Sweeping Magazine - September 2023

SWEEPING

THE JOURNAL OF CHIMNEY AND VENTING TECHNOLOGY

SWEEPI NG

THE JOURNAL OF CHIMNEY

NATIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP GUILD 1255 SW Prairie Trail Parkway Ankeny, Iowa 50023-7068 (317) 837-1500

September 2023, Volume 47 #8

STAFF

Executive Director Kailah Schmitz, CAE director@ncsg.org

Associate Director/Certifications Coordinator

Jessica Thornton jessica@ncsg.org

Director of Education

Bob Ferrari education@ncsg.org

Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Editor Kacie Krominga marketing@ncsg.org

Membership & Events Coordinator

Brittney Burton bburton@ncsg.org

Administrative Assistant Jill Kolars ap@ncsg.org

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in Sweeping do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Chimney Sweep Guild or its staff.

ADVERTISING

To advertise, e-mail Malisa Minetree at sweepingads@me.com or call (317) 603-7854.

NCSG further reserves the right to reject at any time any advertising determined not to be in keeping with the publication’s standards. Acceptance of advertising by Sweeping magazine does not necessarily constitute endorsement of products or services advertised. NCSG does not make any effort to review or substantiate claims made by advertisers.

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Kacie Krominga, Editor

PHOTOGRAPHY

Stock images by iStock, Adobe.

ARTICLE SUBMISSION

NCSG encourages industry partners to submit press releases and articles to Editor, Kacie Krominga at marketing@ncsg.org. Submissions should contain items of interest or importance to the chimney and venting industry. Submissions should not contain direct solicitations, prices or other forms of advertising verbiage. Submissions may contain images or artwork attached in a JPG format.

In all cases, NCSG reserves the right to edit submissions for space limitations, keep the release and publish at a later date, or refuse to publish the release for any reason. Neither publishing, nor refusing to publish the submission should be considered a statement of NCSG’s opinion regarding the release.

© 2023 National Chimney Sweep Guild

PRESIDENT Letter from the

Hello Members! With this month’s theme being customer retention, I wanted to share a few things I concentrate on to keep our company’s customers happy and coming back.

We get very wrapped up in our industry on chimney knowledge, tools, codes and standards, which are all very important. A good technician needs to have a good grasp on those subjects, but they are usually not why customers choose to do business with us. Boiled down to its most simple elements, customers are interested in 2 things:

1. Are your customer-facing people likable and pleasant to deal with?

2. Did you fix their problem?

Customer-facing employees must be pleasant and likable – relationship builders. When a customer calls your company, how is their experience? Is it friendly and nice, or is it cold and gruff? (Or is it a voicemail?) A long-term customer relationship begins at the initial phone call, and one top qualification our office staff needs to have to work for us is their likability. Can they have a friendly conversation? Do they care about the customer’s problems or concerns? Can they read a customer’s mood or personality and adapt accordingly? All of these are critical skills for office staff to develop, and some are wired for it more than others. It’s also one reason CSR training is so important – this is your customer’s first impression. Do they like you? (Your company?)

Likewise, field staff who face customers must have similar personality traits. In our company, we divide the field staff between service/sweep techs and installer techs. Often we find that those who enjoy conversation and relationship building will enthusiastically gravitate toward the sweep/service/sales side of the business and do really well there. As Jim Collins says, you not only need to have the right people on the bus, but they must be in the right seats.

Find people who are naturally adept at people skills and relationship building – they will naturally gravitate toward that part of your business, and customers will appreciate working with them. During a job interview, do you like them? Are they likable?

Did you fix the customer’s problem ? When a customer calls, they usually try to communicate some pain point they want you to make better. Did you remove that pain? That’s not always easy, and sometimes you need to decode exactly what that pain is. Customers aren’t calling to purchase a cap from you, a sweep, or a wood stove – they want to prevent stains on their nice new walls, feel safe during the Winter, or save money on heating their homes. Did you solve those issues correctly (on time?)

In our company, these are the two items that keep our customers returning – They like our staff, and we fix their problems. You will always lose some for one reason or another (not always a bad thing!) Marketing, communication, and pricing are all important things and factor into retention but never lose sight of these basics.

I hope everyone has had a great Summer and an even better Autumn!

Matt Mair NCSG President

MATT MAIR

NEW CERTIFICATIONS

July 2023

Ables Top Hat Home Services Harker Heights, TX

Micah Ables CCP

Adams Chimney Specialist LLC Vancouver, WA

Kurtis William Adams CCP

Black Goose Chimney Sweep Newport News, VA

Michael Landon CCP CCR

Jim Bostaph CCP

John Kerr CCP

Joseph Allsbrooks CCP CCR

Michael Wardley CCP

Sergey Gardner CCP CCR

Clean Sweep 317 Indianapolis, IN

Daniel Pace CCR

Ross Hessel CCP

Samuel Lawton CCP

James Ball Chimney Service Stamford, CT

James Ball CCJ

Midtown Chimney Sweeps of Colorado Springs Littleton, CO

Byron Schramm CCJ

Kevin Richards CCP

Nolan Thomas CCP

Michael Baer CCP

Midtown Chimney Sweeps Cedar Falls, IA

Doug Slattery CCP

Mr Ts Chimney Service LLC Saint Peters, MO

Tom Toeniskoetter CCP

Pinckletink Chimney Service LLC Mechanic Falls, ME

Benjamin Marking CCR

Total Chimney Care Woodbridge, CT

Katherine Hilditch CCP

Model

Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps/ Bless Your Hearth Laurens, SC

Ronnie Brigman

Full Service Chimney Olathe, KS

Robert Berry

James Ball Chimney Service Stamford, CT

James Ball

To learn more about how you can become a Master Chimney Professional, visit certifiedchimneyprofessionals.com/mcp

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NOTES FROM YOUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS

Keeping your customers is our theme this month. It should be your priority every month. Forward scheduling is the easiest way to keep long-term repeating customers. With all the available service programs, it’s easier than ever to do this task.

I have to say, we use e-mail for this task, and it really helped us this Summer to keep the sweep trucks rolling.

Another method we used was a thank you postcard after the visit. Some companies use quarterly newsletters also to get callbacks. These can be sent by mail or e-mail.

I have noticed an uptick of companies using Facebook this summer—some as a reminder, some for new customers.

I really think if you treat your new customers' houses with respect, using booties, rug runners, and plastic over the furniture in your work area and asking permission to access the attic and basement, it goes a long way. I was just at a house where a national junk removal company was there at the same time as my visit. This company doesn’t do any of that. They even used the customer's bathroom without permission. She called the service line and let the company know about these issues; I could hear her on the phone while pulling my tarps. This goes a long way in keeping your repeat customers.

Sweep On, Bill

3REGION

BILL THORNTON

I hope everyone has had a great Summer so far! I trust that you and your teams have prepared well for the upcoming Fall and Winter seasons. I hope it’s a record-breaking year for us all!

I want to speak to you all briefly about “why.” Why should you join the National Chimney Sweep Guild? That’s a question that the board is often approached with. For me and my business, I feel the benefits are endless. For time and space purposes, I have narrowed this down to four top reasons you should join the NCSG: Education, Certifications, Advocacy, and Relationships.

Our education committee is run by well-respected industry experts. The committee was formed with the intent to offer the best hands-on and in-classroom education opportunities for our members. They have been doing a killer job at making these sessions available, relevant, and rewarding.

We also formed a certification committee. This is another elite group of industry experts who truly care about the power of knowledge. Our mission is to have a certification that is held to the highest standard. All that to say, this is why we made the investment to get the certifications accredited.

Our members can also expect the advocacy committee to work on their behalf to keep them informed and up to date. This pertains to state & federal laws/bills as well as other changes in the country that may affect the chimney industry.

Lastly, we feel that growing and nurturing relationships is crucial to your business. This has been made possible through many avenues, with the annual convention and trade show being a game changer! This event is an excellent way for you to introduce yourself to other sweeps in the industry, as well as other suppliers and vendors. The board is constantly working to improve the organization and better serve the industry's sweeps.

We have and will always have the best interest of our members. The Guild has been around for a very long time, and I have personally been a member for almost 30 years. The NCSG has been a valuable resource for me & I feel confident it will be for you too.

4REGION

“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” Francis of Assisi

I love this quote by Francis of Assisi, which reminds us to utilize our brain, our feelings, along with our hands in order to have creative work. Too often, we busy ourselves with the tasks at hand, not necessarily focusing on all the ramifications of decisions made. Retaining customers must include the work, planning and commitment to customers’ successes. Customers come back to companies due to a variety of reasons.

• Branding: Does your company have a consistent brand that catches customers’ attention and does your customer service align with the brand?

• Professionalism: Does all your communication from marketing to appointment scheduling, service delivery and follow up exude professionalism?

• Communication: Do you communicate with customers’ in a timely manner? Is your communication clear and helpful to homeowners?

• Expertise: Do you position your company as the chimney and venting expert? Are you a resource for other professionals such as HVAC technicians, plumbers, roofers, home inspectors, Realtors and the media to contact when they have questions or want to refer potential customers?

• Fulfilling Work Environment: Is your company culture employee centered, customer success focused and committed to on going learning?

• Community Connections: Does your company have roots in the community? Are you a sponsor of local sports teams and local charity fundraising events? Are you a member of local charity organizations such as the Rotary, Lions, Shriner's or a member of fellowship organizations? Are you a leader in these organizations or do you just pay your dues and barely attend meetings?

• Invitations: Do you invite customers to continue to do business with you via forward scheduling, communication about ease of off season scheduling, and customer relationship building messages?

During a recent yoga class, the instructor started the class with a meditation about how the little things matter. Customer retention is doing the little tasks that accumulate to be on going successes.

DEBBIE WIEDWALD

JAMES OWENS

Sweeps Luck – Work Hard, Play Hard, James Owens

6REGION

All goals were completed and met in Region Six for the month of June and July. The GSCSG convention was a complete success and included Reno, NV, Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Wyoming and Utah. I made contact with over 398 chimney companies and stove shops with one-on-one texting and emailing several times during the month of May, June and July. It was one of the best educational gatherings in the West, including our NCSG's new certification – CCP, CCR and CCJ.

Stuart Karanovich with Saver Systems, Michael Boudart with Lindemann and our Educational Director, Bob Ferrari with National Chimney Sweep Guild, supported the 2023 Golden State Chimney Sweep Guild Convention, along with many other speakers from Nevada, Oregon, Indiana and Florida.

The GSCSG was very well supported. I feel our next goals for Region 6 are to support every Guild member to the best of our ability, help develop each state to have its own State Guilds or join nearby Guilds; this will grow NCSG as well. Help build our State Guilds is next on my list, along with keeping contact with nearly 400 sweeping companies.

The next Golden State Chimney Sweep Guild convention will be held July 7 through the 12th, 2024 at Reno, Nevada Silver Legacy.

Thank you for allowing me to be your Region Six Director,

Michaele

POLICY ACTION CENTER

Let us know what's going on out there! Submit your industry concern to NCSG's Policy Action Center. We will post it live on the website and look into what we can do to call to action. While you're there, you can also check out the blog for past issues we've addressed. Stay tuned to your e-mails and notifications on Facebook to stay up to date!

MICHAELE DEMPSEY

The first GSCSG first Don Leavitt Educational Award was given to Stewart Karanovich.

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

Owens Chimney Covers

Eager to earn and keep your business

Why Manufacturing? Here’s the Scoop:

We would frequently receive custom items (shrouds, caps, chase covers) that would be dented, the wrong size, the wrong metal/color, or just sloppy craftsmanship. When it didn’t make the cut, it was beyond frustrating having to make those dreaded calls to our customers. By the end of 2015, we had the pieces and

Owens Chimney SystemsHow it Started:

Let’s take it back to 1989 when the Owens brand was created.

Owens Chimney Systems’ service division was established by James and Anita Owens. They were newlyweds looking to build a life of stability together. With two kids under two, it was anything but easy. The business ran out of their home, and the two of them were the only employees for the whole first year. By 1996, the team and business had grown into a 4-truck operation. With each year, lessons were learned, and accomplishments were made.

Fast forward to 2014. Business was booming! And the challenges with vendors really began to present themselves. The main issue being turnaround times, secured shipping, and overall quality through our suppliers. These roadblocks made it very difficult to serve our customers at the elite level we had set out to do. We desperately wanted to keep the promises that we had made to our customers without having to rely on others to make it happen.

people in place to be the solution to our problem. We began manufacturing in-house.

Initially, in-house chimney cap manufacturing was started to ensure that our service customers were being cared for. That they were receiving a high-end product with a quick turnaround time. We knew what good quality looked like. We knew that we wouldn’t sell something to our customers that we personally wouldn’t buy. Because of our attention to detail and our level of care, people within the industry started to notice that our products stood out. That traction gave us the confidence to create Owens Chimney Covers (OCC).

The venture to expand began with only one employee and minimal tools. We quickly realized that we needed more manpower and equipment. We were fortunate to acquire two employees that had previously worked at length for a chimney cap manufacturer. They had come to expect the same high-quality

products that we do, which made it an easy transition into where we are today.

We Want Your Business!

Our manufacturing division was designed around educated chimney professionals from both soot and steel. We understand the codes and standards that are in place. We have seen firsthand the daily challenges that other chimney professionals are up against. OCC has some exciting stuff lined up for our team and for the industry pertaining to manufacturing and combating some of those daily obstacles. We look forward to sharing that with you all real soon!

The bottom line is: we’ve done it, installed it, made it, or seen it. Let us show you what we can do!

SCALLY'S SOLUTIONS

Q: What sort of steps do you take to not only gain customers but to keep them?

A:This is a tricky question for me to answer as I have been in this business long and have not advertised in a long time. All my work comes in from word of mouth and repeat business.

Let me start by telling you what I did when I started my business in 1999. I had already 21 years in the industry at this point, so doing the work was not an issue. I had to learn the business side of this. I found a local paper back then that was gold. It gave me a 13 to 1 dollar spent ratio, which was unheard of for advertising back then. There were yellow pages etc., and we had a good ad.

We first did a business plan and found our niche that no one else was advertising for, and we used that to gain traction. We documented and tracked everything to know what worked and what didn’t.

With all of that said, our best tool was who we are and the integrity we always

keep. We set the expectation, then exceeded expectations around everything we did. We still hold true to that today.

Your integrity is still the best tool for gaining customers and keeping them. When there are issues, you step up and take care of them right away. You do not cower away from issues. As in this work, there will always be things that happen that are out of our control. Be authentic and be honest about everything you say and do.

Today is an entirely different time than when I started, and I feel it is even more important to keep a good reputation and be out in front of all things, good and bad.

We live in a time of social media and reviews, and a good review goes a long way, but a bad review can cripple or help you. It is all dependent on how you answer it and with sincerity.

Another is good customer service. People do not want to talk to a machine; they want a live voice to answer all their questions. A good CSR or office manager is worth their weight in gold to me.

Another big item to stay in business and retain clients is a good web presence and someone to take care of it. If your clients can see you out there and doing good work, it takes care of itself.

STEVEN SCALLY TREASURER AT LARGE

Keep Your Customers

By Bob Ferrari, Director of Education

The Numbers

It’s cheaper to keep customers that you already have than it is to buy new customers. There is no way for you to know that unless you track your numbers – what you spend on each marketing medium; how many invoices it brought in; the average value of those invoices; how often they repeat.

The rule is: Do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. However, you may need to dig deeper. I thought I was doing pretty good with customer retention. I “felt like” I was in the 65 percent range. Then I hired a company that returned my customer files of six years – my measured retention rate was 15 percent. And, they said that was pretty good – about double the norm in the chimney industry. It was no wonder there were some years of struggle. I had to get 85 percent new customers every year.

I took a look at my marketing numbers. I was doing around $900,000 a year in gross sales at that time. I had $500,000 come from traditional marketing mediums – TV, radio, direct mail, social media, etc. at $50,000 per year. It costs $60 per new customer. I had an aggressive marketing program centered around growth. That was the cost of buying new customers.

The other $400,000 came from referrals and relational marketing, for which I spent $6000 –mainly on Thank You cards, forward scheduling reminders and parties. That cost about $10 per customer and had a higher average invoice. In four more years, I doubled my business, and my retention rate shot up.

Throwing a $1500 party and getting $100,000 in sales was fun. Guess what I did more of? A two-dollar thank you card meant an $800 average invoice.

The Science

Not many people feel appreciated. We all want our customers to appreciate us – to acknowledge our expertise and hard work on their behalf. But we forget that they love to be appreciated too.

You might think, “Yeah, well, my software sends a text or an email automatically.” That’s good, that’s something. Think about how meaningful it’s been for you to receive impersonal, excellent communication.

Gratitude, both giving and receiving it, lights up the happy places in our brains with serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Happiness goes up. When that last touch from your company makes them feel good, they return. If it leaves them indifferent, you can’t afford indifference.

Around 68 percent of customers who shop elsewhere do it because of perceived indifference. Are you indifferent? No? How do they know? A physical card engages the part of the brain that connects knowing with action with twice as much connecting force as a digital medium. It creates a mental topography that links back to you. This does not mean you shouldn’t use digital mediums. It means there is more power, specifically in customer retention (relationship building), in tactile over digital.

Here’s what makes us loyal to a particular business: They know my name. They care about me personally. They are grateful for my business. They show that they care.

What To Do

Mary Kay sent three thank you cards a day. She trained her salespeople to do so. That’s a $3 billion company. When was your last Gratitude and Appreciation training in your company? Is your company culture better known for its ability to find faults (to get better, of course) or for the appreciation and gratitude it generates?

Appreciation starts with noticing what’s important to that other person. Is she pregnant? Have you ever sent a thank you card from her baby in the womb?

Have you sent their dog or other pet a card? Have you sent them a card from their dog in Heaven? How about, from all the shoes in the closet that wish they were worn more? From the books on their shelves that are proud to be part of the family? From their house promising to be fully remodeled soon? From their chimney, grateful for the care they gave it? The fancy car that loves to carry them around?

If you want to be memorable, notice the things necessary to them and reflect it back.

I made a customer weep with joy when she got a card from her shoes. It turned out she was a Realtor, and we received tens of thousands of dollars in work over the years – never without a reminder of the shoe card. And she told others.

She didn’t tell them how good I was at my job. She told them how well I took noticed of her life.

Having a child-friendly party and bringing your best customers and business referral partners together makes you a connector, and they both like you. Have the best food and drinks, a great band, and some high-end babysitters to watch kids; kick back and relax. You are not asking for sales; you are giving a moment of respite and creating more friends.

If you are bad at parties, just cater to them and hire someone to plan it. Give away prizes. Give stuff to kids. It is easy to take the many people who intersect our life for granted.

Say, thank you. Show gratitude. To customers, to suppliers, to insurance adjusters, to fire companies, to home inspectors; to your employees, to your boss, your co-worker.

What To Say

What are you thankful for?

• “Thank you for sharing your life with me.”

• “Thank you for your business.”

• “Thanks for the stories you shared.”

• “Thanks for letting us into your beautiful home.”

• “Your kids are great!”

• “I love Fido.”

It doesn’t need to be lengthy – it needs to be authentic and Heartfelt.

What Not to Say

• “Thank you for your business, and here’s a coupon for…”

• “Hope your birthday is great, and here’s 10 percent off this Spring…”

The BS sniffer kicks in, and they know it wasn’t really about them. Yeah, it will cost you a second postcard to sell your wares.

People return to do business with people they know, like, and trust. It’s both a better investment and more satisfying to build repeat business.

Send Out Cards is easy to use – send a free card here: socgreetingcard.com/fluese55

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT Searching for Every Advantage You Can Get

Remember when search engine optimization (SEO) was the golden goose everyone was after?

It used to be THE key to get your business shining brightly on that first page of search results. However, as more chimney sweeps have come online, claiming that coveted spot has become a little like winning a raffleit's not impossible and there are plenty of winners still, but your chances are getting slimmer and the ticket price just keeps going up!

But don't worry, it's not all gloom and doom in the chimney marketing realm. One of the brightest new strategies to come along lately is a new one called Search Box Optimization (SBO). This savvy approach leaps over the hurdle of the first-page hustle, aiming to catch your customer's eye right as they're typing their search query.

What is Search Box Optimization (SBO)?

Imagine this: a customer starts typing 'chimney sweep Seattle', and voila! Your business pops up in the auto-complete suggestions before they've even finished their thought. That's SBO working its magic, giving you a front-row seat in the customer's mind, bypassing the first-page competition entirely. And if they click your business then and there, they won’t be taken to the regular first page of results where you and every other

competitor hope to come up. Instead, your soon-to-be-customer goes to a page for the modified search term they clicked on, which just happens to contain your company name as part of the term, such as “chimney sweep Seattle XYZ Sweeps Inc”. So instead of seeing a page with all your competitors jammed into the few organic slots still left on the first page, they are seeing a page that is all about YOU. Your business name. Your listings. Your website pages. Your contact info. Your reviews. It’s all yours.

Congratulations, you’ve just aced out your competitors before they ever had a chance to be shown to your potential new customer. And THAT’S Search Box Optimization.

How Effective is SBO?

Once your term is optimized, the potential of this strategy is immense and immediate. Google reports that 91% of local searchers look at the auto-complete suggestions before committing to their search. What’s more, searchers will choose one of the auto-suggested terms a whopping 71% of the time. This number may be even higher when the searcher isn’t sure what phrase to use to find what they need, such as

SPARK MARKETER

Be the only search result they click.

a service with a trained technical component to the work (i.e. chimney relining, masonry repointing, gas log service, etc.)

Now let's talk money. There’s no question that SEO and SEM still work, but costs have soared over 500% for these services in the past decade. This isn’t because your marketing company is taking advantage of you; it’s because the work has gotten that much harder and more labor-intensive in order to deliver the same results. Today, SEO strategies often require spending big to constantly feed the content creation beast and the link-building wizards, just to keep up with the competition. Then there’s SEM, a congested toll road of pay-per-click strategies that keep getting more and more expensive with no exit in sight.

SBO, on the other hand, is more like the clever kid in class who uses her smarts to get what she wants over brute force or rich, connected parents, relying on understanding the complex interplay between user search behaviors, social signals, and predictive text algorithms. In the end, that cleverness ends up earning a high score for much less than either of its more well-known counterparts. In fact, we are seeing some people shift at least part of their SEO and SEM budget and get into SBO.

The Bigger Trend: Be More Influential, Earlier

SBO represents one aspect of a larger trend at work in digital marketing. We have been calling this trend “Zero-Click Optimization”. Its goal is simple: Optimize a company’s online

presence to provide the best possible shot of winning a customer, even before they are presented with options to click. Make it so easy to do business with you that the perception of needing to make a choice simply disappears.

a call with us and we can quickly help make that determination with you.

• Local keyword availability: We offer exclusive local key phrases, which means when one company pays us to optimize them for that key phrase, then it is no longer available to optimize for anyone else.

Spark Marketer: Your SBO Partner in the Chimney Industry

If you are interested in Search Box Optimization for high-value local keywords in your market, contact us as soon as possible. Many companies have already taken advantage of this exclusive offer from us, and keyword availability may become limited soon. Email us at sales@sparkmarketer.com to find out what opportunities are available in your market.

Zero-click strategies look for opportunities earlier in the customer journey where a company’s influence can be felt without the messaging of competitors crowding in on all sides. Some of these strategies are online, like SBO, and some occur offline, like direct mail, where there isn’t as much activity as in decades past.

Is SBO Right For You?

Spark Marketer has recently started providing search box optimization services. In our experience, determining the fit of SBO for any company comes down to just a few factors:

• Competitive pressure: The more competition, the better SBO can be in terms of ROI. If you can’t even stomach the thought of a competitor taking interest in your market and would do whatever it takes to appear ahead of them in every online search, you’re gonna love SBO.

• Local keyword opportunities: Not every market searches the same way, and local key phrases are important to this strategy’s success. A local keyword contains a place name in it, such as “fireplace restoration Boston”. The best way to know what the most popular keywords are in your area is to book

This is not some gimmicky offering, and it’s not a black hat tactic. It complies with all published best practices for both Google and Bing, and it is widely accepted as a solid part of any company’s local online business arsenal. We are proud to be able to offer the strategy to this industry as a trusted marketing partner for all modern chimney service businesses. We hope you’ll inquire with us soon.

NCSG Member Only Special Offer:

Sign up before the end of 2023 and it’s 100% Risk-Free. If we can’t get you showing in the search box autosuggestions within 180 days, we’ll refund 100% of your investment.

SWEEP'S WEEK RECAP

Sweep's Week 2023 at Warrior Horse

and pecan pies. The evenings were enjoyed in the arena listening to bands and watching testimonies on the LED backdrop.

We will continue hosting Sweeps Week at Warrior Horse for the next several years, so make your plans to come. Sweeps Week 2024 will be held April 22-26. For some reason, folks wanted it a little sooner in the year, as the heat was absolutely brutal in June.

It was a dream come true to have so many that have been an integral part of the development of the program actually see and be part of it. I believe those who attended have an idea of how the program operates and the good it does after hearing the testimonies of those who have been through the program.

KEVIN RUSSELL NCSG MEMBER CONTRIBUTION

We were finally able to have Sweep's Week again, and this year it was Hosted by Warrior Horse in Frierson, Louisiana. What an incredible time of work, eating, fellowship, and healing. The amount of work that was completed was phenomenal. We were able to install some Big Fans in the arena, enclose the barn, get the foundation ready for the outdoor cook and recreation center, mend fences (in more ways than one), install new walls, remove sticks and branches from the roof of the arena, repair insulation, clean pastures, plant flowers, and many other things. United Rentals supplied all the equipment needed to accomplish the tasks.

The camaraderie was beyond belief. We had local volunteers, colleagues and suppliers from across the country, from Massachusetts to California, and representatives from NCSG and CSIA. The Lt. Governor’s office sent $2000 worth of seafood to help feed everyone. We had everything from live crawfish, oysters, and crab to fish and alligators. I may have even baked a few desserts. I had Rob Lindemann in the kitchen with me when he wasn’t installing a fence in the backyard. Rob helped me make a few pies. We also had people send us Moon Pies, cakes,

Feel free to reach out if you would like to be part of the next Sweeps Week. You can contact Renee Brigman or Kevin Russell (kevin@warriorhorse.net)

Please follow us on Facebook: Sweeps Week at Warrior Horse; Warrior Horse.

A huge thanks to each and every one who attended and helped support.

About the Author: Kevin Russell owns New Buck Chimney Services, LLC with his wife Teresa and is the Founder/Executive Director/President of Warrior Horse. He has been a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep for over 20 years. Kevin is part of the National Chimney Sweep Guild and is constantly increasing his knowledge of the industry through continued education.

About Sweep's Week: Sweep's Week is a week of learning through hands-on projects and training that brings sweeps together to support a larger cause. Sweeps Week is an open event to all chimney professionals to visit and participate regardless of affiliation.

About the Warrior Horse Program: Warrior Horse transforms the lives of military veterans, one horse at a time. The Warrior Horse program uses a personalized and interactive equine-assisted method, which we call the “Bonding Process” to assist military veterans who suffer from PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to begin their recovery from this debilitating disorder. Our program is open to current and former members of the armed forces of the United States who have been diagnosed with PTSD and have had some “let down” period after a tour of active duty. The program is provided at no financial cost to the veterans.

Supplied Images: Spark Marketer

ARSHALL'S

Don’t Cave

I was recently called by an older gentleman. He just turned 80, and for his birthday, his wife said that he is no longer allowed on a ladder. Now, he needed to have his chimney cleaned, something he had always done himself. His wife was in the background laughing, I could hear her, and I asked if that was his wife laughing. He said it was.

I also started laughing, but I told him I was laughing for a different reason than his wife. I was actually laughing at him, and frankly, for a good reason.

I told him that all through the 80s and even the 90s, we only looked for two things, probably the two things he looked for while cleaning his chimney. The two things were: Was it open? And is it somewhat clean?

He admitted that this was true. That is about all he looked for and wanted. He already had removed the pipes and just wanted me to come out and run a brushup and down the flue. He also really didn’t want to pay anything for this service. Even $45 was way overpriced for only five minutes of "work."

I asked him if he had ever heard of the NFPA 211. Of course, he had not but had heard of other NFPA standards. I informed him what the 211 was and how we were required to perform a Level 1 inspection with each sweeping of a chimney flue. I asked if he knew how many things we had to look at to fulfill this requirement, and he was quiet for a moment.

MARSHALL PETERS

than his max. This time he laughed at me and told me I was way out of line.

I let him know that the Level 1 inspection was far more important than he could imagine and was critical to the safety of his home if he was going to burn wood. I wished him well with his project. I can only assume he found the area’s cheap rip-off sweep and hired him.

He already had removed the pipes and just wanted me to come out and run a brush-up and down the flue. He also really didn’t want to pay anything for this service. Even $45 was way overpriced for only five minutes of "work."

As I reflect on this phone call, I am reminded of several things:

I broke the silence by saying it was not two, but 33! Of course, he was stunned as I began to rattle off several things I would have to inspect. I also told him the price was almost $200 more

1. The growth I have experienced through the years of being better at business and realizing that this was not a client wanted! When I started as a professional sweep in 1990, I tried hard to get every person as a client and sacrificed too much time and energy serving “cheap,”

quickly bowing to their sub-standard requirements, demands, and prices they were willing to pay.

2. The requirements of the NFPA 211 and levels of inspection are not an option for me anymore! I hope they are not for you also! They are critically important and never are to be sacrificed. I cannot stress enough the importance of this for both you and your business!

3. Times have changed for the better in our industry. We are burning fewer homes

I am sure you, too, had some thoughts as you read my story.

Be encouraged, don’t lower your standards and cave to the ignorant. They deserve better than you caving, and you deserve better, so DON’T CAVE!

Have an awesome month, Marshall

Chimney Caps• Liner Kits • Accessories

SPARK YOUR MARKETING

Uncovering the Influence of Sentiment on Customer Buying Habits

The Role of Sentiment in Customer Decisions

"Sentiment" - a perspective or attitude toward a situation or event; a judgment.

The power of sentiment in shaping customer choices is well-recognized across various industries. This attitude-based behavior driver may not always rely on facts, but it influences actions regardless of fact or fiction. When a belief is deeply ingrained in a majority, it's likely to direct their actions, both positively and negatively.

Take, for instance, the global financial crisis of 2008. A friend sought financial advice as his investment portfolio crumbled alongside the collapsing real estate market. He had multiple properties and a 401K that had depreciated by more than half. Nearing retirement, he was gripped by fear. Although several investment and real estate specialists he sought out advised him to wait it out and hope for a market rebound, the sentiment of the day was too overwhelming for him to ignore.

From every corner - his church, workplace, news media, even his workplace advisormessages of impending financial and world collapse were everywhere. To make matters worse, it was a presidential election year, which we all know brings uncertainty and unease. Fear overtook him; he sold all his properties and liquidated his investment portfolio, leading to big losses. His view of the situation was so bleak;

he could only envision a future of dread and loss. Looking back, we can all remember what a challenging time that was.

But What Does Sentiment Have to Do with Marketing Your Chimney Business?

While we'd like to believe our decisions are purely logical, our emotions are the main driver in making them. Fear, in particular, is known in marketing to be why many of us do what we do. In fact, fear of loss drives most of us way more than we imagine, and we are overloaded with messages that prey on those losses.

Ads and news around inflation, debt, education, fairness, lack of resources, scarcity, and war are everywhere you look and read. It's a constant barrage of unsettling news and negative sentiment. And we see thousands of ads that have negative implications for the economic sentiment of the day and they all affect your potential customer's comfort in purchasing your services.

Redirecting Sentiment Towards Positive Engagement

So, how can your chimney services business turn these fear-driven sentiments into positive customer interactions? By understanding that your customers' decisions are primarily emotiondriven, you can shape a more effective marketing strategy.

Establishing trust and empathy with your potential customers is crucial. Trust counteracts

CARTER HARKINS & TAYLOR HILL SPARK MARKETER

"Sentiment" - a perspective or attitude toward a situation or event; a judgment.

fear, and empathy resonates with emotions. By showing that you genuinely understand and are prepared to address your customers' issues, you can significantly change the prevailing negative sentiment. For instance, make sure your website and social media channels have good reliable information about chimney maintenance, common problems to look out for, preventive measures they can take, and even do-it-yourself tips. This strategy cements your reputation as a trusted expert and provides your customers with valuable knowledge. This alone can change the nature of your customer from one of doubt to one of trust.

Your marketing messages should underscore your company's reliability and credibility. Highlight your years of experience, certifications, positive customer testimonials, and any awards you've received. These factors reinforce your brand as a reliable and trustworthy option, thus removing the fear of making a wrong choice.

Moreover, in a cost-conscious economy, it's vital to stress the value your services provide rather than focus solely on the price. Clearly articulate how investing in your chimney services prevents more expensive issues in the future. This shift in sentiment from viewing your services

as a financial burden to a valuable investment can be instrumental in gaining customer confidence.

Remember, Emotions Drive Us

Remember, emotions, particularly fear, play a pivotal role in consumers' decisions. As a business owner, understanding this emotional landscape can guide your marketing strategy. By instilling trust, demonstrating empathy, and emphasizing your value, you can sway consumer sentiment positively, resulting in more customers ready to use your services.

The world may be steeped in fear and negativity, but your chimney services business can stand out as an exception. By demonstrating that your brand is one of trust, empathy, and value, you can be the one company they deal with that makes them feel valued and heard.

Managing Financing and Maintenance Schedules

You can also make things easier for customers concerned about major expenses by offering financing options if you haven't already. Offering a routine maintenance schedule or annual agreements for inspections and sweeping may be a great option. A service agreement that allows

Stock Photo

small, monthly payments can reassure customers that their chimneys will be regularly inspected and swept, thus keeping them in good condition, helping to eliminate more significant, unexpected costs down the line.

In a Nutshell

While fear and other emotions undeniably drive consumer choices, your business can leverage and use this information in order to positively influence customer sentiment. Trust, empathy, and the emphasis on value are powerful tools in your marketing strategy that can lead to a larger customer base ready to use your services.

The world might be a cesspool of fear and negativity, but your chimney services business can be a beacon of reliability, understanding, and value amid it all. And, always remember - in the battle between logic and sentiment, sentiment most often emerges victorious.

About the Authors: Carter Harkins and Taylor Hill are the authors of Blue Collar Proud: 10 Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love and the owners of Spark Marketer, a ‘no bull’ digital marketing company that’s been getting sh*t done for home service businesses across the nation for a decade. They’re trusted thought leaders in the industries they serve, so you’ll find them regularly speaking at service industry trade shows and conferences and writing for trade magazines. Tired of empty promises and ready for focused digital marketing and balls-to-the-wall dedication that gets your business seen? Visit www.sparkmarketer.com

CORNER

book authored by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter,

goals and dreams include aspiring to a higher level in point. You may even be content where you are and willing to accept this as where you want to

wants more, wants to achieve more, and wants

This is why it is important to know our dream destination, and instead of building the plan and strategy for the business we have today, we must build for the business we will become. One must know what that dream is but realize the plan is not written on a stone tablet. Rather it is a plan that will likely be modified due to personal decisions, the changes in the business, the economic climate, and consumer demand. And in addition, there will come a time when an exit from the business will come, this needs to be well thought out and planned for as many wake up one day and decide for any number of reasons the time is here, but they are illprepared for it.

We must all keep in mind that what got us here, where we are today, will not get us there. And that is why looking at the business for a 30,000-foot view is vastly important. One must continuously examine with our eyes open as to what are the weaknesses and the threats to our planned dream destination,

If we survey entrepreneurship in our country,

workforce. They face monumental change and business grows, this commercial facility does office, they may now face the move to a facility

The first thing is determining what is the level you wish to achieve. Let's look at one person who can provide an example of building to the dream he has. One of my friends is a guy named Tommy Mello. Tommy is seen as a giant in the home services arena as the owner of A1 Garage Door and is also a bestselling author of two books, The Home Service Millionaire and his most recent book Elevate. Both books have significant information that any entrepreneur can utilize as examples to follow. Tommy is also a very in-demand speaker and puts on two events a year. One of these is the Vertical Track Event, and the other is the Home Service Freedom Event that is coming up in November. It is common to see where many follow Tommy and his published and spoken words.

Tommy did not start with a silver spoon in his mouth. A decade ago, he was deeply in

debt and just trying to make ends meet. Quite plainly, he was struggling like so many other entrepreneurs struggle. But he set a vision, a goal that he wished to strive to obtain, and that was a very lofty goal he is still working to attain. He wanted to own a business that grossed $1 billion a year. He had his dream and was determined to make it his reality, and quite honestly, he is on track to make it happen.

What did he do? He worked backward from the lofty goal he had assembled. He assembled his plan of how he would make this journey and how many things had to be put in place to obtain that goal.

Like the book What Got You Here Will Not Get You There discussed, he had to make hard decisions about achieving these goals. And much of this involved painful change, as one of the things we must endure often is painful change. Change in our lifestyle, change in our habits and change in our mindset. And Tommy did not do this alone. He depended on coaches, mentors, and consultants to assist him in mapping out his plans. Tommy is a perfect example of the role of the visionary with the capacity to delegate to those who are better at tasks than he is, often a failing of so many business owners. They think they are the best at every single task. Is this your mindset?

Part of this dream he had involved him assembling a winning team to help him get there. He had to establish the systems to make it happen. He had to build systems of marketing, recruitment, and training. And, of course, it required building the funding necessary to get there. Without all the factors together, it would not happen. I highly recommend his latest book Elevate as it provides you with the story of the journey he has traveled over the past decade to move closer and closer to his dreams.

He describes in Elevate what he calls the five pillars that must happen to take the business to the one that is dreamed of. These include the following:

• LEADERSHIP

• CULTURE

• MARKETING

• RECRUITING

• SYSTEMS

Much like the 5 S of lean are required to reduce waste and chaos, these 5 pillars are the key, and if this journey to your dreams is your desire, are you ready to undergo the pain of change, or do you prefer to simply relish in the pain you are in.

You see running a business is not easy, it is hard work. But as I travel the country, visit many businesses in the chimney, venting, and hearth industry, along with other home service businesses I find people who are willing to do this. I see those who have made a change in their habits, have changed their mindsets, and are doing the hard work required to get there. Many of these are silent, you may have never heard of or know their names but let me tell you I see success stories of those who are reaching heights that just a few years ago they viewed as the impossible dream.

To reach that dream, think for a few minutes on Tommy’s 5 pillars and ask yourself the questions as follows:

• Just how good are your leadership skills? What are you doing to turn into a better leader, as everything will fall back to leadership, it is how wars are won!

• What does your culture look like, both personal and in your company. Another friend, speaker & author Randy Pennington will often say Culture Always Wins!

• Marketing, just how good is your marketing systems, are you considered the expert in your community? What are you doing to establish yourself as this community expert? How are you speaking to your community?

• Recruiting, yes one of the leading challenges of today, but some are on top of this and are attracting new people to their teams with the right stuff to win.

• Systems is the information assembled in a form where your team can access and retrieve it or is it residing between your ears.

Think for a minute about all the factors that go into a plane flight you are on. Have you ever thought about all the systems that make this a successful journey? Both the pre-planning to sell the seats, hold the massive number of

reservations, travel on the timetable that is set, and make sure the plan is ready to go and that all systems are checked out. And as we all know, at times there is a failure, these failures make the news as they are so newsworthy, but for the vast majority of flights it goes according to plan, and we arrive safely at our destination.

It comes down to you; if you want to go to the level you aspire to, you must understand that it requires a change in your mindset and your thinking. And it takes a well laid out plan, it is not a journey you take haphazardly and simply follow the wind. Chart your course and stay the course, and with the right effort you can make it happen!

Your dreams are important, make your dreams your realities, it can be done. But remember they are your dreams, no one else’s, never let someone else paint your dream for you.

About the Author: Jerry Isenhour is an industry consultant, educator, and coach who authors a monthly article in Sweeping as a service to the industry. He is a Past President of NCSG

& CSIA, along with serving in several volunteer industry positions over his career. For more information about Jerry and how his team can assist you individually and your business in your quest for success and your ascent to the next level, take a look at his website www. cvcsuccessgroup.com . He can be contacted at jerry@cvcsuccessgroup.com or by phone at (704) 425-0217. You can also obtain great business tips from his Facebook page CVC Coaching and YouTube channel CVC Coaching. CVC Success Group also has a broadcast/ podcast, The Chimney & Fireplace Success Network, that is broadcast on Fridays at 12 PM Eastern time and also can be found on your favorite podcast channels.

Darwin Award

They had a Mason come out and install a six inch liner to their fireplace (WAY too small) and when it wouldn’t draft, he kept adding sections to increase the height. These pictures were how it was attempted to be used, NOT pictures of its removal.

By the time I showed up, the Mason was CERTAIN it was wind causing the problem and was about to put on a direct vent high wind cap on top of all of that!

We have single wall elbows straightened out attached to various sections of stainless steel liner and some black duct tape to boot!

Have you ever seen some interesting things on the job? Submit a photo with your name and state to marketing@ncsg.org.

Submitted by: Ritchie A. of Idaho

BOARD OF DIRECTORS '23-'24

President | Region 1

Matt Mair matt@blackmoosechimney.com

Vice President | Region 2

Bill Thornton wissahickonvalleysweep@yahoo.com

Treasurer | At-Large

Steve Scally firesidesweeps@comcast.net

Secretary | Region 4 Debbie Wiedwald debbie@blackburnschimney.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS '23-'24

Advocacy

Debbie Wiedwald debbie@blackburnschimney.com

Bylaws Matt Mair matt@blackmoosechimney.com

Certification Steve Sobczak steve@totalchimneycare.com

Events

Doug Rivas drivas@nesbestflex.com

Education David Steward copperridgechimney@gmail.com

CLASSIFIEDS

Region 3

James Owens james@owenschimneysystems.com

Region 5 David Steward copperridgechimney@gmail.com

Region 6 Michaele Dempsey prochimneymichaele@gmail.com

At-Large Jake Cromwell jake@tophatchimneyandroofing.com

At-Large Robby Murphy rmurphy@hudsonvalleychimney.com

At-Large Gary Smalling gary.smalling@smallingmasonry.com

At-Large Supplier Rep Doug Rivas drivas@nesbestflex.com

Ethics

James Owens james@owenschimneysystems.com

Governance Steve Scally firesidesweeps@comcast.net

International Relations

Victor Imgarten stlswp@accessus.net

Marketing Jake Cromwell jake@tophatchimneyandroofing.com

Membership

Michaele Dempsey prochimneymichaele@gmail.com

NFPA 211 Jim Brewer jim@rooftopsafetyusa.com

NFPA 31

Steve Scally firesidesweeps@comcast.net

NFPA 54 Jim Brewer jim@rooftopsafetyusa.com

Technical Advisory Council Steve Scally firesidesweeps@comcast.net