Toolbox January 2021

TOOLBOX

THE #1 COMMUNITY OF SUCCESSFUL CONTRACTORS

CCN

JANUARY 2021 FROM THE PRESIDENT

How To Sell Virtually A year like no other forced our company into the future of home improvement sales.

SCOTT SIEGAL

When COVID prompted a shutdown last March, we were taken by surprise like every other business in the area.

Even if you have a disaster plan in place—and most companies don’t—how do you plan for a rapidly spreading and potentially lethal virus?

One good thing about the business we’re in is the need for the service we provide never goes away. While many businesses were ordered closed, ours was classified as essential.

Despite being an essential business, there were still obstacles we needed to overcome.

For example, we had to find a way to operate in a way that kept our frontline employees safe. We had to use new precautions when it came to all person-to-person contact. We arranged for office employees to work at home and mandated the use of Personal Protection Equipment for those who had to interact with others.

Selling Was The Biggest Hurdle Selling was the biggest challenge we faced. We had one terrible month. Prospects canceled appointments, asked for emailed estimates, or refused to meet with us. Many homeowners didn’t want salespeople in their homes and our salespeople weren’t thrilled about being exposed to potential infection.

Some of our competitors continued to send sales reps to a prospect’s house. Others emailed quotes to their prospects.

Neither approach appealed to us.

As I said, our salespeople weren’t thrilled about going into a prospect’s home. And emailing an estimate is not the same thing as selling a job. We know from experience, when you email a quote, price is the only thing customers look at.

So, we worked from home. We communicated our new approach in our advertising, promotional materials, and on social media. We soon realized we needed to find a way to have an online conversation to sell a proposal.

Why Not Use Zoom?

Like a lot of companies, we started using Zoom so employees operating remotely could communicate with one another.

The ability to meet safely with someone face-to-face, in real time, was what made Zoom attractive. A few weeks into the pandemic we began to give thought to the idea of using Zoom for sales calls.

We distanced. We worked from home. And we communicated the approach we were taking in our advertising, promotional materials and on social media. continued on page 2

CO N T R AC T O R S . N E T

continued from page 1

TOOLBOX THE #1 COMMUNIT Y OF SUCCESSFUL CONTRACTORS

MISSION STATEMENT To enhance the professionalism, performance and perception of the construction industry. We promote ethics, education, leadership and innovation, so that the construction industry and the community achieve mutual benefit.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 6476 Sligo Mill Road Takoma Park, MD 20912 301.891.0999 800.396.1510 866.250.3270 fax www.contractors.net STAFF Scott Siegal, President scott@contractors.net John Martindale, Principal johnm@contractors.net Catherine Honigsberg, GM catherine@contractors.net Matthew Winslow, Director of Operations matthew@contractors.net Anthoy Brooks, Director of Sales anthony@contractors.net Sindy Wohl, Director of VIP sindy@contractors.net Denise Metheny, Accounting denise@contractors.net Troy Timmer, CCN Business Consultant troy@contractors.net Larry Pazienza, CCN Business Consultant lpazienza@contractors.net Daniel Murgo, Events Manager danny@contractors.net Carla Sarabia, IT Manager carla@contractors.net Brad Lindner, Production Coordinator blindner@contractors.net Julie Casey, Member Services jcasey@contractors.net Toolbox is a publication of the Certified Contractors Network.

Toolbox is a member benefit.

Non-members may subscribe for $75 annually. design: Stacy Claywell www.thatdesigngirl.net thank you to our: contributing writers

2

I C O NTR A C T O R S . N E T

We’d considered online sales before the pandemic. We’d even talked with some software vendors. At that point we weren’t completely sold. Online selling seemed to work for small projects but not for anything big ticket or complicated.

To keep our prospects and employees safe, we now needed a solution that would enable us to close business online. We needed the ability to communicate what makes our company unique and why that’s worth paying more for.

Customers were already using Zoom for their own business meetings and personal interactions during the lockdown. It made sense to use the same technology our prospects were already using every day.

Kitchen Table Vs. Computer Screen We set up a no-contact visit to inspect the property. Then we scheduled a livestream meeting where sales reps presented their proposal.

When we reworked our sales presentation to accommodate this online format, we quickly discovered that the attention span on Zoom diminishes rapidly. When making sales calls online, you have to move fast.

You’re not going to hold anyone’s interest for much more than an hour. We had to figure out a way to condense our standard one hour and fifteen-minute presentation by about 20 percent. It seemed almost impossible to make our presentation in less time.

We discovered there’s not a big difference between the kitchen table and the computer screen. Customers were grateful to buy safely, and sales reps could meet with many more prospects in a day because a lot of drive time was eliminated. Now they could immediately go from one appointment to another.

No Going Back In early spring, no one was really sure how long the pandemic would last. Why make substantial changes if it was only going to go on for a few weeks, right?

But at a certain point “a few weeks” went away and we were into something that seemed endless, at least early on.

A year later, the pandemic is still concerning, but vaccines have put an end within sight. The question is, when it becomes safe to do so, will we return to the sales process we used before?

No way. Online is how we sell now.

Sure, it was an adjustment moving sales to Zoom. But we found online to be just as effective and far more efficient.

Plus, homeowners are not just used to this way of buying, they prefer it.

Technology offers big advantages for small contracting companies who adopt these new tools. There’s also resistance to doing business a new way. It requires time, money and attention.

That said, online selling will happen whether anyone wants it to or not. Do you remember when marketing was mostly newspaper ads, fliers, and post cards? Today, most homeowners find you online. Soon, they won’t just find you online, they’ll all be buying your service online too.

Selling will be the next big tech challenge. Most contractors aren’t thinking about it and won’t change unless they absolutely have to. Their resistance could work to your advantage. It has for us.

Plan to Thrive Plan for Profit

BY CATHERINE HONIGSBERG

I

t’s that time of year again! Time to reflect and make those resolutions you won’t keep. It’s also the time to prepare your budgets for next year.

Why bother? Since you ask, let me respond with another question: Could your company take an unexpected hit and be able to stay on budget?

A couple of years ago, one of our estimators (you know who you are), asked if he could borrow a truck to move on the weekend.

Early that Saturday morning, our production manager gets a call.

“Hey, does it matter that I used the green nozzle to fill the tank?”

“You mean the green nozzle, on the other side of the pump, that’s clearly marked Diesel. Yes, it absolutely matters because your truck engine runs on gas.” The production manager answered.

Awkward silence.

Luckily, he asked before he drove off. We towed the truck out of the gas station and drained the tank. All it cost us was a tank of gas, some labels for each truck to specify the gas it takes, and a little embarrassment for the estimator.

Another CCN company was not as lucky. They had an employee put the wrong fuel in a truck and they drove it until the engine blew, leading to very costly repairs.

Budgets are important tools because they are not static objects but a tool to use to not only track your progress, but to help make decisions if changes arise.

Thankfully, this company was able to look at their budget and figure out a way to move some expenses around to be able to pay for the new engine. Without a working budget, they would probably make a rash decision without seeing the effect of the projected outcome to the budget for profit.

Okay, I get it. I need a budget.

But where do I start?

First, gather information on your sales, revenue, and expenses from the previous several years.

Based on this historical data, you can make assumptions of what will be projected for the coming year. Consider increases in insurances, salaries, and any changes in sales capabilities.

Enter these items into your Pro Forma Budget.

Next determine your projected profit goals for the year. Your projected profit should be after you have paid all expenses including owner’s salaries.

What changes in your budget will you have to make to achieve your profit goal? Set strategic goals. Work out what it will take to achieve your goals. Make sure you include what tasks must be accomplished, who will accomplish them, and when they should be accomplished with the strategies.

Once you have identified strategies to achieve your goal, what will be the additional costs to achieve your profit? Do you have to make investments to achieve your planed profit?

Add the expenses of investments in personnel, equipment, and materials to achieve your goal. Are you still profitable?

Will you have to sell more or change your sales price? Will you have to cut some of the expenses? Add these changes into your budget.

Keep working the budget until you have a clear plan to follow monthly to achieve your plan.

Now that you have your baseline plan, you’ll be able to make better decisions when changes come your way. If revenues are down, you’ll be able to determine where you can cut expenses or if you should wait to make a planned purchase. If an opportunity to invest in your company comes along, you’ll know whether or not you can take advantage of it now or need to wait until later.

Sticking to your budget will help you make informed decisions, not impulse decisions.

Your plan for profit should be shared in your company. This plan is the proof of what it costs to run the company and the price you charge for your services is a true reflection that is the correct price to charge. You cannot compare your services on just the price of a competitor.

What is one of the best tools to plan to be profitable and be able to see the consequences of unforeseen and unplanned occurrences? By now, you know the answer: your operating budget.

Your budget, your plan, is not static. Your budget is there for you review your progress towards your goals but can also help you see the consequences of changes. Use your budget to work through how changes will affect your bottom line. You may be surprised by a change in plans, but you don’t have to be surprised by how it will affect you.

This past year has hopefully taught us one thing – you never know what is coming next. There are many things we cannot control in our lives and business, but we can be prepared by planning to thrive.

If you need help putting together your plan, we have a Business Planning Training for the beginning of March 2021.

C C N T O O L B OX J A N UA R Y 2 0 2 1

I 3

BRAD LINDNER

Everyone Sells

Are you in sales?

Before you answer that question, what comes to mind when you hear the word sales?

Many people picture a used car salesman in a cheap suit with questionable hygiene. This person is pushy and manipulative; not really the type of person we would want to identify ourselves with.

If you don’t make your living selling products or services to consumers, it’s unlikely you identify with someone like this.

Even if you’re selling products or services to make a living, if the used car salesman is what comes to mind when you think of sales, you may call yourself a customer representative or a or business associate to distance yourself from the image of the untrustworthy used car salesman.

What many people don’t realize is sales is not just a job description. Next to sleeping, humans spend a lot their time selling.

In a study titled What Do You Do At Work? researchers discovered people spend roughly 40 percent of their day selling, regardless of their profession. That means you spend about 24 minutes every hour of your workday selling, even if your job description doesn’t include “sales” in it.

If you’re not convinced, it may be your definition of what sales is that is standing in the way. You simply cannot identify with the used car salesman you’ve grown up despising. Maybe you need a clearer definition of what selling actually is.

Daniel Pink, an expert in negotiation and persuasion, provides this definition of what selling is in his book To Sell Is Human, 4

I C O NTR A C T O R S . N E T

“[Sales is] …moving other people to part with resources – whether something tangible like cash or intangible like effort or attention – so that we both get what we want.”

Using this definition, it’s easier to see how involved we are in sales in both our professional lives as well as our personal lives.

Think of a time when you needed to move someone to part with their time, effort, or attention.

If you have sent or responded to an email or text, you’re in sales.

If you made a phone call, you’re in sales.

If you posted a photo of your dog on Facebook or Instagram, you’re in sales.

If you had a conversation with anyone, about anything, you’re in sales.

The used car salesman has turned sales into a dirty word. Sales has become synonymous, for many people, with dishonest and aggressive behavior. In reality, selling is a fundamental human activity that affects our personal and professional lives.

When the stakes are low, selling is instinctual.

For example, if you want a friend to watch a show on Netflix you think they’ll like, a sales pitch feels like the most natural thing in the world. You describe what you like about the show, what you think they’d enjoy about the show, and ask them when they’re going to start watching. You might even text them later to see if they’ve started watching.

But when the stakes are high, when something we really want is on the line, selling looks a lot more like learning to ride a bike for the first time.

Think about asking your boss for a promotion. Or, if you are the boss, think about telling your sales team you’re about to raise your company’s prices (so you can essentially give yourself

the raise you deserve). You’re more invested in the outcome of those conversations than you are a conversation about your favorite television show. And because you’re more invested, the more you’ll be affected by a negative outcome.

It’s the fear of a negative outcome that triggers another one of two human instincts: fight for flight.

Some of us would rather not have the conversation. We have an entire conversation with our boss in our heads and it doesn’t go well. We convince ourselves we’re happy with what we have now. We tell ourselves we probably wouldn’t get the promotion. We’ve given up on the sale without ever making a single pitch.

Others of us see objections as opposition. The aggressive used car salesman comes out. The conversation becomes a confrontation. We make ultimatums, “I’m going to quit if you don’t…” or “You’re fired if you don’t…”

What comes naturally when the stakes are low turns into a real nightmare when the stakes are high. Why?

Go back and read Daniel Pink’s definition of sales. Sales is about moving other people to do what? Sales is about moving people so we both get what we want.

When we’re telling a friend about watching a television show, we’re primarily focused on their enjoyment. As a result, we feel the benefit of adding value, no matter how low the entertainment value may be, to a friend’s life.

But when the stakes are raised, we tend to focus only on what we want.

The conversation becomes more about what we need from the other person than how their movement will help them.

For example, asking your boss for a promotion would give your paycheck a boost, but what would it mean for the company if you were given more responsibility?

Raising your company’s prices may increase what you’re able to pay yourself, but your sales team may find it harder to sell your product at a higher price. But they’re also paid on commission, right? What would it mean to your team if they were selling your product at the right price?

This approach is known as a win-win; situations where both you and the person you’re selling benefit. It is the approach we take naturally when the stakes are low. And it is the approach most likely to succeed when the stakes are high precisely because we’re so used to it in every other situation in life.

We are involved in too much selling throughout the day to tell ourselves we’re not in sales. Getting people to move – getting people to give us their time, effort, or attention – is part of making successful relationships, whether personally or professionally.

Even if selling is our occupation, nearly every encounter we have with another person is an opportunity to improve our technique, because nearly every encounter involves some type of sales. The question isn’t whether or not we’re in sales. The question is “how do we sell?” With a win-win approach, we can replace the stereotype of the pushy used car salesman with an image that feels more familiar and more natural. Because that image is us.

DANIEL MURGO

JANUARY’S TIP:

Sorting Photos on your iPhone

No matter what your job is, one tool we all use is our phones. There are so many features on your phone to make your job easier, but who has the time to learn them all? Well, we do. That’s why, each month, we’ll explore a new way to use your phone for much more than calls and texts.

Chances are, if you’re job requires you to be out in the field, you take a lot of photos. You may have photos of multiple proposals each day.

Or maybe you’re visiting multiple projects a day and taking photos to document their progress. With so many different photos of so many different projects, it’s important to keep them all organized.

If someone asked you to find photos you took of a project two months ago, or even two days ago, would you know where to find them? Or would you do what most people do: spend a lot of time scrolling through your photos until you finally found what you were looking for?

Sorting your photos into individual folders on your phone can keep your projects organized and save you time when you need to find them later.

Here is how it works: 1. In your Photos app on your iPhone, click on Albums on the bottom bar.

2. Click on the + at the upper left-hand side.

3. Click on New Album then name it (i.e., Market St. Project, Johnson Renovation, etc.).

4. Select the photos from your camera roll that you want to add to the album.

5. If you go back to a job and take more photos or forget to move a photo from your camera roll to the album, all you have to do it go back into the album and hit the + and move more photos in.

6. Did you accidentally add a photo to the wrong folder? No worries. Just click on the photo then click on the arrow icon on the lower left-hand side, then click on add to album and move it to the correct album.

7. Once this is done, then click on the trashcan icon, and then select Remove from album. (Note – Do not hit delete as this will delete the photo from all albums.)

8. Now when you are ready to upload them to your CRM, you can just click on the folder and have all the pictures in one spot.

C C N T O O L B OX J A N UA R Y 2 0 2 1

I 5

2021

A Brand New Start

By Anita Dombrowski, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President & Sr. HR Consultant, Fourth Dimension Enterprises LLC 2021 - A brand new year and a fresh start on the every growing list of HR issues to deal with. Many tasks are the same from year to year but perhaps we can look at them with “fresh eyes.”

Over the course of the upcoming year, I will be addressing some of those tasks on your list.

For January, I thought we could talk about the recruiting and the hiring process. The quest for talent has been pretty intense. Between employees being out ill due to COVID and generous unemployment payments, recruiting has been extremely difficult.

Depending on the position you are recruiting for and your location, I believe we are turning the corner. I have seen more candidates seeking employment. Things seem to be getting better but we are not out of the woods yet.

JOB ADVERTISEMENT So, how do you recruit for talent? Tried and true is the job advertisement online. What are your “go to” online tools?

CareerBuilder, Monster, Linked In, Glassdoor, Indeed, Zip Recruiter are only a few of the top sites. However, there are a variety of niche sites popping up. Remember to check into sites in your industry or specialty. SHRM for HR professionals or DICE for IT professionals. Local associations also have job boards. Local chapters of SHRM have job boards and some also provide training at their regular chapter meetings and may also run seminars, webinars and summits. A quick search on the internet will give you a list of associations in your industry or specialty and local recruiting area.

Don’t discount newspaper advertisements. Newspapers do have a more limited audience but it is a “different” audience.

So, you may be able to find a candidate that you missed with your normal online efforts.

Recruitment agencies can save you time and effort with prescreening candidates. You can do direct hire, where you pay a fee, or a temp to hire, where you hire the candidate as a temporary and, at some point, usually 90 days, you transition

6

I C O NTR A C T O R S . N E T

the temporary employee to full time status. Having the employee doing the job on a temporary basis is a great way to do a trial run and see if this person is someone you want to hire.

Building a relationship with one or two agencies permits the agency to get to know your specific needs from a candidate perspective and also gives the agency a sense of your company culture which is sometimes very important.

Don’t forget social media. Posting your jobs on your Facebook account gives you the benefit of the grass roots networking efforts.

Also, post your open positions on your company website. Just be sure to take down the ads when you fill the position. If you don’t, potential candidates may wonder why that position is always open and if you are really a company of choice.

Sometimes companies do have positions that are critical and seeking the right candidates is ongoing. If that is the case, put in your advertisement something like “This is a critical position for our company. We are always looking for qualified candidates in this area.”

Networking is also a great way to find candidates. Everybody knows a somebody who needs a job. Not to mention that keeping a robust network will be extremely helpful if you personally need to seek a new position.

EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION Now that you have placed your job advertisement and you have some interesting candidates, make sure you have the candidate complete an employment application. I know, you have a resume. However, the application is really for the candidate signature on the teeny tiny print on the last page that says you can terminate the employee if he/she lied on the application. Many times, it also authorizes the drug test and background investigation.

Speaking of employment applications, have you looked at yours lately? Many employers still have their original

employment application that is not compliant with the latest employment laws and really no longer represents the company mission and vision. It should also contain the information I mentioned above about truthful information. That information is normally on the final page, with a signature line and date line.

In addition, there are few compliance issues you need to be concerned about. Ban the Box is jargon for the check box on your employment application that asks if the candidate has been convicted of a felony. In many states, employers are no longer permitted to have that check box on the application form. Many states have also banned employers asking the candidate for the salaries they received while employed in prior positions. The point of eliminating the prior salary information is so that the employer offers the candidate the salary that is relevant to the position being offered within their organization.

Not just a salary that is a few dollars more than the candidate earned at her prior employer. Prior salary should have nothing to do with consideration of the candidate except for the fact of being in your targeted salary range or not. So, no Ban the Box or asking for prior salaries. Be sure to check your state laws for other compliance requirements unique to your state or city.

INTERVIEW PRACTICES Next is the job interview. Before you make the call to schedule the interview, check on your list of interview questions.

Consider preparing a list of questions that you can ask all of the candidates for the same position. Too many times, the interviewer and the candidate have a great rapport and they start talking about a hot sports game or a vacation. By the end of the conversation, you know all about the game stats but not the candidate’s credentials. Also, using a standard list of questions permits you to compare skills and experience of various candidates.

REFERENCES AND BACKGROUNDS Once you have selected the candidate, you will want to do a reference check and also a drug and background screen.

The drug test is especially important if the candidate will be working in a safety sensitive position. n most states, you will need to extend a job offer before conducting the drug and background tests.

Asking for professional and personal references can sometimes provide unique insights into the candidate. Most times, you will receive glowing information but every now and again you may receive some interesting insights about your candidate’s personality for example, he frequently yells at the neighbors about their barking dogs and the professional reference mentions his short temper. You are looking for information to qualify or disqualify the candidate. This type of information may or may not be a consideration for you in your quest for the perfect employee. Note, that some companies have policies that only permit name, job title and length of service. But it doesn’t hurt to ask questions if you get a talkative former employer contact.

OFFER LETTER I highly encourage you to do a written employment offer letter.

Too many times, after a bit of back and forth negotiations, you can’t remember what you finally agreed upon. An offer

letter is also an important tool for the candidate to have the information you discussed in written form. An offer letter includes the job title of the position you are offering, who the position reports to, salary, the start date, benefits availability, vacation, sick time, PTO, and most importantly the “at will” employment statement. The “at will statement” says that the candidate or the employer has the right to terminate the employment relationships at any time, with or without reason, with or without notice. You can also add information about any ongoing severance agreements or confidentiality of trademark or proprietary information from a former employer.

The offer letter should also state that your offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of the drug test and background screen. Once you extend an offer of employment and the candidate accepts the offer, the candidate is basically your employee. In the event the candidate does not pass the drug screen or background test, you will not need to bring the candidate onboard.

In today’s day of legal medical and recreational marijuana, it is important to handle those situations legally in the states where marijuana is authorized. I have thought about taking marijuana off the drug panel so I would not know whether the candidate tested position but I feel that I would rather the heads up to potential issues. I checked in with my drug screen provider who advised they are not seeing other companies take marijuana off the panel. So apparently other HR professionals are thinking the same.

Ask the candidate to sign and return the offer letter within a designated period of time. Five (5) days is a good number.

That date should also be in the letter. You don’t want to let your offer linger and wonder if the candidate wants to join your organization.

Background checks are very easy these days – all electronic.

There are a wide variety of providers out there. They can be done in as little as 20 minutes or a little longer depending on how many times the candidates has moved around the country. Drug screens take a little more time for processing depending on the type you are requesting. You can do an oral swab test right in your office that takes about three (3) days for processing. Tests at a local lab for urinalysis take about three (3) days. You can make arrangements in advance with your local laboratory to be able to schedule electronically as well as billing monthly if you are doing a lot of hiring. Results can be sent to you electronically too. Having a professional laboratory conduct results is preferable because they provide a Medical Review Officer (MRO) services. The MRO review is important when a candidate may need to explain a positive test result. I recently heard of a positive test result where the candidate was using CBT oil on his arthritic knee. The buildup of CBT created a positive result. CBT is not regulated so those bottles you buy in the fast food places could contain a hefty about of THC. THC is what makes marijuana addictive.

Once you have a clear background and negative drug test you are good to have the candidate start employment with your company. Congratulations on your new employee!

Next month, we will be focusing on onboarding your new hire.

A PERSONAL NOTE: Warm wishes to all CCN Members for a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year! Anita

This article should not be considered legal advice. Should you have any questions regarding this article or any of the HR articles presented in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact me at AnitadombrowskiHR@gmail.com

C C N T O O L B OX J A N UA R Y 2 0 2 1

I 7

Why You Should Simplify Your Digital Workspace

BY CARLA SARABIA

T

he spaces we live and work in have a huge impact on our mood and overall well-being. By organizing our environments, we can increase the pleasure we experience in them.

Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant and author who has become world renowned for her organizational methods that were highlighted in her books, most prominently in the bestselling The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing and her popular Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Kondo has highlighted a problem that many of us face in our personal lives: clutter and disorganization.

But this problem even creeps into our professional lives.

Especially our digital workspaces.

Since we spend so much time on our computers, phones, and tablets, it would make sense that they would become cluttered with files and folders that no longer “spark joy” as Kondo would say. What that means is the way we organize our digital space has a powerful effect on our mood, energy, and productivity.

What if there was a way to manage and organize our documents and files so that our desktop was a place of efficiency and productivity?

Kondo suggests a 6-step system for decluttering that can be applied to many different areas of our lives.

While some steps make more sense when dealing in the physical realm, we will apply her system to the digital workspace.

Step 3 - Discard unwanted or unneeded items first

Step 1 - Commit yourself to tidying up

Kondo’s theory is that if an item does not spark joy, you should discard it. This step helps keep this organization method less rigid as it allows for personal values and feelings to have an influence in the process.

We are not all minimalists. Completely getting rid of all items that have no “practical” purpose would mean getting rid of fun and happy things that may brighten our day. This means that cat meme you have saved on your desktop that cheers you up doesn’t necessarily need to be tossed. With Kondo’s method, you decide what can stay and what can go.

While it may seem daunting to clean up your computer files, once you start cleaning up, you will notice a sense of clarity and ease when working that may have been clouded before by the disorganization.

My hope is that Kondo’s methods can empower you to spark joy and enjoy your surroundings and belongings, both in the digital and the real world.

According to Kondo, tidying up is a marathon, not a sprint.

We will need to devote some time and focus into getting this done. Block off some time on your schedule to get your computer cleaned up. It might also be best to shut off your internet connection on your device, so you don’t have any incoming distractions. While you don’t need to commit to a schedule just yet, my suggestion is to commit yourself to tidying up once or twice a month. I personally like to schedule time at the end of the work week when things have started to wind down.

Step 2 - Imagine your ideal lifestyle Decluttering and organizing is not just for the satisfaction of getting it done, but for the joy that it will bring into your day and life going forward. Imagine the things you can get done and the things you will now have time for.

8

I C O NTR A C T O R S . N E T

This step will make the organizing quicker and more enjoyable later. This step is where Kondo reminds us to show gratitude and appreciation for the items we are discarding. While they are of no use to us now, they served their purpose and were useful to us at one point.

Step 4 - Tidy by category, not by location Kondo suggests that by organizing items by category, we save time. This is because we may have the same kind of item in different locations. For example, we may have pictures stored in many different folders, and it would be easier to declutter them all at once.

Step 5 - Follow the right order Kondo believes that the best order in which to declutter our homes is clothes, books, papers, and sentimental items.

When decluttering digital workspaces, we will follow a similar guideline with programs, documents, and lastly, pictures and videos. The idea is to leave the hardest items to get rid of for last.

Sort through your programs and uninstall any that you no longer need or that are obsolete. This is also a great time to update your software and create or manage your shortcuts. When you finish up, move onto documents.

Depending on your storage size, documents may take you a long time.

Whenever you are done with your documents, take a short break before starting with pictures and videos. We tend to hold these in high regard because there is sentimentality associated with them, and often we find it hard to discard them. Remember that even though you may not want to trash an item, there are better ways to store it. You don’t need to keep every single digital memory alive on your desktop - store your albums on a cloud service like Dropbox, or in a subfolder.

Step 6 - Ask yourself if it sparks joy

Special Recognition Here at CCN, we love celebrating the accomplishments of our members. Join us in congratulating the following members this month:

Energy Swing Windows: Torch Award Steven Rennekamp and the rest of our friends at Energy Swing Windows have been awarded the BBB’s Torch Award for Ethics. This award recognizes companies who consistently “build a high level of trust with employees, customers, and their communities.”

Steve, we couldn’t agree with the BBB more. This award is well deserved.

Congratulations!

Dave MacLean: 15 years at Brothers Services

Brothers: Top Workplaces 2020

Brothers Services has been awarded the Baltimore Sun’s 2020 Top Workplaces honor!

This list recognizes companies with exceptional work environments and collaborative cultures. The winners are based solely on anonymous employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey.

From John Martindale, Brothers’ CEO and CCN Owner:

Speaking of Brothers being one of the top workplaces, Dave MacLean has been with Brothers for 15 years!

Dave joined Brothers after serving in the Air Force. He started as a service technician and has worked his way up through the company to become their Executive Vice President. His leadership, skill, and passion are invaluable to both Brothers and all of us here at Certified Contractors Network.

Congratulations on reaching this inspiring milestone, Dave!

“In a time when many things feel uncertain, we are heartened to know that our teams enjoy coming to work each day. From sales consultants to Field Quality Managers, design specialists to master tradespeople, we are grateful to have such fantastic team to work with every single day.”

Certified Contractors Network: Our very own Troy Timmer is celebrating his 8th year on CCN Staff!

Since joining the CCN team in 2012, Troy has been dedicated to serving our members and staff. His experience in the construction industry and ability to teach with compassion make him an invaluable trainer, mentor, and friend. With all the uncertainty this year has brought, Troy’s unwavering commitment has helped prepare us all for a successful future.

Thank you, Troy!

C C N T O O L B OX J A N UA R Y 2 0 2 1

I 9

The Power of Confidence TROY TIMMER

T

he businessman was sitting on a bench in the park with his head in his hands, he was in debt, and he couldn’t see a way out. Creditors were pressing him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He was desperately trying to find anything that could save the company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly, an old man appeared in front of him. “I see that something is bothering you.” he said.

The businessman told him about his debt, the creditors knocking on the door, and the suppliers he couldn’t pay.

After hearing his story, the old man told him, “I think I can help you.”

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, “take this money, meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.”

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

10

I C O NT R A C T O R S . N E T

The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000.

It was signed by John D. Rockefeller, at that time one of the richest men in the world!

“I can erase my money worries in an instant!” he realized.

Instead, the businessman decided to put the un-cashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared.

But just as the businessman was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. “I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried.

“I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller.”

Then she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished businessman just stood there, stunned. All year long he’d been making deals, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars sitting in his safe.

Suddenly, he realized it wasn’t the money that turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he ever imagined.

Confidence is the result of two things: Belief and Mastery.

He turned his business around because he developed the belief that he couldn’t fail. He didn’t rely on what he thought was $500,000 in real money to save his business, he believed in himself and then he went to work to do whatever was necessary to save his business.

Achieving success in sales starts with a strong belief in what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Are you crystal clear on why have you chosen sales as a profession? Why do you want to do sales for your current company?

If you don’t have a strong belief in yourself, your company, and the value of your product or service, then it doesn't matter how good you are with your technique or skill set you will struggle to be successful in sales. The key to success begins with confidence.

remember they didn’t start out as a success. Every master was once a disaster.

When they were a disaster, they attended every training they could, they practiced their technique, and they asked themselves the right questions until they could handle any part of the sales process with confidence.

The lesson we can learn from the businessman is there are no shortcuts or quick fixes to achieving success. It was his new found confidence that gave him the power to turn his business around and achieve anything that he wanted in his life.

Gaining sales confidence is a process, there are no quick fixes.

If you commit to doing whatever it takes to improve your mindset and sharpen your skills, in one year, you will develop the confidence that will power you to achieve anything that you want in life.

Learning how to build confidence is a process of self-reflection. That means taking the time to identify the beliefs that are limiting us and causing self-doubt.

Just like the businessman did, audit your thoughts. Take time to write down thoughts you have about your ability and the questions you are asking yourself. If you’re asking the following questions, you may be seeting yourself up for failure: “Am I not smart enough to be successful?”

“If we would lower our prices, could I close more sales?”

“Do people see me as a failure?”

To change your thoughts, ask yourself more productive questions like, “What is keeping me from accomplishing everything I set my mind too?”

“What training can I take to improve my skills?”

“How can I serve my customers better?”

The questions we ask ourselves shape our thoughts. The thoughts we hold in our mind on a consistent basis shape what we experience in life. Asking ourselves the right questions shape the beliefs we need to become successful in anything.

Once your beliefs are strong enough you can move on to mastery.

Mastery is about practicing a specific skill over an over again.

Just like high level athletes, salespeople may have raw talent, but it’s repetition that makes them truly successful.

When you see a salesman that is at the top of their game

C C N T O O L B OX J A N UA R Y 2 0 2 1

I 11

The Value of a

Friendly Hello

JULIANNA CASEY

T

his past fall, I needed to have my chimney swept. I hired a great Father and Son team the previous year and I was very excited to be a repeat customer.

When I reached out to make an appointment, the owner answered the phone with a quick snapping tone in his voice, like my phone call was bothering him. I said “Hello” and his response was, “what do you want, I am very busy”. So, my response naturally was, “well, I guess you’re too busy for my business then.”

I was disappointed and a little shocked.

I had such a great experience last year.

The service was great!

I could tell they had grown over the past year. But the stress of this growth would cause them to lose the reputation they had worked so hard to build.

Many companies believe the customer’s first impression of their business is on arrival for the appointment. This isn’t true. Customers get their first impression of a company on the phone when they make an appointment.

Research shows it only takes one-tenth of a second to for a first impression to form in our minds. Within the first second of a phone call to your company

12

I C O NT R A C T O R S . N E T

can make a lasting impression on your customers, for better or worse.

Some businesses use an automatic voice service to answer the phone. This service is frustrating to most people, especially when your call gets dropped or lost in the automatic answer service world. Some businesses might feel this is a great way to manage their incoming calls but, in my opinion, it shows laziness and lack of detail.

It is very welcoming to have a cheerful person on the other side of the call.

This warm welcoming voice puts the care into taking care of your business.

This also builds confidence from the customers that you provide excellent customer service and value them. They know that someone can help them when they need it, and are more likely to stay with your business.

As someone who talks to customers all the time, I know it’s hard to answer the phone in an upbeat cheerful way each day. Here are some helpful tips to get you through those Monday morning blues.

Answer the phone within two rings. You wouldn’t leave a walk-in waiting at the door, so don’t let the phone ring waiting for someone else to pick it up.

Always smile while answering the phone.

Your voice will naturally sound cheerful, no matter how you’re feeling in the moment. You could even give a quick laughter out loud before answering the call, to add some additional cheer to your voice.

Do not answer the phone while multitasking. Make sure you are completely focused on the call and what the caller is saying. The caller on the other side of the call can tell if you are distracted. You want to listen and be empathetic to the caller’s needs.

It also helps to have a small mirror sitting beside your phone. Look at yourself before answering the phone, give yourself a little smile. You’ll be surprised how warm and welcoming your voice will sound.

When answering the phone, this should be a “greeting”. Your greeting should go like this: an actual greeting: good morning, good afternoon, followed by the company name. The name of the telephone answerer and how may I help you? Put together, a greeting might go like this: “Good morning, thank you for calling Smith’s and Sons, this is Julie.

How may I help you?”

All of us want to feel acknowledged by whoever we’re talking to. At the beginning of your conversation, ask your caller for their name. If you do not hear or understand their name, it’s ok to ask them to repeat it for you. Saying their name throughout the conversation makes for a more personal experience.

When transferring a call, make sure you let the caller know you are transferring the call and end the conversation with a closing statement, such as “I am going to transfer you over to Daniel’s desk now. Have a great day!”

If you have to place a caller on hold, please don’t forget about them. Sitting on hold is the worst. If you have to put someone on hold to transfer to another associate, ask if you an take a message or have that person call them back if you see they are busy with another customer. Never ask the person to call back.

Remember, whoever answers your phone is the first impression of the company. And, as the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Now my office and my home were the same place. I had trouble getting into the work groove...

Working 9.... until DANNY MURGO

I

don’t know about any of you, but in the last 9 months of working from home, I have worked from almost every room in my house.

The sunroom was great at the beginning of April, but by the end of the month the sun was in my eyes for the first 30 minutes of the day. I was constantly moving and trying out several other rooms, which felt great because I seemed to have new scenery every few weeks.

Finally, by July, I settled in my dining room. It had great light.

It was as comfortable as it was convenient. If I was on a long conference call, I could take a few steps into my kitchen to grab a drink, and still be able to be interact with my coworkers on the call.

The problem during all of this, however, was I wasn’t as productive as I could have been. Before this year, the office was for work and home was for everything else. Now my office and my home were the same place. I had trouble getting into the work groove, and when I finally did get into a rhythm, I couldn’t shut off. I was always thinking about work.

My dining room, while a comfortable and convenient place to work, is also the center of my house. When I come up the stairs from my garage, I walk right into my living room dining room area. To get to the kitchen or to go to the backyard, you have to walk through my dining room. It’s like trying to work in Grand Central Station.

I have a cat that thinks I need to be at his beck and call whenever he desires. I don’t know about many of you, but I cannot efficiently pet my cat with one hand and type with the other.

My spouse’s schedule is also one which affords them to have every other Friday off, as well as one to two work from home days though out the week. This is also very distracting when they are walking to the kitchen to get something to drink or is on a call in the living room.

But I run into a similar problem when I’m done with work for the day. My computer is still sitting on the dining room table, so if I wake up in the middle of the night and need a glass of water, I have to walk through my “office” to get it.

This inevitably gets me thinking of my plan of attack for the following morning. Which, in turn, will keep me up for hours in the middle of the night. As a consequence, I’m tired in the morning when I log in to work for the day.

Finally, by October, I couldn’t take it anymore. My sleep schedule was off from grabbing water in the middle of the night and getting distracted by work, I could feel my productivity slipping. And frankly, I wanted my dining room to look like an actual dining room, not some makeshift cubicle.

And I need to find a better solution than the extension cord running from the outlet to the table that I was assured to trip over at least once a week.

In October, I set up a desk in my guest room. I have a picture of my nieces and nephews on it like I had when I went into the office, as well as all the other materials I need readily available.

Now in the morning I go into the room and shut the door. I don’t have the daily household distractions while I’m working.

When I’m done for the day, I shut the door and go back to the rest of my house. I don’t see work in front of me while I’m doing my everyday household chores and decompressing at the end of the day.

I am by far more productive during work hours and finally have that separation between my work life and my home life.

Even if you’re working in the office or out in the field, there is something to learn no matter what your job entails. Take the time and review the steps you can take to differentiate your career from your personal life.

When you are at work, identify obstacles that are keeping you from being your most productive self. And on the flip side, when you are at home, are you still at the office? What are some things you can do to leave work at the office to focus on your family, friends, or hobbies?

C C N T O O L B OX J A N UA R Y 2 0 2 1

I 13

CCN LIVE-STREAM EVENT CCN LIVE-STREAM EVENT CCN LIVE-STREAM EVENT

BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS JANUARY 7, 2021 10:30am-5pm (EST)

EXTREME PRODUCTIVITY

USING YOUR 5P APP JANUARY 12, 2021 10:30am-5pm (EST)

FINANCIAL MASTERY JANUARY 26-27, 2021 10:30am-5pm (EST)

(Time Management with MS Outlook)

JANUARY 12, 2021 10:30am-5pm (EST)

For a full schedule of 2021 events & more details visit contractors.net