Pipeline to Profitability Podcast: Recent Episodes
Allan Ferguson
Pipeline to Profitability offers proven tools and training for growing your trade service business. Learn how to dramatically increase your profits with drain and trenchless repairs. Allan Ferguson specializes in creating profit-building strategies for your plumbing business that can increase your income 10X!
Welcome to episode 103 of the Pipeline to Profitability podcast, hosted by Allan Ferguson. In this episode, Alan dives deep into the crucial topic of recruitment for home service professionals. Learn how to prepare for the future and attract the best technicians to elevate your plumbing business.
Alan addresses common challenges in finding skilled technicians and offers insightful strategies to grow your own talent. Discover the benefits of recruiting from diverse backgrounds, including ex-military personnel and apprentices, and the importance of strong systems and processes in training.
Explore the value of personality profiling in matching the right people to the right roles, and why focusing on attitude and willingness to learn can be more beneficial than seeking the highest skill level. Alan also highlights the innovative approach of virtual call management and how it can revolutionize your sales process.
If you're a plumbing business owner aiming to take your business to new heights, don't miss out on downloading Alan's Reliable Technician Cheat Sheet. Tune in for practical tips and expert advice to build a successful team and drive your business forward.
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Hey, its Allan Ferguson, thanks for joining me on this episode of Pipeline to Profitability the podcast for home service professionals. This podcast is proudly sponsored by Service Success Academy.
Today I am proud to have Karen Hildenbrand-Allery on the podcast
Karen is the co-founder of Margin Maximizers... Name says it all really... Bringing big business smarts to medium business with BIG goals.
- A highly skilled commercial CFO - emphasis on commercial
- With a truck load of broad experience from billion $ global business, $100M private equity backed greenfield start up, large generational businesses through to small business
- Loves business and people
- you could say... a CFO with a non traditional twist
Margin Maximizers: https://marginmaximizers.com.au/
Email: cfo@marginmaximizers.com.au
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Join host Alan Ferguson in this episode of Pipeline to Profitability, proudly sponsored by Service Success Academy. Alan sits down with Karen Hildenbrand-Allery, co-founder of Margin Maximizers and a seasoned commercial CFO with extensive experience across various business sizes and industries.
Karen shares invaluable insights on scaling home service businesses, especially for those aiming for ambitious growth targets. Discover the critical role of a CFO, the importance of management accounting, and the keys to achieving profitable growth. Karen also discusses the challenges and opportunities within the trade services sector and offers practical financial tips for businesses at different stages of their journey.
Whether you're a small business aiming to hit the $10 million mark or a medium enterprise striving for more, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you navigate the complexities of financial management and business growth.
Hey, its Allan Ferguson, thanks for joining me on this episode of Pipeline to Profitability the podcast for home service professionals.
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Service Success Academy.
Today I want to reflect on the last 10 years & 100 podcasts
- Pricing for profit
- What is possible
- VCM (call by call)
- Build to sell & private equity
- Optimised opportunity
- Specials
- Memberships
- Warranty
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Welcome to another episode of Pipeline to Profitability, the podcast dedicated to home service professionals, hosted by Allan Ferguson. Proudly sponsored by Service Success Academy, this episode marks a special milestone as Alan reflects on the last ten years and over a hundred episodes of the podcast.
In this episode, Allan shares invaluable lessons and insights gained from his extensive experience in the home service industry, both in Australia and the US. Without any guest this time, Alan delves deep into the key strategies that have helped him and many others improve the profitability of their home service companies.
Allan discusses five key areas, including the importance of proper pricing for profit, the potential of virtual call management, and the significant impact of private equity in the industry. He also highlights the concept of "what is possible" by showcasing real-life examples of turning low-cost service calls into high-value opportunities.
Furthermore, Alan touches on the optimized opportunities in specials, memberships, and warranties, providing actionable advice for home service professionals looking to maximize their business potential. Whether you're from a commercial background or already in the home service space, this episode offers valuable insights to help you succeed.
Join Allan as he shares his wisdom and experience, aiming to equip you with the knowledge to take your home service business to new heights. Don't miss out on this episode filled with practical tips and expert advice!
Pipeline to Profitability Podcast welcomes Matt Michel to episode 100, Matt is the founder and past Chairman, CEO, and president of Service Nation Inc., which operates the Service Roundtable (the world’s largest business alliance for service contractors), the Service Nation Alliance best practices group & the Service World Expo (trade show and conference for residential contractors). Matt has received numerous professional awards. He is the youngest person ever to be inducted into the Contracting Business Hall of Fame.
Contracting Business Magazine named Matt one of the “22 most influential people in the history of the HVACR industry.” As well one of the “18 most influential people in the history of the plumbing industries.” Matt is the only person to appear on both lists. In addition, the Air Conditioning NEWS named him one of the “top five business advisors in the HVAC industry.”
A popular writer, Matt is published more than 50 times per year as a featured columnist for
Contracting Business Mag-azine, Contractor Magazine, Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine, and Southern PHC Magazine. Today, Matt is a writer, speaker, and rancher. He is the author of the bestselling book, Contractor Stories and is re-searching a book on the emotional side of selling a business.
Matt can be reached by email at MattMichel@Mail.com or by phone at 214.995.8889.
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Welcome to "Pipeline to Profitability"! In this episode, Alan sits down with industry veteran Matt and Michele to delve into their wealth of experience and insights. Join us as Matt shares his journey from an engineer in the ice industry to a marketing powerhouse, and his role in growing Service Roundtable into the world's largest contractor alliance.
Learn about the crucial elements of pricing strategies, including the importance of flat rate pricing, margin pricing, and the concept of loss leaders. Discover how contractors can overcome common pricing challenges and the significance of understanding financials to ensure business success. Matt also provides valuable advice on handling price complaints and the emotional aspects of selling a business.
Don't miss this opportunity to gain actionable tips and learn from the stories of seasoned professionals. Whether you're a contractor looking to improve your pricing strategy or someone interested in the nuances of running a successful service business, this episode is packed with valuable insights to help you on your journey to profitability.
Service Success Academy welcomes Richard Flournoy to episode #99 of Pipeline to Profitability. Richard founded A Total Plumbing Atlanta and is a devoted father, husband, follower of Christ, and expert in marketing, sales, and business, as well as a black belt in martial arts.
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Welcome to episode 99 of Pipeline to Profitability, the podcast dedicated to home service professionals. Hosted by Alan Ferguson and sponsored by Service Success Academy, this episode features an inspiring conversation with Richard Flournoy.
Alan begins by teasing the exciting 100th episode, which will feature special guests Matt and Michelle discussing the future of the industry. He then introduces Richard Flournoy, a devoted father, husband, follower of Christ, marketing expert, and martial arts black belt. Richard, alongside his wife Felicia, founded A Total Plumbing in Atlanta and has an incredible story to share, including the pivotal role his son Jackson played in their journey.
Despite a minor technical glitch due to a recent tornado in Houston, the episode promises great content. Alan and Richard delve into various topics, from the importance of knowing your 'why' in business to the challenges and triumphs of running a home service company. Richard shares valuable insights on transitioning from home warranty work to retail and the significance of continuous training and mentorship.
Richard's journey is a testament to the power of setting goals, finding mentors, and implementing effective strategies. He highlights the importance of knowing your numbers, the profitability of pipe patching, and the value of providing excellent customer service. The episode wraps up with Richard discussing his future plans, including his passion for martial arts and ongoing exploration of new opportunities.
Don't miss this episode filled with practical advice, inspiration, and a glimpse into the life of a successful home service professional. Tune in to learn from Richard Flournoy's remarkable journey and discover how you too can achieve success in your business.
Service Success Academy welcomes Jim Klauck to episode #98 of Pipeline to Profitability. Jim is the founder and president of Check A Pro – a Home Services referral organization. Since 2003, Jim Klauck has been assisting home service professionals build their businesses through Direct Response Radio. Jim likes to say, he is in the business of “Helping Winners Win More!” From Air Conditioning companies to Window Replacement, Jim has worked with hundreds of home service companies over the past 20 years.
The Radio Pitchman moniker, used by Jim, describes what he does best – pitch! Jim is known nationwide as “The Radio Pitchman” and uses his unique formula to craft copy which makes the phone ring for his clients.
Jim works with premier home service companies such as A1 Garage Door Service in Phoenix, Arizona and Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning and Electrical in Houston, Texas, where he has produced unique programming to get the phone ring for premier home service companies. Koala Insulation commissioned Jim in 2020 to bring countrywide attention to this national brand in cities such as: Atlanta, Boulder, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Orlando, and Panama City.
If you’re a home service, plumbing, or drain business owner or manager and you want to learn how to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls without complicated or pushy sales tactics? If so, head to swipemydrainbusiness.com to learn more.
Jim Klauck: jim@theradiopitchman.com
www.jimklauck.com
Get Jim’s FREE Audio Book about Podcasting - https://www.theradiopitchman.com
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Welcome to another engrossing episode of 'Pipeline to Profitability.' Featuring a thought-provoking conversation with Jim Klauck from Check A Pro Podcasts, this episode covers a spectrum of business strategies, from utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to adopting best practices, which are transforming the home service industry.
We explore the changing landscape impacted by technological advancements, acknowledging the foresight of industry veterans like Al Levi. Al's journey from a plumbing business in the 1980s to leading coaching and best practice groups in Australia serves as an inspiring tale of adaptability and vision.
The episode shines the spotlight on the benefits of AI, recounting Billy Stevens' success story with his AI-based software, BillyGo. We unfold how the software redefines business operations, revolutionizing customer experiences while enhancing profitability.
A look at the trending influence of private equity on well-run service companies is also on the agenda. While this is palpably growing in the US, it's still nascent in Australia. We caution on the potential pitfalls, highlighting the importance of strategic planning to maximize business valuation.
The episode concludes with a comprehensive discussion on the essence of a well-structured business system and its decisive role in running a successful business. Across the globe, leaders are recognizing the need for robust training programs, sustainable management practices, and a deep understanding of business metrics.
Join us on this insightful journey and gather valuable takeaways from both success and failure stories to build a thriving, profitable business in a technology-rich world.
Service Success Academy welcomes Billy Stevens to episode #97 of Pipeline to Profitability. Billy is the CEO & Founder of Sera Systems & Billy Go, also the founder of Berkey’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning
If you’re a home service, plumbing, or drain business owner or manager and you want to learn how to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls without complicated or pushy sales tactics? If so, head to https://swipemydrainbusiness.com to learn more.
Get started now https://sales.sera.tech/service-success-network
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In this compelling episode of Pipeline to Profitability, we have the pleasure of again welcoming serial entrepreneur and software titan, Billy Stevens. Recognized for his trailblazing work in the home service industry, Stevens shares his powerful strategies in crafting highly efficient, customer-centric businesses that succeed where others falter.
Stevens, known for his clear-cut style of talking, delves into the essential role of efficiency in the sector. Emphasizing the importance of placing the customer at the forefront rather than solely concentrating on profits, Stevens asserts that a business should be more than just a service provider - it must be a reliable, efficient lifeline for when clients need it most.
Highlighting his own success across multiple enterprises, Stevens exemplifies his 'magic' approach to work. This riveting conversation inspires listeners to replicate this magic in their own business operations. If your home service business either needs significant revamping or is seeking growth strategies, this episode teems with helpful tips and thought-provoking concepts.
Partake in Stevens' exciting journey from a penniless master plumber to a successful business partner and innovator, whose software now aids in optimizing his business operations. Learn how his unique pricing model, improved cost efficiency, and advanced software animate a high conversion rate, a strong competitive edge, and maintain amicable relationships with top clients.
Join us as we dive into the world of margin pricing with leading expert, Billy Go. Understand the difference between margin pricing and flat rate pricing, how accurate pricing can enhance sales rates and overall business performance. Savour the captivating story behind his inventive service company name, 'Billy Go', underlining the significance of having an engaging, unique, and straightforward brand name.
Discover from Stevens' progressive mindset, relentless drive for improvement, and how his customer-first approach has reimagined the landscape of home service businesses both in efficiency and profitability. Tune into this enlightening episode now!
Service Success Academy welcomes Landon Brewer to episode #96 of Pipeline to Profitability. Landon Brewer is the founder & CEO of Platform Partners & Einstein Prime whose main focus is Optimizing Enterprise Values of the Leading Home Services Organizations. He is a long-time home services operator and architect behind several leading Industry Platforms.
If you’re a home service, plumbing, or drain business owner or manager and you want to learn how to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls without complicated or pushy sales tactics? If so, head to https://swipemydrainbusiness.com to learn more.
Platform Partners: https://platformmybusiness.com/
Book Recommendations The E-Myth HVAC Contractor by Michael E. Gerber and Ken Goodrich
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In this episode of Pipeline to Profitability, we delve into the complexities of private equity and business acquisition in the home service industry. Our guest, Landon Brewer, is a renowned industry expert, known for his work with leading platforms such as Platform Partners and Einstein Prime. Through an engaging discussion, Brewer breaks down the impacts of recent industry changes, provides an in-depth understanding of private equity, and offers invaluable advice on business acquisition.
We explore how the right preparation, scale, and profitability can significantly enhance your business's value when it's time to sell. Brewer provides insight into how best practice groups can prepare businesses for sale and the importance of having the right systems and people in place. The discussion further highlights the critical role of change management, especially in the relentlessly evolving home service industry.
In addition to Brewer's expertise, the episode sheds light on the transformations sweeping across various sectors due to advancing technology. Key performance indicators (KPIs) and precise data are emphasized as integral to fast-tracking business growth. Explore the concept of virtual ride-alongs and call-by-call management and their benefits in offering real-time engagement and monitoring.
Featuring insights from good business practices to strategies that lead to drastic growth in the service sector, this episode is a treasure trove of information. Join us as we take an enlightening journey through the uncharted terrains of private equity and business acquisition in the home service industry. And discover how you can align your business strategies and leverage technology for optimum profitability.
Service Success Academy welcomes Joe Cunningham to episode #95 of Pipeline to Profitability. Joe Cunningham is the founder and president of Successtrack Network. Joe started his HVAC career as one of the industry’s first “Million Dollar Men” singlehandedly selling over 1 million dollars worth of HVAC equipment per year in the highly competitive Houston, Texas market in the 1980’s. Joe has worked at every level of the HVAC business, he has been a contractor, worked closely with distributors and manufacturers, and played a pivotal role in creating and developing several premiere HVAC training programs.
If you’re a home service, plumbing, or drain business owner or manager and you want to learn how to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls without complicated or pushy sales tactics? If so, head to https://swipemydrainbusiness.com to learn more.
Technical Arts Center: https://www.technicalartscenter.com/
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In this stimulating episode of Pipeline Profitability, industry experts, Allan Ferguson and Joe Cunningham shed light on how to thrive in the plumbing and drain industry. By drawing upon Alan's journey and sharing entrepreneurial wisdom acquired through business collaborations, this episode offers valuable insights into how system-guided operations can make substantial strides in business growth.
Tune in, as Alan and Joe provide an in-depth discussion regarding the importance of structuring teams for maximum productivity and profitability. Alan dissects the roles within a team, underlining the necessity of clearly delineating tasks amongst service technicians and senior technicians. Through real examples, he establishes the significance of strategic communication and healthy relationships with office staff for the success of pipeline businesses.
Alan, sharing his venture-based experience, illustrates how using system-guided strategies and processes coupled with call-by-call management processes can yield impressive results. Listen as he describes his first-hand experience with these strategies that enabled his own business to flourish, doubling its size to a whopping $1 million a month within 18 months.
The conversation segues into the critical role of a Senior Service Advisor, underlining the need for leadership qualities and communication skills. They further delve into the integral role dispatchers hold in the industry, offering useful tips for success within the company hierarchy.
The conversation also highlights the gravity of internal accountability, the relevance of meeting business targets, and the critical component of an effective training process. Alan and Joe touch upon the subject of imminent changes in the industry, especially for Australian listeners, emphasizing the need for robust systems to leverage these shifts in the landscape.
This extraordinary conversation promises insights into pairing transitional statements, probing questions, and customer-centric solutions. Listen to this episode of Pipeline Profitability to learn the secrets of business success, communication strategies, and how to believe in your pricing strategy.
Service Success Academy welcomes Chad Love to episode #94 of Pipeline to Profitability. Chad Love is the founder & owner of Chad Love Services in North Carolina. He has been in the service industry for 25 years and his goal is to help grow companies and people to the highest level through proven systems and leadership.
If you’re a home service, plumbing, or drain business owner or manager and you want to learn how to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls without complicated or pushy sales tactics? If so, head to https://swipemydrainbusiness.com to learn more.
Chad’s Book Recommendation: Relentless by Tim Grover
Chad Love Services: https://chadloveservices.com/
Platform Partners: https://platformmybusiness.com/
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In this illuminating episode of Pipeline to Profitability, our guest Chad Love dives deep into the topic of successful business leadership and systematization in the home service industry. As the founder and owner of Chad Love Services, Love shares his quarter-century of industry knowledge to help service professionals level up their businesses.
Love’s business, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a paragon of effective systems and leadership techniques, boasting a dynamic team that is revolutionizing the service industry. Learn about the core elements of profitability, the importance of every call and the art of leadership.
Delve into the potential of the service industry platform and its significance to businesses big or small. From efficient operations to the creation of self-sustaining organizations that don't collapse in the owner's absence, learn how Love uses this platform to innovate and grow.
Experience the power of real-time virtual ride-alongs, and learn how they can skyrocket both customer service and profits. Understand the potency of an engaged work culture, team empowerment, and seamless business systems. Love also offers insights on how to select suitable individuals to aid in creating an industry titan.
Listen to Chad Love and empower yourself with the confidence to take control of your company, insight into your business's maths, and a blueprint for a prosperous future. This discussion with a proactive pioneer is guaranteed to alter your perception of the service industry.
Invigorate your team’s potential through strategic management and hiring for character traits rather than just skillsets. Question traditional hiring methods, and explore ways to alter the trajectory of your business for the better. Join us in exploring the transformative effects of systematic operations, correct hires and disciplined management on your company's success.
In this thought-provoking episode of 'Pipeline to Profitability', industry expert Jim Klauck of Check A Pro delivers savvy guidance on optimizing podcasts and social media for business growth in the home services sector. Drawing on his twenty years of sector-specific experience, Jim illuminates the broad untapped potential of these digital platforms and how to leverage them to attract and engage a wider customer base.
Whether you are a fledgling tradesperson or manage a well-established HVAC company, you will benefit from practical advice on creating purposeful, engaging, and shareable content to address customer queries and concerns. The unique selling point of this guide is its focus on delivering knowledgeable guidance while maintaining relatability. By the end, you should be able to present your service as a reliable, expert solution to your customers' needs.
The conversation extends beyond marketing, delving into the less discussed soft aspects of running a service enterprise, such as the importance of charging accurately and allocating budget for promotions. Listen in for enlightening insights into the myths surrounding social media marketing and for compelling arguments backed by real-life experiences.
The hosts underscore the necessity for regularity and accountability in content creation and online promotion, all the while highlighting the value companies stand to gain from this approach. Attention is also given to conceptual challenges, such as the delay in business conversions on social media. Practical solutions are offered, along with the reassurance of long-term benefits achievable through a patient, consistent and creative online presence.
The final segment of this episode delves into the value of multimedia content on platforms like YouTube. By the close of this session, you should be able to understand how to process your brand into easily digestible multimedia content that is both professional and fun – all to resonate with your audience and boost brand visibility. Additionally, the hosts share book recommendations and other handy resources for those who seek more guidance.
Service Success Academy welcomes Steven Crosby & Zachary Hunt from Platform Partners to episode #92 of Pipeline to Profitability. Steven Crosby has three years of national experience in process, sales, operations, and implementation management, He has developed a strong expertise in business management with an equity growth focus. Zachary Hunt has been in the plumbing and HVAC construction and home service industry for 23 years.
If you’re a home service, plumbing, or drain business owner or manager and you want to learn how to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls without complicated or pushy sales tactics? If so, head to www.swipemydrainbusiness.com to learn more.
Platform Partners: https://platformmybusiness.com/
Find Zachary Hunt here: https://theorg.com/org/goettl-air-conditioning-plumbing/org-chart/zachary-wacky-zacky-hunt
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In this compelling episode of Pipeline to Profitability, we have the pleasure of conversing with Stephen Crosby and Zachary Hunt from Platform Partners. Crosby has a rich 3-year professional experience in process and operations, while Hunt brings an impressive 23 years in the home service industry, including plumbing, HVAC construction, and more. This episode uncovers their unique vision on best practice in the home services industry, providing a fresh perspective on contemporary business process efficiency, influence on service quality, and their approach to innovative strategies like the virtual ride-along.
Our in-depth discussion highlights the role of Einstein Prime and Platform Partners in promoting best practice trends within the home service industry and reflects on the significant contributions of these initiatives to the sector. The episode delves into the understanding of the value of each customer to a company's lifetime operation and the significance of standardized processes, key managers, and personnel in boosting a firm’s valuation. We further analyze the importance of key metrics contractors should focus on, including grasping the business board, understanding production manpower, and tracking technician performances, emphasizing the lifetime value of each customer.
The podcast additionally explores effective ways to manage and scale your business, the vitality of maintaining a control on your labor under the Profit & Loss statement, and the crucial role of tighter fund operations controls in fueling your business growth. Discover the importance of capacity KPIs and understanding the balance between returning and new customers for your business's health. Learn about lateral management and the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the path to business growth.
Last but not least, our experts address one of the most challenging aspects of running a company – fixing cultural issues. Gain invaluable advice on how to spot potential threats to your company culture and promptly rectify them. This episode promises a wealth of insights that promises to inspire, educate, and guide you in revolutionizing your business operations, plugging efficiency leaks, and maximizing customer LTV for optimal growth.
Service Success Academy welcomes David Heimer to episode #91 of Pipeline to Profitability. David Heimer is a founder and Retired Chief Operating Officer of Service Nation Inc. At Service Nation, David was responsible for business operations, sales, and technology deployments all designed to provide service contractors with an affordable means to improve their business and financial performance leading to a profitable exit strategy. David is the creator and host for the “Profiles In Prosperity Podcast” – the podcast for and
about residential service contractors.
If you are a plumbing or drain business owner or manager looking to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls, without complicated or pushy sales tactics. I want to let you know that each month I work with a limited number of companies.
Email me at allan@servicesuccessnetwork.com with the words “I’m Ready” and I’ll get you the details.
David Heimer: david@newmediaempire.com
5 steps to 10x your income ebook:
https://www.servicesuccessacademy.com/ebook
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Join Allan Ferguson, your host on Pipeline to Profitability, as he engages in a riveting conversation with celebrated entrepreneur David Heimer, founder and retired COO of Service Nation, Inc. This enlightening episode goes beyond tracing David's illustrious professional journey, touching upon his substantial contributions to the industry, and delving into personal anecdotes from their intertwined careers.
Listen in to gain insights into David's philosophy on the irreplaceable role of relationships in business, which he breaks down into five essential types: with contractors, vendor partners, coaches, community connections, and within the company itself. These relationships form the backbone of business growth, playing a pivotal role in building successful teams and fostering a conducive business culture.
As you tune into this rich discourse, explore the significance of networking with direct competitors and leveraging the vast resources of the internet to your advantage. Alan and David's shared experiences highlight how friendly competition can be a catalyst for business expansion, introducing surprising growth opportunities.
Learn from Alan's insightful advice on scaling up your business, particularly a plumbing and HVAC business, derived from his experience navigating diverse markets. His forays into innovative e-training provide a unique learning opportunity for budding contractors.
Further, David’s wisdom offers a refreshing perspective on embracing retirement, underscoring the importance of leading a fulfilling life beyond the scope of business. He also touches upon strategies such as the innovative concept of call-by-call management, and the transformative power of mentorship and leadership.
Tune into this episode of Pipeline to Profitability, with David Heimer at the helm, sharing his wealth of knowledge and guiding you to maximize profit, while simultaneously leading a rewarding life.
Service Success Academy welcomes Tommy Mello to episode #90 of Pipeline to Profitability. Tommy went from $50k in debt to owning a $200 million dollar home service business. Founder of the Home Service Expert as well the author of a few great books the Home Service Millionaire & Elevate.
If you are a plumbing or drain business owner or manager looking to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls, without complicated or pushy sales tactics. I want to let you know that each month I work with a limited number of companies.
Email me at allan@servicesuccessnetwork.com with the words “I’m Ready” and I’ll get you the details.
Tommy’s book recommendations: Private Equity Playbook by Adam Coffey and Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
Home Service Expert: homeserviceexpert.com/group
Home Service Expert Podcast: https://homeserviceexpert.com/podcast/allan-ferguson
Find Tommy on Linkedin, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Allan Ferguson welcomes a special guest, Tommy Mello, to an exciting episode of the Pipeline to Profitability podcast, where he shares his fascinating entrepreneurial journey. Once $50,000 in debt, Tommy climbed the success ladder and now owns a $200 million home service business. This episode, sponsored by Service Success Academy, aims to inspire home service professionals and provide practical business advice.
The founder of the Home Service Expert, Tommy discusses the need for excellent employees and their role in business growth. He also reveals his courageous venture into the garage door business and how he emerged successful despite early struggles. Stressing on the importance of planning and branding, Tommy shares wisdom for entrepreneurs looking to scale small family-run business or aiming at multimillion-dollar enterprises.
Tommy and Alan also dive into the untapped potential of marketing for growing businesses. They emphasize the role of Google tools for cost-effective marketing and increasing your digital footprint. Also, they shed light on the power of customer relationship management tools such as Service Titan, Housecall Pro, and Jobber. Branding forms an integral part of the discussion with the mantra, "you are your brand," resonating throughout the conversation.
Emphasizing that a happy workforce is the backbone of a successful company, Tommy shares how providing competitive packages for his employees resulted in soaring company profits. The podcast also explores the importance of developing systems for efficient hiring, training, and employee retention. Wrapping up the episode, Tommy urges listeners to contact him for any queries or interest in taking a shop tour at his Phoenix-based company.
Service Success Academy welcomes Ian Schotanus to episode #89 of Pipeline to Profitability. Ian is a Co-Owner & Senior HR & Safety Consultant at The Big Picture Consulting. Ian began his career as a technician for the U.S. Navy, where he specialized in advanced electronics performing maintenance on the three largest AC units on the ship. Now, with over a decade of experience as a nationwide HR & Safety compliance consultant, Ian has made a name for himself as “H.R. Guy” — the person business owners turn to for all their HR & Safety consulting needs. He has a well-established knowledge base specifically geared to assist service providers
If you are a plumbing or drain business owner or manager looking to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls, without complicated or pushy sales tactics. I want to let you know that each month I work with a limited number of companies.
Email me at allan@servicesuccessnetwork.com with the words “I’m Ready” and I’ll get you the details.
Ian’s book recommendations: It's Your Ship, and Get Your Ship Together by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff
Big Picture Consulting: https://www.thebigpictureconsulting.com/
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Welcome to a thoughtful and insightful episode of Pipeline to Profitability! This edition features the trusted "HR Guy" of the home service industry,Ian Schotanus , co-owner, and senior HR and safety consultant at The Big Picture Consulting. Having navigated the industry for over a decade and drawing from his experience as an ex-Navy technician, Ian is the embodiment of a reliable expert for your business needs in HR and safety compliance.
On our journey through this episode, we explore the heart and science of employee incentive structures. Ian not only shares his personal voyage from technician to invaluable HR consultant but also dives into the nuances of well-devised compensation plans. In a realm known for differentiation based on roles, Ian ventures into the realm of unity and shared vision. He brings to the fore the innovative idea of no distinctions between technicians, service associates, or installers in compensation. The result? A boost in team unity, decrease in internal strife, and enhanced brand representation.
With policy creation, employee engagement, and communication at the heart of successful HR, Ian simplifies the path to harmonious company-employee relationships. Listen, as he champions employee preferences in decision-making and vividly illustrates the role of a balanced incentive scheme in supporting team sustainability, while protecting the brand image.
Whether you run a small business, lead a team, or are an integral team member, tune in to this episode. Discover the potential of a unified compensation plan featuring successful techniques such as the Flex Rate and Commission Based Structure and learn how to restructure your employee incentive systems for increased success and sustainability. Prepare to witness the evolution of workplace harmony and profitability dressed in simplicity!
Service Success Academy welcomes Drew Cameron to episode #88 of Pipeline to Profitability. Drew is North America’s most sought-after sales and marketing strategy and success advisor to Home Services Contractors. He is the founder and CEO of Flow Odyssey, and president and co-owner of Energy Design Systems.
If you are a plumbing or drain business owner or manager looking to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls, without complicated or pushy sales tactics. I want to let you know that each month I work with a limited number of companies.
Email me at allan@servicesuccessnetwork.com with the words “I’m Ready” and I’ll get you the details.
Drew’s book recommendations: Think Again by Adam Grant
Flow Odyssey: https://flowodyssey.us/
Energy Design Systems: https://www.eds.tech/
Lead Generation Tool: https://www.eds.tech/hvac-consumer-tool/
Load Calculator(https://www.eds.tech/hvac-load-calculator/
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In the latest episode of the Pipeline to Profitability podcast, join us as we delve into the fascinating insights shared by our special guest, Drew Cameron. Recognized as one of the most influential sales and marketing specialists in the home service contractors realm in North America, Drew shares his unique perspective on business development strategies, the significance of a customer-oriented approach, and building bonds of trust within the industry.
Our discussion journeys from Drew's early experiences in his family's HVAC business, to his evolution into a well-respected industry 'trusted authority'. He sheds light on the need to shift the focus from pure selling to education and service delivery. In this engrossing conversation, you will discover the secret to thriving in business by offering exceptional customer service and turning informed customers into significant contributors to your business success.
Highlighting the importance of critical thinking, Drew explains how framing the right questions and positioning yourself as a problem solver can elevate your standing with your customers. He draws lessons from common service mistakes, demonstrating the importance of customer feedback in continuous improvement and fostering long-term relationships.
Lastly, Drew reveals his favorite book that challenges conventional thinking and boosts critical thinking skills, and lets us in on how his consulting and training services can be used as a tool to transform the way you operate your home service businesses for tremendous success.
Service Success Academy welcomes Jairek Robbins to episode #87 of Pipeline to Profitability. Jairek Robbins optimizes human performance and is a best-selling author. FastCompany calls him inspiring and says he’ll make your life less ordinary. Forbes says Jairek will teach you how to succeed. Deepak Chopra will advise you to go to Jairek to help create meaning and fulfillment in your life. Brian Tracy applauds Jairek’s ability to teach people how to develop meaning and purpose in life and then make a difference in the lives of others—looking for ways to level up in life and business.
If you are a plumbing or drain business owner or manager looking to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls, without complicated or pushy sales tactics. I want to let you know that each month I work with a limited number of companies.
Email me at allan@servicesuccessnetwork.com with the words “I’m Ready” and I’ll get you the details.
Check out Jairek Robbins here: https://jairekrobbins.com/
Jarek’s Book Recommendation: Good Strategy, Bad Strategy Richard Rumelt and The Most Important Thing Illuminated by Howard Marks and Paul Johnson
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Service Success Academy welcomes Andy Hobaica to episode #86 of Pipeline to Profitability. Andy works for Hobaica Services, a company that provides HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services in Phoenix, Arizona. He learned the importance of doing things right from his father, and he has become a successful salesperson by building strong relationships with his customers.
If you are a plumbing or drain business owner or manager looking to generate more revenue from your existing plumbing and drain calls, without complicated or pushy sales tactics. I want to let you know that each month I work with a limited number of companies.
Email me at allan@servicesuccessnetwork.com with the words “I’m Ready” and I’ll get you the details.
Check out Hobaica Services: https://www.hobaica.com/
Andy’s Book Recommendation: Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David
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Service Success Academy welcomes Billy Stevens to Pipeline to Profitability – Sera Workshop. Billy Stevens is the CEO and founder of Sera Systems, Billygo, and Berkeys Plumbing and Air Conditioning. In this workshop, they covered topics of using Sera software to improve profitability through efficiencies, discussed zero service fees, margin pricing vs. flat rate pricing, and simplified incentive plans.
Get started now https://sales.sera.tech/service-success-network
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Service Success Academy welcomes Adrian Fadini to Pipeline to Profitability. Adrian Fadini from Tradesformation in Sydney Australia. Adrian is Australia's #1 sales trainer for maintenance trade businesses.
Adrian’s Book Recommendation: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
Tradesformation: https://www.tradesformation.com.au/
7 Steps landing page: tradesformation97363.ac-page.com/7-step-intensive-day-training
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Service Success Academy welcomes Christian Devlin to episode #83 of Pipeline to Profitability. Christian Devlin from Avery & Sons Plumbing + Tankless in Myrtle Beach, SC. Christian is starting a plumbing business in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He sold Devlin Plumbing in 2018 and sold Avery’s plumbing in 2022 and is currently starting Avery & Sons Plumbing + Tankless in Myrtle Beach, SC
Christian’s book recommendations: How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Avery & Sons Plumbing + Tankless: https://www.averyandsons.net/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Brent Crowley to episode #82 of Pipeline to Profitability. Brent Crowley is the Managing Director at It Just Happens Marketing. In this episode, we discuss marketing automation, flat rate pricing, adoption challenges in Australia, and prioritizing marketing alongside technological advancements.
Brent’s book recommendations: My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
It Just Happens Marketing: https://itjusthappens.com.au/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Terry Wildemann to episode #81 of Pipeline to Profitability. Terry is the Intuitive Success Navigator for high-achieving, purpose-driven entrepreneurs at risk of burnout. Her 35 years of expertise have earned her the nickname "The Intuitive Truth Detective" among her clients. Terry’s gift of pinpointing and tackling deeply rooted unseen issues navigates her clients to skilfully integrate the spiritual, personal, and practical components of business and life to achieve goals and success.
Terry’s book recommendations: The Corporate Mystic by Gay Hendricks and Kate Ludeman; The Secret by Rhonda Bryne
Check out Intuitive Leadership: https://intuitiveleadership.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smileinitiativehub
Contact details: terry@intuitiveleadership.com
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Service Success Academy welcomes Rob Morgan to episode #80 of Pipeline to Profitability. Rob is a Certified SYSTEMologist and business systems expert based in Shell Cove, Australia. He works closely with David Jenyns, author of the book SYSTEMology. He is currently connected with Cloud Konnect, a SaaS Subscription and business systems consulting company. He also ran an IT Support company for over 25 years
Rob’s book recommendations: SYSTEMology by David Jenyns
Check out Cloud Konnect: https://cloudkonnect.com/
https://experts.systemology.com/systemologist/rob-morgan/#call-btn
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Service Success Academy welcomes Craig Arthur to episode #79 of Pipeline to Profitability. Craig Arthur is an international marketing consultant and the managing partner of Wizard of Ads Australia. Craig's book, "How to Win the Hearts, Money & Loyalty of Profitable Customers" outlines 101 relational marketing principles. This book is written specifically for owner-operated home services businesses.
Craig Arthur’s Book Recommendations: It's the Manager and Culture Shock by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter. Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
Check out Craig Arthur
Web: www.wizardofads.com.au
Email: craigarthur@wizardofads.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-arthur-16347bb9/
Craig’s book recommendations:
Profitable Customers by Craig Arthur, Wizard of Ads
Mr Jenkins Told Me by Jonathan Bancroft with Roy H. Williams
The E Myth HVAC Contractor by Michael E. Gerber and Ken Goodrich
WTF?! Willing to Fail by Brian Scudamore and Roy H. Williams
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Service Success Academy welcomes Dave Rothacker to episode #78 of Pipeline to Profitability. Dave is a 40-year industry veteran, a leadership guide for the Go Time Success Group, an independent executive director in the John Maxwell organization, and co-author of the book It's Go Time. He is a passionate reader of business and social science books along with biographies of leaders.
Dave Rothacker’s Book Recommendations: It's the Manager and Culture Shock by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter. Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
Check out Dave Rothacker: https://www.daverothacker.com/
https://www.gotimesuccessgroup.com/
It's Go Time, a book by Ben Stark, Chris Hunter and Dave Rothacker: https://www.gotimesuccessgroup.com/book
Roy Williams (The Wizard of Ads) - Free PDFs to The Wizard of Ads book trilogy -: http://www.rhw.com/youll-laugh-youll-cry/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Joe Cunningham to episode #77 of Pipeline to Profitability. This episode was recorded in a recent workshop with our private coaching group and the topic is call by call management. It’s applicable for companies who do services for air conditioning, plumbing, electrical drains, and water heaters.
Check out Technical Arts Center: https://www.technicalartscenter.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Brigham Dickinson to episode #76 of Pipeline to Profitability. He is the founder of the Power Selling Pros. He helps businesses improve call conversion rates for their CSRs.
Brigham Dickinson’s book recommendations: Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss and Something to Give by Brigham Dickinson
Check out Power Selling Pros: https://powersellingpros.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Al Levi to episode #75 of Pipeline to Profitability. He is the founder of the 7 Power Contractor. He's helped Tom Mello build a $200 million plus a year garage door business and many other successful contractors including his own contracting company
Al Levi’s book recommendation: What's in It for Them? by Joe Polish
Check out 7 Power Contractor: https://7powercontractor.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Billy Stevens to Pipeline to Profitability – Sera Workshop. Billy Stevens is the CEO and founder of Sera Systems, Billygo, and Berkeys Plumbing and Air Conditioning. In this workshop, they continued covering topics of using software to improve profitability through efficiencies, discussed zero service fees, margin pricing vs. flat rate pricing, and simplified incentive plans.
Get started now https://sales.sera.tech/service-success-network
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Service Success Academy Andy Hobaica to episode #73 of Pipeline to Profitability. He is the owner of Hobaica Services, a company that provides HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services in Phoenix, Arizona. He learned the importance of doing things right from his father, and he has become a successful salesperson by building strong relationships with his customers
Andy Hobaica’s book recommendation: Max Out Your Life and The Power of One More by Ed Mylett
Check out Hobaica Services: https://www.hobaica.com/
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Service Success Academy Daniel Sofr to episode #72 of Pipeline to Profitability. Daniel is a professional content strategist who works with businesses & individuals to plan, create & publish content online, specifically for social media. Daniel focuses on making content that is going to grow your brand and get you more customers.
Daniel Sofr’s book recommendation: Atomic Habits by James Clear
Check out Daniel Sofr: https://bydanielsofr.com/
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Service Success Academy Matt Benton to episode #71 of Pipeline to Profitability. Matt founded Trenchless Marketing in 2015 which provided the residential trenchless industry with more content and marketing than any other company on the planet. Their understanding gained through trenchless marketing led them to real-time marketing which works with a broader client base.
Matt Benton’s book recommendation: Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown, Good to Great by Jim Collins
Check out Trenchless Marketing: https://trenchlessmarketing.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Billy Stevens to Pipeline to Profitability – Sera Workshop. Billy Stevens is the CEO and founder of Sera Systems, Billygo, and Berkeys Plumbing and Air Conditioning. In this workshop, they continued covering topics of using software to improve profitability via efficiencies, discussed zero service fees, margin pricing vs. flat rate pricing, and simplified incentive plans.
Get started now https://sales.sera.tech/service-success-network
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Service Success Academy welcomes Ruth King to episode #69 of Pipeline to Profitability. Ruth King is a nationally recognized HVAC consultant, author, and HVAC license holder. For the past 30+ years, Ruth has been instrumental in helping contractors grow profitably through consulting, speaking, training, books, and Operations Manuals. Her latest software, www.financiallyfit.business, gives business owners the tools to analyze their financial statements in less than 10 minutes so they can spot minor issues and take care of them before they become major crises.
Ruth King’s book recommendations: You Should Quit
Check out Ruth King: https://ruthkinghvac.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Billy Stevens to Pipeline to Profitability – Sera Workshop. Billy Stevens is the CEO and founder of Sera Systems, Billygo, and Berkeys Plumbing and Air Conditioning. In this workshop, they covered topics using software to improve profitability through efficiency, discussed zero service fees, margin pricing vs. flat rate pricing, and simplified incentive plans.
Get started now https://sales.sera.tech/service-success-network
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Service Success Academy welcomes Stephen Christopher to episode #67 of Pipeline to Profitability. Stephen Christopher founded Wit Digital, which has delivered the highest level of results and relationships through values-based partnerships focused exclusively on home service. He is dedicated to helping others through coaching, mindset advice, and business acumen targeted for personal and professional growth.
Stephen Christopher’s book recommendations: You 2 by Price Pritchett and Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer
Check out Wit Digital: https://witdelivers.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Scott Bywater to episode #66 of Pipeline to Profitability. Scott Bywater is a Proven Marketing Authority Who Helps Businesses Grow by Millions of Dollars He’s an expert lead generator, email marketing strategist, and world-class copywriter retained by many of the world’s best direct marketing companies.
Scott Bywater’s book recommendation: The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy
Check out Copywriting that Sells: https://www.copywritingthsells.com.au/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Dannielle Davis to episode #64 of Pipeline to Profitability. Dannielle Davis is the man responsible for bringing the tools of the EOS Entrepreneurial Operating System into Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific Region. He has over 20 years of history building companies, and his obsession is helping entrepreneurial organisations to clarify, simplify and achieve their vision.
Daniel Davis’ book recommendation: Process! by Mike Paton and Lisa González
Check out EOS Implementers: https://www.eosworldwide.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Daniel Davis to episode #64 of Pipeline to Profitability. Daniel Davis is the man responsible for bringing the tools of the EOS Entrepreneurial Operating System into Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific Region. He has over 20 years of history building companies, and his obsession is helping entrepreneurial organisations to clarify, simplify and achieve their vision.
Daniel Davis’ book recommendation: Process! by Mike Paton and Lisa González
Check out EOS Implementers: https://www.eosworldwide.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Dave Bailey to episode #63 of Pipeline to Profitability. Dave Bailey spent more than more than 20 years in the field as a drain tech, plumber and supervisor for a large plumbing franchise, Dave left service plumbing to work with Service Nation, the largest residential contracting group in the country.
Dave Bailey’s book recommendation: The Power of Positive Pricing by Matt Michel
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Service Success Academy welcomes Corey Berrier to episode #62 of Pipeline to Profitability. Corey Berrier is a sales and business expert with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He is a two times author and respected public speaker at major conferences. Corey's expertise lies in the home services industry, where he revolutionizes businesses through advanced AI technology.
Corey Berrier’s book recommendation: Ego, Authority, Failure: Using Emotional Intelligence Like a Hostage Negotiator to Succeed as a Leader by Derek Gaunt
Check out Successful Life Podcast: https://coreyberrier.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Jake Saltzman to episode #61 of Pipeline to Profitability Jake Saltzman is the CEO of American Pipelining Supplies since 2020. Before founding his company, he was the technical director of Picote Solutions. With APS, he has built a team of industry professionals and quickly scaled his business in becoming one of the top suppliers of tools, materials, training, support, and repair in the industry.
Jake Saltzman’s book recommendation: Traction: Get A Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
Check out American Pipelining Supplies: www.pipeliningsuppliesusa.com
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Service Success Academy welcomes Angie Snow to episode #60 of Pipeline to Profitability, She was a teacher and jumped into heating and air conditioning with her husband. She loves to run, fitness and being healthy.
Angie Snow’s book recommendation: The 16 undeniable laws of communication by John Maxwell.
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Service Success Academy welcomes Matt Benton to episode #59 of Pipeline to Profitability. Matt founded Trenchless Marketing in 2015 who have provided the residential trenchless industry with more content and marketing than any other company on the planet. Their understanding gained through trenchless marketing led them to real time marketing which works with a broader client base.
Matt Benton’s book recommendation: Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown, Good to Great by Jim Collins
Check out Trenchless Marketing: https://trenchlessmarketing.com/
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Service Success Academy welcomes Tom Reber to episode #57 of Pipeline to Profitability, He’s the founder of The Contractor Fight, and their mission is to bring respect and dignity back to home improvement contractors all over the world to help them stop stealing from their family’s time, money, and memories.
Tom Reber’s book recommendation: Amplify Your Influence by Renee Rodriguez
Check out The Contractor Fight www.thecontractorfight.com
Listen to more episodes here: https://allanferguson.com
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Service Success Academy welcomes Corey Berrier to episode #57 of Pipeline to Profitability He works with contractors focusing on their sales team, technicians, and CSRs. He is also into Artificial Intelligence building software to improve a service company’s efficiency.
Corey Berrier’s book recommendation: Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
Check out Successful Life Podcast www.coreyberrier.com.
Listen to more episodes here: https://allanferguson.com
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Service Success Academy welcomes Shreya Nagwani to episode #51 of the podcast. Shreya Nagwani is a solutions specialist at Service MVP, a Comfort Advisor in HVAC, and was trained by Joe Crisara in the field. In this episode, we discuss sales training, process, questioning, and ethics, technician training, including finance, trust, and respect.
Shreya’s book recommendation: Relentless, As a Man Thinketh
Check out Service MVP: https://www.servicemvp.com/
Listen to more episodes here: https://www.allanferguson.com
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Service Success Academy welcomes Ed O’Connell to episode #56 of Pipeline to Profitability. Ed is a successful plumbing & drain business owner. He went from $250,000 in debt to a $6 million company using a tool called ‘Two to a truck’ and was able to erase that debt within 5 years and go on to retire very comfortably. Ed credit’s this to the success of his sewer and drain businesses with gross margins as high as 65%.
Ed’s book recommendation: The E-Myth Revisited, The E-Myth Contractor, Traction
Contact Ed: ed.connell@outlook.com or +1 415 302 1418
Listen to more episodes here: https://allanferguson.com
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Service Success Academy welcomes Andy Hobaica to episode #55 of Pipeline to Profitability. He is the owner of Hobaica Services, a company that provides HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services in Phoenix, Arizona. He learned the importance of doing things right from his father, and he has become a successful salesperson by building strong relationships with his customers.
Andy Hobaica’s book recommendation: The Orange Book by David Law & Paul Marshall, Sell or Be Sold by Grant Cardone, The Hard Way by Brad Lea
Check out Hobaica Services: https://www.hobaica.com/
Listen to more episodes here: https://www.allanferguson.com
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Service Success Academy welcomes Kevin Knebl to episode #54 of Pipeline to Profitability.
He is the founder of Knebl Communications, LLC and is the most recommended person in the world on LinkedIn with over 1920 individual, handwritten client testimonials. Kevin speaks around the world on how to create sincere and authentic know/like/trust which leads to huge increases in sales, referrals, and massive success.
Kevin Knebl’s book recommendation: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Law of Success by Napoleon Hill
Check out Kevin Knebl’s website: https://kevinknebl.com/
Listen to more episodes here: https://www.allanferguson.com
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Service Success Academy welcomes Weldon Long to episode #53 of the podcast. Weldon Long is a successful entrepreneur, professional speaker, contracting business expert, and the author of several best-selling books including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, The Power of Consistency. In this episode, we discuss the selling mindset: sales and beliefs about sales.
Weldon’s book recommendations: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Mind Is the Master
Weldon Long: https://weldonlong.com/
Free resource
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Pipeline to Profitability Podcast
Contractor #plumbing #drains #blockage #profit #business growth #entreprenuership
Service Success Academy welcomes Brent Crowley to episode #52 of the podcast. Brent Crowley is the Managing Director at It Just Happens Marketing, director of Whats Your Hours. In this episode, we discuss marketing automation, flat rate pricing, adoption challenges in Australia, and prioritizing marketing alongside technological advancements.
Brent’s book recommendations: How to Satisfy a Woman Every Time--And Have Her Beg for More, Jim's Book
It Just Happens Marketing: https://itjusthappens.com.au/
Whats Your Hours: https://www.whatsyourhours.com/
Free resource
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www.servicesuccessacademy.com/ebook
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Pipeline to Profitability Podcast
Contractor #plumbing #drains #blockage #profit #business growth #entreprenuership
Service Success Academy welcomes Shreya Nagwani to episode #51 of the podcast. Shreya Nagwani is solutions specialist at Service MVP, a Comfort Advisor in HVAC, and was trained by Joe Crisara in the field. In this episode, we discuss sales training, process, questioning, and ethics, technician training, including finance, trust, and respect.
Shreya’s book recommendations: Relentless, As a Man Thinketh,
Service MVP: https://www.servicemvp.com/
Free resource
=============
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www.servicesuccessacademy.com/ebook
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Pipeline to Profitability Podcast
Contractor #plumbing #drains #blockage #profit #business growth #entreprenuership
Service Success Academy welcomes Victor Rancour to episode #50 of the podcast. Victor Rancour is the CEO of Absolute Airflow Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing in California and won AirTime 500’s number one selling tech in the country multiple times in one year. In this episode, we discuss challenges faced in training technicians and the need for experienced professionals in management roles, team building, promoting from within, and effective training programs.
Victor’s book recommendations: Elevate, Home Service Millionaire, The E-Myth HVAC Contractor
Absolute Airflow: https://www.absoluteairflow.com/
Free resource
=============
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www.servicesuccessacademy.com/ebook
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Pipeline to Profitability Podcast
Contractor #plumbing #drains #blockage #profit #business growth #entreprenuership
Service Success Academy welcomes TJ Harnett to episode #49 of the podcast. TJ Harnett is the founder and CEO of Flywheel Coaching Group, a home service trades business coach and trainer. In this episode, we discuss company culture, reliability, personal growth & improvement.
TJ’s book recommendation: Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
Flywheel Coaching Group: https://flywheelcg.com/
Free resource
=============
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www.servicesuccessacademy.com/ebook
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Pipeline to Profitability Podcast
Contractor #plumbing #drains #blockage #profit #business growth #entreprenuership
Service Success Academy welcomes Mark Matteson to episode #48 of the podcast. Mark Matteson is the president of Sparking Success, inspiring speaker and the author of the international bestseller, Freedom from Fear. In this episode, we discuss the importance of service agreements, increasing revenue without increasing overhead, and incentivizing current employees.
Mark’s book recommendations: How to Win Friends and Influence People, HVAC Spells Wealth
Sparking Success: http://sparkingsuccess.net/
Free resource
=============
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www.servicesuccessacademy.com/ebook
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Pipeline to Profitability Podcast
Contractor #plumbing #drains #blockage #profit #business growth #entreprenuership
Service Success Academy welcomes Jim Klauck to episode #47 of the podcast. Jim Klauck is the Founder and President of Check A Pro, Bring On Success radio show host, author, speaker and pitchman. In this episode, we discuss marketing, podcasting, direct response radio advertising, and growing home service businesses.
Jim’s book recommendations: They Ask You Answer, When Can You Do It?, The 12 Week Year, Built to Sell
Check A Pro: https://www.checkapro.com/
Bring On Success: https://www.bringonsuccess.com/
The Radio Pitchman's Podcast Playbook: https://www.theradiopitchman.com/
Free resource
=============
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www.servicesuccessacademy.com/ebook
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==============
Pipeline to Profitability Podcast
Contractor #plumbing #drains #blockage #profit #business growth #entreprenuership
Service Success Academy welcomes Matt Jones to episode #46 of the podcast. Matt Jones is the founder of the Tradie Web Guys agency and The Site Shed podcast. In this episode, we discuss contractor marketing, websites, and the USA vs the AUS market.
Matt’s book recommendation: Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross & Marylou Tyler
The Site Shed Podcast: youtube.com/@TheSiteShed
Tradie Web Guys: tradiewebguys.com.au
Free resource
=============
Grab a copy of our free ebook ‘5 Steps to 10x your income: with discounted drain clearing’ 👇
www.servicesuccessacademy.com/ebook
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Pipeline to Profitability Podcast
Contractor #plumbing #drains #blockage #profit #business growth #entreprenuership
" Because we have these big ticket calls, we get really good plumbers that want to come and work for us and so we never we have a waiting list of plumbers like if we could get trucks. I could get more plumbers because I have a waiting list probably about 1520 plumbers deep."
- Billy Stevens
Check out this episode of The Pipeline To Profitability Podcast! Allan's guest is Billy Stevens from Berkey's and now with BillyGo.
Billy Stevens, Founder & Former CEO, Berkley’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning; Founder & CEO BillyGOContact Allan Ferguson at Service Success Academy.
Hey it’s Allan Ferguson and I want to welcome you to this podcast pipeline to profitability and proudly sponsored by service success Academy today I have a really special guest and I consider Billy Stevens one of the greatest guys in the industry I all want all also want to say that in my view Billy is without a doubt the smartest guy in the industry he might he might agree he might not it doesn't really matter and so a little bit but I know about Billy and I'm not big on long intros but Billy for a couple of years now I I stalked him on the social world and reached out to him and this man was kind enough to accept a call with me from down under we got to know each other we're both very passionate about the industry and yeah so a little bit about Billy is been in the industry probably same time as me he was the proud founder or had a very successful company called Berkey’s which was taken over by the wrench group Billy had a semi-retirement from what I've been told and I love the story that Billy decided to get back into the industry with his company Billy go which you might like to explain that story as well as what I believe to be the greatest revolution in software for the industry being Sierra and over to you Billy welcome to this podcast thanks for having me Alan I've been looking forward to this one it's always a good time to spend time with you talking and we spend a lot of time chitchatting all the time about all the different things in our industry and you know I can say for a fact that island just a lover of what we what this industry is all about he's always trying to give back he's got a lot of a lot of awesome ideas and I enjoy my conversation with Alan and all the time so again thank you for allowing me to come on to this show to talk a little bit about what we do and who I am and so yeah so I got into this industry my dad was appointed by the way and he you know back in the 70s 80s it was you know it wasn't what it is today it was hard if the economy got bad you had really bad times and if it got good you got busy again and you know I learned from that I never wanted to live that kind of up and down lifestyle and so I came up with a you know a few things that to make my business run year round and avoid all the dips and not worry about the economy ever even back in the you know the 90s when I got started and course now with today's technology I mean if you run your business right you should never be affected by what's going on out there in fact Berkey’s prior to starting the PE firm and doing that you know we grew the most during the O7O8 nine real estate collapse and we absolutely grew more than we ever did in any other three-year. And so if you if you set your business up correctly while times are good you do way better when times are bad and that's just quick advice for me before I get into anything today I don't even think that's in the subject matter but I just I wanted to talk about that so because I know that we've got some issues coming I am hearing a lot from a lot of contractors about it's kind of slowing down not so much in Texas we don't see it as much Texas is pretty much immune from all this stuff that goes on in the rest of the country but um I do hear from contractors every day about how things have really slowed down for them and so that's why I wanted to come on here and talk about our memberships because memberships are the best way to get rid of the pitfalls of slow times and memberships keep your customers coming back for more um you know I started Billy go four years ago and the whole idea behind Billy go was to you know be a beta tester for my software Sarah and Billy go was just going to you know we're just going to grow a little business and then learn how to you know build software around that business and then share it with everyone well Billy go just took off because of the things that we wanted to put in the software just made the company take off and our plumbing side of the business is just astronomical we sell hundreds and hundreds of water heaters every day we sell hundreds if not thousands of sewer line drains replacements every for each week of the year I mean we just constantly stay booked on these things you know we do the occasional faucet repair but you know we like we like water heaters and drain calls and we like making those calls and doing the best that we can with them and our software Sarah really helps those calls find us if you will um it's designed to take to get the customer to pick you instead of everyone else when they're out there searching for a plumber and that's one of the biggest things that has happened and then not only that because we have these big ticket calls we get really good plumbers that want to come and work for us and so we never we have a waiting list of plumbers like if we could get trucks I could get more plumbers because I have a waiting list probably about 1520 plumbers deep wanting to come work for our company because they know what kind of company we run and how they can make a really good living all the time and we and we only hire for no drama so there's a lot of lot of drama free stuff going on in our company but that's what I want to talk to you guys about you know is how do you know over the course of these podcasts with Alan over the next you know months or whatever years we're going to hit on some you know specific areas of businesses that I like to talk about so you know again memberships are where we need to be thinking memberships create revenue for us and the bad times they create repeat visits from the same customers over and over and over again and once a customer trusts you they will buy more from you and you will have lot less money going out the door trying to find more and more customers as you fill up the memberships also are a form of Mr. RRARR which is Mr. is monthly recurring revenue and AR is annual recurring revenue and these are things that are measured on how healthy a business is when you have this type of income other than just a service call and the amount of attention that you can spend on these members when it comes to selling other things is just enormous the average membership customer on Billy go spends $2100 with us per year where the average nonmember spends around 8 $100 a year yeah so it's almost three times the amount of money and they're also paying us to be members of our of our business and this membership is really no different than a gym membership you know we charge $99 a year for it or you can charge 999 a month $9.99 a month and you get slightly more money monthly but you get all the money at one time if you do it annually so what I like doing is is putting on there that we can come in and do a courtesy inspection and this courtesy inspection we can find out a lot about their home just by going to their kitchen sink and we go to the kitchen sink on every call and the reason we do this is because the aerator when you remove the aerator it tells you a lot about the condition of the home we already know there's slow drains in the bathrooms they have you know the lady of the house or they have kids in the house they're drains are going to be straining and slow because of all that hair that are in the shower and drain and in the laboratory drain and so we already know we have something to talk about in those areas because we're going to find all this debris and those pea traps are if you pull it all out from the tub spout or uh the drain in the tub and so we like to go right in front of that kitchen sink can pull that aerator cause that aerator is telling us a couple of things that we can explain to the customer and we don't go there by ourselves we take the customer with us and we walk over and we pull that aerator off and you're going to either see minerals or are you going to see plastic are you going to see both and there's your storyline right there person that's whenever a customer calls you for a leaky faucet or you're out doing inspections you start at that aerator and that plastic or those minerals will lead you to where the water heater the plastics the dip tube right the minerals are in the bottom of the water here and so this leads you to the water heater and now you're getting lay your eyes on the water heater and you get to see how old this thing is and what kind of conditions it is in make sure it's put together with Ed code you know passes code it gives you opportunity to now take a simple faucet repair or just an inspection and turn it into a water heater coil and this is how we do it we always involve the customer I'm going to make sure we ask we're one of the bathrooms are so that we can show them all the stuff in that laboratory P trap or we can do it right there at the kitchen sink as well but there's really no hair in the kitchen sink where you want that hair and that's in that's in the bathroom and once we shell on this stuff then we got it then we're pulling out a camera we're taking a look and where we live the ground moves all the time and I'm sure it's like that in most parts of the country and this is just a simple way to give your customer an idea of what's going on with their plumbing system and for you to have a look at everything and document what you're seeing and maybe there's a sale there maybe there's something you can do to help and that's really what we do that's what memberships help you do they allow you to get in the house they allow you to do this little brief inspection and then find this work and at least quote it and now that you quoted it with our software you can constantly talk to them about it even if they tell you no that day our software will allow you to uh send them reminders about it and make sure everything's going fine just checking in on them whatever it is you want it to say on those emails and we'll help you with those two as well so can I just jump in for a second sure that was basically um exactly what one of the things that myself and Joe Cunningham trained with the perfect service call but the way you did it it just it makes it sound so freaking easy but a couple of things I just want to go back to what you said water heaters and drains I mean if there was ever an area of focus for me based on love water heaters I used to love drains because if priced correctly and you know we're going to depending on time we're going to touch on your margin pricing which is built into your software but drains water heaters and look let let's also look at it this way every home that we get in that we get in front of has a drain they have a water heater and you know I train some of the training I've been doing in the last few weeks and I and I've put together a fairly large library of online training is on memberships and the reason memberships are so powerful and I was blessed to have been introduced to memberships when I joined service roundtable back around 2006 and the very first thing I did was build a really powerful membership plan for my companies and one of the things that we have done which I'm sure you including your membership Billy is we make sure that every membership has a drain inspection because that's really what we want we want the camera down the drain and but yeah love what you've shared so far and hoping today that we have a little bit of time to explore some of the other great things that Sarah does like I've heard some requests from some of the service nation members about your incentive plan which you I sat down with you and Tom peregrino at your office there was a month or two back and you explained the simplicity of your hey plan which was which blew my mind how easy it was and the other thing is how margin pricing works with everything you're about so sorry to jump in there but I had to I had to grab the moment and back to you my friend sure so let's talk about margin pricing and then we'll get into the pay plan so on margins margin pricing so we all I would hope that everyone watching this podcast is using flat rate pricing um it's time if you're not I can just say that you really need to be doing your pricing like this and then the but the problem with just flat rate pricing is we don't get any vision into what the money's going for we come up with a a large number let's say 400 an hour or 500 an hour whatever it is you all come up with 300 an hour or whatever well that's all fine and dandy but you don't really know where this money is allotted and therefore you don't know how much of it is your labor cost you don't know how much of it is is your material cost you don't know how much of it is your overhead cost and all these different things and what margin pricing does it's still a flat rate concept you just get one price to the customer but it's a way to price your stuff and your business that will actually reflect how you want your financial statements to read now if you're not doing financial statements I mean you need to learn obviously we need you need to you know get your taxes done right you just have to and most CPA's are very helpful when it comes to just explaining to you know what cogs are cost of goods sold all these things and so that's what margin pricing does it just breaks it down in a way that you can see specifically where the money is going and where you need to make adjustments so that you can become more profitable and it doesn't always require raising prices it just requires knowing where the money's going so that you can keep more of the money so if you've got a business that's over $1,000,000 you're already generating enough money for you to make 20 to 25% of that there's no reason why you shouldn't have 200 to $250,000 paid to you the owner after you pay everything else on $1,000,000 business the reason why it's not there right now is because you don't really know where your pricing is and where your cost are and once you identify these then you can start zeroing in on those and that's where Sarah really helps you our software really helps you dial in on the numbers so that you can now price your product properly and see how efficient you are the majority of your prices are probably just fine they're probably maybe too high but where you're losing it all is your inefficiency and that's what Sarah does it keeps you efficient it lets you know that when you send tech or Joe Bob the plumber out there to a job that he's got he's spending his time running around looking for parts or maybe he's just a lot slower than the other guys Sarah well identify that for you so that you can look and see that this guy is not making you as much money as maybe another guy so now I need to train this guy and help him get better at what he's doing and get rid of all this running around looking for parts because we can help you with that as well and just streamline your business you know there's a lot of software out there that plumbers are using that just do the basic stuff that are very popular there's several out there I'm not going to name any names but those software that software that you're using now those beginner software is what we call them you know they help you do so much but they don't give you that snapshot of the information that you need so that you can improve your business and all the money that 20 that 25% that should be in your profit and bottom line of your financials it's already in your business you're just losing it through all the inefficiencies that you can't measure with this beginner software it's out there they started jumping again really yes something you shared with me I'd love you to share with our listeners is and this is where we realized that and I've been saying this for years that improve efficiencies by 1% in your business makes a massive difference to that bottom market 2 percent 3% but we discussed the um industry average as far as billable efficiencies is let's call it 40% might be a little bit under for some might little might be a little bit over for others never heard over 40 no you're right and we always our goal was always 50% but it's is it a fact that at Billy go and the companies that you work with Sierra you're above 70% efficiencies yes Sir we're consistently in the high 80% on every single call and that really that even includes the calls where we get no money we even we even cost you know those go against the inefficiencies right and so if a tech goes out for no money that is applied to the overall factor and we're still 8788% month over month when you do I don't know one calls basically the calls that you went out and you sold them and you just compare those we're consistently about 106% efficient so we've got our we got our time and all of our measurements down to the penny now we just need to figure out how to get our efficiency into the 90% range and we have a lot of technicians that have reached this goal individually where they're 90% and I'm talking about not just Billy go but all throughout Sarah and we have this really cool thing that we do with all of them that get into 90% efficiency range and it's become something that text never aware of before and in my opinion it's more important than revenue because if you can become that efficient the revenue will come with it because the efficiency is good and then the profits come right behind it I mean it just changes everything and this can be done guys in little you can change all this in a week from where you are today in a week once you're on Sarah a week running on Sarah and you start seeing the seeing it come clear to you immediately 30 days after running on Sarah you're a master at this and you're working on it and you're getting it done that's the thing that's really cool about it it's don't it's not a complicated software but it does so many things that No other software in this industry can do and it's all automated that's the beautiful part of it we don't require a lot from you we just need to help you on board see what your business is all about get that stuff entered in there and then off you go and this is what we do submit that impressed me Billy sorry to keep good trucking with man but you you're thrown so much gold Nuggets at that everyone something that in in really got my attention and that's why I've got to I've gotta get to know this software that's why I've asked for to go through your sewer Academy which is mind blowing the number of touch points on a call now I think I'm probably won't quote this right but you're correct me I'm sure the average call has 26 to 28 touch points your software got it down to am I right with saying 43 wow that yes Sir we've automated about 20 of those out of the day-to-day walk of life in our industry right um So what we've been able to do is you know cut down on the interactions between you know plumber out in the field or the office the customer we get that we built Sarah to where everybody's on the same page and we simplify all the interactions and automate as much as possible so that everybody can do their job more efficiently and bring more money in for the company because the company needs to make money so that it can survive and it needs to be able to provide with better you know better insurance better lifestyle better everything right and that is what it's all about is how do we simplify these complicated businesses that we run every day and by doing that we create a lot of profit within these businesses and we do it fast it doesn't take years it doesn't it takes weeks in your in your business is transformed into this money making machine impressive now I know we've talked about this and I know the short term plan is not to get the software down under but when it when it does I want to be all over it so something I'll probably talk to you at another time but I would love to be able to I mean I'm a coach in the industry my expertise is helping companies get extreme profit from drains and transference technologies which is something that I II did make a promise to you I want to find an area within Billy gobot I can help you to improve profits it'll be one of my biggest challenges but I'm a very determined individual but so and I want to leave a couple of minutes to discuss your in your incentive plan which I know you've simplified but if there was a contract I'm working with a few contractors in Australia and if there was anything that we know they know that the software your Sierra software is not going down under just yet but what should they do if they want to improve the profitability of their business with some of the software products in Australia are not that good I think there is a there is a an American product which is starting up down under but won't discuss them but yeah so what's something that our Australian friends can do right now to improve the efficiencies to become more profitable without having this amazing product syrup well I agree that I I think the very first thing you should do to become more profitable is you know you need to get a membership program under control you know and get that out there and get that movement and then I think the biggest money exchanger is this pay plan I've I've got a very simple pay plan that technicians understand they get raises all week long they make more money than they've ever made before and the company makes money as well and it's very easy to operate it takes no time at all for them to understand it they can see it whether they have Sarah or not doesn't matter I can I can share that with the you guys down under the digital spreadsheet and then well however you use your currency I don't know what the Australian currency is but it'll work the same you'll never lose another plumber because someone else is offering more money I can tell you that that'll never happen again and then you'll start getting cause more plumbers because of the way that we pay and it doesn't break the bank it doesn't break the bank for the company it doesn't and really helps the technicians as well um maybe on a another show I know your shows are about 30 minutes maybe another show we can dedicate just to this subject alone just the pay system alone I'd love to Billy if you can make that work because that is an area that a lot of contractors really besides being more efficient more profitable but that is an area that a lot of there's a lot of interest especially within service nations so yeah that I would be excited to be able to do that again but you're a busy man we just got to find a time that we can make this work you know so yeah look we're probably getting towards the end of the podcast now I do this to all my guests and I want to thank you again Billy I'm forever grateful for not just the value that you add to me and you've impressed me so much that I'm remodeling my training to be very in tune with the way that Surah works because I know there's gonna be your business is growing rapidly and you've got some big players coming on board which is really exciting for you but this is where I like to conclude every podcast I do and I know that you're an avid reader so is there any particular book right now that you're reading that you would like to record into our to our audience believe it or not I'm reading with my employees rich dad poor dad right I've read it a couple of times already years and years ago but I have bought every single one of our plumbers a rich dad poor dad book and we review that book every two weeks a lot of them don't like reading but the way we engage them in this book I highly recommend that you pick it up and then you give it to your employees it's all about in increase in our improving your culture in your business right and we need to reinvest back into our employees and that's what we do here at villago we really are in tune with our employees we make help them understand money as well and if they understand money then when you're trying to understand teach them about the business and why it's not making money or why we need to make money then they'll understand it better and they'll jump on board with you better and the culture improves and so we simplify the way you pay them we improve the culture that way we talk to them about their own personal finances and help them improve which in again is investing right back in them and should even help you because if you're teaching someone something and you're gonna do it as well and you're gonna get better at it as well and so the answer your questions a long winded answer for a for what book am I reading but we currently as a company or reading rich dad poor dad right now that's fantastic Billy I really love that that's something you know I used to provide regular training with all my team on personal finance investing in real estate anything to help them to get ahead and you know at one point I had several staff working within my company that had multiple properties that they were renting out and anyone that knows the Australian real estate market it's really expensive like you can't buy anything under $1,000,000 now and you know one of my staff you have like 9 properties I'm going Oh my God and he's working for a wage well paid and you know we're I believe in paying our guys well and that's a fantastic recommendation Billy and but again I want to thank you for all you do for the industry there's been a fantastic podcast one that I'm gonna go and listen to because every time I talk to you I learned so much and I'm sure everyone that's tuned in today will as well so thank you again Billy and I really do appreciate everything you do and so this is This Is Us myself the legend Billy Stevens and that displayed a fantastic podcast thanks again for joining me Billy and I'll catch you I'll catch everyone on the next podcast.
Today’s special guest is none other than Lee Milteer!
Lee is an internationally known and celebrated Entrepreneur, Visionary, Best-Selling Author, and Award-winning Professional Speaker, TV Personality, and Intuitive Business Mentor. Lee provides business and success advice and resources to 250,000 people around the world. She is the founder of the Millionaire Smarts® program which supplies coaching for other coaches and businesses.
Lee speaks all over North America and Europe in Conventions, Private Companies, and Entrepreneurial and Niche Market Events.
Her presentations are so effective that organizations such as Walt Disney, AT&T, XEROX, IBM, Ford Motor Co., NASA, Federal Express, plus hundreds of government agencies and scores of conventions, repeatedly retain her to inspire and motivate their audiences.
Lee is a recognized, award-winning, best-selling audio and video author, Lee has written 16 books 5 which are AMAZON BEST sellers.
Her latest book: Activate Your Inner Power. - hit THE BEST SELLER STATUS IN 4 CATEGORIES!
Lee has been an expert guest on more than 1200 TV and Radio shows on National and International TV and Radio around the world. Lee has been interviewed in newspapers, magazines, and trade journals all over the world, including U.S.A. TODAY, Wall Street Journal, INC magazine
SUCCESS IS AN INSIDE JOB and talk about the use of instincts for businesspeople.
PLUS she will give to you, a $100 gift: www.fivetypesofenergy.com
Coffee with Lee
Book recommendation
talk about the use of instincts for businesspeople.
Contact Allan Ferguson at Service Success Academy.
Podcast Episode Transcript:
Hello and welcome to our podcast pipeline to profitability today I have a very special guest being Lee Milteer and Lee is an international known and celebrated entrepreneur visionary bestselling author and award-winning professional speaker TV personality intuitive business mentor Lee provides businesses and success advice and resources to 250,000 people around the world she is the founder of millionaire smarts program which supplies coaching and other coaches and businesses at least speaks all over North America and European conventions private companies and entrepreneurial and niche market events her presentations are so effective that organizations such as Walt Disney AT&T Xerox IBM Ford Motor Company NASA federal express plus hundreds of government agencies and scores of conventions repeatedly retain her to inspire and motivate their audiences Lees recognized award-winning bestselling audio and video author Lee has written 16 books which five Amazon bestsellers her latest book activate your inner power hit the best seller status in four categories Lee has been an expert guest on more than 1200 TV and radio shows on national and international TV and radio around the world leaders interviewed in newspapers magazines trade journals all over the world including USA TODAY Wall Street Journal and in magazine so today I want to introduce you to the amazingly Milteer and today we're going to discuss is success and inside job welcome light thank you so much Alan that was a great introduction I appreciate that my mother would have been very proud yeah so is success an inside job well Alan I'm so happy you asked that particular question because I think that is the burning question that a lot of us have to ask right now the last few years have been just pure crazy town and we are being told things that are not true and yet for people who are aware of their instincts and their intuition they can feel that something is not right they might not be able to put their fingers exactly on what it is but success is an inside job because here's the here's the truth success is not like reading a book example when you read a book you start at the beginning you go to the middle and you go to the end successes opposite successes you mentally inside of yourself go to the exact outward vision that you wish to create for yourself then you go a little bit further back and you figure out what is the plans the strategy the technique the skills that I need to do to get there so you're visualizing that and then sort of at the beginning of the book you have to decide on the plan we are self-affirming prophecies no one in our educational system and I live in the United states ever taught anybody that success is an inside job what they've taught them is to literally memorized information just long enough to pass the damn test OK and then they're like little robots giving back information that was fed to them well that's all great unless the educational system is corrupt which it is or the people giving you information is corrupt which a lot of it he is so as business owners one of the things that I've done Alan and I've been around a long time is I've been teaching people that you have an inner guidance within yourself it is I like to call it instincts and the truth is we have these instincts and for up until the last like say 100 years everybody lived by their instincts now that you know you met someone you could tell sort of inside of yourself this is a good person and I can trust them this is not a good person I can't trust them this is a good thing for me this is a bad thing for me today people aren't living by their instincts anymore they're actually living with external information that's being programmed in them and then they parrot that information out and they believe it's true so when I was growing up I was complicated life grew up on a ranch my father wanted a boy raised me as a boy so I could choose Dr. tractors * take no crap from anyone tell it like it is you know growing up with the rancher father was actually fantastic because I'm afraid of no one because he was worthy of being a friend and so I followed his lead and he would always say to me whether you're doing business or you're riding your horse you have got to listen to the instincts inside of you of is it safe to go down this path is it not safe to go down this path when I was growing up we went into a building the first thing he would say to me is where's the exit you got to know where the exit is when you walk in the door if I took a ride through the woods he would always say to me it's great riding through the woods on that path but don't you dare ever come back on that same path because you're a you're a little you know little thing on that big horse and somebody might grab you and so I grew up with this knowledge that one I was 100% responsible for myself all my decisions that I had to take responsibility I had to be incredibly you're full of who I allowed in my because people have agendas and often the most dark people and very sweet attendants to lure you in and so basically success is an inside job in the sense of I have to make my own path like you and all the people that you to work with and this has been my life is working with entrepreneurs and business owners and trying to convince them that the caliber of information that they put in their brain every single day will determine what their bank account looks like it will determine what their home relationship looks like their relationships with their staff their team their clients you know their customers that here we are our own worst enemies it is when we get depressed and down and we're thinking negative thoughts and victim thoughts and we're not really taking our power because a loop back to how I started no one ever told us we were powerful beings no one ever told us this so we always think there's somebody else smarter than us and I'm not saying there are smarter people but they're not smarter for us in the sense of we have this gut energy that you have to follow and you know me I'm a warrior I like I believe in what I believe in and don't get between me and what I want because I am going to get what I want in life and love it Lee I love it I love every bit of that passion of yours and yeah I mean we've been we've known each other for a little while now it hasn't been that long but I just wanted to most of my listeners for this podcast that trades people and I'd like to and I know you would deal with some tradespeople in your in your coaching group but we both have a common mentor being Dan Kennedy and I've been and I know you're very good friends with Dan I've never met Dan before but I've been one of his students now for about 20 years and when I learned and originally when I asked him to be on this podcast I said let's do a marketing podcast and then you said to me Alan I've got some better I've got some better stuff to share with your listeners which I think this is fantastic but just another thing besides our common interest being marketing Dan Kennedy I was blown away by an article or a newsletter you shared a couple of days about the empath personality and I know you're probably going to touch on that and I hope you do because that personality fits me and it was quite scary when I thought Oh my God I get when I'm in crowds with people I can feel the negative energy and it makes me nervous and you know but so this podcast is for tradies So what advice would you have because we're heading into some difficult times I believe I don't think we can both agree the media is not telling us the truth and I've had my own experience with the lies of mediatel but for your average plumber electrician air conditioning business how does what you're about affect them moving forward it affects them the world affects everyone and we're all empaths to a degree some people are more advanced than others but negative energy of say the new scaring you about the upcoming third World War and you know all of that kind of stuff it affects um you know all kind of trades people because you know the first thing that happens when you get this kind of information is sort of this clutching you know how is my business going to keep going how can I protect my family you know how can I make sure my children are going to be OK uh you know what's going to happen and there's so much fear in the world right now Alan that it's overriding a lot of people's creative abilities and here's the real important part creative abilities to scan the landscape of your particular profession so let's take plumbers because I've dealt with a lot of plumbers and me too and you know I love trains people because you know I grew up in a blue collar world I mean you know my dad's a rancher you know his blue collar as you can get and so I have great respect for all those people in fact and more respect for them than you know more corporate people by far I mean these people know how to work and I want to be a and you know I have a work ethic and so if we allow the chaos of our world to start affecting us our brain sort of shuts down into this fear mode and fear is fantasized experiences appearing real now and your imagination starts to get away with you you know there won't be any work how will I pay my bills you know just it just cascades down So what we have to do is we really have to become brave and get brutal about who and what we listen to and allow into our subconscious mind because if we watch the news and get scared maybe we don't pull that trigger on writing that sales letter that we really need to write for that neighborhood that we're trying to canvas and get more information maybe we get a really good testimonial from a client that we just you know saved their life and we're so freaked out we forget to put it up on our website or use the testimonial or maybe we become unconscious and we're so freaked out about what's happening we hire bad people and then are so you know sort of befuddled and disoriented that we let them stay and you know we know we don't notice the red flags or we don't fight for ourselves the way that we normally would fight for ourselves I've been wounded in life in the sense of having really bad things happened to me and I know that that feeling of being stunned and overwhelmed and disoriented and not sure what to do and sometimes listening to the wrong people and then just get deeper in the hole so to speak but why are trades people should pay attention to the caliber of information they put in the brain their own self talk see if we can't be for ourselves and daily tell ourselves no matter what I will win no matter what I will win that kind of mindset then you're beat and what's your beat I mean the vultures will come and feast on you and so it's imperative that no matter what you do in life that you are your own champion that you have you bring out your warrior that that you when you recognize red flags of people and things against you immediately cut the poison out as soon as possible and that means that you have to be in a positive state of mind that no matter what happens you will land on your feet and that you're creative enough that you you're scanning the landscape and you're telling your brain because your brain is very creative looking for the money looking for the money looking for the money where is their money you know I jokingly in the smarts club that I'm in and that you're in I jokingly say actually smell money it really is I don't know literally smell it but I feel it I can I get a charge when there is an opening that I see that I could capitalize on and leverage and monetize and I have to do that I am the I am the train I am pushing the old train I am putting I I have no one else who's taking care of me it is me and I got the train behind me I'm pulling like you and all the other trades people and so if I don't put into myself everyday information from people who inspire me books that I read or courses that I take are in my own self talk and literally visualize myself every morning that I get up and every night before I go to sleep the future that I wish to create for myself I'm screwed just like everybody else now I love talking like this cause I love telling it like it really is you know this is not something I could talk like on the corporate you know BS but I'm just telling everybody you got to just step up to the plate here and take your power back and just say you know I'm in charge of my future I have the brains and the ability to deal with whatever happens and there are just tools that we were given such as I've just mentioned control yourself talk when you catch yourself saying you know everything is going wrong and I don't know what to do you got to have a pattern and a rub and you've got to literally convince your brain more than anybody else that you have the ability face whatever circumstances you're dealt with and most important you will win you're not going to fail you're going to win you may fall down but we're going to get our * back up as soon as possible that's great advice and at the end of the day our brain is a primal brain that's basically programmed to protect us right so something that I one of my mentors or someone that I followed many years ago going back in my I don't know if I told you I was I was heavily into powerboat racing and my mentor growing up was this funny talking Austrian guy called Arnold Schwarzenegger and after watching some of his I think it was a it was a documentary called pumping iron where Arnold talked about visualising the fact that he would win his next Mr. Olympia and back then I II thought this this funny talk in Austrian guy and don't worry I get the funny talk in Australian guy but move on he he's onto something so I actually applied his visualization technique into my powerboat racing where I would actually our races well let's say 45 minutes I would spend 45 minutes prior to the race visualising me winning the race and guess what I won more races I've won pretty much everything so the whole visualization I think one of the hardest things for us to do and you know I've the last few years I've copped a pretty rough time with the media and marriage and it's been pretty nasty but it is sometimes it's really hard when you're in the hurricane to actually get out or when you're when you've got all this negative energy around you to actually get out but I look to get out of that and reprogram your mind because we control our mind right also so they tell me and so maybe you might like to share some of the techniques so if someone's in a really off place at the moment and and things just are not going well for them and I and this is there's another fellow that I've been following for a while can't even remember his name now jocko willink and that whenever * is going on in his life he's just says good that's a lesson so in in everything the bad that happens to us there has to be a lesson from that but So what are some of the techniques that you would recommend to our fellow trades people or anyone that's and it's not just trades people that listen to this great podcast what are some of the techniques that you use to actually to get yourself out of that negative stink and think and that um I think zig Ziglar used Ziegler OK well first I'm a huge fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger for many reasons but I actually quoted him and one of my favorite quotes is I used weights to tone my body but I've used my mind to shape it Arnold Schwarzenegger and he did a day off with the job with that OK so some of the things that I do I like if I'm in an unresourceful state of mind let's say bad news bad news bad news you just feel completely overwhelmed one of the first things that I do is a pattern interrupt which means you can only think of one thing at a time out and that means that you get to also you have the power of choice and it's very easy to fall into victim modality so instead of falling into victim modality of you know everything's too hard it's against you blah blah blah and that may be true however you get to choose what you think about I I recommend to people is if you can just break at that moment if you can take a a 15 minute break if you can if you've got like my dogs are here you know I have you know animals everywhere and you know I go play with the animals because it's a pattern interrupt guess what nobody it's even a bad mood when they're playing with their four legged fur buddies ever and so the other thing is walk outside into nature and start asking yourself OK I know things are you know shut up the Creek here however what's good just ask yourself what is I got my family I got my home I'm self-employed just so everybody knows I'm unemployable I know that feeling and most of us are like that I mean we don't want them I mean we deal with a lot of stuff but we don't want to work for somebody else because we still working for other people hundreds of people a year but you know not that one person every day and the other thing is start focusing on if you just you know like let me think of 10 things that I'm really grateful for and you just start thinking about those notice it doesn't even take 2-3 minutes in two or three minutes when you shift from what's wrong to what you're left with like you have gorgeous daughters you know you have gorgeous daughters and go focus on all the people who rape and plunder Jew because we all have that list and they can only stay alive if we think about them so one of the secrets I have is it's called the write it down hey it no mind in other words stop thinking about the problem and if there's something that needs a solution simply say to yourself I haven't thought of a solution yet but I will think of the solution and then ask your subconscious mind what are some possible usable solutions that you could focus in on and then let it go and if you're walking outside or you're doing something else and and all of a sudden there's this intuition because here's how intuition works intuition matches dots and when you ask a deliberately give me a solution for this situation it will go up into your subconscious mind and your conscious mind and it will search all the data values since the moment of your birth or solutions that you have read about seen in class gotten from mentors however you got those they're stored and all you have to do is unlock that by asking what is the solution to this problem versus reinforcing that you know this is bad I don't know what to do see when we're self-fulfilling prophecies the more we reinforce what's bad the more we focus in on it then we have tunnel vision we cannot see solutions because we're so focused on what's bad and you know I'm a one-on-one coached business owners and I actually have people come spend sometimes a day with me and what I do is I point out all their blind spots in other words this is a problem you have but you're so stuck on the problem you're refusing to see there's another option if you just let the problem go and we start just focusing on solutions and then what we might come up with might not be the exact recipe you need but it's the beginning of the recipe because if you don't convince your mind that there is a new solution you're stuck and then you'll repeat the behaviors you'll suffer and I really do believe entrepreneurs suffer a lot I mean they worry about so much stuff when I catch myself worrying I think whoops yeah very unresourceful state of mind me worrying because if I'm a self-fulfilling prophecy I'm now attracting this bad stuff to me how about if I tear the problem apart and figure out one little thing that I could take action on that would start to shift the you know the momentum of that problem and it's like a miracle Allen me simply finding one thing that I can start to shift and take action on and do shifts my mood puts me in a resourceful state of mind the warrior comes out I start having a good time because I'm going to win and you know we figure it out now it's not always overnight but these are our choices you know we have a choice every day we're going to be a victim or we're going to be a warrior and all of us are going to choose to be a warrior we both know Mike Aguilera and we know he's big on the warrior mindset so Lee we've got a couple of minutes left and I want to take this opportunity and I do thank you for all for your wisdom I love your daily emails copy with Lee fantastic I want to get as many people that I can reach that I know to be on your millionaire smart club and maybe give us a couple of minutes you've got a a nice little gift to give away to all of our listeners and viewers as well maybe you'd like to talk about little bit of some of the stuff that you're doing at the moment and yeah just one more thing um I know you've got lots of your own books to recommend but I always ask my podcast guest what's a really powerful book that you would recommend to the listeners and then we'll conclude Lee with a little bit about what you got going on OK let me get the book first this would be good you can tell it wasn't a green screen OK so this is one of our coaches in the success smart club his name is James Carl Butler and the book is called clear and present game changers strategies to turn around and transform your business fantastic and I love James in fact you must love me too because he the three mentors who have helped him become a better entrepreneur Dan Kennedy bill Glaser and Lee Milteer and I'm not I'm not recommending it because of that but I'm recommended because James is part of the smarts the success smarts club that you're in with me and each month he takes parts of this book and he puts it in report form but I I'm in love with this book in fact I've interviewed James maybe four times out of this one book I mean he writes such tiny little books but anyway this is a book that I highly recommend love it so little bit about you Lee and we'll finish off with what you got going on and what have you got for our for our podcast listeners OK so I have a gift for your folks and it really is a legitimate gift it isn't my website cost 100 bucks but it's free for you if you go to five types of energy.com five spell it out FIV E types of energy.com I have 5 short little videos they're five minutes each and they're about your mental physical emotional spiritual and financial energy which is your life currency and how you use that energy every day to build a more stress free prosperous happy life or you build a stressed freaked out on not happy life with the same energy so they're you they come about every other day they're 5 minutes of people play them in their businesses they play them and churches they're all over the place and the other thing I'd like to mention is I do have a bestselling book called activate your inner power and it was it we just it just went for sale it's on the Amazon bestseller list in four different categories and this book is really about how you increase your intuition so you think of your problem no matter what it is you just think about it and then you just flip I know this sounds crazy but it works every single time just flip through the book find a page open it and read it and what we pulled today is beliefs the future and how you create your beliefs and your future so I'd like for people to check out if they went to milkier.com at the there is a up there at the top of the menu it's called 6 success smart club and it's only for entrepreneurs and we're not interested in corporate people we're not interested in you know administrative people we're interested in descending decision makers and then what we do in the club is support you we support you mentally physically emotionally spiritually and financially with the things that you can do that shifts your reality into a much easier space so that you are a creator and manifestor versus you know just working hard you can think you can think yourself into a lot more success thank you Lee you've been fantastic I really appreciate this and I know that everyone that watches and listens to this podcast is gonna get so many gold Nuggets and words of wisdom from you so thank you again the what I was looking for it was a Dan Kennedy recommendation it must have been 15-20 years ago the strangest secret that was the one I was I was thinking of I'm gonna put all these Yep I'm gonna put all these links into the into the show notes and thank you Lee really appreciate that and looking forward to seeing you on your next group coaching call and you have a fantastic day thank you so much Alan thank you Lee all the best see ya.
" I was third generation plumbing heating cooling electric we were making a lot of money but it was killing me and so we learned how to systematize our business ".
- Al Levi
The great Al Levi (7 Power Contractor) joins Allan Ferguson on this episode of - "Pipeline To Profitability". Al is a 3rd generation contractor from New York City and had to learn systems in order to exit his business. Al now teaches others to do the same thing in the home service space.
Check out this episode of The Pipeline To Profitability Podcast! Learn how training your team today can bring huge benefit tomorrow!
Contact Allan Ferguson at Service Success Academy.
Podcast Episode Transcript:
Hey it's Alan welcome to this episode of pipeline to profitability and today I've got a very very special guest indeed now Al Levi is I call him a friend he's been to visit down under and we had a great time my podcast pipeline to profitability has been um on air since 2013 our levy has been on the podcast more than anyone else and this is the fourth time the other times all was on with we discussed marketing we discussed adding additional trades and yeah so it was great so just quickly al levy is a third generation plumber with his own plumbing heating and cooling and electrical company based in the New York area al's mastering system systematization and he has done an amazing job with building his business to the point where he could step out and all might he might want to explain a little bit further about that amazing company that he's help grown have also became friends with Ellen raw and Tommy mellow who I've I've some you know I haven't actually met yet and how's actually also working with an amazing brand called zoom drain So what I'll do is I'll before I budget this up anymore I'll I'm gonna hand it over to you you might like to let our audience know a little bit about our levy and how you're changing the industry welcome my friend thank you my friend that we offer pretty funny that this is my fourth time because I'm kind of like the houseguest that shows up but he never leaves based on what he just said but this is over a period of time and it's always been fun because we're two of us are so passionate so for you listeners and those who are viewing here I want to apologize because this is a guy al who still has his New York accent speaking to a guy named Alan who still has his Australian accent one guys in Houston and one guy from Scottsdale try and figure that out so anyway yes I was third generation plumbing heating cooling electric we were making a lot of money but it was killing me and so we learned how to systematize our business we finally everybody thinks this new thing is oh I can't find ticks I can't contact Gee that's really new we had that problem back in the 80s nineties 2000 it's not new but we fixed it so that's really what I want to share I was able to turn the reins over the 4th generation my nephew is now in the business with my middle brother and for the last 20 years I've been traveling around 1 to one consulting doing seminars with contractors and trades I was never in from 1,000,000 to 200 million and one of the great ones was of course and still is Tommy Mello A1 garage who has absolutely revolutionized the garage door industry and yes I worked with our good mutual friend Alan Moore with a lot of consultants but then we did zoom drain and I successfully shared my share to them so that they could get even bigger once they got rid of me all the systems are still in place very proud you know to go nationwide that's really impressive and they've just taken off but what I do these days is just help other contractors get these war charts and manuals and systems but I really want to go higher level which you and I always talk about is what gets in our way as owners of contracting businesses because there's a universal issue here and Alan and I all are not preaching because we have been there my friends we know what happened and I really want to dig into that that look one thing that I must say about you all and all the time I have known you and I can't remember whether we met through Matt Jones or whether we just met through the best practice group out and Ellen Rohr all roads go through Helen roar my friend blah blah blah yes all the all the greatest hits yeah and but the fact that you've been working with an amazing brand like zoom drain and most of my coaching these days since I exited the industry in Australia a couple of years back is the drain space and I feel that it's a in my view as one of the most underutilized areas of the industry that can potentially deliver the highest margins and I anyone that says there's other products and services in home service the home service industry that can deliver a higher net profit higher margin I need to get myself attached to that but so let's talk about our what's what gets in the way of US's owners in our contracting companies you know what I think for myself this particular I worked in the field even though we were a big company as a tech my father believed I should never ask anybody to do anything that I hadn't done myself and I when I was a young man I didn't like that but later on came through I understand the thing but what happens is as a great tech when you ask who's the best person to do this job the answer is always you're going to put your hand on but you're automatically gonna choke the size of your business and keep your people from going and growing and we had done that even though we were 17 million and 70 people which back in those days and then I this was a big company and so we were the problem we had to learn how to put the platforms in to systematize things so people could own their box and then what we were doing the way out I always loved this analogy is you are working for me but I'm not going to tell you what you need to know because if I do you'll leave and then where are all my stuff goes so we want you to perform but we're not going to tell you how so the best analogy I like is I told you to jump but I never told you when I told you to jump but I didn't tell you how hot so I sabotaged you and we were great at sabotaging people I think today it the org chart the box word chart is really where it all starts to take form but every box needs four to five KPI's and just known performance indicators because we all like to use these letters and nobody knows the problem that has come about in my opinion Alan is because we have such great technology like service type and all these other great software and we could have a Bank of computers where we look like we're NASA Space Center right and now we're looking at all this stuff because we can not because we should So what are the four that really move the needle and you as the owner have to get really attached to them and then what I knew for myself and I write about it in my book is so why didn't I let these people help me and it was my great industry friend Dan hollahan another mutual friend of Ellen and so he said to me you know what you're doing and do you know why you're doing that and it made me think about that I like to be the rescuer ride to the rescue I like being the guru I was always the smartest guy in the room and here's the one that really tripped you up I like being a fireman you know as a young kid we want to be a fireman or a cop or whatever so we like putting out fires and here's the really sneaky one for all you owners out there if there aren't any fires you will subconsciously set the fire as stupid as that sound because we don't go on our logic we are emotionally attached to stuff and then we defend everything with logic and that's something I want you to really focus on lovedale I am I have to say your book the seven power contractor is definitely one of my favorites and going back a few years before I II I suppose I changed direction myself I was going to release a a book myself I've got the content it's just a matter of doing it my our mutual friend mark Madison is always kicking my **** but I I decided to change II I added a couple of steps and I was calling that the nine step contractor series the book type the book will come out I'll probably just call it here's the thing there's a bit of a story behind that because yeah but look I'll just make it interesting I'll add some color to the book and but look I'm always fascinated by your book so maybe all you might wanna take a minute or two just to I don't know if you can do it in a couple of minutes but just take our listeners through what are the seven steps in the seven power contractor I I'm happy to do it so it's planning power which is having a plan which is another thing that gets in our way but executing that plan because you guys don't need another idea you need another idea that gets implemented but how do you do it in what order so planning power is learning how to work on the right thing at the right time the right way and then operating power is having the right more chart like a bingo board and then having an operating manual that covers each of those boxes for the way you work but not everything in those boxes with you Mr. and his perfectionist you want them to be like they should read your mind and that doesn't work how do I know because we tried my company was in business since 1936 if you could do that we should have met you a long time ago because it's impossible so it covers 80% of the things that's really about where the system the next thing that builds on that is staffing power which is what changed the dynamic for us is we could take young willing apprentices with no skills through willing text great skills and as many as we wanted and then so that we could manage our growing company we learned how to hub and spoke by being able to take senior techs to field supervisors instead of going hey you know what alan's a great tech let's make him a field supervisor and you have no idea how to do that so we have a program which is qualified to compete and trained and that's all tied up in staffing then it's sales at the end of it sales to me has always been great communication ethical selling because I don't believe you ever have the right to sell anything that's not in the customers best interest no you're like a great waiter and a great restaurant your job is to serve me really well and help me make a great decision and so that's really the big part of selling power the next thing is sales coaching because putting a system out there and not having coaching is like me handing you a gun but not teaching you how to use it safely how to use a target do the rest of it so sales coaching fits to that then The thing is marketing because you can be great at everything I just rattled off and if the phone doesn't ring it doesn't matter so I'd like to use the plumbing analogy it's a bathtub full of the right amount of calls from the right customer at the right time and anything you're overflowing that tub because if you can if you can with those three rights of marketing then you get to decide how much you charge what customers you work for and what products you will and won't do and then the big part of marketing is the drain is wide open if your customer service reps are awful and I've been to a lot of companies where they really stink but Magnus was training will help then the last part is where Ellen always came in is financial power now whatever your accounting team does it's great because tax accounting helps you minimize taxes delay taxes and keep you out of jail preferably and then the other part is you have to know ellens real world accounting and those like Megan lives who doesn't these days which is how do I run my business by which Ellen talks about looking out the front windshield rather than looking at the rearview mirror because that's what's in the past so I I need real numbers to run my business and doing a budget is key for that so those are the seven hours well just blow my mind with all that info coming at me and absolutely every single one of those points are so critical I just I'd like to circle back on sales well the marketing is something that I'm doing a workshop today which is based on memberships and I must say that I love memberships I'm so glad you brought that up I've got to know Billy Stevens the founder of serious software really well and yeah I'm sort of looking at memberships are something that I've been using probably in my business from 2000 and three 2004 we had phenomenal results with memberships but yeah talking about sales and this was my observation of the industry now is you know if I had you know we our company before I exited was about 100 staff we had 70 trucks on the road and one thing that I learned is most plumbers and all use plumbers even though we had electricians we had air conditioning technicians don't like to sell they don't wanna sell I didn't get into this business to sell well we'll wake up you know we're all in sales at the end of the day but getting to know Joe Cunningham and his what he's about the perfect service call and putting a sale system in place where the technician shouldn't have to sell they just need to follow a system they just need because realistically our everyone loves to buy but no one likes to be sold right so why sell in the first place why not have a process where you can give the customer options and solutions to their problem and that's what I love about the training that we're currently doing at the moment is teaching our contractors how to sell without actually selling and I'd just like to expand on that because this is an area I don't feel Mario Tommy mellow it with his garage door business which is going freaking gangbusters easy and I think when we still like to do a couple of years yeah but I think anyone that's really making it realizes that sales is a system like everything marketing is a exactly and you're probably the most the smartest guy in this area when it comes to systems because you've wrote a book on it and you are you are the master so over to you on that on this yeah so I will tell you I was great at sales and marketing and years ago my
Pricing is in my favor as a customer is it's now I know all I will pay today is this based on what you told me within those parameters and two is I know it's not because my brother who lives across the street and by the way he does his act he gets a better price because he's a better negotiator no what the price is for the same price for the job the other thing that my text I understood when we first went to flat rate in 1990 95 I think it was we were buying motor for 30 bucks pay you 30 bucks and we thought wow there's $40 leftover for us because we had never done a budget right so when we did a budget it came out to $150 selling price per hour we did our first toilet it came out to $400 and my brother Richie leans over to me and he goes do it again try do it again come back 400 bucks and we going home you know and ultimately whether it was a great liberating thing because we understood not everybody's gonna be our customer if you're only interested in price that's not us but so I I recognize that my family would call friends would call House of worship recall right the three biggest problem areas so I created a speech and I go thank you al call me because if you we may be higher than some but you are entitled to know why we will be in on time we are licensed insured they're trained in our place not your house they will come to the house they will look at the whole job they will make recommendations you get to decide what we do we will do an expert repair we'll keep the place clean we will bring you over and show that and if there's a problem after that we're coming back with a smile on our face if you think that's more worth more money where you write company you can imagine we never had a problem closing calls love it fantastic yeah now you're absolutely right there and you know I when it comes to sales and this is something I learned from uh take daddy over the years oh actually yes yeah he's a classic he he's been down under I think four or five times and we've had a lot of fun and he's put on some really great training as has Joe Cunningham and Kenny Chapman and mark Madison great also yeah no and David heimer and like the list goes on with all these people are gonna be going to Google after we get done we've had so many great trainers down under but look one thing when I started to become a look I I can hold my own with sales and I I II I believe in the product then and I'm very confident when it comes to selling a drainage system or but the the best sales guys that I ever employed that I trained along with you know the greats that the trainers that I've brought down the very first plumber that did 300K in a month uh one thing I observed he never said much you know like it was just confidence and he would show the customer and the customer would nearly always buy he didn't have to talk his way into the sale and same with my first electrician my first 200K a month electrician same thing the guy hardly said a word it was like really and that's one thing that I was taught by by Charlie Greer is try to make the sale with saying the absolute least amount possible let the customer tell you what they want and sell them a solution that they genuinely need so look we could go on and we could we both love this love this about sales so yeah look I wanted to thank you again for coming on we we're probably getting you know another couple of minutes we have to round up the podcast we got two minutes one thing I always like to venture into and I've done this on the last few podcasters is there any particular book that you're reading at the moment that you could go wow my anyone that reads this book it's going to be transformational and please don't mention the seven power contract because that that's oriented captain obvious so is there anything at the moment that yeah owing you that you would love to talk about and share with them share with our listeners you know what Tommy mellow wrote his second book elevate which is coming out I think in the middle of March and I was lucky enough to read it and I don't think you can read that book and not come away a smarter contractor and you know yes Tommy and I are you know work together became good friends but that's not why I'm recommending I'm recommending it to you but that's one really good one and he actually gave me a book a couple of years ago I thought was great do you know wickman's rocket fuel or love love I know I know can I just sorry to jump yeah it's your time the last now it's it's yours the last podcast I did was with Tom peregrino the new CEO general manager or president of service nation service roundtable there's a guy you need to meet here's an amazing person he's gonna take that business in my view to a whole new level that's exactly the book that he recommended and it's one of my favorite books and I tell you there's a great podcast to listen to on Tommy mellows podcast is this funny talking Australian guy called Alan Ferguson and I think it's the book that I might have recommended I don't hold me to it but rocket fuel is is about the visionary integrator relationship until I work that out because not everyone is a is a visionary not everyone is an integrator and it's a very important part of growing a business and I and I'm blessed to have one of my closest friends in Australia Daniel Davies is he's one of the highest up in the in the whole E OS org chart he's he runs Australia and Asia and it's the most amazing program E OS the operating system probably not as good as the seven power contractor system but it's I have a lot of guys that are in both it's an it's an amazing read so I yeah I but definitely Tommy's book is it's not out yet but when it is elevated I'll be out March 15th I believe I will be catching up with Tommy at a service nation event in Nashville one of my favorite places national is great and I get to meet Tommy with spoken quite a few times I've been on his podcasts and you know he's a he's a great guy and just watching him achieve his goal of having a billion dollar business by 2025 and I know he's gonna get there so anyway another question I think we've ticked off quite a few boxes today al I wanna thank you again for not just being on the podcast but being a friend and I can't wait till I catch up with you in person again girlfriends that sounds good my friend let's make sure we have it alright you have a better than great day thanks for everyone who's joining in to pipeline of profitability and signing out now with the one and only Al Levi take care of my friend bye now see you well.
"".
- Tom Peregrino
Tom Peregrino is the President of Service Nation. Service Nation serves thousands of HVAC and Plumbing contractors in North America and Australia.
In this episode of The Pipeline To Profitability Podcast with Allan Ferguson, Tom Peregrino talks about the labor shortage in the home service industry.
Check out this episode of The Pipeline To Profitability Podcast! Learn how training your team today can bring huge benefit tomorrow!
Contact Allan Ferguson at Service Success Academy.
Podcast Episode Transcript:
"I mean everybody's an expert on something and they're an expert because they said they were you know they have nothing beside behind them other than this website that says they're an expert but people take their opinions as real and because of that instead of being really educated when they go to make a buying decision they tend to be kind of poorly educated".
- Joe Cunningham
In this episode of The Pipeline To Profitability Podcast with Allan Ferguson, Joe Cunningham discusses how important the trades are in today's society.
Check out this episode of The Pipeline To Profitability Podcast! Learn how training your team today can bring huge benefit tomorrow!
Contact Allan Ferguson at Service Success Academy.
Podcast Episode Transcript:
I mean everybody's an expert on something and they're expert because they said they were you know they have nothing beside behind them other than this website that says they're an expert but people take their opinions as real and because of that instead of being really educated when they go to make a buying decision they tend to be kind of poorly educated all right so I want to welcome Joe Cunningham to our first podcast back as a continuation of our pipeline profitability podcast which was a great success when we first launched it back in 2013 we're up to about 40 episodes and we took a little bit of a break and now sorted to come back and give the industry what it needs which in my opinion for plumbing air conditioning we need to give content that's going to give all of our loyal listeners some direction of where the industry is heading so rather than me do an introduction for John I'm going to let you do that yourself and I just want to say before I hand over the the microphone to you we've known each other for nearly ten years you've been working tirelessly to improve the HVAC air conditioning plumbing industry not just in the US but down in Australia you've helped me out a ton you've now helped me out by allowing me to work with you in the service success Academy being the sponsor of our podcast I'm gonna hand it over to you Joe and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you introduce yourself some self of course I where do you feel the industry is heading well thanks for invite me Alan I'll give the folks who haven't heard about me or been to any of my programs before a little bit back my background I won't take real long doing it I've been in the heating and air conditioning business oh 30 or 32 years my first trade was actually in plumbing I worked for my uncle who was a licensed plumber when I was young so I I've done pretty much all of the parts that anybody could do and in the plumbing or the HVAC side I've worked as an apprentice I've worked as a helper I've worked in all the various levels of it I've worked with manufacturers I've worked with distributors and I've been a contractor and still am a contractor right now the air conditioning business really did change my life and the things that I learned in from some really smart people who are very open to sharing and help me take the things that I knew to do from other industries and put those in place and because of the things that they've done I've been voted contractor of the year two times in the US one time in Australia then voted by contracting business to be one of the most influential people in the heating and air conditioning industry this year I had the honor of being abducted in the HVAC Hall of Fame now I wrote all that stuff down and I put it on the refrigerator or my wife can see it so she knows how special I am but she looks at it and says yeah just go ahead and take out the trash so I guess it's not too impressive to some people but to me I think I've come a long ways from my childhood and I've learned a lot of stuff in these industries and and I've taken a lot of the stuff that I did before because I was all also in the home improvement business and put them in place and I've I've watched this business grow and and not just the HVAC business but the plumbing industry as well and I've watched it grow from a trade actually into a profession and I'm real happy to say that I was able to help that transition take place I was one of the first people that ever sold $1,000,000 worth of replacement air conditioning equipment in a year and I didn't have an air conditioning company when I did it I sold that in my home improvement company I got a lot of recognition from distributors and manufacturers who asked me to help their contractors weren't doing so well and because of that I wrote to him sales and marketing programs for the carrier distributors here in Texas and then carrier nationally I got involved with a company called retrotech who has gone on to be comfort institute now help them put some of their things together I worked with Jim Abrams drew contractors success group around future university for him and then Jim asked me to help him also over at service experts so I was part of the first wave of consolidation and the thing that I've seen change in this industry have been tremendous but you know the the changes in our industry today are coming faster and it seems like the steps that everyone is taking are getting bigger and bigger and bigger and and there's some things that have happened really in the past few years that I've seen that if we don't learn to address them there are some of us aren't gonna make it but with that being said if we do learn to address them and we do learn to embrace these things and figure out what to do because of it I think there's going to be some massive successes in this industry and and we're seeing it right now with guys building tremendous companies and very short periods of time and right now there couldn't be a better time to sell than I've ever seen in the past because they're taking these companies that they've built and they've only taken four or five years to do it and sell it for millions and millions and millions of dollars so the opportunities are there but these guys have kind of figured the things out that you need to do and as I talk Sam and I asked them what they think because these are some really smart guys that I respect a lot and and most of these guys are really well known in the industry they talk about the things that they went through and they talk about the things that they had to change and then I see because I also have an air conditioning company and we're adding plumbing and some other stuff to it some of the changes that we've had to make to grow our business it's been pretty incredible I'm really lucky and able to and being able to see some of the things that I do because of the way my businesses are set up my primary business has a lot of you know is consulting I work with heating air conditioning electrical and plumbing companies all over the US Canada and now Australia I work with manufacturers and distributors like I said before and and I get to see the inside inner workings because of that and those relationships and heating and air conditioning companies and some of the very best ones I think I've seen more than anybody in the industry that I know of and I've positively trained more people than anybody in this industry to be successful and because of those relationships a lot of people share with me so the changes that I'm being told about and the changes that I see and the changes that I experience every day they seem to be kind of like in in three areas and the the one thing that's really changed our industries the most is our customers and how they are now buying and doing business you know years ago I remember sitting in some meetings with carrier and somebody said you know people are soon going to be buying equipment off of the Internet well that was when the Internet just started and I didn't even have a computer so that was so foreign to me you know buying stuff on the Internet who is going to to look at this computer and be willing to send money off somewhere and hope people are going to send them something that I never thought that would catch on but it's now caught on and it it's doing a lot of things to our customers that's made them change the way they they look at us you know with our customers what I'm seeing is people buying make decisions a lot differently what I see causing that is the Internet like I just said it's easier to look and find anything you want uh Google has changed the world and that name you know when I first heard it though what the hell is Googling and what does that mean but Google is actually a verb now you know I Google you Google and they they translated into other languages like the Spanish people say googly Amish which means we're all googly and you know so it's changed but the way people think they can buy has really changed and it's changed there's psyche on how they make a decision you know the Internet the social media you know I want to know about something so I go on Facebook I go on whatever groups that I'm in and I say have you ever done this have you ever had one of those have you ever bought this and you get all these answers and there's a rise in the number of gurus and keyboard warriors out there every day I mean everybody's an expert on something and they're an expert because they said they were you know they have nothing behind them other than this website that says they're an expert but people take their opinions as real and because of that instead of being really educated when they go to make a buy procedure they tend to be kind of poorly educated they think they know what they're talking about and they think they know what they're looking at and because of that the Internet tends to turn everything that they're buying today into a commodity they're kind of an EBay purchase even service you know they they're absolutely convinced because of the Facebook ads because of the things that other people tell them you know that it's taken that you need to get three bids now we need to talk to 200 people and take a look at this in a it's turned everything into just a Christ driven industry in their mind unless you change it and the reason for that is because there's no distinction in a customer's mind from what I see and what I hear and and what I get from when we talk and buying a finished good and and unfinished good you know they when customers are buying air conditioning services when they're buying plumbing services or buying electrical services on the Internet they think you're buying a finished product like a TV or a refrigerator and they don't understand that plumbing services don't come like that humming services a toilet and air conditioning system a sewer system a septic tank a new electrical box none of those things already finished product they are buying pieces and parts and then they're depending on their provider of that finish their job I mean it's no different than if if all the parties dealers went away and when you wanted a new car you would call the factory and tell them hey I want a new Ford pickup truck and this is the color and this is the seats and this is the engine and this is a transition and two weeks later they just deliver the parts to you and put them in the driveway and then you got to find somebody to put it together so you have car right now is a finished good but if they just brought your parts unfinished good and that's what they're buying when it comes to home services and they're just not mentally aligned with making that decision so it's up to you to change that because when you commoditize things the customers tend to place pricing more as a primary consideration than before and they also become less loyal to a past service provider or less likely to create an allegiance with a new service provider if they aren't given solid reasons or re educated before they make that decision you know that the days of most companies having second and third generation customers I see that less and less and less and what really tells me that is when we do outbound telemarket we do outbound telemarketing especially just cold calling and finding neighbors in a neighborhood that we'd like to be in we call them up and only 20% of the people can even tell me who worked on their air conditioning last night which means there's no loyalty because of the Internet because of social media because of the groups on they're like next door in and you get on there and and every day it's on there can anybody give me the name of a plumber that's real reasonably priced reasonably priced reasonably because they think they're all buying the same thing then the next week you read about him I hired this guy in a gamer deposit you ripped me off well they don't realize that's gonna happen so we have to do a better job of educating these people we have to do a better job of being there in front of them all the time so they can really see that we're different because you're going to have to fight this this Internet idea you're going to have to do something different to get the customer's trying to make that happen or they will continue to do that and they'll buy systems online they'll buy everything online and it'll all be price driven another thing that's changed our customers that's just in the past few years is this pandemic thing you know everybody's now getting paid to stay home where they work for a while you know so they get paid to stay home and they're sitting in this damn house and they're supposed to be working remotely well they're not working remotely unless you consider watching Maury and eating baloney sandwiches part of your job launch scenario and you're not doing anything and then putting in 10 minutes a day but what it's done is it's turn these people into leisure buyers they have nothing else to do watch a little TV do a little Internet shopping and get prices for stuff that they know they're not going to buy for three or four years so because of that a lot of sellers service providers go to amazing lengths to appease these trends instead of doing the couple things that they need to do is which is really educate these courses and show them how they don't really do a better job of reaching out to grab hold of these people and get into their mind and tell them about why they're different in our customer base is changing because of that now when it comes to growing our business you know there's some things that have changed there you know what ranch Smith's been a good friend of mine for a long time and everybody kind of puts this quote to him and it says the purpose of every business and organization is to get keep customers that's what we need to do we don't need to grow our business we don't need to make a problem just get and keep customers because that takes care of everything but the guy that actually said that was chef Pike and he's been in business even longer than Ron but the thing about it is we do have to focus on getting and keeping customers and people are asking more and businesses are acquiescing to that and trying to do all this different stuff instead of understanding the three basic things they have to understand about sales and service and once you understand these three things it aligns you better to understanding and knowing what you have to do and I called them A3 truisms and I mean you have it in one of your videos where you talk about it but also it's just three simple things you know it's it's no one buys a solution to a problem they don't really have so we've got these customers out there who don't know anything about plumbing they don't know anything about air conditioning they don't know anything about electricity they don't know anything about solar whatever service it is that you've got and we wonder why they just don't want to open us up open up to us and and tell us what they like to buy well they're not going to buy a solution to a problem they don't know they have even though that we know they do have a problem we have to spend more time educating our customers about the problems that are in their home the problems that are with their systems and we don't do a good job of it the second part is in this one always stumps most people and they have a really hard time getting around it and its price is only important if that's all the customer understands and what happens is it takes contractors and it puts them in their italics situation when the customer says well we've already had three people here and Bob's air conditioning Fred's plumbing Floyd's electric said they can put it in for less and it takes these good contractors and gets them to the point where they've heard it so much that they're automatically just dropping that price when that's not what they need to do the price isn't the problem it's a customer's understanding of the problem and that comes from us as contractors and they really don't understand the third one and that's saying no is often just defense mechanism and the customers are saying no because they know what the hell you're talking about and those are the things that keep us from growing and keeping our customer base and because of the US not understanding that the customers we do keep we're given the farm away every time we do business with them and we don't have you do not have to have special pricing every day on everything you've got no that's right you just gotta realize you know when that customer says your price is too high he's times it's just something that he's heard people say so it sounds good and he thinks you're going to drop the price or he doesn't know what he's comparing it to because if I think the price on your product is too high I have to have some idea of what somebody else will well sell it for but you know price over the years has not proven to be the biggest reason people buy you know if we take a look at something as as price supposedly sensitive is par industry yes and every time you look everybody's got a price you got a special deal we got a big rebate we do this we do that we got the lowest price in town they advertise in the Sunday papers and on TV and on the radio bringing your invoice and we'll beat it by 100 that will give you $1000 I mean it's crazy what they do but in reality the car business is not driven by price because the two oldest automobile manufacturers in the world and Rolls Royce and they are positively not the cheapest cars out there so you have to learn how to get away with it get away from the police situation and when we take a look at all of those things and we ask ourselves You know we got the we got the Internet problem and and we got the customer problem we got the problem we got the price problem so we need to deal with that then we take a look inside of our business and and you ask yourself what's one of the greatest challenges now in growing our business and dealing with all these changes because we have to do something different to what's keeping us from doing that and I think one of the biggest things that's keeping us from doing that is a changing workforce that we have coming in and everyday to serve our custom and that again is caused by the two things that are causing our customers to change amongst them number one is the Internet uh the Internet with employees and all of this stuff they've done with the remote work field the Internet just provides us constant mindless creativity killing meaningless entertainment source that people get sucked into yeah I mean I I'm riding with technicians and they can't stay off the damn telephone ever you know there's there's not that many people in the world who send messages to but they're on their between calls you know they're they're catching up they're streaming movies they're doing this they're doing that they're shopping here they're going there and the Internet pulls their mind away so they're not as focused on their work as they ever were before and they're more focused on how much time can I suck out of my work to go do that you know we have telemarketers in the back and if you go back there and you don't stay on top of what's going on they're back they're trying to make calls and they're watching a movie on their telephone so how how can I deal with that Internet that's changed my workforce a lot and the pandemic changed the workforce a lot with all the entitlement payments giving them were giving people more money than they were making to work to stay home and do nothing and it's really changed their attitude as to what they'll do you know so sorry to jump in just you've you've touched on something that I think actually I don't think I know it's probably one of the big areas of frustration in the industry and this is the school shortage and this is not a new thing I mean I can you know having run business through the GFC I believe that the the the school shortage we can take all the way back to 2000 and eight 2009 when contractors stopped bringing in new talent but I have from put this questionnaire to my my audience my group on social and and my clients is is there really a skill shortage is there really a school shortage or is it really a lack of training in the industry to bring and and and this is this is leading into your training schools job but is it is it a skill shortage or are we just not training correctly to bring the kids or you know I've had many mature age apprentices in my businesses that were fantastic tradespeople but is there really a school shortage I mean I don't think so because I believe we have the ability to train and bring new people on in a short period of time but just I'd like your thoughts on that my friend well you know that you know Matt I believe it's Matt Jones down under does a podcast this much six or eight months ago and he said you know here in Australia in a lot of places we have about a 75% fall out and our apprentice programs from the time they start to when they make it through it and actually how long how long is your apprentice program he said well it's about four years for almost anything well four years is a long time yeah and if you if you don't have your your training program set up properly do it the old way which is I've got some guys that they're they're my best guys and they do most of what i want them to do so since they're my best guys i'm going to give them these off premises
Because they're my best guys I'm going to give them these apprentices and let my best guys train them well what happens with that process is if you do it that way you're best guys which aren't as good as you'd like them to be take these new apprentices and teach them to be almost as good as they are which is less than what you wanted so we get this never ending downward spiral out of our training programs and because of that and that the mental situation where we think we have to have this four year apprenticeship we bring them so slowly that their value to you in the marketplace doesn't grow as fast as it should so their wages don't go up and they lose moose of thoughts of this is really a good idea what they're thinking is I'm doing this every day and this guy is making me do a lot of crap I don't want to do and I'm not making any money either so I'll do something else so they they tend to hop out the the skill shortage it's caused by two things the the perception of the trades by many you know we've gone down this road telling every young kid in the world that they need to go to college so they can be something so in the US especially I mean these kids are they're their parents get them committed to this four to five or six year college journey and then because they don't have any money of their own then they go and they get these student loans and they'll when they get out of college end up oh oh and 250 to $300,000 and their area of study was like being a sociologist so when you get out you're qualified to get $40,000 a year job as a social worker who goes out and talks to people that aren't doing too well and they're going to camp out at 50,000 and you you you can never pay that off that and you know they really have they have no future getting out instead of telling this person you know there isn't another path you know you're gonna go out and do that because you don't know what else to do and you just want to go to school with your buddies and drink beer for four years and run up this big debt now you got a $40,000 a year job so you're gonna go ahead and petition the country to wipe away your college loan and make this truck driver who didn't go to school pay for it so what so these people have a hard time getting in their mind they look down at trades people you know I've got a college degree so I'm better than you and so many people have done that and you know I I guess it's just it's just a thought that everybody has you know I want my kids to have more than I had you know so I didn't I didn't go through college and you know a lot of people I know didn't go through college and we are the worst ones about wanting to send our kids there because we want them to do something different I don't want my kid to have to be a plumbers helper was out there digging ditches and all of those things you know in the cold and the snow and the way it matters you have to so so we discouraged them from getting in the trade so we planted that in their mind and then we send them down this other path when the college really isn't for everyone no and so obviously a change coming Joe I really do I I I'm predicting that look with the amount of private equity and the amount of investment companies plumbing more so air conditioning HVAC plumbing electrical companies all selling for massive multiples I see it's gonna change and really you know things are moving fast now with what's going on with artificial intelligence and chat GP I think and right there's gonna be I just see it yeah I get it being a plumber a drain cleaner an air conditioning technician it's not it's not a sexy trade really it should be and you know followed Mike Rowe for a long time and I loved his view and I I see it's gonna change because the amount of money that can be made being a plumber and electrician air conditioning technician when you're good at your trade whether that's if you wanna be in sales which I recommend we're all in sales anyway just to be specialized in trenchless drain repairs you know the ability to earn anywhere from 100,000 to $200,000 a year which can be trained in a relatively short time I look I just think it's a no brainer but that's me I'm biased towards the trades we're probably gonna have to round up soon but I think the topic here and we're gonna do some more podcasts I've got now that we've started back we're gonna be doing this regularly I'd love to get you back on soon to maybe talk more about the so-called trade shortage and companies that are really struggling to get quality tradesmen I mean my recommendation is grow your own send them to to one of your schools and you might wanna give a little bit of a a shout out to your trade schools yeah I think this labor shortage kids not wanting to get into the trades lot of companies they just want the best people well you know sometimes the best people are the ones that you've got right under your nose that are already working for you and maybe they need to be trained in new schools to help you take your business forward so I'll probably we'll round off on that Joe and I want to thank you for everything you've done for me not just with my companies in Australia and all the other hundreds of companies you've worked with in Australia and America it's not just me that wants to thank you for what you've done for this industry I'm sure hundreds and hundreds not if thousands of people that wanna thank you as well so I'll probably get you to round up this podcast pipeline to profitability podcast with just a little bit about some of the the great schools that you actually have going on in uston when you mentioned the trade shortage at that always makes you wanna talk more so I will close down you know in mentioning Mike Rowe though I will say one thing here's the perfect example of what happens when you see things Mike Rowe was an opera singer which is kind of strange and that's that's what he took him in school it took a lot of music and singing classes and he found out about the trades and it led to The Dirty job show and the trades have taken him a long way he was a fantastic guy but as far as trades go we have the fastest way to train and the technician that's out there and that we're we're expanding that as well we have our ten day fast track programs plumbing or HVAC it doesn't matter we can take a person if they have mechanical inclination and they will work and show up in the morning and I can create the best entry level HB AC tune up technician that has ever lived they understand sequence of operation they know how to charge your system using subgroup super eight they understand basic electricity and they understand troubleshooting our classes the reason they're so successful is because they're 45 there 55 to 60% hands on that we don't do virtual training virtual training is kind of like thinking you're getting trained but you're not everything we do is hands on that's 10 days no days off 8 hours a day when they get out of that school their EPA certified and they are ready to put them into a truck and go do we make it as foolproof as possible because we teach these stacks to work on one of the most complete checklists that has ever been developed for our industry so they can check everything they know how to do everything on there and there and actual working person when they get out they can go to work and make you money it's the same thing on the plumbing side 10 days and now because people don't want to send their guys away all the time we're now we did it during the pandemic we're going to start again we're doing some specialized classes where we're doing 2 hours a day five mornings a week for six weeks it'll be the same thing as our fast track program the only difference is I will give you the set of plans that you can make your own lab at your place of business your guys will have the same thing that we work on and it will be a hands-on 2 hours a day broadcast at 7:00 o'clock in the morning so you guys can go to class and go get the truck and practice it and it is absolutely amazing the guys that went through our online class had tremendous results and because of what they wanted me to do we're going to make that possible for for them again we're starting out in HB AC with that as well they built our line up a little heavier we're now opening our second location where we're gonna have our install school along with our plumbing and HVAC school at the second location and we're going to do some specialized advanced HVAC and advanced heating classes and advanced troubleshooting classes for your guys that have gone to our basic school and are now ready to make the next step we teach them how to do the work and then we also give them two days of customer service skills so they know how to handle the customers there's no better program out there than ours in my estimation and I've seen them all and I've got good friends that have good so I'm not going to say anything about them I just feel that ours are the best and if I was standing on the outside looking in and seeing what we do versus what the others do I'd have to say the same thing but if you really want to maximize the opportunity that you've got out there you know you've got to take advantage of contacting your base and new prospects more often you have to take a look at all the opportunities we leave in the field because we haven't trained our techs to pick them up leave no stone unturned you have to rehash the opportunities of leaving out there to make massive profits but in order to do that you have to run your calls to collect have information to do that you have to perform a better call we've changed our perfect service call process so your technicians are now doing more things to get more business they're going where nobody else has gone before they're doing a better more demonstrative job on every call that uncovers most everything that's out there and they win every time they go they learn how to make presentations to fully engage their customers and build perception overwhelming value and they take control of the process so they do a better job so there's no better way to grow your business than to grow your own tax grow your own employees whether they're the people that are answering the phone whether the people that are dispatching for you or service managers in there and we love to help you so if I can do anything I'm easy to find I'll have Alan put my number up at the end so easy to find me give my cell phone number so you can reach me and I'd love to get you involved and if you have any employees or future employees that are benefits don't forget we do some veteran scholarships and some of your guys might qualify for that as well so they'll actually get to go for free one hour that pleasure my friend I just wanna conclude to say there is you know with with our company your company service success Academy and you've got the technical art centre you've got success track network I think the combination of these three companies is going to provide the industry with the classroom training which you do in Houston and together we're gonna build what I believe is going to be the greatest online training and I know you're not a fan of online training but I am and and and I think some things can be trained online some things definitely need the classroom but I I think it's it's all our friends down under that are really wanting Joe Cunningham back down under and I know we've talked about this dates haven't been locked in but we are aiming for December January period to get you back down under but we will be putting together some amazing training which will be online that will I suppose meet the needs of most of the contractors but can't afford to come across to Houston so so some exciting stuff coming along and yes I will definitely put all your contact details might even get we we might put a little I suppose sales video together with all the services that you provide and thank you for being back on my podcast pipeline to profitability I'm Alan Ferguson signing out and a big thank you from my very dear friend Joe Cunningham catch you later Joe all the best to you OK talk to you later out alright see you bye now
Pipeline to Profitability offers proven tools and training for growing your trade service business. Learn how to dramatically increase your profits with drain and trenchless repairs. Allan Ferguson specializes in creating profit-building strategies for your plumbing business that can increase your income 10X!