emotions

An Essential Residential “Stage Prop” (Part II)

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KickStart: When a homeowner points out a concern and/or makes a request immediately make a note of it on a clipboard.

I recently shared why a service crew leader should use a clipboard during their initial interaction with a residential client. After all…

A clipboard gives your on-site employee 1) authority, 2) confidence and 3) a built-in “teleprompter” to check their next lines in the “Homefront Service” stage play you’ve scripted!

But wait! Here’s the biggest benefit a clipboard brings to the essential homeowner-service worker relationship! DRUMROLL, PLEASE! 🎉🎊🎈🎇🎉

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In Home Services … You Must-

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KickStart: “Seek first to understand.” Stephen R. Covey

team trainingMany, many, many🙄 years ago I finally learned that all successful Residential Services companies are “Emotionally Based”.

I know, you’re shaking your head here while muttering, “No, Steve you don’t get it. I own a plumbing/ carpet cleaning/ lawn care, and/or HVAC company”. My reply? “No, these things are the physical service(s) you deliver. BUT…

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Homeowner Cheerleaders: The Emotional Benefits

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KickStart: Homeowner Customer Cheerleaders provide a huge emotional ROI to all involved in a Home Services business.

Your business should be about much more than pure, naked gree… I mean profits! Instead…

Your residential services company should build a close emotional bond (dare I say even “love”?)😲 between you, your employees AND your clients.

Reflections: For me, I LOVED💖 creating “something of value”, a residential services company that (most of the time!)🙄 ran like a well-oiled machine. But my true focus was on “values”.

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Focus On Onboarding Your New Service Production Workers

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KickStart: Smooth the way for new service employees and your “keep ratio” will soar!

shy school childThink back to your first day of school.🤔 How did you feel? Nervous? Confused? Scared? Did’ya pee your pants? (Come on… they say confession is good for the soul!)

Guess what? Your brand new techs face these same traumatic emotions as they timidly work on-site in your client’s homes! Who cares how they feel?🤷🏼‍♂️

You should! Repeated studies prove that a consistent, structured “onboarding routine” will dramatically decrease new employees quitting quickly and often with no notice. In fact…

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Why (and How to) Focus On 3 Essential Business Areas

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KickStart: man·​age ˈma-nij To direct with a degree of skill. 

small business owner focuses on prioritiesFinding a balance in business (and life) is an ongoing, moving target for most of us. Our shared Home Service Pro entrepreneurial challenge? Managing our OCD tendencies to not get distracted off into Displacement Activities!🙄 Instead, you must focus ONLY on the high-profit, “important stuff”.

True Confession Time: I still find myself going down obsessive rat holes while wasting enormous time on pursuits that add nothing to my happiness, relationships or even my financial net worth!🤔 (You’d think I would have learned by now!)😲

Remember, your residential services company is an incredibly fragile creature. This means as a service business owner or manager you must…

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Are You Known for Your Humility?😲

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KickStart: Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. C. S. Lewis

I’ll admit it. When I started my first Home Services business I was a cocky, proud and yet insecure jerk!😲 (My dear wife is saying right now, “So Steve, you think you’ve changed over the last 50 years?”)🤔 Hmmmmm…

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Gracefully Reply to a Homeowner’s “Thank You” and They’ll Love You Forever!

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KickStart: Flip a home service customer’s “thank you” by reminding them it is YOU who should be grateful to THEM!

grateful lady homeowner

I always loved hearing a homeowner’s sincere (sometimes almost worshipful)😲 “Thank you, Steve” as I packed up my tools!

I’m sure your clients are incredibly grateful for you and your service company too! After all, you do great work.👍 But, more importantly you also focus on the homeowner’s emotions! (Remember, a thankful client will be much more likely to leave your business a glowing online review!)

But still, WHO should be grateful to WHOM? After all, your client is paying you… not the other way around! So create yet another Positive Moment of Truth with your residential customer by replying…

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Homeowners LOVE Feeling in Control…

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KickStart: Give homeowners the ‘gift of control’ by explaining the “1) WHO, 2) WHAT and 3) WHEN” of what will be happening in their residence.

“There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” Acts 20:35

everyone loves giftsAlmost 2000 years ago the Apostle Paul reminded us that giving bring “happiness”. And yes, you will be very happy when you GIVE the Illusion of Control to your residential clients! (Even better, your 5-star Google reviews will sky-rocket!)

REMEMBER: Homeowners don’t want to actually DO the work. (That’s why they called you!)😉 But they do want to FEEL in control of the job! (And NOT be surprised!) Hopefully you’ll start giving this all-important Illusion of Control during a customer’s first phone call. Then keep on giving control when you…

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Giving the ‘Illusion of Control’ to Home Service Customers

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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…

nervous residential customerYou (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!🙄

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