own interests and being inspired by his family legacy is what drives him. If you're in the same field as your parents, it doesn't mean you have to do things the same way. Learn from them, and then find your own personal passion.Identify what you want and what your goals are. Then, find the path of least resistance and how you will make it happen.Communicate with your team.Listen to your customers in order to understand the root cause of their problems. Max's Advice Learn. Take advantage of everyone sharing their knowledge right now with all of the online webinars and courses. Soak it up. Find your place in the industry and know you are essential.  Learn more about Max at REHAU Academy and REHAU Academy on Air .

Dan Dowdy is the Founder of Built for the Trades and former General Manager of his family's second-generation plumbing company S & D Plumbing. He shares how his passion for servant leadership and building relationships has led him to launch his new business to support home services business owners.  Built for the Trades After learning the ropes from his father, Dan ran his own service truck for a decade before stepping into a leadership role for another decade at S & D Plumbing. During this time, he learned what true leadership looks like and how the right network of relationships can help you create a healthy, profitable work-life balance.  This inspired him to create Built for the Trades, a network of business coaches and vendors specializing in various niches of the home services industry.  Lessons Learned Dan highlights the fact that as a business owner, it can be lonely and overwhelming in the weeds, making it difficult to accomplish your goals.  “When you hire a great business coach, you have that relationship, somebody who can come in and look at your business, give you an outside perspective, and hold you accountable to your vision, accountable your goals, and really just encourage you along the way.”  From his own personal experience working with coaches, Dan was inspired to become one himself and signed up for John Maxwell's training program. “It's really just taking action. And so I've made a lot of big life changes in my life, I've taken a lot of risks to build Built for the Trades. But I truly believe in it.” Dan shares that working with others who have built trade-specific businesses is important to him because of the unique set of values that comes with this industry and he looks forward to serving others. Transformation and Creating a Vision Dan didn't always have a servant's heart. He says it took him a while to realize he had created a toxic culture in his company and needed to change. He traded his pride for humility, took real interest in his employees, and saw his business transform.  “Really having a vision as a business owner is looking out five or ten years and being able to write that into one or two sentences to where when your team sees that, they see kind of the destination of where the company is going.”  Vision is where you and your team are going. Mission is why you show up to work. Values are a reflection of you and your company's character. As a coach, Dan helps owners define these core pillars within their own companies, follow through on them, and learn how to communicate them to their team effectively. Having these foundational principles clearly defined is crucial for success. Shaping Future Leaders Dan emphasizes that leadership is about relationships. Owners need to balance a giving heart with a backbone, meaning: hold your employees accountable to the job they are doing with scorecards and clear responsibilities.  It's also important to remember that just because someone is a top performer does not mean they will make a great leader.  “Who is willing to go above and beyond selflessly to help with some training on younger technicians or to help stop by a job late in the evening and help finish a job for another technician and not even asking for pay in return, just doing it out of a servant's heart, I think that's where you start to see your leaders grow in your company.” Dan's Advice Lead where you are. No matter what position or role you are in, leading is about serving and building relationships. Ditch the shallow relationships and spend time getting to know your team. Understand who their family is and what their goals and dreams are. It's important to listen and let them know they are appreciated. Keep your vision at the forefront of every day. Speak it loud and clear and act it out.  Learn more about Dan's new venture at Built for the Trades.

Tommy Mello is the “home services expert,” owner of A1 Garage Door Services, author of “Home Service Millionaire,” and host of The Home Service Expert podcast. He shares why branding matters during the crisis, the system for consistent recruiting, and his secret to growing a multi-million dollar home services business. Branding During a Crisis First, Tommy emphasizes the importance of zeroing in on your message. What sets your business apart? Focus all of your mailers, websites, social platforms, ads, and vehicle wraps on having the same cohesive messaging. Now is the time to double down on your marketing, like increasing reviews on your Google My Business page and pay per click ads.  “You know, I'm a big fan of direct response so I say do everything in your power. Get on Groupon, get on Living Social. Google My Business page is awesome, invest in link building (white hat preferably), and max out your digital footprint.” Checks and Balances Tommy says “inspect what you expect” meaning: you have to create checks and balances that keep you and your team accountable to the details that matter. You have to decide to be the best quality and that requires paying attention to detail. It's not going to just happen.  Recruiting and Retaining Tommy is adamant that recruiting and hiring needs to be a constant priority, not just an emergency measure to fill a need. His process has several important steps that he highlights:  He actually prefers no experience.Post on Facebook and job forums.Provide an eligibility form.Have candidates take a Predictive Index Test (personality profile).Complete a background and drug test.Go on ride-alongs.Pass four interviews. Only one out of every five candidates will make it through this interview process, but that's why Tommy is passionate about consistently looking for excellent talent.  But just hiring the right people isn't enough. You need to provide them with training and a game plan to win. For Tommy's team, this includes detailed training manuals that are utilized daily, health insurance, vehicles, tablets, and financial incentives. He also talks with them regularly about the goals that are important to them and how they can stay motivated to make them happen, the big wins, and what's working well.  Teaching Great Customer Experience Ask questions. Get to know the customer and do the job you came to do.Have a strong follow-up process. This can be made very easy with the right technology. Take advantage of it! When you train your team to make the customer experience great, your revenue will increase. Going the extra mile always pays off. Looking to the Future Tommy's advice is to set your goals and then reverse engineer them to figure out how to get there. Act like who you want to be, bring in great talent to bring your goals to life, and never stop learning.  “I found companies that I want to be like, and I flew out and I literally asked them a million questions. And I fly out all the time. I find these hundred and fifty million, two hundred million dollar companies and I go ask the owner a million questions and tell them how much I appreciate them. I send them gifts through Amazon. And then I listen to books, I listen to podcasts, and I'm always learning. Find out the company you want to be like and ask them questions and trust me, successful people will answer all of the questions you have.” For more resources from Tommy, visit: Book: “Home Service Millionaire”Podcast: The Home Service ExpertEmail: A1LeadManager@gmail.com

Business Development Consultant Kathy Neilsen shares how home services businesses can respond by playing to their strengths during the COVID-19 crisis. From tips to increase lead volume to what steps you can take to evaluate your business honestly, these are important measures every business owner can embrace.  Be Honest Kathy highlights that now is the time to really sit down and evaluate your business. Be honest with how you're doing and what direction you're going in. Own those key financial indicators, and where you might have blind spots. For technicians turned owners, identifying these gaps in your business knowledge and experience can help you solve big picture problems.  Marketing During a Crisis Similar to your seasonal marketing, Kathy emphasizes the importance of making sure your ads are relevant to what is going on.  Some businesses might be thriving right now, others may be slower. Look at where you can do some spring cleaning in your downtime or how you can make your business more efficient. Her recommendations include: Clean Your Email List: Go through your database and make sure your list is full of people who are viable customers in your area of service.Organize Your Financials: Go through your spreadsheets and identify any errors that you may be repeating in a normal workflow and fix them.Connect With Customers: Reach out to your customers during this time to see how they are doing and how you can help them. They will be grateful for the thoughtful call. Most importantly, this is a chance to build trust and let your people know you are there for them, even if it's just to drop off complimentary hand sanitizer or notify them about a service discount.Highlight Your Services: While your company may be well-known for your larger services, make sure you give your smaller services some time in the spotlight. People are spending more time at home which is putting more wear and tear on basic home appliances and units that your customers may be unaware you can service for them. “A lot of people have never spent this much time in their home, so their dishwasher is getting used - ours gets used almost every day now, we never did that before - your disposal, all those things. So let people know ‘Hey, we can do maintenance on things, we can do repairs.' Again, customers don't realize you do a lot of things. You think they know, but just really they are unaware until it's needed.” How Is Your Team Wired? In order to be successful, you need to do what you are wired to do. By spending time understanding how everyone on your team is wired and how their talents can align with a specific job, your business will be more efficient.   Now is also a great opportunity to zero in on the processes and workflow that your business runs on. Will it be able to run smoothly if someone is out sick?  Kathy shares that it's important to realize that in order to manage well, you need to know how you can delegate and put people in the “right seat on the bus” as Jim Collins, renowned business consultant and author says.  “A lot of people don't like to let everybody know how they do something, it's human nature, because then they think they'll be out a job or not be needed, but the truth is that then they can do something that they're amazing at instead of going to do this other stuff that maybe they're just not wired for.”  Advice Now is the time to allow people to fail in order to learn and grow.Be really clear on your language and intent when communicating with your team and customers since so much is being relayed over phone and email. Learn more about Kathy's consulting expertise at Kathy Neilsen.

Holly Holder is the Director of SEO for home services at Scorpion. She highlights the priorities your business should be focusing on for strong SEO performance that will help your customers find the information they need during COVID-19. Holly has been working in the SEO realm at Scorpion for eight years. Her expertise lies in helping home services clients maximize their online presence to create the ultimate experience for their customers. SEO: Search Engine Optimization Holly argues that in many ways, SEO is the last free form of marketing. If you take the right steps and optimize your website, your content will work together with Google to give your customer exactly what they are looking for. However, it's key to stay on top of the trends because the landscape is always changing. Amidst the current COVID-19 crisis, she names three key areas of information to prioritize: People are looking for D.I.Y. tutorials, and guides on how to fix things. They are trying to save money and limit the amount of people coming in and out of their home. How can your business meet these needs with valuable content?People are looking for updated information on any changes to your business hours and services. They want to know how you are adapting to the pandemic, if you can still help them, and when your company is available to provide services.People are looking for peace of mind. They want to know what sanitation measures you are taking to keep your employees and customers healthy and safe. Google My Business While the crisis has certainly changed the face of everyday life, Holly shares that offering valuable information for your customers can help build trust. It shows you care and that you want to help them during this uncertain time. Using your Google My Business account to manage changes to hours, services, and COVID-19 safety measures is a smart way to keep your information clear and easy to access for customers. “I think just knowing that… people are maybe more at the top of the funnel… people are in that informational stage. They are doing a lot more research now. So it's important for us to get in front of people with blogs, again, with helpful videos. If you have a YouTube account or even if you just have videos that you're filming on your iPhone, you can send those to the marketing people that you're working with to get those posted somewhere… A lot of people are searching for air quality improvements, maybe water filtration systems, because you know it's harder to go out and buy a water bottle or they are sold out.” What Matters to Your Customers Holly emphasizes the importance of remembering that for many people, this crisis has put them out of work. The future is uncertain, money is tight, your customers are interested in discounts. Consider offering content that guides them through solving a problem, offering virtual consults, and coupons. In the long run, people will remember how you offered them a helping hand and lessened their burden during this time. Another great way to give back is to see what measures you can take to support your local community or other small businesses. “I think overall, SEO has always been about the customer. And Google very much has always wanted to create content and create websites that are easy for customers to use, provide valuable information, are authoritative, and again it's the whole picture, you know who you are as a business and a brand, rather than just trying to get rankings. So, that hasn't changed, it's still all about the customer, I think it's just a season of how do we provide even more information to customers, how do we let them know that we're open and operating, how do we let them the measurements we're taking to protect them, it's because again, it's up to the customer if they want to click and call you. There's plenty of options out there, so what are you doing you know to kind of stand out.”

Howard Partridge is an internationally recognized business coach, business owner, and best-selling author. He shares his tips for leading with a positive attitude and finding inspiration during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Failure To Implement In his latest book, Failure to Implement, Howard highlights how important it is for leaders to take action and make decisions, even if you do not have all of the information. Instead of “reacting” which is a fear-based response, try “responding”, which is a faith-based reaction.  Howard created a blueprint to help guide home services business owners during these uncertain times called PIVOT. The acronym stands for position, imagination, voice, opportunity, and training. POSITION: In this moment, we are all approaching the challenge from a different place. For example, if you were responsible with finances before, you will respond differently than someone who is hanging by a thread. However, there is no time for regret. Understand where you are, then take advantage of that position.  IMAGINATION: Get creative and see how you can maximize this time with new ideas and tackle your problems with innovative solutions. VOICE: What kind of messages are you putting in your head? Be intentional about who you listen to. On the flip side, make sure your voice is being heard by your customers and team with strong communication.  OPPORTUNITY: If you are not an essential business right now, take this time to partner with someone who is an essential business. There will be opportunities even in these hard times and it's up to you to spot them. TRAINING: Take this time to work on your business, learn something new, learn something you can do right now or in the future for your team and clients.  Finding Inspiration in Crisis You need to have a vision that inspires you from within, and positive motivation from outside sources. This means you should stop listening to news and gossip that may be impacting you negatively.  Organization, Priorities, and Training “What a beautiful opportunity to get your infrastructure together so that when things get back to normal, you have transformed.” Howard highlights a few areas you should focus on organizing and implementing systems in your business that will support your priorities.  Financial: If you have high-end clients, you could roll out a “pay now, play later” business.Communication: Utilize your newsletter/email list to offer value to your clients with content.Training: Consider how you can support your team whether it is by not penalizing them if they do not want to work due to the virus or offering part-time opportunities and further education and training via online resources. Personal Growth: Invest time in your own training to learn the marketing strategies, leadership concepts, and how you can build or improve systems you have been putting off giving your time and attention to.Future Planning: Consider how you can prepare for the future. What is your plan for after this passes over? How can you be better prepared in the case of future emergencies and unforeseen circumstances? Positive Mindset Howard emphasizes the power of shutting down the negative mindset and focusing on the positive. When you have gratitude, you have less time to let fear in. It could be a lot worse for many of us.  “Keep your head up and your eyes open and look for those opportunities. Look for the silver lining.” You can learn more about Howard's endeavors and resources at his site, HowardPartridge.com.

Al Levi, Founder of 7-Power Contractor and Zoom Franchise Company and Ellen Rohr, President of Zoom Drain share how home services businesses can weather the storm of COVID-19 with accountability, urgency, and communication.  Prioritize Your Efforts Al shares how today's COVID-19 pandemic and hardships like 9/11, the 2008 recession, and Hurricane Katrina all serve as reminders that sometimes there is no playbook. It's times like these where his father's advice to “Act like you're going to be in business for a while” rings true and you just have to take everything one day at a time. Ellen adds that this is also when accountability and consequences become high priority. “What is different about this time now is that there is no luxury of time. You are going to survive and thrive only if you apply business basics with no excuses, if you take extreme ownership for this situation that you find yourself in. And I think my goal as a leader is to up my standards and the immediate consequences if people are going to do things if they put themselves or the team at risk… If you get them the PPE… and they don't use it, that puts the entire team at risk.” - Ellen Execute With Urgency Systems matter. Both Al and Ellen emphasize how whether you already had systems in place or you are wishing you did right now, they will be what carry you through. Start creating them, leaning on them, and improving them. Don't wait. Take action.  Ellen outlines the numbers that matter in their Financial Quick Check system that Zoom Drain monitors weekly in dollars and percentages to see where they can improve: SalesCost of goods soldGross marginOverheadProfitCash flow position (What do you have in cash in accounts receivable and what do you have in bills to pay right now. More cash helps you weather the storm better.) Communicate! Let your employees and customers know what you are doing to protect them and the steps you are taking for safety and health. Lead from the front. By communicating exactly what the experience will be like you can establish expectations with your customers and build trust. “I know it sounds weird because we are talking about sewage, but we are the originators of how it stopped the Black Plague from happening all of these years. And if we fall out of our habits in sewage or any plumbing, you guys have all seen the signs about ‘The plumber protects the health of the nation,' that's not just some words written on a page, that is a calling to all of us.” - Al Ellen and Al highlight a few tips to keep top of mind while communicating: Call and FaceTime in order to communicate.Remember that the nuances with the added Personal Protective Equipment need explanation.Give people the benefit of the doubt.Be kind.Relationships are everything.Share the why behind your standards. Create Lifetime Customers Al says you have to pull the curtain back. Proactively communicate how the magic happens, how your business does things, and how you are going above and beyond during the pandemic. Ellen emphasizes the importance of leveraging this moment to share the why behind your business, and make your interactions human by really listening to them.  What You Can Do Right now Financially: Find responses and guidance on steps you can take for your business from credible resources: U.S. Small Business Administration Within the Care Act, it looks like there is relief for payroll if you keep paying your employees, so this is an important step to take.Contact your CPA and financial planner to help you sort through this. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Be resourceful.Share information and how you are solving problems with fellow business owners.Tweak your Customer Service Representative (CSR) script to let customers know what you're doing to keep them safe. Your customers will remember how you treated them during this time of crisis. These employees are part of your family. If you can, think long term during this time. Most importantly, remember that everyone has a role to play and you have to work together and lean on each other. Nobody can carry this burden alone.  “There are many heroes in our life… There's a reason we are essential workers. It's because we are essential. And when this passes, I want you to remember that we need to charge the right price… there's a reason you have to be in business right now. This is why you have to have all the money to buy this stuff, the PPE. This is why you have to get the systems in place. You don't owe it to just yourself, or even your staff, you owe it to the community you serve.” - Al

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim Flynn, Owner of Winters Home Services, and Dan Dowdy, Founder of Built for the Trades, offer some tangible advice. These home services experts highlight actionable ways your business can build strong customer relationships during today's challenging times.  Steps You Can Take Right Now During this unprecedented time, Tim and Dan offer some straightforward steps you can take right now to protect the safety and health of your employees and customers. Create a clear plan for how you are going to continue serving your employees and customers.Try to have at least three months' worth of expenses in your savings as a cushion if you have not already done so.Separate inside staff and outside staff. See if some of your Customer Service Representatives may be able to work from home. Maximize technology for communication. Cancel in-person training sessions or meetings with more than 10 people.Screen customers and employees for their health to minimize exposure.Sanitize! Everything from tools and trucks to payment technology and uniforms.Step up your communication with your team and customers and use this as an opportunity to educate on the precautions you are taking to help ensure health, safety, and sanitation.Don't slow down on your advertising and marketing. Social media is where your audience is right now. Connect with them!Increase your outbound calls. Even just calling to check in on the health of your customers' families is a great way to build authentic relationships. While challenging financial times like this are pushing business owners everywhere to see where they can cut down costs, Tim and Dan emphasize the importance of prioritizing your marketing and advertising.  “I would add more money to my marketing and really ramp that up to ensure my team has some work because customers are still going to need us. And the second thing I would do is get on social media… think of all your homeowners sitting at home on their phone looking at social media. You could actually be communicating with them pretty easily through video or posts, letting them know that you're open, the precautions you're taking to serve them.” Handling Cancellations During this time when most people are spending more time at home, you may be experiencing an increase in calls. However, you also may be receiving cancellations. When communicating with customers, be prepared to share the precautions you are taking to put them at ease. For example, you can offer to enter the basement through the backdoor to work on the unit and only communicate by phone while in the house to stay compliant with social distancing. Let them know you'll wear protective gloves, use booties, and sanitize.   “We need to rewrite the playbook on how to handle customers' needs as we go forward in the next three weeks.” However, if they still want to cancel, make sure you have a script prepared to let them know that you will check in with them to reschedule in the future when things calm down. Take This Opportunity to Educate Now is not the time to sell. Now is the time to educate. For example, online searches for air filters and how to keep your home healthy are skyrocketing. Offer your audience an informational video on how having clean air filters can support your customers' health in their home. These are the kind of opportunities home services businesses should be taking advantage of to educate and provide value. Be human. Be honest. Retain Employees The home services industry is considered essential, but decreases in demand as other non-essential businesses close may still be hurting your business. Tim and Dan recommend taking a strategic approach to retaining your employees. Consider splitting the week with your staff instead of having all hands on deck all of the time. This also decreases interactions to slow the spread of the virus.Take this opportunity to cross-train employees and be creative with positions and responsibilities.Lean on your company values, vision, and mission.Communication is key. If changes and reductions in work need to be made, being transparent and honest with your employees will show you care and support them. Your business has an opportunity in these challenging times to serve, protect, and support customers and employees in an ethical way. Stay positive. Stay healthy. This too will pass.

Howard Partridge is an internationally recognized business coach, bestselling author, and experienced business owner. Originally from Mobile, AL where he grew up on welfare with six siblings, Howard shares the principles and components behind phenomenal business performance. Inspiration Behind New Book Howard's new book “F.T.I.: Failure to Implement” is based on the idea that this is the single thing keeping you from accomplishing your goals. In the book, he highlights the 10 principles for life and business that lead to phenomenal performance. Potential: understanding your potential is key. If you have a bad self-image, you won't perform well. YOU are the phenomenal product.Picture: you need a compelling vision to move you and compel you to perform. This is how you create your vision.Purpose: understand why you are in business. What would your customers miss out on if your company didn't exist?People: having the right people around you influences and inspires your outcomes, from family and coaches to team members and clients.Planning: a proper focused plan will help you get where you want to go. Give this process time. Dream and think about what steps you need to take to reach your goals, then build a plan.Priority: living by priority means focusing on what is important right now. This requires discipline and focus.Process: implementing simple processes, checklists, and systems will help your team stay on track and know what their job is.Productivity: take action. Once you have your priorities straight, take the time each day to kick the ball down the field. It's not easy, but it is simple. Progress: keeping track of your progress is important for staying motivated. Patience: exercising great patience will increase your performance. You can't be in a hurry. Let things develop, let processes start working, and let people start growing. Howard shares how instrumental Zig Ziglar, one of his mentors, has been in his life and business. He was thrilled to be invited to join Ziglar's coaching team, and is passionate about sharing what he has learned to help guide other small business owners. One of his favorite stories of Zig's is the water pump anecdote. It illustrates how implementing the right systems and processes in your organization will build the momentum that leads to success. “And that's what getting your business systemized is really all about… if you will practice these and give them time to work, pump like crazy… and keep on pumping at the right pump and get that flow… keep it in play so that you just have a constant steady growth of clients, play growth, profit, production.” Components for Establishing a System Howard's advice for establishing systems in your business is focused on two important layers. MVP: define your mission, vision, values, and purpose.Organization Chart: build systems and processes to make these five parts of your business run smoothly: LeadershipMarketingSalesOperations/ServiceAdministration/Tracking Results Howard shares the success story of John Torres, President and CEO of Entrusted, a water, mold, and fire restoration company serving South Florida and Texas. John implemented these processes, and watched his company take off. “John Torres, because he simply learned the systems and implemented the systems, went from zero to $20 million a year. That guy makes so much money it's incredible… His leaders are… young people who are hungry and want to make their mark.”