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FEBRUARY 2018 MARCH/ PRIL 2018
A newsletter for service business owners who want more wealth, freedom and market domination. World
THIS QUESTION MADE ME TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
Running a service business isn’t easy. I’ve been there. I spent the first 10 years of my service business struggling and frustrated as I tried — and failed — and tried again to work harder, squeeze out another hour of working time, and push through the stress to create a successful business. But there was a turning point that prompted my business partner and I to stop the insanity and start turning things around. The 12–13 years after that turning point were completely different; we had rapid growth, were scaling up, had big money, had a big team, and more. A number of things changed from our decade of struggle to our era of growth and success. But it all can be traced back to one simple question Rob and I asked that ultimately changed the game for us. And it didn’t work. I was maxed out. I remember the day so clearly: Rob wanted to meet at the office, and I assumed it was just a quick meeting to touch base on a couple of projects. But when he came in, he looked different. He said he was burnt out and couldn’t continue; therefore, he needed to step away from the business. And it was in that moment that the change occurred, because we accidentally stumbled upon a simple question that has made us millions and millions of dollars since we first asked it.
You see, when Rob said he’d have to step away from the business, the options ran through my mind: Do I argue with Rob and try to convince him to stay? (No, he’d eventually burn out.) Do I continue working in the company by myself? (No, I’d burn out.) Do we shut the company down and work for someone else? (No, I didn’t want to do that either.) It looked like the three options available to us were all bad options. (What would you do in a situation like that? I suspect most people would try to figure out the “least bad” option and take that one.) But that’s when I asked a question for perhaps the first time — a question I would end up asking almost daily for the rest of my life, a question that has brought in tens of millions of dollars into my business, and a question that I ask everyone all the time. When I asked this question the first time — with Rob and me in our office as we contemplated the future of our company — the answer came to us: There is another way! We can change the business completely so that it serves us instead of forcing us to work so hard and get nowhere. And that’s what we did. We started actively seeking out the answers and investing in our education (which we still do; we’ve invested more Here’s the question I asked: What if there is another way?
than $1.3 million each in our education over the years), and that turned the company around. And that question has continued to serve us. At every problem, every challenge, every obstacle, every frustration, and every stress, we simply ask: What if there is another way? You see, when we’re faced with a situation (whether good or bad), we can become easily bogged down with the options our mind assumes are the only choices available to us. But there are usually other options we haven’t considered — options we’ve never stopped to think about. So, asking this question forces your mind to realize that there might be other alternatives. And I’ve learned over the years that every situation in life has other possibilities and choices and paths that we didn’t realize until we ask the question. But here’s the thing you have to realize: Just because you ask the question, it doesn’t mean you will immediately discover the answer. And it also doesn’t mean that you will immediately discover the answer inside your own mind. But you need to ask the question first to open yourself up to the possibility that there are other choices — choices that can serve you and help you squeeze a positive outcome from a negative situation. That’s what happens at the Service Business Edge events that we hold at CEO Warrior. Business owners attend
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CUSTOMER SERVICE: THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
As an entrepreneur, I have learned that customer service is really the backbone of your business’ success. Marketing and promotion are important, don’t get me wrong, but customer service is crucial for keeping your business thriving and strong. It’s what sets you apart in today’s landscape of underachieving, “me too” companies. After all, you want your customers to have an easy and enjoyable experience with you before and after they purchase your products or services. It’s more than Regardless of the size of your business, good customer service needs be at the heart of your business model if you wish to be successful. It is important to provide good customer service to potential, new, and existing customers, and this may mean you are answering phone calls or responding to emails after hours. You may even have to “fall on your sword” to humble yourself or take a back seat at times in order to reach a satisfactory compromise. The customer’s experience is an important it’s indicative of the promise your brand makes to its customers.
piece of your overall brand, and ultimately, positive experiences will help encourage the growth and success of your business. Word-of-mouth recommendations and reviews are powerful allies, and what your customers say can make or break your business. As a result, providing efficient and memorable support is important for client retention and promoting a positive image to current and prospective customers. With the insight reviews provide, you can adjust your approach to customer service and keep customers pleased with your work. Without exceptional support, your clients will not return, and average or mediocre support won’t keep your customers, either. Through many studies and surveys, it has been proven that customers will actually pay more for a better customer service experience. Wouldn’t you? In all of my years in business, I can admit that our customer service, while it has improved, has not always been perfect. Problems are always going to arise in any business, no matter how
hard you try to avoid them, and you can’t please everyone. While you may not run the perfect business with all of the perfect customers, you can ensure that friction doesn’t become an issue. If customers know that they can voice their complaints and those issues will be handled properly, they will feel more comfortable doing business with you. Transparency and communication are key. Being honest and upfront will help you build a strong bond with your customers, based on trust and loyalty. “REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE OF YOUR BUSINESS, GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE NEEDS BE AT THE HEART OF YOUR BUSINESS MODEL IF YOU WISH TO BE SUCCESSFUL.” Years ago, it was all about closing a sale. Now, you need to focus on the new customer and cater to their needs. This customer is someone who expects to be treated as a person, who doesn’t want to just be a number, and who wants more from the overall experience. They want to feel that you care about their opinions and concerns, and better customer service will ensure you are providing them with what they want. With excellent customer service at the core of your business, you can gain new customers while keeping your current ones coming back for your services and products time and time again. If you fail to deliver on customer service Continued on page 7 ...
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What if there is another way … to grow a business?
because some of them are doing well and they want to grow, and others attend because they are
CEO Warrior is holding another Service Business Edge from June 12–15, and we’re working to make this event one of our very best. You won’t believe who we have coming — we have direct- marketing expert Brian Kurtz; “Profit First” author Mike Michalowicz; and the “$9.4 Billion Man,” Jay Abraham. These guys are experts at answering the question, “What if there is another way?” If you have been spinning your wheels in your business, and if you’re ready to make a change and grow like never before, start by asking the question, “What if there is another way?”… Find the answer from Service Business Edge at www.ServiceBusinessEdge.com
What if there is another way … to make more money with less stress? What if there is another way … to be more profitable? What if there is another way … to run a business (that serves you and your life)? For some people reading this, here’s the question you need to ask: What if there is another way … to run my business so I’m not in my truck anymore? And for other people reading this, here’s the question to ask yourself: What if there is another way … to take my business from $30 million to $40 million this year? These questions are asked — and answered! — at Service Business Edge. STOP THINKING ABOUT SELLING AS A ONE-TIME EVENT When does the sales conversation happen with a customer? Most plumbers probably think that it happens when you are face-to-face with the customer, and you’re spelling out their options and giving them an estimate. Then, they wait to see if they accept it or not. But this is not true. When you approach selling like this, you put a lot of pressure on this one interaction. Stop thinking about selling as a one- time event. Instead, remember that selling starts when the customer is just a lead and gets one of your marketing pieces in the mail. You’re selling them on why they should hire you. Then, the selling conversation continues when they call your office or click on your website. Then, the selling conversation continues when you are with them face-to-face. It’s a process that builds on itself.
frustrated and trying to figure out what to do. Ultimately, we ask and answer the question, “What if there is another way?” Many don’t realize they can ask this question or that it will create new answers for them. We show them that question, and then we answer it for them in a number of areas: What if there is another way … to recruit and hire great employees? What if there is another way … to market your business and generate leads — a way that is more effective and costs less?
What if there is another way … to lead your team? What if there is another way … to handle your competition?
Mike Agugliaro
3 KEY TIPS TO INCREASE SALES
STOP SELLING JUST ONE-TIME SERVICE When you sell plumbing, what are you selling? You’re probably selling the solution to a one-time problem that the customer pays for once, and your company delivers the service once. Then, the next time they need services — assuming the customer remembers to call you instead of your competitor — you have to sell them on the next service all over again. Stop selling just one-time services. Consider selling other services, like recurring services, memberships, maintenance checkups, seasonal services, and more. Even if the customer thinks they only need a one- time solution for a one-time problem, they probably aren’t thinking about the many great ways that you can help them on an ongoing basis. Show them how you can help, and sell them on your ongoing services to stay in front of them and create recurring revenue for your business.
STOP FOCUSING ON PRICE How often have you sized up a customer and thought, “They won’t like the price I’m going to quote”? Or maybe you get to the price-quote portion of the sales conversation and wince at what you expect the customer’s reaction will be. Stop focusing on price. When you focus on price in your own head, you actually make the customer focus on price, too, because your words and actions unconsciously focus on price. Instead, focus on value and on everything that the customer will get out of the service you’re selling. Make price just one part of the conversation when you talk about exchanging value — the small amount of value of their money for the massive value they’ll receive when they hire your company for their next plumbing job. It’s a simple mindset shift, but it’s very powerful.
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This is a Facebook group exclusively created to serve business owners like you, who want great ideas, strategies, and an opportunity to share their insights and connect with others. • It’s a closed group, so you’ll need to request to join. • Watch for amazing strategies (including some exclusive stuff that I don’t share anywhere else). • Check your notices for some exclusive Facebook Live trainings. • It’s absolutely free. JOIN TODAY! FACEBOOK. COM/GROUPS/ CEOWARRIORWORLD CEO WARRIOR WORLD
WARRIOR SPOTLIGHT
“CEO Warrior has truly changed my life and in turn changed my business.” “Where there is no vision, the people perish” I had no vision for my company and struggled to break out of our revenue rut. I quickly learned that it was a leadership issue, not a revenue problem. Now 3 years later I have totally changed the way I communicate and lead my team by running hard and keeping an eye on the daily target and a commitment to achieving our plans laid out in our vivid vision. What really set CEOWarrior apart is the outside of the box thinking and relentless work ethic that the leadership team gives to every member. It’s no wonder that all my warrior brothers are killing it. CEOWarrior has truly changed my life and in turn changed my business.
Larry and Sons Plumbing Heating Cooling & Drains Eric Corbett
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Here’s What to Do When Your Business Is Driving You Crazy, Wearing You Down, and Burning You Out WHY YOUR BUSINESS SUCKS
Perhaps your business is wearing you down every single day, and you’re thinking about shutting it down and going to work for someone else, instead, just because it would be easier. Perhaps it’s going okay. Maybe it even feels successful, but you’ve hit a plateau, and you can’t quite break through. So it sucks, because the higher level of success eludes you. Here’s the good news: Your business doesn’t have to suck. This book will share why and how to earn more money and build a business that runs on autopilot!
Get your free digital copy today ! https://ceowarrior.com/freewybs
SERVICE BUSINESS EDGE, NEW AND IMPROVED
Service Business Edge: The Secret Blueprint to Growing Your Business
Get ready for four interactive days at the new 10,000-square-foot CEO Warrior Training Facility, where you will create the blueprint for your business. We’ll cover sales, marketing, customer service, leads, branding, hiring, training, and more. It’s four days you’ll wish you had put in sooner to get the wealth, freedom, and market domination you’ve always wanted. OUR NEXT EVENT WILL BE HELD IN JUNE. DATES: JUNE 12-15, 2018
Go to SERVICEBUSINESSEDGE.COM for details and registration.
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OVERWHELMED BY BUSINESS? ASK THESE 6 QUESTIONS TO REGAIN CONTROL OF YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR SANITY By Mike Agugliaro
QUESTION NO. 3: “WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE?”
You started your service business to help homeowners and create success for yourself. But something happened between the first day that you were in business and today. You had the best intentions, then. But today, you might be bogged down by too many demands, not enough time, and challenges that you never dreamed you’d face! How do you stay on top of it all? How do you stay sane? And more importantly, how do you continue to grow even when you’re so busy? Ask these six questions whenever you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or wondering what happened to your business because it’s not helping you live the life you want. Ask yourself this question first to tap into how you think your business and life would be better. For example, “What if I got home in time to have dinner with my family?” or “What if I made enough money to get the car I always wanted?” or “What if my business ran itself for a while, so I could take some time off?” QUESTION NO. 2: “WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?” Ask yourself this question to dig into that “what if” question a little more and discover the details. Keep your mind open to the answers you get, even if they seem too difficult to attain right now. For example, “What would it look like if I got home in time to have dinner with my family?” That question might reveal that you need to be out of the office by 5 p.m. every day so you have time to go home — and maybe even stop to pick up flowers for your spouse! QUESTION NO. 1: “WHAT IF … ?”
simple example, but you may have a longer list of things to do, and not all of them can be done right away — some are dependent on other tasks being completed. For example, you can work on your paperwork and tomorrow’s schedule right now, and it might take a day or two to find the right person to delegate to be in charge. QUESTION NO. 6: “WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE SO I CAN?” Ask yourself this question to reveal if there are any roadblocks in your way of taking action immediately. It’s easy to think of things you need to do, but it’s harder to actually do them. For example, what needs to change might include the following: You need to set an alarm to remind yourself to start your paperwork earlier, or you might need to skip that long coffee break in the late afternoon so you have a few extra minutes to work on your schedule. These six questions are game-changers when you ask them in this order and follow through with the answers you’ve discovered. They walk you step by step through a thought process you need to gain control of your business and start building it again in a way that inspires you and provides wealth, freedom, and market domination.
Ask yourself this question to have clarity on what factors need to be different than they are today in order to achieve your “what if” target. In the example I used above, you might realize that your paperwork needs to be done, your day tomorrow needs to be planned, and the crew that is working during the evening needs to have their tasks clearly spelled out. Ask yourself this question to see what exact tasks you need to complete in order to achieve the circumstances you outlined in the previous question. For example, if you want to be done by 5 p.m., then your paperwork needs to be started by 4 p.m., and your schedule for tomorrow needs to be hammered out by 4:30 p.m. The evening crew might need to have their assignments given to them by someone you delegate to be in charge during that time. QUESTION NO. 4: “WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?”
QUESTION NO. 5: “WHAT CAN I DO RIGHT NOW?”
Ask yourself this question to understand what actions you can take right away. I’ve been using a very
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expectations predicated upon you closing a sale, then your company loses its luster and falls away to the boneyard of fly-by-the-night, under-delivering companies. Don’t be that. Stand apart. Set the bar with integrity and be a true advocate for the success of your pending long-term partnership. This is what customer service is all about. Matt Benton CEO of Trenchless Marketing and Real Time Reviews
Matt Benton has built the most trusted and successful sewer-repair and home- services marketing firm in the U.S., Trenchless Marketing (TM). We are the industry-leading sewer- and pipe-rehab marketing firm, dedicated to helping grow businesses and building your brands all across the U.S. Currently, TM has serviced over 200-plus companies nationwide, from small one-man installers to large, industry-leading manufacturers. As Benton puts it, “Trenchless Marketing has changed the game and completely disrupted the ‘business- as-usual’ SEO marketing firm in an ever-evolving industry that demands a deeper, more committed relationship with its industry partners.” Through our many years of experience, we have developed an industry-leading customer-review app called Real Time Reviews, which is currently in use with hundreds of customers nationwide.
To learn more, visit RealTimeReviews.com.
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The cost? Probably thousands of dollars. The timeline? Weeks or, more likely, months. The effectiveness? Minimal — sometimes not even enough to break even. But he does it anyway, because it brings in some customers, and those are better than nothing. Now, let me explain how stackable marketing works. A service business owner wants to advertise his business, so he first identifies an area that he wants to target. If he doesn’t have a big budget, then he might select just one street. If he has a larger budget, he might select a neighborhood. Rarely does he start bigger than that. Then, he sends postcards to this target area. A couple of weeks later, he sends another set of (different) postcards. A couple of weeks after that, he sends brochures. In another couple of weeks,
he acquires the phone numbers of the people in that area and calls them. A couple of after that, he puts up signs in the area. A couple of weeks later, he sends flyers in a targeted mail out. His phone starts ringing. Customers start calling. He starts serving people in that area. Other customers who have been receiving these marketing pieces start seeing trucks in the area, and the brand is further reinforced. So, they start calling, too. The cost? Often substantially less than the “conventional” way of spread- out marketing described earlier. The timeline? Weeks (and, as an added benefit, each marketing piece builds on the last). The effectiveness? Highly effective. This really works, because the frequency of the message has an impact.
Rather than spreading your marketing out too thin and only sending out one brochure periodically, choose a smaller marketplace and hammer them with marketing over and over again. The goal is to dominate that small market. With stackable marketing, you’ll see huge results at a lower cost and from a smaller market.
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INSIDE
This Question Made Me Tens of Millions of Dollars
1
Customer Service: The Key to a Successful Business
2
3 Key Tips to Increase Sales
3
Get Happier Clients
4
Meet Eric Corbett!
4
Why Your Business Sucks
5
Service Business Edge, New and Improved
5
Take Control of Your Business Again
6
Average Marketing vs. Stackable Marketing
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AVERAGE MARKETING VS. STACKABLE MARKETING
If you read my book or watch my videos on CEO Warrior TV, you will read or hear me at some point mention something I call “stackable marketing.” It’s a concept I developed as I was testing marketing strategies and seeing what worked and what didn’t, and people frequently ask me what stackable marketing is. So, in this blog post, I want to give you a high-level view of what stackable marketing is. First, let me explain how most people market. A service business owner wants to advertise his business. He creates a brochure and sends it out to as wide of an audience as he can afford. And then he waits for the phone to ring. When it doesn’t ring as often as he wants, he wonders if there was something wrong with his brochure or with the zip codes he marketed to. So, he has new brochures printed and sends them out to different zip codes. Again, the phone doesn’t ring as often as he wants. He repeats the process a third time, a fourth time, and a fifth time, etc. Perhaps at the same time, he puts up billboards or bench signs, hoping to reach even more of his audience. Continued on page 7 ...
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