What if you knew what traits these all stars all have in common? Well a Harvard Business Review researcher has made this easy. He interviewed 1,000 of the top sales performers at some of the country’s best companies. These are the President’s Club winners- the cream of the crop.

I’ll bet many of you think you know that the common traits are: “driven, outgoing, smart” etc.

Well, I felt the same way… then I read the article and was VERY surprised by a few things.

•  Modesty was the number one trait in common. 91% showed high levels.
• Curiosity was #4, with 82% showing high levels.
• Lack of gregariousness was #5; top performers averaged 30% lower gregariousness then average salespeople—they listened better.
• Lack of discouragement was #6, 90% showed rare or occasional sadness.

I found each of the above a bit surprising. Most stereotypes of sales people are of loud, immodest, gregarious people. But when I think of the all stars that I know- they fit each of these to a T.

Modesty was cited because people like modest people, and modest people put together teams to help achieve goals.

Curiosity is obviously a good thing no matter what the career is. But is curiosity really #4 in Sales? Well, the best sales people we know are fantastic at asking questions till they discover what the prospect really wants and needs.

Lack of gregariousness was a total surprise to me. The author stated that overly gregarious people are possibly trying too hard to be liked. They over empathize with customers instead of really having conversations. Whereas the all stars get to a place of respect with customers, not allies or friends.

Finally, lack of discouragement. while not a surprise to me for Sales, I was surprised that a simple things (especially for interview purposes) was that the author tied that most top performers played High School Sports- and learned how to cope with discouragement early in their lives (based on my H.S. career I should be great at this).

So, what do you think? Do you have top performers that fit this profile? Can you use this to help find some all stars? Were you surprised by any of these?

For the full article go to this link: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/06/the_seven_personality_traits_o.html

First- the issues. My wife and I use a nanny service- and they’re awesome. As new parents it’s been priceless to have someone that can help us out. They’re so good, we’ve really come to rely on them. So, when they messed up and did not show up one day- we were really thrown off!

The owner of the company is very nice, but she did not handle our complaint well at all. First- she did the basics: “I’m really sorry about this”. Then she dropped into the blame game- blaming her employee for screwing this up.

For every Business Owner or Manager out there- this is MISTAKE #1. Customers do not care whose fault it is within your team. Customers view you all as one entity – the company. So, when there’s a mistake- you have to take it on as your own mistake.

Next- she crossed an incredible line- she told me that she planned on docking that employee’s pay for the entire next day that she was to work at my house!!! WOW- that blew my cork. Did she think I wanted my revenge or something? Would I really want a disgruntled employee helping care for my 9 week old? Customers DO NOT want to know how you manage the internal functions of your business!

Safe to say- she got a piece of my mind about that one.

Next- and this is killer, she would not take responsibility herself. Her ego just wouldn’t allow it. This was not the first mistake they’ve made (it was just the worst). They’ve had scheduling issues before. The owner does all of the scheduling. Several different employees have told us they were given the wrong times etc. by her.

There is one thing in common to all of these things. They work for the same owner. The owner personally manages the schedule. Yet- when I suggested that the process needs to be looked at to avoid issues I got “my process is foolproof”. Ah- really? Why then were there 3 mistakes in 2 weeks?

This is where business owners and Managers HAVE to step up- and own the mistakes… EVEN if it is not their fault. EVEN if it is the CUSTOMER’S fault! Which is probably the hardest thing to do.

A few days after this we had a complaint from a customer with some training. We did pretty well on taking it on, and not blaming anyone. But- in the process of trying to explain to our customer what happened- it occurred to them like we did not own it-… and “BAM!” we were not being 100% responsible.

Our other mistake was to try and communicate with this customer through e-mail. I’m really embarrassed to admit this- but yes- we tried to make good with this customer on e-mail. Fortunately halfway through I realized how DUMB that is- and we were able to speak to the customer, take full responsibility for the issue- and leave them feeling cared for and appreciated.

Sometimes we get too busy to slow down and remember the basics. When this happens it always comes back to bite us.

This all reminds me of a statistic about customers. 1 in 26 customers will complain about a problem (source: US Office of Consumer Affairs). The remaining 25 will leave you for someone else, and not even alert you. THAT is the best context to put every complaint into: “this customer is giving me a chance to keep their business- I need to get this right”.

Reasons customers choose others: (Forum Corporation)

–        15% for price

–        15% for quality

–        70% for customer service

I recently came across an assessment tool to rate your business's customer service abilities. Go to the Forum Corp’s website and check it out:

 http://www.forum.com/register.aspx?id=ecaa5a10-19c4-48b6-9de5-22122783d656&edocid=228

And take this test- check out where you are in customer service capabilities.

Let us know what you do that works, and how this assessment worked too!

I personally cannot imagine eliminating the tried and true job site sign for a sign with a BAR CODE on it… but that is JUST what this contractor did in Oklahoma.

Yes, it sounds weird, even potentially dumb. But- if you read the article at this link… he could be dumb like a fox! What we’re talking about is a contractor that uses videos and You Tube for every project that he is doing!

So, instead of the standard old yard sign- he has a bar code that you can use to link to a video of him describing this particular project, and how his company is the best at this type of work. Sound crazy? Yes, to me too… but… he also sends his customers a video of their project walk through as part of his proposal…hmmm.

Ever go to a proposal visit, and have the owners say “ok we’ll get back to you”? Then not hear from them. Or, have them ask you what you just covered with them? Or, forget what you said to them? Well- all in one video, this contractor has wiped out all of those issues. He videotapes his project walk through, and sends it to the consumer via e-mail.

This way, the consumer can go into their e-mail and review what they went over with you. There is a video record of what was promised. If you’re good on camera- hey- they may remember how great you were after meeting several other contractors.

I’m all about separating yourself from the competition. Man- I bet you’d be the only roofing contractor that sends a video of the proposal walk through to them!

But- it gets even better. We all know that constant issues that the production teams face, figuring out what Sales promised to the consumer, or even just finding out what really concerns the consumer. How about figuring out what equipment they may need on the job before they start. Well- this contractor creates a crew video from the proposal walk through- and gives it to the Project Manager. This way the Production team sees and virtually meets the consumer. Sees the project and what it entails. Wow- this is a good one folks… now- how do I create a video?

Anyone out there doing this as well? Doing it better? Please post your thoughts and ideas!

If you want to read the complete article just click here: http://www.replacementcontractoronline.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=0&articleID=1613932

How long do you have to respond to an online sales lead? I think every sales pro and Contractor would say “not long- a couple of  hours”- at most.

Well, the folks at Harvard Business Review actually did a study of this question, and found some interesting things.

I love what they did: In an audit of 2,241 U.S. companies, they sent fake leads to each and then waited!

Here are some results:

• ·         37% responded in an hour
• ·         16% responded within 24 hours
• ·         24% took more than 24 hours
• ·         23% NEVER RESPONDED (?!?!)

The average response time for all was a whopping 42 hours! This is killer because they also studied how likely you are to connect with a customer- based on how long you took to respond…

• ·         If you respond within an hour- you are 7 times more likely to speak to someone than a company that took just an hour longer.
• ·         If you respond within an hour- you are 60 times more likely to speak to someone than companies that took 24 hours to respond.

Well, that makes it clear. You have to get back to online sales leads right away!

It is also interesting that Harvard said they qualified these leads by “having a meaningful conversation with the customer”- I take that to mean that you cannot simply e-mail people back and expect responses.

This should really not land as a surprise with online leads. We all are growing accustomed to logging on, going to sites, and getting everything we want- right away. And if we don’t, we bail to another website.

I wonder what the average response time is for Roofing Contractors. I’d bet it is low with the “average”- and this can be another way that top contractors get an edge… find a way to respond via phone as soon as a Sales Lead comes in!

You can find the entire Harvard Business Review article at this link: http://hbr.org/product/the-short-life-of-online-sales-leads/an/F1103B-PDF-ENG

Is there a way to have sales leads get sent directly to a salespersons, or Manager’s smart phone? Has to be, right?

There was an education session on Marketing innovations. What was new? Well- the speakers were from a company that is devoted  just  to helping  Steep Slope Roofing Contractors improve their marketing!

And they had some good ideas that I’d like to share:

1)      Become the local news source for regional newspapers. Volunteer to be  a source for articles, write articles for them etc.

2)      Use www.prlog.com  or www.prlog.org  – these sites are services that help get your press releases out to regional newspapers.

3)      Stop asking consumers to memorize your phone numbers. They’re just too long. Get them to memorize your website address in ads and job signs.

4)      Make your website into a jingle. “We’re Colorado roofing.com”  was a catchy one they used.

5)      Pay just $25.00 per month to have your business show up on Google map tags.

6)      Facebook has grown 700% in the last year. It is now larger than Google.

7)      Facebook is more like “branding”- get your name out there. Google is more targeted- people looking for roofers.

8)      You can use Facebook to search markets. They researched Las Vegas.

9)      There are 1.25 million people in Las Vegas.

10)   Facebook has 650,000 users there, more than 50%.

11)   The local newspapers largest subscription is 125,000 (10%)

12)   Websites really need to have video on them now. (if you’re a Master Elite Contractor you can place Avoiding Roofing Disasters there easily).

13)   Web users are 2x more likely to watch your ad on your website than they are to watch a TV ad.

14)   If you get a bad online review- you need to work hard to bury it with positive reviews ASAP.

I really like these ideas:

• ·         Phone numbers are a thing of the past.
• ·         Website jingles really make sense.
• ·         Video on websites are a great idea.
• ·         Press release service is a great idea too.

The company that gave this presentation is Roofing Contractor Marketing (www.roofingcontractormarketing.com) out of Denver. I have not worked with them, or even spoken to them. They said they work with roofing companies from all over the USA and look like a good group.  You can find other sources for marketing assistance too, especially if you are a GAF Certified Contractor- GAF offers you lots of Marketing tools.  In any case, it is always a good idea to refresh your marketing programs to keep ahead of the pack.

The only thing I dislike about our great business- is how people sometimes sort of talk down about roofers.  Now- to be sure, there are some bad people in our business, just like any other. But to say that all roofers are bad is like saying all doctors are, or lawyers, etc.

The truth is, the roofing industry is filled with fantastic people. Family driven people.  People who are committed to doing a tough job right.

This is why I always ask people to work on our industry’s image. There is no reason that roofing should be less respected than say plumbing, etc.

So, if you’re a roofing professional- I have a unique challenge for you.  How about making a difference this year? Is this part of your plan in 2011? If it is- and you’re a GAF Certified Roofing Contractor- we have great news!

GAF and Habitat for Humanity have teamed up for a unique program. GAF is challenging its Certified Contractors to go out and donate labor for 2 Habitat for Humanity roof installations. GAF will provide free roofing materials as well as our special System Plus warranty to these new homes.

The Contractors that donate labor will receive a special “GAF Community Contractor” award- that they can then market to customers.  From Paul Bromfield, Sr. VP of Marketing:

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to show our support for local community efforts through this partnership with Habitat for Humanity. It is an added benefit that through this arrangement we are also able to support our dedicated contractors who are local leaders in installation and share our interest in contributing to their communities.”

Habitat for Humanity is extremely excited by this new partnership as well. It is the first time that a Manufacturer has partnered with both a large donation, and a contractor labor affiliation through Habitat for Humanity. “This gift of construction materials will help Habitat affiliates across the country create affordable housing for their communities,” said Mark Crozet, senior vice president of resource development for Habitat for Humanity International. “It is immeasurably beneficial to have GAF contractors providing installation expertise as well. This is an exciting new partnership for our organization, and we greatly appreciate the support GAF Materials Corporation is providing.”

So- what will you do in 2011? Will you get too busy to give back? Or- will you commit to making a difference, while helping your own company too?

See you on some Habitat roofs!

I’ll never forget a life lesson in people management from my roofing days. I hired my best friend to work with me roofing houses. After a week, he quit. He told me that it was the worst work week he’d ever had. Why… because in his words “you treated me like a dummy- and never once said a good thing about my work”!

I was stunned- but he was right. I was basically hazing him as the new guy. From that point on- I got it. People need to be told they’re appreciated. They need to be regularly rewarded and thanked. Since then, I read this really good (and quick) book: “The Carrot Principle” by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton. They’ve studied the effects of appreciation on employees to amazing depth.

Here are some amazing stats from their extensive study of appreciation:

• 79% of employees that quit their jobs cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason for leaving
• Companies that effectively recognize employee excellence enjoy an ROE (Return On Equity) more than 3 times higher than those that do not reward excellence
• And- worst: 65% of North American employees reported that they were not recognized once in the previous year of work!

 The best part is that appreciation does not have to be done by paying cash to people! I read this from the Carrot Principle blog:

A recent McKinsey Quarterly survey offers some proof for companies that might be short on cash, but also hesitant that recognition won’t have the same impact as financial rewards. The report shows that respondents, “view three noncash motivators—praise from immediate managers, leadership attention, and a chance to lead projects or task forces—as no less or even more effective motivators than the three highest-rated financial incentives: cash bonuses, increased base pay, and stock or stock options.”

There it is… praise from Managers is tops to employees!

At GAF- we have two things: The President’s Club, and The Extra Mile Award. Both of these are high profile awards that are recognized annually by the Executive Team. You’d be amazed how hard people work to get these prestigious awards.

But, the Carrot Principle claims that day to day results can be achieved with small recognition as well. Here are some of the things I’ve started doing since reading the Carrot Principle:

•  Send all positive customer feedback to the entire team- and upper Management. E-mail makes this sooo easy, and this makes employees strive to get their names on the positive feedback
•  Recognize everyone’s company anniversaries.  So the whole team knows about it- and there is a gift card for the employee. Gives us a reason to celebrate the passing of time- and reflect on how far an employee has come.
•  Recognizing birthdays. Simple: let everyone know it’s their birthday. Add in a $50.00 Barnes and Noble gift card. My outlook reminds me a week in advance- and it is done. This really helps build a family feel to the team

So, what do you all do, to appreciate your people?

You can read all about the Carrot Principle at: http://carrots.com/

I just read a great article that proves that those feelings are more- they are facts. In Time Magazine’s 11/22 edition Belinda Luscombe wrote “how women are using their rapidly increasing spending power to change the way companies operate”.

So, have you changed your sales and marketing to catch this new wave?

If not- look at these stats:

• ·         Women make 85% of the buying decisions of their households.
• ·         In 10/2009 women became 51.5% of high paying management and professional workers
• ·         For every 2 men that graduate college now- 3 women will (complete opposite of 20 yrs ago)
• ·         For young, single people in their 20’s the median income for women is 108% that of men
• ·         A Booz & Co. report calls women “the next emerging economy”
• ·         In the USA- women hold 51.3% of the nation’s private wealth.

The real shockers though- were these:

• ·         Women are making the calls on $105 billion of the $256 billion home improvement market
• ·         Women are 44% of NFL Fans!

So- what do you do?

The article related that Midas auto found that women have one need they were not filling: They want to get to know and trust their mechanics. Hmm- is there a similarity between Midas and Roofing companies? Well… yes- the work is mostly done by men. Men that have their own language for what they do.  So, Midas created a program to teach their mechanics how to slow down, and talk professionally to all customers.

Marti Barletta is a guru of women’s buying science. She said “women want what men want- and then some more”. “They get the price and the comparisons- then want the thread count, the sustainability, the difference”. Are you on the leading edge of this, or are you losing work to competitors that are?

I, for one, am happy about this! Why? Well- I’ve learned firsthand that my wife is a much better buyer than I am. I’m in a rush- and don’t consider all alternatives and factors. My wife- well- she checks things out before a purchase. She always gets a feel for a company before buying from them. She also knows how to make sure we get what we pay for.

All of which means that we buy better things. Many times these better things cost more. And guess what… they’re better. They last longer, and come with better warranties!

What are you doing to catch this wave?

Please read the full article in Time Magazine here:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2030913,00.html

I set reminders to focus on the right things- first, before being distracted by someone else’s “right things"   :-) 

Marketing a business should have focus as well. What that means to me is: find the right customers- that are most profitable and have the highest close rates for you- and FOCUS on them.

One of my favorite stories is from a strong marketing roofer who is crazy about getting lawn signs up with past customers- in his neighborhoods of FOCUS. People in these areas constantly tell him “man your signs are everywhere”. Well- they’re actually not everywhere- they are where the FOCUS says they should be! Where they close more with higher margins.

We’re developing a new Sales Training course for Managers and Owners of GAF Certified Contractors. One of our main points is to FOCUS where you win most often. How many of you truly do this with marketing efforts? My experience is that most roofing companies try to blanket several markets. I’d call this the wide net approach. “The wider the net- the more fish”.

Is this better than a smaller net- with the right fish?

Most experts agree- the smaller net is better- if used properly. I’ll never forget the story of a friend of mine- who runs a very high end tree company in Massachusetts. This is a company that negotiates the tree contract for Boston Common (isn’t that illegal?).

When a customer calls them from a town that they know they have low returns in- they simply say “we’re sorry- we don’t service your town”. Turns out- my town is one of his low return towns that they don’t service. How do they know? Per capita income in my town is too low for them to make their margins. Funniest is- they have to go through my town to get to two towns that have the income required to afford them! That is great focus!

I bet some of you are saying: in this market- I need every darn lead I can get! Well, I recently read a really good article about this. This is my favorite quote from it:

“Creating a brand that targets an ideal customer does not mean you create a checklist and turn non-ideal customers away like a nightclub bouncer. If someone wants to buy from you who you didn't intend to attract, then you can still sell to them. It's not about who you will sell to; it's about where you will proactively focus your marketing time and effort.”

You can read this article at this link: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/how-to-focus-on-your-ideal-customer-maria-ross

What do you do to FOCUS on the right customers? Let us know!

When I ran a roofing company- it was all “marketing” that got us leads. Phone book, newspapers, job site signs. These were all the lead drivers.

What this leaves out is any and all responsibility on the part of Sales Professionals to develop their own leads. This also allows salespeople to BLAME the leads when they don’t close them. “The lead wasn’t real, or good, or qualified” etc.

What this speaker was saying is this “Sales Professionals should act like the phone will never ring again”.

This is a new world for me. So, how do they do this? Some ideas…

1. They work referrals on every sale they make. Tell every customer that “we’re a 90% referral company, how did you hear about us?”
2. Build referrals as a program. This means that they have a system to get referrals, a program. Most of us “hope” for referrals. The best have a system where customers are rewarded for them. It is a system for every sale. If the customer refers you, they get a $100 dinner gift card if the referral buys from you. If they do 2+ they get into a drawing for a trip.
3. Network for leads. Sales professionals should be out getting to know every other trade that goes into a home. They should build referral networks where you refer them, and they refer you. They should also be paid more for leads they developed.
4. Canvassing. This one always makes folks cringe. Good old fashioned cold calling has gotten a bad reputation. Really? In this slowww market- you won’t knock on doors? If no, what are those sales guys doing actually?
5. Work the neighbors. Any job you are doing has neighbors. Go out and build a flier that apologizes for the noise etc. as you do the work. Offer free estimates while in the area.

What are your thoughts? Are your sales teams responsible for developing their own leads? Do you know of other ways that salespeople can create their own lead streams?