Edition # 27

THE #1 TRADESMAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Make More Money From Your Website: read at your own risk

The EXACT

5 steps to increase your chance of

a sale almost every time!

Daniel and Julio

Flash Plumbing Services Diamond Members

Turnover is up by 65% on last year...

Issue #27

Jul-Aug-Sept 2012

Proudly Australian

+

Your Logo:

Cool

The Kiss Of Death?

iPhone apps for tradies

Welcome gang, and more specifically to our newest Gold and Pla8num members.

Talk about immediate ac8on takers!

Your enthusiasm, drive and passion to make some very serious changes to your business is infec8ous.

We love it… and love hearing the success stories, keep them coming…

As you read this we have our eyeballs glued to the t.v. watching the London Olympic Games (27 July to 12 August 2012). I know I said we don’t watch t.v. much, but sport, and specifically the Olympics, is an excep8on. We can’t get enough of it!

Nothing beats the opportunity to yell and scream in support of our fellow athletes. Am I patrio+c? You bet I am! 410 Australian athletes have made qualification and selected to represent our country and aren’t they doing an exceptional job! Just to help you get into the groove, we’ve shared some quirky facts about our team, check them out on page 6.

The Search for Excellence. Page 4

There is a great lesson to be learnt from watching our awe inspiring athletes in their pursuit for excellence.

Funnily enough, I was ‘ribbed’ for wan8ng to watch as much of the Games as I can by a business associate the other day, telling me I’d get nothing done if I did that. His words made me ask the ques8on ‘what business lessons can we learn from the Olympics?’. AVer thinking about it for a few moments I realised there are plenty. I share my thought with you on page 4.

Love a great celebra8on and this month we want to send out a big congratula8ons to Diamond Members, Flash Plumbing with partners Daniel Kuman and wife Tina Rossi with Julio Svorinic and wife Ann Marie (Member profile for the month).

‘Team Flash’ achieved 65% increase of turnover from last year (with no addi8onal staff), plus profit growth even aVer purchasing new assets to help the business in the last 6months. You should be excep8onally proud of your achievements. And for those car enthusiasts, you’ll love Dan’s American

Flash Plumbing Page 7

Diamond Members Daniel and Julio from Flash Plumbing Services.

Serious Change = Serious Results.

Google Analytics Page 9

Understanding this could make you more money from your website.

Read at your own risk…

TradeTalk 1

muscle car -­‐ a 1968 Dodge dart. Check out their story on page 7.

to her about this project. Give you more of the scoop at the TIC Boot Camp in October.

Dan’s Dodge car would go well with a beer or two!

Ha… in saying that, I am officially at the end of my ‘DRY July’ and surprisingly it wasn’t as hard as I thought (I am s8ll even choosing a water over a drink… is that weird?). With $1,700 raised to date (as I write this), I’m stoked to have been able to help raise money for Royal North Shore Hospital cancer pa8ent research. A place that cared for my dad a few years back before the dreaded disease took his life. A HUGE thanks to those that donated. We really appreciate your support. That said, when it’s 8me to stop the drought thought this might come in handy – see page 21.

On that note, the dates are official and we are in full swing of securing one crazy line up of speakers.

‘Pen’ it in the calendar now, book your flights because you’re all coming to SYDNEY. Friday 26th and Saturday 27th October, with a dinner on the Saturday night.

Might invest in one to sit beside my pizza oven in the backyard!

So what’s been happening in your camp? Dr.DRiP has officially closed off financial year and we are in the thick of trialling an iPad system with our leading hand. Carolyn is one excited woman when you talk

Logo: Kiss of Death Page 13

All members are invited – VIP’s, Diamond, Pla8num and Gold – and I can tell you this… you won’t want to miss it! See 2 of our speakers on page 11.

If you anended last years event then hold onto your hats… it only gets be5er…

Until we see you at the Boot Camp, if not before…

dy n A

Are You helping Your Customers Decide to Buy Page 15

Other articles include; • TIC Boot Camp – BOOK your tickets NOW - page 11 • You Tube ‘best of’ video – Don’t Give Up - page 14 • Staff Don’t Leave Businesses, They Leave Leaders - page 17 • Was he crazy or a living legend? You decide - page 20

Have you ever thought that maybe it’s your logo that’s pulling your business back?

Let me show you exactly what I mean…

We share the EXACT 5 steps to increase your chance of a sale almost every time! So easy… immediate results…

• You’ll love these ‘Man Cave’ gadgets - page 21

TradeTalk 2

Tradesman inner Circle Helping You On The Road To Success MEMBERS – You are never far from help.

Unlimited phone support on 1800 704 822.

Lay it on the plate...

The Search for Excellence Preparation. Persistance. Participants

I

was recently challenged by a business

associate about was3ng my 3me watching the Olympic Games around the clock.

‘What’s it got to do with him anyway?’ was my first thought (everyone has an opinion right…), but then aVer thinking about it for a moment, there is a great lesson to be learnt from watching our awe inspiring athletes in their pursuit for excellence to make their lifelong dream a reality.

You’d be a nut if you didn’t want to see them succeed and you’d be heartless if you didn’t get a tear when you see the emo8on on their face when they win their race against their toughest compe88on in the world!

Crazy stuff when you really think about it…

So, this guy got my back up… about me watching so much t.v., so I thought I’d share with you why I think the Olympic Games really does have a business lesson for us all. (Plus it gives me the all clear to leave the channel on permanently…)

One of Australia’s great swimming Olympians, Dawn Fraser, said it perfectly in her quote – that the Olympics was the ul8mate search for Excellence in sport.

Training is their life. Literally. So what got them to this level of their sport? To reach this point of excellence?

PreparaKon It’s been serious commitment for these athletes for the past 4 or 14 years preparing for this event.

They don't just turn up and see how they go.

They prepare their bodies, their minds, their techniques, their game plans, their diets etc etc etc..

PREPARATION.... and how well prepared they are will determine their outcomes.

The lycra bodies have swum thousands and thousands of miles...

The runners have done the same on land.

They’ve liVed weights, strengthened in pilates, kept up their daily stretching requirements and watched hours of self assessment videos for feedback etc etc.. all with the support and guidance of their trainer.

Because if you want to win, you have to train at the same level. The level you want to compete.

Every 4 years athletes find ways to push, train, extend the body and mind even further to reach this point of excellence. This is what it takes to be the best.

Take this lesson into business: How well are you and your team prepared to succeed with your goals?

What prepara+on do you need to do before ‘just jumping in’?

Conduct research to move to a new property?

Prepare for a new employee to impress them on their 1st day?

Our latest major prepara8on is sepng up the iPad right with all our data (flat rate book etc) so that we iron out most of the bugs before we trial with our team. We want to ensure we have an easy adop8on by the boys plus save hours on our workload and it’s looking good!

Preparation. Persistence. Participants.

So much of success lies in the prepara8on.

TradeTalk 4

“The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself.”

Dawn Fraser, Australia’s greatest Olympian having broke and held 41 World records in her career. Crowned ‘World Athlete of the Century’ in 1999.

Persistance Persistance starts with a dream. If you want it bad enough you’ll never give up, regardless of the situa8on.

Early mornings, long days, day-­‐in, day-­‐out training at an elite level to tweak the 8niest part of their stroke in the water, or stride in their run to strip, some8mes, point point of a second off to improve their 8mes. This sole dedica8on to gepng it right, to pushing the boundaries, to aim for perfec8on, for excellence, is what it takes to win Gold.

✓ 21year old James Magnussen (The Missile), is aiming for Gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle. ✓ Steve Jobs wanted to beat MicrosoV and Sony. ✓ 25 year old Sally Pearson is going for Gold in the 100m Hurdles. ✓ Richard Branson certainly wanted to beat Bri8sh Airways.

And at some level, we only have this desire because of our compe8tors.

Our Aussie ‘never give up!’ aptude is our armour from those that want to bring us down, dampen our dream. LiV your head up high and keep on going…

No maner how much you’re hur8ng, push through 8ll the end.

There is nothing more mo8va8ng than watching our elite sports people compete at the Olympic Games.

They’ve been honoured to represent our country and now it’s 8me to make us proud, whatever it takes!

“Sheer persistence is the difference between success and failure” Donald Trump

ParKcipants And finally par8cipants…yes, our compe88on, because without them we wouldn’t strive to be bener, force ourselves to delve deeper, to discover new things about ourselves.

No maner what the arena, be it the Olympic Games, the backyard cricket with your mates or our business compe8tors, we need to compare ourselves to someone else to force us to think more crea8vely, work bener as a team, analyse both ours and our opponents strengths and weaknesses honestly – to decide on a bener game plan and stretch our performance.

5 TradeTalk

James Magnussen A.K.A. The Missile

Because they force us to run harder, think smarter, jump higher, stay up later, come up with bener products, systems, performances and results.

Who are your compe+tors and how can you use them even more than you are now to be be5er?

Be grateful for your compe8tors.

Then do your best to beat them... (because, there's a real good chance they’re staying up late thinking of ways of bea+ng you...)

And that's the nature of the system..

Thank you for par8cipa8ng my compe8tors.

So these are my thoughts… and on that note I’m going to sit myself down in front of the t.v. and BE INSPIRED on the search for EXCELLENCE! “The sky is not my limit... I am.”

T. F. Hodge

LONDON 2012 A huge congratula3ons to our team of 410 athletes that have been selected to represent Australia at LONDON2012.

We’re gunning for you!

Thought we’d share these quirky and interes=ng facts about our Australian team…

Australian Olympic Team Trivia Team Breakdown The 2012 Australian Olympic Team has 410 athletes and 319 officials This is the 5th largest Australian Olympic Team behind Sydney (632), Athens (482), Beijing (435), Atlanta (424) There are 224 men and 186 women on the Team. (55% male, 45% female) The average age of the Australian Olympic Team athletes is 26 The youngest member of the Team is BriRany Broben (diving) – 16 (23/11/1995).

The oldest member is Mary Hanna (equestrian) – 57 (1/12/1954) Australia will compete in 23 of the 26 sports on the Olympic Program (Australia will not compete in the disciplines of fencing, football and handball) The largest sec=on of the Team is athle=cs with 52 athletes, the smallest is wrestling with 1 athlete. Australia will also have one compe=tor in the gymnas=cs disciplines of rhythmic and trampoline

MulKple Olympians 7th Olympics: Andrew Hoy (equestrian) 6th Olympics: Michael Diamond (shoo=ng), Russell Mark (shoo=ng), Stuart O’Grady (cycling) 5th Olympics: Natalie Cook (beach volleyball), Anthony Edwards (rowing), Lalita Yauhleskaya (shoo=ng) – Australia (2012, 2008, 2004) and Belarus (2000, 1996)

There is plenty more trivia to be found at the website below.

Resource: h5p://london2012.olympics.com.au/athletes/2012-­‐team-­‐trivia TradeTalk 6

Tradesman Inner Circle Member Profile “Our turnover, with no additional staff, is up by 65% over last year and the business has finally made a significant profit, even after the purchase of a new vehicle, drain camera, locator, and water jetter in the last 6 months”

Daniel Kuman and wife Tina Rossi partnering with Julio and wife Ann Marie Svorinic Flash Plumbing Services - Diamond Member www.flashplumbing.com.au

1. Tell us a bit about your situation, your business and family etc.

2. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in the last 12 months?

Initially, for 2 years between 1999 and 2001 I (Dan) was working for Julio on Saturdays and Sunday’s, as both of us held full time jobs. Julio, as a licensed plumber and I was completing my 2nd year of my apprenticeship. After 2 years of working 7 days a week, the company Julio was working for folded and he found himself out of a job. At this time we pulled all of our resources together and acquired enough work to go full time as a partnership.

The biggest challenge in the past 12 months has been ‘change’.

Over the past 10years we have experienced a few different phases and have changed direction in what field we specialize in, switching from construction to maintenance plumbing.

The business consists of myself, Julio, Adam (tradesman) and James (1st year). Ann Marie (Julio’s wife) looks after most of the office duties with Tina (my wife) recently becoming more involved. Julio and Ann Marie have two children Anthony 12 and Natasha 9. Tina and I have Grace who is 2 1/2. I have a keen interest in American muscle cars and currently own a 1968 Dodge dart.

7 TradeTalk

3. How have you tackled that challenge?

How do you feel about it?

The fact that the business is 10 years old and everyone involved was use to a more laid back environment, with little structure or direction. This made implementing the required changes difficult.

However, I realised that to move forward and grow everything had to change. TIC has been great not only because they can show you what changes to make but the benefits they bring in the real world via their business Dr.DRiP. 4. How have you and your business changed since joining TIC? For the first 9 years we lacked direction, business know how and the motivation to make the most of our business.

Since joining TIC we have found the motivation and a new outlook on business and customer service. We were never aware of what the competition was doing or charging, and were always of the thought that we needed to be the cheapest to be competitive or get the job.

Our turnover, with no additional staff, is up by 65% over last year. The business has finally made a significant profit, even after the purchase of a new vehicle, drain camera, locator, and water jetter in the last 6 months.

Bottom line is thanks to TIC we now have a vision for the future, awareness of figures and industry leaders, plus the motivation and direction to make it all happen!

5. Where do you see your business in 5 years?

In the next 5 years we hope to see the business operating out of an office site with Julio and myself off the tools and concentrating on driving the business to greater heights. We hope to have 5 fully stocked service vehicles for residential, commercial, strata maintenance as well as a separate arm of the business for construction plumbing 6. What are the top 3 things you have learnt about business that you would recommend to others, and WHY? Tip 1 and Why: Invest in your own development and education through business mentors.

You were taught how to be a tradesman but what you and your business really need is to be a good businessman. You are the one who needs to lead the business and steer it in the right direction, so it helps if you know where you’re going and what needs to happen to get there. Think of yourself as an apprentice businessman! And welcome constructive criticism and opinion.

Tip 2 and Why: Build positive relationships/friendships with your clients, employees and suppliers.

Make people feel like they are more important to you than just clients and employees. Having a positive mindset will attract more people/ opportunity towards you. Give people your best, and more often than not, you will receive their best and their loyalty in return which is priceless!

Tip 3 and Why: Know your figures.

I found that to know what each individual in our business needs to make on a daily basis (GP’s) and setting a figure above that as a target for everyone to reach was a massive step forward financially. Our daily GP’s are on average almost double what they use to be 12 months ago, for the simple fact that we

Daniel and his pride and joy – 1968 Dodge dart

actually have a daily target and in turn that target has become a motivating factor on a daily basis.

7. Favorite tool and why?

My favourite tool is the mobile EFTPOS machine.

Strangely most clients don’t expect you to have one and are pleasantly surprised when you offer it as a payment option. It therefore adds a little wow factor to your service, you collect payment on site every time and best of all I no longer need to go to the bank to deposit cheques and cash.

8. Tell us something quirky about yourself that your buddies don’t know (like you have a favourite coffee cup that sings happy birthday!)

Dan: I love watching trashy TV programmes with Tina like The Real House Wives of New Jersey and Jersey Shore.

Tina: I am meticulously tidy and like to iron everything, include underwear.

Julio: Habit of forgetting peoples names but I never forget a face.

9. Who would you most like to have lunch with and why? (eg. Richard Branson, just to say I’d had lunch with him) Dan: Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher. He is notorious for his focus and determination to win and be the best. No matter, how he was perceived by the media and fellow drivers he never waivered or compromised his desire for greatness and victory.

Tina: Jamie Oliver. I love his style of food and how he just throws things together. His cooking is very rustic and simple. Jamie’s attitude is very down to earth and he seems to have these quirky business ideas which just flourish into successful ventures.

This is due to his passion and enthusiasm not only for food but people’s wellbeing.

Julio: Entrée with Julia Gillard so I can tell her how she's buggered up the country. The rest of the meal with good friends and family.

TradeTalk 8

LOST IN THE WEB

WARNING: Learning how to read a ‘Google Analytics’ report could make you more money from your website.

CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK…

Let’s start by asking ‘do you have a website?’ ✓ Do you have at least 5 pages on your website? ✓ Do you know how your customers found you in the first place? <mmm> Do you know which page has the most views? <mmm> Do you know how long a prospect is spending on a single page? <mmm> What about how many people clicked on each link from your home page? <mmm>

With Free Google tool, ‘Google Analytics’, you will know this and much more…

Why is this important? Great question… what if I told you that you will increase conversion if a prospect is spending more than 1minute on your ‘happy customer’ page? Wouldn’t you then make it easier for them to find the images and customer comments? I bet you would…

It’s one thing to have a website but it’s now time you learnt how to watch the ‘numbers’ for your website on a weekly basis to make more money. Well don ’t stop now… the answer is within….

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a tool which helps you, as the business owner, to understand how people found your site and how they progressed throughout it. With this information you will be able to explore options to enhance the visitor experience. Google Analytics provide you with monthly reports on your website traffic such as where people are coming from, which search term provides the most traffic, which pages they are viewing on your website and how long they are spending on your site.

How Does Google Analytics Work?

Google Analytics uses a first party cookies and JavaScript code to collect information about your visitors and tracks advertising campaigns. Google Analytics tracks how visitors interact with a website anonymously. Analytics keeps a track of e-commerce data and combines this with campaign and conversion

9 TradeTalk

information to provide insight into the performance of your advertising campaigns.

Information is presented in an easy to read report with many graphs and explanations. Google Analytics will not affect the performance or appearance of your website and there are no extra files to host on your website. With the information presented to you from Google Analytics you will be able to figure out how to attract more traffic to your website and convert that traffic more effectively.

Why Using Google Analytics is Non-negotiable?

There are numerous reasons why using Google Analytics is non-negotiable for any business with a web presence. Here’s 9 that come to mind:

1. It provides tracking for anyone with a web presence, whether small or large.

2. It is a powerful analytical solution to show you the effectiveness of your website. Is it converting? People staying on your site long?

3. Is free for anyone to use.

4. The monthly reports are customisable to suit your needs.

5. The graphs can be created in less than a minute and can be backed up on your own computer.

6. Custom reports allow you to see your data the way you need to see it, whenever you need it.

7. You can set different profiles to focus on specific aspects of your business. Eg. How long prospects read your content on blocked drains, or click on a specific link to take you to a free ebook.

8. You are able to determine the amount of traffic looking at a specific page or traffic located in a specific region.

1. The first step in setting up Google Analytics is to create an account. Visit the Google Analytics website (http://www.google.com/analytics/) to sign up for a new account.

2. Click the “Create an account” Button and follow the on-screen instructions. If you have a Gmail account that will suffice as an account. Sign in and select the Google Analytics button to sign up.

3. Enter your website URL and display name to link the Google Analytics directly to your website 4. Follow the prompts to enter the type of website it is and copy the code given and embed it onto the website.

5. Once you have completed the set-up a warning will appear to inform you that there is no tracking information. This is ok. It will disappear in a couple of hours once tracking information is established.

6. To double check go to edit status and a message will be displayed that analytics was successfully installed.

7. Information will be available to your in as little as 24 hours.

9. It is entirely up to you to use as much or as little of the information available at your fingertips.

How To Get Started Getting started is as easy as following 7 very simple steps. Let us show you how:

Multiple videos can be found on our myTIC website in the Training Centre under How To Videos for you to set up your own Google Analytics.

TradeTalk 10

Tradesman Inner Circle Boot Camp A n exclusive members ONLY event.

Introducing 2 of our 9 very Special Guest Speakers – These highly successful business owners have been personally handpicked and invited to our Boot Camp based on their wealth of hands-on knowledge and personal formula for success. Their achievements are nothing short of captivating!

You won’t want to miss these two phenomenal entrepreneurs…

Steve Dixon Dixon Clothing Group

Having just celebrated his 10th year as one of Australia’s leading experts in manufacturing of custom made uniforms, Steve Dixon, owner of Dixon Clothing Group, has a thriving 7 figure company with employees across 4 different countries.

Interestingly enough, he didn’t start this way.

Self diagnosed in his earlier years as ‘academically challenged’, all his efforts were focused on the sporting arena and a Year 12 TER of 23.95 reflected the efforts that were put in.

11 TradeTalk

Friday 26th October and Saturday 27th October 2012

SYDNEY

After 12 years of various dead-end jobs, with less than $500 and very limited business knowledge, he decided to hit the road and start his own Company, Dixon Sports.

Fast forward today and Steve leads a completely different life as a proud family man that heads up his successful business that, amongst other things, created Australia’s leading custom designed Soccer teamwear brand #10 Teamwear.

He has an inspiring story that includes starting his own garment factory in a foreign country with no money and no experience. A factory that today is one of the most respected garment factories in Fiji, boasting 35 employees and has supplied uniform’s to the likes of Europe’s then largest soccer academy ‘The Bobby Charlton Soccer Academy’.

Steve confesses he is just a normal bloke who chose to follow his dream with passion, persistence and desire.

After hearing his story you’ll understand implicitly why his life's Motto is ‘Never Give Up!’ As he explains it, people can be whatever they want to be if they’re prepared to make the sacrifices and follow their dream - no matter what!

Sharon Tieman Madame Marketing

It’s not every day you get a nic-name you actually like, but for Sharon Tieman, she laughed and fell in love with “Madame Marketing” the first time she was called it. “It’s a little bit cheeky, and it’s all about Marketing, so that’s me to a tee!” she says.

She stood out from the crowd in her industry.

At first they thought her constant increase in sales, must be a fluke….. but later industry peers were asking her for advice and suppliers were offering to pay to be involved. Within the first 18 months, she had doubled the revenue of that business, and later sold it to a multinational from the UK for twice what she paid for it.

Not to be out-done she changed industries.

With the philosophy that the fundamental of business and marketing are basically the same she took on a regional manufacturing business.

In 2 and a half years she has tripled the revenue and continues to increased sales when

all around her are complaining about the down turn in the economy.

Sharon puts her business success down to mastering 3 key principals, Marketing, Negotiating, and Leverage.

She believes mastering Marketing can give you easier sales and less stress. Negotiating keeps more of your hard earned cash in your pocket, and Leverage is all about finding the best way to use your time.

Sharon is a published author, with her first print run of her book “If I’m So Successful, How Come I Never Get To Be On Top” selling out in 8 weeks.

She was also one of only 4 women featured in Dale Beaumont’s book, “Secrets of Marketing Experts Exposed” Which featured 14 prominent Marketing Experts from around Australia.

Sharon’s enthusiasm for Marketing and empowering small business people is infectious. She wants to show small business the “short-cuts” and cost effective ways to market

BOOK NOW! See MyTIC for more details under Events/Next TIC Boot Camp

Tradesman Inner Circle Boot Camp

TradeTalk 12

SPILL THE BEANS.....

‘MIND-BLOWING S E C R E T S F RO M A M A R K E T I N G M AV E N ’

Does Your Logo have the Kiss Of Death?...

Is your logo the culprit pulling your business back? You decide.

I

t surprises me the number of vehicles on the road that have the most outdated and prehistoric logos on their doors. This includes the crazy number of flyers that cross my kitchen bench that look like they were designed in the 90’s, plus all other general adver8sing for that maner. They scream ‘I’m a dinosaur’. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t give me a very good ‘first impression’.

Going back to the simple known fact that the customer will pass a long-­‐las8ng judgement upon you and your business in a heart beat (not fair I know, but that’s life), then I don’t think they’re doing themselves any favours. I would argue they’re losing jobs simply because their logo is…ugly. dated. doing bad vs good. Basically a serious repellent instead of an anrac8on and that is NOT what we want our marke8ng to do.

Let me show you exactly what I mean;

We updated the drip man in approximately 2004.

Made him look less like he’d eaten too many burgers and more like he was a fitness junkie.

In 2006 we updated our current logo and business brand image to that which reflects our business today. The drip man now includes the circle around his body and the text communica8on is much clearer, bolder and stronger

EXAMPLE 1:

Dr.DRiP Pty Ltd Here’s what our Dr.DRiP logo looked like when we first started. Slim wri+ng with a large rotund drip man.

Now I don’t know about you, but if our vehicles all looked like the one we started with in 2000, I can assure you we wouldn’t have the fleet nor the loyalty we have today from our customers. This ‘modern and fresh’ brand image is a criKcal part of the ‘markeKng jig-­‐saw puzzle’.

13 TradeTalk

EXAMPLE 2:

Silhoue\e Kitchens Pty Ltd To give you another hands-­‐on example I want to thank Brad from Silhouene Kitchens for allowing me to share his old and new logo with you. Having been in business for 14years, it was high 8me to ‘get a new look’, which he did last year.

Below shows you his past logo, which he has used since the business incep8on, and the new fresh and modern look.

I don’t know about you, but I know which business I’d call simply based on these designs alone. You?

This nega3ve desired affect from your logo having the kiss of death can quickly and easily be switched by you taking action today to upgrade your business look and feel.

Think you need a faceliD? Why don’t you put it to a poll on the TIC facebook group page, or even your personal home page for all your mates to comment.

I’ll bet they’ll all have an opinion!

‘Best Of’ Video Don’t Give Up… No Matter What!

In the spirit of the Olympic Games this is one very powerful and inspirational true story about Derek Redmond in the 400m sprint, 1992 Barcelona Games.

As a gold medal contender he was struck with a hamstring tear 150m into the race but was determined to finish.

This is a tear jerker… be warned!

May we all spread the message of Hope... ‘Don’t Give Up!’

Go to MyTIC for You Tube ‘Best of’ Videos.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

TradeTalk 14

Customer Service

Are You Helping Your Customers Decide To Buy? The EXACT 5 steps to increase your chance of a sale almost every time! and what’s even better, the steps are so easy, you’ll see immediate results… here’s how… ounds crazy right… that all you have to do Sis follow 5 simple steps and you’ll help your customer make a decision to give you money, or not. Pick you as their tradie of choice, or not. Use you long term, or not. Well, the decision is yours. Do you want them as a customer today and forever? Thought you’d say yes… I’ll show you how in just a minute…

Research shows that there is, in fact, a psychological 5 step order that we all follow when making decisions about spending our money. They’re based on our personal percep3on. Let me explain what I mean…

I was shopping with a friend of mine the other day. She wanted a new handbag. To keep it short, we found the bag she loved in this shop. My friend was over the moon. The shop assistant was so helpful and friendly and greeted us warmly as soon as we walked in, but the price tag was high so my friend said she’d think about it.

We walked out and literally into the shop next door. There was the handbag again.

Nothing different about it except the price tag. Much cheaper. BUT the shop assistant 15 TradeTalk

didn’t acknowledge us as we walked in, she ignored our aKempts of eye contact, and let us walk out again without even a ‘good bye’.

Where do you think my friend bought her handbag? You’d be right if you said the first shop. The more expensive bag that was idenNcal in every way to the second shop.

Both reputable companies, both idenNcal handbags, one more expensive than the other, but a HUGE difference -­‐ the smiling shop assistant!

You see, it’s human nature to buy from someone we like. Do you agree? How many Nmes have you willingly given money to someone you don’t like? Not oFen I’m sure.

It is for this reason that YOU being a likeable person is the first step you need to master to increase your chance of a sale almost every Nme, over the phone or face-­‐to-­‐face. Let’s take a look at them all…

The EXACT 5 steps or stages are what we call the Buying Decision Triangle. Your understanding of this sequence and helping a customer follow it is like pulling out their wallet and handing yourself some cash…

The Buying Decision Triangle 1. You 2. The Business 3. Product/Service 4. Price 5. Time

5

4 3 2

Let me briefly explain each one: 1.

1

You

A prospect’s first impression is not based on the product/service, but of the person trying to make the sale.

The prospect passes judgement on you, how you look, how you talk and if you are really interested in helping me today. As the saying goes, ‘the first 30 seconds are criJcal’…and let me share this liRle secret… the relaJonship you form with your customer must strengthen throughout the next 4 steps as YOU are personally judged throughout the enJre process.

2.

Business

Once you’ve personally passed the test, the prospect will then want assurances your business is solid, can offer guarantees and has the same integrity as you. What is the company’s reputa=on and what experiences has other customers had with you?

If you are thinking awards and tesJmonials might come in handy here you’d be right.

3.

Product/Service

Is your product/service the right solu=on for their needs?

By asking the right ques=ons the salesperson will be able to match the exact solu=on to the prospect. This is communicated through benefits as opposed to features of the product/service.

Ask your customer quesJons to clarify what, exactly, they want. Once you know this your professional suggesJons of a long-­‐term soluJon will be welcomed.

4.

Price

Prospects buy value, not price. Un=l the prospect understands the product/service has value for them and they see the benefits, no price will be right. It is therefore impera=ve to communicate the product/service in light of benefits to the customer, not features. Keep in mind, ‘What’s in it for me?”

Remember, its not about the drill to make the holes in the wall (the feature), it’s about the customer being able to hang the picture of their family (benefit).

5.

Time

If the prospect has answered ‘yes’ to the first four decisions you’ve almost closed the sale. It is =me to ask for the sale. In short, the prospect will only buy if the =ming is right for them.

This is where most tradies leave money on the table. They simply don’t ask for the sale. A sentence like ‘I can start the job today, or would Wednesday be beWer for you?’. Both have the answer that they will proceed with the job.

Hate to say it, but if they’re not ready, they’re just not ready. So make sure you stay in contact!

Ok. So now you’re armed.

Help take your customer down this easy 5 step path and they’ll be saying YES to you for work almost every Jme! TradeTalk 16

Staff Don’t Leave Businesses, They Leave Leaders We reveal the 5 key leadership traits that need to evolve in a true leader. t’s been an exhausting process Iadvertising, interviewing, employing a new staff member, then you invest more time to train them and get to know them.

It seems like months before they start to make you money, then they leave.

“What could I have done differently” you ask yourself. On reflection of the time they spent with you what happened? I mean, what really happened? Can you put your finger on a single reason? Were you too tough?

Too lax? Maybe you didn’t give them enough information, or maybe it was too much!

The trick to keeping your ‘good guys’ is to be the best leader you can be because staff don’t leave businesses, they leave leaders. And the leader in your business is…. (drum roll please…)

YOU. Let’s take a look at 4 key leadership traits that need to be honed by the boss if we want to ‘keep the good guys’.

TradeTalk 17

1. A company is a community, not a machine.

Ordinary bosses think their business is a machine with employees as cogs. They expect every day to run like clock-work sticking to rigid rules and maintaining control by "pulling levers".

Extraordinary bosses see their business as a collection of individuals with their own hopes and dreams. They inspire employees to dedicate themselves to the success of their peers, themselves and to the community– and company–at large.

2. Management is guidance, not control.

Ordinary bosses want employees to do exactly what they're told. They run a dictatorship where every decision and action is scrutinised leaving the employees feeling helpless and fearful.

Extraordinary bosses set the goals and then help guide the team in achieving them.

They provide encouragement in decision making, allowing teams to get things done and intervening only when necessary.

change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if employees and businesses embrace new ways of doing business to communicate better with their customers.

3. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.

Ordinary bosses see fear--the threat to be fired, bullying, the loss of privilege--as a key way to motivate people and get results. The upshot of this, employees and managers alike experience action paralysis and instead no progress occurs.

Extraordinary bosses inspire people to see a better future and how they'll be a part of it. As a result, employees work harder because they believe in the company goals, truly enjoy what they're doing and know they'll share in the rewards.

4. Change equals growth, not pain.

Ordinary bosses see change as both complicated and threatening, something to be prevented at all cost and endured only when a business is in desperate shape.

Extraordinary bosses see change as an inevitable part of life. While they don't value

4.

Got you thinking?

You should be because we all need to reflect inward if we ever want the best out of those around us.

Why? Because regardless of what responsibility you give someone, the buck stops with the boss.

So best to act like one, and be the best you can. A strong leader. How do you fair?

TradeTalk 18

Tradesman Inner Circle Helping Tradesman Australia Wide Since 2008 To our Members, You are never far from help.

Unlimited Phone Support

Call us whenever you need us on 1800 704 822

19 TradeTalk

He Was One Crazy Guy But Others Would Say He Was An Inspiration… here’s why…

Steve Irwin, a.k.a. ‘ The Crocodile Hunter’ (22 Feb 1962 – 4 Sept 2006) as he was more commonly known, was literally larger than life.

So what would you say?

Was he ‘crazy’ or an ‘inspiraJon!’?

With his 50th birthday due to be celebrated this September 2012, it seemed fipng to honour a man that taught us a few lessons by living life with three excessively HUGE E’s – Enthusiasm, Energy, and Excitement.

There was literally no one quite like him.

No one showed as much enthusiasm on-­‐screen that was matched off-­‐screen. Not just towards the animals he represented in his wildlife documentaries, but the love he showed his family.

No one had an abundance of energy that was infec8ous in every way. Hard to not open your eyes wide when watching Steve in ac8on!

No one was more excited than Steve, a self-­‐ proclaimed ‘Wildlife Warrior’, on his mission to save the world’s endangered species. He was a passionate conserva8onist and believed in promo8ng environmentalism by sharing his excitement about the natural world rather than preaching to people.

Steve’s life mission started when he took over his parents rep8le and fauna park and named it ‘Australia Zoo’ with his wife Terri, and bought large tracts of land in Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu and USA describing them as Na8onal Parks. This life mission became an independent charity known as ‘Wildlife Warriors Worldwide’.

Even his mentor Sir David Anenborough (sure we all grew up watching him on t.v.) described him as a ‘born communicator’. There is no doubt Steve loved his work, shared his passion in abundance and helped us all understand that we can all make a difference if we try.

Steve Irwin Day is officially 15th November.

An annual interna+onal event celebra+ng the life that was Steve Irwin.

TradeTalk 20

S I H T IS

R U O IN Y

MAN CAVE? This is where we talk about all cool things that should or could be in the man cave. Gadgets, new tech, cool tools, new inventions or big boys toys, if it’s cool and fun we’ll talk Half way through DRY July and surprisingly I will say that ‘it hasn’t been too hard!’…

Think the motivation of being sponsored to help Cancer research at Royal North Shore certainly helps.

Raised over $1,700 to date and counting!

Holding up to 30 cases of beer and 4 kegs, this serious beverage house would set you back a quick $8K. Might need to invest in one of these out the back near the pizza oven for Spring!

Party at Andy’s!

Thanks a million to those that have helped keep me off the grog through your support.

The hardest part about this month is having to be Ange’s DD (designated driver).

That said, thought this latest ‘man cave cool thing’ was exactly that – a cool thing!

A roomy box with lots of shelves and integrated cooling hardware, it's a literal walk-in beer cooler. Or a garage where you park your beer!

The Walk-In Beer Cooler is a veritable standalone room measuring 7.5 x 6.83 x 4.83 feet (h x w x d). All sides sport inner and outer metal skins, with 4 inches of insulation at the core (ensuring all that cold stays behind the walls) and 4 inches of thick steel flooring.

The doors come with a locking system as well, so you can restrict access to your treasure trove of alcoholic beverages.

21 TradeTalk

Resource: www.brewcave.com/?q=products

Apple TV I saw it at my mate’s house and I had to have one…

He was showing me photos from of his boat, goggled a restaurant we were booking for the weekend, switched to the latest ColdPlay music for the house plus turned on ‘Bob the Builder’ for the kids all from one location!

Apple TV, you are my new best friend…

This tiny little back box, once connected to your television, is a wealth of entertainment and a window to the world.

It connects to your iCloud, accesses your iTunes collection of music, movies and TV shows. You can facebook your friends, google search the world and check out the latest You Tube videos. Coolest part for me, if you have a sudden craving to watch a rerun of the NRL Grand Final (which I do at times), the power is at your fingertips within seconds… without even leaving the couch.

With our busy schedules, there is no better way to have ‘everything’ at your fingertips with one single remote. It was crazy easy to set up (it’s called an Apple Mac guy to your home for literally minutes) and the best part… it only set me back $109.

Interested?

www.apple.com/au/appletv

Cool iPhone Apps for Tradies Plumber Crack Price: FREE What will they think of next to keep us entertained!

Flicking coins into the bum crack of an unsuspec=ng plumber…

Seems our son Isaac thought it was a hit!

I must admit, it does pass the =me…

TradeTalk 22

NEXT ISSUE NEXT ISSUE: Do you want to change a habit?

Well, there’s a secret you need to know…

Shut Up and Listen… 3 Tactics to Become a Better Salesperson.

Alright crew, if you didn’t know it, it’s time to book your flights because you’re coming to Sydney!

The TIC Boot Camp is 26th and 27th October and there’s a seat with your name on it.

Looking forward to seeing you there. ith ela Sm g n A w& Andre

Don't forget, we would love to share your learnings, hot tips, recommended s uppliers a nd a ny other information t hat w ill benefit the TIC m embers. D rop us a line to info@tradesmaninenrcircle.com.au

CHANGING ADDRESS? Don’t miss out on a single issue! If you’re changing contact details then ensure to let us know -- simply give us a call or send an email. This way we’ll keep you plugged into a world of knowledge, tips, news and views.

TradeTalk is published by and © copyright by Andrew & Angela Smith, Tradesman Inner Circle Pty Ltd 2012. All Rights Reserved. This newsleRer and any accompanying material are for general informa=on purposes only. It is the responsibility of the reader to comply with any local, state or federal laws. S=ck with me here while I con=nue with this legal blah-­‐blah. The Publisher has taken all reasonable measures to ensure that the material contained within this newsleRer is correct. The Publisher provides no representa=on and gives no warranty as to the accuracy of the informa=on and does not accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in the informa=on contained herein and shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising as a result of any person ac=ng in reliance on informa=on contained herein. All done!

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Email: info@tradesmaninnercircle.com.au Web: www.tradesmaninnercircle.com.au