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A publication of Molly Maid Volume 16, Number 2

MIKE PELTON’S AWARD-WINNING BEST PRACTICES

DWYER GROUP & MOLLY MAID’S REUNION RECAP

INSIDE

4........ Word from the President 7........ MAP fund Webinars 8........ Capitalizing on Evolving Market Dynamics 10....... Value Your People Like You Value Your Business 15....... President’s Call Details 16....... President’s Update 21....... Operations Update 26....... Marketing Update 32....... Dwyer Group Embraces Neighborly 34....... CRM Initiative 36....... Caught on Camera 38....... Shining Star: Building an Award-Winning Culture

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Dina Dwyer-Owens reflects on the key

At Reunion, Meg Roberts presented a

lesson she learned while appearing on “Undercover Boss” nearly five years ago.

day of brand-specific updates and individual consultations for Molly Maid owners.

Click an image to proceed directly to that story.

46....... 2017 Convention Registration 47....... Available Territories/Referrals 48....... New Faces in New Places 51....... Franchisee Anniversaries 52....... Franchisee Milestones

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Capturing some candid moments of long-time franchise owners catching up, brand-new franchisees at their first Molly Maid event and more. 36

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We profile Shining Star-winning

In her first in- person meeting

franchisee Mike Pelton and learn some best practices for retaining employees and customers.

with franchisees, new Brand Director Megan Conway asks if local and national marketing is enough.

W ord from the President During a year filled with uncertainty and change – fueled by a long and tumultuous election season and integrating into our new ownership’s culture – I’ve learned the most productive way to thrive is to maintain an open mind. With that in mind, I’m asking you to stay informed, stay positive and focus your actions toward our collective and continued success.

WITH FOUR WEEKS REMAINING IN THE YEAR, THE MOLLY MAID RALLY CALL IS TO FINISH THE YEAR STRONG BY KEEPING A LASER FOCUS ON ADDING AND KEEPING A CUSTOMER EACH WEEK.

action when we kick-off the New Year on Jan. 3, 2017! You can begin to organize by calling your franchise consultant and ask for their input on your biggest upside potential in 2017. Ask for their recommendations, discuss your ideas and work together to make a plan for what you will embrace in 2017. Recruit and Retain Employees The latest unemployment rate, at only 4.8 percent, is both a testament to consumers’ relative positive feelings about the economy as well as the on-going challenge of hiring and retaining great HSPs. This dynamic has always created an unbalanced demand for service and too few great people to fulfill the need. As the threat of joint

With four weeks remaining in the year, the Molly Maid rally call is to finish the year strong by keeping a laser focus on adding and keeping a customer each week. This fourth quarter concentration, from our Operations team to their respective owners, stems from and is inspired by the model we teach during new owner training. It’s a back to basics approach to help our team and each of you finish this year as strong as possible. Our 2017 strategies and Convention sessions will revolve around the following concepts: Deliver Operational Excellence It’s time for every owner to reflect on whether the proven tools and programs released over the past few years are being fully used and embraced in your business. Ask yourself questions such as: l Does your sales process or call conversion performance have any room for improvement? l Are you making the most of each employee with proper training and route optimization?

employment looms, the Home Office is focused on drawing your attention to programs that can assist you with your hiring responsibilities, be it through Recruiting.com or new CraigsList creative. We remain committed to identifying more avenues to help you source employees during this challenging hiring time. We recommend you consider employee recruiting as a part of your daily rituals and commit to regularly investing your time to show your people they are appreciated, as well as working to bring in new employees every day. Just as surely as you take your morning vitamin, drink your coffee or put on matching socks – make time to do all you can to staff up.

Use the recruiting.com website and make sure your jobs are updated and refreshed every 28 days so candidates looking for work will see your opportunities. The Marketing team just enhanced the Spanish CraigsList ad to include Spanish text on the images – contact Jen Gregory for help integrating this into your plan. And Robert Dillon recently shared his low-cost and high return Facebook advertising approach to hire seven new people.

l Is your entire team unified around a mission to preserve every customer as if they are your only one? Of course, John Cohen’s holiday prep message is right on target – stay focused and get prepared for this busy season. While I don’t expect you to embrace new programs as we gear up for the holidays, I do want you to prepare to take

See WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT , Page 6

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WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

President’s Call, the 2017 Marketing planning webinar and have already registered to attend the 2017 Convention . In fact, it’s my personal goal to have all owners engage in every communication we send over the next 90 days (at least!). We are committed to providing all the information you need in order to make smart choices, but we need you to engage in order to be informed. Our team’s vision for the brand and our future is centered on each owner’s individual success. Our request to owners is for your willingness to remain open and consider our competitive challenges, which I’m confident WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE SMART CHOICES, BUT WE NEED YOU TO ENGAGE IN ORDER TO BE INFORMED. I welcome your questions and encourage each of you to reach out to me, your Home Office team, your franchise advisory committee and your national marketing council to discuss your needs and suggestions for our continued, positive we can overcome together. What are we waiting for?

WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT FROM PAGE 5

Meg Roberts and Megan Conway will co-host a series of webinars, divided by region, starting in early January. The regional calls — all scheduled for 3 p.m. ET — are designed to allow questions and discussion in a smaller group setting. If you can not attend your region’s call, please feel free to view the recording, which will be posted on Team Site, Upcoming MAP fund campaign webinars

Improve Our Ability to Market Our Service

The demand in our industry has created an atmosphere with increased competition. We are watching our traditional and emerging competitors closely – and they are aggressively marketing to take our market share. As shared at this year’s Convention, Molly Maid’s era of online dominance is being challenged. The Marketing team will begin a campaign to increase contributions to the MAP fund in January to address the requirements of an evolving clientele. The importance of this effort is about more than our MAP fund balance – it is about our brand’s future. Having additional dollars in the MAP fund will help us reassess our business and reach a customer base who is changing faster than we are. Today’s 20-somethings are looking for service and they want to access us and book online. These folks will be the face of our recurring revenue for decades to come if we attract and secure them now. While I’m the face of our traditional customer, even I will no longer call to order pizza or stand in line at Starbuck’s – it’s more convenient to use an app! I hope you participated in my recent

or attend another call. Region 1: Jan. 9, 2017 Region 4: Jan. 12, 2017

Region 2: Jan. 10, 2017

Region 3: Jan. 11, 2017

Region 5: Jan. 13, 2017 Here’s the Molly Maid Regions map for your reference:

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DWYER GROUP

BY MIKE BIDWELL President & CEO, Dwyer Group

We are in the midst of an evolution in the online demand service economy. How consumers source and buy services is evolving at a greater rate than ever before in our history. Look at what happened to the taxi business over the last three years – down 50% in some markets! We have new competitors which are dabbling in our space, some of which have incredibly deep pockets. They believe that the experience of purchasing home repair and maintenance services is terrible. And for the most part, they’re right by todays evolving standards. They see it as an opportunity to enter the market by providing a better experience. We agree, there is an opportunity to improve the purchase experience. Historically, that’s exactly how we have won in the marketplace, by providing customers a better experience (typically not a less expensive one). But how people prefer to purchase goods and services are changing, rapidly. We must be ready. We already have very good service delivery at Dwyer Group brands– which is the harder part of the equation to build. At Reunion this year, we covered how we will deal with the rapidly evolving

CAPITALIZING ON THE EVOLVING MARKET DYNAMICS

BIDWELL

> > continued on page 8 dynamics. We will have to work together to make it happen. National or big business sophistication with service excellence in local markets will be the real key to our continued success. We are driving to $2 billion in system sales and a household name in service delivery. marketplace we find ourselves in. We have spent the last year getting to the point of being able to enable execution of the vision I laid out at Reunion last year prior. The work we have done will provide us many opportunities improve our capabilities in so many areas. Today, there is no company like the Dwyer Group of companies, and it will get even better and bigger. We have an enormous opportunity to capitalize on these evolving market

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BY DINA DWYER-OWENS Co-Chairwoman, Dwyer Group Board of Directors VALUE YOUR PEOPLE VALUE YOUR BUSINESS like you t Dina Dwyer-

Owens went undercover (for Mr. Rooter, at far left) to see if The Dwyer Group’s Code of Values were reaching the grassroots

... the lesson remains the same.

Four years after ‘Undercover Boss’ ....

Almost five years ago (January 22, 2012, to be exact), America watched as I went undercover across several of our service brands at Dwyer Group. I knew it was going to be a life-changing experience. It was season three of the hit reality show “Undercover Boss” on CBS. Every episode promised a grassroots look at companies and their people with some dramatic outcomes. For me, it was a journey I couldn’t wait to take. I knew I wanted to experience life on the front lines of our service brands. I knew the

of the org- anization.

See CODE OF VALUES , Page 12

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Order Code of Values cards and posters Franchise owners can order any quantity of Code of Values cards from Axiom Advertising for $0.25 each, plus shipping and handling. Posters are also available at varying prices based on size and quantity. To order, contact Micah Smith with Axiom directly at (254) 751-9555 or micahs@ cdpaxiom.com

CODE OF VALUES FROM PAGE 11

cameras were going to catch me making mistakes and learning things the hard way. I knew I would probably shed a tear a two (or three or four). I’m wired that way. But the chance that Studio Lambert and the CBS network gave me was much more than all that. What do employees do when the boss is not around? The single biggest reason I wanted to participate on the show was to see if our Code of Values – the principles by which we lead the company – were reaching the grassroots of our organization. I knew only what we promoted at corporate headquarters and in front of our organization at planned events. But what about the service professionals employed by our franchise owners out in the field? Today, we have more than 2,500 franchise owners across our service brands who employ almost 12,000 people on the front lines. And they are responsible for delivering our brand promise on more than 3 million service calls a year. Do they live and lead with values? Through the power of “Undercover Boss” (wig, heavy makeup, fake fingernails, and all), I would see what those service professionals were doing when their boss was not around. Employees are the face of the business to

Dwyer-Owens undercover with The Grounds Guys.

customers. Not only did these employees know about these values, but many of them also talked about them with me as if I was just another rookie learning the ropes. That was a huge win. They clearly understood this was something special about our organization and our service brands. But they also shared their honest feelings about what could be better or what they didn’t understand about the Code of Values in some cases. These were critical experiences for me that have made a lasting impact. It resulted in stronger communications, new programs, and a heightened awareness about how our values are referenced on a regular basis. It was great to reveal myself to these

and identify yourself as a Molly Maid franchisee.

See CODE OF VALUES , Page 14

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No matter the business, I know there is a valuable person inside headed somewhere important. I hope he knows how crucial he is to his boss, to his company, and to the customer he is about to meet. Soon, a customer will open his or her door and be very thankful that an expert has arrived. If that expert can live and lead with values, that business will do amazingly well!

RELATED LINKS Dwyer-Owens talks about the Code of Values Undercover Boss article by Forbes Photos from the show

CODE OF VALUES FROM PAGE 12

MOLLY MAID PRESIDENT’S CALL Join Meg Roberts as she provides a preview of the 2017 strategies. Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 at 2 p.m. EST CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

individuals at the end of the show and, more importantly, thank them for letting me see the business through their eyes. People on the front lines of any business need to know how much they matter. And after walking in their shoes, I understand that on a whole different level. Never lose site of the impact your people make every single day. The day we finished taping, I saw a service van on the road and thought to myself, “I wonder where he is headed and who’s problem he is going to solve? He is about to make someone’s day so much better.” Four years later, that still happens. I’ll be driving along, and there goes a service van or repair truck.

This article originally appeared in Dina’s blog. To follow her ongoing topics, visit: www.dinadwyerowens.com/follow-along/.

Dwyer Group offers six scholarships each year to women through the Women in the Trades program. Go to the Women in the Trades website to learn more about this program and to download the application.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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REUNION RECAP

F ollowing the first two days at the 2016 Dwyer Group Reunion, the Molly Maid owners joined President Meg Roberts for a day of brand-specific updates and customized, individual consultations. “Joining the Dwyer Group has brought new opportunities as well as changes to our system. The introduction of Neighborly, the negotiating power of ProTradeNet and IT’s ability to move us toward CCS Next Gen, to name a few,” Roberts said. “Another change – Molly Maid is the No. 2 brand behind Mr. Rooter – and we don’t like that position!” Roberts then spoke about the many things that remain true to Molly Maid’s core – and used the Reunion rally cry to encourage owners to do what they’ve always done … “Bring It!” “Bring your best attitude, effort, open mind, undivided attention and think openly about how you will accomplish your goals,” she said. “Let’s keep our togetherness – it’s a really big deal for us!” An example of this Bring It! performance was the 2016 Molly Maid Convention, which represented 85-percent attendance from the franchisees. “Everyone who attends Convention knows what you get from three days of non-stop togetherness,” Roberts said. “Your reality stories elevated the significance of our time together, and the team and I are planning for another break-through event in 2017 as

this event is an essential part of our past, present and future.” System Performance This year’s sales goal is to achieve $227 million, which represents 5 percent growth. “For a brand our age – that level of growth is not insignificant,” Roberts said. “The Ops team has been working with each of their owners to add one more cleaning appointment to their weekly schedules.” She added that the pause in selling franchises following the sale last year created a ripple effect on this year’s projected sales and national advertising fund. Compounding the challenges is the lingering obstacle of franchisees’ ability of hiring and retaining enough great people to deliver on the high demand for maid service. “BRING YOUR BEST ATTITUDE, EFFORT, OPEN MIND, UNDIVIDED ATTENTION AND THINK OPENLY ABOUT HOW YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS. LET’S KEEP OUR TOGETHERNESS — IT’S A REALLY BIG DEAL FOR US!”

PRESIDENT’S UPDATE FROM REUNION

BY SHELLEY BLASZAK Senior Communications Manager

p Molly Maid President Meg Roberts addressing why “teamwork wins” at the Dwyer Group Reunion.

See PRESIDENT’S UPDATE , Page 18

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Those Ops and Marketing initiatives, and their current number of participants, include: INITIATIVE PARTICIPANTS SOAR 14 Active LMS Script Users +200 GPS Tracking 57 CCS 5.15 Upgrades Completed 239 Profitability Group 24 Recruiting.com Advertisers 146 Listen 360 Survey/Review 164/142 Facebook 155 Qiigo Local Listings 160 Kirkwood Back-marketing 120 “It’s natural to let concerns become distractions if we don’t focus only on what is within our control,” Roberts said. “In business, taxes, PPACA, overtime, and workers’ compensation are examples of things we truly can’t influence.” Roberts said breaking the circular cycle of focusing on concerns toward linear thinking is much more productive. “For our employee shortage, it may feel like we have no control! When you start unrolling this circle, there are some actions owners can take to impact retaining and recruiting great people. At Convention, we instructed owners to survey your employees, and I know a handful of owners did, but bet there’s a lot of opportunity for others to

complete this exercise,” she said. “Owners can also create a better living for your employees by using OTA! This product helps them make more money as their routes become more efficient.” For hiring, she asked owners to truly evaluate their practices. Owners must update their job postings on Recruiting.com every 28 days, utilize the new CraigsList ads and educate yourselves on minimum wage laws in your state. Roberts added that owners who have limited hours for interviewing, should open it up and interview any time you get an applicant in person or online. See PRESIDENT’S UPDATE , Page 20

PRESIDENT’S UPDATE FROM PAGE 17

Roberts projected we would fall short of 5 percent, likely closing the year around $223 million. “You can’t go into any restaurant today without seeing a hiring sign,” she said. “While Regions 1, 3 and 4 are performing at/above the system sales average, an acute employee shortage in Texas has Region 2 slightly under the system’s average. Region 5 is down -1.7% compared to 2015, driven by several businesses closing or for sale. Roberts thanked and acknowledged owners participating in Reunion, Convention and Molly Maid’s proven programs as they represent the “best in class.” “I’m excited to see us welcome some new owners to the system , as they are already achieving great results. We have a new business in Waco, Texas and an invigorated owner who purchased a business in California. They are here with us and I’m confident they are going to be successful,” she said. Celtic Power of 3 “I’m so proud of the Molly Maid Home Office team, co-led along with me by John Cohen and Megan Conway,” Roberts said. “We all have gifts that bring something unique to the table. John’s ownership experience is invaluable and he uses that

filter to vet everything we do. Megan’s extensive marketing experience on our fellow Mr. Handyman brand is so impressive. She has made a great impact right away and works out the details for bringing my vision for this amazing brand to life.” She used the “Celtic Power of 3” analogy to show the leadership team’s alignment on Molly Maid’s success factors: 1. Preserve, evolve and grow. 2. Honor profitability. 3. Reassert competitive advantage. These success factors will be our team’s sole mission in 2017 by communicating, training and encouraging further adoption of our proven programs.

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HELPOWNERS ‘BRINGIT!’

PRESIDENT’S UPDATE FROM PAGE 19

The Home Office and Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) also had to exercise this practice this year. “With our new ownership’s changes to our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), we had to avoid getting caught in circular thinking and had to get on the path of back and forth collaboration. I’m grateful for our team, FAC and Dwyer Group’s leadership’s willingness to listen and focus on a long-term partnership,” she said. “For six months, we evolved from having concerns and frustration to understanding and ultimately, to influence a positive outcome.” Bold Step Forward “Using the same model of promoting understanding, education and collaboration with the Molly Maid owners, we will begin a “Bold Step Forward” campaign to increase our MAP fund,” Roberts said. “It’s critically important that our system first recognizes the importance of the real competitive pressures, the risk of inaction and rewards of voting to grow and preserve our brand.” Beginning on Jan. 3, 2017, the Home Office team will start the campaign to educate owners with the compelling facts about our fund, and why we must continue to grow and protect our brands. “If we don’t have the faith to stand up for our brand – we will let down our brand,” Roberts said. “We will become a brand of lost relevance. Instead, we must fight to preserve our spot atop the industry.” She left owners with a final request – to have an open mind, to listen, to stay engaged and to be part of the brand’s future.

BY SHELLEY BLASZAK Senior Communications Manager

to be promoted to franchise consultant (FC) following her three-years serving as sure start coordinator. Then, he announced Michelle Robles’ new role as Operations Project and Training Manager. In addition to leading the Ms. Molly Foundation Board of Directors, Robles uses her 13 years’ tenure and works closely with Cohen to manage the team’s many initiatives. “I’m so proud of this team. We also welcomed another great person, Mara Markowitz, to the franchise consultant role in August, and she brings award-winning restaurant management experience, a master’s degree and a tremendous track record for increasing sales and mentoring others to our team,” he said.

During the Operations presentation, Vice President of Operations John Cohen shared updates on how the team has brought it so far this year, and their plans to “Bring

It!” going forward. Staff Updates The first step to a team’s success is putting the right people in the right seats. Cohen recapped Adam

Swan’s purchase of Molly Maid of South Charlotte/Mathews and the opening created for Julie Jennings Cohen

See OPERATIONS UPDATE , Page 22

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Recruiting Efforts While Chief Operating Officer Mary Kennedy Thompson unveiled the new RAREtoolbox to Reunion attendees during the General Session, Cohen shared updates on Molly Maid’s continued commitment to using Recruiting.com . “Please remember to clone your job postings every 28 days so potential applicants can see your business is looking for people!” Cohen said. “Your FCs will remind you during your discussions, and if you want help – please reach out!” Cohen showed an updated CraigsList job posting that is far more welcoming and is now available on Team Site . Other limitations impairing owners’ recruiting success is narrow interviewing hours and mandating in-person applications. “If hiring is your top concern – widen the net to bring in more applicants. If they don’t have prior cleaning experience, but have a great attitude and want to work – you can teach the skills needed,” he said. “I also recommend being more flexible with interview times – rather than a few hours mid-day, make it work to interview all strong candidates.” Other Dwyer Group brands just getting started with a systemwide recruiting program are using the RAREtoolbox. While some aspects won’t affect Molly Maid owners, the 401k program through

owners are helping me gather information,” he said. “I’m impressed that they want to learn how to use the P&L tool better and truly focus on where they can improve.” The groups use the 2016 P&L comparison tool to compare their numbers to the system’s average. Data includes net sales, cost of sales, overhead and owners’ discretionary income,” Cohen said. “When you look at one particular line, HSP compensation, you can really identify strategies to improve your employees’ earnings while making routes more efficient through OTA. Your FCs can help you meet your goals and the year ahead is going to have a large focus on owners’ profits.”

OPERATIONS UPDATE FROM PAGE 21

CCS 5.15 CCS 5.15 has been updated to repair the last bug fixes and get the last few remaining owners’ businesses operating on the system. There will be no additional enhancements to CCS as the team is transitioning its sole focus into developing CCS Next Gen. The cloud-based software will launch in 2018. Profitability Groups Following Convention, Cohen launched three, new profitability performance groups consisting of 24 owners. “We started meeting in June and these

This Craigslist advertisement received 843 views and 16.1% of those people applied for a position.

Disciplined Investors is applicable to everyone who wants to offer affordable retirement savings to their teams. To find out more about 401k or access the current RAREtoolbox materials, visit the Team Site . As the next phase is introduced, we will make owners aware of updates which are available and applicable to your businesses.

See OPERATIONS UPDATE , Page 24

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team members, introduce themselves and ask if the new people need any help or have questions. “An Ambassador Program is great to have in place every day. I believe offices should create this new position and pay the Ambassadors more for their smile,” he said. “How much do you pay for referrals? You could pay that same amount for a welcome smile to boost morale.” Mission to $227 million During 2016, the entire Home Office team has been on a mission to help the system reach $227 million. Cohen said the FCs have worked with their owners to focus on adding one more cleaning each day to help get as close to the year-end goal as possible. As the fourth quarter wraps up, Cohen’s three calls to action for owners include: • Conduct a profitability review with your FC. • Use the new CraigsList ads available in English and Spanish and keep your Recruiting.com postings updated. • Implement welcome week into your business. “We have a strong Operations team committed to helping our owners succeed – we want to work with as many of you who want to continue growing – so reach out – we’re here to help you Bring It!” he said.

OPERATIONS UPDATE FROM PAGE 23

WELCOME WEEK IDEAS • Ambassador Program.

Welcome Week Hiring great people has been among Molly Maid’s top challenges to growth in 2016. Cohen said some owners include “knock-out questions” on their applications, and how some of these can actually deter applicants. Cohen then introduced a new idea to welcome new employees that is very cheap and easy to do: host a welcome week! “During new employees’ first meeting, play an introduction game such as what would they bring on a deserted island or two truths and a lie to make it more fun,” Cohen said. “People will have some fun, and they will share something personal that may help employees make connections.” He also talked about posting employees’ photos on the wall , and said that many offices already do this. It’s a simple way to make new and existing employees feel part of the team. Another best practice is creating an Ambassador Program. Cohen said to choose a few outgoing employees as those who will welcome the teams each morning. The Ambassadors can pay special attention to the newest

• Have office employees sign a welcome card.

• New employee has lunch with the Ambassador.

• Add employee photos to the wall.

• Provide take-home package on first day. • Play introduction games at first team meeting. • New employee has coffee with the owner.

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MEGAN CONWAY ASKS: IS LOCAL & NATIONAL MARKETING ENOUGH?

local marketing, and identifying our best opportunities to grow,” Conway said. Local Marketing The system began reporting its local marketing requirement (LMR) spend four years ago, and Conway was impressed with the 94 percent collection rate, using the simple spend tool . “The good news is that owners in the system are investing locally – more than $9 million in fact,” she said. Reunion attendees each received an individualized report with a pie chart showing buckets where their business’s local

than $7,” Conway said. Conway gave a shout out to Brand Manager Jennifer Gregory for helping owners engage in the Marketing Team’s most important programs: • Listen360 and Listen360 Reviews: 165 • Qiigo Local Listings: 160 To find out more about these programs and any other local marketing questions you have, please contact jennifer.gregory@ dwyergroup.com . National Marketing Before Conway joined the team, Vice President of Brand Management Brandi Kloostra and Director of Digital Marketing • Local Facebook: 125 • Marketing SOAR: 20

marketing dollars were invested in 2015, as well as recommendations to make their money work even better. “The Molly Maid system has an 89 percent participation

graduating from the University of Michigan. When the opportunity to lead the Marketing efforts for Molly Maid opened up, Conway swapped her red work attire for pink and hit the ground running in May. “I’ve spent a lot of time with the National Marketing Committee (NMC) to understand what works for Molly Maid’s national and

Conway

BY SHELLEY BLASZAK Senior Communications Manager

in local pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. It’s incredible to see this level of commitment and Reach Local’s results in contacts through July, which are up 22 percent compared to a year ago! The cost per contact is also down significantly this year, by more

Reunion marked Brand Director Megan Conway’s first in-person meeting with the Molly Maid franchisees. She started her career with Mr. Handyman in 2005 after

See MARKETING UPDATE , Page 28

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Marketing is also working along with Operations to help owners find great employees to delivery the Molly Maid service. Conway acknowledged this is a new arena for the MAP fund, driven by the unprecedented shortage. She explained the MAP will contribute where applicable to asset creation. “We have worked to help enhance the jobs.mollymaid.com site, created new Craigslist ads in English and Spanish and even built old-school tear-off flyers for owners to post in stores, salons and around town to get the word that you’re hiring out,” Conway said. Additionally, a fall recruiting campaign has been underway on Facebook using CraigsList-like artwork. Clicks on the ad will take users to jobs.mollymaid.com , and Conway echoed John Cohen’s reminder for owners to post jobs and keep them refreshed as national efforts are driving more interest in local opportunities. Ultimately, direct hiring is the franchisees’ responsibility and Harry Young shared a local tactic his offices use. He suggested having home service professionals share posts on their personal Facebook pages. Social media continues to be a national priority as it drives brand awareness and website traffic from social channels is up 72 percent.

MARKETING UPDATE FROM PAGE 27

Leah Stewart outlined the team’s national strategies and initiatives at Convention: 1. Compete Online 2. Connect with Consumers 3. Compete & Connect with Employees “Molly Maid had lofty goals this year, and I’m so pleased to say we’ve accomplished almost all of them!” Conway said. “We continue to hold very high positions in organic search for our top keywords, which is largely due to our search engine optimization partnership with OneUpWeb.” Strong web presence has generated a 25 percent increase traffic to the website through July. An unexpected change has been the downward trend of organic website leads, which are down 12 percent. “This trend is concerning and can be attributed to a change in consumer behavior as more users access our site through mobile devices and localize to call their closest office. We also have to make sure our site delivers the best experience when they get to our site,” she said. Conway said the team has several ideas to improve the website’s conversion performance. Reducing clutter on the page, promoting the value statements and reducing required clicks to capture data are part of the test, currently underway.

Other online strategies continue to remain strong performers, including national PPC, which represents the largest portion of the MAP fund. “A few years ago, we began working with the Skylark Agency, and it’s been a great way to make our dollars work harder for us,” Conway said. “At only $14 per contact and a conversion rate of 25 percent, the choice to transition to Skylark was a great decision.” Just as the team advises owners, the national strategy is diversified. “In addition to PPC for search, we also invest in display ads which retarget warm leads and cast our net on Facebook by using their advertising tools. A combination of search and display has created a lift in conversion rates,” she said.

“We attribute our social media increase to great content, shareable images (see photos, next page), awesome videos, sweepstakes and boosted posts,” she said. Video content is the new enhancement to the social media editorial calendar and so far, it is generating a ton of interaction! The first two videos generated more than 40,000 views. If you haven’t checked out the “Messes” series or toilet paper changing

See MARKETING UPDATE , Page 30

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Additionally, PPC costs have gone up 70 percent since last MAP fund increase. We are working with the same budget in the midst of these new pressures,” Conway said. With the existing fund, the team will make limited adjustments to the website, minimal investments in recruiting and implement only a few user experience improvements. “Unfortunately, we cannot support the size of our system the way we need to. We have serious limitations and simply cannot afford to implement online scheduling/ estimating or outspend our competition,” she said. “We’ve already exhausted any efficiencies.” Conway said the bottom line is that Molly Maid has a very limited, national fund relative to the size of our business and what our competitors are spending. “I’m asking each owner to participate in our Bold Step Forward campaign to increase the MAP fund with an open mind and consider the possibilities of getting us back in that leadership position,” she said. “Consider the risk of inactivity – that’s a scary thought! Better yet, consider the proven track record of your Marketing team to invest on your behalf and build the brand.” Stay tuned for campaign kick off in early January.

MARKETING UPDATE FROM PAGE 29

video on YouTube or Facebook , please do! “Our videos are great – they are tongue and cheek humor with a lot of personality. Ultimately, they help us gain exposure to people who may be looking for service or even for a job,” Conway said. Public Relations has a similar brand awareness role in the marketing mix and this year, Molly Maid has received secured placements on Fox & Friends, Redbook magazine, Reader’s Digest, The Huffington Post, Sky Delta, Today Home and many more. More than ever, the value of PR has increased as the links and leads created by stories prove so unique. To keep owners educated on national efforts and how to maximize programs locally, Conway said she is committed to more educational and communications coming from the Marketing team. Since joining the brand, the team has hosted the following webinars, which were recorded and are available on Team Site : • Online Reputation Management • Listen360 Reviews • Yelp’s Request a Quote & Responding

Bringing it Forward While acknowledging the tremendous efforts and successes of Molly Maid’s MAP fund, Conway expressed her concern that the MAP is is not enough and if our brand is going to keep up and get ahead, we must fortify the MAP in a meaningful way. “Why aren’t we where we need to be today?” she said. “We can’t get caught in that circular thinking that Meg (Roberts) spoke about – we can’t rely on what we have always done and our MAP fund is the same as it was in 2013, despite all that has changed.”

Conway described the increased, external pressures on the current MAP fund as changing consumer behavior, competition, increased costs, the need to help owners attract employees and cash flow. These issues have implications such as lead decline, poor online experience and decline in franchisee revenue, which are already beginning to be felt. “Our competition has 50 to 65-percent more money than we do nationally! They are updating their websites annually and it’s already been three years for ours.

• The Future of Yellow Pages • Marketing Planning for 2017

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“We have a unique and valuable story amongst our brands, one that resonates with our core customer base,” stated Zoellner. “We are a network of people who have dedicated our lives to improving the lives of others; we are business owners, friends, parents and community leaders. We are neighbors.” The overarching umbrella brand that Zoellner’s team has

is core to all Dwyer Group brands. After hiring an independent survey company, past customers were interviewed to test their reactions to Dwyer Group brands being “Neighborly.” An overwhelming 89 percent of those

Dwyer Group embraces

created to serve as the foundation for our CRM effort is Neighborly. It will serve to unite all Dwyer Group brands in the minds of consumers, giving us an opportunity to tell our full story of all we have to offer. “At a time when our competition is growing and changing, with new disruptor brands entering the home service category every month, we must evolve and meet our customers where they are online,” emphasized Zoellner. “We have an advantage over the

BY DESIRAE FRANCO Director of Communications and PR

this high-priority objective. “We must change our approach

because our customers are changing,” said Zoellner as she began explaining the overarching opportunity a strategic customer relationship management (CRM) system represents for all franchisees. “Only six percent of our current customers have ever used more than one of our brands,” she reported. “All of our customers are homeowners or business owners who are willing to pay for premium service, yet most of them have no idea that we (our brands) are all connected. That we are all part of the same family dedicated to service and quality – to doing it the right way.”

“We will not sit idly by as high-tech competitors try to enter our space and take our customers,” stated Mike Bidwell, president and CEO of Dwyer Group prior to introducing the new Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Lisa Zoellner. For years Dwyer Group has recognized the opportunity to cross-market all of our services to the existing customers of our brands. Zoellner, who was tasked with this very tall order when she joined Dwyer Group in January 2016, revealed to franchisees and associates the progress of

interviewed agreed with the assessment. “I have been doing this a very long time and have never seen such high scores for a new brand,” said Zoellner. In future communications, Zoellner will share the rollout plan for the Neighborly brand, targeted to launch in early 2017. In closing, Zoellner had these inspiring words for franchisees: “Neighborly. Our customers believe it. And I know you can deliver it.”

competition in that home service is in our DNA. It is not just what we do, it’s who we are.” Zoellner emphasized that while disruptor brands may have the technology to deliver a slick customer experience on the front end, they can’t compete with the systems, people and world-class service that

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CRM initiative shows early results for Neighborly possibilities BY SHELLEY BLASZAK Senior Communications Manager

all Dwyer Group brands are represented. The magnets were distributed to owners to leave behind after providing service. To date, the response rate is .62 percent and 439 leads have been received. Owners can currently reach out to the Marketing team to take advantage of jump start marketing pieces , which is administered by one approved vendor who has customer lists across all Dwyer Group’s businesses. “You can do a turnkey, direct mail program now, just reach out to your Marketing team for more information and visit our jump start vendor to get started,” she said. These efforts complement the national CRM initiative’s efforts, which launched in August. The thank you email customers receive following a form submit, the thank you webpage following a form submit and the cross-marketing e-newsletters are already underway and working to drive awareness and leads to all franchisees’ businesses. “CRM is no-cost for owners

and the emails feature 50 percent of the original brand’s content and the remaining shows off another’s brand’s seasonal content,” Kloostra said. “The calls to action are prominent for both brands and all emails are designed to optimize to any screen, tablet or mobile device.” Kloostra said Molly Maid’s Aug. 30 click-to-open rates are among the highest of Dwyer Group brands, which is 10 times the industry benchmark! The most important thing Molly Maid owners can do is focus on adding accurate email addresses for your customers to continue building on CRM’s early success. If owners want to reach out and identify neighboring Dwyer Group franchise owners in your area as many are already doing, contact jennifer.gregory@ dwyergroup.com or brandi. kloostra@dwyergroup.com . Owners can also access the FAQs document on this topic, as it is updated, as needed. “Stay tuned for more information on the launch of Neighborly in early 2017,” Kloostra said.

B randi Kloostra, Vice President on Dwyer Group’s CRM initiative and commented on the new umbrella brand, Neighborly. “A lot of effort went into building the Neighborly name – an impressive amount of research,” she said. “It was an honor to represent Molly Maid going through this process – and recognizing that people are our pedigree – disruptors like Google and Amazon services don’t have people in the field like we do.” An early testimony for cross marketing has been the Dallas area test, which began in March. This market has businesses representing all 10 brands. “We did a few initial concept tests with 39 owners in the DFW area including a direct mail piece with a magnet showcasing all of Dwyer Group’s brands,” Kloostra said. “More than 14,000 people received our mailing and the response rate was fabulous at 3.6 percent, which generated 513 leads so far.” More than 77,000 magnets were also sent to owners in 13 other markets where of Brand Management provided Molly Maid owners with an update

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APTURED ON AMERA 1 – Long-time owners Jerry and Carol Graczyk and Scott and Melissa Farrar enjoy each other’s company during the Having Fun in the Process off-site event. 2 – (From left) Cathy Tichy, Michelle Robles, Rick Tichy and Kim Dolan hanging out during Reunion. 3 – Arturo and Rosy Alvarez are near the fire at the Having Fun in the Process offsite event. 4 – Mara Markowitz and Leah Stewart show off those welcoming smiles for owners. 5 – Brian LaFerriere and Meg Roberts catch up during the first-night Welcome Reception.

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6 – John Cohen welcomes new owners Dustin and Joslyn Horn to their first Molly Maid event. 7 – Experiencing their first Reunion with Molly Maid, new Brand Director Megan Conway chats with new Franchisee Alan Gattrell. 8 – Don’t mess with these Texas owners: (from left) Rafa and Ana Caballero and Katrina and Kevin Keith. 9 – Tonya Parsons sits with Missy, Kyle and Rob Carpenter during the Reunion General Session.

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AWARD-WINNING CULTURE How Mike Pelton retains employees and customers BY SHELLEY BLASZAK Senior Communications Manager s a high school student, Mike Pelton remembers his parents, Ron and Ulaine, deciding to purchase a franchise and open Molly Maid of Virginia Beach. He thought they were crazy. That was 1987 and, at the time, he did not see how they would make ends meet by running a house cleaning business. In retrospect, Pelton says, “this shows how limited my perspective was as a 16-year old.” See SHINING STAR , Page 40

Franchisee of the Year

Click to play the Franchisee of the Year video profiling Mike Pelton and Molly Maid of Virginia Beach.

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Molly Maid of Virginia Beach’s success story is proven by its steady sales growth. Pelton said focusing on operations, managing people and continually improving processes has been their long- term approach to achieving results. “Controlled growth is profitable growth. My goal is 5-7 percent top line growth per year. If I can hit that, given the maturity of the business, I’m happy,” Pelton said. Highs and Lows “My parents built a good business – it would have been difficult to see dramatic improvements once I took over,” Pelton said. “I’m proud that we’ve maintained a high-level of customer retention and low customer cancellation rate over the years.” He said their culture is based on everyone from the owner to each employee working together to be excellent. They speak honestly about keeping their customers satisfied during every meeting and that it’s everyone’s responsibility to help make it happen. “Life is easier in business if you hold onto your customers and your employees,” he said. Retaining employees and keeping them engaged is critical to the business’s success. Pelton draws on his past managerial roles to build the most professional environment and compensation plan as possible and offers quite a few benefits including

SHINING STAR FROM PAGE 39

PELTON SAID THEIR CULTURE IS BASED ON EVERYONE FROM THE OWNER TO EACH EMPLOYEE WORKING TOGETHER TO BE EXCELLENT. THEY SPEAK HONESTLY ABOUT KEEPING THEIR CUSTOMERS SATISFIED DURING EVERY MEETING, AND THAT IT’S EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN.

While his parents started the business, Pelton graduated from college, worked in Washington D.C., completed an MBA degree, met his wife Wendy and then spent nearly a decade in various management roles, which gave him very good prep for running a successful Molly Maid franchise. In 2004, Mike said he and his father had a long discussion about the possibility of taking over the business. Along with his siblings, Andrew and Matt, he purchased the business in 2006, and took the lead on the daily operations. After working with his parents for six months, the transition was complete as Ron and Ulaine started their next chapter in retirement. “I certainly didn’t come in thinking the business needed to be fixed. It was doing well by any standard before I took over, and my initial goal was not to screw it up!” Pelton said. That first year, Pelton focused on getting to know the people, establishing mutual trust and building relationships. “I did not make any major changes – except for catching the office up on technology a bit – taking the filing from a paper to an electronic system,” he said. “Within a couple of years, I implemented a visible quality management incentive program to continue improving on our level of service.”

medical, retirement, paid vacation and holidays. “A lot of managing is about building culture. I have a pretty good rapport with employees, and I try to be visible, accessible and flexible,” he said. “Cleaning houses is hard work, and I don’t want to make it any more difficult on my employees than it already is.” Currently, six employees have exceeded the 20-year milestone and he has a number of others who have been in the business longer than 10 years and five years.

Pelton receives his Shining Star award at Convention with Mary Kennedy Thompson and Meg Roberts.

See SHINING STAR , Page 42

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