Business Management
Steps to Successful Retrocommissioning
Retrocommissioning — the process of ensuring that all the mechanical systems in an existing building perform optimally, based on the contract documents, design intent, and the owner's operational needs — can be used for a number of different purposes. ...
Public Relations: How to Use it Effectively
You may have heard the term public relations, or PR; you may even know that many of the “stars” have publicists that control their PR. It has been said that any PR is good PR, but what exactly is PR and how can you use it to your advantage? The University of Phoenix textbook “The Practice of Public Relations” defines PR as the practice of doing the right thing – of performing and communicating the substance of that performance. I don’t really like that definition, it’s too academic. ...
Are You THE Best or PETE Best?
Are you old enough to remember the Beatles? John, Paul, George, and Ringo? I do. From the time they took the Big Apple by storm at Shea Stadium in 1964, they soared to the top of the charts and stayed there for the next seven years. They came to Seattle to play in 1966, and my older brother and sister both went to the show. I was only nine, but I wanted to go, too. My mother very wisely said no. I was so disappointed. ...
HVACR Future Hinges on Recruiting and Training
'Find, recruit, and train' must be the mission of every HVACR company. Coastal Mechanical Services, LLC has designed a program that provides a hedge against alarming labor trends....
Keeping Cool Under the Heat
The series of heat waves sweeping across the country this summer have been a welcome source of business activity for HVAC contractors reeling from successive regulatory blows, mild summers, and the nation’s economic malaise. Yet, the heat not only stresses compressors, it stresses customers, employees, and company owners. Losing your cool under the summer’s stress rarely works well for anyone but is especially detrimental if you’re the boss (i.e., the role model in your company). Here’s 11 ways to keep cool under the heat....
Join Women in HVACR at Their 7th Annual Conference
Join the Women in HVACR at their 7th Annual Conference, held in conjunction with Comfortech and HVACR Week, September 22nd at the Baltimore Convention Center. ...
The Value of Performance Benchmarks
If you’re not matching your business performance to a higher standard, your business can stagnate and never reach its full potential. Here’s a look at how leading contractors use benchmarking in their residential and commercial HVAC businesses. ...
Technology Tools & Tips
Many great ideas exist to make your business life easier, and help you do more with less. David Heimer, CEO of The Service Roundtable, offers six tips that will improve efficiency, image, and sales. ...
Commercial HVAC: Mega or Niche — Nothing
In Between Will Do
The one-dimensional contractor faces a difficult road ahead. The path to greater diversification will take you to a land of new business opportunities....
On My Honor
With the morning mist still on the Hudson River, and the sun just kissing the cliff tops of the New Jersey Palisade, Aaron Burr, Vice President of the United States shot and killed former Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Political opponents for years, the duelists faced each other after Burr sent these words to Hamilton: “Political opposition can never absolve gentlemen from the necessity of a rigid adherence to the laws of honor.”...
Icor International Launches Icor Mobile Website
Icor International, Indianapolis, IN, has launched a new website, Icor Mobile (icor.mobi.). The website delivers content available on the company's main site, but is designed for easier navigation on a mobile device....
You Need the Right Fuel to Turbocharge Profits
Every contractor will tell you that he or she would like more customers, more sales, and more profits. The trouble is, those things are outputs. You can’t control them; they’re the result of other things. Fortunately, the things that lead to those outputs are under your control. Five inputs — leads, closes, deals, average sale, and upsells — will lead to the three outputs you desire....
How to Get and Keep Your Dream Job, Part 2
The worst advice I ever received from someone that was older than me at age 18 was, “never volunteer for anything.” In my experience, we all need to do the exact opposite. The question I have asked and answered for the last 20 years is, “how can I increase the quality and quantity of my service to others?” I often write that question down in my journal. Some days I come up with 20 answers, others days just a few. Most people are in a rut. A rut is a coffin with the ends kicked out. Say yes to requests, especially when you’re new to a job. ...
Customer Dog
Over the weekend, I stopped by a pet store to pick up some dog food. Outside the pet store, one of the Animal Rescue Societies had set up, and was giving away dogs. I noticed a small dog, with long floppy ears. This was the goofy, lovable dog that seemed to have the traits of a half dozen breeds....
Social Media Networking and Your Company: It's Time to Jump In
Today, there’s a new and much more effective way to network over a wide area: social media networks (SMNs). People can now find others who share common interests, beliefs, cultures, and tastes. People join SMNs mainly to listen and contribute to a conversation with other like-minded individuals. They seek the commonality that neighborhoods fail to provide these days. SMNs allow people to reach out to others without awkward introductions, confrontation, or fear of rejection. People who join SMNs are looking to be part of a conversation. They are open to receiving a message....
The Investment That Paid Off: An Executive Interview with Lennox Industries
You know the old adage: All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of yesterday. For Lennox Industries, planting seeds is something they’ve always done. For a company that is more than 100 years old, the examples of such seeding are many. ...
Your Brand Awareness is Higher Than You Think
Ask most people what comes to mind when they think of DHL and the most common response is "big yellow trucks." Thus, it shouldn't be surprising to learn that those big yellow trucks helped give DHL a brand awareness of 60%, according to BtoBOnline.com, the web-based magazine for marketing strategists. ...
Attaboy!
Seventeen years ago, I became the president of my community association. It was a lively organization with scores of activist members who were busy gentrifying an inner city neighborhood. One of my responsibilities was to deliver a monthly speech and conduct a formal meeting with a loud and raucous crowd....
15 Ways To Ensure People Remember You
Some companies work really hard to ensure they are remembered. The employees in these companies are downright creative in their approach. They manage to form a lasting impression that burns the company name into the customer’s consciousness. They generate such an impact that their customers feel compelled to tell their friends and neighbors all about their experience....
Trends and Hot Topics: 2010 ACCA Convention Part 2
Last issue, I focused on “The Next Big Thing” – the home performance industry – that many contractors were planning for at the ACCA Convention. This issue, I’ll discuss what I observed regarding “The Big Shift” that many HVAC contractors are already involved in, and it’s changing the way they communicate, the way they sell, and the way they market their businesses. Chances are, you’re already partaking in “The Big Shift”. Read on for a glimpse into how other HVAC contractors are leveraging this shift....
Track and Improve Marketing Programs
Matt Michel says tracking your marketing results is paramount to achieving long-term business success. Use this Service Roundtable Marketing Project Planner/Tracker Worksheet....
The Hope in HVAC
It was difficult to understand the voice on the other end of the phone. “I haven’t been able to work for six months,” he said. “My jaw’s wired shut.”...
Sonnhalter Offers Webinar on Digital
Media Tactics
The webinar will provide tips to navigate through digital channels, and best practices that leading marketers are deploying across a variety of industries. ...
Trends and Hot Topics: 2010 ACCA Convention
I just returned from the ACCA Convention last week and after getting 50 inches of snow in southern Pennsylvania last month, the trip to Tampa was a welcome one. The dose of good weather was reinvigorating, but spending time with some of the country’s top contractors was even more so. The Warm Thoughts team and I spent three days digging deep with these industry leaders, discussing their marketing plans, consulting with them on how to grow their business this year and listening to their strategies for 2010. For contractors who couldn’t make it to the ACCA show, I’m going to share some of the latest trends in the industry, which I’ll do in the next few issues. In this issue, I’ll focus on “The Next Big Thing.”...
