PLEASE STAY ON THE TRAIL

When exploring your forest, keep off the tundra and don't follow wildlife. 

I saw this sign on the side of the trail to Summit Lake on Mt. Evans in Colorado this weekend. There is profound meaning here in life and business. Think about it and see what it means to you.

COLORADO WEEKEND

We have really enjoyed our weekend away here in Evergreen Colorado. I'm writing this from a hammock in the backyard of the cabin we stayed in. The view from here is green everywhere and the sound of the creek is relaxing!

I hope we are able to come back here again sometime. This little cabin by the creek has been really enjoyable. The beautiful backyard on the creek's edge is wonderful. There really is no reason to go anywhere else.

We enjoyed "The Sound of Music" last night at a local theater. It was fully done by local talent who did a great job. We met a really nice couple there who I hope look us up when they come to Gilbert in a few weeks to visit relatives.

We had our last breakfast at the County Road Cafe this morning. Although I don't need the calories, they make the biggest breakfast I've ever seen. One pancake could feed an entire family!


The proprietors here are really nice and have gone out of their way to make us very comfortable. The owner has especially treated us like gold! We would definitely do this again and we would highly recommend it to others.

The cabin we stayed in is called the "Bootlegger's Barn". It has been decorated with the theme of whiskey barrels. The bathroom sink is set in a whiskey barrel and there are four barrels built into the shower wall! You can see barrel slats in parts of the outside fence, the outside deck and in the stair banister. It's all very creative. Everything is really rustic but very comfortable.

Visit our new friends at www.thecabinsatcountryroad.com.

In our last few hours, we drove to the top of Mt. Evans. We hiked up to Summit Lake and took some beautiful pictures. On the way down, we stopped several times to take pictures of the forest with it's yellow fall leaves. 



ADVICE FOR A SON GOING AWAY TO COLLEGE

Today you are going away to college. Your mom and me hope that we've given you all you need for success but just in case, here is some last minute advice.

I hope that every day is great but exceptions are likely. Remember that you can achieve outstanding performance when you are in a peak state and you can change your state in an instant. All you have to do is decide. Fake it till' you make it if necessary. Do something ridiculous to interrupt a bad pattern.

Find passion in life by connecting and contributing to others. Be committed and resolved to take immediate, intelligent and massive action every day. Make a plan and plan to make it. Don't fall behind. Not turning in your homework is not an option. A successful life requires that you do your homework!

Life is urgent and so there are no “shoulds”; only “musts”. Thoughtfully design your future, be honest with yourself and know when you “must” make a change. This is evolution and progress never stops.

Live urgently. Time doesn't stop and you only have so much time. Remember that you are creating a legacy of generational influence by raising a new standard; a standard of proximity, certainty and leverage. It matters where you are are who you are with. It's about location, location, location!

I always think of the chain of good people in our family who passed on good values. Those who have gone before you would be proud; those who come after will be blessed. Be that fork in the road that leads new generations in a better direction. It's your responsibility to never be a weak link in the chain. Your values determine your direction and your direction determines your destiny!

With total immersion, you can accelerate the future and compress decades into days. Don’t waste time and don't major in minor things. Knowing that successful people leave clues, find them, interview them and model them. Blog it then write that book!

If you figure out why, you can figure out how to do anything you want in this world. Know why! You have the technology inside of you for growth and evolution. Use that technology to help others rise up and then you'll rise up yourself. Help them get what they need and want and they'll help you.

Be high functioning. Turn off autopilot and take control. Little things make a big difference. Make small adjustments and you can land on a dime! Life is about more than just existing, it's about living! Those who shuffle sometimes trip and fall. Those who pick up their feet, run!

Don't forget your strengths which are:

Futuristic: Visualize your future
Competition: Do your best to stay ahead
Significance: What you do matters
Ideation: Generate unending ideas
Maximizer: Make the most of opportunity

Post this on your wall where you can see it every day:

"I visualize my future, doing my best to stay ahead while doing what matters, generating unending ideas and making the most of my opportunities."

You can accelerate faster when you focus on what you're good at than when you focus on your weaknesses.

So, go out and make your mark. Keep your sense of humor and lead others with your big smile!

See Tonya's blog for another perspective:

FORESTS REQUIRE EFFORT

"Forests require effort; deserts are what you get when you do nothing." --An almost famous quote by Me.

I often have conversations with my kids about their future. I want them to understand the importance of getting a good education and reaching beyond the mediocre. To their credit, they often shoot for the stars while I think the moon isn't a bad goal!

Young people have so much optimism in their dreams. If we all had the optimism of a young person, we could build much bigger dreams.

I struggle to teach that there is a balance between dreams and reality without throwing water on their fire. Dreams are fine but you want to go beyond the thoughts and make them reality. We can't just fantasize about the future in our heads. We have to create it in reality. If it's only in our head, it's still only a dream.

Building your dream requires a lot of effort. There are the little things we learn that add up to real wisdom --the kind of wisdom we use to make wise decisions that keep our dreams alive. You can't just have an idea, snap your fingers, wave a wand or wiggle your nose then have it appear. Magic is for cheaters.

Every forest is built one tree at a time. It starts with a seed, water and sunshine. The successful recipe to build a forest has all three ingredients. In life you need success ingredients too. It takes hard work, determination and a long list of other things like these:

Build on your strengths.
Minimize your weaknesses.
Get educated.
Be patient.
Don't let others slow your progress. Associate with people with high standards.
Emulate those who have succeeded. Get a mentor.
Be a mentor.
Have bullheaded determination.
Don't let yesterday get in the way.
Don't be low functioning.
Lift your feet: don't shuffle.
Be healthy.
Rise above limiting thoughts.
Don't have speech that stifles progress.
Give yourself time but not too much.

It requires effort to create great things. If you have common sense, knowledge and some wisdom, your dreams can become reality. There are no shortcuts though. Time is a key ingredient. You need patience to give yourself enough time. However, don't become overly patient and let your dreams float away.

FEEL BETTER: MASSAGE SOMEONE

So here we are with the family at a "staycation" at a beautiful Phoenix resort. We exercised hard in this wonderful gym then played in the pools and basked in the sun. All of us were worn out completely!

Before we knew it, we realized we hadn't eaten or had anything to drink in several hours! Everyone in the family was irritable. I was sad that the food was so expensive and there weren't a lot of options after lunch time and before dinner.

As we stood in the blistering Arizona sun waiting for the food to be ready, I wondered what I could do to change our depressing mood (or at least mine). I put my hands on my daughters shoulders and just gave her the gift of a shoulder massage. Who doesn't like to have their shoulders massaged?

I instantly felt better and so did she. Changing the mood of at least two people was as easy as a shoulder massage and it happened in an instant.

Now there's a trick I'll try more often!

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE: LEAD FROM THE INSIDE

If you are into marketing your business, this video is a must-watch!
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

I will be teaching this concept Tuesday morning to our technicians at our bi-weekly Up-front Meeting. We'll explore the WHAT, HOW AND WHY of what we do. I'm going to ask the question, "Why do we do what we do?" We'll see what their answers are and determine whether or not their answers are consistent with our mission statement. This should be fun and interesting.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT: We'll get the job done right with no surprises by being TIMELY, ACCURATE, FAIR, COMPLETE, CLEAN and SAFE!

Here are my favorite quotes from the video:

"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it."

"What you do is only the proof of what you believe."

"We follow those who lead, not for them, but for ourselves."

DO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS!

Back in 1999, when I started Rainforest Plumbing & Air, I didn’t realize the impact that a criminal element could have in my business.

Over the years, prior to doing criminal background checks (the Crime Free Advantage), I had a number of problems including serious vehicle accidents, disappearing employees, missing trucks and inventory, embezzlement and the loss of thousands of dollars in stolen equipment.

I believe that dishonesty has a pattern and a history of dishonesty will likely repeat itself.

There came a point at Rainforest Plumbing & Air, when I realized that I needed to create a safer environment for the protection of my business, it’s employees and it’s customers.

I know now that 1 out of 6 individuals has a criminal background.

Today, no one works for me that has felonies, misdemeanors from violence, theft, embezzlement, drugs, sex crimes or crimes against children.

We frequently turn away individuals who apply for employment at Rainforest Plumbing& Air because they have a criminal background. We know now that many of those same individuals, whom we have turned away, are now working for many of our competitors.

CrimShield is the service we use to do criminal background checks. As a client of CrimShield, we have an automatic system of obtaining background checks by live investigators that we can rely on. This is not a simple internet search or online service.

We are proud to say that we CrimShield certify 100% of our staff upon hire and every year thereafter. No one is excluded. That includes myself as well as the Controller, the Managers, the technicians, the bookkeepers, dispatchers, warehousemen and field helpers; EVERYONE! I am very committed to maintaining a 100% crime-free workforce.

Now with Crime Free Circle, we are listed with other like-minded companies who are equally committed to crime-free and Qualified Technicians.

Since Rainforest Plumbing & Air began requiring CrimShield certifications, our insurance rates went down, we have not experienced any drug related incidents and our best employees stay longer. We feel we have better qualified technicians.

When I first considered committing to background checks I was nervous about a painful transition. It turned out not to be as difficult as I thought. Interestingly, the least productive employees were the first to go. I am convinced that there is a correlation!

In the end, I believe that making the decision to do background checks was a leap in organizational maturity and by far has been one of my best business decisions. If you own a service business, you must do criminal background checks. Even though there is a cost of doing them, there is a greater cost of not doing them.

ME ON TWITTER

www.twitter.com/iketweet

RAINFOREST PLUMBING & AIR NOW ON PINTEREST

Rainforest Plumbing & Air's branding is now on Pinterest. Click here.

NOTES: UNLEASH THE POWER WITHIN

As I mentioned before in my post called Business is Like a Firewalk, my wife and I attended an Anthony Robbins seminar called Unleash the Power Within in San Jose, CA a couple of weeks ago.

In over 50 hours of seminar time, I took a lot of notes. These are the statements that I felt were the most powerful. They aren't necessarily direct quotes and some are more of a reflection of my own thoughts.

Here are my notes. The super highlights are shown in bold:

• If you are doing well in this season, you'll do even better in every other season.
• Change takes place in a moment.
• Leadership has 3 mandates:
1. Don't see things worse than they are.
2. See things better than they are.
3. Make it the way you see it.
• Home for you is inside. Be at home more.
• The most powerful investment you can make is in yourself.
• The secret to living is giving.
• Biography is not destiny.
• Hunger is better than talent.
• Breakthrough: I need to be more connected with people.
• Your source of energy is in your psychology.
• Emotion is created by motion.
• Use your nervous system to propel you further.
• Motive does matter. That's what a vision statement is for.
• Turn your shoulds into musts.
• Most people should all over themeselves.
• If you want to take the island, burn the boats.
• Don't just dabble in things. Take massive action.
• Create your own miracles.
• Your competive goal should be to add more value than anyone else.
• Respnsibility is the ability to respond.
• It's our decisions that control us.
• Decide what to focus on.
• Focus on what you can control.
• If you know what's coming, you can anticipate.
• You need to ask yourselve these 3 questions:
1. What should I focus on?
2. What does that mean?
3. What am I going to do?
• Decisions = destiny.
• Two forces that affect your decisions:
1. Your state.
2. Your blueprint (values & beliefs)
• In order to effectively influence another, you have to know what already influences them.
• Take virgin coconut oil - 1tsp, 3x per day (not much said about this, research needed)
• State -> Story -> Strategy
• When you change your state, you've changed your story.
• You need a new story.
• You need a story that is empowering.
• When you change your story, you change your life.
• You don't need an excuse to feel good.
• Celebrate for no good reason.
• It's absolutely stupid to stay in a negative state.
• What people fear most is what people want most.
• Change your state and passion is unleashed.
• Communicate, visit, stay in touch.
• Words can make a state change for yourself and others.
• Different words will create a different state.
• Change your state, change your life.
• Your state can be changed in a moment.
• "Seek and ye shall find."
• What stops us from getting what we want?
• Fear = False Evidence About Reality
• Two core fears (we tell ourselves stories about these):
1. You are not enough.
2. You won't be loved.
• You need to be about something more than yourself.
• Get honest with what your stories are.
• Dance with your fears. 
• Align with your fears.
• What determines the quality of your life.
• The meaning we give things.
• Find meaning in things.
• Find meaning larger than yourself.
• Meaning = Emotion
• Emotion = Life
• You must become a master of controlling meaning.
• Where do you spend most of your life emotionally?
• The 3 molders of meaning are:
1. Power of psychology
2. Focus
3. Language
• Two words and a clap can instantly change your state: "Step Up, Step Up, Step Up!"
• Say it loud and with emotion.
• EGO = Edging God Out
• You can't be fearful and greatful simultaneously.
• You made this "shit" up, now change it!
• Re-design your blueprint.
• Faith is imagination directed.
• Give the world your full presence.
• Stop thinking so much about yourself.
• Change strategy by changing physiology, focus and language.
• Why do we do the things we do?
• People create problems that meet their needs.
• People create addictions like anger.
• Empowering Needs:
• CERTAINTY:
• Consistent and growing income.
• Reliable and comfortable transportation
• Stable family environment
• CONNECTION:
• Listening to children
• Not judging others
• Mentoring
• VARIETY:
• Activities with family
• New systems and processes
  
• Vacations
• SIGNIFICANCE:
• Lead meetings
• Give advice
• Be a mentor
• Show up
• Magnify callings
• Respected by my employees
• Respected by my children
• Disempowering Needs:
• CERTAINTY
• Be strict with children
• Be angry with employees
• Ignoring employees
• CONNECTION
• Talking negatively about others
• Ignoring employees
• VARIETY
• Spending money just to feel better
• SIGNIFICANCE
• Being angry with people
• My top 2 are:
1. CERTAINTY and 
2. SIGNIFICANCE.
• Bad reasons to want more money, etc.
• Ask, what has neglecting the other needs cost me?
• My top 2 should be:
1. CONNECTION and 
2. CONTRIBUTION.
•  Good reasons to want more money, etc.
• My life would be changed with these needs by:
• Having more loyal employees.
• Children will feel more unconditional love.
• Having the satisfying feeling that comes when helping others.
• I would reach out more and rescue people.
• Think less of self, more of others.
• Read the book: "The Millionaire Next Door".
• Clarity is power.
• It's okay to have money if you want it and get it for the right reasons.
• Connection and Contribution
• Take massive action.
• In life there are winners and learners.
• Repetition is the mother of skill.
• Conditioning is an ongoing process.
• Everything is shaped by our beliefs.
• A belief is a feeling of certainty.
• In order to change, you have to feel that failing to change now = massive, immediate pain.
• Change is never a matter of ability, it is always a matter of motivation.
• Changing now = massive, immediate pleasure.
• Don't link pain to the better behavior (ie: better eating).
• Take forward motion with emotion.
• Engage your entire nervous system.
• Create outstanding performance by being in a peak state.
• Find passion every day by connecting and contributing to people.
• Decide, commit and resolve to take immediate, intelligent, consistent & massive action.
• Be honest with yourself in knowing when a change in course is necessary.
• Create generational influence through connection and contribution.
• Put yourself into total immersion for self empowerment.
• Proximity is power (where you are).
• It's your location stupid!
• Find other's recipies and copy them for your own success.
• Get leverage.
• Create certainty.
• Model results.
• The father of skill is praise.
• What is my x-factor?
• Show people what to do then get out of the way. 
• Creating systems & processes to see the forest through the trees.
• Successful people leave clues so model them.
• Firewalk is a metaphor.
• I won't major in minor things.
• While in the seminar, I wrote a new VISION STATEMENT.
• I can achieve outstanding performance when in a peak state.
• Read book: "The Talent Code", by Coyle
• Skills are utilized when you have certainty.
• Incantations: "I now command my whole soul to Stand Up! Stand Up! Stand Up!"
• Say that in the car then walk confidently into any situation.
• If you are in the wrong state, you can't make things work properly.
• If you are going through hell, don't stop, keep going.
• If you are walking through fire, don't stop, keep going.
• Most people try to get our attention through pain.
• If you give up, you begin to die.
• Our identity comes from experiencing our challenges.
• REVELATION: Business (Life) is like a firewalk, sometimes you get burned but if you are in the right state, you won't feel it.
• Taste what you really want.
• What would you have to believe to get what you want?
• You'll begin to move as soon as you create pain about where you are.
• "I am connection and contribution."
• Training never stops when you want an extraordinary life.
• Learn how to help others get what they want.
• The secret to wealth and hapiness is to be a team player.
• Power moves to those who are willing to serve.
• The more you care, the more personal power you have.
• People will do more for others than they will sometimes do for themeselves.
• Make small connections. You never know the ramifications.
• Give people the gift of changing their state.
• When you treat people well who treat you poorly, they never forget it.
• Self esteem comes from doing something difficult.
• You can have an ordinary meal or you can create magic.
• When you truly love, all you want to do is give.
• Some people give love in order to get a return on their investment.
• Love because that's who you really are.
• Give love and expect nothing in return.
•  
• TO BE CONTINUED...

GOOD TIMBER

by Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

INTROVERTS SMELL THE ROSES

When I was 20 years old, I had an important person in my life make the following statement: "If you don't get out of your introvert state, you will never amount to anything."

As shocking as that is, it was a wake-up call and in many ways did me a lot of good. Probably the most important thing it did was to make me want to disprove that I could "never amount to anything". I have come to realize over the years since that being an "introvert" is a characteristic that people are born with. There is nothing you can do to change it and there is nothing wrong with it. You can mask it and appear to be someone you're not but deep down you are who you are and that's okay; and you're not alone.

One out of two or three people are introverts. We are quiet, reserved and careful -- sometimes to a fault. Introverts like me need to accept who they are eventually without letting the characteristic create limitations. The worst thing we can do is climb so far into our shell that we don't know which way we are moving.

I have come to realize that although I am an introvert, I have a deep desire to connect with people. I want to give to them in my own way. I may not be a loud, flamboyant-type. I may not fill the room with my presence or even be comfortable in the room. Still, I tend to think deeply about people and in a kinesthetic way, I seek to understand them. Without the traits of introverts there would be no one to listen and truly understand people.

By accident, I came across the following video which gives introverts credit for who they are and the balance they have to offer. The speaker suggests that our culture praises extroverts at the expense of devaluing introverts. She says that the deepest thought comes from contemplation while our institutions and business environments encourage group-work in an extrovert enriched environment.

To all of you introverts out there, I offer you power! I offer you the power of asking questions. They teach this in sales training and it's a hidden gem. There is power in asking questions whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. People want to talk about their own stuff and don't want to hear you talk anyway. Now there's a revelation and good news for introverts. If you harness the power of asking questions, you get to speak very little and at the same time reap the rewards of letting others talk about their own stuff. Now, go ahead and be an introvert then out-sell and out-perform.

We can't deny who we really are. I understand that we all can use encouragement to think outside our own box. Introverts should stretch themselves to be more expressive and connected. On the other hand, extroverts can also slow down and understand the value of smelling the roses.


Source: http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/about-the-book/

BUSINESS IS LIKE A FIREWALK!

My wife and I had the most incredible experience recently. We attended a 4-day conference with Anthony Robbins called "Unleash the Power Within", in San Jose, CA. You could call it a seminar but that doesn't even describe it properly. It was sort of like being at a night club but without the drinks. There was a lot of learning, flashing lights, clapping and dancing. And, by-the-way, we walked on fire!

We had done our homework and were aware that the "seminar" included a walk on burning coals. After a full 15 hours of learning, dancing, etc, we walked 3 blocks to a park that had been prepared with lines of 10 foot charcoal fires. This was after midnight but believe me, we were very awake!

Tony gave us about 3 hours of instruction specifically about how to deal with the firewalk. All the other hours that first day were related to and culminating in the experience as well. His premise is that we can do anything if we get into the right "state". He promotes the use of physiology to re-align your mind. This includes clapping your hands and shouting "Yes!".

He says that most people function on a low level and rarely rise to the occasion in order to achieve. The firewalk is just an example of how being in a "peak state" can get you to do something that otherwise makes no sense at all. I really had no problem with the idea going into it because I learned ahead of time about the science of firewalking. Wood has insulating properties that makes it a lot different than walking on red hot molten steel. I was convinced that it was totally safe and that being in a peak state had little to do with it.

So, I got myself into state by chanting "Yes!" over and over again. There were 6,000 people in this thing and probably 95% followed through with the firewalk. You weren't forced. I't sounded pretty crazy with all those people yelling and screaming their chants. If you didn't know what was going on, you would swear that you were in some kind of Indana Jones movie about to jump into a fiery pit!

There were no real lines leading into the strips of fire -- just huge crowds moving forward. My wife and I took off our shoes and socks and started waddling forward like penguins! The "line" stopped suddenly and was delayed for a couple of minutes while they shoveled on some fresh coals. I didn't think that was a problem and because I was in a peak state, I gave it little thought. Tony warned us though and gave the disclaimer that we are dealing with real fire here.

Before I knew it, I was taking my first step onto the red hot, 2,000 degree coals! As you walk across the coals, you are supposed to say, "cool moss" over and over with each step. As I began, I broke from protocol after the first step. I went from a "peak state" to some other kind of "state". So, my chant went as follows over the 6 or 8 steps it took to get all the way through:

STEPS:

1. Cool Moss!
2. Oh crap!
3. Oh crap!
4. Oh crap!
5. I'm burned!
6. I'm burned!
7. Oh crap!
8. Oh crap!

Yes, both me and my wife both got burned to the level of second degree (blisters but not burned black).  Oddly though, only our right foot was burned. We talked to several others too who were burned only on their right foot. I have no idea why this is. We spent the night at the hotel with our feet in trash cans filled with ice water. We were so messed up, we had thoughts of taking the next plane home! This was 1 am and the seminar started back up at 9 am. In all it was somewhere around 50 hours long.

Too tired and sore to walk to a cab, we iced and went to sleep. The next day the burning feeling was gone and we were left with blisters that were well on their way to being healed. We continued into the next day learning, clapping and dancing (only now on blisters). Apparently, several were interviewed by the news. We saw reports on ABC as well as NBC's Today Show. Of course it was all over the internet as well.

From our perspective, it was a hard thing but people can do hard things! Incidentally, we signed a waiver before we even got our name tags. Waiver or not, there is a thing called personal responsibility. Looking back on many years in business, I realize that sometimes things happen that are seemingly out of your control. You can't stay focused on that. You have to keep your eye on the ultimate outcome. Get though it and keep going.

Now that the firewalk is over, I look back at all I learned in the remaining days of the seminar and can't believe I even thought of checking out. If I had given up so early on, I would have missed everything! After we returned home, we heard that Mike Broomhead of KFYI was having a segment on the firewalking "incident". Since Mike endorses our company, I sent him a text that we were at the event. We ended up calling in to the show and telling our story. We were happy to change the course of the conversation which was the true inside story.

So, here is the take-away: Business is like a firewalk and sometimes you get burned! Move on and get over it!

One more note: This was a transformational event for me. I wear my blisters like badges of honor!


21 Burned in Walk Over Hot Coals at Robbins Event
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/21-treated-burns-robbins-event-16826432#.UA83K6D3Dx4

Tony Robbins Sets the Record Straight About Fire Walk 'Controversy'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marianne-schnall/tony-robbins-fire-walk_b_1718499.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false 

UPDATE: My seminar notes can be found here.

OUR NEW VIDEO

To watch our new video, click here!

PRICE ACCURACY

When you walk into a store, all you need to do is look at an item tag to learn how much something costs. It’s simple, easy and most of the time, accurate. But when you’re in a service industry, how much the job costs can depend on each individual situation. It's difficult to have a set price tag for many jobs since each situation has it's own set of unique factors. As such, being mindful of price accuracy becomes an imperative facet of doing business. If you are in the service business, asking yourself a few basic questions can help keep pricing as correct as possible while still helping your business stand out from the competition.

Do you have to take into account unique situations?

Not every customer issue or job is the same, especially if your business provides repair services. There are a multitude of reasons an air conditioner, valve, electrical outlet or dishwasher could malfunction. The same problem in two different situations can have different prices depending on factors such as depth, access or complexity. The same concepts apply to landscapers, carpet installers, painters, etc. Every situation is unique in it's circumstance and the price can range significantly depending on many factors.

Time and material pricing is easy to count and add up but customers appreciate up-front pricing (so there are no surprises) which adds to the difficulty. Many factors come into play here especially considering the fact that one person's time may be more valuable or productive than another. The important thing is to ensure that your staff realizes the nuances of your work and tries to maintain consistency as much as possible. There is nothing more annoying to a customer than to find out that they have paid different amounts for what seems to be the same task. For this reason, properly describing the details of your work is imperative. This is done through an up-front agreement detailed by a trained technician who has received this specific instruction.

Employees need to understand that an endless range in pricing options stems from the existence of just as many combinations of customer issues and job complexities. As long as employees truly understand the importance of consistency, pricing can remain fair and competitive. Doing so positively impacts your business. We know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? The same concept applies to many repair jobs.

Are you performing supervised price verifications?

The best way to monitor pricing in service and repair businesses is to have managers and supervisors consistently reviewing and approving them. This way you narrow down the number of opinions to those with the most experience in monitoring prices.

Whether each task comes with its own price point or your services completely depend on the job's situation, having your employees verify pricing could mean the difference between a lost customer and a life-long advocate of your business.

Nobody wants to feel like they’re being ripped off. This is especially true if the end price is substantially higher than what the customer was originally quoted. All of this trouble can be avoided by giving up-front, flat-rate, bottom-line pricing approved by an experienced supervisor. Instilling the importance of price checking is one way to be sure your employees are being thorough and avoiding any misrepresentations. A simple, 5 minute phone call with a supervisor is all it takes to ensure that each price quote is accurate, approved and verified.

Are your prices competitive?

Finally, be sure to shop around as if you were the consumer. Price out your competition and keep your prices relative, or better. Be mindful of any advertising and marketing specials that are being run by your competitors. This becomes even more important if your competitor is offering first-time discounts, seasonal rates or rebates. By staying in the know, you’re giving yourself a head-start at remaining above the curve, especially if your industry has many competitors.

Although each situation may vary from job to job, remaining as precise as possible can make all the difference in customer satisfaction. By staying mindful of industry trends, pricing and understanding that your client situations are unique, charging customers accurately can be an easy and standardized process. When establishing your prices, know your costs and remember that your goal is to stay profitable while maintaining repeat business. If you are the cheapest in town and not making a profit, you cannot make it up in volume!

THE GREENER GRASS RULE KICKS IN WHEN THE NEW BOSS STOPS WATERING THE LAWN

I woke up this morning to a dream that a certain former employee asked for his job back. Maybe I should call it a scary nightmare! Just in case I forget, here is the correct answer:

"In many respects we miss the old days but in most respects we prefer the new ones."

When people leave whether voluntarily or by force, it's for a good reason (either yours or theirs). Bringing people back only creates a cultural idea that your business has a revolving door. Do it once and others look for greener grass more often. They leave then they ask to come back when the new boss stops watering the lawn!

I set a policy long ago that says "if you leave, we won't bring you back". I call this the "Greener Grass Rule". It sounds harsh but the policy becomes known among the troops and does reduce the number of "greener grass" departures. This applies to the voluntary and the not-so-voluntary departures.

I only arrived at this policy out of bad experiences. Actually, that's how and why all policies are created; in an effort to reduce the number and frequency of bad experiences. Way back in the past I would allow managers to bring people back who had been "let go" if sufficient "repentance" was apparent. After all, we should be forgiving, right?

I found out again and again that for the vast majority, the reasons people get "let go" the first time are the same reasons they get "let go" the second time! Sadly in the past, there was more than one case where this cycle was allowed to repeat itself three times! Somewhere in there we find that cool definition of insanity; "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -- Albert Einstein

I'm no Einstein but this rule makes a lot of sense! Don't be a revolving door and don't be scared of greener grass. You're already standing on the greenest grass around!

WHAT DID THE SPIDER SAY TO THE FLY?

We get many notes and testimonials but once in a while, there is one that really stands out. Here is a special one that we received just moments ago. I thought I would share it with the world!

"Matt S. just provided service to my home. He cleaned out two drains and provided an estimate and advice on repairing a drain leak on an underground P-Trap cast iron fitting. I am a first time customer and I am totally impressed with your company. Matt was courteous, efficient, answered all my questions and provided service above and beyond my expectations.

I recently heard a radio spot regarding CrimShield [endorsed by Jayme West on KTAR and Mike Broomhead on KFYI] and jotted down their web site. When I needed a plumber, I found you on the CrimShield website and then when I went to your Rainforest web site I was sold with your "Up-Front Guarantee" and "Mr Ike's Integrity Statement". 

As Matt was leaving, I wanted to get a feel for the relationship between the Rainforest workers and the President, so I asked Matt if he knew Ike Tippetts. His response was a very positive "Oh yes he meets with us on a weekly basis." When I told Matt what had impressed me with Rainforest he said that he would let Mr Tippetts know because Ike always appreciates such feedback. I thanked Matt and told him I was also going to write this email. 

Since my decision to use your company was based on two web sites, let me leave you with this joke from Kylie, my 9 year old granddaughter:

"What did the spider say to the fly?" "See you on the web!"

Rick P."

This was sent to us by email. I replied and thanked this kind gentleman for the testimonial.It may seem hard to believe but I have never met Mr. P. He writes as if he was a close friend. We are grateful to him for writing such a glowing review. We'll repeat this post on our facebook page.

SEEING THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES

If you are interested in seeing the forest through the trees, you have to put every effort into leveraging yourself through systems and processes. It's difficult to do really great and large things on your own, so you create a system and a process that others can participate in.

Show people what to do then get out of the way. With each system you develop, you become more and more free to look beyond to the next process. Each builds upon the other.

Use a lever to lift a large rock then get several levers and others can help you move a mountain! If you are huddled down in the forest, there is no way you can get perspective.

Be the leader you were born to be, put your lever down, get perspective and see the forest through the trees.

ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS

The next time you have a management meeting or employee evaluation, consider these questions. You'll be surprised at the answers you'll get. Create an open forum and give guidance with the questions you ask. Those in the meeting will appreciate that you care enough to ask. Ask each person in the meeting to express himself. Go around the room with question #1 and then repeat the loop through each subsequent question. After each round, everyone will get the idea and become more and more open to expressing themselves.

Ask...
1. How do you think your work is going?
2. How do you feel you have been growing in your work?
3. What are your goals?
4. How can we help you meet them?

You have a valuable opportunity here to become part of the process. As you go around the room, take a turn yourself and answer each question from your own perspective. Your answers are the summary of what you want to say every day and it expresses your vision. It paints a picture for the team to emulate.

None of these answers are pre-planned and there lies the beauty of it! Without preparation or pre-planning you'll get top-of-mind answers without any fluff.

APARTMENT NEWS - SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Here is my article on Servant Leadership as published in Apartment News.

THE CRIME-FREE ADVANTAGE CUSTOMER LETTER

Dear Customer:

Rainforest Plumbing & Air is committed to the safety and security of our customers.  The key to this commitment is the integration of verifiable background checks performed by CrimShield, a professional investigation firm. This is what we call the Crime-free Advantage.

All employees of Rainforest Plumbing & Air are required to be CrimShield certified.  Employees are issued photo ID cards with the company name, logo and unique ID number.  This number can be used by anyone who wishes to verify the background check results of the individual. These cards are required to be made available upon request while on site at a customer property. Verification of certified employees can be made at www.crimefreecircle.com.

CrimShield background checks ensure that employee public records do not show:

• Felonies in the past 10 years
• Violent or drug related misdemeanors in the past 5 years
• Sex related crimes or crimes involving children, ever
• Pending or looming legal action which may result in a misdemeanor or felony conviction

Crimshield also checks to assure that every employee:

• Has a valid U.S. government issued ID card
• Passes the U.S. Government’s E-Verify citizenship screening procedure

Please go to www.crimshield.com or contact the CrimShield sales department at 480-305-1351 to learn more about this service.

We are happy to provide the peace of mind that this certification will bring to each of our customers.  Rainforest Plumbing & Air is leading the way as we were among the first to participate in this program.

I hope you see the value in this higher level of service.  We all benefit from crime-free employees! For more information about our the Crime-free Advantage, please visit our site at www.crimefreeadvantage.com.

Sincerely,

Ike Tippetts

President

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

To some people the very term “Servant Leadership” may seem like an oxymoron. However, it’s been making the rounds in many leadership training workshops in recent years.

Actually, the phrase “Servant Leadership” was coined over 40 years ago by Robert K. Greenleaf in an essay called The Servant as Leader. He wrote that such leaders make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. They see to it that those they serve grow as individuals; that they become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and, as a result they are more likely themselves to become servants.

Rather than tyrannical, demanding bosses, they become mentors, guides and even cheerleaders of the accomplishments of those on their staff. This, in turn, creates a more harmonious workplace, happier employees and thus, more satisfied customers. It is what author Stephen Covey would call a “win-win” situation.

In fact, Covey is a proponent of “Servant Leadership.” He says it requires humility of character and core competency around a new skill set. To become servant leaders, Covey lists three steps that executives must take.

1. Build relationships of trust.
2. Set up win-win performance agreements.
3. Be a source of help.

People want to hire people they trust to come into their homes for repair work and to support businesses that they believe will treat them fairly. Once these relationships have been established and nourished, people will come back again and again. They will tell others about you and your work. When your employees feel like they are getting their needs met, they are more likely to serve you and your customer in return.

Everyone wants to feel like their needs have been met. Win-win relationships represent an ongoing, mutually beneficial association between two or more people or organizations who work together. There is always a way to achieve this through open, two-way interaction, with each party seeking to find the optimum, mutual benefit.
Servant leaders can be a source of help to their employees by assisting them in meeting their goals, which in turn, is a positive benefit for all involved.

Leaders and employees should meet together regularly. According to Covey, a concerned leader needs to ask four questions during mutual accountability sessions:

1. How do you think your work is going?
2. How do you feel you have been growing in your work?
3. What are your goals?
4. How can I help you meet them?

Servant leadership isn't for the weak! It takes guts to practice this type of leadership, says Covey. Knowing that the boss has everyone’s best interest at heart empowers people. They become more productive and innovative. This type of environment invites cooperation and team-building. Give your people the tools they need to do their job and they will reward you and your organization's goals.

In his book, The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck states, "Servant Leadership is more than a concept. As far as I am concerned, it is a fact. I would simply define it by saying that any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself primarily as a servant of that group and will act accordingly."

Because this leadership model is character based, those in positions of leadership will find they will achieve their best results if they strengthen their own character and lead by examples of humility, cooperation, encouragement and support. Being willing to put yourself in a position of servant leader will keep you more actively involved with your co-workers. As you strive to serve them and get to know them, your appreciation for them and their contributions will grow and together you and your company will accomplish great things!

As published in Apartment News.

CAN SOCIAL MEDIA HELP GROW MY BUSINESS?

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve seen clear signs of the rise of social media everywhere. Invitations from companies to “like” their Facebook page, “follow” them on Twitter, or “check in” when visiting them on Foursquare are becoming the undisputed norm. Social media has become one of the premier ways of communicating with ones customer base and, even better, generating new customers and an excellent return on investment, all for a very reasonable price.

Why Does Social Media Work?

Most people would agree that by engaging in social media, you’re showing the more human side of your company. With an array of social media sites ranging from Facebook and MySpace to Digg and Linkedin, the possibilities to communicate person to person are vast. This doesn’t mean not maintaining a professional venire, but implies a certain level of intimacy with your client base that wasn’t previously attainable. It’s relatively inexpensive, effective and a wonderful way to sustain a competitive edge. It’s also a great way to stay on your clients’ minds, especially if your business is heavily relationship/referral centric. By the way, what business isn't relationship dependent?

With that being said, here are a few tips that will help keep your social media efforts on track and assist with your growth of all things social media.

Patience is Key – Remember that you’re not going to see a huge jump instantaneously. Building out social media campaigns takes time, mostly because it’s the organic customer interaction that will be the most valuable. You’re not going to see a drag race style take-off with your company social media sites. But with time, effort and proper maintenance, the growth will certainly come.

Keep Your Identity – As a company, it’s important that you maintain your identity within your social media campaigns, even if you’ve hired an expert to help. Always remember your goals, your company values and who your client base really is. This will ensure that your messages stay on point with what you’re trying to accomplish and compliment your company branding. Everything you do is branding your company for good or for bad!

Interact, Interact, Interact – Hey, did I mention interact? I would argue that the whole point of social media is to show a more human, relatable side of your company to current and potential customers. This includes taking the time and effort to respond to messages on Linkedin or posts on Facebook. Don’t just spew out dry, promotional verbiage. Readers will detect if you're just trying to load your posts with key words. Use your campaigns to really help you get to know your client base and in turn, capitalize on the opportunity to grow it even further. Imagine your readers to be true friends and post things you think would interest them. Just Google “social media success stories” – you’ll find some encouraging accounts of companies who took the time to do it right.






Keep Likes/Followers in Perspective – Your goal isn’t to have a million followers. And even if you do, if they’re not relevant to what your company is looking to achieve, who cares? When enlisting the help of social media experts, beware of companies that promise to jump the number of followers or fans your company has to a high number. The number of these likes/fans that you have does not automatically equate to a return on investment. You want targeted fans who will respond to your call to action, be it purchasing your product or utilizing your service.

Keep Things Interesting – Again, as with any content that your company uses on the web, it’s important to keep things interesting and relevant. Don’t post the same boring “check out our website” updates day after day. Look at the most successful business social media profiles – every effective one makes an effort at really connecting with their fans and functioning as more than just a dry promotional vehicle. Don't forget that pictures tell a thousand words! Again, this is your opportunity to really connect with your client base, to create lifelong partnerships and to show that your business has a human face.

If you’re brand new to social media, it’s worth taking a closer look and digging deeper to see what it can do to help grow your business model. To what extent you dedicate your social media emphasis will depend on what kind of a business you have and who your clients are. But in a marketing world that’s constantly evolving, I think it’s definitely worth exploring every tool, including on the web, that is and will continue to shape how we do business.

SETTING AND REACHING YOUR GOALS

I read a great quote by Charles C. Noble today: “You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures.” It’s a simple quote—direct and to the point. But how simple is this principle to actually put into practice? Everyone has some kind of goal, but in business, the importance of materializing these goals from inspirational posters on the wall to real action can be a bit more complex. Especially in an economy that has had its shares of ups and downs, it can be easy for businesses to get discouraged and really begin to doubt whether their goals were realistic in the first place. This is why the process of creating goals, both short and long term, are of the utmost importance.

Why are setting goals important?

Obviously, you know that without goals, your business plan and avenues of execution will waiver without any real direction. But even more important, your staff, management team and sense of community within your organization will be increased tenfold when you’re vocal about what your team is working to accomplish. This means sharing with your team the big picture and making sure that they understand exactly how the things they’re doing today is going to provide growth, not only for the company, but for them personally. Too often, goals are set and not reached— not because of a lack of desire, but because they are not treated according to the type of goal that they truly are.

So what types of goals should you set in the first place?

Short term: These should be goals that can be quickly reached and will have a quicker effect on increasing your bottom line. These short term goals should be what will help you reach your next milestone and thus, positively affect the big picture within your long term goals. Reaching short term goals may not be the whole enchilada you’re looking for, but they’re definitely worth celebrating. After all, congrats is in order for you and your team after taking yet another step towards where you want to be as a business.

Milestone: These are made up of your short term goals. Milestones could include the opening of a new store, closing on a huge contract, or even reaching a certain number of employees. Either way, these goals are the building blocks of the big picture. They’re a bit more challenging to reach than your short term goals, but are big enough puzzle pieces that you can really begin to see clear, constructive movement towards what you ultimately want to achieve.

Long term:
When you give your staff an idea of what your long term goals are, they not only know the importance of accomplishing smaller tasks, but also how those tasks are going to help create bigger successes and even better, more opportunities for them. Whether your long term goal is to become a nationwide chain or to take a greater percentage of the marketplace than your top competitor, these goals are the ultimate in what you’re aiming for. This means that these are naturally complex, detailed and strategic in nature. However, by breaking these long term goals into a series of milestones and short term objectives, your long term goals suddenly become organized, in perspective and more importantly, attainable!

How can you use these goals to show your customers you’re on the right track?

As with any business, it’s important that your clients know that your trustworthy, thorough and client centric company is why you’re one of the top dogs in your game. Even if you’re not yet one of the leaders in your industry, properly set goals, the right staff and consumer loyalty are what will help you skyrocket to success. Ultimately, the question is “how can you show your clients that your company holds high standards?” Well in my case, I like to lay it out there up-front. That's the essence of our up-front communication guarantee! Also, our company has it's mission statement proudly displayed on the home page of the website. It tells the whole world that our primary goal is to satisfy each and every customer of Rainforest Plumbing & Air. Along with the guarantees of being timely, accurate and fair, we are telling our customers that we’re confident in our mission of providing the best service possible.

Remember that setting, and especially meeting these goals aren’t always easy. Sometimes, the smaller building blocks will change but the big picture and end goal will remain just as steadfast as before. The key is to set yourself attainable goals. Reach them piece by piece, and put the small failures behind you but only after you've learned from them. The truth is, setbacks can and will happen. Some goals will change, prove themselves to be way more difficult than you previously thought and even prove to be money pits. But with the help of good leadership and a motivated team, you'll realize you're company is capable of a whole lot more when you take the time to set meaningful goals.

IDEA FACTORY

There is a magical space of time that occurs between sleep and consciousness that I call the "Idea Factory". For me, this time usually happens in the morning when there is no particular rush to jump out of bed to get moving. This is when my thoughts are clear and ideas flow easily; it's like magic! Some of my best ideas about business or otherwise have come to me during this time.

I don't know what it is about this time but it seems to be the perfect incubator for clarity of thought. The "factory" only operates for a few minutes but in that tiny space of time, the doors open and I get my best ideas. Thoughts come to the surface and ideas are presented to me like factory parts on a conveyor belt. Questions are answered and everything is put into perspective.

It has taken me years to be aware of this phenomenon but I've come to realize that everyone at least occasionally has their own idea factory. If you are not already aware of your idea factory, perhaps you will now recognize it and make it produce your best ideas. It's a priceless gift that I think many of us have but few recognize and fewer are able to capture the final product.

One unfortunate thing about the idea factory is that it only operates for a few minutes it seems. The clarity of mind and thought that occurs is as if there is no time but once the doors close, the ideas fade away quickly. The key to making the idea factory work for you is to always be prepared with a note pad or electronic device by your bedside at all times. As soon as the factory doors close and you are awake, write down your thoughts quickly! Any delay at all will cause your once clear mind to dim and the thoughts just float away.

Never let a good thought or idea go to waste by not writing it down. You tell yourself that this one is so big, you couldn't possibly lose it but inevitably it leaves as fast as it came and could be lost forever. It's like having a hard drive failure without a backup -- devastating!

Once you write down these thoughts while they are super clear it's like moving them from useless dreams to productive consciousness. You suddenly become fully aware of the amazing application of ideas in your life or business. Once they are written, they can be built upon later.

If there is any secret to share about where to find great ideas, this is the big one. So, the next time you are laying in bed on a Sunday morning or on a lazy vacation, think, listen and write about everything that's made in your "Idea Factory".

THE GOLDEN NUGGET: What Your Customer Wants

I am constantly trying to figure out what our customers want and just as important, what they don't want. It seems complicated but the list is fairly short. In fact, you might discover a single golden nugget that hits the nail on the head! Most companies haven't a clue so read on and dominate!

What is it that they DON'T want? That answer is surprising and certainly not at all intuitive. I see many companies out there with "Nascar" trucks all graphiced up with junk nobody really cares about. It makes you wonder if these things were any part of a real marketing strategy or just made up when the wrap was designed. This stuff takes thought and effort. Use valuable "real estate" only for things that make a real difference in the customer's mind.

Here are some typical things we all see out there that don't really make a hill of beans difference to anybody. These are what I call boring platitudes! None of these things will actually motivate anyone to buy your product or service:

- Comprehensive solutions
- Customizable products
- Fast turn-around
- For all your ______ needs
- Highly responsive
- Best _____ in the business

Boring! Why do people do that? Are they just trying to fill up empty space on the page or side of the truck? I say get out a giant eraser and get rid of all that. Your brand deserves better!

Instead, do this: Spend some time and think. Start with a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left, list all the boring features and benefits that you used to think were so great. On the right, but yourself in your customer's shoes and write a sentence or two that describes what that means. Really define it. Make a company meeting out of it if necessary.

When you're all done, there will be some that just have lousy definitions. Fix em' or toss em'! Study what you've got left and pick one that really hits a home run. Is that the little nugget your customer is looking for? Does it satisfy what your customer wants and needs? See if it falls into any one of the following customer needs categories:

- More sales
- Greater productivity
- More profit
- Better image
- More customers
- Loyal employees
- Better morale
- No hassles
- More free time

Once you've identified your golden nugget, think again. Ask yourself, "What can we do to build an entire campaign around this?" Make a logo? Train your people? It's your concept now. Own it and make your competition squirm!

Once you realize that your long list of platitudes is boring your customer to death, the sky is the limit! Defining your customer's needs is the single greatest discovery you will make in the whole life of your business.

For more tips like this, please see my other articles at www.iketippetts.com. You can also email me at Ike@rainforestplumbing.com

DON'T BE SCARED, BRAND YOURSELF

I was reading a book today that said "It's not who you know, it's who knows you". How true is that? In this age of new media, it's easier than ever to create your own personal brand.

One way I brand myself is through www.iketippetts.com. It's basically a blog where I talk about a variety of things. I think people have a curiosity about what makes Rainforest Plumbing & Air successful and some may be interested in the things I write about. Sometimes I write about personal interest topics like diet, nutrition or exercise and other times I write about business and management topics.

I view my online strategy in the shape of a wheel with http://www.rainforestplumbing.com/ at the center. The spokes add strength to the wheel and support the hub.

Here are some of the spokes:

www.iketippetts.com/
www.upfrontguarantee.com/
www.nomonkeybusiness.com/
www.facebook.com/rainforestplumbing
www.rainforestuniversity.com/
twitter.com/#!/RainforestPlumb
www.linkedin.com/company/rainforest-plumbing-&-air

Some of these items are still in development but I've listed them anyway just to illustrate the strategy. There are other spokes that will surely be added over time as I am constantly searching for ways to differentiate Rainforest Plumbing & Air from all the rest.

Some people get scared about personal branding especially on the Internet and I agree you have to be careful. Just be smart about it.

Our lives are interconnected and whether you know it or not, you have an audience. Now, go out and start creating your own personal brand. You never know when or how it will come in handy.

UP-FRONT COMMUNICATION TRAINING

Over the last several weeks, I have been fine tuning my ideas on the up-front communication concept. We now have "Up-front Communication Training" at Rainforest Plumbing & Air! This morning was the first whole-company training meeting on the topic.

Everyone listened and participated well as I unveiled the new up-front communication guarantee logo and the new Up-front Agreement. I explained that my intention was to change the entire company culture so that up-front communication was the central focus. This is way more than just a marketing campaign. I believe it is a complete transformation of the way Rainforest will do business in the future.

As of now, the technicians are out working and I hope making numerous up-front agreements at this very moment. This idea is innovative and sets us apart from all the rest.

Here is some copy from the training I did this morning:

OUR UP-FRONT COMMUNICATION GUARANTEE

OUR PART (TECHNICIAN):

The technician will begin by asking qualifying questions and listening to gain a clear understanding of your needs, problems, requirements, expectations and value perception. We will communicate the necessary work to be completed, time required and total investment before making any repairs.

YOUR PART (CUSTOMER):

Make sure that you are present when the technician arrives. Before the work is done, clearly communicate your needs, problems, requirements, expectations and value understanding. It is important that we complete an up-front agreement prior to any repairs. We want you to be assured that you have made the right decision, are not paying too much, and that we will deliver as promised.