Most of us think a lot! We’re driving to work and we’re thinking…well maybe dreading it. We’re bombarded by staff questions and customer interactions so we’re thinking of answers to the problems and challenges hurled our way. We’re at our desk or working in the field so we’re thinking and problem solving as we go [...]
"Life before Planning Power! was like knowing you need to go to the gym and lose weight or work out, these are the things you KNOW your supposed to do, but don’t. The answers are all the same,“not enough hours in the day” or “I am too busy working to focus on that.” We are all guilty for more reasons than can be listed."
Tim Flynn, Co-OwnerWinters Plumbing
Belmont, MA
Monthly Archive for June, 2011
The clients I coach on how to improve their closing ratio [which is how many service calls they go on vs. the amount of calls they actually close a sale] Their installation sales have reported a dramatic increase by just energizing one of the many steps we talk about. The one technique I start with [...]
Is there any owner who hasn’t read a book or heard a lecture that didn’t advocate the need to get buy-in from your employees? Bet they recommended a Suggestion Box! I’m a bit ashamed to admit but I too tried it years back and all I got for my efforts were either no response or [...]
Years ago when I was told by my dad that if I ever wanted to get out of the truck I need to make my replacements. I got no further instructions on how to do that but in that instant I knew what I had to do. I needed to train others to do what [...]
What I tell clients of mine to do periodically is to envision that they closed the doors at their existing company and decided to reopen across the street. They learn to think of it as hitting the reset button and getting a fresh start. Amazingly, things become much clearer! They’re instantly free of defending and [...]
Coming from a background in sales where I knew that my pricing on service work and install were going to be anywhere from 33 to 50% higher than most of my competition, I learned a key sales technique. It’s called “Raising the Objection.” If you are in the habit of “Quote and Hope” which means [...]
Frequently during my consulting work one to one with clients and during the free 30 minute consulting calls I offer, I get asked the following question, “At what size company does this get easier?” The answer is, “It depends!” Not to be evasive, but the reality is you can be profitable at any size and [...]
It’s true that systems can make any company run better and be more profitable in the good times. It also true it makes it possible to run your company successfully without you having to ride to the rescue to save the day or your having to depend on great staff to overcome a lack of [...]
Years ago when I was still working in my family business, we would hit a rough patch periodically. Sometimes it was just a tough season due to weather and sometimes it was a rough economy just like now. When I was tempted to cut expenses too vigorously, my dad would remind me that, “Your trucks [...]
