Archive for the 'News' Category

Free Webinar: The Strategy and Tactics of Marketing

Published on April 13, 2011 in Marketing and News. 0 Comments Tags: branding, differentiation, Marketing, webinars.

The Strategy and Tactics of Marketing webinar on April 19 will help you understand what makes your company different and better and how to create a brand and a message out of that knowledge that will provide compelling reasons for targets to work with your company. Tactical Marketing Programs will also be discussed illustrating ways to create programs to help your targets get what they need by using your company.

This webinar can help if:

You haven’t yet discovered what’s different and better about your restoration company.
You know that your salespeople could be communicating more effectively to targets in a position to hire, refer or work with your company.
You’re looking to develop marketing programs that set your company apart from your competition.

Click here to register for this free webinar on Tuesday, April 19 at 11 a.m. Central Time.

How Restorers Create “Cheerleader” Relationships

Published on March 29, 2011 in News and Sales Mastery. 0 Comments Tags: sales process, sales training, selling strategies, seminars.

Join us for our free Webinar April 7, and explore the type of relationship building methods that reduce defensiveness and encourage the growth of powerful “Cheerleader” relationships that can dramatically increase the growth of your business.

Every restorer has a couple of these relationships now. Wouldn’t you like to understand how to create them at will? This Webinar can get you started!

Click here to register for this free Webinar Thursday, April 7, at 9 a.m. Central Time.

Free Webinar: Why Most Restorers Are Not Driving the Growth of Their Business

Published on March 22, 2011 in News and Sales Mastery. 0 Comments Tags: sales techniques, sales training, selling, selling strategies, seminars.

Why Most Restorers Are Not Driving the Growth of Their Business
Thursday, March 24, 9 a.m. Central Time
Click here to register!

Restoration salespeople should be consistently conducting activities that generate new business. Most aren’t, but it’s really not their fault! Why?

Most owners do not come from a sales background, let alone a sales management background, so they don’t know how to select, train, coach and develop salespeople. If you don’t know what to say or do, how can you expect your salespeople to?
Restoration salespeople often work hard and stay very busy doing what the boss told them to do, but are less and less effective in today’s very challenging market. They’ll even work harder and harder getting poorer and poorer results.
Salespeople are often missing a Sales Model, a Sales Process and a Sales Program. This means that they are easily blown off, misled and out of control—leaving them frustrated and not sure what to do next.

If these issues sound familiar, join us Thursday, March 24, at 9 a.m. Central Time. Click here to register!

And don’t miss these upcoming Webinars:

Lowering the Drawbridge
Thursday April 7 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. Click here to register!

The Strategy and Tactics of Marketing
Tuesday April 19 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. Click here to register!

Insured Losses from 2010 Catastrophes Hits $38 Billion

Published on January 13, 2011 in News. 0 Comments Tags: catastrophes, insurance.

Natural catastrophes around the world increased dramatically in 2010, with both costs and insured losses far higher than in previous years.

According to the Aon Benfield Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe Report, there were 314 separate natural catastrophes worldwide, from events such as earthquakes, floods and severe weather. They caused economic losses of nearly $252 billion in 2010, with insured losses of nearly $38 billion.

In 2009, 222 events combined to produce $58 billion in economic losses and $20 billion in insured losses.

The top 10 insured loss events of 2010 accounted for $23 billion in insured losses, about 61% of the total. They were five severe weather events, one winter storm event, two earthquakes and two floods. The remaining $15 billion insured losses were a combination of winter storms, severe weather, flooding, tropical cyclone activity, earthquakes and wildfires.

The highest insured loss of 2010 was the Chile earthquake in February, estimated at $8.5 billion in insured losses. The flooding in Pakistan caused the greatest single event economic loss, reported at more than $30 billion.

Two Free Sales and Marketing Webinars Jan. 6

Published on January 3, 2011 in Commercial Marketing, News and Sales Mastery. 0 Comments Tags: Commercial Marketing, differentiation, Marketing, selling strategies, seminars.

We have two free webinars coming up Thursday, January 6, that can help jumpstart a successful 2011.

At 10 a.m. is “The Strategy and Tactics of Marketing.” This Webinar helps you understand what makes your company different and better and how to create a brand and a message provide compelling reasons for targets to work with your company. Tactical Marketing Programs will also be discussed, illustrating ways to create programs to help your targets get what they need by using your company. Register here.

At 11 a.m. is “A Winning Process for Commercial Sales.” This webinar defines the commercial market and a winning sales process that will make penetrating this market easier, more efficient, more effective and less stressful than any of your other sales activities. Register here.

These Webinars are an excellent opportunity to get a feel for the types of things we’ll be covering at our Sales Mastery for Restorers and Weathering the Storm Commercial Marketing seminar programs. And there’s still time to register for the upcoming Atlanta sessions the week of January 24. Visit the BDA Web site for more information on either or both programs.

Free Webinar: Lowering the Drawbridge to Customer Relationships

Published on December 23, 2010 in News and Sales Mastery. 0 Comments Tags: sales process, sales training, selling strategies, seminars.

Lowering the Drawbridge

Thursday, December 30th 10 a.m. Central Time. Click here to register.

This Webinar explores key relationship-building methods that reduce defensiveness and allow the establishment of the kind of powerful “Cheerleader” or “Promoter” relationships that can dramatically increase the growth and profitability of your business. Everyone has a couple of these relationships now. Wouldn’t you like to understand how to create them at will? Register Now!

This Webinar is part of the Sales Mastery for Restorers Webinar Series. If you can’t make this session, an additional Webinar is scheduled for Thursday, January 6. Click here for more information on the upcoming Webinars.

Lack of Flood Insurance a National Problem

Published on December 16, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: flood insurance, floods.

According to a recent story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune,in Utah only 3.64% of structures in high-risk flood zones are covered by flood insurance. In Minnesota, the number is 4.24%.

Those are the lowest rates in the country, but that doesn’t mean there’s no problem elsewhere. The Star Tribune article, citing a 2006 Rand Corp. study, said that only about 50% of the nation’s homes in high-risk zones have flood insurance.

In the Midwest that number is 20 to 30 percent.

Flood insurance can be expensive, depending on where the structure is, but it’s easy to get if the community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/ Insurance under the program covers both the structure and contents and is available for both residential and commercial properties.

Is insurance coverage for flood restoration work a problem for you? Does your community participate in NFIP? Find out here.

If it does, spreading the word to your clients, insurance agents and others in the area could save a lot of headaches for everyone. If it doesn’t, you can petition your local government to apply.

Free Sales Mastery for Restorers Webinar

Published on December 13, 2010 in News and Sales Mastery. 0 Comments Tags: sales training, seminars.

Why Most Restorers Are Not Driving the Growth of Their Business and What to Do About It!
Thursday, December 16, 10 a.m. Central Time – Click here to register.

Your sales department should be able to consistently go out and conduct activities that can reliably generate new business – but most don’t! This Webinar helps you understand why they don’t and what you can do about it.

Reserve your place today. Register here.

If you can’t make it to this Webinar, additional Sales Mastery for Restorers Webinars are scheduled for Thursday, December 30, and Thursday, January 6. Click here for more information on the upcoming Webinars.

Why I Love Alamo

Published on December 9, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: branding, car rental, customer service.

After my (ahem) review of my Thrifty in New Mexico, I thought I should pass along a completely different experience that I had at Alamo in Atlanta.

As I was standing in line, a manager came up to the man in front of me, shook his hand and started chatting. I assumed that they were acquaintances and didn’t give it another thought. That is, until he turned to me, reached out to shake my hand and say hello in a very friendly and sincere way.

He saw that I had a reservation printout in my hand and asked if I would like to use the kiosk (just like those you check in at the airport with). I went to the kiosk, breezed through the process in about two minutes, then asked for directions to the cars.

Again, in a very friendly, non-phony way, Nathan Woods (I was so impressed I asked for his name) directed me. As I entered the garage, another employee greeted me with great enthusiasm and directed me to exactly where I would find cars in the class I had selected.

I walked past all the Jeep Liberty’s : and chose a Hyundai Santa. I jumped in the immaculate car, drove to the exit gate, was quickly and courteously processed through and I was on my way.

Thank you, Alamo, and thank you, Nathan Woods, for respecting me as a customer and a person. It restored my faith in business and in the power of individuals to make each other’s day just a little bit better by making a mundane business transaction a great, human experience.

I have used Alamo a lot in the past but somehow had gotten away from choosing them, probably because I have focused on the lowest price, not the best value.

This experience taught me the cost of saving a few bucks. Whatever extra Alamo cost, it was worth it to be able move through quickly and easily through the rental process while dealing with such friendly, helpful people. Alamo will be my choice going forward.

Perceived value is just important to contractors. Once you deliver the work, you have to work to deliver the intangibles that create value and happy customers. They’ll not only return when they need your services, but they’ll tell others how good you are.