Posted: September 7, 2018 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Management, Team Building

If we want our product or service to be competitive and profitable, we need to deliver on time, within budget, and meet quality requirements.  To consistently achieve these objectives, there is one area I am finding increasing frustration:  Management of vendors and subs.  Since these folks are not on the payroll, we do not have the line authority and control that we do over our own employees.

In my 40 years of coaching and training, there is one business owner that stands out as the best vendor/sub manager I have ever known.  His name was John, and he was a contractor.  He built homes in the $1 million-plus range and was famous for always finishing the home on time and within budget.  He also had customers who were “wowed” and eager to refer him to their friends.  John’s recipe was simple:  He knew the four steps of project management:

1. Begin with the end picture in mind.

2.  List every single task and activity that needs to be done.  Prioritize the items and put them                                                  in sequence.

3.  Plan each task.  Negotiate and set deadlines with your subcontractors.

4.  Hold your team accountable

As simple as it sounds, it is not easy.  John’s strength was in step #4:  Holding people accountable.  If a sub committed to a time and date, John expected the sub to be there.  He was not a harsh man.  He simply went by the “Four F’s”:  Firm, Friendly, Frank and Fair.  I role-played with him in class to challenge him.  I played a sub that was trying to re-schedule a date I had committed to.  John said to me, “Steve, that isn’t going to work.  Here is why:  We are a team with a reputation of doing things right and on time.  If you don’t do your work here on Tuesday, that will set our job behind.  It would compromise our reputation.  You don’t want that.  Neither do I.  I want you to go back to your schedule and work it out, Steve.  I am counting on you to be there on Tuesday as we have agreed.”

That’s leadership!

Posted: May 9, 2018 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Sales

Six months ago one of my coaching clients found himself in a predicament:  Ty received a phone call from his biggest customer and it wasn’t a happy one.  His customer had not received their delivery and it was past due.  As a result, this missed delivery date caused the company to be late with a shipment to one of their customers.

Ty checked into it right away, and found out the error was due to some communication error between two departments.  They made a big mistake.  Ty could have called the company and made up some excuse.  Instead, he said, “We made a mistake.  We are sorry.  We are now making arrangements for you to receive it by air freight, and we will absorb the additional shipping charges”.

Fast forward to today.  Not only is this still their biggest customer, they have purchased far more than anticipated since the error.  I am quite certain this would not have happened if Ty and his company hadn’t owned up to their mistake and made it right quickly.  Ty knew that the most important asset his company has is their sterling reputation, and he fought to preserve it.

What Ty did seems like common sense.  It is common sense.  Yet how many times have you seen a situation where there was a mix-up in a process, and a shipment has to be sent out late?  Have you ever heard someone ask the question, “What should we tell them?”  How about the truth?  It worked for Ty

Our reputation is our brand, and it is a strong determining factor when a purchasing decision is made.  Think of it like that commercial for a Nationwide Freight Carrier:  “We are in the business of keeping promises”.

Posted: February 20, 2018 | Categories: Customer service, Sales

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence”

– Vince Lombardi

Last week my wife and I celebrated Valentine’s Day by having dinner at one of the most famous restaurants in Chicago.  We each ordered a steak.  My steak cost $70, and my wife ordered a $50 filet.  Our expectations were high!

When the steaks were served, we began enjoying each bite.  It was delicious and I made sure I cut the meat in extra small chunks so that I could maximize the experience.  Along the way I ran into some fat and gristle, and I carefully separated it from the lean meat.  When I was finished, the only thing left on the plate was the fat and gristle.

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