Richard's Writings

BUILDING THE PERFECT SUPERVISOR PART 4

2019-06-22T11:11:00.001-05:00

Last time we listed our top three traits of a perfect supervisor. Now it becomes a bit more difficult to rank the traits but here is our list.

NUMBER 4---GOOD COMMUNICATOR--With today's wide different age groups in the work place, someone who can communicate effectively to a 20 year old and then be able to do the same with a 60 year old, is priceless. Most all of us have difficulty meeting that challenge.

Along with being able to communicate with different generations comes the challenge of being able to communicate in different languages, especially Spanish. All I was effectively able to master was si and cervasa which meant I could say yes to a beer and that is not one that should be used in the workplace.

NUMBER 5---SELF STARTER---This may be one that should be higher on the list but I thought the others important to consider first. That could be open to debate.

A perfect supervisor should not have to be told when to start or finish his or her day. They should know that if they are doing their job. They come in knowing what has to be done and they don't leave until the business in their area has been accomplished for the day.

NUMBER 6---GOOD COMPUTER SKILLS---In today's business environment having at least a basic knowledge of computers and how their position uses them is critical. Being able to read and react to budgets for their accounts is critical along with being able to ask and respond to various situations that arise and have to be addressed.

Okay, there you have my 1 through 6. Agree? Disagree? Please note that not one of these talks about having technical skills such as stripping and recoating tile or shampooing a carpet etc. That should be a given when they get to this level in the organization plus distributors can teach them as needed. Your distributor should play a major role in the success of a perfect supervisor.

At the risk of getting too long winded I am going to stop here and ask you to build your perfect supervisor. Let me know your list of the PERFECT SUPERVISOR.

Till next time.

BUILDING THE PERFECT SUPERVISOR PART 3

2019-06-13T08:41:00.000-05:00

Continuing on with our project of naming the traits of a perfect supervisor let me list what I consider to be the top 3 traits of a perfect supervisor,

NUMBER 1---HONESTY---It is my belief that if the supervisor isn't honest, all of the rest of the traits really don't matter. Agree?

A few years ago I was doing this exercise with a group at a conference and we were filling up several pages and hanging them on the wall when an elderly gentleman stood up in the back of the room and said that we had missed the most important trait, that being honesty. He said that if he couldn't trust someone to be honest in all their dealings representing his company, the rest of the traits didn't matter. Pretty profound isn't it? He was absolutely correct and honesty heads my list above all other traits. The rest of the traits are important and critical but none equal honesty.

NUMBER 2---AGREES WITH AND SUPPORTS THE COMPANY CULTURE---It is important that the whole team is on board with the culture of the company and presents a united front to employees and customers at all times. You know your company culture and if a supervisor cannot endorse that culture, whatever it may be, that supervisor should not be in the company. We are assuming here that every company is an honest, upstanding, corporate citizen that believes in doing the right thing in all business dealings with customers and employees.

NUMBER 3----TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS----We seem to live in a society where everyone blames someone else when something goes wrong. A good supervisor will admit when they make a mistake and take corrective action to learn how not to make that mistake again.

So...as a starter there are my top 3 traits of a perfect supervisor. What are yours? Did you notice that not one of the top traits addresses how to clean a building from a technical standpoint? My philosophy is that we can teach the technical skills of the industry but the 3 traits I mention above, while teachable, need to pretty much be ingrained in the individual before they can be considered for a supervisory position.

Next time we'll address several more traits of a perfect supervisor which in most cases are hard to put in a definite order but are crucial to being successful as a supervisor.

I welcome your comments on our top three. Let me know if your top 3 differ and why.

Till next time.

BUILDING THE PERFECT SUPERVISOR PART 2

2019-06-04T11:04:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to our last blog regarding building the perfect supervisor I hope you have taken the time to make your list so as to compare with the list that our workshop participants have developed.

So, here is the list they developed and at this point in no particular order. Remember we asked you to list your top ten. In this session I will list only the traits and in blogs to follow I will provide some commentary on each of them.

HONESTY

SELF STARTER

TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS

GOOD COMMUNICATOR

SAFETY CONSCIOUS

ABLE TO MAKE QUICK DECISIONS

ABLE TO MEET DEADLINES

EXCELLENT TRAINER

AGREES WITH AND SUPPORTS THE COMPANY CULTURE

KNOW ALL TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE JOB

HAS A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF MATH

HAS THE NECESSARY COMPUTER SKILLS

How does this list compare with yours? Have you made a list? As I said in an earlier blog the list the group created was between 25 and 30 but in the interest of space and time I have tried to pare it down to avoid some traits listed that may fit into those shown above.

In our next writing I will attempt to put them in some sort of order of importance but we will discuss, without question, THE NUMBER ONE TRAIT OF A PERFECT SUPERVISOR.

So join us next time and see if your agree. Also, let me know some of additional traits you think should be on this list.

BUILDING THE PERFECT SUPERVISOR

2019-05-29T11:36:00.001-05:00

BUILDING THE PERFECT SUPERVISOR

If you are a BSC owner you have probably, at one time or another, wished you could find the perfect person to supervise the important people we have performing the valuable service we provide our customers and if you are a supervisor you may wonder why can't the company find more dedicated people like me.

Let me ask you, have you really defined what you would consider is the perfect supervisor? If you could build one, what traits would that supervisor have that would relieve you of the headaches you now have every day?

Whenever I have done a supervisor's workshop or seminar one of the first exercises we have all the participants do is define what they consider to be the traits of a perfect supervisor. We ask them to build a perfect supervisor, if you will. It turns out to be a great exercise because it gets everyone thinking and involved. Let me suggest this as a topic for the next supervisor get together in your company. It's fun and most often really generates some great discussion.

In our workshops we will usually generate about 25 or 30 different traits that our attendees consider to be the most important. We tape them up on the wall so everyone can see them and discuss why they feel they are important or offer their opinion as to why it doesn't need to be on the list.

Then, after we have developed a quality list, we pare it down to the top 10 traits needed and eventually we try to come up with the number one trait.

Let me strongly encourage you to do this exercise in your company, list all the traits as you see them, then get your top 10 and finally the one most important one. Then do an honest appraisal to see if these are the traits your supervisors have, or if you are a current supervisor, how many of the traits you have. Need to work hard to develop any of them?

So there is your assignment. In our next blog posting I will outline the most popular ones that have been developed by the various groups we have had involved in our workshops. We'll even give you the one that most often is rated the NUMBER 1 TRAIT OF A QUALITY SUPERVISOR.

Till next time and enjoy the exercise.

2017-07-26T16:57:00.000-05:00

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS SHOULD NOT STAY IN VEGAS

All of us have heard the commercial that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Well, in a few weeks we'll be able to dispel that myth and take home ideas from what happens in Vegas. Ideas that absolutely should not stay in Vegas.

During the week of September 11-15, the ISSA/INTERCLEAN convention AND BSCAI CONTRACTING SUCCESS CONFERENCE will be held in Vegas and with it comes the opportunity to learn an enormous amount that we can take home and implement in our businesses.

The ISSA/INTERCLEAN show brings together about 16,000 industry professionals to see what's new (and old) in the cleaning and related services industry while visiting with professionals at approximately 700 booths from the United States and many foreign countries. The trade show is held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, September 12-14. Along with the show there are planned many learning sessions to gain even more knowledge in the industry that we have chosen as our profession.

Later in the week BSCAI hosts their Contracting Success Conference on the 13th through the 15th at both the Convention center and the Bellagio hotel. Again, gaining education is the focus of these 3 days. You will note also that it has been renamed the Contracting Success Conference in an effort to more clearly identify the purpose of the event and the association.

In addition to the educational sessions being held, on Thursday and Friday, the 14th and 15th, BSCAI will also have about 35 vendors hosting table top displays inviting a more personal one on one opportunity to discuss your needs and how the vendors can help you with those needs.

We are happy to report that Consultants In Cleaning, LLC will be one of those vendors at the Bellagio. We are really excited to have the opportunity to demonstrate our COMPLETELY NEW 6 DVD BOX SET, BSC sales training sessions hosted by Dick Ollek, CBSE, RGC, a former BSC with nearly 55 years in the industry. These BSC industry specific DVD's are each about an hour long and cover the topics of determining who your prospects should be to getting in the door to preparing the proposal and service agreement to making the presentation and closing the sale. Dick will also teach you what to say when the prospect says no.

In addition, our NEW 12 SESSION, 6 DVD BOX SET, industry specific training sessions entitled "The BSC's Guide to Effective Supervision" will be on display for your review. Providing your supervisors this training will give you the confidence that you can handle the new business your sales people will bring on after completing their training.

You can get a glance at the topics of both these new offerings by going to our web site at www.consultantsincleaning.com.

So...think about it, 3 days of trade show excitement with 700 booths AND a wealth of educational sessions at the convention center and 3 days of BSC specific contracting success sessions presented by BSCAI. What happens the week of September 11-15 should NOT stay in Vegas. You can learn more about both of these events by going to the following web sites,

www.issa.com

www.bscai.org

Look forward to seeing you there.

BUSINESS IS GOOD, NO BAD, WHICH IS IT?

2017-04-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

If I asked you how business has been so far this year, what would your answer be? Good, bad, lousy, terrific?

Over the past 30 days I have kept track of the answers I received when asking that question. Right now the good is 52% and the bad is 44% and so so comes in at 4%.

I started this little survey because of a story I heard Zig Ziglar tell about when he addressed the Michigan realtors association in Detroit several years ago. During the first break he asked a gentleman standing next to him how his business was. The response was "terrible, just terrible, you know General Motors is on strike an no one is buying a house while their company is on strike. Zig goes on to say he wished he had never asked the question because the gentleman just wouldn't stop talking about how bad things were. Zig said he was never going to ask that question again.

Well, another break comes and he forgets himself and asks a little lady standing next to him, who he later learned had spent a lifetime in the real estate business, how business was. Her answer was "Well, you know that General Motors is on strike", and Zig is thinking here we go again.

The lady then says that with GM on strike, people have plenty of time to look for the exact home they want. They can spend all day looking. She proceeded to tell him that we all know that GM employees will return to work at some point and then they can sign their contract for a new home.

Zig says the lady then asked him if he had any connections to make the strike go longer because she would like to take advantage of the time people have for looking at homes just a bit longer.

What a contrast. Two people in the same market with totally different perspectives on how business is. One sees a temporary obstacle as a negative, the other sees it as a positive.

So, what about you? Which one of these business people are you? Remember that old phrase, "If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right".

Two thirds of the year is still left for us to accomplish our 2017 goals. Let's make sure we are approaching the remaining time with a positive, can do attitude. It's your future, you know. Remember we have a lot of resources to assist you in reaching those goals. Just click on www.consultantsincleaning.com.

Till next time.

ANY PLANS FOR THE SUMMER?

2017-04-03T16:46:00.001-05:00

As summer approaches, and the children out of school, many people are planning their summer vacations and other events. It's the thing we do, right?

Well, how about planning an employee event for them and their families. It can be so much fun and it gives you the chance to interact with the employees and their families and visa versa. Here are some the things we did that gave me the opportunity to see many of the people we impacted doing the course of their employment with us,

Hired a face painter for the children as they arrived.

Hired a magician to put on 2 or 3 shows during the day.

Hired a clown to be with us most of the day to make animal balloons etc . for the kids.

Rented a ball pit similar to the ones at McDonald's playland locations.

You probably noticed that each of the items above say hired or rented. That doesn't mean we did them all each year. Usually one each year. We had several branches and the managers were each given a budget and then could arrange the function as they wanted to.

We found in every city where we operated there were amateurs that were very capable and willing to do the clown, face painting, and magician parts for a very small fee. I found many times that for the magician acts the adults were seated in the front row being children all over again.

We did them on a Saturday so more people could attend and always away from the office, usually in a park where we could rent a picnic area etc.

Our policy was to provide all food such as hamburgers or hot dogs or ethnic food where we had a majority of different ethnic staff. I learned to eat and like foods from other countries, especially when prepared by the people from those countries. After the first year, in almost every location, our employees started preparing their favorite dish that was not American and wow, what great cooks we had. Each year we seemed to get more dishes. In fact they started asking if it was okay if they prepared their favorite dish. I loved it (and the food).

In addition, we always had some sort of small giveaway to the children and employees that marked the event. For example on our 25th anniversary all employees received mugs highlighting the anniversary.

We also found it effective to present anniversary awards to our employees with 1, 5, 10 years of service etc. It really helps to create a more positive feeling toward the company when their family sees them getting an award for years of service.

I could go on and on with details but the purpose of this blog is to encourage you to consider an employee day event. It really helped to create better attitudes toward our company but maybe just as importantly it helped me to get a better understanding of the great people we had working hard to satisfy our customers.

Try it you'll like it. If you have any questions just go to our web site at www.consultantsincleaning.com and send us a message and we'll get right back to you and discuss in greater detail this employee bonding event.

Till next time.

WE CAN DO THAT

2017-03-15T12:29:00.003-05:00

Not long ago I had the privilege of providing assistance to a company on developing their administrative procedures and then placing the information on the intranet and on paper as a guide for their managers.

But what struck me about that visit was several times during my first day there my client would take phone calls and almost every time he would say "We can do that". Finally I asked him what was it he was telling his customers he could do.

He said, "Dick, some time ago you and I talked about how the industry was changing and how our customers are more and more wanting to buy as many services as possible from one vendor. Well, I took you seriously and today we do just about anything our customer wants. For example we,

Move furniture
Lease lunch room micorwaves
Have contracts for repair of office equipment (We subcontract it out)
Offer light maintenance such as unstopping commodes, replacing washers in faucets etc. light electrical that does not require a license but if it requires a license we have contracts with electricians to do the work.
Exterior work such as snow clearing, landscape service, trash removal (most of this work is subcontracted).
Provide the opportunity for the customer to purchase all consumable products from us. This item alone is a huge profit producer"

and his list went on. He told me he took it on faith that my idea would work and, by golly, it, according to him, has turned into a very nice profit center for his company.

Our whole philosophy on doing all these things is to have our customer contact us FIRST and not think about going to someone else. The major issue is that all of a sudden missing a trash can or having a dispenser empty is not as important as it would be if that was all you were doing.

When I was active in the BSC business, I had several customers that we did these additional services for. One large manufacturing plant that we had started out with just janitorial service, then mat rental service, then landscaping for 40 acres, then parking lot striping, sweeping and snow clearing, etc. When competitors approached the customer with wanting to present a proposal they were asked if they performed all of these services and never once was a competitor able to respond in a positive way for them.

So back to my client. His customer retention rate he told me was about 99% since he started telling his customers "we can do that". We got his administrative manual completed and he kept adding business with his can do attitude.

I really believe that the BSC who will spend the time to interview prospective subcontractors and have them ready to go and then start marketing the additional services to their customers will have a much higher customer retention rate than the BSC that provides only janitorial service.

Are you ready to be a full service provider? Can you think of other services than those above that you could provide?

If you want to discuss further just visit our web site at www.consultantsincleaning.com and click on the contact us icon.

By the way, don't forget to listen to our free pod cast every Monday at www.kleancast.com. You can also access it on you tube at kleancast.

Till next time.

I ONLY HAVE 10 MINUTES

2017-02-08T07:31:00.001-06:00

You're excited! You finally got an appointment with that major prospect you have been attempting to see for umpteen years. You asked for and got 30 minutes to extol the virtues of your company and you have practiced what you are going to say and have made notes to prompt you along the way. Your nerves are a bit on edge but this is your opportunity.

You get to the appointment and the suspect (they are suspects before they become prospects) informs you they are really busy and can only give you 10 minutes instead of the 30 minutes promised. NOW WHAT? What's the backup plan? Now you are really nervous.

Let me suggest 5 questions to ask if you ever find yourself in that predicament. I know I found myself in that situation several times over the years. As time went by I developed a series of 5 questions that I would ask them in the 10 minutes they granted me and those 5 questions almost always engaged them in a conversation that led to them giving me more time than that 10 minutes they said they had. I had to improvise somewhat but the questions generally went something like this,

1. What issues are you currently struggling with?

2. What quality issues are you most concerned with?

3. If you could add 1 extra service that your current provider is not doing, what would that be?

4. How are you currently handling that service?

5. What criteria did you use to select your current provider?

Did you notice that none of the questions are yes or no questions? Each one requires an answer that allows you to probe deeper. For example, if they were to say I am not currently struggling with any issues you can respond by saying you really appreciate that and the main thing you try to accomplish is to provide companies with a "viable alternative" so in the event issues do arrive in the future they know who to call etc. etc.

You can create a response to each of their answers beforehand and you will come across as someone who is experienced in the industry. Another example...if they answer question 2 with "I don't have any quality issues", you can respond by saying that is always the goal and one of the things you do in each of your accounts is create a detailed checklist of the areas of greatest concern to your client and train your staff accordingly. What you have done is started the prospect on thinking about all the times they have had to remind the current vendor of that area in the President's executive wing that never gets the attention it deserves.

You see, if the prospect didn't have some concerns somewhere they would not have you in their office in the first place. In today's business environment most people are too busy to give you 10, 20, or 30 minutes just to have a nice chat. It is your job to find the door that is cracked open and squeeze in that door.

You may find yourself saying if it were only that easy. It's not easy, but the point of this article is to encourage you to always be prepared for the time that suspect throws you a curve. If you have created some predetermined questions and answers you can learn a great deal about the suspect in a short period of time and hopefully have them become a prospect and then customer.

Just some thoughts that we hope will trigger some ideas in your mind and even different questions than those above that you can ask. Just remember, too many questions and they will indeed invoke the 10 minute rule. Happy selling.

Let me also remind you of our special pricing on the new, 6 DVD, 12 lesson training program entitled, The BSC's Guide to Effective Supervision. The release date is around March 1 but you can pre-order at a very friendly price. Check it out at www.consultantsincleaning.com.

Till next time.

WHAT ABOUT THE BANKER?

2017-01-26T12:14:00.002-06:00

In our last session we discussed where we fit in the BSC industry. You may recall that if you have a 100 employees or so you are in the upper 2% of the industry in volume.

That makes one feel really good but the group of BSCs that have around 100 employees or less, is also the group that usually has the most difficulty growing to the next stage and the major reason is a shortage of cash and credit.

What about you? Do you have a relationship with a bank that would allow you to add 50% or 75% to your volume. Here are some helpful hints that just might allow you to grow without cash restrictions. Space is somewhat limited but we will highlight here the main points.

1. Establish a relationship before you need to borrow--When you choose you bank, borrow a small amount, for say 90 days, and then pay it back in 60 days. Then borrow more and pay it back before the maturity date. In this way when you go to ask for some serious money, you have a track record they can look at. Since the issues of the 2008 and 09 recession, banks are under stricter guidelines than in the past so start that relationship as soon as possible.

2. Meet with your bank regularly--Let me suggest you treat you banker just as you would a key client. It can be argued that the bank is just as critical to continued success as additional clients. You may just need the bank to get additional clients. I met monthly with my banker and that relationship led to him loaning me money when I wouldn't have loaned me money, but we had established an open relationship and we did what we said we would do.

3. Provide the bank with professionally prepared current financial statements. They like to have some background on your performance when you go to get that serious money. I recommend at least quarterly, I did it monthly. Please note, I said professionally prepared, not a bunch of number scribbled on a napkin.

4. Keep the banker informed---Chances are that at sometime during the life of your business, cash flow is not going to go as planned (how about right now?). When that occurs, meet with the banker and tell him or her the situation before it becomes painfully apparent. Believe me, I had that opportunity on several occasions during the nearly 35 years I owned and managed my own company.
Present a payment plan, in writing, that makes sense. They are more prone to work with you when they see you are working diligently to "get back on track". Remember, always PRESENT THEM WITH FACTS, NOT THINKS. If you aren't being realistic they will find it out soon enough.

Now before we put the bank on too high of a throne, it is important to remember that they make their profit by loaning us money. They need our business just as we need their help. They rent their money and we want to rent some from time to time.

How about it? Do you have a relationship with your banker that if you secured that big account you are chasing, you could call and have the money deposited in your account? If not, might want to consider starting now.

Just a reminder, we are here to help you in growing the sales, infrastructure and profits in your business as well as discussing a plan for your banking relationship. Check us out at www.consultantsincleaning.com.

Till next time.

WHERE DO YOU FIT?

2017-01-14T07:48:00.000-06:00

I recently was given a 2014 report from the US economic census that provided some really interesting statistics on the BSC industry. While I was aware of much of the information, I was again taken back by some of the numbers. For instance, DID YOU KNOW?

---There are 54,663 cleaning companies in the United States.

---Over 75% of the companies have under 10 employees, 60% have less than 5 employees.

---Only 1,297 firms have over 100 employees.

---46% of the entire industry is controlled by 294 firms.

---Our industry employs right at 1 million employees.

Think about those numbers. Where do you fall? If you employ 100 0r more people you are in the upper 2% of the companies in size in the United States.

In most areas the largest accounts are generally serviced by a large regional or national BSCs. They like to focus on those large accounts to make it "cost effective" to operate. Think of all the business that leaves for the rest of us. The reality of business is that there are thousands of more smaller prospects than larger ones in the marketplace.

I had firsthand experience dealing with this issue. In one of the large metropolitan areas where I operated (Phoenix), I had two well known national competitors. Well, let me clarify that. I saw them as competitors, they saw me as just a guy to be nice too. One of the companies had a policy not to service any account under $20,000 per month and the other one had a lower threshold of $10,000 per month.

Do you know how many $8,000 and $9,000 a month potential customers there were (are) in the Phoenix market? I didn't know either because there were so many I didn't get to all of them. I enjoyed advertising that we were the company that could service them because the well known name brand companies didn't take anything that "small". We were able to secure several very nice, profitable $8,000 per month accounts. My competitors did me a huge favor.

So, where do you fit? Let me suggest you find your slot, develop a sales strategy and "go for it". As usual, Consultants In Cleaning, LLC stands ready to help in any way we can. We offer a personal service as well as a myriad of training materials on a variety of subjects. The clients that work with us on a personal weekly or every other week basis are enjoying nice double digit sales increases AND profit increases. Just click www.consultantsincleaning.com, then click the "ask a question" icon and we'll get back with you promptly. Also, while you are on the site, check out all of the training material available. By the way, VERY SOON we will be announcing a new training package that will be a great addition to your training library. Watch this space as well as our weekly Kleancast at www.kleancast.com.

More details to follow soon. HAPPY NEW YEAR. Till next time.

THE CHINESE BAMBOO TREE

2017-01-07T11:01:00.003-06:00

By now probably everyone has heard of the Chinese bamboo tree and how you take a small seed, plant it, water it, and fertilize it for a whole year and nothing happens.

The second year you water it and fertilize it and nothing happens.

The third and fourth year you water and fertilize it and still nothing happens. Discouraged yet?

The fifth year you continue to water and fertilize the seed and then----sometime during the fifth year, the Chinese bamboo tree sprouts and GROWS 90 FEET IN SIX WEEKS.

So it is with our businesses. We need to continue to water and fertilize our efforts and yes, become discouraged, but if we are consistent in our efforts and do not let up, we do reap the rewards.

In our business of Building Service Contracting it is a fact that many times a suspect will not even talk face to face with us until the sixth or seventh contact of some sort. If you have a system of making some sort of contact with them every 3 months, it can be a year and a half to two years until the fruits of your labor gets you the opportunity to extol the virtues of your company. That can be discouraging, but remember the story of the Chinese bamboo tree.

Maybe we can help get you in the door faster. Through our training materials, webinars, books and personal guidance we can assist you in getting in front of that suspect (prospect) quicker than you might otherwise be able to.

Check our our Selling Contract Cleaning Services book as well as our numerous sales training DVDs at www.consultantsincleaning.com, or give us a call at 573.374.1111 and talk with us about personal assistance. Our clients enjoy outstanding sales and profit growth when working with us on a personal level.

Here's to a successful 2017 and continuation of watering and fertilizing your business for future rewards. Call us, we'd love to help.

SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR

2016-12-14T11:38:00.001-06:00

As we enter a new year it seems like most of us always have a few things we want to do different that will change our life in some way. Our businesses are no different and we usually start out with a full head of steam but for many that steam runs out very quickly. Something happens and we revert back to our old ways.

I thought it might be interesting to rely on our old friend Zig Ziglar to provide us with some phrases and thoughts for starting a new year. I will post several of them in hopes that you will take the one(s) that catch your thinking and post it where you can see it all year long to prop you up when the going gets a bit tough. Here goes Zig,

1. Your business is never really good or bad "out there." Your business is either good or bad right between your own two ears.

2. The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job.

3. It is easy to get to the top after you get through the crowd at the bottom.

4. The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won't work, if you won't work.

5. Obviously there is little you can learn from doing nothing.

6. You must manage yourself before you can lead someone else.

7. Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goals.

8. Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24 hour days.

9. Remember, you can earn more money, but when time is spent it is gone forever.

10. Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.

11. If people like you they will listen to you, but if they trust you they will do business with you.

12. Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

13. Some people find fault like there is a reward for it.

14. Success is not measured by what you do compared to what others do, it is measured by what you do with the ability God gave you.

15. Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember---the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.

16. Remember there is plenty of room at the top---but not enough to sit down.

17.The price of success is much lower than the price of failure.

18. Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, give them yours.

19. You don't drown by falling in water. You only drown if you stay there.

20. Kids go where there is excitement. They stay where there is love.

So there you have 20 of Zig Ziglar's sayings. There are many more. Which one(s) struck a cord with you? If any did, why not print them, frame them and put them on a wall where you can see them all of the time to remind you that you can attain success.

I wish you a wonderful, successful 2017. Don't forget to watch our weekly pod cast at www.Kleancast.com or you tube at kleancast.

THE CONSTANT LABOR ISSUE

2016-11-08T14:36:00.003-06:00

If you have followed my writings and in person workshops through the years you have heard me talk about the issue of turnover in our industry. The fact remains it costs at least $525 to replace a BSC employee. With the average turnover in the industry bordering on 350%, that number can have a monumental effect on your bottom line.

Generally we spend considerable time and dollars recruiting employees to interview. I continually get calls on how can we find people that want to work? I try to assist wherever I can but I also find that many times after we get them in the door, we blow it in the interview. How so, you may say?

The interview is the opportunity for us to "sell" the benefits of working for our company. If you are positive and demonstrate that you have career opportunities available within your great organization you have a much better chance of securing valuable long term employees. After all, if you don't extol the virtues of your company and this industry, who will?

The people that walk in the door are the customers of the Human Resources department and should be treated with the utmost respect. if they don't return the favor you have just eliminated them from the list of applicants.

One thing I have learned in all the years I have been in this industry is that employees and prospective employees will mirror your image of the industry and your company. Think of them as only someone that can fill a slot because you figure they will leave soon anyway and you have the recipe for high turnover. Do a thorough interview with the benefits of the position and the important part they will play in providing a sanitary facility for the end customer and you will see their attitude change as well.

A lot more can be said on this subject and I encourage you to purchase our book, "Finding, Training, and Keeping Great Service Employees" to
get a deeper understanding of this subject. Also, in the book we talk about different ways to recruit, what you can and can't say in the interview, how to conduct the orientation process as well as the initial training of a new recruit. We also discuss dealing with different nationalities and generations that is really important in today's business environment. You can obtain a copy by going to www.consultantsincleaning.com.

As 2017 approaches I want to encourage you to make a concentrated effort to do the things that will reduce your turnover. After all, the money you save may be your own or as Yogi Berra said "you can save lots of money and that's as good as cash.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

2016-10-25T09:32:00.001-05:00

I WANNA QUIT

Did you know, that according to surveys done this past year that over half of the workforce would like to quit their job? It is even higher in the under 25 age group. Startling fact isn't it.

Now factor into that the number of baby boomers that are approaching retirement age and our industry could be facing a severe employee crisis in the next few years. Half want to quit and the other half are ready to retire. What are we going to do about it? Have you thought about what your work force will look like in the next 5 years? Have you given thought to how you will be addressing the issues as they arise? Could be some really major issues to address.

According to a Gallup survey conducted last year there were 12 factors that made employees want to stay and grow with a company, They are,

1. I know what's expected of me.

2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.

3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.

4. In the last 7 days I have received recognition or praise for doing a good job.

5. My supervisor or someone at work seems to care about me as a person.

6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.

7. At work, my opinion seems to count.

8. The mission or purpose of my organizations makes me feel my job is important.

9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing good quality work.

10. I have a best friend at work.

11. In the last 6 months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.

12. This. last year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow.

So, how is your organization doing in accomplishing these 12 items. I personally believe addressing these issues in the coming years will have a huge role in the success or failure of a BSC. In the weeks to come we will be, through our blog and through our Monday morning Kleancasts, be addressing these and offer discussion points and suggestions regarding retaining our most valuable asset---our employees.

In the meantime, let me encourage you to order our DVD entitled "Dealing with Generational and Cultural Differences in the Workplace"
. You can find it at www.consultantsincleaning.com.

It may just be the best employee relations training investment you will make this year. This DVD has been our best selling product this year.

By the way. you can access our pod casts at www.Kleancast.com.

Till next time.

2016-08-02T15:42:00.000-05:00

NO MORE HANDSHAKES

Back in the early days of our business, it was common for the BSC and customer to agree on the service to be done and the investment per month, then shake hands and the agreement was done. You're right, life was much simpler then but the times and our lives have changed.

Now we have to put in writing EVERYTHING to cover as many bases as possible. New laws and executive orders keep coming and I hope you are doing everything possible to protect yourself. While I can't, in this short space, cover all the items you should include in a service agreement, there are a couple I want to be sure you have in your agreement,

1. A "notice to cure" clause whereby the customer is required to give you a written 30 day notice to correct deficiencies BEFORE a termination letter is issued. "Stuff" does happen and this gives you the opportunity to "cure" the deficiency.

2. Spell out specifically what triggers price increases. With so many states in the USA raising their minimum wages it is critical that you have a clause (and formula) for computing the increase. There are other triggers as well such as insurance, workers compensation, supplies and equipment cost that can warrant an increase. Be sure you have the information documented and be able to show the customer how you arrived at the requested increase. I don't believe in an automatic annual increase because that creates an atmosphere of "bidding" every year and your responsibility is to provide quality customer satisfaction and not setting up an automatic mechanism that calls attention to the need for your customer to check pricing.

3. I suggest you put in a paragraph that outlines what happens in the event the customer "steals" your employees. Happens all the time. Don't get angry. Put a clause in your agreement that says if the customer hires one of your employees they will pay you a recruiting and training fee of a x % of the annual wages of that employee (I used 15%). Don't treat it as a penalty but rather a recruiting and training fee for if you had not recruited such excellent employees your customer would not be trying to hire them. Think of all the dollars you saved them in recruiting fees by hiring your employee.

There are several others which are important as well but space here does permit listing all of them. I do encourage you to purchase our DVD entitled "Key Items to Include in Your Customer Service Agreement". It is available on our web site at www.consultantsincleaning.com.

and includes those other important clauses and paragraphs to include. Once you are on our web site, just go to orders and scroll down to the DVD information to order. We'll both be glad you ordered. It is a very inexpensive way to get the items you need into an agreement.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. We do not offer legal advice and you should always check with your attorney on any legal document you are considering.

NOTE: Look for an announcement soon on our upcoming webinar series.

Till next time.

2016-07-14T10:46:00.001-05:00

READY TO PAY THE FINES?

As I travel and work with Building Service Contractors one of the services I usually perform is a mock OSHA inspection to help them get in compliance on the issues that might create OSHA fines in the event of a real inspection. Almost always I find several items that could cost them thousands of dollars if there was to be a real inspection. The most common violation I find is improperly label spray bottles being used and a lack of up to date SDS.

Now more than ever it is important that you are doing the things necessary to avoid penalties. Why? Because effective August 1, 2016 OSHA will be invoking new higher fines for violations. The maximum penalties will increase by 78%. WOW! For example,

The top penalty for serious violations will rise from $7,000 to $12,471. Improperly marked/labeled spray bottles and out of date SDS usually fall into this category.

The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $70,000 to $124,709.

I realize that many of the company's reading this blog probably have never been inspected by OSHA. I had 2 inspections during my years as a BSC. One cost me a fine, the other did not.

With the new regulations and the opportunity to put more money in the government coffers, I suggest that our industry will be one of those that will become well acquainted with OSHA. Are you ready?

Let me suggest you do a thorough inspection of all the facilities that you maintain to assure you are in compliance. Better yet, now is a great time to be sure you have an organized, systematic safety program in place and it can't just be a nice bound safety program book. You have to demonstrate that you actually DO the safety procedures etc. that you outline in a safety manual.

So, what about you? If an OSHA inspection was conducted at your workplace and the facilities you maintain tomorrow, would you be able to pass with no violations? It is better to be ready, and safe, than be broke from fines. A $12,471 fine for each improperly labeled spray bottle or an outdated SDS book can get real expensive, real fast.

OSHA has already indicated they will be stepping up their inspections so be ready and safe. If we can help, let us know. Send us a message at ask Dick Ollek on our web site at www.consultantsincleaning.com and we'll respond as quickly as possible.

Don't forget to watch our FREE weekly pod casts at www.kleancast.com.

Till next time.

2016-07-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

THEY JUST DON'T GET IT

Have you ever found yourself saying that about some of the people you work with? If you are of the older generation you have probably, at times, wondered what is going on in the mind of those young kids that you work with. By the same token, if you are a "youngster" you have probably wondered where in the world did that "older" person think that one up?

Well, dealing with the different generations in our workplace is one of the most important challenges we face today. Every generation has their opinion of the other generations. You are probably working with,

Traditionalists or better known as the "silent generation"...those born before 1946.

Baby Boomers...those born between 1947 and 1964.

Generation X...those born between 1965 and 1980.

Generation Y...also referred to as generation WHY born between 1981 and 2000.

Generation Z....those born after 2000 and just now beginning to make their splash in the work force.

Each of these generations has their own set of values and attitudes and the reality of it is that they differ in many ways.

Dealing with a 60 year old in the workplace can take an entirely different twist than dealing with a 20 year old. Each has a completely different outlook on the world and the work place.

Think about it. Today you use a GPS on your phone to find out where you are going. The older generation used something called a map.

Text is something we all do on our phone. To the older generation it meant the verses from the Bible that the minister would use for his Sunday morning sermon.

The older generation thought a window was something you clean. A program was a TV show. The keyboard was the piano. A cursor was the local school bully. An app was what we give to prospective employees. Meg was Bill's girlfriend. Log on meant to put more wood on the fire. A web was a spider's home. The older generation had the flu when they had a virus, not so today.

I can go on and on but you get the message and can see how communicating with the different generations in the workplace can really get confusing unless you learn how to effectively do it. It can be an enormous challenge and in today's business environment can be very costly if not handled properly.

Our company has produced a training DVD entitled "Dealing with Generational and Cultural Differences in the Workplace" that can help with this important work place issue. You can purchase it from our web site at www.consultantsincleaning.com.

The cultural issue is also one that needs to be addressed and is done so in this DVD and we will discuss it in a later blog, but you can get a head start on our blog by ordering the DVD today. Be sure to also look for our book on the site entitled "The Guide to Effective Supervision". We devote an entire lesson in this 12 lesson course to dealing with the cultural and generational differences you encounter every day. It goes into greater detail on the generational differences we discuss at the beginning of this blog.

The work place is different today. Be sure you know how to interact effectively in it.

Don't forget our FREE weekly pod cast posted every Monday morning at www.kleancast.com.

Till next time.

WE'RE HALF WAY THERE

2016-06-10T08:47:00.001-05:00

Well, here we are, half way through the year. Time to do a check to see how we are doing versus our plans for the year. So,

Let's start with sales. Have you reached half of the volume you projected for the year? If so, congratulations, keep it up. If not, why not? Then what are you going to do to get back on track? Now is a great time to analyze your numbers.

How many contacts do I need to make to secure an opportunity to present a proposal (not bid)? Do I need to step up the campaign so that I am getting more opportunites? Do I need to change something that I am doing to improve the success of opportunities I get to present?

How many proposals turn into actual customers? What do I need to do to improve that percentage? Do I need to revise my presentation to be more in tune with what the prospect is asking for? Am I practicing my presentation skills so that I present our proposal in the most professional manner possible? If not, what do I need to do about it?

What is the average dollar volume of my proposals that turn in to sales? Am I creating enough volume per sale to make our projections? If not, am I really chasing the right kind of business? What market segments do I need to spend more effort on?

Am I contacting my existing customers on a regular basis to remind them of the additional services we can provide to make their life easier and our profit more enhanced?

There are a lot of things that go into selling and each of us needs to be tuned into each one of them and make each item the most effective and efficient that we can.

Now, how about operations?

Are your recruiting efforts on target? Are you being creative in finding new employees in this competitive environment?

What about your onboarding of new employees? Do you have an effective orientation and initial training program for all new employees that you do each time you hire someone? What about your retraining program for existing employees?

How's your turnover rate compared to last year? At $500+ to recruit and onboard a new employee, it is vital we do what we can to reduce that turnover number. If you have 100 employees and make 200 W-2s per year, your cost of turnover is in excess of $50,000 per year. Need to improve your numbers?

I can go on and on with mid year check up things to do but I have probably given you enough to think about right now. Do the analysis, you may be losing thousands of dollars. With the immense competitive pressure on margins, it is imperative we do everything we can to manage an effective and efficient company.

As always, we are here to help. Check our web site at www.consultantsincleaning.com for educational and training materials, forms, and DVDS that can assist.

Don't forget we also have a weekly pod cast available at www.kleancast.com. You can also access them on you tube.

Till next time.

2016-06-06T14:45:00.002-05:00

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME?

For those of you that know me or have read my books know that I spend quite a bit of time talking about customer service vs. customer satisfaction. For those of you not familiar, I define customer service as a concept whereas customer satisfaction is a demonstration.

Almost every company I know in and out of our industry has a customer service department or customer representative. But, so many companies fall short when it comes to providing real customer satisfaction---in other words, demonstrating to make sure the customer is really happy.

I want to relay an experience I had just this past week when attempting to order something on line. It epitomizes the difference between the two. I placed my order and was told via email that they needed additional information. Okay, I will provide that information. I was told via another email that the new information was incorrect. I made another attempt to provide the information the CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE wanted. Still not correct and this time an email that was quite explicit telling me how inept I was at completing their forms.

Let me shorten the story. After 11 emails from them and 10 in reply from me I couldn't contain myself. I had to do something that seems to be out of style in today's world---I picked up the phone and called their customer service department and asked to speak to someone other than the person I had been caring on a dialogue with via email.

I got a very nice person and resolved the issue within 5 minutes. Now, here is the real kicker...The information I had given on my second email with was the correct information they needed. Amazing how easy issues can be resolved talking instead of emailing or texting.

You are probably thinking why in the world did he communicate with 11 emails? Answer: I wanted to see just how long it was going to take. When I couldn't take it any longer I gave up on my experiment and called the company.

So, let me ask. How is you company doing on the customer satisfaction front? Do you have a customer service department or do you have a customer satisfaction department? So many companies will spend so much time proving that the customer is wrong when it really doesn't matter who is wrong---THE CUSTOMER IS THE CUSTOMER and deserves to be satisfied. Proving you were right only loses customers.

Arby's has a great system for customer satisfaction. They call it the BLAST system,

B--Believe what the customer tells you.

L--Listen to the customer.

A--Apologize for any inconvenience.

S--Satisfy the customer.

T--Thank the customer for their business.

Great system isn't it?

As a reminder, we have a Customer Relations training DVD in English and Spanish that focuses on this issue. You can order it at www.consultantsincleaning.com.

Till next time and MAKE IT A GREAT DAY.

2016-03-08T14:22:00.001-06:00

STEALING CAN BE PROFITABLE

A frequent call I get from BSC's is what to do when a customer steals their employee(s)." Now I have to start all over finding someone to do that work". Ever happen to you? I know it did to me.

While I don't provide legal advice and I always recommend you get legal counsel whenever preparing your agreement, I did include a paragraph in my agreement that went something like this,

In the event the customer wants to hire a contractor's employee, they are perfectly welcome to do so. Because the contractor spends considerable time in recruiting, vetting, and training their employees, we will invoice the customer at a rate of 25% of the annual salary of the employee being hired.

In this way it is not viewed as a penalty item but rather a recruiting and training fee. If we had not done such a good job of finding a great employee, the customer would not be trying to hire them. You have saved them considerable dollars in the process and this helps reimburse you for your efforts. If you put it in words like that rather than making it sound like a penalty or creating a conflict with the customer, it is very acceptable.

Did I ever collect? MANY TIMES.

I found the concept of taking my employees most prevalent in manufacturing plants where they would observe our employees doing a good job and then would recruit them.

Take for example you have a part time 4 hour per night employee that you are paying $10 per hour. That equates to 1040 hours per year or $10,400 in annual wages. At 25% of the annual wages you can then invoice the customer for $2,600. See how stealing can be profitable? I had a couple of good customers that would call me and say we are hiring your employee, send us the bill.

You may want to use a different percentage of annual wages such as 15% etc. but put some percentage on it so you can be rewarded for your efforts. You may also choose to waive the fee but at least you have addressed it with the customer.

I don't condone or recommend stealing, but in this case I welcomed it and profited from the concept. The fees collected went directly to the bottom line.

So, let me remind you again that we have a DVD that outlines this procedure as well as other keys point to include in the agreement. Just go to www.consultantsincleaning.com and see that DVD along with a host of other training DVDs in English and Spanish that can help you in Sales, Administration, Human Resources, and Operations. There are also many FREE forms and comments available there as well. Enjoy.

Don't forget to listen to our weekly pod cast at www.kleancast.com. A new one is posted every Monday morning.

CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR

2015-06-30T14:55:00.003-05:00

My wife and I are avid golf enthusiasts. Neither of us can hit the ball straight but love to watch the professionals on the weekends battle it out for the prize money.

This past weekend I watched two golfers go extra holes to see who would win the Travelers open in Connecticut. Oh, how I wish I could hit the ball the way they do.

Now why am I talking about golf? Watching them play and then see the winner pocket over $1.1 million and the runner up get about $600,000 made me think about how slim the difference can be between winning and losing.

It also made me wonder how many BSCs put everything they have into preparing a proposal for a prospect and then give everything they have when making the presentation. To take it even further, in our business we don't get anything for coming in second. We either get first or we get nothing.

So let me ask you. Do you get all the facts when doing a walk through and then THOROUGHLY prepare a proposal that extols the virtues of the prospect doing business with your company? So many times we hurriedly throw a proposal together, send it in or leave it at the front desk hoping that we are the one they will choose.

Golfers have to study each shot and make the right club selection or they don't make the shot they need to. How about us? Shouldn't we study every account we are offering a proposal to and then select the right information to place in our proposal to convince the prospect we are the company they should select and that we can best do what it is they are asking to be done?

So many BSCs are willing to just give a "bid" for service rather than finding out the details of what are required for the potential customer and their facility and then preparing a proposal that fits those specific needs.

Let me suggest that you review the information you have in your proposal and see if it really tells your story or is it just filler to make the proposal look big. Even though I had certain information that went into every proposal, we worked hard at presenting information that was germane to that particular prospect. We didn't always succeed but we were right much more than wrong.

Take the time to prepare a first class proposal. Don't settle for just dropping it off and then hoping. Be proud of what you have to offer but be sure the prospect even knows what you have to offer. What are the benefits of hiring your company over a competitor? Determine what they are, hit them hard in your presentation and go for the sale. Remember, we don't get paid for being close. We don't even get a cigar.

On another note, this is blog number 150. That's a lot of messages we have sent over the past several years. We would be interested in hearing from you as to their significance and if we should continue doing them. Let us know.

Also, as a reminder we post a FREE pod cast each week on our other site,www.kleancast.com. Hope you are watching those. No advertising, just free information.

Till next time.

TALKING TO THE CUSTOMER

2015-06-18T13:35:00.003-05:00

Ever had a customer call and say they were visiting with the cleaning tech who relayed one or more of the following?

1. They just don't give me enough time to do this job.
2. My equipment is always broke and they don't fix it.
3. We don't do that, it's not in the specs.
4. They don't pay me enough money.
5. Will you call my boss and tell him I need more time?

Most BSCs I know have at one time or another had one of these calls and then have to deal with the employee on the issue.

Most companies have some sort of initial orientation or training program that gives the employee an overview of how to use the products and equipment needed to clean the facility but I find very few have a training program that addresses how to talk with the customer when approached about an issue or complaint they want corrected.

Worse yet, if you have an employee that goes to the customer with one of the issues we addressed in items 1 through 5 above. This can leave the customer with the impression you are not managing you company efficiently and those are the impressions that get customers thinking that maybe they should begin searching for another vendor.

So, how about your company? Do you train your line staff on how to handle each of these issues? What are your employees trained to say when talking with a customer?

Customers can be lost if your staff doesn't have the right training on how to talk with a customer. We spend countless dollars and time in securing a new account and all can be lost in a just a few minutes by an employee who doesn't know the procedure to follow.

Let me suggest that included in your initial orientation you include a session on talking with the customer. What should or should not employees say to a customer? What do you want them to say? Have you trained them in this very important area of customer relations?

You see, while you or your sales department may have secured the account, your cleaning techs, more often than not, will have more interaction with the customer once the account is up and going.

Let me suggest you take some time to design a training program for all employees on the things they should and should not say when encountering a customer. It may just save (or lose) an account for you.

Till next time. MAKE IT A GREAT DAY.

TRAINING TODAY'S WORKFORCE

2015-06-07T15:56:00.000-05:00

It should come as no secret that we have the most diverse workforce today than we have ever had. Think about the different generations,

--Traditionalists
--Baby Boomers
--X Generation
--Y Generation
--Z Generation

That group then is made up of Commanders, Stars, Diplomats, and Scholars. This complicates the issue even more.Then, combine that with the different cultures we have from other countries working for us everyday.

So, how are you training your staff? ARE YOU TRAINING YOUR STAFF?

It is a known fact that effective training will lead to,

--Reduced turnover
--Retention of existing customers
--Getting more new customers
--A safer working environment
--Lower labor costs
--Lower material costs
--Reduced equipment repair and replacement

If you are still training like in the "olden" days you may not be hitting the mark. Let's list some of the ways we can train in today's more modern world.

In house produced videos
Short training videos on youtube
MP3--3 minute instructional lessons
Ipad for short reviews and refresher courses
Send videos to cell phones for their review
Weekly pod casts
Timekeeping call in reminders
Webinars
Inexpensive DVDs and CDs
Gotomeeting.com
Texting
Your company web site

Each of these is a topic all its own but the purpose here is to get you thinking of creative ways you can reach today's workforce in a way that is effective. If I detail each one here you will never finish reading the blog.

You see, having everyone come into a meeting room for a boring lecture of do's and don'ts and thou shalt and thou shalt not will, more than likely, do a great job---of putting them to sleep.

With today's technology it is easy and convenient to take the training to the field to review different procedures. Having problems with an employee cleaning a restroom to quality standards? Take a video to them in the field and do training on an ipad or smartphone. It works. Manufactures and distributors can help develop this process.

Before anyone gets the idea that I am suggesting that the orientation and training procedure of new employees need not be done so it can be done in the field, I want to squash that idea. The orientation and initial training BEFORE they go to the field is critical to their (and your) long term success.

Training is an ongoing process. Doing it with the variety of tools available today helps improve the learning process of the multitude of generations and cultures you have in your workforce.

In future blogs we will attempt to go into further detail on effective use of these technological methods. In the meantime, start developing a comprehensive way your company can utilize these tools.

Hope you are watching our weekly free pod casts at www.kleancast.com. They are non commercial, to the point, concise subjects that pertain to our industry.

Till next time.

6 TIPS FOR PRESENTING AN EFFECTIVE SALES PROPOSAL

2015-06-03T07:09:00.001-05:00

There are several aspects in delivering a sales proposal that need to be done correctly or you might find yourself coming in second. Here are some ideas to ponder.

1. Always ask for the appointment to deliver your proposal at the time you are doing the walk through. This commits the prospect but also forces you into getting to work on the proposal. If it is a sizable account you may want to remind the prospect that your presentation will be in power point and do they have a conference room to use for the presentation? This also lets them know this is a big deal and we don't just drop off proposals. (See point number 4)

2. Always ask for the names of all of the people who will be attending your presentation and then prepare a complete proposal for each one of them. If they are going to be attending your presentation, they are part of the decision making process and deserve all the courtesies you can provide.

3. Ask for one hour to make your presentation. If they won't give you that much time, ask for 45 minutes to present the Readers Digest version. Remind them of the importance the project has to both parties and enough time needs to be taken to thoroughly discuss the information.

4. Unless there is no alternative, don't just drop off the proposal. If they ask for that, mention that their business is extremely important to you and it really is important that you are with them to review the information in person. Internet quotes/proposals are getting more and more popular but I still subscribe to the theory that person to person presentations carry an enormous amount of weight in closing the sale. I, for one, want to observe the body language of the prospect as we are reviewing the proposal.

5. Try to sit next to the prospect. In that way you can control the turning of the pages during the presentation. If you know the prospect is only a price buyer, one tactic to use is to not put a price page in the proposal. After you review the specs and they agree to them, then pull out the pricing from your briefcase. Or, you can tell them after they have agreed to the specs that you estimate the price to be ? give or take 10%. How does that sound, Mr. or Mrs. prospect? That may get them to give you their budget and you can adjust from there. Just a thought. I used this approach many times---successfully.

6. Emphasize the things that make you different. The prospect already knows you clean good or you wouldn't probably be there in the first place. What are the systems and processes that set you apart from your competition? If it's a unique training program, invite the prospect to attend a session. Chances are your competition won't do that, if they even have a training program.
If it is a one of a kind quality control software, demonstrate it to the prospect and show them how it will benefit them.
And the list goes on, but be sure you do what you say you do.

There you have 6 tips on delivering your sales proposal. Hope it helps. There are more but I am making a conscious effort to make these blogs shorter and more concise. Won't always succeed in shortness but am continuing to make the effort.

By the way, you will notice I used the word proposal, not bid, throughout this blog posting. If you are asking to bid on the work, then you are really telling the prospect that you are a commodity and can hopefully beat everybody elses price. If you are really wanting to be a viable vendor to the prospect, you will deliver a proposal and then during the presentation process, will show them the value of doing business with your company which in turn takes you out of the "bidding" process and into the realm of a legitimate provider of needed services for your prospect.

Till next time and MAKE IT A GREAT DAY.