Coalmarch, a provider of digital marketing and call center solutions platforms for pest control and lawn care companies, held its fifth annual CO2 conference geared to business owners.
The virtual event, dubbed CO2@Home because of the coronavirus pandemic, was held over three
half-days Dec. 1-3.
Donnie Shelton, CEO of Coalmarch and owner of Triangle Pest Control, Holly Springs, N.C., introduced the presenters and moderated the panel discussions that followed the presentations each day. Attendees had a chance to learn from one another and network during breakout sessions held at the middle and end of every day. Podium, Slingshot, Veseris, BASF, Syngenta and PestSure sponsored the event.
Day 1 focused on marketing. Speakers included Coalmarch’s VP of digital marketing, Rachel Betterbid; Dan Gordon, CPA, managing partner of PCO Bookkeepers and Pest Management Professional’s (PMP’s) “The Bottom Line” columnist; and Arrow Exterminators’ president, Tim Pollard; VP of marketing, Jason Pelham; and SVP of marketing, Mike Malone, BCE.
Day 2 centered on sales, and featured Massey Services’ VP of business development, Ian Robinson; William Blair Equity Research Analyst Tim Mulroney; Fox Pest Control Co-founder and President Mike Romney; and Slingshot CEO Taylor Olson.
Day 3 was about customers, and included PMP’s “The ABCs of Growth” co-columnist and ABC Home & Commercial Services’ owner, Bobby Jenkins; Eastside Exterminators COO Sharon Roebuck; Podium Director of Sales David Hepworth; and SafeSpray Pest Control President John Carney.
Presentation highlights
Gordon led a “CFO Workshop,” during which he discussed how to measure the financial health of your business. “Every company should have recurring revenue woven into its core,” he advised. “During jolts to the economy, all the one-time revenue dries up. For the most part, you’re not losing as much revenue when it’s recurring.”
“The Making of a Household Name” was presented by the Arrow Exterminators team. Pollard explained the origins of the company, which began in 1964 and has since expanded to 131 service centers. “Our culture is our No. 1 competitive advantage,” he said. “It provides a greater purpose for our team to be involved in something bigger than just doing their everyday duties. However, becoming a household name begins and ends with providing an awesome experience with every interaction.”
“Blueprint for a Winning Sales Team” was the title of Robinson’s presentation. He shared his 35 years of experience and industry expertise, noting that once you understand the vision for your company, you need people to help turn it into reality. Hiring, onboarding, training and verification are a few of the topics he discussed. “What you measure clearly needs to be communicated,” he advised. “Don’t let your standards, your objectives, your measurements be the best-kept secrets in your business.”
Romney examined “What Digital Can Learn from Door-to-Door” and how his company, which relies on door-to-door sales, has continued to grow since its launch in 2012. The foundation of the company is not about making money, he said, it’s about helping its employees grow. “Our ability to teach people leadership principles is fundamental to our success,” he added. For Fox Pest Control, this is accomplished through an individualized leadership plan for every employee that helps create loyalty; a company culture with values and principles people can live by that helps make employees good people; and annual leadership summits with leadership training and team-building activities.
Jenkins’ presentation, “Care More than the Competition: Setting Standards for Customer Service,” focused on the importance of company culture on a company that provides a service. He says his company translates its core values to core behaviors, which are how employees interact with customers, one another, and the community. Transparency helps make the company unique, he said: “We share all the numbers with all of the people who work at ABC. Everybody at ABC knows exactly where we are for the month and year-to-date from a profitability standpoint and from a revenue standpoint … because ultimately, everybody at ABC is tied in to profitability.” Making employees feel as though they have a vested interest in the business has a positive impact on company culture, he added. (Editor’s Note: Jenkins explains how ABC implements this process in his December 2020 column, p. 68.)
Roebuck presented “Making a Gold-Star CSR: Train, Motivate, Measure” — explaining why a pest control company’s customer service representatives (CSRs) are integral to its success. Hiring wisely and setting realistic expectations are critical. She recommended using a digital or paper form to track and evaluate the performance of a newly hired CSR during the first 30, 60 and 90 days. She also explained why competitive pay and desirable perks are important. “I can’t emphasize enough that you pay your CSRs competitively. I call them the ‘tip of the spear.’ They are the first person that your customers are going to communicate with when they reach out to you for service,” she said. “We need to make sure they are equipped with all the tools that they need to be successful, and that we pay them accordingly. They are important; they need to know that.”
CO2 returns to Coalmarch headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., on Dec. 7-10, 2021. To purchase tickets, visit co2.coalmarch.com.
Leave A Comment