1)  Patience is the most precious commodity.  When everyone is under water, and every restoration company is working around the clock, it makes for a difficult situation.  It reminded me to always put myself in the shoes of the other person.  As a home owner, if I had called 15 different restoration companies, and all had the same timeframe of “we’ll get back to you when we can,”  I would be at my wit’s end as well.  Though patience won’t help expedite the process or change thecurrent situation, it does help see the world through a different lens, which can greatly improve your outlook.

2)  Preparation saves you a ton.  We helped many, and the families that faired the best, actually heeded the advice of packing up and going.  Though many homes were still damaged, some were actually able to save valuable items and only deal with the clean up of an empty home.  Trust me, the dealing with a broken home is enough for anyone.  If you add having to throw away all your stuff too, it makes for a disaster no one should have to deal with.  Lesson, heed warnings.

3)  Things are valuable, but life is short.  I know that is so cliche, but that truth probably rang the loudest.  Many families that lost everything, were still so happy to have each other.  It was uplifting to see people band together.  From the Red Cross, to local churches, to friends and family, everyone stepped up and has done something to start piecing back the coast.  All in all, I think that not only do good people exist, but great people are out there too.

One complicating factor, especially in the service industry, is that there’s a third party in most situations- the customer. Besides acknowledging an employee’s mistake, an employer will need to reconcile with their client. While it can be hard to accept fault for someone else’s error, it is usually the employer who takes responsibility for their workers. It kind of comes with the job description. Most rational customers appreciate and respond to a company that’s up front and asks how they can right the situation for the wronged party.

When it comes to handling the issue internally, the best thing an organization can do is turn the problem into a positive as much as possible. This is a time to implement policies that will prevent further occurrences or at least help the “clean-up” go smoothly. Particularly for small businesses, they may choose to customize this standard procedure based on the circumstances. With a small staff and close relationships, it’s easy to tell when the employee is taking the event seriously. If not, it would be smart to put some serious consequences in place- making sure to give detailed explanation as to why they were necessary. This could be anything from documenting the problem to terminating a position.  For the employee who is aware of their oversight and genuinely apologetic, they probably don’t need a lengthy lecture and constant reminders about their failure. Of course it can’t go unmentioned, but perhaps a straightforward conversation acknowledging the facts and results will be sufficient.

With all involved parties acting with humility and respect, a dropped ball can have a positive outcome. Customers may not like to be let down, but companies can use the opportunity to showcase integrity amidst imperfection. Employees will be equipped to handle certain situations appropriately or avoid them altogether. Company policies can become more efficient and business relationships can grow stronger. Clichés from children’s television neighborhoods don’t always make everything better, but we really can learn from our mistakes.

“Uggghhhh” I thought to myself.  Another boring seminar on setting reminders and due dates and blah, blah, blah.  Then I found myself trying to get to the root of effective time management.  Why is time management so difficult?  There are so many books, websites, and specialist on the matter.  For me the root came down distraction.  Those who are able to drown out the distractions get the most done at the end of the day.  Here are three things to help fight your distractions:

1. Knowing your goals -because at the end of the day, we get done what we want to do.  Your goals should be what you want.  If they are not, then you need to change your goals to match according.  If you’re goal is to make as little money as possible, well then time management is easy.  If you want to become the next President of the United States of America, you’ve probably got some heavy time manage ment goals ahead.
2. Don’t fight biology -did you know that our bodies are designed to succeed at certain tasks during certain parts of the day?  Think about when you were a kid at school and the clock read 2:30pm.  Do you think you’re focus was at 100% then?  Probably not.  This means you shouldn’t try to tackle the “high focus” tasks towards the end of the day.
3. Define your boundaries -Once you’ve got a plan, let your team know what that is.  This will allow your teammates to follow the time management system that you’ve got in place.

So, I decided to take this new found knowledge and share it with the chamber.  -Yes, I decided to speak on the matter myself.  I hope not to bore anyone there.  Here are my actual notes from my keynote if you are feeling gnarly:

Know your goals

• Work backwards from your end goal (500k) big numbers seem unrealistic  (21 work days in a month) -if you’re goal doesn’t help you achieve this, why are you doing it?
• Deathbed tasks-Tim Ferriss 4 Hour Work Week  (1-2)  You need to see success.
• Sometimes you have to rework your goals and your energies.  Let’s assume you don’t.  Goal setting is another ball of wax.

Don’t fight biology

7 to 9 AM: Best for Passion

9 to 11 AM: Best for Creativity -your brain has secreted stress hormone cortisol which allows it to focus more.-Sung Lee, MD, secretary of the International Brain Education Association Write a presentation.

11 AM to 2 PM: Best for Tough Tasks  – get through your list!  Tackle voicemails and emails.

2 to 3 PM: Best for a Break -wait to take lunch now.  -Your body draws blood away from your brain to your stomach.  -exercise to get theblood away from the belly to your brain.  water helps

3 to 6 PM: Best for Collaboration – work with a team member tasks

6 to 8 PM: Best for Personal Tasks

8 to 10 PM: Best for Relaxing

10 PM onward: Best for Snoozing

Define your boundaries

• Be deliberate on your time zones  (I do emails/voicemails from 10-12)
• Leave room for error (interruptions never stop)
• Accountability from people close to you.

Variety. Nobody is the same, so there’s not easy pattern to follow.
Our culture is a mish-mash of personalities, so many unique and
different from our own. And we all know that our OWN personality is
the best… hehe.

Tunnel vision. Blinders. Whatever you want to call it. It’s what most
of us see through (unless you’re a real-life angel). We see the world
ONLY through our very own eyes. So when MY world gets knocked around a
little bit, even though it’s not nearly as bad as the single mother
living in a war zone trying to parent 5 kids, it’s relative to what I
know and experience on a daily basis.

So when I walk onto a worksite and come face to face with a guy
freaking out about how much water just flooded two stories down into
his basement, I just remind myself that this is HIS life, not mine.
This is his world, I’m entering into it, and I need to tread
delicately, I need to respect his environment. This is value.

I’ll dry his house out, sure. But possibly even better than that I’ll
empathize with him in HIS world, in HIS chaos. And 3-months later
after all the chaos returns to normal, he’ll remember me for being
chill about things. He’ll remember the time he lit up, directing
anger, frustration, and stress at the only person around, Mister
Water-Sucker Guy, and he’ll remember how Mister Water-Sucker Guy
didn’t flinch, but continued to offer consistent direction and
service, despite the ego-beating.

So to all the Mister Water-Sucker Guys out there that get knocked
around from time to time, props to you. It pays off in the end.

The biggest guideline that dictates my phone presence is to be real. When you can’t see the person you’re talking to, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that he or she has feelings, opinions, and possibly eighty other things going on in life besides what you are currently discussing. Feeding someone lines without caring for their reaction can really alienate them. I, for one, feel pretty alienated when telemarketers open with asking for my name, then after I reply with “Meggie” they rush on, “Okay, Megan, I’m calling today because…” Meeting someone in “real life” usually involves getting their name straight, and most people would rather be spoken to like a friend than a business proposition.

In our line of service, I get a lot of calls from people who are in unfortunate situations that can be very stressful. During that initial call, there are quite a few pieces of information that we look to get from them, and it’s possible to run through the list just to check off boxes on the intake form. However, it’s much more helpful to treat the questionnaire like a conversation. Whether a client is calling in times of distress or just to get a feel for your company’s personality, speaking to them like a real human being lets them know your business has a culture based on personal interaction, and values meeting their true needs.

All this isn’t to say it’s a bad thing to be purposeful with your telephone interactions. Having standardized language for customer calls ensures that you sound professional and helps you acquire necessary information. Just keep the customer’s mind in mind! Flawlessly reciting pre-planned dialogue is great if you’re doing Shakespeare, but can leave customers with the feeling that your business relationship is “not to be.”

My attention then turned to our decision to expand into another market- the great city of Chicago. We have been contemplating this move for a long time and felt the timing was finally right, even as the economy struggles. As the challenge of growth and business development seem to be ever increasing, my thoughts immediately went back to the feeling we received from warm smiles and a culture of sincerity. What if, by design, we bring this power of southern comfort to every touch point our customers have – even in Chicago?

Too often, as small business leaders, we focus time and energy on the what; and we are blinded to the why.  Please don’t misunderstand- my goal is not to theorize about our purpose for being; nor is it to minimize the importance of operational excellence. The real question is pointed to something much more basic, yet infinitely more profound. Do our clients truly believe that we actually care and we want to help them? My point is- do we have the vision and culture that attract people who want to smile? Maybe good old fashioned southern hospitality is just what we need to expand our horizons, our locations-and our bottom line.

My initial plan was to bring you three do’s since my last post was centered around three don’ts.  But does anyone really like do’s and don’ts?  I’m not your mother, I want to inspire you so after long thought, I’ve decided it’s better to illustrate this with be’s than do’s.  So without further ado, (pun intended) here are the three be’s:

1. Be prepared.  What should you prepare for you ask?  Everything.  Before you set foot into an office, know the ins and outs.  Network with people that know them.  Linkedin is a great place to find out more about a contact or company.  Look at their website.  You should do this to build a true connection with the business that you are trying to woo.  This shouldn’t be a blind date, at least not on your end.  Prepare yourself with the details of your prospects.  That will go far with many of your prospects.
2. Be yourself.  Seems basic right?  There’s so much literature out there on how to increase sales through morphing yourself into what the client wants.  I believe that this will happen to a certain degree naturally; and what actually is necessary is training on how to not lose yourself in sales. What’s so special about yourself you ask?  It’s easier if you don’t have to pretend.  Most people can see right through another person that is not being sincere.  This whole idea creates a tension between you and a prospect.  You’re already trying to convince them to give you money for something they “need.”  The last thing you want is a distrust of who you are as a person.  Remove all barriers-you have enough as it is!
3. Be patient.  I have established a phenomenal relationship with some of my best clients after they already told me no.  Please do not apply this to every no you get in the field.  I’m talking about the “whale” accounts that take time to nurture.  If you give up after the first no then you are like 98% of the other sales reps out there.  Find ways to stay connected to them in their world (chambers, events, etc) You might see the fruit of your labor down the road.  Remember, the harder a client is to close, the longer you will keep them, because they don’t like to change.  These are the long term clients you want.

There you have it.  You should now be well on your way to the sales you’ve always wanted!  What challenge do you want me to solve next?

My eyes are currently 31 years of age, along with the rest of myself. I worked for 9-years as a residential & commercial architectural designer before joining Spectrum, where I’ve been for a little over 2-years. I have my IICRC certification, and actually just recently enjoyed acquiring a diploma in Restoration Project Management through Violand Management Associates and Kent State University in Ohio.

I started cleaning carpet like most restoration guys, and have quickly found myself responsible for all the normal operations tasks, including commercial & large-loss disasters, as well as out of town losses. Periodically we travel out to Colorado or Wisconsin to help our “partner” companies, where I run our out-of-town disaster teams. Fun stuff.

I like to think I’m a good writer, you can all be the judge of that. I’ll be sharing little snippets via our @spectrumops Twitter account, and will be writing monthly blogs on specific subjects. Responses to my ramblings are always invited! I love the idea of developing a bit of an online restoration community right here at Spectrum Restoration. Please feel free to respond to writings if they hit a nerve or tickle a funny bone.

I may gripe about things from time to time, but overall I’m definitely a positive and optimistic person and have a strong commitment to constantly building and improving workplace culture. I believe that attitude is everything, in every workplace. I believe that you can be up to your neck in sewage, and if you have a smile on your face, somehow it doesn’t wreak quite so bad.

So stay tuned. This is just the introduction. More sweet blogs are on the way!

I’ve been with Spectrum for a few months now, and am beginning to feel like I have a handle on most of what goes on here- which trust me, is a lot! Business is not too overwhelming, but booming would be a safe word. There are many different areas of service we cover, and being in the office requires a decent understanding of all those services. Coming into this position, I had no idea what kind of equipment was required to steam extract carpets, how insurance adjustors process water damage projects, or whether it was possible to remove “strange odors” from an apartment! It’s been an enjoyable learning process so far, and I can’t wait to share the continuing journey with you here.

While I haven’t been in this particular industry long, my history includes lots of work with the public. I have worked retail in an office supply store and three different bookstores (yes, I’m a bookworm), as well as in the service industry as a Starbucks Barista. After graduating from NIU with a degree in Communications, I assisted in a Montessori classroom for four years. Though I love working with children, I’m excited for this career shift, which allows me to put my education and skills to use.

The opportunity to participate in this company blog is a pretty big deal for me, as writing happens to be one of my passions. Some of my favorite coursework in school included creating web copy, TV scripts, commercials, and news stories. In the future, I hope to focus my talents and spend more time designing, writing, and editing. Being a grammar nerd seems to come as part of the bookworm package! It’s amazing to see how the world of the written word is being affected by the blogosphere- thanks for welcoming me into it.

Warmly,

Meggie – “Communication Maven”