Essentials - Home Front Success

FOCUS on Service Prospects Incoming Phone Calls!

KickStart: Stop treating your business phone as a distraction. Instead, obsess over each and every service inquiry!

When your business phone rings do you: A) ecstatically scream with delight?👍💪💖 B) fall into an anxiety attack?😬 or C) collapse in panicked dread?😨 For all you “B” and “C” folks, let’s move you into the delighted “A” category with a ringing phone!

First, reflect on the HUGE stakes with this caller. I know, you’re thinking, “Ummmm, Steve, I thought you were going to cheer me up. I’m even more freaked out now!” My reply?

Outsmart Your Competition with Differentiation

by Steve Toburen

Outline

Never “Price Match” What Your Service Competitor Charges!

KickStart: Maintain your prices high enough that homeowners routinely wince… and then book the job anyway!

True Confession Time: Steve Toburen is not remotely an accountant and/or a financial planner. In fact, Steve HATES and despises “number crunching” of any type!😡

In fact, I tell each client and every online class I teach: “I’ve always been good at MAKING money. But I’m terrible at counting, tracking or even investing this money!”

And yet, even with this major financial disability I’ve enjoyed a very successful career as the owner of multiple Home Service businesses! I’ve built my (very profitable) success on one informal pricing concept I call…

The Unexpected Happens! Will You Be Ready in Your Service Business?

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: “… the inexperienced keep right on going and suffer the consequences.” (Proverbs 22: 3) If you choose to “stay small” protect yourself going forward.

I’m so very proud of you! You’ve analyzed your personality, skills, circumstances and what you (and your family) want out of life.

This honest self-appraisal may have convinced you that the inevitable stress, drama and (at times) agonizing sacrifices required to build a larger Critical Mass Business simply aren’t for you. Instead…

Are You Loving the “SELF”-Employed Life?🤔

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!”😲 Yogi Berra, Baseball Hall of Fame catcher/manager and pithy folk philosopher.

Good for Yogi! He was a man of action! But Yogi overlooked a very important part of any “fork in the road”.

Recognizing that a decision “masquerading as a small choice” now can have HUGE consequences later in life!😲

Two Huge Final Inspection Techniques Before Leaving the Job Site

by Steve Toburen

Outline

residential client examines service work with magnifying glass

KickStart: Before leaving give your residential customer a quick walk-through while explaining any possible “areas of concern”.

Discover Customer Complaints Before They Explode

Your company has finished another great job… CONGRATULATIONS!👍 The client loves your crew and it’s time to head to the next job. Right? NO… wrong!

Instead, invest a few proactive minutes to show your customer “The good, the bad and the ugly” of how the job turned out. “The ugly, Steve?” Yep, you’ll clearly explain the “WHY” of a not-quite-perfect job. (You’ve already pre-oriented the homeowner on the “1) WHO, 2) WHAT and 3) WHEN”.) Here’s why…

Giving the ‘Illusion of Control’ to Home Service Customers

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: Asking permission creates a trusting relationship with your residential clients.

“There is no substitute for hard work.” Thomas A. Edison

Do you love to work? If so, CONGRATULATIONS! And yet, over many years of working with homeowners, I’ve learned this “git ‘er done” attitude can be a trap! Here’s why…

You (or your employees) show up at a home, eager to kick butt and “git ‘er done”! But wait! Never forget you must first recognize and work with the pesky emotions of a nervous residential customer!🙄

How to Win Over a ‘Price-Hesitant Residential Caller’

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: When your home service caller says, “Let me think about it…” tactfully respond with a sneaky question to ‘smoke out’ their real concern!

It’s just so darned frustrating! You answered the phone cheerfully, the ‘chemistry’ with your caller was great and they seemed ready to schedule. So, you tried to close the sale and…

Your prospect replied, “Well, let me think about it and I’ll call you back…”

AARGH! Your caller is lying!😡 She’s NOT going to “call you back”!😥 In fact, she’s already checking your competitor’s website while ‘bailing out’ on you! What’s going on?

Core Concepts: “Moments of Truth”

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: “A Moment of Truth is any point when your customer (or a prospect) comes into contact with your company AND subliminally forms an opinion.” Steve Toburen

I recently depressed everyone warning about the hidden “customer minefields” just waiting to explode (without warning😰) on every residential job. Doubt me?

Think how often you’ve left a home feeling great about the fantastic job you did. (And the nice wad of cash in your pocket too!)👍

Then that evening you’re shocked to get a complaining phone call, read your customer’s unhappy text or even worse- get bushwhacked with a nasty “surprise” online review!😲

OBSESS Over (Your Home Service Clients) FEELINGS!

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: “… it’s not what you say or what you do, but how you make people feel that matters the most.” Tony Hsieh, Zappos founder

“Feelings, Steve? Seriously?” As a rugged, profits-obsessed residential services business owner you likely focus ONLY on your bottom line! (I did too!) After all, who had time for a squishy, hard-to-manage word like, “feelings”?

I mean, everyone knows “emotions are for sissies”?💪 Right? WRONG! For far too many agonizing years I struggled before FINALLY learning that…

In a residential service business success is based on building “trusting relationships” (TR’s)!

In fact, Mr. Logical here even reduced this concept into an “Emotional Equation”: Success= (ETR + HTR) x SE= CMB. Say what, Steve?😲

Get New Residential Customer’s Emails (almost) Every Time!

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: Give a Valid Business Reason for needing a home services caller’s email and your ‘Lead Conversions’ will soar!

Few marketing channels are better than email for staying in touch with your customer base. After all, what’s not to love? Email is easy, immediate, VERY targeted and FREE to you!

I used targeted emails to thank my clients, get their comments on our service and ask (beg?) for online reviews. Even better, I could email my homeowners a reminder that it was time for another service. And have I mentioned all this targeted marketing is FREE?💖 WOO-HOO!