These business owners were smart because they focused their efforts on developing strong systems for each area of this department. They understood that systems are a tool to provide the owner with freedom and help him or her focus their efforts on tasks that would have a big impact on the company–like bringing in more business!

They understood that the most successful small businesses are built on a repeatable system that others can easily follow. We can’t shoot from the hip every day without consequences. There has to be some consistent way of doing things. If you intend to scale your business and eventually add to the team of people who help you, then effective systems are a requirement.

So, as a first step, the group listed each “system” that was needed to run a production department efficiently with an eye toward these goals: On time, on budget, with a delighted client. Here’s what they came up with:

Production Systems

1.    Sales to Production Handoff
2.    Pre-Construction Conference-Internal
3.    Pre-Construction Conference-External (w/client)
4.    Requesting and Compiling Trade Contractor Bids
5.    Selections System
6.    Change Order System
7.    Draw/Payment System
8.    Job Close Out System
9.    Communication Systems
a.    Weekly Production Meetings
10.    Safety Systems
11.    Training Systems
12.    Construction Standards Development
13.    Client Evaluation System
14.    Jobsite Radius Marketing
15.    Two-Week Look Ahead
16.    Scheduling
17.    Material Ordering
a.    Standard
b.    Special Orders

That’s quite a list! (If we missed one, tell me in the comment section!)

Next, they organized this list to show what systems already existed and which needed to be created. Then they made suggestions as to which needed system should be tackled first, second and third and shared this with their peer.

One smart person said; if you find yourself doing something more than once, develop a system to handle it.

Many think that developing systems is too difficult to tackle but, depending on the system, it can be quite simple. Here are some tips I picked up from Forbes magazine.

1.    Start at the beginning. Running a small-business often means juggling many things and responding to the immediate needs of the day. In this constantly evolving environment it is easy to work intuitively and just get things done. However, thinking about the steps and procedures of a business from the very first day is vital to the ultimate success of the business. Don’t put documenting your process off to another day. Instead, take note of every procedure from the very beginning.
2.    Write it down. As you go through the daily work, take careful notes on the day-to-day processes. Take note on everything from how files are saved to how big decisions are made. If there are other people working in the business with you, have those people also keep close records of how they manage tasks. It is always easier to edit and delete than try to fill in the blanks and remember exactly how certain procedures were handled.
3.    Be proactive. Anticipate problems and methodically create solutions. Identify areas of concern and meticulously develop a response system. Even when certain actions seem obvious, make a note of the steps and approaches. What is intuitive for one person may not occur to another. By keeping close notes of all procedures other members of the team will be able to understand the decision-making process and arrive at the appropriate results.
4.    Get it out of your head. Once all of the operations are recorded, it is useful to have others review the material. Collaborate with your team as you record the various steps. They’ll help you identify the small pieces that you might miss. Include folks from different departments. Someone who is not in the thick of the process may have a clearer ability to convey the important ideas.
5.    Share it. Once the operations manual is created, start sharing it with the members of the company. Make sure that all employees have easy access to the information. Posting the procedures on an intra-company website or distributing hardcopies of the material will encourage people to refer and follow the guidelines. As updates are made to the materials, have alerts sent to the appropriate parties so that everyone is up to date.

Other remodelers have hired temporary workers to follow them around during the day, documenting the systems that are being used throughout the company but which are not documented anywhere. There are many ways to attack this issue. But attack you must!
The morale of this story is this: If you want to grow your business, delegate responsibilities to others in the company, and be able to take long vacations while the business hums along, start developing your systems today.

If you’re ready to systematize your business, be smart and use resources that already exist rather than reinventing the wheel. Remodelers Advantage University includes a huge library of checklists, job descriptions, forms, spreadsheets and more — all tools to help you create workable systems fast! And all for less than $1.50 a day.  It’s the best investment you can make for your business.  Click here to learn more.

The overall experience is what keeps customers loyal and continuing to darken the doorstep of your establishment. Having a strategy in place and empowering your employees to execute that strategy is of the utmost importance.

How do you stand out from the guy around the corner that offers the same products and services you do? Customer experiences, the value you bring to the transaction.

In “Customer Experience Strategy”, Lior Arussy talks about three steps for keeping your customer experience strategy fresh, timely and effective.

Deliver: “Execute your customer experience strategy. How do you perform at the moment of truth? Do you succeed? If you fail, why? And what will you do differently? Compliant resolution will be a big component of this discussion.”

Be proactive, Not reactive.

When you truly execute your customer experience strategy, you will find yourself in a proactive situation instead of a defensive reactive response pattern.  Customers will be spreading positive comments about your organization through word of mouth, social media and other likely outlets.   Having satisfied customers that sing your praises is the single best marketing advantage an organization can have in today’s marketplace.

The proactive approach allows for your message to be consistent and delivered with purpose.  It allows for a strategic viewpoint to the changes in the marketplace and therefore the changing demands of your customers.

“40% of loyal customers are willing to pay a premium of 10% or more when they receive great experiences.”

But is it too late? If the customer has already complained in a public form like Twitter, Facebook or a blog, could it be too late to resolve the issue? According to companies like Southwest, Ikea and Boingo, it’s not.  All of these companies consistently reach out to unhappy customers via social media and offer to resolve the unpleasant experience. Nobody wants to be associated with a hashtag fail! That can haunt you on Twitter for years to come.  In other media outlets, taking a transparent and sincere approach with customers and employees is a win-win.

Measure: “Measure the progress and the impact of the customer experience strategy on loyalty. What are the right metrics not only for your organization as a whole, but also for departments and individuals? How do you determine which metrics to pay attention to? You’ll examine which metrics to ignore, and which to highlight, both internally and externally.”

Customer care surveys are key! Companies like Old Navy, Wal-Mart and Ulta appreciate feedback so much that they offer discounts just for calling in or going online and answering a few questions as follow-up for a recent trip to one of their retail locations.  Not only do they gather information on their products but they ask about location and staff as well.

Change with the times…AND your customers.

Redefine: “Continue an on-going reinvention process. How do you put continuing experience governance in place and make it effective? Changes in technology and in taste dictate a constantly evolving set of experiences to delight customers.”

Redefining is pretty self-explanatory, but think about it for just a minute.  How do companies stay successful and in the forefront of their industry? They evolve! They change! And so do your customers and what they want from each and every interaction with your company.

And now you might be wondering, is a customer experience strategy worth it? Absolutely!

“It’s useless to be a good craftsperson . . . unless you can also sell what you create.  Your customers cannot be expected to recognize a good idea unless it is presented to them by a good salesperson.”

This is a paraphrased quote from David Ogilvy, one of America’s advertising legends. You can develop the very best solution to an exceptionally complex problem, but if you can’t present that idea in a way that will convince your prospects, all of your work has been wasted.

Your time in the spotlight is your sales presentation.  The way you conduct yourself during the few hours you spend with your prospects is crucial to your sales success.  Far too many remodelers go to meeting after meeting after meeting with no plan of attack–they simply wing it.

Sales professionals have a plan and they work it.  They know exactly what they want to happen in each phase of the selling cycle and they work toward those goals. They know that each element of their presentation builds upon the next and that they can’t move on until they’ve successfully completed each step.  They leave nothing to chance and they pay attention to the six main elements that can make the difference in any sales presentation.

1.  Make an outstanding first impression.  You have only three seconds to make your first impression and 30 more seconds to revise it if the impression is not favorable. So don’t take any chances.  Show up on time, with the right materials and ready to go.  Dress neatly and professionally at all times.

Remember that people communicate information in a variety of ways:  7% through the spoken word, 38% through tone of voice and 55% through non-verbal communication.  Watch how you’re conveying information through your facial expressions, posture (stand up tall and confident), tone of voice, attitude (be enthusiastic), handshake and eye contact.

2.  Ask open-ended questions to draw prospects out. Open-ended questions starting with Who, What, Where, Why, How and Tell me about . . .   This type of questioning allows prospects to participate in the sales process.  It will feel less like a “pitch” and more like a discussion.

They will use less emotion and justify their decision through logic.

3.  Always determine the budget early in the sales process by asking if they have an investment amount in mind.  Otherwise you can’t give them the right solution. If your prospects don’t have an investment amount in mind, “bracket” a ballpark figure with a high and low number to see if their budget idea is at all realistic.

4.  Your materials should be organized and neat.  Presentation books full of pictures of your work and testimonial letters are a must as it is the only concrete representation of your company. Be sure to use professional photos.  They make every project look great.

5.  Know the best ways to handle objections.  Remember that the best time to handle an objection is before it surfaces. Cover potential problems in your presentation.  Studies show that there are only six main objections in any one industry. Write down the objections you’re running into and develop responses.  Learn these responses until you can answer naturally. Then, practice, practice, practice.

6.  Always ask for the prospects’ business.  Amazingly, studies show that 65% of all sales calls do not include a direct request for business! Just think how many more sales you’ll close if you just ask directly and confidently!

If you follow these six guidelines, you’ll cover the important basics of professional selling.  In order to do your best job, observe your selling habits now, work to change them, and then watch how you’ll have grown and developed into a top-notch salesperson for your company.

“Sometimes the hardest part of running a business is selling it.”

WALL STREET JOURNAL

Remodelers frequently begin to think about the value of their remodeling company when they consider retirement and want the money a sale would generate to help fund their retirement lifestyle. In the majority of cases, this is too late! If you want to sell your business, you need to start early and stay focused!

Some companies are more sell-able than others. Remodeling companies that sell for high value have these things in common:

• A management team of superstars. Top level employees are worth their weight in gold.
• Use of systems in all aspects of their business– so that the owner is not the source of all information.
• Increased bench strength in the sales arena. In other words, there are others selling besides the owner. If the owner is the only source of sales and the owner leaves when the business is sold, there will be a gaping hole in the sales department.

If you have worked hard to build a sell-able company and have these elements in place, the first step in moving forward is to hire a business valuation expert to help you determine the value of your business.

In actuality, there are a number of other occasions that also call for an accurate, objective, third-party evaluation of your company, like:

1. Settling divorce distributions

2. Breaking up a partnership

3. Buying insurance to fund a buy-sell agreement

4. Planning your estate

5. Buying a shareholder’s interest in the company

6. Establishing value incase of disaster

7. Applying for a loan

8. Learning what changes you should make to the company before putting it on the market

So, if you’re facing one of these occasions, here are some things to consider:

Is Selling My Remodeling Company a Viable Goal?

Yes and no. Certainly sales of small companies do happen but they don’t happen frequently or easily.  I’ve been in the business for over 20 years and can still count on my fingers the number of remodeling companies that have been sold successfully (I’m not counting family businesses which sell to second or third generations for pennies.)

Several years ago, INC. Magazine noted that

“It may be that if, and when, many small companies do sell, the reason is not the state of the economy but the companies’ success in managing to track down a buyer who’s a lot like the seller, with the same goals and interests but just a little more money to invest and a few more years to go until retirement.”

However, by carefully preparing your company for sale, and by understanding the business marketplace, you will increase your chances of selling your company for top dollar.

How Will I Know What the Selling Price Should Be?

Nine hundred ninety-nine remodelers out of 1000 don’t know the worth of their business. If forced to guess, most (if they follow the pattern of entrepreneurs in general) would guess too high and some would guess too low a value. Yet they’ll spend 60 hours a week, 52 weeks a year for 30 years investing money and sweat in the business without thinking whether they are building value for the future. As you begin to think about selling your company, find an objective expert to help you value it. There are many factors and lots of expertise that go into setting a price.

Where Do I Find the Right Valuation Expert?

Valuations have lots of uses including helping you to target weak areas in your company. By making changes to strengthen those weak areas you can add significantly to company value. For this reason experts advise starting to prepare your company for sale 3-5 years before it goes on the market. A major part of this preparation is finding and hiring an expert in valuation to analyze the company and advise you. Start by asking your accountant, banker and lawyer. They may know an expert with whom they have worked in the past. Look into the organizations that certify Business Valuation experts. Keep searching until you find someone with experience valuing entrepreneurial businesses—preferably remodeling companies!

Can I Value My Company Myself?

Not really. Unless you are very experienced in valuing businesses, we strongly recommend that you use an outside third party to help you maximize the value you will receive.

However, for a fun, totally non-scientific look at the value of your business, download this simplified (in fact dangerously simplified!) worksheet based on methods used by experts. This will give you a very rough idea of the value of your remodeling business.

Next time, we’ll talk about actions you can take now to add more value—and sell-ability—to your remodeling company.

• Complete jobs on time,
• Within budget,
• Resulting in a highly satisfied client

This is a challenging list of goals but when they are accomplished, life is beautiful! Clients are happy and send referrals. You are happy because the company made money, your team is happy because they accomplished a difficult goal. So what are they keys to a successful production department? Here are a few tips.

First, hire great people for the department. Depending on the market, it can be a challenge to find talented production members. I caution you, however, that even if it’s tough and takes time, don’t rush your decision. These front line workers are too important to the company. Use all of the tools at your disposal to spread the word and then vet each candidate carefully. I always recommend hiring the best person you can find. The stumbling block for some remodeling company owners is the fact that great people demand higher compensation! Yes, they do and that’s because they earn it by delivering better results more efficiently, earning money for the company each step of the way. You’ll never grow into a top company if you will settle for mediocrity in your people because you’re afraid to spend the money on greatness.

If you’d like to review a sample job description for a Production Manager, click here.

Second, set expectations clearly. Expectations start with the job description you’ve created for each position. Let’s focus on the Production Manager. The person in this role typically has the most influence on the results of any job. One of the common problems I see is that the people in these positions are not meeting their responsibilities–possibly because they don’t have the expertise, the owner won’t let them do their job, communication within the company is weak or non-existent or they have never understood what their goals are.

If you have a production manager who is not living up to expectations, take an hour or two and review or write job descriptions. Include a list of their responsibilities such as “Produce all jobs to meet stated Gross Profit Margin.” Getting everyone on the same page will be very helpful as you move forward.

Lastly, monitor progress regularly and consistently. This monitoring includes regular meetings with the production team (we recommend weekly meetings) and regular productivity reports (job cost reports produced weekly as well) that you and the Production Manager or Lead Carpenter will use to check estimated costs against actual costs as the job progresses.

Isn’t it time you joined the industry’s top peer group for motivated remodeling company owners-Remodelers Advantage Roundtables? Our members see higher profits, lower turnover, fewer work hours, and a better life than non-member peers. No matter where you are in your career, we have a program to help you see better results from your company.

To start? Give us a call for a no-obligation consultation with one of our experts who will help you determine if the Roundtables Peer Groups are right for you. 301-490-5620  Or click here to complete this form and we’ll reach out to you.

It’s your brain! While phrases like, “Use your brain!” or “Think outside the box!” are casually tossed around in the workplace every day, we take for granted our brain will function precisely how we want it to, when we want it to, regardless of how we treat it.

Yet there are concrete steps we, as individuals, and as corporations and businesses, can do to optimize the function of the brain.

Five factors that can boost your brain’s performance when properly attended to include:
Stress
Exercise
Nutrition
Sleep
the physical work Environment

Going well beyond casual conjecture, cutting edge neurological findings now tell us we need to address all five factors in order to effectively care for and to boost our brain’s performance, in every S.E.N.S.E.

Stress
Stress tops the list when it comes to productivity eaters. Stress hormones directly impact the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain controlling executive function, resulting in reduced working memory and sadly diminished decision-making ability.

Reducing unnecessary stress must be a goal for every work environment. As American scientist and director of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT Sloan School of Management Peter Senge points out, stress can be likened to a rubber band stretched between your hands. Some tension on the band results in accountability and focus, but too much tension results in the rubber band breaking.

TIP 1: Don’t miss your morning kiss! Start your day by kissing your significant other or giving extra hugs to your children. The very act of caring reduces cortisol and increases the trust hormone oxytocin. Take a short break after lunch to relax. Go outside at least once during the work day and consciously notice the simple things around you – the weather, the scenery and the sounds.

Exercise
The brain requires a BDNF, or brain derived neurotrophic factor, sometimes referred to as Miracle-Gro® for your brain, which is produced after exercise to improve mood and memory, reduce stress and depression and decrease anxiety.

BDNFs also grow new neurons, enhance learning ability, increase self-esteem, improve body image, and diet control, just to name a few.

TIP 2: Beyond just offering access to a company gym, workplaces that utilize standing desks, ball chairs or walking clubs during work hours can help produce BDNFs and maximize brain function.

Nutrition
Your brain uses as much as 20 percent of our daily calories, but the quality of your food is far more important than the quantity. To boost your brain, you need at least one serving (8 grams) of protein to start the day.

TIP 3: At lunchtime, don’t rush to order fries or offer too many carbs in the cafeteria or break room, as carbohydrates and foods rich in sugar can create highs and lows, resulting in that mid-morning brain crash, crabby employees and more disagreements.

Keep your employee kitchen or break room stocked with low sugar, low caffeine and brain food snacks like strawberries, raspberries, plums, avocados, oranges, red grapes, red bell peppers, blackberries, cranberries, blueberries, and kiwis. Having protein rich foods like yogurt and peanut or almond butter on hand is also recommended.

Sleep
According to the American Time Use Survey, conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 85 percent of working adults receive adequate sleep, but sleep patterns are still a concern. People go through a series of 90-minute cycles of awareness and rest during sleep, but did you know these same cycles continue to a lesser extent all day long? These cycles create variations in your attention span and directly affect your decision-making ability.

For most, the greatest down period occurs mid-afternoon, when your body just wants to take a nap.

TIP 4: Don’t schedule very important meetings after 3 p.m. Do encourage 15-minute breaks for team building or idea sharing later in the afternoon to encourage movement and stimulation.

Work Environment
Within the first minute and a half of entering a new environment, your brain subconsciously decides how you will interact in that environment, new research suggests.

So the science of environmental motivation should not be an after-thought but should be considered first and foremost. Everything from room colors to wall hangings, signage to lighting, and even odors, can boost your brain at work.

TIP 5: Try changing the photos on your desk regularly or bring a flameless scented candle to work. Change your computer’s desktop image as often as you change your toothbrush. Remember, this is a part of your health regime for your brain.

One organ in your body dictates much of your behavior and ultimate success at work. The activities of this organ occur at a level of which you are not even consciously aware. ??It’s your brain. While phrases like, “Use your brain!” or “Think outside the box!” are casually tossed around in the workplace every day, we take for granted our brain will function precisely how we want it to, when we want it to, regardless of how we treat it.

Yet there are concrete steps we, as individuals, and as corporations and businesses, can do to optimize the function of the brain.

Five factors that can boost your brain’s performance when properly attended to include:
Stress
Exercise
Nutrition
Sleep
the physical work Environment

Going well beyond casual conjecture, cutting edge neurological findings now tell us we need to address all five factors in order to effectively care for and to boost our brain’s performance, in every S.E.N.S.E.

Stress
Stress tops the list when it comes to productivity eaters. Stress hormones directly impact the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain controlling executive function, resulting in reduced working memory and sadly diminished decision-making ability.

Reducing unnecessary stress must be a goal for every work environment. As American scientist and director of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT Sloan School of Management Peter Senge points out, stress can be likened to a rubber band stretched between your hands. Some tension on the band results in accountability and focus, but too much tension results in the rubber band breaking.

TIP 1: Don’t miss your morning kiss! Start your day by kissing your significant other or giving extra hugs to your children. The very act of caring reduces cortisol and increases the trust hormone oxytocin. Take a short break after lunch to relax. Go outside at least once during the work day and consciously notice the simple things around you – the weather, the scenery and the sounds.

Exercise
The brain requires a BDNF, or brain derived neurotrophic factor, sometimes referred to as Miracle-Gro® for your brain, which is produced after exercise to improve mood and memory, reduce stress and depression and decrease anxiety.

BDNFs also grow new neurons, enhance learning ability, increase self-esteem, improve body image, and diet control, just to name a few.

TIP 2: Beyond just offering access to a company gym, workplaces that utilize standing desks, ball chairs or walking clubs during work hours can help produce BDNFs and maximize brain function.

Nutrition
Your brain uses as much as 20 percent of our daily calories, but the quality of your food is far more important than the quantity. To boost your brain, you need at least one serving (8 grams) of protein to start the day.

TIP 3: At lunchtime, don’t rush to order fries or offer too many carbs in the cafeteria or break room, as carbohydrates and foods rich in sugar can create highs and lows, resulting in that mid-morning brain crash, crabby employees and more disagreements.

Keep your employee kitchen or break room stocked with low sugar, low caffeine and brain food snacks like strawberries, raspberries, plums, avocados, oranges, red grapes, red bell peppers, blackberries, cranberries, blueberries, and kiwis. Having protein rich foods like yogurt and peanut or almond butter on hand is also recommended.

Sleep
According to the American Time Use Survey, conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 85 percent of working adults receive adequate sleep, but sleep patterns are still a concern. People go through a series of 90-minute cycles of awareness and rest during sleep, but did you know these same cycles continue to a lesser extent all day long? These cycles create variations in your attention span and directly affect your decision-making ability.

For most, the greatest down period occurs mid-afternoon, when your body just wants to take a nap.

TIP 4: Don’t schedule very important meetings after 3 p.m. Do encourage 15-minute breaks for team building or idea sharing later in the afternoon to encourage movement and stimulation.

Work Environment
Within the first minute and a half of entering a new environment, your brain subconsciously decides how you will interact in that environment, new research suggests.

So the science of environmental motivation should not be an after-thought but should be considered first and foremost. Everything from room colors to wall hangings, signage to lighting, and even odors, can boost your brain at work.

TIP 5: Try changing the photos on your desk regularly or bring a flameless scented candle to work. Change your computer’s desktop image as often as you change your toothbrush. Remember, this is a part of your health regime for your brain.

By Dr. Ron Bonnstetter, Senior Vice President for Research and Development, TTI. This is the organization with which we work to deliver tools for hiring, training, team building and more– including Talent Management Plus, personality assessments, coaching reports and more. This array of powerful tools will help you be a stronger leader, coach and managaer. Click here to learn more or call us today at 301-490-5620.

Q: Any suggestions on running a radio ad campaign?

I like radio – when done right it works!
While I’m not an expert, in a previous life we used radio extensively. Here are some tips learned through this experience (by no means a comprehensive guide):

1.  Get a phone system with tracking.  VOIP works great.

2.  Get extra numbers (”virtual extensions”) and use a different one for different campaigns – people will say “I heard you on the radio” but may not remember which station or which specific ad got them to call (you can also forward your number through various trackable extensions).  All the numbers still feed into your main phone system.  Get rollover to alternate numbers so calls get answered if the main lines are busy.

3.  As soon as you pick up the phone get the caller’s name, number and email.  You can’t build a database without contact info.

4. Every day get a list of all the missed after-hours calls and hang-ups.  Call each one back and gently ask “Hey, we noticed you called our offices – can we help you?” You’ll be surprised at the number of people that called but either chickened out or got distracted and hung up.  Of course, immediately and politely end the call if they don’t want to talk or don’t remember calling you.

5.  Ask lots of open-ended questions before trying to get too personal – i.e. “What is it you want to improve in your home?”, “What’s going on with your (kitchen/bathroom/deck)?”, etc.

6.  Track everything – calls, calls-per-hour, calls-per-ad, length of calls, which stations and campaigns the real leads, appointments and sales $$ come from, etc. and adjust your campaign frequently.  Negotiate the ability to adjust in advance with the station.

7.  Get on a station or program that lends itself to people listening through commercials i.e. sports (so people stay to hear their scores), traffic and weather, opinion-talk, etc. vs. all-music.  Does no good to advertise if people just flip to the next station the minute the ads start.

8.  Get additional mentions by sponsoring the time or the weather.  Also get spots on the online streaming version of the station too.

9.  Consider buying yourself a talk show where you answer questions as an expert in your field.  Have people call in with their questions.  Support it by running your ad first during the breaks.

10.  If you’re using the campaign to set appointments have a different person call back to confirm the appointment.  Confirmation calls greatly improve your show/no-show ratio and the confirmer gets vital info not discussed in the original call.

11.  Make absolutely sure that the respondents have your contact info, the name of someone they can call at your office if they have questions and your website on every call.

12.  Offer an appointment on every call.  If the caller says they’ll call you back it may not happen.

13.  Most calls from prospects start with non-direct questions: “What’s the name of your company?” or “Do you have a website?” – make no mistake, these are buying questions.  Hardly anyone calls and says “I’d like to hire you!”  Get their contact info, then engage.

Q: Thanks for your help…one question…..how many times a day do you think an ad should be played on a station to be effective?

Frequency really depends on the number of good responses generated.  Try 4 times a day at least for your core advertisement if you can afford it.  Repetition is good. That’s why I suggested also sponsoring announcements like time, traffic and weather – this gets your name out there again at a potentially lower price.  Recording and playing alternate versions of the same basic commercial can help. Try having the producer interview you and use your personal comments in the ads.  Also, sometimes a talk show format may be cheaper than heavy repetitions and it works well, especially if supported by your commercials.

Watch the times for ad spots – I’ve been offered lots of commercials only to find out in the proposal that they were to run before 7 AM or after 10 PM.  A great ad is worthless if no one hears it.

Try to get scheduled in the AM and PM commuting times and during popular talk or sports shows.  Any good radio station rep should be able to tell you their demographics, listenership by show, day and time, etc. Make sure your campaign is clearly defined. Balance time vs. quantity.  Negotiate hard.

Sometimes it’s possible to negotiate for additional plays of your ads as “floaters’” (= bonus commercials for filling the station’s open, unsold spots – different stations will use different terminology) in addition to the ones with a scheduled, firm time.

Rotate stations and programs. For example,  get more ads on Political Talk during Primary or Election time, go heavier on Sports and Sports Talk during Draft or Playoffs, etc. Often you can get the talk-show host or commentator to record a version of your ad in their own voice and style (you may have to pay a small “talent” fee).

Answer your phones! It’s very important to capture the caller’s initial spark of interest even if they can’t call you until they’re out of the car, off work, etc.  Get the schedule of when your ads will run and be staffed-up and ready to answer your phones during those times.  Test your phone system ahead of time every time.  If your ad runs before or after regular business hours forward the phones to someone’s mobile (consider paying the person taking these calls a commission or bonus if the appointment they set turns into a paying customer and you’ll get volunteers).  Forward the inbound lines to someone at all times during normal business hours or hire and train an answering service.

Remember – you want everyone to have a great “Remodeling Experience” and the “experience” starts the moment they hear and respond to your ad!

You can also hire an expert to help you field and manage your calls

Our Sponsor CallSource can work with you to manage, track and improve the results from calls generated by any advertising campaigns, including radio.  Contact CallSource and see what they can do for you!

If you need help in improving the results of your marketing program, give us a call today. Remodelers Advantage has the resources to help you build a strong, consistently profitable business — all while allowing you to have a full, balanced life. 301-490-5620

Others are still reporting a lack of work, open schedules, and dwindling leads. When I talk to these owners, our conversation frequently centers around marketing and one common failing in their marketing programs is the fact that they are ignoring their sometimes extensive list of previous clients.

Today, more than ever, your previous clients are a lifeline to additional work. If you have holes in your pipeline, then pick up the phone and start calling these friends of the company. Let them know that you have an opening in your schedule, that you are offering this first to those who have helped make your company successful. What projects are on their dream list for the coming months? If they’re not planning to remodel this year, ask if they have a friend, neighbor or co-worker who is looking for a reputable remodeling company. Promise to provide the same high quality customer service that this happy customer received.

Second, if you are not doing so yet, start collecting client’s email addresses. Email is a very affordable and effective form of marketing.

Here’s one way to gather emails: First, send a hard copy letter to each client with an upbeat update on the company’s latest projects, new hires, schedule openings, etc. As a P.S. (one of the most read sections of any sales letter), promote a contest in which you invite clients to subscribe to your company’s newsletter, an action that will also enter them in a contest to win a dinner for two at a local restaurant. They can subscribe simply by sending you an email with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Don’t wait until you have hundreds. Start reaching out to your clients with an email within weeks. This “newsletter” can be created in-house or by a service like The Remodelers Newsletter. It can be a simple email letter from you mentioning an article in which you thought they would be interested, along with a link to read the entire article.

This is only one part of a full marketing plan — but an essential one! This gold mine can be producing business for many years to come. But only if you get out there and work it!

For nearly 15 years, we’ve worked with the nation’s top personality assessment company. The tools that this company, Target Training International, provide are wonderful resources for small business owners who want to build strong teams but need additional expertise to do it.  In addition to the personality assessments, the employee surveys, coaching and mentoring tools, and their hiring program, Talent Management Plus, they publish reams of great articles and other information. Here’s an article that really spoke to me, found on the Harvard Business Review blog.  I’ve reprinted it below.

How useful would it be to identify the problem-solvers within your business? They’re called entrepreneurs, and not all of them are created the same. The ability to identify entrepreneurs empowers organizations to effectively manage their workforce. Through research, we’re beginning to learn more about spotting star performers who would otherwise become disengaged and flee — taking their new ideas with them.

Identifying these individuals is possible long before they enter the workplace. In fact, 42 percent of entrepreneurs have determined they want to own their own business before the age of 12, according to an ongoing study run by our company, Target Training International, of engineering students from 18 major U.S. universities.

Early findings from this research describe two types of entrepreneurs emerging:

Entrepreneurial-Minded People (EMPs): They tend to work well in teams, have an organized workplace and enjoy consistency. These individuals are happier within organizations or within a group of people working together to achieve a goal.

Serial Entrepreneurs (SEs): The second group is made up of potential serial entrepreneurs who have a desire to own their own business. Serial entrepreneurs tend to be more individualistic, have a greater sense of urgency and a desire to control. They have demonstrated an ability to sustain a business past the first year, into the higher growth job production years of a young firm.

Both entrepreneurial types are identified by a distinct challenge-orientation and improvement-focused mindset. But they differ in their attitudes towards control. EMPs are less concerned with the amount of control they can exert. They are happiest when they work collaboratively on a task, in a team, striving for solutions to complex or recurring problems.

The SE wishes to have ultimate control over her life and business. While happy to set direction for a company or team, serial entrepreneurs need to feel that their employer is not limiting their destiny.

Once you identify certain performers as SEs or EMPs, it’s your job as a manager to retain them.

Make sure they have a forum where their ideas can be heard. When an SE shares his vision and is met with rejection, he will become disengaged and will likely resent the organization. He is also likely to not only plot his exit, but how to redress the rejection he experienced. That can translate into taking their ideas to a competitor or becoming a competitor himself. Similarly if an EMP is not allowed to engage in the problem-solving process or is asked to work independently, the same is likely to occur.

But how do managers identify entrepreneurial types? It’s often helpful to put these questions to use, especially during the hiring process or a performance review.

1. Describe your career goals. The EMP’s answer would more likely indicate he could care less about being in management and is happy where he is or where he is applying for. The SE will tend to say she is looking for advancement.
2. Describe your professional strengths. An EMP will focus on strengths directly related to the job in question. An SE will talk more about leadership and personal identity.
3. Describe things you’re not good at. Honesty is important for both. Listen closely: If she claims to not have any weaknesses, she is likely more SE-driven. The more weaknesses he confesses to having, the more EM-driven he is.
4. What activities do you do to keep current in your profession? The EMP is interested in keeping up within his profession and industry. The SE is more focused on keeping up on broader scope, going beyond just her career and may discuss things she is reading, experiencing or sharing.

Entrepreneurs — whether EMPs or serial — already possess the behaviors, attitudes, and values to build successful businesses. Finding out whom within the workforce possesses the traits of an entrepreneur — and which type they are — will allow business leaders to work with their unique approach to business. Recruiting and retaining entrepreneurs will pay big dividends not just for individual companies, but also for the economy as a whole.

For more information on how we can help you hire and build strong teams, packed with problem solvers, click here or give us a call today. We’ll show you how the TTI Tools have enabled our clients to save hours of time and thousands of dollars by hiring right in the first place, and allowing superstars to develop and grow within the company. Call today 301-490-5620.
]]> http://www.remodelersadvantage.com/blog/archives/382/feed 0 http://www.remodelersadvantage.com/blog/archives/378 http://www.remodelersadvantage.com/blog/archives/378#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:00:04 +0000 victoria http://www.remodelersadvantage.com/blog/archives/378 I was reading an interesting report by the temp employee people, Robert Half, when a statistic stopped me. They say that, 45 percent of workers say they plan to change employees, careers or industry’s when the economy improves. Wow!

If that’s true, our small businesses could really be left in the lurch.   We all know that turnover really takes a toll on productivity, morale, resources, and client satisfaction.  And we also know that the impact  of wonderful employees who have been with you for years, who understands your systems, and who knows how to deliver great service to your clients, is huge! So let’s not just sit back waiting for the shoe to fall! Instead, take action to keep your top employees with you. Here are some tips that Half shares:

• Re-recruit your top players. Ask them what they like about their job, what new skills they’d like to acquire and, if they could change anything about their job, what would it be? Afterward, review their answers and take action to show the employee that you were listening and you want them to be happy.
• Give them room to grow. To help them develop skills and groom them for new responsibilities, start a cross training program for your best people. Shadow co workers who’s roles relate. For example, you might allow an ambitious Lead Carpenter to shadow the Production Manager for a few hours a week, allowing the Lead to learn about management, delegation, scheduling and more.
• Share your vision and ask for input. Employees want to feel that they impact the future and have a stake in the success of the firm. So let your employees know where you see the company going and involve them in making that vision a reality.
• Lastly, recognize their efforts.  Recognition is one of the most effective tools you have at your disposal — and also one of the most affordable! Create a program to recognize successes, both large and small. In fact, build in the chance for peers to show appreciation for each other.

The moral of the story is, don’t take your employees for granted. There will soon be plenty of new opportunities for talented folks. . .so take steps now to hold on  to this huge company asset.

If you’re looking for tools to help you improve communication between employees, coach a middling employee into greatness, or hire the best people you can for every position, call Remodelers Advantage today. We offer a complete array of state-of-the-art tools and strategies that will transform your team–leading to increased efficiency, improved employee happiness, and superior bottom line results. 301-490-5620 or click here. We’re ready to help!