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.
In this day and age of hundreds of TV channels to watch as well as internet videos, I have found a particular show that I run across every now and then. I must say that this television series really fascinates my wife Julie and I. The show that I am talking about is called the “Dog Whisperer” and it features a gentleman whose name is Cesar Millan. This man who has a such a “magic touch” with our canine friends came, from humble beginnings growing up in Mexico before he eventually transformed into the mega-star he is today. He counts people like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith as some of his closest friends.
Each week Cesar faces a seemingly out of control dog whose owners have given up on trying to train their pet and cannot cope any longer with this “toxic” behavior. These dogs are driving every one crazy, except one person. An that person is Cesar.
I want to start by saying that I am against government interference in the contracting industry as much as anyone. It is certainly hard enough to profitably operate an hvac, plumbing or electrical service contracting business without another partner who is guaranteed their profit before the contractor owner gets theirs.
However, one of the places where local government and some dishonest people in the trades makes a mockery of the statutes and laws, is in the area of licensing and permits. All of the honest contractors I know voluntarily follow the requirements to be licensed or registered if the community requires it. These same contractors comply with permits and inspection requirements as well. Even though it increases the cost of doing business and the prices the consumer pays for this service.
Fear can disable the best of us. Many times the fear we face in service and sales situations start to make us create assumptions that lead us to dysfunctional behaviors. Sometimes the fear begins with finding a huge problem that the customer didn’t expect on a typical call. The problem is viewed as small or routine by the client but after you diagnose the whole system you find the problem is bigger than anyone anticipated. The fear that the client may think you are trying to sell them something they don’t need may paralyze some into covering up the problem instead of solving it.
Indeed service or sales people who fear things like the economy, high prices, their ability to sell, close or handle objections usually blame the fear itself which stops them in their tracks, instead of trying to sculpt an effective response to it.
“The problems of today cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created those problems.”
Albert Einstein
How many times in the service contracting business have you ever had a challenge that just went away by waiting? One of the secrets to being successful in the contracting industry no matter what job you do is to muster the courage to take action.
For instance, think about an installation crew walking around in circles thinking about the job instead of just doing some of the basics that need to be done regardless of the difficulty. Things like protecting the home with floor mats or drop clothes, unloading materials or even removing the old materials and equipment. Sometimes we think too much or try to be an “Einstein” and those thoughts can impair our ability to act.
The difference between a REAL professional in any occupation and those who aspire to this status is not the talent level or even any of their great achievements.
The main difference in my opinion are the times when they struggle or find themselves in a slump. The true professional does not lose their enthusiasm when faced with a setback or challenge. On days when the normal person would rather call in sick, the professional shows up and gives the same effort they would give on their best days. What then do professionals do when they go into a slump or suffer a poor performance? They always go back to the fundamentals and remember the little things that mean a lot when the pressure is on.
In this interview, ContractorSelling.com CEO, Joe Crisara shares his thoughts about the state of the service contracting industry and their importance to society. He also talks about his commitment to helping those who need help.
This e-book which was first released in 2006, shatters the myths that has been perpetrated on contractors and their employees for decades.
If you are an average Technician or salesperson then I’m sure you know all the myths and excuses that there are to know.
But with these myths and excuses you will only achieve average or below average results.
If you want OUTSTANDING results then then you must read the special report called the “Lost Contractor.” Although the book was first released in 2006, the principles and fundamentals are more true today than they ever were.
This free report is a must read for all service contractors!
Ah my first day at a new job. You breathe in and inhale all of the possibilities. Everyone in your family is excited about your prospects at your new place of employment. Even your Mom said how proud she was about you landing work so you could provide as everyone should for your spouse and kids. You think to yourself, “I wonder what the company is like? Will they go over the company system of paperwork? Maybe show me how they want me to sell their services. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even throw a “Welcome to the Company” party for me. The excitement is so great you can hardly sleep the night before your first day…
Just heard today from a contractor who had the dubious experience of hiring a new service tech. The above was probably what the newly hired person was dreaming BEFORE he came to work. After all, do we ever start a new job thinking, “This place will probably suck!” Not at all. Every company is envisioned as a great place to work be fore we begin to work there and then REALITY happens… OUCH!
Look At the Truth
