Improving sales is just like everything else in your business you want to improve. It goes a whole lot better when you’ve got a plan and you’re prepared. To make quality sales, we need a documented systematic approach and practice to be successful. I don’t believe in “Born Salesperson.” The reason is I was terrible [...]
"Al stresses that 'If it's not written, it's not real.' We now live by this. Without the simple business procedures Al introduced us to, I couldn't get my company to the next level or expect my company to run itself."
Matt Morse
President
Precision Plumbing
Carol Stream, IL
Monthly Archive for November, 2011
When I first spoke with AI, I wasn’t sure that what Al has done with other contractors would fit my company which is primarily a commercial service and install company that also does residential service and install. I was pleasantly surprised in both our first step together called Planning Power and our second step called Customizing Operating Power to learn that Al has done commercial, industrial, and residential work and has an incredible grasp of the inner works, trials and tribulations we owners face every day.
With wall to wall coverage of a slow but ever so powerful hurricane approaching and devouring the East Coast of the United States this week in August, it’s tempting to become riveted to the news and paralyzed with fear. Realistically, you can’t avoid getting caught up in it if you watch tv, listen to radio [...]
First, we must define what “Happy Calls” are. They are calls made to your Customers right after you’ve been there to do service or install work. Here are my general thoughts about doing Happy Calls: These calls don’t tend to get you the testimonials you should be seeking. Testimonials are critical to any effective sales [...]
It’s as inevitable as death and taxes. Be a contractor long enough and you’re going to end up selling stuff to your family, friend or house of worship. Here’s another axiom that is true. When something can go wrong, it’s bound to happen at your relative’s home, your friend’s home or your house of worship! [...]
I live in Arizona for the last 10 years. For 8 months of the year, it’s a lovely place to be. But, it gets just a little toasty the other 4 months of the year. And that puts an awful strain on air conditioners and a whole lot more of stuff we took for granted [...]
I live in Arizona for the last 10 years. For 8 months of the year, it’s a lovely place to be. But, it gets just a little toasty the other 4 months of the year. And that puts an awful strain on air conditioners and a whole lot more of stuff we took for granted [...]
Before we did the Customized Operating Power! Manuals with Al, no one in our company knew what was expected of them. It was always,“You didn’t tell me that!” Now that has all changed – we’ve created the manuals and those are what we train on.There is no more “I didn’t know that.”
So, when Al Levi came in, I spent three days locked behind closed doors with him, going step-by-step-by step as to what I expected from my technicians–and from my dispatchers, my customer service representatives, accounts receivable, accounts payable–even the oil truck driver.We weren’t really having a tremendous problem on the financial end, it was organizational, communications.
I ’d been reading Al Levi’s column in PM for months before meeting him at a C2000 meeting where he spoke.After that, I had no doubt. We needed him to get our operations to run smoother. Our company had been growing at more than 20% a year and that’s a good thing. But it was creating bottlenecks and stress for everyone.
