It Only Looks Like Fun…
I might just have the best job in the world. The work requires preparation, stamina and creativity. And I guess it looks like lots of fun. Below are three photo collages. Clicking on a photo expands the image so you…
Propane Profitability – Invest In Employees
The behaviors that enable propane service professionals to be more persuasive begin with self-confidence in their employer's services, value deliverables, policies and procedures. It is this self-confidence that makes a person more comfortable in building a relationship. When an employee is…
Stress Management
Stress management is a vital skill for personal and professional success. From my own experience, stress is harmful because it shuts down constructive thought and results in stasis, with little improvement or change. This static condition can become a downward…
Employee Reprimand
For managers, how to conduct an employee reprimand has no shortage of opinions. One of the most creative employee reprimands occurred during a conference at which I was the keynote speaker. I had the opportunity to mix and mingle with…
How To Close a Sale: Bad First Impressions & Scatterbrains Can Hurt
How to close a sale is much about first impressions. This reality became more apparent to me recently while my wife and I sought a contractor to replace a concrete patio in our backyard. Our search began with a list…
Breaks In The Workplace: Get Innovative
My video guy (Evan) is young and resourceful - he recently taught me a valuable lesson about breaks in the workplace. He and I are creating new customer service educational videos. This project is intense. We are merging business and music…
The Art of Asking Questions
The basics of good communication and the art of asking questions include the mutual understanding that talking alone is not communicating. Service leaders have learned that good communication happens when someone speaks and another person hears, qualifies, and then understands what…
How Would You Handle a Difficult Customer?
The question: how would you handle a difficult customer? is frequently asked. Every service and sales professional faces the same dilemma on a daily basis whether customers contact them via telephone, walk in to their establishment, or correspond in writing.…
Courage and Friendship – Great Together!
During business lunch with a prospective client, I had the feeling that I wasn't making enough of an impression. I had already listened carefully and learned about my prospect's company and their operational difficulties.
Making The Phone Ring!
What does it cost to make your phone ring? The above question is literal. Have you considered the advertising expenses involved in publicizing your phone number? Then when a customer calls.... what happens next? The behaviors that enable HVAC phone…