Modern technology & old fashion ways

Most of this weekend was spent unraveling the mystery that is my new Black Berry Bold 9900. This thing has more gadgets and apps than the Starship Enterprise!

And what was the first thing I did with this high dollar, techno investment? Read the newspaper.

No matter how much technology the world throws at me, some habits will never go away.

Google has a great application called Google Books. This resource contains millions of books on every subject you could ever dream.  Right on your laptop, pc or tablet...All for free. So, what do you think I spend hours upon hours reading in this vast electronic library? Popular Mechanics from the 1940's & 1950's.

With every form of technology, I find a way to use it to visit our past. With every advancement in modern convenience, I find a way to revive a rustic bit of knowledge.

Who needs Facebook & Twitter as long as there are still old time barber shops where you can stop in and visit for hours, catching up on all  the news of your home town?

Who needs email & text when you can write a hand written letter or better yet, drop in for a visit to a friend, colleague or customer?

Who needs the 24-hour news feeds when you can read the papers in the morning over breakfast or in the afternoon over a pint?

WHO AM I KIDDING? As much as many of us enjoy dwelling on the ways of the past, our lives are so much easier with all this new technology. Without embracing modern advancements, you will slip behind your competition and look incompetent to your clients.  

Just as cell phones took the place of land lines, and email took the place of fax machines, so to will future advancements overtake those we currently feel like we cannot live without.

But how nice is it to get a hand written letter once in a blue moon?  

That being said, one thing that modern technology can  NEVER replace is Integrity & Good Work Ethic. In today's age of a quick buck, we must always remember to be steadfast in our morals & values in all aspects of our lives including our business dealings. Your reputation, once ruined, is not easily repaired.

Your non-compete...Did you really read it before you signed it?

What happens when your love-affair with the company you are working for wears off?
What happens when your competitor is offering you more money, better working conditions and a happier life?

Well...if you didn't sign a non-compete, you go to work where you will be happiest.

But if you did, in the rush of emotions & excitement of joining your old employer, sign a non-compete...Well...You may be in job-purgatory!

Did you even read the thing before you signed it? Did you really rationalize what would happen if you decided to move on? If you are like most folks when getting a new job, PROBABLY NOT.

These things can inflict hardships on you that you would have never imagined. Financial strife, the inability to work in the field that you call home and the agony of watching your new-found dream job slip away to another candidate.

Non-competes are never geared to benefit the employee. If so, you would have YOUR lawyer draw up the paper work. Instead, the company's team of hot-shot lawyers draws it up and you, in all your excitement, signed it like a sheep headed to slaughter.

Non-competes are a sure sign of insecurity & paranoia of a company. It says a lot about the company who is hiring you. They know, that their competitor can make you a better offer than they can. So...Why not go explore those competitors' opportunities before you sign on the dotted line?

They can & will hold up in court (mostly). They can & will keep you from pursuing your future (mostly). They can & will keep you up at night wondering why you ever signed the thing (mostly). They are, in my opinion, immoral & unethical (ALWAYS).

I say don't sign one. Don't go to work for someone who demands you sign one. And if you are working for someone for a while and then they ask you to sign one, insist on getting legal advice first.

But if you have no other choice but to sign one...Read it. Have your attorney read it. Think about it very carefully. Your future endeavors are in jeopardy. 

Your biggest investment...YOU.

The cure to getting your butt whipped by the competition is to WORK HARDER.

6PM...Any given weekday. Where are you? Racing to happy hour? Turning your cell phone off?
5AM...Any given weekday. Where are you? Fast asleep? Watching the "news"?
8PM...Any given weekday. What are you doing? Watching "reality tv"?
Is it any surprise your competition is mopping the floor with you, Chief?


Top performers are using every waking moment to improve and to become better than YOU.


Do you read books about your trade or industry? Business management? Sales & marketing?
Are you a member of and attend regular meetings of trade associations? (Associated General Contractors? Home Builder Association? Etc...)
Are you getting regular exercise & watching your diet? Do you belong to a gym?
Are you networking with other professionals via civic groups & social media?
If the answers to the above questions are "NO"...There's a good chance your business is getting stale. 


How in the world are you going to grow your business and your status in the industry staring at the boob tube, aimlessly watching bad news and garbage known as sitcoms?


The choice is yours. But you can bet your sweet bippy that the company you are losing business to is choosing to invest their time & energy becoming better professionally & mentally.


Business books, gym memberships, association dues and business social media are all cheap or free. So...The only real investment you need to make to become better than your competition is your TIME.


Try investing time & effort in growing professionally for the next 30 days. Report back to me the results of your new efforts and I will include them in a future Hard Hat Society blog.

Is your back-up quarterback game-ready?

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!
After watching an atrocious National Championship performance by LSU, I have to wonder, "Are my employees ready to step up in starting roles if need be?
What I mean by that is...

• In my absence (when I am making sales calls, on vacation, etc.) Are my inside sales people empowered enough & experienced enough to make solid decisions? 
• If my service manager would suddenly take ill, would my technicians be able to keep the shop moving while maintaining orderly service records? 
• Do I have an apprentice tech that is ready to move into his own bay or a lead man that can run the shop office?

These are bridges we cross daily, sometimes without a real option on how we handle it.
But... 

What if your top performing sales rep gets into a slump? Are you willing to "pull him from the game"?
No one wants to broach this subject, but if left unresolved, the results could be just as bad as leaving in a slumping Quarterback in the BCS Championship...A LOSS.
How can you justify leaving a sales rep out there when he consistently misses his quota? I know what you're saying, Chief...."Give him time & he will get his numbers up. He's been such a loyal employee, we can't pull him out of the field!"
But, how much damage are you doing, by allowing the slump to "work itself out"? Not just to your organization, but to the sales rep who is struggling!


Hear me out here folks...
No one said anything about termination. For crying out loud, if he is a rep that's been with your company, you probably have money invested in this guy & he most certainly has some clients doing business with you!


But what harm would there be in bringing the guy in for a few days...
Benching him, if you will...
How much benefit would there be in letting him get his thoughts together. Getting his territory mapped out better. Getting a game plan together on product offerings he would like to present to his clientele. Recharging the old battery. He can make some phone calls to customers he hadn't seen in a while. He can set appointments with target customers. He can work with your counter sales staff a day or two and see what the customers are really asking for and where new opportunity may have arisen...NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT HE COULDN'T SEE BECAUSE HE HAD BLINDERS ON DUE TO HIS POOR ATTITUDE BROUGHT ON BY HIS SLUMP!


Fast forward one week...

• The fallen hero has a renewed interest in career. FIRST DOWN!
• He has a better game plan in place and is better equipped to tackle his territory. FIELD GOAL!
• He brings more deals to the table because he's actually focused on what his customers needs are as well as opportunities he was blind to. TOUCH DOWN!
• (And mostly importantly)He has a new found respect and since of loyalty to his coach...You.  (That was the Extra Point!)

Be the coach your team needs you to be. Make bold calls and the results will be EPIC!

Your Vendors...Opportunity pipelines

When was the last time you told your friends & co-workers how responsive a vendor has been to your needs? Been a while, huh?
When was the last time you told another contractor about the outstanding job your sub-contractor did for you on that last project? Not likely, huh? 
How many times a month do YOU buy your best supplier lunch? No, you didn't misread that...
What in the world is this crazy guy talking about!?!?! It's a business tactic that, once you master it, will pay dividends, Chief.


As a sales person, business owner, manager, decision maker or whatever other capacity you serve under the hard hat, you should always be trying to feed your INCOME PIPELINE & Be innovative in your cost controls.
Contractors want to know when & where more jobs are coming up. Who might be getting bids for additions or new developments?
Business owners want to know what other businesses in the same industry are doing to cut costs or to add revenues.
Sales people want to know where they might be missing an opportunity.
Buyers want to know who has the best deal going on.
So other than your current customer base, who could give you insight on these type of items? Sure as hell NOT your competitor!


The answer is simple. Your vendors and subcontractors. Think about it. They are calling on customers just like your business. They are doing business with other businesses, builders & business sectors that could be your contacts(and eventually your payday!). They deal with a lot of folks you want to be dealing with!


Light bulb moment! So how bad of an idea is it to get to know these folks just a little bit better? How bad of an idea to take the ones that serve you the best and give them a referral to one of your friends in the industry or one of your sub-contractors? How bad of an idea is it to surround yourself with professionals in this industry that can help you grow your business? You should choose your vendors the way you choose your employees...You select the best qualified person who will be a long-term asset to your organization.

Hard Hat Challenge: Next time one of your vendors or subs comes through in the clutch for you. Invite them to lunch and ask them this (astounding) question. "Is there an account you are working on that a referral could put you over the top in landing it? If so, let me be the reference." Your vendor will appreciate this. You will become value partners. And your vendor will become, in essence, another set of eyes and ears on the road and an advocate for your business. That vendor will sing your praises and look for money making opportunities for you & your company. Trust me. It works.