What have you done during the past year, month or week that has helped change your business or service offerings? What are you doing now that will make an impact on your business’ bottom line? Are you considering new trucks or equipment for your technicians to bring them up to current standards or set them apart from the competition? What plans do have for your sales staff as far as equipping them with the right sales training? It’s time to address all of these questions and more.
One of the greatest resources you have is coming up next month at the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) PestWorld 2013. I can’t tell you how beneficial it is to attend a major trade show for our industry and see all the tools and technologies offered for expanding our companies. PestWorld is the source of anything you need to be successful in our business, not to mention the fellowship of friends who can provide an ample education of life lessons in the pest management industry.
I say this not as a past president of NPMA, but as a fellow pest management professional (PMP) who has benefited enormously from walking the trade show floor for many hours, networking with others and gaining the knowledge I needed for the future. If you want to be at the center of what’s going on, arm yourself with information that will transform you and take your company to greater heights. You’ve probably already chosen to be at the center by reading this magazine. Are you looking to climb to the next level?
Equipping yourself with the right resources and contacts will pay off. As you peruse the trade show floor, you’ll pick up ideas and business contacts. Your employees will appreciate the ideas you bring back to them because they’re hungry for new ways to help fight the war on pests. I don’t want to highlight any particular product by name, but two years ago, I made an investment for each of our technicians to have a new available tool that delivers dust in a more efficient manner, and this significantly enhanced our service. Now, if I took that tool away, they’d protest and want that duster back because they’ve realized its benefits. I wouldn’t have learned about this new tool unless I used it at PestWorld.
Recently, I made another investment for our sales team. I found a resource that provides effective sales training about how to close a sale from A to Z with any product or service using online videos. The program provides a test after each session and provides online accountability so I can monitor whether my sales team is participating. The extensive curriculum is fantastic. I’m also going through the weekly training to see what my team is learning.
Remember, we’re the hubs of our businesses. I have to work hard at being at the center of my company and make plans for its future. What are your plans for the future? pmp
You can reach Johnson, past president of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and president of Sevierville, Tenn.-based Johnson Pest Control, at ray@johnsonpestcontrol.com
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