December 28, 2010 at 7:36pm Tags: comfort zone, customer service, employees, family
It’s A Family Affair
Most people identify “Mom and Pop” shops for their welcoming charm. Yet despite a reputation for exuding a comfortable feeling, many end up closing their doors. Whether the challenge is big-box competitors, an economic slump or limited resources, making ends meet can be tough. But for Precision Air-Conditioning of Memphis, Tenn., the family business figured out the secret to staying open for 37 years and counting.
Just as individuals have a story, so do businesses. Ten years ago, asking Kathe Stewart if she would ever work in the family business would have resulted in a firm “no.” As a practicing lawyer, she never imagined she would one day be chief operations officer of her father’s air-conditioning company.
But in 2002, an unfortunate event changed the course of her life and the direction of her father’s company.
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May 11, 2010 at 5:27pm Tags: customer service, family, professional
Are These Skills Really “Soft?”
One of the things that has always made me crazy is the labeling of sales and customer service as a so called “soft” skill. If sales and service are soft then why is it so hard to get your team to put them into practice? I often wonder, “Who was the dunderhead, that coined this term?”
My best guess is that it is probably someone who has a very strong technical skill-set that has failed to develop equally strong customer skills. This person (Probably a guy) then trying to justify this weakness, downplays the importance of customers by labeling this uber-important skill as “soft” which implies that it is not very important.
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March 07, 2010 at 6:13pm Tags: $5 million, family, improvement, income, listening
A Fateful Meeting For Sales Expert
Rick Picard walked curiously into the company’s sales meeting. His company had hired a consultant to help sales reps increase their revenues. A top performer and no stranger to seven-figure annual sales, Picard was not required to go. But he went anyway. After the meeting, Picard knew his life was going to change.
A Webster, MA, native, Picard began his career doing plumbing repairs and installations after he completed trade school. Picard worked hard to support his wife, Monika, and their four daughters, Ashley, Austin, Gabrielle and Kaitlin. The family moved to Coventry, RI more than 10 years ago.
In 2003, he had the opportunity to join Lincoln, RI,-based Gem Plumbing & Heating’s residential service team.
For six years, Picard has been a successful sales manager at Gem. From 2003 to 2005, Picard estimates that he was selling as much as $2 million annually, which is more than three times the industry average.
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