“We really focused on helping our members create relationships with their customers and talked about the unique points of contact where they can really deliver value and distinction in the mind of customers,” Tester said. “We talked about the installation process, dispatch, and the role of the owner in this whole thing. That was the focus, which was a bit different for us as it’s not just getting up and doing a panel discussion on changes in the industry.”

The event featured bestselling author Scott McKain as a keynote speaker. McKain discussed how to create undying loyalty and endless referrals as well as how leaders can motivate employees and expand their ability to deliver extraordinary results.

Scott Stratten, president of unmarketing.com, gave the final keynote address, pulling information from his new book, “Unselling.” Stratten told the audience it’s all about the big picture — creating repeat customers, not one-time buyers, and becoming the go-to company before they ever need you. He also demonstrated how one negative review can outweigh a thousand social media followers if it isn’t handled correctly.

Rob Buckley, Nexstar’s business coach, debuted groundbreaking and innovative training tools created for leading a successful installation team during the event. Other topics covered included handling customer objections and unexpected questions, prioritizing calls to maximize opportunity, keeping customers happy, and more.

“McKain’s thoughts on customer perspective really stuck with me,” said Marty Cullen, owner, A1 Plumbing, Boise, Idaho.

“I tend to compare myself to competitors who don’t necessarily have a call center or 24-hour service to make myself feel good. And, McKain pointed out that customers aren’t comparing you to everybody else in the industry, they’re comparing you to the service they get in all industries. It was like a lightbulb went off. I can say I’m better than some people, and I know there are others better than me out there. But, considering I have to compare my customer experience to the Lexus dealer? Wow. We have to create a compelling customer experience and we have to compare ourselves to people outside of our industry. And we’ve already started working on that.”

New Online Resources

For the first time, the Nexstar Network provided online tools and resources to attending members to take home and review with their employees. “For every subject, we provided take-home online content — that was different this year,” Tester noted.

“The owner learned the big picture, and then we created video lessons online that they can use to develop and train their staff. So, when they got home, there were 17 new modules on our website they could use to train their dispatchers, installers, and customer service representatives. We’re excited about that.”

“The only problem I have is when I get home, I have so many things going through my mind,” said Brian Williams, owner, Ashton Service Group, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. “Every presenter had so much information for every department. I still haven’t been able to share everything with my staff yet. I’m looking forward to putting it all into practice. They did a fantastic job. Nexstar really cares about its members.”

Publication date: 5/4/2015

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