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How To Make The Most Of Your Trade Show Investment
Exhibiting at a trade show or home show can be an expensive yet often necessary marketing initiative. Yet, many companies fail to maximize their return on investment.
By John DeFrancesco
For The News
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Biggest Time Wasters For Salespeople
Salespeople have a tendency to do things that detract from their effective use of time. This article discusses the four most common time-wasters observed.
By Dave Kahle
For The News
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Research Shows Taking Care Of Customers Is No. 1
Business research indicates that, when it comes to buyer loyalty, what keeps consumers coming back has less to do with price and marketing prowess than with how well the company treats its customers, especially when they have a question or complaint.
By Greg Mazurkiewicz
Of The News Staff
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The Effects Of The Temporary Tax Cuts Of 2003
Congress passed and the President quickly signed into law a $330 billion, 10-year tax cut plan that will have a significant impact on the tax bills of every contractor — and their HVACR businesses.
By Mark Battersby
For The News
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Proprietary Systems: Let The Buyer Beware
When I've been called in by building owners and managers and asked to price a maintenance agreement, they then ask, "Can you also include the EMS (energy management system) in your price?" I look at the system, and often the answer is no.
By Dennis L. Schroeder
For The News
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Get What You Want: Negotiate To Win
Failed negotiation strategies do more than prevent you from getting what you want. They also detract from your credibility and your knowledge base of the person or company you’re negotiating with. If you want to leave your next negotiation session with more favorable results, put the tips in this article to work.
By Al Auger
For The News
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Is Your Web Site A ‘Garage Sale’ Or A Marketing Tool?
Some Web sites put up by HVACR contractors are gems, chock full of useful information presented in a graphically pleasing way. Others look like “garage sales” with lots of words and photos strewn around or piled high in a heap. Which one is yours?
By Greg Mazurkiewicz
Of The News Staff
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Avoiding Potential Payroll Payment Pitfalls
Some economic stimulus proposals considered by Congress concerning payroll taxes have focused attention on the complex payroll withholding system that every HVACR contractor, wholesaler, distributor, and manufacturer must deal with. Do you understand the withholding issues as they apply to your business?
By Mark E. Battersby
For The News
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Put More Than Your Foot In The Door
It’s just the first step in the HVAC selling process — the one popularized by the cartoon with the salesperson’s foot stuck in the prospect’s door. If you can’t see them, you can’t sell them.
By Dave Donelson
For The News
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Being An Extraordinary Leader Through Tough Times
Tough and challenging times will surely come for a business leader. That is a given. Certainly, many would say that we are currently living in tough and challenging times. The question is, what kind of leadership will we demonstrate during those times?
By Chris Widener
For The News
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Valuing An HVACR Business, Post-Consolidation - Part 2
In the first installment, we discussed how the values of contracting businesses have come full circle in approximately six years. This article outlines a few key areas to consider when formulating purchase price.
By Brandon Jacob
For The News
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Valuing An HVACR Business, Post-Consolidation - Part 1
This is the first of a two-part series on valuing HVACR contracting businesses after the consolidation movement. This article discusses how the values of contracting businesses have come full circle in approximately six years.
By Brandon Jacob
For The News
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Making Maximum Use Of Direct Mail
Direct mail is one of the primary tools in an HVAC contractor’s marketing tool belt. But to get the best return on your investment, you need to do direct mail right or it could end up being a waste of time and money.
By Greg Mazurkiewicz
Of The News Staff
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Unlocking The Barriers To Business Success
Change of any kind scares most people. However, if you want your company to stand out, you must challenge people’s thoughts, challenge the norm, and do something different.
By Vicki Sanderford-O’Connor
For The News
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The Critical Importance Of Customer Relations
Many business owners forget that they have two kinds of customers, internal and external. Internal customers are your employees. External customers are those who write checks for your products and services. This article discusses the similarities and differences between internal and external customer relations.
By Ruth King
For The News
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Performance Management Without Pain
When designing a performance appraisal process, managers must be certain that the program objectively appraises employees based on job-related function, adequately documents and supports appraisals, and allows for a unified and consistent appraisal process for all company employees.
By Patricia S. Eyres
For The News
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Free Advertising: Promoting With Publicity
If you want to stretch your ad dollars as far as possible, publicity is a way for contractors to catch a “free ride.” Free publicity can’t replace advertising as a way to generate leads. But it can increase your company’s name recognition and remind customers of your existence.
By Adams Hudson
For The News
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Sell More With Persuasive Presentations
If you and your sales team desire increased sales without increasing call frequency, you only have one choice — excel at persuasive presentations.
By Ed Rigsbee
For The News
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Communication Skills For Service Technicians – Part 2
Part One discussed communication in general and introduced Neuro Linguistic Programming, defined as a science that explains how a person’s brain uses certain language to process information. Part Two discusses how you find out where you fit into the Neuro Linguistic Programming profile.
By Jim Johnson
For The News
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How To Make Your Customers Work For You
Ask yourself how many sales reps you think the typical residential HVAC contractor has on staff. If you guessed one or two, you’re not even close. The average contractor has closer to 5,000 reps and doesn’t realize it.
By Darren Parsons
For The News
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Seven Ways To Stay Up In Down Times
The only thing worse than wading through a business downturn is to do so without a strategy. “Business as usual” doesn’t cut it when markets, consumers, or other conditions beyond your control turn against you.
By Dave Anderson
For The News
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