Category: Owners

Are You Working ON Your Business?

Long-term survival and the success of your business are dependent upon your willingness to spend time ON your business instead of being a slave to it. You should be doing work to develop new businesses and making sure that you have all the other business management elements in place so you can invest your efforts in making your business better. So often, business owners seem to want new businesses to “find” their way to them, but that rarely happens. Furthermore, you have said to yourself a thousand times, “I can do this so much better than my employees.”

For you to really succeed, you must find time every day to work on at least one critical aspect of running your business. This might include networking, cold calling, marketing, or even reviewing the financials.

As the owner, you have to market and promote your products and services:
If the thought of marketing is overwhelming or intimidating, start with a simple strategy of scheduling lunch meetings with every business person you know in your community. You need this exposure and interaction.

Make time on your calendar to devote to working on your business, and don’t let anyone or anything cancel that time. You are incredibly vulnerable to being sidetracked and losing your focus. Treat that time seriously, as if it were a major client meeting. As a business owner, it is absurd to think you can turn the entire marketing process over to a sales manager or a salesperson! You own the business; YOU are responsible for making sales, in addition to expecting your sales staff to do the same. If you delegate most of this to someone else, you are in effect saying – “I’m trusting my business and future to someone that is working here for a paycheck!”

See the vision as a roadmap, and then drive toward it:
Visions are more powerful than goals because visions have an emotional component. When you see a picture, it evokes emotion – involving your heart, not just your head. This is far more powerful than only writing down an idea. We are moved more than 90% more if there is a compelling picture involved! (think World Trade Center on fire).

Every business owner I have spoken with always says “I wish I could find marketers that have the same passion as I do.” The reality is these people would own their own businesses if that were the case. They will NEVER have the same passion and vision as you, so plan to set parameters, targets, rules, expectations, and metrics to measure their successes (or failures). As an “acting sales manager” for many business owners, I help hold sales staff feet to the fire – making sure they are performing the way they should.

If you don’t tell people about what you do, why you do it, and how it will help them, then it’s like you are shooting ducks in the dark with a blindfold on. As an owner, you need to get from point A to point Z, successfully, so there has to be a strategy and you have to see where you are going to achieve this. Nobody gets into their car, puts on a blindfold, and starts driving down the road!

Use Social Media to Get More for Your Marketing Buck:
Determine what social media networks your ideal clients use, and post to them frequently. For example, if your client or customer base is primarily retail-type consumers, post on Pinterest or Facebook. There is NO QUESTION that social media marketing is being successfully used today. You need to make sure you are getting in on that action.

If you are mostly a B2B service, LinkedIn and Twitter work well to get your message out. Since I teach an eight-hour course on the best ways to use Social Media for Business, these two sentences can’t begin to say what you need to consider or do with social media. Just don’t be lulled into the belief that you don’t need it right now, because that’s sticking your head in the sand!

Today is a new world. We have a different culture and society whether we like it or not. This new society uses Social Media – a lot. Your customers ARE using it to communicate about your products and services, even if you have not embraced the social media world. Don’t get caught directly behind the eight-ball, totally oblivious to what is happening with a large percentage of your existing customer base.

Properly Train New Employees:
Whether a new hire remains with your firm and becomes a productive part of the team depends a lot on how well they are integrated into the team. Do they have a welcoming first day? Are they given proper training? Do you even have an onboarding process?

In-house training is extremely important if the new hire is going to be involved in sales/marketing. You must make sure they understand the value of your services and how to communicate that value. You can’t drop a new hire into a marketing or selling situation, say, “Go to it!” and expect them to generate good results. Even if the hire has a great track record, they need instruction and training, and guidance.

“Executives think they can go out and hire great marketers. Partly because they don’t know the right criteria or skill set to look for, In their minds, they’re hiring a marketer in a box – just bring them in, add water, and the jobs just roll in. Further, most marketing people learned the process from “old school teachers” that made the sales call about themselves. Teach your staff that it’s about the client and NOT about your own company, or you will lose.

Dick Wagner is a National Marketing Coach for the Disaster Restoration Industry and Commercial Marketing Consultant.  

LEED, or “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,”

a set of standards that are used for the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings that are considered “green,” or environmentally responsible and efficient. LEED standards can not only help to reduce the impact that construction and building operations can have on the local environment and its population, but they are also important toward reducing energy costs for heating, cooling, and lighting, all of which can have enormous benefits for a property owner.

There are currently over 7,000 LEED projects within the United States and countries around the world, and LEED certification continues to be a very popular option for property owners that want to have a much less damaging impact on the environment. LEED buildings also mean lower energy costs throughout the year, which can be very important in areas that reach extremely high temperatures, extremely low temperatures, or both throughout the year.

LEED-certified contractors should be your first point of contact if you need repairs for a wide number of reasons, but among them is the familiarity with LEED that the contractor can bring to the work site. With minimal introduction, a LEED contractor can get to work on a green building much more readily than a contractor which isn’t at all familiar with LEED standards. What is surprising is there are very few LEED-certified disaster recovery contractors in the US.

What LEED Means

In order to have a building certified with LEED, however, it’s important to work with contractors that are LEED certified themselves. Contractors who pass LEED certification must:

• Comply with local standards for construction activity, which covers pollution prevention.
• Have a proper plan and protocol for waste management on a construction site.
• Use recycled materials where and when available, as well as regional materials to reduce the carbon footprint of construction or repair.
• Use sustainable, certified wood products.
• Manage indoor air quality both during construction and before the building will be occupied.
• Use low-emitting materials, which include certain sealants, paints, and coatings.

LEED contractors can not only help you to maintain these standards during any construction project but for repairs on a LEED-certified building as well. In fact, the best way to maintain your certification is to work with a LEED-certified contractor for the job. All subcontractors who work under that contractor must maintain the same standards that the contractor must abide by, which means that you’ll not only get top-quality work but you can also rest assured that all employees on the site will be aware of the proper LEED standards to follow.

Why LEED Repairs are Vital

Choosing a LEED-certified, green building plan is a great way to help both the environment and your budget, but when you need repairs, it’s all the more important to maintain conservational and environmental concerns. Repairs to any building will still require building materials, monitoring of interior air control, use of recycled materials where available, and more. There will also need to be considerations for waste management, and for local laws and guidelines regulating any and all construction or repair work. LEED contractors must be fully aware of all of these criteria before they can even begin a job properly.

With a LEED contractor, you will get:

• More energy-efficient repair work, which includes repairs to roofing, insulation, and other aspects which can affect your energy usage.
• Green-oriented repairs to walls, flooring, and other areas, including the materials which are used.
• Savings on materials if you are using recycled matter from the same, or another, construction site.
• Long-term savings by having LEED systems properly repaired, maintained, or installed.

In both the short and long terms, having a LEED-certified contractor handling your repairs means savings, more productivity, and an overall more effective operation. If you are a LEED-certified contractor performing disaster mitigation, clean-up, and repairs, please contact me so I can add you to the list.

Types of LEED Certifications:
Green Building Design & Construction

• LEED for New Construction (Commercial)
• LEED for Core & Shell
• LEED for Schools
• LEED for Retail: New Construction and Major Renovations
• LEED for Healthcare

Green Interior Design & Construction

• LEED for Commercial Interiors
• LEED for Retail: Commercial Interiors
• Green Building Operations & Maintenance
• LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance

Green Neighborhood Development

• LEED for Neighborhood Development

Green Home Design and Construction

• LEED for Homes (Single-Family, Multifamily, and “Mid Rise”)

Dick Wagner Nationally recognized restoration sales coach and consultant. 419-202-6745

DOES YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM HAVE A ROADMAP?

Driving around aimlessly, or in lazy circles may seem “fun” to some people, but the reality is you never end up at the right (or any appropriate) destination.

With the advent of smartphone apps, GPS devices, and satellite mapping, trips become much more efficient and much less costly since we know exactly where we are going and what route we will take.

Many companies using social media have inadvertently become lost drivers – unsure where they are going and even less sure how to get there. Often, they start using social platforms with the goal of reaching a certain number of Likes, Retweets, or Shares, but just as often, they begin the trip of social media strategies experiencing a disconnect between the Content they post on their Blog or in Tweets. Even more frustrating is the methodology they use to measure their success.  It isn’t about how many Likes on the Facebook business page!   It IS about the level of engagement, interaction, participation, and two-way communication you are having with these social media “friends.”  Absent this, it simply means you are driving without a roadmap; you probably just don’t know it.

When you finally determine social media isn’t working for you, your social media approaches are likely missing one or two fundamental components: an effective content strategy and making it about THEM, not you.

Here are three ways a solid content strategy can improve your company’s social media success:
How Important is a Like?
You probably have learned that all social media engagement is not created equally. To realize success with the social media activity that you generate, it must support your marketing goals – whether you want to boost customer conversions, build interest in a service, or simply engage customers so they can feel connected to you and your company. (People like to feel involved)!
Developing an appropriate and effective Content strategy before you get involved in social media will help your business clarify the specific marketing goals you want to achieve. Well-thought-out Content enables you to communicate effectively to reach those goals. This process will ensure you get the right likes, shares, and retweets from social interactions.

Social is a Channel.
Social media is a channel for sharing compelling Content with your audience, and it doesn’t work if you don’t know what issues, topics, and trends your audience finds compelling. Learning how those you are trying to reach want to be talked to, is a key part of developing a content strategy. Those on Facebook will expect something different than those on Twitter or Pinterest. Where do they go for the information they need at that moment? How much time do they spend online searching for the info they want? What kind of content are they looking for from your industry?

By getting to know the pains, issues, challenges, and interests of your audience (customers and potential customers, etc.), you can develop specific campaigns to reach your online audience more effectively, saving you time and enhancing your company’s social influence.  Remember, the primary reason to be social is to be a part of your community and customers.

Relevant Content Should be of Substance.
Rulers of social content don’t become that way by luck. They use strategic procedures and methods to connect with their audience through the right channels at the right times. More importantly, they make these connections meaningful and memorable by posting and sharing strategic, relevant content that their audiences desire.

Being successful in the world of social media means you have to create a detailed roadmap, identifying all the “places you want to visit, and how you will get to those places.”  A well-planned, well-thought-out, well-implemented Content strategy is not only an important component of any social media strategy; it’s the key to driving the results your business wants.

Your audience members enjoy your valuable or interesting social content when you deliver social content that rewards them for sharing your content, engaging with your business, and, ideally, helping to promote your reputation as a thought leader in your business or industry.  The right, methodically planned content strategy allows you to do just that when you have a clear and concise roadmap for your social media trip. Providing informative, helpful, educational, creative, and even humorous content makes it far more likely that you will have meaningful interactions.

Author: Dick Wagner –  expert on Social Media for Service Businesses   419-202-6745

I hope you didn’t make this stupid comment!

The highlighted message below (in quotes) was recently posted on a Social Media site by a contractor who, in my opinion, is ill-informed – at best.

“Attention Homeowners: Do Not Choose a Restoration Company/Contractor who has little, or no experience working with Insurance companies.
As the insurance policyholder, it is your responsibility to disclose any loss to the insurance company and provide the necessary documentation required to process the claim. You will need an estimate from a restoration company that meets the strict insurance company requirements, created using specific estimating software. If the estimate format does not meet the insurance company standards, it may be rejected.”

Sadly, the above statement seems to be the belief of many restoration companies! In my humble opinion, it’s absolutely WRONG.

First: The Skills and Experience needed are: knowing the correct way to mitigate and restore the property.

Second: what do they mean “disclose any loss?” If the toilet overflows in your home and you get it cleaned up quickly and properly, and choose not to make a claim (or the cost is below your deductible amount), you are NOT required to contact your insurance company.

Third: An Estimate is not required. Certainly, the property owner may want an idea of what to expect in costs, but it is NOT required, and the insurance company does not and cannot demand it!

Fourth: No insurance company has the right to require the contractor to use “specific estimating software.” There are several Estimating programs on the market and the key word is “Estimate.” That means approximate, close, about, in the area, a general idea or expectation of the cost.

Policyholders are required to immediately mitigate their loss to prevent further damage. This means they are required to hire a contractor and get the loss mitigated ASAP. No estimate is required by the insurance company, (however, the policyholder may ask for an approximate price). And, yes, the adjuster or agent may TELL YOU that you need to get an estimate but they cannot DEMAND it! No place in the homeowner policy does it require an estimate before work is done.

Only those contractors that have sold their souls to Third Party Administrators or Preferred Vendor Programs are expected to use the “approved pricing program of the TPA or insurance carrier – in the format they demand.”

Working With Insurance Companies.
As the insurance policyholder, it is your responsibility to disclose any loss to the insurance company and provide the necessary documentation required to process the claim. You will need an estimate from a restoration company that meets the strict insurance company requirements,

created using specific estimating software. If the estimate format does not meet the insurance company standards, it may be rejected.”

Sadly, the above statement seems to be the belief of many restoration companies! In my humble opinion, it’s absolutely WRONG.

Dick Wagner, National Marketing Coach, and Commercial Marketing Expert

As the Owner or GM do you go out, call on clients and actually sell?

The top 4 benefits of having an Owner or General Manager that actively sells:

• • Owners and managers who actively sell have a current and intimate understanding of what techniques, skills, and strategies work in your selling environment. And having this first-hand knowledge means they can teach it to others.
  • Because a selling owner or manager has this immediate experience of closing sales, they are in a much better position to help their team members close business as well.
  • A selling manager commands the immediate respect and confidence of his/her sales team. An owner is a leader of his team, and the best way to lead is by example. Marketers respect and follow a leader who can help them close sales and achieve their goals.
  • A confident manager grows a confident and productive team. Nothing is better for a manager than to have him/her demonstrate they have what it takes to successfully close deals. Smaller companies usually have no more than one or two sales professionals, along with a General Manager or Owner overseeing them. As GM or Owner, they have a number of responsibilities and often don’t have sales backgrounds. Because of this, they struggle to provide the necessary direction and often fail to help their sales professionals realize their full potential. A great solution for a smaller company is hiring an “outside” coach or “remote sales manager” which can be far less expensive than bringing on a full-time salaried sales manager in-house. An outside sales coach can still review Daily Activity, establish Goals, and generally hold the sales staff accountable to the numbers and targets. Even the smallest sales force needs some form of sales management. An outside sales coach/manager brings objectivity, accountability, and valuable sales guidance.

At a minimum, a marketing manager should:

• • Know the real buying environment
  • Have measurable goals/quotas
  • Hold marketers accountable
  • Track and hold salespeople accountable
  • Be skilled in training sales staff
  • Be able to motivate your salespeople

A final thought:
Most managers believe that salespeople should be able to convince prospects to buy. It doesn’t seem to occur to them that their salespeople can’t convince people to do anything they don’t already want to do. Insist that your salespeople treat prospects with trust and respect, utilize an effective sales process, and abandon all forms of persuasion, false urgency, and manipulation. It’s about the client, NOT about the salesman or his services.

And most importantly, as an owner or general manager, establish your own personal quota and go out and sell – even if it’s only one qualified prospect each week!

Author: Dick Wagner, Marketing Coach, and Consultant, Commercial Marketing Expert