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ON THE RECORD: Set Attainable Goals
26 Jan, 2010 By: Pete Grasso |
I know January is almost over and all the talk of New Year’s resolutions has all but died off, but I didn’t want the month to totally slip away without relaying some important advice for 2010.
I recently asked PMP Hall of Famer Norm Cooper if he had any resolutions for pest management professionals (PMPs) to follow in 2010. I know Norm is busy, so I didn’t expect him to spend a whole lot of time on this — I only wanted something short, simple and to the point.
Norm being Norm, however, gave me a longer write-up than I had originally envisioned and every word of it is gold. I simply couldn’t keep this all to myself.
So, without further ado, I present you Norm Cooper’s Resolutions for PMPs in 2010. Enjoy.
Resolve to set attainable goals to improve your business on a daily basis.
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Simple, sometimes obvious enhancements can be instituted and diligently emphasized. For example, a measurable improvement in employee morale — which ultimately leads to increased production and less employee turnover — can be accomplished by empowering employees with the authority (within set parameters) to provide "whatever-it-takes" to deliver outstanding customer service.
Ask each and every employee what they perceive their duties and responsibilities to be, and what they think could be done to improve on it. This should be done in writing and all employees should be informed at the same time. If handled properly, this could greatly improve team morale. It’s important that each employee personally receives your feedback — Follow up is imperative
Be a good citizen in your community. In addition to the obvious benefits, it greatly assists in garnering goodwill and public relations value.
Consider sponsoring a little league team, make presentations at schools about insects (don't forget hand-outs, NPMA can be a valuable resource), give pertinent presentations to civic organizations and business groups and, where practical, provide service to needy organizations.
Networking at this level can be a tool in building lasting customer relationships
Scrutinize every customer point of contact on a regular basis — your logo, your stationary, your Web site, your Twitter and Facebook pages, etc.
Try to stay in continuous contact with existing and prospective customers. Don’t aggressively promote yourself on social networking sites. Rather, be current, newsy and try to see your Tweets and blog posts from the recipients’ side.
Exploit public relations opportunities. Stay consistent about supplying news items and information to your local newspapers, radio and television stations. This can become an excellent opportunity for you to be perceived to be THE pest authority in your area at little expense.
Remember, media articles usually deliver much more credibility to the consumer than advertisements and at a fraction of the cost. This media exposure can greatly assist in establishing and maintaining your professional reputation.
Resolve to begin increasing your profitability by establishing achievable goals and by consistency. By improving your business by merely 1 percent per day you can improve 100 percent in just 10 weeks (think compound interest)!
You can reach Grasso, managing editor of Pest Management Professional, by e-mailing pgrasso@questex.com. Be sure to check out his blog, Keeping it Simple, at www.mypmp.net/PetesBlog.
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