“The mind is it’s own place and can make Heaven out Hell or Hell out of Heaven.” – John Milton
By Susan Russo
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Everyone has issues they are dealing with which range all over the “life experience” board. From relationships, to money, work, health, love, debt, decisions, crossroads, revenge, jealousy, bosses, bitterness, and on and on. These issues seem to consume us and fill us with worry, fear, hurt, pain, anxiety and more. But, they don’t have to. I know it’s easy to say but when you are going through it, it’s just not that easy. The truth is, it’s easier than you think because being upset is a choice.
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If you are in debt, what good does it do to worry about it? For that matter what good does worrying do for anything? Does it help you to get out of debt? Does worrying make the fear of more debt go away? What about your jerk of a boss, does it help you to have anxiety every time you are around this person? Does it make you feel better to fear what might happen?
The above video clip always makes me burst out in laughter. Do you remember when the TV show “Seinfeld” was a huge hit on NBC’s “Must-See TV” every Thursday? I have probably watched every episode at least 2 or 3 times. The one episode that really stands out for me more than all the others is the episode where George Costanza decides he’s going to do the opposite of what he would normally do. The episode was called “Opposite George.”
Without a doubt, life today flies by at record speed and many of us get overwhelmed around the year-end holidays.
I wonder if many people in sales business have thought much about the people who are at the center of whatever success they have achieved. I know I recently have.
Those thoughts of kindness by everyone who has helped me have really stirred some great emotions inside of me.
Not Everything Has To Be 2.0
The principle of giving thanks is nothing new but it is always in style and appropriate. If you’re not sure whether thanks is merited then I would err on the side of doing it anyway just in case it is.
I love the use of analogies. One of the prime examples I use is a owner of a contracting company as being the captain of a ship. As the leader you may find yourself heading towards “stormy business weather.” This storm is approaching as your sales revenue is lower than your overhead, field labor and material costs can substantiate. When this happens, you start to take on water. (Go into debt) Soon the whole ship is in danger of sinking.
When you finally wind up in the worst part of the storm the telltale signs are all around you as the captain. The rain of phone calls from vendors looking to collect on what you owe or the lightning of your having to consider a loan, line of credit or even take money out of your own pocket, just to make payroll this week are just a few of the signs that your ship is indeed in trouble.
Let’s face facts. Most of us take shortcuts when making a purchase that we are unfamiliar with. For example when we buy a flat screen television, new car or purchase a service we rarely use turn to price and reputation as a “shortcut” to tell ourselves about the quality of what we are purchasing. For instance if i said I was selling a car for $95,000 most people would envision a Mercedes Benz or Lexus loaded with all the trimmings.
Does this same effect happen when people buy hvac, plumbing and electrical service fron our company. Well I guess that depends on how your company positions itself in the market. Are you perceived as high end or a budget?
There is an important question that owners and sales manager’s in a successful contracting business ask themselves before engaging in training, coaching or accountability activities.
Here is that question…
“Do I have the right person?”
The difference between mediocre and champion caliber sales managers lies in their willingness to ask this question of every employee, themselves included at any time. The mediocre manager falls in love with the personality of the people they manage and assumes things will turn around eventually.
The winning manager never assumes that the person who they manage hasn’t changed to the point where they might not be a fit with the team any longer. In essence they are asking if the employee is capable of performing the skills and techniques that make up their sales system. Furthermore, if they do have those skills are they willing to take action by using them with a potential buyer?
Many times I asked at conferences about what brand of equipment I prefer. For me that is an easy question and one that I answer the same way every single time. I feel the absolute best brand is YOU the contractor.
The best equipment will not last very long if it installed with an inadequate air distribution system, fuel delivery system, electrical system, water delivery or drainage system, combustion removal system and refrigerant transfer system.
In fact when a customers asks me, “How much are the parts for this job?” I always tell them that the parts are free. When a customer does business with a service contractor the product they are purchasing is SERVICE not the materials or equipment.
Maintenance or service agreements are the lifeblood of every hvac, plumbing or electrical service company that is in business today. In a nutshell, they formalize the relationship between clients and your company. Agreements allow you a loyal base of fans that not only want to receive your marketing message but actually read this massage as well.
The carnage created by not having such agreements in place can cost you in many ways. Loss of clients and employees are just the beginning. Without service agreements to supply a steady “lifeblood” of loyal, returning clients it can eventually create an environment where companies can go out of business. Basically this program to sell service for the future at today’s price in exchange for payment today creates a circulation of cash needed to run every business that does service for residential or commercial clientele.
Have you ever watched a football or baseball team where the coach or manager refused to look at the truth?
Unless your favorite team recently won the championship, it is likely that your team currently has this issue. Perhaps the coach of your team has fallen in love with some of his favorite players because he personally drafted them in a higher round. Or maybe the player has performed particularly well in the past for this coach and helped to win a championship in past years. Whatever the reason, he desperately wants them to succeed and now this refusal to look at the truth straight on becomes toxic.
Contracting Heaven Or Hell?
Is Gratitude Part Of Your System?
