Kickstart: Track previous job information and small details to personalize the client’s experience on future service calls.

I’m just gonna say it: Nobody likes paperwork. And yet, it is the necessary evil of our industry.

My techs? They tolerated it, mostly because if they didn’t play ball, it cut onto their Worker Efficiency Bonus!

But what if I told you that this same boring paperwork can be an incredible secret weapon to create fanatically loyal Cheerleader clients? Yep, I eventually learned that…

🗝️ Keeping track of (and using) the right information is key to personalizing the homeowner’s experience.

NOTE: I’m not talking about creepy tracking here. Nobody wants to feel like Big Brother 😠 is fixing their AC, cleaning their carpets or spraying for ants.

What I am talking about is capturing the small, harmless details that make a customer feel seen. For example…

If a homeowner mentions their golden retriever is named “Buster”, jot that down in the job notes. Next time your plumber, cleaning or pest control tech shows up, they can say, “Hey, with your permission I brought Buster a treat!” 🐶🦴

Or if the client jokes about their kid’s obsession with baseball, a quick note means your tech can ask, “How’s Billy’s Little League season going?” at the next service call.

🗝️Lighthearted, fun details like this are massive “Moments of Truth.” They build instant client familiarity and trust without crossing any weird boundaries.

Tech BONUS: These fun conversations also make the day go a heck of a lot faster for your techs. Don’t make your workers feel that they are just “grunt labor”. Instead, your staff should view themselves as “relationship builders” which will transform your residential services business into a 5-star review assembly line!

What else can your staff note down? 🤔 Clients’ pets are always a safe detail along with hobbies, upcoming projects or planned vacations, and of course details about their last service call.

If your tech was on the job last time these details will remind them to ask, “How was Scotland?” Now if it is a different tech, they can say, “Charlie mentioned you folks were going to Scotland when he was here last year. How was it?”

Add-on sales TIP: These details allow your tech to give follow up, “I was reviewing Charlie’s job notes from last May. Evidently your corner posts were showing some age. Would you like me to check them while I’m here?”

Disclaimer: Before you start documenting “details”, remember that we live in a world of strict privacy laws. Be sure your procedures follow all local, state, and federal personal data laws. Only note observable, harmless details and NEVER sensitive, protected personal information.

NOTE: Not positive what the legal boundaries are on personal information? Then invest the time and money to research it! Based on your homework, develop sample procedures and submit them to an attorney specializing in privacy laws.

Steve’s FrugalTIP: You doing the grunt work for an attorney, as in you visualizing and coming up with the rough draft, will be much cheaper versus dumping it all on your lawyer.💲

BTW, to gather, store and share these customer details Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can be invaluable. Check out simple, well-regarded CRM software designed for your industry sector. 👍👍

When you give your team the tools to build these personal connections safely, you will be able to stop competing on price. Why? Because you will be building fanatically loyal referral machines out of your clients! 😎

Next Week: Sincerely and Humbly Ask Your Staff How You Can Be a Better Boss. Then LISTEN!

Sioux allows me one daily “stating the obvious” so here goes today’s “DUH, Steve” statement: “The internet is a double-edged sword.” 🙄

The POSITIVE? Yep! You LOVE the free advertising and “instant credibility” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews offer!

DUH again, Steve! “I already know that an ecstatic, local 5-star review can generate 100’s of calls from new, “pre-converted” residential prospects!”

The NEGATIVE? “Easy come… easy go”! 🫣 Even one slightly disgruntled homeowner can instantly trash your hard-earned reputation with a bad review on Google, Facebook, or Yelp. And the kicker?

My coaching clients tell me they’re getting bushwacked with nasty, 1-star reviews from homeowners that they didn’t even know were unhappy! YOUCH! 😠

Getting surprised by a bad online review is devastating for your company’s reputation and future profits. Plus, nothing tanks morale faster than a hardworking tech getting publicly blasted online after they left an apparently happy client! 🥹

🗝️ Steve’s solution? Head these trigger-happy homeowners off at the pass BEFORE their fingers can hit that computer keyboard!

Enter my Immediate Quality Check (IQC) call. 👍👍

I know, you (occasionally?) phoned a few days later with the old “Just checking that you’re happy with the job, Mrs. Jones?” call. But no more…

NEWS FLASH: With the “immediacy” (is this even a word?) of online reviews and social media you’ve got to put this “just checking in” call on steroids by calling every client IMMEDIATELY after your tech’s departure.

Here’s how my IQC Call system works:

1. The Handoff: The second your tech pulls out of the customer’s driveway they call in to the office and give a brief rundown of the job. (Including any issues they’re aware of with the client or the finished job.)

2. The Intercept: Your office immediately makes the IQC call to the client to verify they are absolutely delighted.

ProTIP: Always have a “neutral” third party in the office make this call, not the tech who just left!

With this IQC Call, one of two things will happen—and they are both good!

Scenario A: The client confesses they are slightly miffed and/or even unhappy. Be incredibly thankful! 😁You just smoked out a dissatisfied client before they post a venomous review that could cost you 1000’s of dollars in lost business.

Solution: Your client vents over the phone, your CSR listens empathetically and uses “Emotional Judo” to resolve the complaint!

Result: You’ll likely convert a nasty 1-star review into a gratified homeowner that just might leave you a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! (Or at least be a loyal client!)

Scenario B: They are super happy! (Which they certainly should be!) You’ve just created another fantastic Moment of Truth(MOT) with an already delighted homeowner.

Heads up: Now deploy your after-job follow-up call script to gently remind your happy client that your Billy, their technician, would “really appreciate an online review”. 🙏🏼

ProTIP: Personalizing your request with “Billy would really appreciate an online review” is much more effective than generically asking, “We would appreciate…”

☠️WARNING: Remember, NEVER specify a “five-star” review when asking—let your “Service Engineered” work determine your ranking.

Bonus Tactics for Your On-site Crews:

• The Preemptive Strike: If your tech spots a tiny issue, have them show the client and then ask permission to fix it. (Mention this fix will be at no charge.) This is a tactful (OK, it IS a bit sneaky) 🙄 way to create yet another positive MOT without bragging!

If the client isn’t home: Have your tech do a before-and-after photo of the issue and then mention on the IQC Call, “I hope it was OK, Mrs. Jones. Billy noticed the corner of your furnace had a sharp edge on it and taped some yellow safety padding there. I’m sending you a before-and-after photo and by the way, there’s no extra charge.”

· The Mid-Job Check-In: If your crew is on a longer HVAC, pest control treatment, cleaning or plumbing project test out doing a quick “Initial Quality Check” Call.

Something simple like: “Hi Mrs. Jones! This is Sara from the office doing our Initial Quality Check. We call every client during our first hour to make sure everything is going well with your service today.” BINGO!

You want even more sneaky phrasing? By saying above, “We call every client…” you subliminally reassure the homeowner that you’re not worried they are angry or upset.

Steve’s nostalgia time: Before adding this “We call every client…” phrasing I literally had customers respond, “Why are you asking? Should I be upset?” People can be weird. It’s really a mental chess game out there!

It’s true, a miffed client can act happy during the IQC Call and then roast you on the Internet. But 98% of your “silently unhappy” clients will vent to your warm, caring CSR and then can easily be salvaged.

Steve’s TAKEAWAY: Please, STOP 🚫letting the internet dictate your reputation. Create a great MOT with every client by making an Immediate Quality Check Call. 💖 Then for the very few homeowners who aren’t delighted? Proactively resolve the issue BEFORE it goes online! 😎

KickStart: Encourage 2-way communication with simple paperwork. Then instead of blowing up, praise your people when they give you a “heads up” before things hit the fan! Read on…

Normally, I love a good surprise. In fact, I keep dropping heavy-handed hints about a surprise anniversary party! 🎈🎊🎉💖

So far... absolutely zero takers. My family and friends are clueless! 🥹

But in a residential services business? Surprises are your worst enemy! 🫣 Here’s why I hated surprises in my company…

Too often an employee would sandbag me with a problem right at the end of the day. Worse, I’d get bushwhacked with a surprise call from a furious homeowner. 😠

Or disaster would strike 💀 when I (and potentially 1000’s of potential clients) learned about a pissed off client (that had never complained to us) from their nasty 1-star review on Google! 😡

Just like in a healthy family, success in a residential services business boils down to Clear, Honest, and Open Communication between… your customers, field techs, office staff, managers and YOU!

Steve’s BTW: This “Clear, Honest, and Open Communication” principle even helps in marriage. 😦 (Sioux and I call if “C-H-O-Colate” and we’re still working on it after 51+ years together!) 😍

Therefore, I would appeal to my employees: “Folks, there is nothing we can’t overcome IF you let me know about the issue AHEAD of time.”

And yet, the nasty surprises kept popping up due to our lack of communication! It was time to search for answers along with some tough, self-introspection on my part…

I discovered the nasty surprises in our company were due to a 2-part problem. The first issue? My staff was frightened to share problems and bad news with me since I would blow up! OUCH!

My solution? I made a painful 🥹 and very heartfelt apology to my employees and promised I would no longer “shoot the messenger” bearing the bad news!

I also begged everyone to help me get proactive in solving not only the immediate problem but also the systemic failures that led to the issue.

In other words, I needed every employee to focus not only on the “HOW do we get out of this?” but also “WHY are we here?” and most importantly, “WHAT can we change to make sure it never happens again?”

NOTE: This HOW-WHY-WHAT equation deserves its very own future KickStart!

So, when your employees give you a heads-up on a problem, immediately thank them! Even if they were the ones who screwed up and you really want to rip some heads off! 😡

At least you’ve been warned and can perform damage control BEFORE the customer goes nuclear with a 1-star review. Now for my second solution to my 2-part “ugly surprises” problem…

I realized to bake this open 2-way communication into my company’s DNA, I needed to “Make it easier to do it right than to do it wrong”! You can follow my lead when you…

Implement a simple “Production Day Sheet” (PDS) dispatch form.

First, do me a favor. Ditch the complicated software and develop a “day at a glance” Production Day Sheet (PDS). Heck, I scrawled out my first PDS prototype with pen and paper! (I still do this for the forms I create.)

Whether you hand your crew a clipboard or pull it up on a tablet, your Production Day Sheet (PDS) needs the basics: addresses, arrival windows, and any special non-inventory equipment to load up for the job.

But the real PDS magic is in the customer intel before your tech drives up to the job. Special requests or access info should always be front and center: “Put the ankle-biter dog in the backyard,” or “Mrs. Jones at Apt. 2C works night shift, do NOT ring the doorbell.”

This “heads-up” info helps your techs respect the sanctity of a customer’s wishes and their feelings. In turn, clients’ defensive emotional walls come down, trust goes up and a positive relationship blossoms! 💖

NOTE: Remember, the PDS only gives your employees the “big picture.” It’s your core document for daily communication. The nitty-gritty job details and pricing should always live on a separate Work Order for each stop.

The Rule of “Follow Up, Not Freak Out” Your techs use this sheet to jot down any potential hiccups or promises they made to the homeowner, so the office can follow through. However...

The PDS dispatch form is NOT for emergencies! With residential work especially, any quality problems or accidents like denting a drywall corner (don’t even ask!) 🙄 should be phoned in immediately upon leaving the job! Here’s why…

You want to address the issue with an Immediate Quality Check call. (Ideally you can bring the concern even before the homeowner notices it.)

Either way, the goal is to solve the problem before the client even has time to get mad and/or post a nasty 1-star review! 👍👍

A Quick Tip for Commercial Accounts If you run regular commercial routes, each account should have its own Commercial Account Profile (CAP).

Develop a separate CAP list of all the alarm codes, gate access info, and specific cleaning tasks for each building.

Then, simply attach all the CAPs for that shift to their daily (actually “nightly”)😁 PDS sheet so your tech is never left standing in a dark parking lot at 3:00 AM… calling YOU! 😎

KickStart: Respectfully but firmly pull the plug on non-performing employees for the sake of ALL concerned. Read on to review the stakes involved…

Come on, admit it. Sometimes you accidentally hire a semi-marginal employee. I’ve been there! Suddenly, you recognize you’ve got nothing more than a warm body taking up space in one of your trucks.

Sure, if an employee is actively toxic, completely negligent, or stealing, you cut them loose immediately. (I HOPE.) But then there are the folks in between…

I call them the “not bad enough to fire but no chance of ever becoming a key employee” people. And no, not even Steve Toburen, the King of Acronyms is going to convert this one! Instead?

Simply put, deep down inside you know these poor folks are never going to remotely grow into the Very Best People your business desperately needs. Come on, you KNOW what you must do… 🫣

And yet, what happens? We all dread confrontation. Plus, nobody wants to pay unemployment! So, you just “hunker down,” avoid daily contact, and secretly hope/pray your loser quits on their own! 🛐

Steve’s TRUE confessions: I played this “waiting game” for years with marginal workers. However, I finally realized my strategy was a massive trap. Read the next paragraph closely…

NOTHING (and I do mean NOTHING) is more critical to your financial future—and your personal sanity—than constantly recruiting stellar employees who buy into your shared vision! 🎉🎊💖🎈

In a residential services company, you aren’t just selling repairs; you are managing the Emotional Dynamics of a nervous homeowner. So, how do you convert this mess into an ecstatic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review?

It all comes down to the relationship your tech forges with their client. Focus on this- when you send someone into a customer’s home, you are trusting this tech with your brand, your reputation and yes, your family’s financial future! 😦

You really are staking everything on one young, insecure and likely very immature person! Make you bit nervous? If so, GREAT- you should be! So, let’s get started!

Remember, in a small company, your roster is limited. I call it your “Employee Totem Pole.“ Every single person on this pole MUST at least have the potential to grow with your company.

You simply can’t afford to let this “totem pole” be plugged up while you wait months—or even years—for a loser (or even mediocre) tech to finally leave on their own

NOTE: Once someone quits could you hire yet another loser? Sure, absolutely! But the longer you put things off the longer it will be till you just might land a superstar!

So, when my coaching clients ask me how to handle their low-performing employees, my answer is simple: “Respectfully and gently help them move on with their life!”

Think about it. Having this difficult conversation quickly is better for everyone.

1. Your “just-not-working-out” employee deserves to find a job where they can actually excel. More importantly…

2. Your A-players want to work with other A-players. Working with slackers drags down the whole team including you! (Remember, running your business should be an absolute joy!) 😁

3. The longer you postpone this process, the more everyone (including your poor marginal worker who is in over their head) suffers.

HOWEVER...

If you’re going to fire fast, you better have your house in order for the next hire. New employees need—and deserve—to know exactly what is expected and how to do the physical work the way you want it done.

• Build a System: You must develop a day-by-day, written Fast Track Training system. If you don’t, you’ll just repeat this same sad “hire/ fire/ hire again” cycle over and over. This employee revolving door exacts a brutal financial and emotional toll on everyone involved.

• Test Drive Your Hires: Institute a Trial Interview where your best candidate rides along with you or your best tech before offering them a full-time gig. (Be sure to pay your candidate for their time.)

• Use Strategic Partnerships: Partnering with a temporary staffing agency is a brilliant hack here—keep this candidate on the agency’s payroll and Workers’ Comp for the Trial Interview period to lower your risk.

And for your great employees who DO stick around? They need performance feedback along with public recognition and rewards for their superb efforts.

The ultimate formula to sum this all up? Hire slow, train well, praise constantly... and if they just aren’t getting on board, FIRE FAST! (I’ll share the exact working to use to “gently terminate” an employee soon!) 😎

KickStart: Cell phones are addictive. Accept it! Be reasonable, but set boundaries to avoid negative reviews and win customer cheerleaders.

When your tech rings the doorbell, this homeowner is already on edge. The red wine has spilled on their carpet, their AC is blowing warm air, they’ve got ants in the pantry, (better than in their pants😦) or their toilet is completely blocked. (I’ll spare you the photo!) 🫣

This means our clients are inevitably stressed, vulnerable, and now they have a complete stranger in their inner sanctum, their precious home! Due to this high-emotion environment…

🗝️ Never forget, every action of your tech is being subconsciously watched, judged and tallied by the homeowner!

I call these often-subliminal impressions “Moments of Truth.” Create tons of POSITIVE Moments of Truth and you’ve got yerself an almost guaranteed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! 🎊🎉💖🎈 But WAIT!

It is time now to cue up the menacing sound score from Jaws…

Negative Moments of Truth will sneakily, silently doom your company!

“Seriously, Steve?” Silently’?” Because most clients that have been turned off by your tech will silently “fade away”. They just won’t call you again… and tragically you never will even know! 😢

NOTE: The above paragraph brings up a host of issues we’ll touch on in future KickStarts. So if you haven’t subscribed yet… sign up HERE!

Right now? There is a hidden cancer in our industry that is creating massive negative Moments of Truth in your home services business every day!

☠️ I’m talking about cell phones!

LISTEN CAREFULLY: The cell phone issue is a minefield! Today’s employees (including your residential techs) are totally addicted to their phone screens.

NOTE: Young cell phone users ages 18–24 (likely the age range of your techs)) average 109.5 total messages sent and received daily. (Many of them during working hours!) Let’s analyze this…

Productivity Analysis: Suppose your tech gets 1/3 of these messages while in your clients’ homes. That’s 36.5 messages and if each one requires 3 minutes (likely more) that’s one hour and 49 minutes (almost 25% of their 8-hour day) when your tech isn’t working! But it gets worse… ☠️

🗝️ Picture this: Your customer feels they are paying top dollar. They walk into the kitchen and see your tech leaning against the counter, furiously texting with a goofy smile on their face. Or worse, a wildly inappropriate, loud ringtone goes off at the same time!

Boom. Instant HUGE negative Moment of Truth! The homeowner immediately thinks, “I’m paying $493.00 for this guy to text his girlfriend?” Not to mention the obvious—if they are texting, they aren’t working!

So, how do we fix this problem without causing a full-blown employee mutiny? After all, your techs ARE “addicted”, and addicts need to get their fix, right? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Draw a firm line in the sand by creating a rock-solid home service technician cell phone policy. Here is how you handle it like a home services pro:

• The “Truck Only” Rule: Personal cell phones stay in the truck during a service call, period. If techs need a device for invoicing and/or checking in with dispatch, provide a locked-down company tablet that only runs business apps.

• Sanitize their ring tones: If a tech absolutely must have a phone on them for safety reasons, mandate that it stays on vibrate. No loud music, and absolutely NO offensive custom alerts that will offend clients. (Imagine the 1-star review!) 🥹

• Schedule “fixes” for their addiction: Give your team designated times to check their personal phones—between jobs, on lunch breaks, or while parked safely in the van.

Steve’s Takeaway: Want to transform your everyday service calls into a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review machine? Then you MUST manage the small (that really can be HUGE) Moments of Truth! STOP 🛑 allowing a palm-sized piece of glass to silently ruin your company’s hard-earned image!

Next Week: How to handle your "meh" employees. (Without going crazy!)

KickStart: Door-to-door marketing WORKS! Try my step-by-step (pretty funny, huh?) system! Read on…

We’ve all been there. Your Google ads aren’t performing, the dispatch board is empty, bills are piling up, the phone isn’t ringing and your bank account is in freefall!

NOTE: A wise mentor once told me, “Steve, the hardest door to make it through is your own!” Yep, quit staring at your phone praying for it to ring! 🫣 NEWS FLASH: It isn’t going to ring!

Sooo... what to do when your business line quits ringing? Two words: STOP WAITING! 🛑 Hit the pavement and literally start (wait for it) … knocking on doors!

Sure, I know. Knocking on strangers’ doors conjures up some very uncomfortable feelings but work with me here. Here’s a few reminders:

🗝️ Reaching out and talking to people face-to-face, belly-to-belly 😯 is the simplest, quickest and certainly the cheapest way to drum up work when the phone isn’t ringing!

BUT, you must do it right! Do it wrong and you’ll waste time, energy and flame out quickly. Even worse, you will turn off homeowners that, handled correctly, would have become loyal, profitable clients! 🥹

Here’s the deal! Knocking on a stranger’s door can be downright intimidating! 🥹 Trust me, I know! Here’s what I discovered…

I needed an intuitive door knocking script to immediately transition the homeowner from an irritated “Who are you and why are you intruding into my day?” 😠 to a slightly surprised, grateful “Well, wow… thank you!” 💖

🗝️ STEVE’S SECRET SAUCE? Break the ice by immediately handing the homeowner a small, useful gift the second they open the door!

Steve’s Doorstep Gift Strategy

What should you hand the homeowner? A practical gift that they’ll actually keep and use around the house. For example…

A branded refrigerator magnet, a sturdy notepad, a kitchen gadget, or even a specialized drain-maintenance packet. The item itself isn’t the magic—it’s the gesture. 💖

BONUS POINTS if you come up with a gift that is related to the service you offer. For example, in my carpet cleaning company we handed out logoed bottles of free carpet spotter.

BINGO! Even better, we included “FREE Lifetime Refills” on the carpet spotter labels! This was genius and our bottles were a HUGE hit! 🎉🎊🎈😁

Now let’s continue forward sticking with the carpet cleaning sector. You’ll just need to change a few words to make it fit the home services you offer…

Step-by-Step At the Door

Dress sharply in your company uniform, make sure your photo I.D. badge is easily visible, have their free gift in your hand, ring the doorbell, and take two steps back.

While waiting, take a deep breath, RELAX, and don’t crowd the door. You want to give the homeowner plenty of “personal space”.

ProTIP: Remember doorbell cameras are everywhere and likely the homeowner has been watching you from the moment you set foot on their property. (Obviously don’t cut across the lawn! DUH!)

So, as you wait no fidgeting and paste a big smile on your face. When the door opens, smile even bigger, look the homeowner in the eye, and enthusiastically follow this script:

“Good morning! I’m Steve Toburen with Home Front Cleaning, and here is a free gift to help you ...” explain what the item does as you hand it to them. As they accept it continue…

“When you need us, just give us a call—no obligation whatsoever! Here is my card. We take a lot of pride in our work, so please let me know if we can ever be of service.”

The homeowner will almost always let their guard down and reply with a somewhat relieved, “Oh, thank you!” 🙏

This is where you can casually pivot:

“By the way, our company also offers guaranteed “No dirty carpet ever” maintenance plans where we clean your dirty carpet twice a year for basically the same price as a one-time yearly cleaning…”

You’ll be amazed at the response. Quite a few homeowners will say, “You know what, we’ve been talking about getting the carpets cleaned. Do you have time to take a look?”

Even if you don’t book a job on the spot, remember that every interaction is planting a seed. When the Kool-Aid gets spilled or a friend’s dog poops on the carpet, your branded carpet spotter is sitting in their utility closet!

Your HOMEWORK assignment: Copy and paste the carpet cleaning example above into a Word document. Then translate it over to your industry.

BONUS: Email your final homework results from above to steve@homefrontsuccess.com and I’ll reply with my suggestions- NO CHARGE!

The Commercial Approach

Don’t ignore the businesses in your area, either. This small gift approach works incredibly well for getting past the “gatekeepers” at office buildings and retail shops.

SMILE, hand the receptionist their gift, introduce yourself smoothly, explain why you’re stopping by and ask if they arrange the (services you offer).

If not, ask who handles their facility maintenance or property management. If they’re not available hand the receptionist your card and ask for your new contact’s card or email. DONE!

Stop waiting for the work to come to you. Grab some business cards, a pocket full of giveaways, and start knocking! You can thank me later…

Steve

The one thing I’ve heard on repeat lately from my coaching clients? “Steve, finding good, OK, actually ANY employees out there is a total nightmare!”

You too? 😦 If so, I’ve felt the exact same knots in my stomach that you’re feeling! I really do feel for you. 🥹

And even more so if you’re facing that terrifying jump 🫣 from working alone to taking on your first full-time employee.

OR are you tempted to stay small as a solo “Lone Wolf” owner-operator? I went down this road. But I found the alternative of growing old alone, chained to my truck wasn’t very appealing either! 😦

NOTE: IF you decide to try staying small (or even downsize) puhleeeeease 🙏read my “Five Start-up Moves for a Lone Wolf” NOW! And then reflect carefully on this KickStart…

But I get it. With your first full-timer you are virtually doubling your overhead and financial liability overnight!

And yes, I really feel for you larger home service business owners. No matter what your size, adding even one more full-time position is a huge, long-term commitment.

It’s incredibly tough to justify the crushing overhead—and the heavy moral responsibility—of taking on yet another employee. 🥹

“Moral responsibility, Steve?” Sure. Unless you’re a heartless jerk you’re making an ethical and moral long-term commitment to provide for your new F/T employee’s family too! 😯

YIKES! Talk about being “between a rock and a hard place”! As a residential services entrepreneur are you doomed? Wait for the answer as I slowly let the suspense build… 😯

Allow me to share a perfect “in-between” hiring solution! Strongly consider my lower-stress, yet highly profitable alternative to full-time hires:

🗝️ Hire part-time and/or on-call techs instead of ONLY hunting for full-time employees.

Doubt me? Let me count the massive advantages to breaking out of the F/T employee hiring rut! With part-time workers:

• You Tap into a Better Talent Pool: Many fantastic, reliable people already have a solid F/T day job. But they want extra income to pay off debt, save for a house or heck, a fun happy hour on Fridays!
  Seriously? Most of the time the guys walking in off the street begging for 40 hours a week are “unemployed for a very good reason”! 🤷

• Zero “Moral Pressure”: Because part-time workers usually have F/T job, you don’t feel the soul-crushing pressure of being their sole provider. Think about it…
  Steve’s, “Let’s be brutally honest” time: For those of you with full-time crews, how often have you desperately invented “busy work”—like sweeping an already spotless shop floor—just to justify handing them a 40-hour paycheck on Friday? With part time…

• You Only Pay for Profitable Hours: When the shoulder season hits and the phone stops ringing, you don’t have to invent that busy work. You simply tell your part-timers not to come in tomorrow… or even next week!
  BONUS! 🎉🎊🪅😁🎈 Because your part-time staff is only doing revenue-producing work when they’re on the clock, you can pay them 💲a very desirable hourly rate. (Heck, I may apply!)

• The Ultimate Proving Ground: Part-time employment is a brilliant, no-risk way for you to “audition” potential full-time help. If a part-timer crushes it on the job then you can confidently offer them a full-time position on your time-table. 💖
  WARNING: Please just 🚫 STOP “Desperation Hiring” ! Instead, break out of this toxic cycle by testing out part-time people over time.

• The “Hunger” Factor: When my home services company was absolutely slammed, my P/T workers were always eager to pick up extra hours. They wanted cash! Our F/T folks who were already burnt out after 40 long hours? Not so much.

• You Spread the Risk: If your one and only full-time tech walks out on a Tuesday, your business is instantly crippled. With a roster of three or four solid part-timers, you aren’t keeping all your employees’ eggs in one fragile basket.

Steve’s ProTIP for the Weekend Warriors: Full-time techs that put in late-night or weekend emergency hours usually burn out, get resentful, and quit without notice.🥹 Even worse…

Who gets to fill that gap when a F/T emergency services tech suddenly quits? YOU DO! As in working day and night! But well-paid, P/T and/or on-call employees (working one or two 6-hour shifts a week) absolutely love their supplementary income.

NOTE: Those high-profit weekend emergency calls in HVAC, plumbing, water damage, or pest control are perfect for a hungry part-timer who wants to make great money.

Steve’s Takeaway: Stop losing sleep over the “inflexible overhead” baggage full-time employees bring. Start small, hire smart, use part-time (or on-call) workers when possible and watch your profits explode!💲💲💲

KickStart: NEVER reply with the phrase “no problem” to a client’s “thank you”. Instead, keep your response positive (and appreciative) with “It has been my privilege”!

Let’s set the scene. Your tech just wrapped up a two-hour job. Everything is working perfectly. The homeowner is thrilled, and says, “Thank you so much, Joe!”

Your tech, Joe, smiles, wipes his hands, and replies...

“No problem!”

Eeeek! 🫣 Cue the screeching record sound!

I know what you’re thinking. “What’s wrong with his ‘no problem’ reply, Steve? Joe was just being polite!”

I used to think the same thing… back when I was a home services rookie. But after years of studying the Emotional Dynamics of the residential environment, I realized something crucial:

🚫The word “problem” is a bummer of a word, laden with negativity and guilt.

Let’s put on our “Customer’s Eyeglasses” and feel the pain of your homeowner client:

When you reply, “No problem,” you are subtly implying that your client’s home, their broken equipment, and/or their mere existence could have been (or even is) a… PROBLEM! 😯

Plus, if a client assumes their job actually has “problems,” they may immediately start fretting that you’re going to charge them more!

Remember, the homeowner feels they are simply thanking the tech for the good job they hired your company to do.

The Simple, Profitable Fix

Instead of making our customers think they’re an inconvenience, we want to help them feel valued. Sooooo…

When a client thanks you or one of your techs, here is a much better response:

🗝️ “It was my (or our) pleasure!”

I stol... I mean “learned” this years ago from my tire dealer. When I thanked Bob for a fast turn-around on one of my trucks, he’d gently correct me:

“No, Steve, it is we who must thank you for your business!” 👍👍

What a brilliant way to remind your customer that their loyalty (AND their referrals) are much appreciated! 💖 (Read on for how to supercharge your online reviews.)

Now folks, I realize swapping out a two-word phrase might seem like small potatoes. But the old saying is still true: “Success is in the DETAILS!”

Building a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reputation isn’t about one genius marketing gimmick; it’s about a thousand tiny, intentional interactions. (I call them “Moments of Truth”!)

This is exactly why you need rock-solid, intuitive customer “Service Scripts” for technicians.

SORRY but you can’t just cross your fingers and hope your guys say the right thing when they’re standing in a stranger’s living room. Instead…

You must arm all your employees (especially your front-line techs) with the exact words that build homeowners’ trust and elevate your clients’ experience.

Here’s How to Turn Your “My Pleasure” Response into Pure Gold!

Once your team masters this simple, two-word “My pleasure” shift, take their polite response and turn it into an incredible lead-generation machine with…

• Steve’s “Residential Review Ask”: When the homeowner says, “Thank you,” your tech replies with a warm smile:

  “It’s been my pleasure. 😁 Now, if you REALLY want to thank me, Mrs. Jones, a quick online review would be wonderful. I’ll include a link in your receipt email. Thanks in advance!”
  

• My Commercial/Property Manager Ask: Working a B2B service call? Have your tech reply to the manager’s “thank you”:

  “My pleasure. It really is our privilege! Now, Sam, if you would refer us to your neighbors here in the complex, I’d really appreciate it! Here’s a few of my business cards and thanks in advance!”

🗝️ ProTIP: When you call someone by their name, they will hear and take action on the next five words. (Notice the above underlined words after calling the client by name.)

Once again, small, intentional improvements help to create a superb Critical Mass Business. Ban the word “problem” from your company’s vocabulary today and start making it “my pleasure”! 😎

KickStart: As your tech starts their work explain to the homeowner WHAT they are doing and WHY this step is important. Read on to discover how to implement W/W…

Look, I’ve built (and sold) enough residential service businesses to know one absolute truth: the average homeowner has no clue what constitutes a “good job.” Seriously.

Whether you’re unclogging a drain, balancing airflow, cleaning their carpet or spraying for ants, you can take the next paragraph to the bank…

🗝️80% of how a homeowner judges your work quality (and their online reviews of your company) will be based on how they FEEL about the tech(s) doing the job!

IF the above is true, why do techs act like secret agents in customers’ homes? They sneak in, do their work in dead silence, and sneak out. And yes, this sad scenario is happening far too often now in your company! 😯

If so, you are blowing a massive opportunity! When your techs (or you) get face-to-face with a first-time residential client, there is a golden opportunity to give them my “what/ why”. (W/W) Think about it…

A nervous, unsure homeowner will be on “high alert” at the very beginning of the job. So, if your tech does a friendly, quick in-home demonstration while they work it pays off big time because…

1) The tech is displaying personal interest in the client while establishing a professional relationship plus…

2) They can define and educate the homeowner on exactly what a “good job” looks like. Yep, YOU get to establish the rules of the game! This is HUGE! 👍👍 And yet…

Here’s the crazy part: Most technicians are terrified of talking to the customer so they basically ignore/ avoid them! The is very sad because…

Your quality, hardworking but clueless tech is leaving money, client trust, and many five-star reviews sitting on the table! 🥹

Therefore, your mission is to orient and train your crew to 1) build relationships, 2) educate the client which will 3) transform homeowners into raving Cheerleaders for your home services business! (That was a real mouthful of a 31-word run-on sentence!) 😁

🗝️ How do you get started? Simply give your techs a few simple, practical “opening lines” to use when they begin working.

Let’s look at a few in-home “opening lines” and demos for some home service trades…

• Plumbing: “Mrs. Jones, do you see how I’m using this video inspection camera? This lets me look deep into your main line to get the exact location of the blockage. It’s important we clear it completely because...”

• HVAC: “Mr. Smith, notice I’m using this dual-port manometer to check the static pressure in your ductwork. We need to make sure the airflow is perfectly balanced so that...”

• Pest Control: “I’m applying this specific granular bait around the foundation right now. Notice how it targets the nesting areas? We use this approach because...”

• Carpet Cleaning: “Mrs. Green, you’ll see I’m gently agitating this pre-treatment to work it into the carpet fibers where it will loosen the soil. This extra dwell time means we’ll have much better results when we rinse…”

Got it? Give your team their very own “What and Why” as in WHAT they are doing and WHY it will make for a better job with simple, intuitive opening W/W lines.

BONUS: Once you implement W/W in your home services business, your employee retention rate will dramatically increase. (Techs secretly love feeling like an ultimate expert!) 💖

Even better? W/W will completely transform your customers’ experience AND your ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews, which means more profits for all concerned! 💲💲💲

KickStart: Develop and implement an “Enforced Accountability System” to stop missing tools AND increase your 5-star reviews! Here’s how to do it…

Humans use tools. Or maybe better said, we do when we can actually find them! 😯

Back when I was running my residential services company, I dreaded this phone call from a technician in the field:

“Hey Steve, now don’t scream at me... but I can’t finish this repair because my pipe wrench isn’t in the van. I think one of the other guys took it…”

GRRRR! 😠 I absolutely despised inefficiency! Not only did it kill our daily schedule, but rummaging around an empty van made us look completely unprofessional in front of the homeowner.

Steve’s True Story: Even worse was when my shamefaced tech had to ask the homeowner: “Uhhhh, I guess I don’t have a (you fill in the missing item) on this van. Do you happen to have one I can borrow?” AARGH! 😡

The root cause of this madness? My workers simply weren’t being held accountable. My team had no “enforced accountability” system.

Therefore, my loose-cannon (or worse) employees could lose, leave behind, “borrow,” and/or sadly—sometimes even steal— our company tools with total impunity. 😦

This steady drain of “lost” equipment and tools was hurting our reputation with clients, eating into our profit margins and destroying my sanity! It had to STOP! 🚫

Here is exactly how I solved the missing tool epidemic in my business:

Assign each technician their very own basic hand tools in an organized toolbox that follows them between trucks. Then, “hold their feet to the fire”!

First, buy a comprehensive set of high-quality, pro-grade tools for every production employee, along with a heavy-duty plastic, numbered toolbox. (I spent a bit more than $6,000.00 for eight techs.)

ProTIP: Always go with a plastic or composite box. Metal toolboxes rust, and the last thing you want is a rusty box leaving a permanent ring on a customer’s pristine kitchen floor!

Every individual tool was etched with our company name and the specific toolbox number it belonged to.

Next, the technician put their name and their own personal combination lock on “their” new toolbox.* (The office kept a master record of the combinations for emergencies, of course).

Each morning, the tech retrieved their personal toolbox from their locker, and it traveled with them to every single job site.*

* NOTE: To add accountability only the tech should be able to access their toolbox!

This setup was great, but where did the actual “Enforced Employee Accountability” come in?

Upon receiving their shiny new toolkit, the employee signed a detailed Inventory List. Then, we instituted a monthly tool inventory by management.

If any tools were missing, they were of course immediately replaced to ensure the tech could do their job.

But wait! Remember my “Enforced Accountability” system? Philosophically, I strongly believed (and I still do) that a worker should pay for the replacement cost of a tool they control and/or have agreed to be accountable for.

But then, my lawyer got involved.😦 “Steve, in this state you cannot legally deduct funds from an employee’s salary even for damages or loss that they are responsible for.” (This is still true for most states and yes, it drives me nuts!) 😠

Here’s the deal: It almost always is illegal to withhold an employee’s base wages for breakage or loss—no matter how much you feel they deserve to have their pay docked!

HOWEVER, you generally can deduct the costs of lost tools (and other acts of pure carelessness and stupidity) from their Worker Efficiency BONUS! (WEB) 👍👍

On the positive side, your employees can add funds to their WEB for superb performance and a perfectly maintained toolkit and van! 🪅🎊🎉

🗝️ Remember, your ultimate goal should always be to reward your team, not punish them and here’s why: When a WEB is properly set up, when your employee makes more WEB money, you make more money too! 😁

Never underestimate the value of public rewards and recognition when a tech takes pride in their work and their gear. Your Very Best People will LOVE this stuff!

Yep, at the end of the day, we all need accountability to thrive and excel… including the owner. (We need to talk about this “Owner Accountability” very soon!) 😎

KickStart: At time of booking confirm how your client wants to be reminded of their appointment. Then include a simple “reply mechanism” to confirm they will be there.

Let me guess… you want to make more money. I mean, who doesn’t? And yes, you should be charging more… lot’s more! 💲💲💲

NOTE: We’ve talked before about why and how to raise your prices. Plus, I share HERE how to charge more without losing your previous clients. (Trust me, I’ll keep beating this drum!) 🙄

But even BEFORE you hike your prices, let’s focus today on “plugging the holes” in your business bucket first.

Yep, your residential services company needs to become relentlessly efficient!

One of the biggest efficiency killers in the home services game? Scattered and/or just plain rude “No-Show” Clients forgetting and/or blowing off appointments!

There was absolutely nothing that boiled my blood faster than paying a tech to drive all the way out to a house… only to return to the shop empty-handed. Talk about a profit killer! GRRRRR! 😡

You too? If so, how can you fix this bleeding sore in your home services business? Simple…

Implement an effective home Appointment Reminder System. (ARS)

🗝️ When you’re booking the job, don’t just tell them when you’ll be there. Ask the customer how they prefer their 48-hour to arrive:

1. A quick phone call?

2. An email?

3. A text message two days before the service? (Most clients will choose texting.)

Once they pick their favorite, grab a backup method just in case your first ARS try ends up going nowhere. And here is your ARS confirmation Golden Rule…

When you send a text or email reminder, always ask for a confirming reply. Nudge your clients to commit! (With texting just include, “Please reply with a Y if you will be there or N to reschedule.”)

Why does this ARS work so well? Because you’re A) holding the homeowner accountable and B) giving them choices.

In my Service Engineering training, I call these choices “giving the ‘Illusion of Control’!” The more options you give a homeowner, the more comfortable and invested they feel in the process.

NOTE: And of course, send an ARS confirming email immediately after you finish booking the job.

Now, what if your spidey senses are tingling? You know the type—the customer giving off serious disorganized “flake” vibes?

If we were worried the homeowner would ghost us, we invented a “pre-contact excuse” for the day of the job.

For example, our CSR would call the client an hour or two before arrival just to ask, “Hey, Mrs. Jones, am I calling at a good time? We’re making great time—is it okay if we show up five minutes early?” (Or late, if that fits the schedule).

This pre-contact excuse” call forced contact, subtly helped them remember and pretty guaranteed they would be home waiting for us.

Commercial Work Bonus: If you do any regular, contract commercial service agreements, meeting a client just to get let into the building is a massive, frustrating time-waster! (Including your client’s employee!) Soooo…

👍 ProTIP: With regular contract work include a substantially lower “Open Access Price” in your proposals.

If the prospect balks at giving you a key or entry code, just hit them with a cheeky, “Ouch! This super low price I quoted relies on ‘Open Access.’ If we have to coordinate meeting someone to let us in, it slows us down and bumps up your price.”

Guess what? You will be stunned by how fast they miraculously find a spare key for you! 😁

Now, don’t you have some residential (or commercial) jobs to book AND remind? 😎

KickStart: Conquer your normal Fear of Rejection by laughingly replying with Steve’s “Hail Mary Question”!

I know. You are a Home Service Pro and proud of it. Me too! I’ve always LOVED the profits (and joys) of working with homeowners! 💖

And yet… for most of us the residential services we provide also fit perfectly into the commercial sector. Heck, I’ll take a business owner’s money all day long! In fact…

Let’s talk about the holy grail for a minute: regular, contract commercial accounts. Every home service pro tells me they fit perfectly into their residential focused business. They did for me too!

Why? Those two magic words: 1) regular and 2) contract! Magically, with commercial service agreements you will now have 1) predictable cash flow, and 2) routine work you can actually pre-schedule without tearing your hair out.

NOTE #1: I’m not suggesting you change your company’s residential focus. Instead, consider adding regular, commercial service agreements to smooth out the peaks and valleys of a home services business.

Looking back, in my residential services company commercial service agreements accounted for almost 30% of our total volume. But they let me sleep at night (and kept our techs busy) when homeowners’ calls slowed down.

In fact, while I would consider servicing a commercial establishment on a one-time basis that wasn’t our focus. What we wanted was the regular cash flow and predictable scheduling of a service agreement.

NOTE #2: Service agreements can work great with homeowners. And in future KickStarts I’ll do a deep dive on residential service agreements. But I’m feeling quirky today 😁 so let’s detour into commercial!

ProTIP #1: For both commercial and residential did you notice how I earlier sneakily changed the word “contract” into “service agreement”? Same thing legally but “service agreement” (SA) is a less threatening phrase and makes it easier to get a signature!

ProTIP #2: Instead of forcing the client into a set time period leave the SA “open ended” and continuing to run unless either party wants to change the terms. Numerous studies say your retention rate will be much higher!

All good? Nooooo! Here’s your challenge: Most residential work is initiated by the homeowner calling you. And yes, I’ve made a science of converting this lead into a booked job! 😁

However, with commercial you’ll likely have to git out there and actually walk through the intimidating door of a business. 😦

Sadly, I see so many talented residential entrepreneurs failing big time in landing these golden regular commercial SA’s. The culprit? Our old, pesky fear of rejection!

Steve’s Secret Sauce? Face up to this very normal rejection fear by expecting to be rejected! Seriously, ASSUME your prospect will say “no”!

There, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Once you take the sting out of the “no,” you can stay upbeat and keep pitching.

My favorite tactic? Keep a lighthearted sense of humor during those sales calls. 😃Let me give you a real-world example.

Often, you’ll hit a classic smokescreen objection. (These are common in residential too.) You know the drill—most facility managers can hire whoever they want, but if just don’t feel like chatting, they’ll blow you off with this old chestnut:

Manager: “Sorry, you have to be on our Preferred Vendor List.”

❔ Steve’s “Hail Mary Question”: Instead of slinking away with your tail between your legs, try adding a little cheeky humor with this You-Got-Nothing-To-Lose Question...

You: “I totally understand. Let me ask you though—do I have to be on your ‘Preferred List’ if I’m not actually a ‘vendor’?”

Manager (usually looking bewildered): “Huh?”

You (with a joking grin): “Well, last time I checked, a ‘vendor’ is someone who charges you for a product or service. Right? (Shrugging with outstretched hands.) 🤷

Manager (slowly): “Well, I guess that’s true…”

You: So, how about this? You pick out your biggest, most annoying maintenance headache, and we’ll tackle it for FREE!

And since we’re not charging you you’ll have a no-obligation chance to see if we deserve to be a Preferred Vendor. All I ask is that you come check out the results while we’re working.”

Manager: “Well, hey... what have I got to lose? Our back loading area does have some issues. Let me show you…” 👍👍

BINGO! You just broke through the smokescreen barrier! Congratulations! 🎈🎉🎊🪅 (Asking this “Hail Mary Question” landed me so many commercial S/A’s!)

Or when a property manager hits you with the “You gotta be in our network” routine, try this pivot:

“I completely understand. But I also know sometimes your preferred guys just can’t get out to you quickly enough. Or maybe you have a tricky property way out on the fringes of your territory. Just keep us in mind. Let me write my personal 24-7 cell number on the back of this card...”

Now, is this “funny stuff” going to work 100% of the time? Of course not. But it will break through the smoke screen some of the time.

And honestly, what have you got to lose? You’ve already invested the time, money, and effort to get in front of this prospect. Throw your Hail Mary!

And hey… don’t forget to have some FUN out there too!😎

KickStart: Every employee in your company should receive their very own personal business cards… immediately after hiring! Read on for why!

As a home services entrepreneur, you face a multitude of challenges every day. Your biggest problem? Unmotivated employees! I could go on and on, but I won’t and here’s why!

I’m getting PTSD flashbacks just reflecting back on my years down in the residential services trenches! And this industry has gotten infinitely tougher since I sold my business!

However, Steve Toburen doesn’t throw Pity Parties. Heck, I’ve even rejected the old “it is what it is” saying as a negative downer condemning me with no way out.

Instead, my favorite motto now is, “Well, here we are” 🤷 as in recognizing the current situation while using good, old entrepreneurial creativity to go forward! Sound good? 👍 Then LET’S GO!

What if I told you that your lethargic, unmotivated employee challenge could be dramatically helped with a little piece of cardboard that measures 2” high by 3.5” wide?

YEP, properly implemented the venerable business card will help rescue you from your employee problems!

NOTE: I’ve dissed before on why business cards are so great and how they can transform your residential services company. Click HERE to review these tips and then today let’s focus on your…

Challenge? Unmotivated employees- Absolutely! After all, this same lack of motivation and self-esteem is why they came to you for a (forgive me) “low-prestige job” as a home services technician!

Lots of applicants is GREAT… until you hire one. 🥹 Because now you must transform this poor, low-self-image, young person into an alert, dynamic and positive “take-charge” technician! 🫣

SOLUTION: It’s complicated. “Well, DUH, Steve! I know this. Give me some practical ideas!” Fair enough. Write this down…

“Begin with the end in mind” and “stage manage” a new employee’s onboarding path into your business.

NOTE: It starts with your “curb appeal” as in does your home services business look, speak, perform and yes, even smell like a Very Best Company? (VBC) It certainly should since homeowners will only leave ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews for VBC’s!

🤔 Steve’s Introspective Question: Be honest with the two questions below…

Does your residential services business even remotely resemble a company that as a young person you would have wanted to work for… long term? If not, why would you expect a Very Best Person to stick with you? But I digress since our focus here is on business cards so…

Remember, every single employee in your company should have and carry (more on why below) their very own personal business cards.

WARNING: My coaching clients often tell me, “My new workers don’t get their own cards till after six months with me!” But read on for a different take…

MotivationTIP #1: IMMEDIATELY after hiring a new employee do a rush order of their new personal company business cards (with their photo) to their home address.

Remember, your new hire likely has NEVER had their very own business cards so now they’ll be pumped about their first day with you!

I can hear the nay-sayers as I type this. “Steve, what if I spend $XX.00 on their business cards and then they quit in two weeks?” Yeah, this may sadly happen. 🥹

But wait! What will someone with their first ever business cards do? Hand them out to everyone they know! So even if my new employee quickly quits, I’m more than ahead thanks to all my business cards they handed out… for free!

🗝️ Meanwhile, reflect on the positive impact of being surprised with their very own business cards will have on ALL your new hires! 😁

ProTIP: Choose field technician photo ID badges that come with a handy pocket for their business cards on the back.

Now your techs will always have clean, dry business cards available. Way better than a soggy, crumpled card pulled from a sweat-drenched wallet! Talk about a negative Moment of Truth! 😦

MarketingTIP: Print two different business cards. One design will be a standard, high-class card, employee photo, company logo, etc. (Don’t cheap out. This is an investment that will pay off for years!)

Your other card design? It looks the same except it includes a special “Gift Card” offer for new clients on the reverse side. (This can be 15% off their first service, on optional item included free or an actual dollar discount.) Under the offer put a signature line with the sentence below: “Confirming signature”

MotivationTIP #2: Now when an employee finds a new prospect, they show the homeowner the offer and then say, “Here, let me sign off on your special gift.” But wait- it gets better!

When this business gift card is redeemed at your new staff meeting surprise the employee with huge applause and a gift card bonus! (I suggest at least 50.00 CASH to my coaching clients. After all, what’s a new client worth!) Wow, even more motivation for all your staff! 💲💲💲

Cards on the table time? I’m not suggesting the above tips will solve all your employee issues. But hey, an employee Recognition and Rewards program will go a loooooong way in motivating your staff.

NOTE: Going forward I’ll share other business cards tips. But meanwhile let me know your results on the above ideas! Let’s “git ‘er done”… together! 😎

KickStart: Increase your techs’ self-image, reduce homeowners’ fears and gain their respect when your workers wear photo ID badges.

What emotions is a new residential client feeling as they wait for your technician to (hopefully on time) ring their doorbell? 🤔 Hmmmm…

Folks, your first-time home service customer is (Drumroll, please!) ... nervous, skeptical, a bit suspicious and mostly… SCARED! 😲 Yes, you heard it right!

Homeowners are quaking in their designer shoes! (Honestly, can you blame them with the nightmare tales you hear about rogue techs?)

Now, here’s a little secret for you: This is precisely why those big-shot national franchises heavily promote stuff like, “Hey, we don’t use sub-contractors” or “We do background checks on all our techs.” Yeah, right…🙄

But, guess what? The “big boys” are smart because they are proactively responding to their 1st time customers fears. You can do the same without breaking the bank! Here’s the deal…

Have all your employees wear a photo ID badge at all times! NOTE: This includes you as the owner or manager and yes, that includes you, Mr. Owner/Operator too!

When a new customer sees a tech with a photo ID badge it is a soothing balm on their jittery homeowner nerves. 💖 (Can I wax poetic or what?) 😁

Wondering where to find photo ID badges? Just Google “Photo ID badge” to find a plethora of online options. Prices range from $5.00 to $8.00 per badge. (This is the investment ever!)

ProTIP #1: Always order two (or three!) ID badges per tech. Remember, losing their ID badges and/or forgetting them is pretty much guaranteed! 😠

But wait, lets go deeper on photo ID badges…

ID badge Bonus #1: It isn’t just your 1st-time clients that are intimidated. Your usually young on-site production staff are nervous too!

After all, your tech is standing in front of a huge home where they will be interacting with a client who is three times their age, make ten times their income and let’s not even think about the net worth difference between the two of them! 😫

But when you give a tech their very own logoed ID badge with THEIR name on it? Wow, they have instant credibility in the client’s eyes and more importantly, your tech now feels “credible” too! 👍👍

NOTE: Obviously your workers’ technical skills also need to up to par too- you can’t make it on smoke and mirrors indefinitely! (Don’t ask me how I learned this!)

ProTIP #2: Always put the employee’s first name in large, easy-to-read BLOCK letters. This way when the homeowner forgets your worker’s name (after your tech hopefully introduces themself 🙄) the client can easily refresh their memory from their badge.

ID badge Bonus #2: ID badges are an incredibly cost-effective marketing tool! Heck, I had homeowners see my techs’ ID badges and ask them for a business card at Burger King!

So DUH, here’s a hot tip: EVERY single one of your employees should be armed with their very own personalized business cards! In fact, let’s do a deep dive on employee business cards real soon!

KickStart: Even a “simple” one-person business is not “problem-free”. Read on for 5 proactive steps to beat your inevitable owner-operator challenges…

I get it. You are sick of the daily “employee drama” and long for the simple life you had as a solo “Lone Wolf”. Trust me, I’ve been there- felt this way!

True, I eventually built a large, Critical Mass Business. But before I found my way, I also “fired ‘em all” (it felt so good!) and down-sized back to an owner-operator.

HOMEWORK: Before you even think about “getting small”, you MUST re-read and meditate on my “The 5 moves to make BEFORE you decide to go solo!”

Done? No, you skipped the above link! I know this because you’re an impatient, cut-to-the-chase residential service entrepreneur… just like me! 🙄

And like me, you’re part of the infamous “ready-FIRE-aim” business club soooo… I give up! 😦

Read on (for now) but PLEASE 🙏 come back to this “Starting Out Right” Playbook for Solo “Lone Wolves” later.

But meanwhile, here are five Lone Wolf tips any owner-operator. Oddly enough, they all start with the word “build”!

NOTE: I still used these strategies even after growing into a large, multi-truck home services company!

1. Build A Roster of Reliable Part-Timers

I loved using regular, part-time helpers. Why? Because I no longer had the pressure of keeping someone busy 40 hours a week. 😁

Instead, you call on your part-timers only when you need them. This means you can pay better per hour, which attracts better people, and you’re not carrying fixed overhead.

Plus, helpers on big jobs mean you save wear and tear on your body while increasing your production rate. Even better, you can still have a life after 5pm! 👍👍

2. Build Predictable, Routine Cash Flow

The feast-or-famine cycle is brutal in home services for even the big guys. But it can quickly destroy an owner-operator. The fix? Get clients on a regular service schedule so you know what’s coming in every month.

Develop and sell recurring residential maintenance contracts, seasonal service plans — whatever fits your trade. Reliable, predictable cash flow is your Lone Wolf foundation. 🚫 STOP chasing one-off jobs and focus on building a routine, predictable base.

3. Build a Personal Disaster Plan (PDP)

Nobody ever plans to get hurt, wreck their van and/or lose their biggest account, etc. Stuff happens — and when it does, you need a cushion. So, do you have AT LEAST six months of living expenses in liquid investments? 🤔

If not, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger! But right now, as in TODAY- start automatically sweeping 3–5% of your gross income into an “untouchable” investment account!

If not, you’re constantly one moment away from disaster for your loved ones! 🥹 I beg my clients, build your PDP safety net before you need it. 🙏

4. Build Your Strategic Partners

Find two or three other quality home service pros you trust — quality people who work at your level and share your standards. Cover for each other without stealing clients. Refer overflow work to each other. Here’s why…

These relationships protect your clients when you can’t be there and protect your income when life gets in the way.

The bonus? These fellow entrepreneurs will likely become some of your best friends. Don’t try to build your Lone Wolf business in isolation.

5. Build the Courage to Simply Say “No”!

This one matters more than you think. If you’re the only full-time person in your business, your time is your most limited (and precious) resource. (Actually, true for all of us!) 🫣

So, firmly block off time for your faith, your family, your health, and yes — your FUN! 💖 Then suck it up and tell urgent clients, “Sorry, Mrs. Jones, but I’m already committed for that date. However, I could fit you in on…”

NOTE: If this frantic homeowner simply can’t wait? Call in your Strategic Partners profiled in Point #4! 👆

A business that pays you well but costs you everything else isn’t a win. Know your limits, set your boundaries, and protect them like the very valuable assets they are.

Steve’s TAKEAWAY: The beautiful irony? Every single one of these five strategies will also make you more profitable if you ever do decide to scale up. Like me, you may eventually decide to build a Critical Mass Business (CMB) that can run smoothly with you… or without you.

Personal NOTE: In my early years the solo Lone Wolf model worked well for me. However, eventually (not without frustrations) I eventually scaled up. I’m so thankful I did because my CMB gave me true wealth- the Personal Freedom to live my life as I chose!

But meanwhile, remember- you’re not choosing between staying small and being successful — you’re choosing to build a business that works for your life, right now.

That’s not settling. That’s being smart… on your terms! CONGRATULATIONS! 😎

KickStart: Use photos of your local jobs to gain credibility and to make your service(s) real in your prospects’ minds.

We’ve all heard this almost-100-year-old saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. (Attributed to marketing executive Fred R. Barnard,1927.)

I’m sure by now Fred would have updated his dictum to, “A PHOTO is worth a thousand words”.

Why are photos even better than pictures? 🤔 True, pictures 1) attract attention and 2) help prospects visualize your product. However, photos do this too plus they also 3) build credibility and 4) increase prospects’ trust in your company!

NOTE: Obviously SHORT (less than two minute) videos can be huge in your online marketing. So, in this KickStart just automatically add the word “videos” every time I use the word “photos”.

Remember, in the fractured world of online marketing you desperately need to differentiate yourself! So, set yourself apart and build trust with “local photos” of your company working in your clients’ homes!

NOTE: Please click HERE to review how to use these photos in face-to-face selling in your customers’ homes and for after-job follow-ups.

But now let’s go deeper to see how you can double dip with the vast photo library you’ll be building up of onsite work on your clients’ homes. For example…

When someone texts, emails, or pings you on Facebook Messenger asking for pricing, don’t just reply with your price. And please- no blah-blah-blah about how great you are! This verbal fluff doesn’t cut it anymore!

Instead, always attach a few photos of similar jobs. (Bonus points for before-and-after shots!) Photos have so many advantages during this initial contact…

1. They instantly elevate the conversation and help your prospect see the VALUE behind the price.

2. Photos will also position you as a credible, local pro instead of just another random contractor throwing out a quote. This “differentiation” will be huge in your all-important Lead Conversion.

And here’s the bonus move we perfected in my company…

My techs and I would carry a small camera on every single job. (Today I’d just use our cell phones.) We would take quick before-and-after shots, photos of our clean work vehicles, my techs looking sharp, and even action shots of our crew working commercial accounts.

NOTE: If you’ve got a shop, plant, or office, grab a few photos there too. All of this becomes proof—real world proof—that your team is real, credible and they know what they’re doing.

ProTIP: When clients see these “local photos” of your crew working on many different area jobs it sends a subtle message that just maybe your (hopefully much higher) prices are evidently worth it! 💲💲💲

Double-dip these photos

Your first step? Dump the same, worn out “clip art” photos all your competitors are using. Remember, you need to be perceived as different, including in your marketing.

Once your photos start stacking up upload these real, local project photos to your website, social media, and online quote forms. They’ll build trust before the customer even meets you! SCORE! 👍👍

Steve’s bottom line? If you’re not building your own visual proof, you’re leaving money—and trust—on the table.

Start photographing your work today and then bank away a photo archive that woven throughout your marketing will sell for you 24-7!

What? You’re still hanging out here with me? Git out there and start taking photos! 😎

KickStart: Clarity In Your Intentions Makes Everything More Pleasant

Fear really is the world’s ugliest emotion. 🫣

True, our fear(s) as residential service providers can’t possibly compete with an orphaned child’s terror, a homeless family’s fear or even worse, the loss of a child. 🥹

However, this message is directed to you folks- entrepreneurs who work in and on their clients’ homes. And yes, from a business standpoint, the all-too-common, paralyzing ‘Fear Of Rejection’ has a devastating impact on us and our families’ futures!

As I recently mentioned in my ‘Dump Your Fear Of Rejection to Supercharge Your Business’ article we KNOW what we need to do as in, “1) Git our butt out there, 2) knock on doors, network, etc. and 3) land some new customers.” And yet…

We don’t! Yes, the “we” is there on purpose. True confessions time? I was the King of Displacement Activities, which allowed me to shirk the essential ownership task of reaching out to new sources of business. 🫣

But I’m not here to beat you up! 🙄 Instead, here are the five main tips that I developed to conquer (most of the time) my Fear Of Rejection forever!

1. Lighten up and laugh a little.

Is your family going to actually go hungry if your next prospect says “no”? Of course not. So, stop treating every sales call or residential pre-inspection like it’s a life-or-death situation. Instead…

a) Walk in relaxed, b) with a bounce in your step, and c) a self-deprecating sense of humor about the whole thing. People respond to energy. “Easygoing confidence” beats “tense and desperate” every single time.

2. Lock down your opening 20 seconds.

The Fear Of Rejection hits hardest right at the start — those first 20 to 30 seconds when you’re introducing yourself and explaining why you’re there. After that? It’s just a conversation, and your friends tell me you’re good at “shooting the bull”! 😦

So, practice your opening lines until they are automatic. Say them to your spouse, your mirror, your dog — whoever will listen. When those first words come out naturally and confidently, the rest flows on its own.

💡 ProTIP #1: SMILE! 😁 I get it. You’re nervous which means your face gets contorted into a ghastly frozen expression. UGH! So, take a deep breath, reflect on point #1 and smile at people!

💡 ProTIP #2: Look people in the eye. I get it. You’re STILL nervous? This means you’ll look everywhere except straight into the eyes of your prospect. Fight this tendency. When you don’t confidently meet the gaze of a new potential client you telegraph that you’re unsure or worse, untrustworthy! 👎👎

3. Understand that selling is a process, not an event.

Every “no” you get is not a failure. It’s just a data point. It has become a cliché but never forget, every “no” means you are one step closer to a “yes!”

I call it the Law of Large Numbers — the more doors you walk through consistently, the more accounts you will land. It’s math, not luck. Commit to making a minimum number of new potential client contacts each week. (A daily goal is better.) Then… hold yourself accountable.

👍 Never forget: Consistent, Massive Action is what separates the home service businesses that grow from the ones that go out of business or (even worse in my opinion) really should hang it up but endure 30 or 40 years stuck in a rut! 😥

4. Make every visit count, even the short ones.

Didn’t get to speak to the decision-maker? Got the brush-off at the front desk or in the client’s home? That’s fine — smile, leave your card, grab a name, find out the best way to follow up.

Every visit should produce something useful. A contact name. An email address. A better sense of who makes the buying decisions. Nothing is wasted if you’re intentional about it.

ProTIP #3: Always make a ‘Last Ditch Request’. Precede it with, “Before I go, (quizzical expression appears on your face) let me ask you…”

🗝 My Favorite Commercial ‘Last Ditch Request’: “Before I go, let me ask you, “Could you put me down on your Vendor List for upcoming projects or RFB’s (Requests For Bids)?”

5. Above all else, just walk through the door.

Somebody once told me, “The hardest door to get through is your own.” This is so true. The hardest part of any sales call happens before you ever leave your home or get out of your truck.

Once you’re standing in front of someone, your Fear Of Rejection shrinks fast. So. make a personal commitment to get out there on a regular, consistent, DAILY basis. (Not just when business is slow or when you’re feeling brave.) Make it a habit. Build it into your schedule like any other task.

The business you want is already out there waiting. The only thing standing between you and a growing, dynamic exciting home service business?

😡It is that nasty, negative subliminal “FOR” voice whispering that you should 1) wait, 2) avoid, and/or 3) postpone! Now you know what it is, where this FOR voice comes from, and exactly how to shut it down!

Remember, my mom transformed my life with her simple, “Steven, it costs nothing to ask!” So, ummm… WHY are you hanging out here with me? Git yerself out there and start… ASKING! 👍👍

KickStart: STOP your fearful fretting about rejection. Your prospect simply may not be focused on and/or ready for the service(s) you are selling. Instead…

Let’s be real. You already know what you need to do as in…

1) Git yer butt out there, 2) knock on doors, network, etc. and 3) land some new customers.

You know this. Your bank account knows it. Your family definitely knows it as in, “DUH, Dad! Why are you still hanging around the house?” But they don’t say it and neither do you…

So, what IS stopping you? 😦

It’s that little voice that pipes up the second you even think about knocking on a door. Yep, the dreaded whisper, “Don’t bother. They’re going to laugh at you. You’re going to feel like an idiot.”

Who said that? It’s your Fear Of Rejection (FOR) talking — and if you’ve been in business for more than five minutes, you’ve heard it many times- loud and clear.

I’ve heard it too. More times than I can count. 😥

Why Your “FOR” Is Costing You Serious Money

Here’s what this little subliminal FOR voice actually does to you in practice. You postpone sales calls by inventing reasons to do them tomorrow, next week or, in reality… never? instead…

You suddenly find a dozen other so-called “urgent” tasks that need your attention — paperwork, equipment checks, anything to avoid walking through a prospect’s door.

NOTE: I call this deadly procrastination Displacement Activities, and it is lethal to your business growth.

Days turn into weeks that turn into months. And all that time you wasted not making sales calls? It is a HUGE “Opportunity Cost”. Why? Because it represents…

Business you could have had. Revenue you left on the table. All because of a stupid voice in your head that was lying to you the whole time! 😫

What My Mom Got Right About Selling

My mom used to tell me something I didn’t fully appreciate until I was years into building my own business. She’d say, “Steven, it costs you nothing to ask.”

Mom was right! (And it only took me 20 years to learn this!)

Think about it. What is the absolute WORST thing that can happen when you introduce yourself to a new prospect? They say “no”. That’s it. Here’s what they won’t do to you. (Hopefully!) 🙄

1) They’re not going to chase you out of their home. 2) They’re not going to post your picture on social media. 3) They’re not going to call the police on you!

They are just going to more-or-less nicely say “no”. *

* Actually, most people are too timid to even give you a straight out “NO”! Instead, they’ll disguise it with a “Let me think about it…” Trust me, folks, this is a hard “no” and we should talk about this soon!

But however your prospect couches it — and this is a key point — it’s not meant to be personal. YOU are the one making it “personal” by getting your panties all in a wad which leads to even more FOR!

So, let’s analyze how to beat your totally irrational FOR by asking my mom about them! When I was a grade schooler I woke up every day panicked so I’d blurt out to mom, “The other kids are all going to be looking at me!”

Good old mom replied, “Steven, nobody really cares!” Kind of hurtful, Mom! Now mom didn’t know it, but she was setting me up for a very successful career as a residential services entrepreneur! Thanks, Mom!

Once I put Mom’s “nobody really cares” principle to work I realized an essential truth. The two biggest forces working against me in any sales situation weren’t hostility or judgment.

My (and your) sales-killers are apathy and inertia! As in, most prospects aren’t thinking about you (or the service you are selling) at all. They’ve got their own problems, their own priorities, and their own fires to put out.

So, when you get brushed off, it’s almost never about you. It’s just “business friction”. They’re not focused on you and/or on what solutions you are offering AT THIS TIME. This means you must…

Stop taking your prospect’s lack of interest personally, suck it up, and git yer butt out your door… NOW! (And step away from those silly and very destructive Displacement Activities.)

BUT WAIT! I know what you’re thinking as in, “Steve, STOP it! Yer doing one of your patented ‘rah-rah, motivational closes’ and all I want from you is one thing! Tell me HOW to beat my Fear Of Rejection… NOW!”

Fair enough! How about in our very next KickStart I give you not “ONE thing” but FIVE tips that allowed me to ban “Fear Of Rejection” forever! Happy???

KickSTART: “Staying small” can be a valid business (and lifestyle) model… IF you structure it correctly from the git-go. Intrigued? Then read on…

Honestly? I get so very tired of this endless debate in our residential services industry: “Should an owner go solo as a ‘Lone Wolf’ operator or ‘go big’ and hire employees?”

Why my frustration? Because BOTH of these totally opposite philosophies work well… IF you do it right! (Most don’t!) The one business model that does NOT work?

Getting stuck in the middle! 🫣 I call this the “Road In-Between” (RIB) as in you are “too big” to enjoy the (supposedly) carefree life of an owner-operator BUT “too small” to hire mid-level management to give you the ever-elusive Personal Freedom! (Was that a run-on sentence or what?)😦

Steve’s cut to the chase? The Road In-Between is where entrepreneurial dreams go to die! The RIB will bleed you and your family dry… financially, emotionally and spiritually.

Now, I’ve been accused of being a “get big or go home” guy. Not true. You don’t have to go big to win. You just have to be smart about it. Actually, this “being smart” applies to residential service providers of any size!

The smartest shift all of us can make right now? 🛑STOP your obsessive flexing about gross business income! Listen carefully here…

💡Gross revenue is vanity. Net profit is sanity.

Got it? If so, let’s focus on how to build an owner-operated residential services business that creates absurd net profits while giving you, the owner, a balanced, fulfilling and happy lifestyle… long-term!

A 5-Point “Starting Out Right” Playbook for Solo “Lone Wolves”!

1. Count the Cost BEFORE You Commit

Don’t make the decision to “go it alone” after a bad week when a problem employee has driven you crazy. Staying small is a legitimate business model — but only if you go in with both eyes wide open.

Look at the real numbers, the lifestyle tradeoffs, the ceiling on your growth. If you’ve done that and you’re still saying “Steve, I want to stay small”… GREAT! Let’s start out right building your new life!

2. Own Your Decision — and Own Your Identity

Please 🙏 STOP apologizing for not running a fleet of vans. I’ve worked with residential service providers that are slaves to their 20-truck business and yet… they take home less than a sharp one-person operation.😫 Even worse, these poor saps dread waking up every morning! Life is too short to live like this!

Once you understand that income vs profit is the real game, you stop comparing your gross revenue to the guy bragging online and start comparing your take-home. That’s what pays your mortgage. Or even better…

💡 STOP “comparing”- we’ll talk about this!

3. Position Yourself as the “Boutique” Pro, Not the Budget Option

STOP trying to out-advertise the big franchises. (Or your low-ball, bait-and-switch competitor down the street.) Instead, morph yourself into the fussy, slightly OCD craftsperson. The local expert. An individual that clients trust with their home to actually care about the work.

Lean into this reputation hard. Be the service pro with the reputation so good that clients refer you to their neighbors… without you offering them a kickback. When you build this kind of loyalty, you won’t compete on price — you’ll compete on trust and win every time!

4. Raise Your Prices — Seriously, Do It Now!

Puhleeeease, don’t tell me, “Steve, I’m already the most expensive in town.” I don’t care and neither will your clients. (See #3 above.) Raise your prices anyway.

Steve’s “little known fact”: Small, regular price increases will go unnoticed by most clients. (Homeowners usually can’t remember how much they paid last time!)

Even a small price adjustment can increase your net profit by 20 or 30%... without adding a single job. Work less- make more! This is the fastest lever you have. Pull it... NOW!

NOTE: Make raising your prices a habit — a quiet annual price adjustment keeps you ahead of rising costs and increases profits without anyone flinching… or even noticing. (Thanks to our current “inflationary psychology” customers expect to pay more when they call you again!)

ProTIP: Always make a price adjustment an “odd percentage” instead of a “round number”. This adds credibility when you can explain to the (very few) previous clients who complain about an increase, “Yes, Mrs. Jones, on January 1^st we were FORCED (key word here!) to raise our prices by 13.4%.”

5. Sell More on Every Single Job

You’re already there. You’re already trusted. The client just needs to know what else you offer. Don’t assume they know your full list of services — walk them through it BEFORE you even arrive.

Pre-orient every client about what they can add on. They can’t buy what they don’t know exists, and every Additional Service Option you miss is money left on the table in a job you’ve already driven to! (Windshield time is a killer for Lone Wolves.)

Feeling better about your (reasonably) stress-free future as a solo owner-operator? Going forward, I’ll share more tips on how to structure and run your “Lone Wolf” operation!

KickStart: Obsess over hiring ONLY the Very Best People by recruiting them BEFORE you are desperate! Intrigued? Then read on…

I hired (and fired some!) more than 100 employees in my years running residential services companies. After waaaaay too much agony I finally learned the biggest hiring lesson for any business with techs working in clients’ homes…

Never (and I do mean NEVER) engage in ‘Desperation Hiring’. Grabbing the first warm body simply because you’re slammed with service calls will absolutely come back to bite you- BIG TIME! 😦 (Don’t ask me how I learned this!)🙄

💡 Instead, I realized we needed to treat recruiting the same way we marketed to homeowners—as an ongoing, never-ending process. 👍 This mindset transformed my business and honestly, my life!

If you want to build a real, dependable, scalable operation—what I call a Critical Mass Business—you must constantly be scouting, recruiting, pre-interviewing, and pre-testing solid Very Best People (VBP) “career candidates”. Then…

You keep them “on the hook” (warm and interested) while they stay at their current job… until you’re ready to bring them onboard.

But here’s the catch: if you want these A-players to hang out waiting on the bench, you must give them a reason to stick around. Ya gotta offer a better career, not just another job.

Here’s 8 strategies I used to successfully compete for new hires against giants like Walmart, UPS, Starbucks, and even my local plumbing outfit— because every business out there is my and your competition for these VBP! 😦

1. Build a strong LOCAL image

The Very Best People usually have roots in your town. They don’t want to move away. However, they do want to work somewhere they’re proud of.

So, ask yourself:

• Is my company active and visible in our community?

• Do we have great online reviews?

• Does our daily business presence (online too*) make us look like a company people will brag about working for?

* NOTE: A-players will absolutely look you up online even before they agree to an interview—they don’t want to join a business with a negative reputation.

2. Upgrade your “curb appeal”

Your brand and business should feel top-tier from the moment someone sees it.

• Clean, sharp trucks

• Organized shop

• Easy-to-spot, memorable signage

• Professional uniforms and photo ID badges

• And yes… your team (and YOU too)🫣 all need to look like pros too!

Top VBP talent wants to join a team that looks like they’re winning. The bonus here for you? Potential clients love seeing these bullet points too!

3. Create a real “Career Ladder”

The VBP don’t want to stay stuck at the same level forever. I mean, do you? 🙄 So, can you offer your VBP hires:

• Certifications?

• Specialized training?

• Leadership opportunities?

VBP want to at least have the opportunity grow and advance—help them climb!

4. Prove to them they’ll be more than a number

The big corporations can’t offer true security and an emotional connection. But you can!

Prove to your VBP candidates:

• “Here you’ll ‘create your own job security’ just by being awesome.”

• “We build and expect loyalty… both ways.”

• “We invest in our people who invest in us.”

This matters to today’s workers WAY more than most owners realize. 💖

5. Share a big picture vision they’ll want to belong to. (And buy in to!)

People don’t just work for a paycheck—they work for meaning in their life.

In my company, our rallying cry was: “We Make Customer Cheerleaders!”
My team was believed in and was trained to WOW their client. Your vision doesn’t have to be fancy—just clear, energizing, and bigger than “just show up and bang out the work.”😥

6. Allow your Very Best People to actually earn more

I know… we all think we can’t compete with the big boys.

But focus on this: Mail order maven L.L. Bean once said, “When I pay 20% more, I get 40% better employees.”

Paying more to the right people makes you more money—not less. When you systemize, market well, fill your schedule, AND raise your prices you CAN afford top-tier talent. 💲💲💲

7. Build a stress-free Business Infrastructure

The VBP hate chaos. And let’s be real… at best many residential service companies run on controlled chaos. (And some days the “controlled” part is optional!)

Written systems, procedures, checklists, scripts—these give the Very Best People confidence. Clearly explain how your business measures success so they can knock it out of the park! 😁

8. Add true accountability (the positive kind)

A-players LOVE being held to high standards. Why? Because it separates them from the slackers plus they get recognized and rewarded when they excel.

Your mission:

• Set expectations

• Track performance

• Celebrate high achievers

• Coach the ones who can (and want to) improve

• Terminate the ones who won’t!

Positive Accountability isn’t punishment—it’s rocket fuel for the right people! 🚀

Steve’s Final Thoughts

Sure, it’s tough competing with other businesses for talent… but you CAN do it when you offer something better: A career, a purpose, a team culture, and a future!

This is how you can consistently compete for new hires against the big guys and still win over the Very Best People.😎