PHCC of Washington News, Fall 2014 by Blue Water Publishers, LLC

N E H W Y D REA S U D E E N U YO

7 | 4 2

3-HOUR * COMMERCIAL WATER HEATER DELIVERY With Ferguson’s 24/7 Express Response commercial water heater program, you’ll have the unit you need, where you

• 24/7 emergency response • 3-hour * delivery time ( *3 hours for outlying areas) • Full-time delivery crew and truck • Haul away the old unit • Huge selection in stock (gas & electric)

need it in three hours *. FERGUSON.COM

Western Washington

Seattle (206) 767-7700 Eastern Washington

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

PHCCWASHINGTON FALL 2014

21 6

From the Desk of the PHCCWA President - Gerald Church

PHCCWA Executive Director Message - Greta Flinn

Nepal Sanitation 2014

PHCC of Washington Contractor Application

The Conventions

Why a Faucet Hole Costs $150.00

Empowered Employees - Part 1

Three Keys to Beating the Competition

PHCC of Washington PHCC of Washington News is published twice per year for the Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Contractors of Washington Association Greta Flinn, Executive Director PO Box 64580 University Place, WA 98464-0580 Toll Free: (888) 891-9240 Fax: (866) 272-2545 http://www.phccwa.org For information on advertising in this magazine, please contact the publisher: Jim Aitkins • Blue Water Publishers, LLC • (360) 805-6474 jima@bluewaterpublishers.com www.bluewaterpublishers.com

A Special Thank You to Our Advertisers American Apartment Owners Association Bradford White

22 5

Keller Supply

Kolbi Pipe Markers

BrassCraft 7

Liberty Pumps

Columbia Hydronics

Saniflo 9

Consolidated Supply

Star Rentals

FastEst 19

T & S Brass

Ferguson 2

Turbonics 19

Hollabaugh Bros and Associates

Watco 19

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

WE’RE COMMITTED TO YOU Wholesale Only. Exclusively for Professionals. American Manufacturing.

Our philosophy is simple – we sell our products ONLY through wholesale distribution,

M A D E

I N

EXCLUSIVELY for professional plumbing and heating contractors, and with a resolute dedication A M E R I C A

to AMERICAN manufacturing.

Our commitment to you – the wholesale distributor and professional contractor – is unwavering. We’ll continue to provide a full line of high quality, top performing, and cutting-edge products so you can compete and excel. We’ll continue to improve service, so you have a partner who’s easy to work with and provides the support you need to succeed. And as we put the final touches on our largest plant expansion in company history, we will continue to invest in American manufacturing and job creation, because a healthy American economy is in all of our best interests.

You deserve and should expect the very best. And we’re committed to seeing you get it. Represented By:

Western States Sales Vancouver, WA 98662 360-418-7000

Official Water Heater of the PHCC

PLUMBING-HEATING-COOLING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

Committed to American Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution, and Professional Installation. www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

www.bradfordwhite.com

From the Desk of the President:

A Gerald Church

special thank you to everyone who helped get the message out that PHCC is where we belong if we really care about this industry. Thank you especially to Greta Flinn, who has worked so diligently on our behalf. My hope for each of you is that you will prosper greatly in the coming year. I know that PHCC will continue to be a positive force to help make that happen. As the economy continues to grow, now is the time to learn new ways to take advantage of opportunities for our growth and new ways to offer more and better service to our customers. I look forward to seeing everyone at the holiday party on Saturday, December 6th, because life shouldn›t be all work and no play. Gerald Church President PHCC Washington President J & K Plumbing, Inc.

Executive Director’s Message:

A Greta Flinn

s we wrap up 2014, I want to thank you all for making my job so rewarding. We had another great year! It is so refreshing to see such loyalty, passion and respect PHCC of Washington members have for their industry. I would like to highlight a few exciting achievements. First, PHCCWA gained FIVE new contractor members and THREE NEW associate members in 2014. Please welcome our new contractor members – Allied Plumbing in Lake Chelan, First Ave Plumbing in Tacoma, Energy Technologies, LLC, PriCor Technologies and Simple Plumber and our THREE new associate members – 24/7 Flood Response, Care Cap and SNUPI Technologies. Also, PHCCWA Auxiliary received the Robert M. Cox Humanitarian Award for our Oso Landslide scrap metal donations. Our events this year were also very successful, which included the holiday party & auction, golf tournament, state convention; annual membership meeting and many very well attended monthly network meetings. I’m looking forward to an even better year in 2015!! This association is driven by you, the member, through your participation and

ability to share your unique experiences with the other members. PHCC of Washington is working hard to build on its success and provide better benefits for our members. We will be going into the New Year with several strong and committed committees to strengthen our association, which include a membership committee, educational committee and marketing committee. Please contact me if you would like to be a part of a committee, we would love to have you! I always remind members & prospective members, the best way(s) for you to get the most out of the dues you pay is to attend the monthly network meetings. They are very educational and informative and they are a great place to get advice and referrals from your fellow members. I look forward to seeing more of you at our upcoming events and network meetings. Thank you for your continued commitment and support to the PHCC association. Greta Flinn Executive Director PHCC Washington

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

better. together. In our industry everyone knows that when you find something that works, you stick with it. Since 1946 our products have been Designed, Machined and Assembled in the USA to help you get the job done right. It’s pretty simple: when you put BrassCraft Manufacturing parts on the job with hard-working plumbers, we’re always better together.

www.brasscraft.com

Scan for more information

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

Nepal Sanitation Studio 2014… By Jed Scheuermann

“

Dhanybad.” (“Thank you.”) “Dhanybad!” Emotional, a tear in his eye, all he said was “Dhanybad…” He thanked everyone for a toilet! Really? What difference could a simple toilet make in the life of a person, a family, a village? Roughly 40% of the world’s population have no access to improved sanitation facilities, further, some 780 Million have no access to an improved drinking water source.1. Saying a person, “… has no access to improved sanitation…” is really a rather polite way of saying open defecation is practiced. Lack of sanitation pollutes or contaminates many water sources, consequently putting at risk even those obtaining drinking water from wells, piped or other “improved” systems! Estimates indicate 5,000 children die daily (90% die before age five) directly as a result of preventable disease related to unsafe drinking water, inadequate water for hygiene or lack of access to sanitation.2. Constantly we heard an emphatic warning, “You cannot drink this water” yet Nepali’s do – it is all they have access to, thus they suffer constant sickness, often preventable, caused by drinking that very water. Such is the situation in Kavre District of Nepal. Through no fault of their own they are relegated to a daily, relentless struggle for mere survival facing truly daunting odds. At Community Health Development Society of Nepal (CHDS) Bishnu Shrestha’s invitation a team emerged – HealtHabitat (Australia), IAPMO, World Skills Foundation (Switzerland) and Universities of Newcastle & Sydney (Australia). The primary goal of the 2014 Nepal Sanitation Studio is to remove human waste safely.3. The method to achieve this is through building toilets and education. The distinction is vital, for it is possible to build toilets, or even to educate yet still fail to remove waste safely.4. Beyond working under CHDS’ authority, our model embodies principles vital to long-term success. No ultimate success is realized if parts/materials are imported undermining a local economy. When villagers become dependent upon infusion of outside resources it threatens their autonomy and is not sustainable. The same is true of labor. In training

“I never used to think about toilets, they’re just toilets. You don’t keep gold there. Then I realized a connection between village health, education, schools and toilets….” Prem Lama

Pre−assembled simplex and duplex grinders

SMARTER FASTER CLEANER

INLET 1 or 4

DISCHARGE 1 VENT 1

INLET 1

INLET 1 or 4

36 ft. 328 ft. Scan this tag to see how this product works

Residential or commercial applications 1 HP or 2x1HP grinders for absolute reliability and power Visual LED and audible alarm system (mounted and external) No need to break the concrete

Simplex CUBIC 1

1-800-571-8191 www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

Duplex CUBIC 2

A pump company since 1958

saniflo.com 9

Nepali’s local, living wage trade jobs are created. They learn system design thus can maintain or troubleshoot existing systems and even replicate them without becoming dependent upon outside expertise. Genuine pride of ownership in the entire process is an intangible but invaluable added dimension. Prem Lama, an extremely bright, motivated, business savvy individual serves as a trekking guide and operates a beautiful guest house perched atop a ridge with a commanding view of much of the Himalayan Range. Charismatic and successful, though not highly educated he believes schooling is vital for his younger siblings, local villagers and their future. Prem financially underwrites his younger brother Laxman’s university tuition and sponsors dozens of village children’s primary education. He said something astonishing, “I never used to think about toilets, they’re just toilets. You don’t keep gold there. Then I realized a connection between village health, education, schools and toilets. They attract children to school…” Herein lays his rationale for education and sanitation efforts. Local villages now have properly functioning, sanitary toilets complete with basic rainwater harvesting system. Many integrate a bio-gas waste remediation system that taps natural gas (methane) off thus virtually eliminating wood burning for indoor cooking. Gut diseases and respiratory ailments are significantly reduced or eradicated entirely! Improved health, rising family income and more time in school is directly attributable to Nepal Sanitation Studio sanitary toilet installations. IAPMO grew out of humble origins in 1926 when several plumbing inspectors first met in L.A. Steady growth has seen IAPMO become truly international. IAPMO always seeks to change the environment in which it exists. Whether developing codes; testing & research in its state of the art labs; or even

emergence into a global leader in public health concerns; IAPMO is the leader in its field. With equally passionate partners IAPMO joins others in grassroots efforts high in the Himalayan Range to literally change our world, one family, one house and one village at a time. These results speak for themselves when one hears the laughter of children on their way to school; sees parents managing the family gardens; or when one smells the aromas of fruit, vegetables and spices. Namasté! Jed served his apprenticeship in Ontario, Canada earning Plumber, Gas-Fitter and Steamfitter tickets then completed his Master Plumber qualification. With 35 years experience in various facets of the trade – journeyman, contractor, inspector, instructor and Training Coordinator, he joined IAPMO staff January 2013 as a Field Manager. He is responsible for Pacific Northwest states – including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. Jed also serves western Canada in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory. Since 1989 Jed is active in local & global disaster and humanitarian relief efforts. His efforts include Hurricane Katrina, Haiti’s earthquake and the Nepal Sanitation Studio as well as many others. Jed is committed to the collaborative advancement of the piping industry locally, nationally and internationally. End notes: 1. UNICEF and WHO, Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water; 2012 Update, 2012, p.2. 2. UN Development Program, Water Supply and Sanitation http://www. undp.org/water/priorityareas/supply.html 3. Housing for Health, Nine Healthy Living Practices, HealtHabitat, p. 9. 4. Overcoming Poverty Via Plumbing in Nepal, IAPMO Official Magazine, July/August 2013 (pp. 20-30)

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

COLUMBIA HYDRONICS COMPANY 11100 NE 34TH CIRCLE • VANCOUVER, WA 98682 TELEPHONE 360-883-2600 • FAX 360-883-2607

Tankless Water Heaters

Boilers and Water Heaters

Wall Mtd.

Floor Mtd.

Pressure Boosters

ECM Pumps for Plumbing

Not just another vendor. Contact us to discuss designs, sizing, selection, application and start-up. System expertise for retrofit or new projects.

Tukwila

Washington offices VancouVer 888-690-0090

Spokane

chchydronics.com www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

THE CONVENTIONS >>> By Greta Flinn & Larry Fisher Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors of Washington

2014 Washington State Convention

T Russ Crawford – Wolverine Brass; Larry Fischer – Prima Plumbing; Jed Scheuermann - IAMPO; and Jim Stack – Stack Plumbing

Jan Crawford – Wolverine Brass; Russ Crawford – Wolverine Brass; and Kristi Kendrick – Quality Plumbing

Leslie Lemm Weaver - ServPro of Edmonds, Lynnwood & Bellevue West; Greta Flinn - PHCC of Washington; and Courtney Generaux - ServPro of Edmonds, Lynnwood & Bellevue West www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

he PHCCWA convention committee developed an extremely wellrounded, interesting and educational forum for all contractor and industry related people in attendance. The Lake Chelan Campbell’s Resort in September was unbeatable with an incredible setting and included opening welcome by Campbell’s 5th Generation family member Eric Campbell. From the beginning planning stages to the last day of roundtable discussions and everything in between - educational seminars, tradeshow, networking with industry partners, silent auction, closing dinner; it was all very informative, interesting and fun. I heard only positive and encouraging comments throughout the weekend from attendees, guest speakers and vendors alike who all had such a wonderful time. It is important I recognize and give a huge THANK YOU to convention committee members, Kristi Kendrick and Sandy Stack. I could not have organized such a successful convention without your help, support and long volunteer hours – thank you, thank you, and thank you!! An afternoon tradeshow with vendors, product and service reps, and tables ringed the ballroom floor. Delicious buffet food was in the center of the room. All Campbell’s resort meals were simply delicious. IAPMO Representative Jed Scheuermann presented a PowerPoint of plumbing and methane gas interrelated systems utilized in some Himalayan villages of Nepal. He entitled it “Toilets for Brides,” which we all found incredibly interesting. A round table was convened for discussion of hot button industry issues. Pending Washington State Labor and Industry rule making requiring plumber and helper photo identification certification level plumbing job sites. Also other legislative issues were brought up and discussed. Long discussion on the issue of bringing young workers into the PHCC industry to replace the aging and also expanding work force was held. A task force or a standing committee may be put in place if Industry Person of the Year members are interested in 2013 - 2014 LARRY FISCHER participating in this process. The convention comIn appreciation for your total dedication and mittee is looking for a venue unselfish contributions toward our industry. closer to the west side of the state next year, or skips a Presented by the Board of Directors year. Please let them know Washington Association of Plumbing-Heatingyour thoughts or any ideas Cooling Contractors for the convention. PHCCWA STATE CONVENTION ATTENDEE TESTIMONIALS… • “I have really enjoyed getting to make new friends and learning from their years of experience.” 13

•

“The seminar sessions were filled with meaning and context from start to finish of the caliber one experiences as a National PHCC Convention. Seminar leaders dispensed information from start of session to the end, allowing interaction and discussion with the participants. Lake Chelan, as the venue, was quite incredible, could not have been a better setting for us to relax and learn more about our industry.”

The Convention Committee – Kristi Kendrick - Quality Plumbing; Sandy Stack – Stack Plumbing; and Greta Flinn – PHCC of WA

•

“Once again, another great time with PHCC.”

•

“Wonderful venue, delicious food and interesting educational classes. The trade show was a great opportunity to meet vendors, ask questions and learn about new products. We always learn quite a bit from our fellow plumbers/contractors during networking times.”

•

“It was fun!! The acknowledgment of Larry Fischer was great, since he does so much. More awards should be given. It makes people happier to give or to do things.”

•

“Networking with young contractors & information on insurance.”

•

“The seminars were educational and very informative. They were relatable to everyday business. It was also nice to have a destination to be able to enjoy time off. The round table discussion was informative.”

•

“I found out about liability I have as a business owner and some ways I can do a better job to lower my risk as an owner.”

•

“It was great that an IAMPO representative was at the convention as I missed PHCC National Convention & IAMPO Conference. HR was great information and Federated Insurance too.”

•

“It was an opportunity to meet other people in our business and share ideas and knowledge. The classes were informative, teaching us ways to handle our business, helping us to avoid putting our business & employees in danger. It was encouraging to talk with positive & ethical people PHCCWA are fulfilling a need to make our industry better.”

•

“My favorite part of PHCC was interacting with other companies, talking about business ideas, what have or has not worked for them.”

•

“The seminar sessions were filled with meaning and contact from start to finish of the caliber one experiences as a National PHCC Convention. Seminar leaders dispensed information from start of session to the end, allowing interaction and discussion with the participants. Lake Chelan, as the venue, was quite incredible, could not have been a better setting for us to relax and learn more about our industry.”

•

“There are some younger business owners that see the value in an association like PHCC of Washington. They are interested in human interaction and conversation, not just through online or texting. All owners big or small still have the same issues and the drive to provide a good service, have employees that do good work, and a business that is successful.” www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

A very special THANK YOU to ALL our Washington State Convention contributors: At Your Service Plumbing/Kathy Thaut BAVCO Betsy Clapp Campbell’s Resort Care Cap Consolidated Supply Company/Gary Johnson Danco Diamondwave/Pam Scott Lie Equipment Controls Company Federated Insurance

Ferguson Fiorentini USA Fischer Plumbing/Daryl Miller IAMPO J & K Plumbing Keller Supply Company Kris Alberti Mitchel Plumbing/Charly Mitchel MOEN PlumbMaster/Toni & John Keene Prima Plumbing

Quality Plumbing/Kristi Kendrick Ravish Restaurant/Kelly Daly Raymark Plumbing Sandy Stack, Real Estate Broker ServPro of Edmonds, Lynnwood & Bellevue West SNUPI Technologies Stack Plumbing The Art of Plumbing Wolverine Brass

2014 PHCC National Convention

he PHCC National Convention in New Orleans, LA again provided us with time away from the daily pursuits of our business life with many and varied opportunities for rethinking and reworking our businesses. The seminar sessions were well attended with vibrant and exciting presenters giving us interactive forums for our educational benefit. Keynote speaker General Russell Honore was directed to restore order and remake New Orleans into a working city after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He has since retired from command of the 6th Army and from active military life. He spoke on basics of leadership in business and life, do simple things and do them well, but do not be afraid of taking on seemingly insurmountable issues! He authored a book, and upon completing the book signing, toured the convention floor. He spent considerable time with Domenico Digregio at the table of “Plumbers without Borders”, upon departing he said he would be in touch with them. Zone 3 director Bill Buckingham was sworn in and sat in his first national PHCC B.O.D. meeting. Congratulations to Bill. PHCC of Washington was awarded First Place and $1000 with the Robert M. Cox Humanitarian Award for the generosity and time in donating scrap metal to our fundraiser for the OSO slide. PHCC of Washington raised $3550.00 which was donated to the OSO Fire Department and two local non-profit search and rescue dog organizations. GSSD (German Shepherd Search Dogs of Washington State) and SCVSAR

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

K9 (Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue K9 Team). A special thank you for your efforts go to: Jerry Church of J&K Plumbing, Raymark Plumbing & Sewer, Hollabaugh Brothers & Associates, Shane Groom of Baldwin Hardware, Stone Drew Ashe & Jones, Lloyd Marketing, Schultz & Associates, Western States Sales, Synergy Sales, Ben’s Plumbing, Fischer Plumbing, Prima Plumbing, Summit Marketing, Quality Plumbing and Seattle Interiors. On behalf of PHCCWA, we appreciate your donations to help these wonderful people and animals! Next year’s convention will be in Hollywood, FL. Start planning your time to be there. You will not be disappointed.

Why a Faucet Hole Costs $150.00! By Joseph Corlett

hate the calls I receive to drill an additional hole in an installed countertop. You just can’t charge enough. “Hey, it’s just a little hole and will only take a few minutes, right?” I get most of my work from Internet advertising. Sure, I get some word-of-mouth work, but the repair business, by its very nature, doesn’t lend itself to that model very often. So, I’m paying to have our initial telephone conversation, but being in business, I can’t pay for anything. You have to. Furthermore, you also have to pay for the previous three potential customers that I spoke with that thought $150.00 was too much. I’m not paying it. Okay, I am, but you’re reimbursing me. Each call costs me about $8.00, so you’re $32.00 into me and I haven’t even gotten out of my La-z –Boy®. Let’s assume you’re an average customer and you’re 45 minutes away. At 15 miles per gallon, plus insurance, maintenance, et cetera—let’s call it twenty bucks. That bit from Lowe’s when you tried to do this yourself didn’t work so hot, did it? Well, the one I’m bringing with the industrial diamonds won’t suffer that problem, however, that bit costs me $90.00 with shipping, and it’ll probably drill 200 holes dry before replacement. The decade-old Metabo® driving the bit is paid off, but just needed a rebuild last month at $150.00. So, with the advertising, vehicle, time, and equipment, I’m at least $120.00 into your job and so far nothing has happened for which I can bill a penny. Before I spend the four minutes it takes to drill the hole, let’s think about what you’re really asking me to do. You’re asking me to bet $2,500.00—the cost of a replacement top should I screw this up—in exchange for the opportunity to gross $30.00 profit. ($150.00-$120.00 = $30.00) Oops. Wait a minute. I’ve still got to drive back and you’ve got to pay for that. Make that $150.00 - $187.50 = ($37.50). So you’re asking me to bet $2,500.00 for the opportunity to lose forty bucks. If you want this hole drilled at $150.00, you’re going to

have to wait until I schedule a job very close to you, or pay my minimum charge, $270.00. Before this hole can be drilled, some things need to happen to lower my risk from its insane height. First, and call me a sexist ’cause I am, the woman of the house dictates hole placement. If I show up and there is a guy pointing to where he thinks it may go, I’m outta there, no charge. I will place a piece of tape where she’s told me the hole goes and I will photograph her finger pointing to it. That’s after I’ve confirmed that a hole in that location won’t take out a mechanical sink fastener. Can I move a mechanical sink fastener? Sure, but your $150.00 job just left with the fastener. I’m not only betting the cost of a replacement countertop, I’m giving you the opportunity to tell the world, via the Internet, as to how I’ve performed. At $150.00, you get as equal a say as a person who hires me to build a $150,000.00 addition. As a member of www.homeadvisor, my customers get to rate me from 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent). I got a 4.83 rating once instead of a 5 because the homeowner’s plumber told me he’d clean under the sink, then didn’t do so after I’d drilled the hole. I respect the guy’s time by not throwing him out of the sink cabinet for a few minutes and a less-than-perfect review is my reward. If you’re calling me, it’s probably because the guys who fabricated and installed your stone are out of business. Don’t feel badly, it happens. A lot. Unlike me, these guys never knew their costs of doing business and the marketplace extracts a severe price for ignorance. If your stone fabricator is responsive, he may as well drill the hole for nothing. It’s better to have a customer raving about how great you are than have them tell their neighbor how you overcharged them for drilling a simple faucet hole after you paid them seven grand several years ago. He’ll be sending his best guy too, not 9-dollar-anhour Jimmy. He’s already losing money, so he may as well lower his risk and boosts his reputation as much as possible. www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

WE’RE ON YOUR TEAM. When you work with Star Rentals, you add powerful players to your project team—pros that are skilled, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. Star Rentals employees are the most experienced in the industry. From our extensive training and safety programs to our equipment expertise, you can count on us to deliver the goods. We make sure you get fast, responsive service, and headache-free billing. Do we think it’s important to be a team player? Absolutely.

100 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE. Star Rentals is the oldest, largest and most reliable independent rental company in the Pacific Northwest.

Ray Slyfield Heavy Equipment Service Manager 20 years experience Auburn • Bellevue • Bremerton • Eugene • Everett • Hillsboro • Longview • Olympia • Pasco • Portland • Salem • Seattle • Spokane • Tacoma • Vancouver • Wenatchee • Yakima

w w w. t s bras s. com 800.476.4103

LEAD-FREE. WORRY-FREE. HASSLE-FREE.

With new national lead-free legislation, there’s been a lot of talk about making the switch. Here’s the truth: T&S was the first fixture, faucet and fitting manufacturer to convert its entire line to lead-free alloys back in 2010. So when you purchase a T&S faucet, the peace of mind that comes with lead-free compliance is built right in. No worries. No hassle. Visit tsbrass.com/literature to download a free brochure about our lead-free products, or contact your local T&S rep for more information.

T&S plumbing products represented in Washington by: Stone-Drew/Ashe & Jones - 206-763-2850 TSB-615 2014 Lead-Free•PHCC Pubs.indd 15 www.phccwa.org PHCC of Washington

News • Fall 2014

1/28/14 12:18 PM 17

By John Zink

EMPOWERED

Employees Part 1

our employees have great ideas about how improve productivity and reduce costs in your company. Are you asking for these ideas and listening when they are offered? Sometimes it takes an employee stepping outside of their authority to show the benefits of employee empowerment to an owner. The following story was shared at the Foundation’s Essentials of Project Management class a few years ago. A company owner had a field superintendent from the fire sprinkler division approach him one day to say that they would be changing the brand of fire stop insulation caulk they use around pipes and vents going through walls. The new brand that he had selected would cost about eight times as much as the brand currently being used by the crews. The owner was being told (not asked) by a field 18

superintendent that they would be changing to the new brand of insulation, effective immediately. Naturally, the owner was a little put off by this. The expense was one thing (their current caulk worked fine for years!), but more so by the fact that he had not been consulted on this change. He asked the super to explain himself. The superintendent said that he had witnessed the crews trying to work with the old brand of insulation material. It was messy, difficult to work with, hard to clean up and left the finished work looking sloppy. He saw that there was an opportunity to improve a small part of the company that he was associated with. Without waiting for an opportunity to ask permission, the superintendent had purchased tubes of several different brands of insulation and experimented with each to see which would be easiest for the crews to work with and make the finished installation look clean and professionally done. The superintendent told the owner that he had determined that the new brand www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

WATCO

INTRODUCING ®

The

Innovator Drain

901N Series-White

Designer White Bathtub Drains!

• Quick, one-person installation; installs in minutes • Integrated strainer body/drain elbow eliminates one solvent weld joint; fewer joints = fewer problems • Standard high gloss designer white; biscuit and chrome also available • 12 other finishes available with Quick Trim® or Universal NuFit® • Corrosion resistant material • Overflow and drain come standard with test membranes; testable up to five floors (22 psi) • Available in ABS or PVC; Flex Series in PVC only. ABS drain elbow is white • Removable/replaceable crossbars make drains easy to clean and maintain • Five year limited warranty Watco Manufacturing Company

Always A Step Ahead

WATCO

1220 South Powell Road Independence, MO 64057-2724 tel 816.796.3900 fax 816.796.0875 watcomfg.com

Patented and Patents Pending See www.watcomfg.com for details

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014 InnovatorAD3.375x10.indd 1

2/13/14 8:54:06 AM

would save the crews up to about five minutes per gap sealed because it was so much easier to work with and required very little clean-up. At this point, the super grabbed the calculator on the owner’s desk and started punching in numbers: The number of gaps they sealed on an average job multiplied by the minutes saved per gap to get the hours saved per job, per month, per year. This super knew his crew’s average fully burdened labor rate. He multiplied those hours saved per year by the labor rate. Then he pushed the calculator back to owner. He explained that as he saw it, switching to a caulk brand that was eight times more expensive would save them twice as much in labor savings. He said he didn’t figure that he needed to get permission to save the company a few thousand dollars. If you were the owner of this company, what would your next step be? The superintendent identified a problem, researched solutions, analyzed the options, ran the figures and took the appropriate action. Because he had the numbers from his analysis, the super was able to show the owner proof of the benefits of his actions. If you were this company owner, would you praise the super for taking initiative or punish him for “going around you?” Of course, things get messier in real life. What if the super had not done a careful analysis and instead just went with his gut feel that the new material might save the crews some time? What if the owner had other reasons for using that brand of caulk that the super didn’t know about? Consider training and encouraging your employees to take initiative the right way.

dollars and time so that you can know for sure that the change will be beneficial. 4. Involve employees in measuring the results after making a change to see if the expected outcome is achieved. Be prepared to give the change time to make a noticeable impact. Don’t be scared by negative short term impacts if the long term benefits will make the current pain worth it. 5. Be prepared to readjust if necessary without pinning blame. If a great concept fails in practice, analyze the implementation before throwing the concept out as a bad idea. Empowered employees can take some of the management burden off the owner’s shoulders while producing higher profits and productivity. These employees are usually happier at their job too. This results in less worker attrition and the wasted time and money associated with employee turnover. How can you afford to not empower your staff? This information is brought to you by the PHCC Educational Foundation.

1. Each person should seek out opportunities for improvement at every step in the job process. 2. Keep communication lines open. Management should be kept informed, but not in charge of the improvement process— that is every employee’s responsibility. 3. Take the time to do the math. Analyze the impact to the company by the numbers--in terms of 20

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

By John Chapin

Three Keys to Beating the Competition RELATIONSHIPS SALES SKILLS COMMITMENT There are three skills that will allow you to beat the competition almost every time: 1) Connect and build super-strong relationships. Assuming you have at least an average product with a reasonable price, your ability to build trust and rapport and develop a relationship with the prospect is by far the most important element when competing. All products and services have advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses. If people like you and trust you more than your competitors, then even if your product is higher priced and not as good, they will still buy from you. Again, price and value differences cannot be dramatic. Provided that your product is in the general ballpark and you have a great relationship, you’ll win every time. In order for you to hang onto and keep selling to the account after the initial sale, the connection and relationship must remain strong. You do this by communicating often, going above and beyond, and never taking the customer for granted or letting service slip. Send cards, gifts, and other items and let the customer know you care and appreciate them. Get and share personal information and act on that information in order to increase the depth of the relationship. Your goal is to develop and personalize each customer relationship to the point where each customer is also a close friend. Satisfied customers who are also close friends, will not leave you. And by the way, there is no new relationship selling, it’s always been about relationships. 2) Have great sales skills. In addition to allowing you to say and do the right things to make that initial connection and begin building the relationship, great sales skills will also help you make a logical argument for your product. All people, even the most analytic amongst us, buy emotionally and back up the decision logically. The emotional www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

purchase happened when they bought your product as a residual effect of having bought you in the connection and relationship stage. The reason why you still need a compelling, logical argument is because the prospect’s decision has to stand the test of time and scrutiny from others that they will directly or indirectly justify the decision to. They can justify slight differences in price and quality, they just don’t want to be embarrassed by making a bad decision. The good news is: once the prospect likes you, they want you to prevail in making your logical case. In other words, now that they like and trust you, you can lead and educate them as to why your product is the best solution and they will follow and listen. Again, as all products have advantages and disadvantages, at this point you are like a lawyer making your case as to why your advantages outweigh that of the competition. Your sales skills will seal this logical side of the equation by giving the prospect the ammunition they need to justify the decision to themselves and others. 3) Be committed and determined to outwork the competition. This aspect needs to be present both before and after the sale. Before the sale it shows up as pleasant persistence, after the sale it shows up as proactivity and responsiveness. During your initial meeting and subsequent meetings with the prospect, you’ve got to have passion along with an absolute belief and conviction in you, your product and your company. You need to have a dogged determination and you have to be extremely persistent. You have to continue to follow up and be committed to getting them involved with your product. Before the sale make sure you are doing what you say you will do when you say you will do it and do what you can to go above and beyond and stand out from the competition. Get the prospect on your contact list and make sure you are reaching out on a regular basis with pertinent items of interest. Look for ways that you can deliver and show value before you even get an order. The reaction you’re after here is, “Gee, my rep doesn’t even do that and I’m a customer.” Your objective is to be better and different than the competition and to do things that they aren’t doing and/or won’t do. 21

Both before and after the sale, you must respond as quickly as possible to phone calls, e-mails, and all other customer communications. If they call you with an issue or concern, get on it like a pit bull and get them an answer or resolve the situation as quickly as possible. You also need to be proactive and anticipate problems and situations before they arise and stay ahead of them. Not only do you have to be willing to go the extra mile, you need to be willing to go a mile or two beyond that. Always make sure you give something extra, bend over backwards, and serve the customer, not only better, but far better than anyone else. If you are determined to go above and beyond, do more, work more, and go much further than anyone else is willing to go, you will stand out, you will be successful, and you will beat the competition almost every time. Finally, remember that when you are competing you must do everything you can from a fair, legal, and ethical standpoint to win. You need to go to bed at night knowing you gave it your best shot possible and did everything you could do to win fair and square. John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer. For his free newsletter, or if you would like him to speak at your next event, go to: www.completeselling.com John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year: Sales Encyclopedia. For permission to reprint, e-mail: johnchapin@completeselling.com.

You are only one step away from getting

Income property owners, landlords, property managers, and real estate agents from around the country use the American Apartment Owners Association Vendor Directory…AND THEY WANT TO GIVE YOU BUSINESS! Our loyal AAOA members give repeat business to professional vendors just like you. Discover new business and get your piece of the multi-billion dollar apartment and rental housing industry.

Get More Business Now! Get Listed Today! Visit: www.AAOA.com/getlisted 22

www.phccwa.org • PHCC of Washington News • Fall 2014

Seattle Showroom 8221 Greenwood Ave N Seattle, WA 98103 206/632-4488

Seattle 805 NW 42nd St Seattle, WA 98107 206/784-0047

Everett 3414 B California Everett, WA 98201 Call 425/258-9459

VISIT OUR OTHER LOCATIONS IN OREGON AND IDAHO

Pacific 703 Valentine Ave SE Pacific, WA 98047 253/299-7156

Spokane 305 N Lake Spokane Valley, WA 99212 509/891-9911

Kennewick 621 N Kellogg Kennewick, WA 99336 509/783-9340