Who Represents Your Company?

Solid, reliable, healthy businesses are not lucky. If you agree, then the counter is equally true: Failed businesses are generally not unlucky. Usually, the demise has been triggered by action or inaction to an impending “known” challenge.

Doubtless, if you are in the “successful” category, you’ve been called “lucky” by those unwilling to create their own. If you are on your way to business success (and we’re delighted to be with you), you’re becoming increasingly aware that “luck” is more likely a seized opportunity or a systemized solution, one that includes these marketing nuggets:

·      Image adds to your credibility, which NO ONE is taking a chance on these days.

·      Regular marketing “impressions” (ad exposures) add to your “recall rate” and now you can buy those impressions cheaper than I’ve ever seen. (Radio and newspaper are especially cheap. Your community newspapers are almost giving away space, and the results have a better ROI than in years.)

·      Adding a small, inoffensive upsell on every service call adds to your average transaction size, and is one of the “mystery numbers” that swells your bottom line.

·      Improving your marketing and branching out into digitalized marketing streams is the present, not future, of contractor marketing. Using email marketing, video marketing and social marketing elevates you above the sea of mediocrity in the contracting industry. Plus, it boosts your credibility, findability and profitability when done correctly.

If your marketing plan is missing any of these nuggets, we'd love to help you find them. You can contact a coach here at Hudson, Ink by sending an email to coaches@hudsonink.com. 

The Brain Eating Robot

There are TWO fabulous shows I always watch:

1.       The Profit

2.       I Hate My Buttocks Region

Wait, that second one was a very short-lived infomercial, and I only watched it to confirm the hate heaped upon their buttocks region.

So my real favorite other show is, “How It’s Made”.

If you’ve not ever seen this, it shows a product going from raw form to finished and ready for a new owner. Though you may skip the thrilling episode on mop-making, the more complex builds are absolutely incredible.

It tends to prove why hyper-efficient robots continue to get hired over an insolent, I-phone addicted workforce demanding a Starbucks in every lobby. The trade-off is that when robots have to go through the metal detectors, it does make them late for work.

I recently watched an episode that proved two things that GUARANTEE human beings cannot ever be fully replaced.

Done correctly, these 2 things can also guarantee that YOU are never replaced, even if your customers are faced with less expensive, eager competitors.

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The first one is: It took a human to design and build the robot.

Soon as robots can design and build themselves, I’m going to another planet (like Montana) where the robots can’t find me.

Yet as long as human beings study how machinery can maximize the build, installation, or service, you can be sure of this: When the human mistakes or inefficiencies are more costly than the robot, you can extract a human (or several thousand) from that process.

Since this efficiency quest will likely never cease, it shows the value of being a ‘systems thinker’ instead of a ‘task thinker’.

And though you’re in little danger of a robot taking your contracting job (but there’s always tomorrow!), much of your day is systemizable. From when/how often you check email to how you diagnose a ‘no service’ call, to how you hire/motivate a new staff member, it’s all a process.

If you treat all of these as events instead of processes, you'll be forced to repeat them, likely forget or stray from the way the process should work.  All this adds to costs, stress, and your eventual replacement… by a systems thinker.

The second one is: It takes people to help and train other people.

We all know what happens when machines try to intervene when a human would be welcomed. I want to meet the guy who invented the phone Auto Attendant, put vise grips on his armpit skin, then make him “Press or say ‘one’ for excruciating pain”. 

We may be able to train the people who program the robots, but never the other way around.

A recent episode of ‘How It’s Made’ showed the incredibly skilled workforce that builds the Bugatti Veyron, a now-completed run of $1.6m 250 mph supercars. Robots built and cast the engine pieces, did the aluminum welds, yet humans sifted through the leathers, assembled the engines, and performed the final tests.

Even with this much hand-building going on, one thing was very evident:

The workers had been trained, and trained, and re-trained by human beings. They worked together in choreographed perfection. If not, the process (or even the product) was ruined. They could do this at this level only because they’d been coached well and practiced it relentlessly.

Coaching for Consultants

I have often mentioned that I’m in three coaching programs. One for copywriting, another for ‘Information Marketing’ and another that focuses on different topics each few months. And I tend to wonder, “How can ANY consultant not be in constant learning mode outside of themselves?”

Maybe it’s my fear of becoming what has happened to those who don’t. One day, irrelevance moves in where competence had once resided. For 3 years, I ran a Coaching program just for Contractor Consultants to raise the standards across the board. 

Think of your experiences…

Could your children teach themselves? Your techs? How do YOU continue to grow beyond the incremental experience of the day? Are you getting better, or just ‘same ol’ same ol’?

It would take someone very arrogant to believe they’d ever learned enough about their work to quit learning. Heck, every NASCAR driver, professional golfer, and top CEO’s have coaches.

Coaching for Contractors

When our daily on-site consulting rates went to $7,800 (cheap by some standards) I realized that the contractors who needed marketing help the most weren’t getting it. Further, annual seminars are great but they’re a single-dose-by-fire-hose approach that carries little momentum.

That’s why we created The Mega-Marketer Coaching program, (and I’m about to show you how to take a no-cost test drive). It gives you the ‘seminar experience’ in our Monthly Coaching Call without travel. Plus members get regular, ongoing marketing training on:

1.       What’s working now

2.       How to systemize what’s working (put marketing on ‘auto-pilot’)

3.       What trends are ending (Get out before it costs you any more)

Just taking the time to read articles (like this) puts you ahead of most competitors, yet I’ve been wanting to find a way to give you a taste of real coaching… to see what it’s like to have someone “on your side” helping you through the marketing minefield.

Right now, we’d like to invite 10 new members to join us. To see if this is a ‘fit’ for both of us, you can take a zero cost test drive FIRST.

You get 1-to-1 support, feedback on marketing initiatives, advice on ‘What to use now’, plus the monthly call. All at no charge for a full month. So go here to check it out.

The main thing is that we all need a coach. We all need encouragement, experience, and training outside our four walls. Every person with a willingness to improve should try to access that improvement. And if you hate your buttocks region, I know a show you can watch.

Adams Hudson

Say Hello to the Customer Disservice Department

We can’t do that”. 

The above is among my least favorite phrases, right along with, “That’s not our policy,” and “License and registration, please,”

Yet I’m equally not in favor, oddly enough, that the customer is always right. Nor do I recommend adopting the ever-popularized ‘Nordstrom way’ of accommodating every unreasonable request with a shame-faced promise to lose money and do pushups until you’re satisfied. 

No, sometimes the customer is plain wrong. That’s because they’re unrealistic, self-centered parrots with a highly-developed sense of entitlement. Perhaps they’re entitled to your competition’s phone number, and possibly a chauffeured ride to the same. 

Yet, there are cases of “Can’t do that,” also translated as “Won’t do that” or “Can’t remember if we do that or not, so ‘no’ is easier than finding out.”

Such is the case here, plus one truly awesome over-the-top Customer Service story that should become a company training requirement…

Customer Service Horror

Yes, I should be flogged: I’m having an old, needy, deserving car restored. Though I told myself a few years ago I’d never do this again, circumstances have forced this upon me. My wife – who has quoted me on the ‘never’ part – refuses to believe my claims that Google, Obamacare and the Kardashians are somehow involved. I’m having my people look into this.

During a car restoration, a person must buy a quantity of parts that exceed the actual number that it took to build the car in the first place. While expressing my dismay, the parts man says, “It is what it is.”(I noticed this phrase became meaningless when I used it to explain my credit card limit. “It was what it was,” I attempt to tell the dial tone.)

Anyway, we’ve been “under restoration” for 2 years this month. Chuck, my restorer person (unbelievably talented man at ColorWorks in Los Lunas, NM) has been fantastic and – unusual for this trade – very organized. He would order a bunch of parts prior to needing them for his next phase of work. When he reached that phase, he wasn’t waiting around. Very smart. 

Well, until we hit this snag.

Once the engine went in, it seemed like a good idea to try and start it, so on went the new out-of-the-box starter. No starting. Some whirring noises then ‘click’, then nothing. It was dead. “I’ll just box it up and return it for another,” Chuck said to our long-time, nearly exclusive parts supplier.

 “Well, it’s been over 90 days.” Chuck’s problem-sensing antenna went up. 

“What? I can’t return this?” asked Chuck. 

“No. We can’t do that. It’s been over 90 days. Nothing can be returned after that,” said the former parts supplier.

When Chuck told me this, I said, “I know something else that will never return: you and me.” 

We’ve ordered just over $24,000 of parts from this supplier. And here, with several months of work undone, a $190 defective part is going to become a paperweight, under which the well-worn catalog of this vendor will no longer sit. 

Think about this in your business. What $10 roadblocks do your policies put in front of $100 opportunities? Ask that very question at your next staff meeting. Then have ‘em listen to this victory and get inspired…

Customer Service Miracle

Banks are not often known for having great customer service policies. (Though I do secretly miss getting a free toaster with a new account.)  SOME banks could even be considered soul-depleting vampires that would put your funeral expenses on revolving credit if they could. 

Yet, there are those who have grasped – unlike my parts supplier – that there are occasions where human understanding trumps policy. 

Since my kids fled the house, we decided to get a new-to-us-but-quite-used boat. It would be a smaller, more manageable craft that wouldn’t be required to pull up to 18 screaming teenagers tubing. We just needed a cruiser. 

I found a good one on eBay, and the owner was kind enough to deliver it. He wasn’t, however, so kind that he didn’t want to get paid, so the bank agreed to have his cashier’s check ready for me to pick up before his nighttime delivery. They did exactly as requested. 

Well, it has been rumored that I am forgetful. Wait, what was my point? Oh yeah. 

At 6 minutes after 5pm, with the owner en route, I remembered I had no check to give him. In a mild panic, I called my banker who was about to leave. “The teller’s desks are automatically locked at 5. The vault is locked. I can’t create a Cashier’s Check without the floor manager’s signature… who is not here. Give me 10 minutes, I’ll call you back.”

In 5 minutes, he calls. “Come on down here. I think we’ve got this figured out.” I apologized profusely, kicking my own wallet region in the process. “No need to apologize for being human; service is what we do.” (No really, it’s in their name even though they misspelled it: ServisFirst.com) 

Sure enough, Richard Bradford (one of the funnier humans alive) and the ever-capable James Hawk smiled as they said, “We’re going to open you a new checking account. I’m going to deposit the unused Cashier’s Check in it. You can use these checks to give the boat owner, as long as he’s willing to accept it.” A quick call to the understanding owner, and all was ok. 

It was now 5:45pm, on a Friday, and I’m looking at two guys with drooping ties and smiling faces who just corrected a mistake of my making. It was a rare but understood exception to tell the policy to shut up. After a big round of thanks I asked, “Do I still get the free toaster?” 

“That offer ended last night,” Richard laughed. 

To say they’ve re-earned my business, thanks, referrals and trust is an understatement. 

Tell your policy-makers you’d like to revisit the policy on treating people graciously. It’s a choice really; you can honor the policy, or honor the customer. 

Can you name a time of really great or really lousy customer service? What happened? What would you do differently or better as a result?

Contractors: It is time to RAISE your level of service, image and customer retention. What used to be ‘good enough’ in these areas is now lagging behind. 

Adams Hudson

Stuff You Should NEVER Say to Customers

“Hi There, I personally think you’re a major dolt with the personality of a Dry Erase board.”

See? I’d NEVER say that (okay, not to your face), but haven’t you ‘thought’ that about someone? (Possibly the last time we spoke!)

This is why God gave us filters – HEPA approved – to think before we speak. So, if you take that extreme example above, realize there are subtle layers of comments we make, thinking or not, that can massively impact our persuasion. This means: SALES.

The words you choose can COST you a fortune or MAKE you a fortune.

In marketing, I get the luxury of thinking hard (sometimes I make a frowny face to prove how hard I’m working) BEFORE my words turn into scripts ads or web copy. I put much effort into the order, word choice, sentence length and pauses, but that’s what I pretend to do for a living. However –

When you’re in front of a customer – live, on the phone or hurriedly banging out an email – you have no such luxury. It’s your wits, your ‘of the moment’ comments that WILL make or break you.

Here are the WORST phrases and words that are very commonly used, plus their SUPERIOR replacements. I strongly recommend tattooing this article to any remaining blank space on your younger staff members.

RULE 1: What you say to customers, HOW you say it and your body language while saying it has nothing to do with your price, quality of service or stocked trucks. It has everything to do with WHY that’s valuable to your customers.

PROOF of RULE 1: I took 3 pieces of antique outdoor furniture to a highly recommended powder coater. I delivered and picked up in my old truck. Upon picking them up, the work was gorgeous, the owner friendly, the price fair.

As I was loading it, one of his helpers said, “I can’t believe whoever you’re deliverin’ this to wanted to get this junk redone.” I reeled. “You mean my wife?”

As he stammered to recover, his boss grabbed him by the elbow, apologizing to me, marching him away for a “discussion”. See, none of the “work” mattered; it came down to a few horribly chosen words. If the boss hadn’t been there, or been so polite later, those words could have easily ended up on Facebook, Yelp and/or any review site I chose, costing the owner daily for months, maybe longer. Is it worth it?

Today, you can’t risk a callous remark by an untrained tech or CSR. If you value customers or your business, soft-skills training is no longer optional for success-seekers; it is mandatory.

How often do “little” things get said by your staff that are either received negatively or miscommunicated? And if so, do you ever know about it?

Do you eavesdrop on your CSR’s? Recently, we called a contractor whose ill-tempered CSR never said, “Hello” but merely shouted the company name and “Please hold!” You think this would’ve made a good impression on the wealthiest client in town? Or to a reporter? Or to your most loyal customer?

So, click here to download the WORST & BEST words and phrases I compiled just for contractors. 

Start using them today. Watch your sales and closes go up tomorrow!

Okay, so that’s it from me. I felt it was important to send you into the Summer season with the best tools to succeed!

Oh, and if that includes generating more leads and higher prices for you than your competition, we have the marketing pieces (with the right words!) to do that.

Hope this helps you.

The Coming Google Change that Can - and Probably Will - Smash Your Rank

When Google announces a change to their ranking system, generally two things happen: 1) A logical response from a few ‘early adopters’, and 2) Weeping and gnashing of teeth from everyone else.

In almost every instance, the Google rank you fought so hard to gain is about to do a nosedive. What’s the fuss? Three words:

Mobile-Enabled Access.

“It’s over,” Google has announced to websites that can’t be read on a smartphone. Mobile-friendly is now (as of April 21) a large ranking factor for whether your website shows up in search results. This is another way of saying a lack of mobile-friendliness means Google is knocking you down a few rungs.

Yes, since we seemingly can’t unplug ourselves from smartphones, Google realizes that we’re all sick of:          
a.       Trying to read microscopic print on the mobile-unfriendly sites          
b.      Attempting to hit a link on said site that is the size of a gnat’s ear lobe 
c.       Scrolling around endlessly to find the ‘buy’ or ‘contact’ button

So, in an attempt to save you from madness – and possibly to aid Google’s 800-lb gorilla status – if your site is not mobile-friendly by the deadline, you can expect your ranking to slip slowly at first (about 30 days), then more rapidly if you continue to ignore. But there’s good news too.

Moving to mobile-friendliness is a good strategy overall, even without the rank threat. In a 2015 report completed by Pew Research, it was found nearly 65% of American with smartphones use it as their “key entry point” for online access.

And once mobile searchers don’t like what they see with your ‘old’ site? They’re gone. Surveys show that 61% of mobile users are unlikely to return to a site they had trouble navigating.

Remarkably, some contractors will not heed the warning or update their sites. If you’re in a good mood, please knock on their cave and give ‘em the bad news. For the rest of you, try this:

• Easy test for mobile-friendliness: At your next meeting, have everyone enter your site on their smartphones. Once there, have them click through navigation, test links, send an email through your contact link and fill out an online form. The amount of ease, frustration or potential profanity will give you a decent cross-section of how your customers will feel. Take note.

• Second easy test: Type in in and see what happens. Provided you eventually show up (!), click your website link to see if you still land on the correct page. If you fail both of these tests, you need to call your web dude and give him/her strict orders to upgrade your site.
• Content Responsiveness. If you’re using a content management system, make sure you’re using a responsive design theme. If not, update to a newer version. This could be the answer to your problems, but many ignore simple fixes.
• Google Goodness? Check your site for other potential issues with the aid of Google’s Webmaster tools.  Visit https://support.google.com/webmasters/, then sign into your Google account to find data, tools and diagnostics for a Google-friendly site. Google knows how you can be found by Google. Seriously. Let them show you how it’s done.

There are several other ways to safeguard too, but not enough room in this article, so request the free report, “21 Ways to Boost Your Website Performance,” by emailing a polite request to freestuff@hudsonink.com.  We’ll send it right out.

The days of “desktop only” navigation and rank strategy are numbered. This is just another evolution of search engine optimization. Here’s hoping that you benefit by being prepared.

Tax Evasion for Dummies

It’s that time of year again. You know, when our loveable government tax agency – filled with charming and fun people who have no need to read any further – bill you for living in the United States.

Wait, they let you figure out your own bill! Yet, you must first decipher the ‘secret code’ (without a decoder ring) that is 700 pages long. And then there’s Chapters 2-40.

If you misinterpret the code, you may be required to pay an “I couldn’t figure it out” penalty or get sent to a Government Recreational Facility, which is funded by those who did figure out the code. Confused? Don’t be! Here are THREE big points to help you:

1)      Earn more, pay more. It’s like a reverse commission. Too high? See Item 2.

2)      Earn less, pay less. There! Or you can…

3)      Earn nothing, pay nothing! PLUS, you get paid by people in the other two groups to continue doing nothing. See? That’s why it’s called a system!

Now this is all cleared up, here’s How to make your tax concerns a thing of the past.  

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First, please know that I am not an accountant; never have been one and I get nervous in the presence of Excel. My advice in this area would rival that of lettuce.

Yet, I’d also be leery of Governmental type people giving you ANY spending advice, especially since they spent YOUR tax money on the following things I did not make up:

Ø  Gave Alaska Airlines $500,000 “to paint a Chinook salmon” on the side of a Boeing 737. Come to Alabama. I know some guys who’d do an awesome Largemouth bass for a 12-pack.

Ø  Spent $175,587 “to determine if cocaine makes Japanese quail engage in sexually risky behavior”. My opinion: Find the guy who suggested this study and arrest him because he is doing some very weird things.

Ø  Spent $151,988 on a study to determine “Why College freshmen had a tendency to add weight.“  I think I have your answer: a) Lots of beer, b) Lots of pizza, c) Very few parents standing over them saying, ‘Get your ASSociates degree off the couch and go do something.”  Does this solve the mystery?

“What? You’re like saying that like pepperonis are like not a fruit?”

(Editor: No, they’re not. And your boyfriend is a loser.)

Public Complaint Makes Private Disclosure

How many times have you heard someone say, “Man my taxes are SOOOO high?” Those people are actually saying:

“I am making a ton of dough. But since that is considered improper, I’ll make it sound like a complaint. Plus, I have a seriously awesome watch. ”

Yet – unimpressive as they are – they are onto something.

So, to quit worrying about our government flushing our tax money down those 1.6 gallon toilets:

Make More. Care Less.

To me, I don’t so much want some mythical mountain of money, I just want autonomy. (Thank heaven I had great mentors on this topic.) Some of this is attitudinal. So, instead of complaining about taxes, consider them thusly:

Your taxes really are a sales commission, paid to mostly responsible parties who try to keep you safe, give and protect freedoms, provide decent roads and sanitation, all within a compassionate system designed to catch you if you fall.

Sure, the policies are sometimes as dysfunctional as a quail on cocaine, but complaining doesn’t help or I’d be 6’4” by tomorrow morning. 

Your job – should you accept it – is to make as much as you possibly can to the degree you can live your freedoms happily. Save it, spend it, give it away. Leave the rest for taxes and call it a day.

Raise Your Pay Automatically

It’s NOT taxes that are stifling your financial independence, this is:

1.       Your own education about wealth attraction, accumulation, including…

2.       Business systems to improve cash flow

3.       Business systems to improve net profit (or however you’re directly paid)

And if your ‘investment’ in any of those comes back as “Either zero or next to it,” then your return is likely commensurate. Just an observation. Here’s an aside:

The most successful contractors I know are the SAME ONES every year, often on the front row of the seminars. (About 7-10 of my consultant friends have the identical observation; this is not coincidence.)

They invest in coaching, training. They invest in ‘systems’ for sales, operations, technical and – to my way of thinking – the most influential of all, marketing. (You just KNEW I’d slide that in!) Honestly, they realize that no leads or a forgotten presence can ruin the rest of their goals.

And they realize no investment in Customer Retention means, well, not much customer retention, who I’m pretty sure pay for everything you and I have.

They also hire slowly, ‘dismiss’ rather quickly and continue to improve the system. Their best people are well-educated in job performance AND improvement thereof. (This study of excellence is another topic, possibly worthy of a full coaching call. Your thoughts? Add it to comments below.)

So, as you complete your tax “commissions” this year, consider it a little scorecard to tell you:

“Am I closer or farther away from my goals than last year?”

This is a decent reading on your Autonomy Meter. If farther away, make adjustments (call your coach here), and if closer, congratulations. My hopes are that after writing your commission check to the government, you’re a giant step closer to not caring how much it is.

Adams Hudson

The Simple Marketing Secret Most Contractors Overlook

Let’s say you meet someone for the first time, and during that meeting, you have a great conversation and realize you have some common interests.  You seem to look at things the same way. 

You just get a feeling that this is a good person, and you may think, “You know, we could be friends.” 

“Could be” is the key phrase, of course.   Because, I’m sure you realize, it would take some specific actions to move from “we could be friends” to “we are friends.”  And one of the things you’d have to do is stay in touch.  You’d have to talk again.  You’d have to be in contact with each other. 

Now, if you’re starting to ask yourself why I’m telling you something so obvious, it’s because experience has shown me that a lot of contractors act as if “staying in touch” is a principle they've never heard of. 

And frankly, that’s scary. 

In most cases, it costs you in marketing expenses around $275-$325 to gain a new customer.  If you don’t keep that customer, you've spent an awful lot for a “one-time” service call.

Each name in your database only represents “could be” customer potential.  No, they’re not active customers any more than a one-time meeting with someone qualifies them as a friend. You've got to take action for that to happen.

The simple fact is this:  regular contact keeps customers.  That involves a number of tried-and-true techniques, such as:

•  Follow-up visits with thank you cards, calls, or emails: This simple act speaks volumes of your company and can boost your image. Have your techs keep a stock of thank you cards with pre-stamped envelopes and they can fill them out right after the service call. This two minute task will let your customer know that you appreciate their business.
• Offer maintenance agreements: How great is it to have a customer pay to remain a customer? This loyalty program is a mutual investment between the consumer and the provider. In a maintenance agreement a customer could get a higher level of service, exclusive discounts, special treatment, or even guarantees. What you get out of this is a reliable income stream. Maintenance agreements can even out your cash flow and provide a year round income.
• Reactivation Letters: Never throw away a list of names. An ex-customer will reactivate and spend money if you say the right things. Tell them that you miss them and if you've done something that might have offended them that you want to make it right with something free or a discount. By getting a response from this list you've saved money that was headed straight for the trash.

Equally important are holiday cards, “customer only” direct mail offers and a customer retention newsletter. 

If done correctly, that last item – the newsletter – is the centerpiece of a well-run customer retention program. In fact, if you only do one thing, make it a newsletter that goes out at least twice a year. 

Fill it with interesting “home care” tidbits so it’s not perceived as “advertising,” and thus forges a far better image and strengthens the relationship. Better relationship equals better retention. 

How to Get a Customer Newsletter

1. You can do it yourself. If you’re prone to writing, designing, graphics, editorial layout and have experience crafting an informative newsletter that can also sell, then go for it! Many times I speak with contractors who do it themselves the first time, then “run dry” for info on subsequent efforts. Therefore, there’s option 2…
2. Hire it out. An ad agency or newsletter creation service can create a special one for you, customized exactly as you want it. Unless your database is over 10,000 or so, the costs can be significant. This is why there’s option 3…
3. Use a “syndicated” newsletter. This is also known as “semi-custom.” It is very fast since the template for the newsletter and most of the content is already done. This also makes it far less costly. Some companies offer ‘ads’ for your company. Stay away from the overly slick fluffy ones since they don’t appear “local” enough to consumers.

A good syndicated customer retention newsletter costs less than $6 a year per customer, including postage!  Not a bad return on investment, especially since it involves returning customers.  Every customer who has written you a check or swiped a card in the last 48 months should be receiving your newsletter. 

All high performing newsletters will have an online component. A QR code can link your printed newsletter to your online version. Hudson, Ink can provide Newsletter customers with an online newsletter portal that is updated monthly with new content and offers for your customers. This improves your online presence, gives you content you can share on your social channels and provides even more helpful and useful information to your customers.

Sending a Newsletter to your customer is like having a cup of coffee with your customers at regularly specified times each season. It’s low pressure and keeps your company at the top of your customers mind.

Always remember, your company’s current customers are the absolute #1 source of your future sales. Loyal customer will end up spending 33% more with your company and sending 107% more referrals to your business than non-loyal customers. And speaking of referrals, newsletters are a great place to utilize referral requests. Most contractors think that referrals “just happen” but that’s usually not the case. If each of your customers referred one other then you would double your customer list right now. For free. 

When you lose customers, you lose all of their future business and all of their referrals to your competition.  When you keep customers, you keep that pool of sales for yourself.  And isn’t that a scenario worth considering?  

Good News About My Heart Attack

I was stunned beyond belief.

I had just sat down after a decently rigorous flurry of activity following the largest ‘Open Coaching Call’ we’d ever held. (451 Contractors registered; a phenomenal number of eager learners. More in this issue.)

I was going through the typical avalanche of emails following such, over-hearing a buzz of phone conversations, a regular flow of faxes hummed in the background. (Yes, still a significantly efficient form of communication.)

I’d had my ‘normal’ pre-call meal: a light turkey on wheat from Subway, loaded with vegetables.

Then it happened. Out of nowhere.

I got an email from my friend Tom Grandy, of Grandy and Associates, in response to my offer of a ‘breaking bread’ meal together while he was in my state. We’ve done it before, and I always enjoy time with Tom.

The subject line of his reply was, “My triple bypass”, and my heart sank. He went on to say that after returning from Africa (where his daughter is a missionary), Tom was on his treadmill. I mean the real kind, not the figurative one that chains some to a desk of monotony. Then something happened.

The next thing he knew, panicked faces hovered over him as he was rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery. He had 100% blockage in one artery and 90% in another, but he was snatched from death’s door. Now think of this –

Having a Bad Day, Anyone?

The above situation would be considered a ‘bad day’ in most anyone’s estimation, right? I mean, having your heart fondled by a team of strangers with scalpels and jumper cables seems low on the “My Most Awesome Day” contest submissions. Yet, Tom said in his email:

“God is so good to me. This could’ve happened while I was in Africa away from medical help. It could’ve happened on the 28 hour flight home. I am so fortunate that it happened in my own town with people who love me right there to help. That’s the good news about my heart attack.”

Brings tears to my eyes to even write that.

Some sermons are in words, and occasionally vanish on their way to the ceiling. Some sermons are in example, and they stick forever. His faith allowed a low point to be celebrated, recalled fondly and elicit gratitude. Wow.

Apparently, somewhere in the midst of arterial constriction lies the difference between a deeply appreciative spirit and a thinly complaining shell. (Is this the real distinction between good and bad cholesterol? I can’t ever keep ‘em straight anyway.)

And somewhere out there, somebody is complaining that their Latte is too frothy. That their customers are too picky. That their teenagers are too teenager-y. That their wife has a wrinkle, or their husband has a twinkle, and neither have an inkling of how to get back over the bridge of their relationship.

In my dual meaning best: “Get over it.”

Lo, here am I – in my selfishly-consumed best – who just moments before had been wrangling well-intentioned staff to keep up with the numbers of contractors on the call. To make sure ‘x’ was done so ‘y’ would happen and yield ‘z’ for the effort. I complained about mythically-missed opportunities. Oh, woe is me. Boo-bleeping-Hoo.

And Tom – who had enough tubes coming out of him to qualify as an aquarium – was writing thank you notes to God for his heart attack.

Attitude, Meet Adjustment

My first inclination was to write him back and say how much the story of his heart attack lifted my spirits. But that came out more ghoulish than intended. Seems you’d follow up with, “The next time I need a boost, I hope you’ll get a liver transplant!”

Yet, his attitude minimized and re-framed my microscopic problems. As a lasting lesson, I tried this:

Take a moment and imagine your work life and all its so-called “Problems”. Really. Take inventory of your particular pain points: The non-existent marketing program, complain-y customers, your co-worker with the IQ of toenail fungus. All of it.

Now imagine your veins turn into wine corks, and tell your heart to “Take a break for a few minutes and watch this”. Soon it’s you getting the $800 ambulance ride to a really sterile room that beeps a lot. What of those “pain points” will even measure up once you come to?

If they’re still problems after that, get ‘em gone. Adios. And – to be quite honest – keeping those things in your life will likely accelerate your schedule with the ambulance driver anyway.

It’s About Selection

We can choose what to celebrate. Or bemoan. We can choose our reaction. Or let it choose us. If we can alleviate one pain of yours, let us know.

As it turns out, Tom is fine, in mind, body and spirit. Thanks for the inspiration. 

I Want to Work with You, Code Cracker

Every now and then, it’s good to be boss. Not during tax season, nor during that ‘uncomfortable’ chat with a certifiably insane ex-employee, nor when the quasi-charity people call you 32 times a day.
Yet it IS good when your lovable staff hits a goal or just deserves to have a little fun.
So, last week we all went to the movies. (Well, they went while I rigged security cameras in their workspace. Ha!) Actually this was my wife’s great idea, so I took credit for it.
We saw ‘The Imitation Game,’ and I asked all to watch for ONE marketing principle from that film. Since it was a WWII code-cracking movie, you might think this was difficult.
Not even a little bit. The movie was superb, yet their observations were astounding. There was one very brief reference to an easily missed nugget, yet SEVERAL people noticed it as their chosen principle.
I was amazed. So, this is how I’d like to work with you this year… The lead is a genius mathematician named Alan Turing who believes he can unravel the Nazi ‘Enigma’ code. Yet, he has the personality of a rotted cactus, which makes him rather difficult to work with. (From first-hand painful experience, people just don’t understand us geniuseses.)
In fact, his team of highly gifted fellow (and one babe lady) code-crackers want to extract his organs. They would rather work against him than have him achieve his dream. That is, until the babe shows him how to get your way:
Be likeable. “If you’re liked, people want to work with you.”
This was a revelation to Mr. Congeniality. “How do you do that?” he asked. “By showing kindness,” said the babe. So the very next day, Alan takes all of their heads out of the vises. Ha! I get funnier the longer this goes… no he becomes:

• Interested in them
• Shows kindness
• And got a team of cooperative, motivated, loyal supporters working toward a common goal

And the movie goes from there, and yes, there’s victory. (See the movie, really.) Yet the ‘lesson’ is that, working apart is self-defeating and working together toward a goal is self-liberating.
Let’s Do This Together
For years, Hudson Ink has worked to establish the largest Marketing Coaching Group for Contractors in the nation. Though it essentially (and by design) ended my $9,800/day consulting gigs, it has been substantially more rewarding for all to work together toward a common goal.
And on Wednesday, February 11, 2015, we’re OPENING THE DOORS for a no-cost, no-strings test drive by having a ONE TIME ONLY LIVE PRESENTATION OF:
The Top 5 Most Explosive Contractor Marketing Trends for 2015
I asked another consultant, Brian Kraff of Market Hardware, to assist me in this presentation. He agreed instantly. I asked other consultants to invite their best customers, and they agreed. This will be a very crowded event! (Coaching members WILL get in; non-members need to be rather rapid about registration.)
We will discuss:

• Bring in more leads using what works today – Online and offline techniques that work together.
• Win on Google using what’s working now – Crack the Google code and master social media.
• Build a higher image and better branding – Learn how to sell more at a higher price.
• Automate your marketing – Learn ways to cut time and stress from your marketing plan.

Plus, we’re dumping a PILE of cool downloads, freebies and more on those who register.
OH, and you know that burning question you have… THE issue you can’t resolve… THE thing keeping you from the next level? Well…
We WANT your questions on that! So register and SEND US A QUESTION! (About marketing – not Nazi code-cracking please!)  Your question helps us build the curriculum.
This will be an open discussion of ‘What’s Working Now’ that requires nothing more of you than showing up! See? We’re working together toward a common goal, and I greatly look forward to it, so get your fanny registered here.
In the spirit of open collaboration, I ask that you invite as many of your colleagues and groups by sharing the link above. I’ll pay for as many lines as is practical. (The registration will close once we reach capacity, so register first, THEN share this link like a crazy person.) Let’s make this thing huge!
Looking forward to working with you.  And for that, we can both be boss.Adams Hudson
- See more at: http://salesandmarketinginsider.com/article-i-want-to-work-with-you-code-cracker.html#anchorEvery now and then, it’s good to be boss. Not during tax season, nor during that ‘uncomfortable’ chat with a certifiably insane ex-employee, nor when the quasi-charity people call you 32 times a day.

Yet it IS good when your lovable staff hits a goal or just deserves to have a little fun.

So, last week we all went to the movies. (Well, they went while I rigged security cameras in their work-space. Ha!) Actually this was my wife’s great idea, so I took credit for it.

We saw ‘The Imitation Game,’ and I asked all to watch for ONE marketing principle from that film. Since it was a WWII code-cracking movie, you might think this was difficult.

Not even a little bit. The movie was superb, yet their observations were astounding. There was one very brief reference to an easily missed nugget, yet SEVERAL people noticed it as their chosen principle.

I was amazed. So, this is how I’d like to work with you this year…

The lead is a genius mathematician named Alan Turing who believes he can unravel the Nazi ‘Enigma’ code. Yet, he has the personality of a rotted cactus, which makes him rather difficult to work with. (From first-hand painful experience, people just don’t understand us geniuseses.)

In fact, his team of highly gifted fellow (and one babe lady) code-crackers want to extract his organs. They would rather work against him than have him achieve his dream. That is, until the babe shows him how to get your way:

Be likeable. “If you’re liked, people want to work with you.”

This was a revelation to Mr. Congeniality. “How do you do that?” he asked. “By showing kindness,” said the babe. So the very next day, Alan takes all of their heads out of the vises. Ha! I get funnier the longer this goes… no he becomes:

• Interested in them
• Shows kindness
• And got a team of cooperative, motivated, loyal supporters working toward a common goal

And the movie goes from there, and yes, there’s victory. (See the movie, really.) Yet the ‘lesson’ is that, working apart is self-defeating and working together toward a goal is self-liberating.

Let’s Do This Together

For years, Hudson Ink has worked to establish the largest Marketing Coaching Group for Contractors in the nation. Though it essentially (and by design) ended my $9,800/day consulting gigs, it has been substantially more rewarding for all to work together toward a common goal.

And on Wednesday, February 11, 2015, we’re OPENING THE DOORS for a no-cost, no-strings test drive by having a ONE TIME ONLY LIVE PRESENTATION OF:

The Top 5 Most Explosive Contractor Marketing Trends for 2015

I asked another consultant, Brian Kraff of Market Hardware, to assist me in this presentation. He agreed instantly. I asked other consultants to invite their best customers, and they agreed. This will be a very crowded event! (Coaching members WILL get in; non-members need to be rather rapid about registration.)

We will discuss:

• Bring in more leads using what works today – Online and offline techniques that work together.
• Win on Google using what’s working now – Crack the Google code and master social media.
• Build a higher image and better branding – Learn how to sell more at a higher price.
• Automate your marketing – Learn ways to cut time and stress from your marketing plan.

Plus, we’re dumping a PILE of cool downloads, freebies and more on those who register.

OH, and you know that burning question you have… THE issue you can’t resolve… THE thing keeping you from the next level? Well…

We WANT your questions on that! So register and SEND US A QUESTION! (About marketing – not Nazi code-cracking please!)  Your question helps us build the curriculum.

This will be an open discussion of ‘What’s Working Now’ that requires nothing more of you than showing up! See? We’re working together toward a common goal, and I greatly look forward to it, so get your fanny registered here.

In the spirit of open collaboration, I ask that you invite as many of your colleagues and groups by sharing the link above. I’ll pay for as many lines as is practical. (The registration will close once we reach capacity, so register first, THEN share this link like a crazy person.) Let’s make this thing huge!

Looking forward to working with you.  And for that, we can both be boss.