SERVPRO SUN Feb2017

FEBRUARY 2017

In this issue: 2.

Leadership in Tough Times 3.

Avoid Ineffective Communication 4-5. Words of Wisdom 6.

Chart Toppers, Top Ten Volume Leaders 7. Broggy Bits 'n Bytes New Franchisees 8. Missed Marketing Opportunities

Building Overall Engagement 9. Kudos 10.

The Importance of Training

Upcoming Continuing Education

SUN

THE

SERVPROÂŽ of Southern New England and New York

2 - SERVPRO® SUN

LEADERSHIP IN TOUGH TIMES Many of our Associate Franchise Owners have expressed disappointment with the amount of Loss Referrals this year.

For some, lack of work leads to desperation, blaming the weather (a force we cannot control), trolling the internet looking for perceived ‘poaching’ Servpro Franchises, layingoff staff, or giving way to a feeling of resignation.

So how does a Servpro Franchise Owner turn things around during tough times? The answer is Leadership.

From the perspective of successful entrepreneurs, Leadership principles of forethought, discipline, resolve, and execution are practiced in good times and tough times. The critical thought in the back of every SERVPRO® Franchise Owner’s mind should be “How am I going to lead my team” to success, regardless of market conditions? An obvious remedy is preplanning for any eventuality, not easy when job referral sources dry up and you do not have your plans in place.

Your competitors are not going away; this is a fact! Why? They may have built better business and personal relationships, offer more and more ancillary services than your business, or are more tenacious. Leadership requires each Franchise Owner find ways to break those competitors’ relationship bonds by offering the best possible service at a reasonable price, employing an effective, motivated marketing staff, and offering new expertise to enhance or complement standard cleaning, mitigation, and restoration services. The latter may include post-construction and/or specialty contents cleaning.

Each Associate Franchise Owner has the responsibility to become a more effective LEADER as they strive to live their dream as well as provide all their employees the opportunity to live their dream. If you, as a Servpro Franchisee Leader, are lost and have no vision during the tough times, good times are not in your future.

Make time to plan your business strategies for the next five years; know the way you want to progress toward your dream! Read, study, learn, and understand all the SERVPRO® programs and procedures necessary to be fully compliant and exemplify the SERVPRO® Brand and demonstrate the SERVPRO® way to your employees to ensure their success is your success, and finally work your plans and achieve your dreams. Leadership principles of forethought, discipline, resolve, and execution are practiced in good times and

tough times, and SERVPRO® provides the substructure for Franchise Leaders who preplan for every eventuality and prepare to succeed.

The Leadership-minded SERVPRO® Franchise Owner should always be working with their Team to operate within a manageable budget, which builds savings, for just such tough times and to enlist their Team to work at their peak efficiency and effort. Remember, employees have a stake in your business success. Experience has proven those who put in the extra effort pay off in increased business; business that a competitor might get if franchises are not assertively proactive. It is the one additional sales or collection telephone call, going beyond on a service assignment, improving the Franchise’s web rating by a factor of at least one, properly identifying a water damage category, etc., which LEADS to better, stronger, and a more profitable business in good and tough times.

No one can predict how this year’s weather turnout will affect business in respect to revenue generation; however, we strongly urge our Associate Franchise Owners to provide guidance and oversight through their Leadership by KNOWING the way, GOING the way, and SHOWING the way toward success and fulfilling their dreams, at all times.

Larry Hackney Executive Vice President Franchise Business Consultant

FEBRUARY 2017 - 3

AVOID INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Written by Lou Ramu, Franchise Business Consultant

Ineffective communication in any business is the root of all evil, resulting in everything from dissatisfied customers to aging receivables. The inability of Owners, Managers and Employees to communicate clearly leads to more problems than anything else in your business. The impact of this deficiency can easily reach 5-10 percent of your bottom line at the end of the year. While most of you understand this, you still struggle. The remedies attempted generally involve more talk and meetings with the results looking the same.

Clear and effective communication can only be achieved when information is successfully transferred in a way, which leaves little doubt regarding the decisions made, directions given, or actions which will occur.

with people, you will find their respect for you increases, along with the effectiveness of your communication.

“Get to the point!” When it comes to communication, it is most effective when intentions are stated early and we get to the point quickly. Whether using e-mail, text messaging, phone, or face to face, it is essential for your message to be clear.

Candid and effective exchange of information helps to establish trust and sets the table for getting desired results.

There are times when parts of our message may be lost in translation. For this reason, it is important to summarize key parts of your message. A brief recap of the information exchanged, actions that need to occur, Good communication involves giving someone your and who is responsible for the action, goes a long way undivided attention, listening intently, and actively to being successful. engaging in a conversation. This is important in order If you can state your intentions clearly, get to the point to show the level of priority and importance you attach quickly, be “present” with people, and summarize the to communicating clearly in order to make things information, you will be well on your way to achieving happen as you would like. If you are “in the present” clearly effective communication in your business.

4 - SERVPROÂŽ SUN

Words of Wisdom

The first person you lead is you.

Live to learn, and you will really learn to live.

The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.

Leadership is influence.

As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me.

The first person that I should try to change is me.

Character makes trust possible, and trust is the foundation of leadership.

Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually.

However, the vision doesn't come alive until the leader models it.

To remain a credible leader, I must always work first, hardest, and longest on changing myself.

This is neither easy nor natural, but it is essential.

Good executives never put off until tomorrow what they can get someone else to do today.

The longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds that you will never actually do it.

Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.

If you want to reach the top, don't run over others.

Likely, the only way you'll reach the top is to be carried there by others.

To add value to others, one must first value others.

People who add value to others do so intentionally.

I say that because to add value, leaders must give of themselves, and that rarely occurs by accident.

The first time you say something, it's heard.

The second time, it's recognized, and the third time, it's learned.

Remember, man does not live on bread alone; sometimes he needs a little buttering up.

How do leaders serve their people?

They may pay good wages and treat employees with respect.

FEBRUARY 2017 - 5

Words of Wisdom

cont...

Never underestimate the power of an encouraging word.

A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change a life.

A word of encouragement from a spouse can save a marriage.

A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach their potential.

In the end, people are persuaded not by what we say, but by what they understand.

People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.

If you want to help others and become a person of influence, keep smiling, sharing, giving, and turning the other cheek.

Every person has a longing to be significant; to make a contribution; to be a part of something noble and purposeful.

Nurturing has the ability to transform people's lives.

Few things build a person up like affirmation. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition (Simon and Schuster, 1991), the word affirm comes from ad firmare, which means “to make firm.�

So when you affirm people, you make firm within them the things you see about them.

Do that often enough, and the belief that solidifies within them will become stronger than the doubts they have about themselves.

Leaders provide for their people what the people cannot provide for themselves.

A successful person finds the right place for himself.

But a successful leader finds the right place for others.

When people respect you as a person, they admire you.

When they respect you as a friend, they love you.

When they respect you as a leader, they follow you.

The measure of a leader is not the number of people who serve him, but the number of people he serves.

You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.

Coming together is a beginning, and staying together is progress, but only when teams sweat together do they find success.

A leader who develops people adds; a leader who develops leaders multiplies.

Policies are many, Principles are few, Policies will change, Principles never do.

Most people who decide to grow personally find their first mentors in the pages of books.

There is absolutely no way to increase your income quicker than reading 30 minutes a day.

6 - SERVPRO® SUN

Chart Toppers

Servpro® Chart Toppers November 2016 Associated Revenue

K. Cohn

Duct Residential

Jones

Fire Commercial

Sepe

Fire Residential

Luciani

In-house Construction Commercial

Randolph

Rookie

Kilmeade Uhl Sepe

Subcontract

Top Ten Volume Leaders PER LICENSE AVERAGE VOLUME LEADERS January 2017

GROSS VOLUME LEADERS January 2017 1

Dave & Gina Kluger

904,925

1

Lisa and Doug Jameson

425,537

2

Risa Kluger

656,256

2

Mitch Kaikow & Stuart Cleary

391,069

3

Lou and Michelle Sepe, J. Sepe and D. Yurka, N. Travis

645,414

3

John Majeski

340,070

4

John & Shayna Luciani

560,625

4

Risa Kluger

328,128

5

Robert Citrangola

518,870

5

Robert Citrangola

259,435

6

Michael Keating

498,052

6

Robert Allen

249,285

7

Allen & Susan Randolph

489,417

7

Ralph & Noemi DiCristofaro

240,803

8

Ralph & Noemi DiCristofaro

481,607

8

Tom Fox

227,954

9

Frank Mattos

475,996

9

Chris Delfino

223,824

442,258

10

Barbara & Patrick Jones

221,129

10 Barbara & Patrick Jones

FEBRUARY 2017 - 7

Broggy Bits 'n Bytes ServproTV released the 2017 kickoff, hosted by Rick Recently (quite a few times) I have received phone calls regarding invoices. It seems we are all creatures of habit Isaacson. It is a very informative episode. and like our old standbys. Back in the summer of 2016, It contains segments with Jeff Fields, Chad Lewis, John SERVPRO® Bulletin 4995-F was sent out regarding Sooker, Laura Williams, Chris Layfield, Jennifer Bowers, Royalty Reports no longer needing copies of invoices.

Maria Young, Dave Loeb and Donna Dutton. These Bulletin 5048-F later informed the Franchise community names should be familiar to you as they are frequently there was a zip file on ServproNET®, which can be the authors of many of the Bulletins we read on a weekly copied into your copy of QuickBooks and used instead basis. They are full of great information regarding of the paper copy. Under the “Office” banner on the changes, which will affect us all by the end of 2017, some left hand side, click on “Resources”, then “QuickBooks sooner than others.

Customization Tools” and at the very bottom of the page ™ Big changes are coming for WorkCenter , a certification is the file “SP Logo Invoice”. Save this to your desktop program for office staff, not just for sales and marketing or some other appropriate place on your server. Import staff or production workers, with an emphasis on the template into QB, and away you go!! You may need to adjust your printer properties to ensure the lines print Contents Tracking. on the invoice.

At the end of the segment, there are some new commercials Michelle Broggy along with some behind the scenes “stuff”; pretty good, Franchise Business Consultant actually. Well worth your time to watch.

QuickBooks Pro Advisor Certified Xactimate Training Specialist

INTRODUCING NEW FRANCHISEES Jose DaSilva & Jason Ryan

SERVPRO® of Marlboro/Tinton Falls #10645 52 N. Main Street Building B, Suite 8 Marlboro, NJ 07746 Phone: 732-536-7555 Fax: 732-536-8555 E-Mail: jryan@servpro10645.com Operating Territory: The bounded area in Monmouth County, NJ, that is described as the entire Townships of Marlboro, Colts Neck, Shrewsbury and Ocean and the entire Boroughs of Tinton Falls and Deal.

8 - SERVPRO® SUN

MISSED MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES During current initiatives to obtain fresh material for use in our Continuing Education presentations, by way of pictures with accompanying stories, it has become obvious that our Franchise Associates are not taking full advantage of their own jobs to use in local marketing campaigns.

There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, which is true, especially in today’s visual, graphic world. One of the best methods to promote and validate your SERVPRO® Franchise capabilities, capacity, and expertise is through visual material.

Unfortunately, too many Franchises are only interested in the compliance requirements when taking required jobsite pictures and neglect major Marketing opportunities!

Our recommendation is that when you do have a ‘photo op’, which might be a large loss, one with unusual circumstances, or one that has a background ‘story’, notify your Marketing Department and have them take before, during, and after pictures of aspects of the loss (water, fire, mold, biohazard, etc.) that can be used for promotion. Obviously, pictures should be clear, set for high resolution, and illustrate the benefits of your utilizing your Franchise’s services.

Too often we find that we have to look at a hundred pictures to find one that is deemed appropriate for use in presentations, accredited Continuing Education classes or local ‘Lunch and Learn’ type of presentations. Pictures can be edited and placed on various display devices such as an iPhone, iPad, laptop or similar device. In addition, key pictures can be inserted in your social media outlets such as Facebook, and LinkedIn to aid your Marketing efforts.

Remember, you are trying to differentiate your services from the competition, and visual presentations are vital to this delineation.

You may contact this office for assistance in assembling your pictures into a format in support of any type of formal or informal local presentation such as business, civic, or trade groups. To reiterate, the vast majority of franchises already have enough variance in work to produce high quality visuals, we encourage you not to waste any Marketing opportunity!

From prior issue of The SUN

Building Overall Engagement with a Local Strategy When it comes to Facebook, you should be thinking about how you can leverage other local Facebook Pages to increase the visibility of your own Page.

So, how do you do that?

For starters, you should become familiar with how to Like, Share, and Comment as your SERVPRO® page.

Note: We have covered this topic in our weekly Digital Marketing emails.

If you are not receiving that email, please contact me, and we will put you on the list.

Once you have become comfortable with this technique, take out a piece of paper and write out a list of 10-15 Facebook Pages in your area. The Pages on your list should be regularly updated and should have high levels of engagement posts that consistently get 10+ Likes, a handful of Shares, and a vibrant Comment section.

You will find most of the Pages which fit this description fall into one of these categories: Local media, local government, and non-profits.

Therefore, you are looking for TV news, radio stations, local government, charities, fire and police departments, as well as schools. There may be other categories, but start with these and branch out as you see fit.

Once you have built out your list, keep it near your computer for easy reference and refer to it daily.

You should be able to regularly Like and Comment on these other Pages and occasionally share interesting posts back to your SERVPRO® page.

FEBRUARY 2017 - 9

CHARLES AND DONNA VINGOE

Owners of SERVPRO® of Northwest Bergen, SERVPRO® of Southern Rockland County and SERVPRO® of Eastern Rockland County From: JFerry To: servpro8204 Subject: My Experience with SERVPRO® Date: Wed, Feb 1, 2017 Mr. Vingoe, My name is J. Ferry and I live in Oakland, New Jersey. In July, your team assisted us in the remediation of our basement after our water meter cracked. I am writing after unsuccessful attempts to contact you by phone.

I need to compliment you on a wonderful employee, Ryan Webber. I did deal with several men from your team and all of them were fantastic, but I dealt with Ryan the most. He is simply wonderful. He was always there to answer my call or text, he was very accommodating with any need that arose during our catastrophe and he had such a pleasant, professional, and accommodating personality every time.

All too often in this world, we find fault with people and are quick to open our mouths and complain about the bad things This email and unsuccessful phone calls were an attempt to open my mouth and praise Ryan and let you know how fantastic he is. You are lucky to have an asset like him at SERVPRO® and on your team.

Thank you so much for making an unpleasant experience that much better. I think SERVPRO® is wonderful and I would recommend your services first, if I ever heard of the need from any family, friends, or neighbors.

Warmest regards, J. Ferry

“A leader sets the tone by their level of commitment. The next time you have ham and eggs for breakfast, remember, the chicken was involved, the pig was committed.

As a leader, you have to be committed to SERVPRO®, your individual Franchise, and your employees. You must lead from the front and unselfishly serve your employees.

Your employees will conduct themselves in the manner you conduct yourself. They will treat your customers the same way you treat them. A business will assume the personality of its leader." ~Rick Forster

10 - SERVPRO® SUN

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING

By Robert Tedone, Franchise Business Consultant

As we all know or should know, Training your Team is THE way to success.

Training performed on a regular basis in all Departments of your company; Production, Administration, and Marketing, should support each Department Team by being professional in their Job Descriptions and fulfilling their Roles and Responsibilities.

Initially, making time to train your Team may seem cumbersome and not cost effective; however, a well-trained and dedicated Team will assist you in the achievement of all your personal and business goals.

As I state whenever I visit your office to perform Training for your Production Crews, "educate yourself to serve your employer and educate yourself to serve yourself ", and “If you don’t document training, it never happened”.

Performing and documenting fifteen (15) minutes a week of Production Training will exhibit structure in your business, which will help in employee retention.

One of the biggest complaints I hear is “I can't find good employees”. When you do find the right person, invest in them and you will start to build your successful Team.

UPCOMING CONTINUING EDUCATION The Spring WRT course, offered by Ron Valega’s TMC Group, will be held on April 24, 25, 26, 2017. The WRT is a fundamental course for all technicians, and is recommended for administrative personnel. Spaces are limited and confirmed when paid. Please follow up with Larry, Katie, or Robert Willis for more information.

The Spring HST (Health and Safety Technician) course, also offered by Ron Valega’s TMC Group, will be held on April 27 & 28, 2017. The HST is an important supplementary course for all Project Managers and Technicians, and is recommended for all Franchise Owners. This course is equivalent to the OSHA 10-hour course. Spaces are limited and confirmed when paid. Please follow up with Larry, Katie, or Robert Willis for more information.

The Spring ASD course, offered by Destry Ransdell’s TEC Pro, will be held on May 9, 10, 11, 2017. The ASD course is an advanced program, and applies hands-on teaching methods for cavity spaces, hardwood floors, in-place carpet drying, and more. The course is required by some National Account insurance carriers, and is recommended for all Project Managers and Owners. Spaces are limited and confirmed when paid.

The ASD course is now fully reserved, but seats may be available after March 1st. Please follow up with Larry, Katie, or Robert Willis for more information.

As usual, additional Continuing Education courses will be held in Fall, 2017. If the Spring dates are not practical, or the courses have sold out, you can always pre-register for Fall.

Knowledgeable technicians and administrators are a vital part of a successful SERVPRO® Team.

Let the SERVPRO® system work for you, and take advantage of local training courses.