emotions

The Why (and How) of Using Your Residential Caller’s Name.

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KickStart: Call your prospect by name to emphasize a key point. 

post it note with residential caller name

Ever feel like you’re on a never-ending episode of “The Price is Right”? You know, with “price shoppers” bombarding you with the dreaded, “Uhhhh, I’m just calling around… what’s your rate for this service?” Ugh! I feel your pain!😥

However, quite a few of these so-called “price shoppers” will start out with their name as in, “Hi, this is Sally Smith, and I’m just calling around checking prices…” Now a Post-It note will become your best friend!

That’s right, grab your pen, jot down the caller’s name and use it “selectively” in your conversation. Why? Because behavioral psychologists have discovered that…

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Essential Residential “Stage Props”

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KickStart: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.” William Shakespeare

The Script

stage play for home service technicians

You gotta love good, old Bill for pithily dissecting the human condition! And yep- Mr. Shakespeare’s quote above goes double for those of us working daily in our customer’s homes.

Ironically, long before I became a William Shakespeare groupie I’d often remind my in-the-home production employees they were “actors in our company’s Home Front stage play”.

Now very likely you personally have always instinctively recognized that you are “on stage playing a part” in a client’s home. However, here’s your challenge…

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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: Customer Referrals And So Much More!

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KickStart: The true ROI on making a Residential Customer Cheerleader is much more than the direct financial profits they produce. (Which is a LOT!)

happy cheerleader“Ummm, what’s a ‘Cheerleader’, Steve?”🤔 A Cheerleader is a homeowner that is so delighted and yes, surprised with the level of service they’ve received they will “sing your praises from the rooftops”! (And more importantly, post multiple 5-star reviews online!)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So, it’s a no-brainer! An ecstatic Cheerleader Customer is an incredibly valuable asset! Which is why I’m always amazed that so few residential service contractors focus on systems to create Cheerleaders!😥

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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 priorities

Finding 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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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 customer

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!🙄

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