How to choose good software and not get fired
When I joined ServiceTrade to begin its services division in 2012, Billy greeted me with the welcoming threat “if you screw this up I’ll fire your ass.” I’m still with the company, so here is my advice for how to buy good software and not get fired in a growing company. Use the right tool […]
Soon: The smart service revolution
Predicting the future is tough, but predicting the future of customer service for commercial service contractors? That’s easy. The technology is already here. It’s already permeated the consumer world. It’s just a matter of time before it revolutionizes how you do business. Just like local retail was rocked by e-commerce and video rentals were decimated […]
How valuable is your brand? Part 1
I am amazed at how often I see service contractors spending extraordinary effort to measure the gross margin of each service call, job, or project to two decimal places while simultaneously making zero effort whatsoever to measure and understand the value of their business in total. Service call gross margin is a very poor proxy […]
How valuable is your brand? Part 2
As I indicated in my previous post, the basic finance formula for determining the value of an investment is to assess the amount and the risk of future income streams. Of course, predicting the future is tricky business, so it is best to rely on historical trends as a proxy for future performance, along with […]
Nope, it’s a tide ad.
The Eagles didn’t win the Super Bowl. Nope, Tide won it with their amazing ad campaign. Everybody is still talking about the Tide ad campaign. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could generate that kind of buzz with your customers and prospects without spending anywhere near the estimated $15M Tide spent on their ads? It’s […]
A story of growth – AAA fire protection, Seattle
“When we started with ServiceTrade we had one pipefitter. Now we have five.” When Mary Krinbring of AAA Fire Protection in Seattle told us that in September 2015, everyone on our end of the phone’s eyes opened wide at that 500% growth. “Tell us more, Mary…”Mary Krinbring, AAA Fire Protection. November 2017.When AAA Fire Protection […]
An easy differentiator for service contractors
Want to charge 146% more than your competition and still have customers beating down the doors? The secret to easy money for service contractors is simple: Convenience is more valuable than low prices. Modern buyers are willing to pay a premium for convenience. In a world flooded with One Truck Chucks and low-cost competitors, differentiating […]
How to make billions selling nothing – the story of red hat
The following story is a preview from an upcoming book about how commercial service contractors can earn “money for nothing” by rethinking the way that they present and deliver the services that they provide their customers. I left IBM to join Red Hat in late November of 1998. Red Hat would record five million in […]
What skilled labor shortage?
“What skilled labor shortage? We don’t have any trouble hiring service technicians. We’re covered up in job applications.” That’s what a ServiceTrade customer told Billy Marshall, our CEO, on a recent visit. This customer figured that the economy was tanking because there are so many techs applying for work at his company. Billy just shook his […]
Snakes on the roof!
Every popular book or movie generally hues to a typical formula. A hero faces a daunting challenge and makes a big effort to overcome trouble. The reason this formula works is because humans are captivated by trouble and drama. Jonathan Gottschall, the keynote speaker for the Digital Wrap Conference, documents in great detail the human […]