Okay, time to sell me something....

[B&BGaryC]

Seriously, have at it. I need to be sold a strategy.

I am seriously leaning towards SFS. I need to know the class dates and total cost. (Travel included.)

I am also curious about piranah marketing. what does that run?

What about chuckster? I hear he can give me more commercial accounts than I'll ever want.

Can I take Yoakim seriously?

What about stewart smally? If I tell myself I'm good enough, smart enough and dog-gonit people like me, will that make business boom?

Should I just research and do carefully targeted advertising with expert copy?

Mailers?

Please, let me know what you guys think. Somebody sell me something.

 

[bob vawter]

the brain store is two blocks down and take a right!









ha j/k

 

[Doug D]

SFS class in Roselle is in October 13-17th. Special rate at the Quality Inn in Schaumberg for around 70 a night. Free breakfast and shuttle to Jon Don for the class. Class is 695.00 and is probably filling up very fast!! Flight from Rapid City, SD to Chicago around 500.00. Might be cheaper from Billings to Chicago. Sounds like lunch will be served and you are on your own for evening meals. If you are going to do it, you better do it quick as they sell out very fast!!! Last one for the year too I believe. I am going to that one.

Also heard that your man Doug Heiferman has an excellent marketing course as well. Was told it was way better than Joe Polish's. Nate Murphy from Express told me that. Went to Houston to see Howard Partridge and Steve Touberon and was told there that SFS would be a better investment than Howard's round table. I preferred Steve over Howard for speaking there as Howard was nothing but an infomercial imo.

I think that there are others on here that will tell you that SFS would be the way to go, then if you still need more maybe check those others out.

 

[Wayne Miller]

Seriously.......

I haven't attended but from everything I hear SFS is a no brainer. I'd bet the most common failing among carpet cleaners is that, while they're great at cleaning carpet, they just squeak by when it comes to running the business. If I was smart I'd make reservations yesterday.

Other than that, just start doing.

What good is a marketing package if you don't have a marketing habit.

Starting Monday, do something. Ask for referrals. Do five-arounds. Deliver flyers. Call on local commercial accounts. Hand out business cards to everyone you see. Work you way down Paul Douglas' Action Plan. Do something every day.

It's not the program that matters, it's the action you put behind it.

 

[Johnny]

What wayne sez.

No point to wasting time being told something new (or old) to do until you're doing what you already know to do.

 

[Mark Imbesi]

Again, what Wayne says.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Seriously.......



It's not the program that matters, it's the action you put behind it.

even though Wayniac wears that stupid Walter Cronkite 1965 black neck tie to clean carpets, he ain't no dummy...


Unless something has changed, Gary has shared he's not an O/Op.
Would SFS be the right choice for him to drop a $1000 on?


..L.T.A.

 

[B&BGaryC]

The owner is ready to drop the money.

 

[Dolly Llama]

The owner is ready to drop the money.

cool, call Wayne
bet he has plenty marketing material and programs that will work for you


..l.T.A.

 

[Steve Toburen]

"Unless something has changed, Gary has shared he's not an O/Op.
Would SFS be the right choice for him to drop a $1000 on?"

Good question, Larry. While the majority of our SFS members are owners my guess is 20 to 30 percent of attendees are employees. (Ken Snow for one has sent numerous managers including Brian Hanna twice since Brian is a slow learner. Of course, come to think of it Ken has been to SFS twice too. What is it with these Detroit folks?)

Remember, Strategies for Success is not a technical seminar. In fact, we seldom even mention the words "carpet cleaning". Gary, I would never recommend a technician who never wants to be (or is capable of being) more than "just a hands-on technician" attend Strategies for Success.

However, having read your posts for some time it is obvious you are "management caliber" and very likely SFS would transform your vision of both your job and the industry in general AND give you and your company over 1,000 pages of systems and procedures to make it happen. (Gary, it sounds like the company owner is pretty much "hands off" in your carpet cleaning area. However, I gotta tell you the very best strategy would be to convince him to attend with you. The synergy created when two or more managers attend from the same company is incredible.)

Steve Toburen
Director of Training
Jon-Don's Strategies for Success

PS "I am seriously leaning towards SFS. I need to know the class dates and total cost. (Travel included.)"

Gary, cost of the five day class is 695.00 which includes a continental breakfast, a gourmet Nick Paolella lunch every day, breaks, dinner and drinks on Wednesday "Social Night", all course materials (no sleazy high pressure info-mercials) and over 40 hours of intense class room time. However, tell your boss if you have purchased 5K of ANYTHING from Jon-Don over the preceding 12 months of the class you get one free SFS admission. If you buy 3K the class is half price. We arrange nice hotels and drive hard bargains on lodging for our members. I believe the Quality Inn Chicago is 70 bucks a night and that includes a buffet breakfast and free happy hour. You don't have to rent a car as we provide a free shuttle from the hotel to Jon-Don every day. Travel costs I don't know about.

Dates:
Langhorne, PA September 8-12 (Sold out)
Chicago, IL October 13-17 (I think it is sold out but there may be a seat or two available.)
Chicago, IL Jan 12-16, 2009
St. Petersburg, FL Feb 16-20, 2009
Dallas, TX Mar 16-20, 2009
Portland, OR April 27-May 1, 2009
Langhorne, PA Sept 21-25, 2009
Roselle, IL Oct 12-16, 2009
(We are thinking about adding one or two locations more for 2009. I'll keep you posted)

 

[Wayne Miller]

Not to be too melodramatic, but.........

From the SFS attendees I've talked with one of the more notable SFS descriptors I hear is "life changing."

 

[Ken Snow]

I resemble that Steve!

Seriously Gary if you are looking for a omplete business system program that covers everything from The customer interaction, to training, to marketing, to business systems & accounting then SFS would be my first recomendation. The other programs are a little more targeted to makerketing I believe so if that is your focus one of them may be more intense in that area. I would also suggest planning on doing one of these a year and do them all over time and giving enough room in between to implement things that are approriate fit for your business.

If the owner can make the time to go to these things too that would really be powerful.

Ken
Ps I really go for the food and to see all the pretty Jondon women~ the classes are a bonus.

 

[hogjowl]

I agree with all but one thing. Through no fault of Bills (as far as I know), the marketing is all talk and nothing more than a dead end road to nowhere. Everything else is worth the money.

 

[Steve Toburen]

What is it about Detroit that makes business owners so smart? (I need to get back in Ken's good graces.)

"I would also suggest planning on doing one of these a year and do them all over time and giving enough room in between to implement things that are approriate fit for your business."

Ken is dead on, Gary. People seem to want to "choose sides" in the seminar/ training/ marketing package war and this is just a plain wrong-headed approach. Since there is not another seminar as wide ranging as Strategies for Success I would suggest attending SFS for your initial overall orientation and to "kick-start" your education and then continue your training with more targeted programs/packages. Over my twenty-plus years in the industry I learned from and implemented stuff from dozens of different instructors and speakers. It shouldn't be an "either-or" approach.

In fact, we encourage our SFS members to attend other training seminars put on by other companies. Of course, we hope they come to us first simply because, as Ken says, SFS is a "complete business system program that covers everything". And to be honest, we hope (but not require) our members buy product from us in the future! However, you can and should learn from everyone. (Even that transplanted hillbilly who is now planted in Salt Lake City.)

Steve

PS SFS covers so much it is difficult to describe in print, Gary. If you don't have it already just drop me a line at stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com and put the phrase "Free SFS DVD" in the subject line. I'll need your mailing address for the 30 minute DVD. There is no charge and no obligation- but I would appreciate you watching it as I worked hard on the production.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Does the field guide contain information I would need to help me create compelling copy for radio, print and direct mail?

(I understand that is not the focus of the course)

 

[Steve Toburen]

"Does the field guide contain information I would need to help me create compelling copy for radio, print and direct mail? (I understand that is not the focus of the course)"

We call it an "Operations Manual", Gary but no problem. Marketing is Big Billy's area but I'll try to answer your question. I got down my SFS Operations Manual (I think it is over 700 pages now) and went to the "Marketing" section and here are some of the step-by-step procedures (each one runs one to six pages) it contains:

Graphics Design
Package Selling
Personal Visits to Homeowners
Forward Scheduling
Marketing Through School Groups
"Add-On Sales" Board
Spot-Out Program for Retailers
Realtor Referral Route
Digital "Moments of Truth"
"Pre-Job" Target Marketing the Neighborhood
"Extra Services" Information Card
Before and After Post Card Marketing
Referral Reward Program/ Contest
Marketing our Scotchgard Warranty to Retailers
"Secret Giver" Program
Customer "15 Minutes of Fame" Headline Contest
Marketing to Insurance Professionals
Restoration "We Care" Bags
Restoration "Quality Surveys"
Selling the Stay Beautiful Program in the Home
Carpet Protector Marketing
FREE 12 Month Spot and Spill Warranty Program

and there is quite a bit more in the Marketing Section but you get the idea, Gary. I think there are about 80 pages in just the Marketing section and we have fifteen other sections in the Operations Manual including Administration, Paperwork, Management, Telephone, Employees, orientation and Training, "On the Job" and then it goes into various restoration and commercial cleaning sections.

So Gary, I guess the Marty Sutley approved short answer would be "yes".

Steve

PS Maybe I can pry Yeadon away from his Saturday night Guiness and have him answer your question more precisely.

 

[davegillfishing]

gary..frank and i took the class and both of us had the life changing experience..i am not really a "life changing kind of guy" but i have to tell ya, it will..
we found that we were doing 50% of things just right and learned that we really didnt know shit about what people REALLY want..you can be the best cleaner on the face of the earth but i bet i will have a stronger better more loyal following..go to sfs to find out why..
we are going to take the class again in the next year or so..you cant go wrong.
dave

 

[billyeadon]

Gary,

Well hopefully I will be there tomorrow as US Air won't give me a seat for my confirmed registration. Ah the joy of air travel.

Anyhow yes we will tell you how to write copy but we don't write it for you. If you want prewritten copy there are loads of programs for sale elsewhere. The only problem with that is that many people are using the same copy. That loses the whole point of marketing which is differentiation. When everything is the same we judge by costs.

Writing copy involves much more than the words. If you don't understand the needs and wants of your target customer or you don't understand how to eliminate the risk of choosing you, then copy is worthless.

That is why I like all of Waynes stuff which you will see examples of in my class. Wayne has a formulaic approach but designs each one individually. Ultimately some time in the next century we will finish My Easy Marketing and you will have much of this simplified.

Also if you feel that the class did not help you succeed then you pay nothing. I cannot remember the last time anyone asked for their money back so give it a shot if there are any seats left.

On a finishing note I like the quote from Ivan Misener, founder of BNI,

"Success is the uncommon application of common knowledge." As stated from people above you can learn much of this from other sources, even from this BB but this week is about more than listening to three instructors. Spending the week with 50 other people of like minds focused on improving their businesses and sharing this knowledge with others cannot have a price put on it.

Good luck on your decision and your future success.

 

[Numero Uno]

Although at this point I have never attended,looking forward to 09 here...

The gentlemen that run this program are the absolute finest in this industry.Prior to going compile your questions and over the week or so .Ask away.They have been around carpet cleaners all there lives.Just about,so pick them brains...

An even perhaps post to prior gradutes.If you were there was there something you might have forgotten to ask.A post on any bb should do the trick.
There are plenty of helpful posters that will assist you prior to going.

I am not sure if you can tape record or digitally,the seminars.As I do in most seminars of smaller nature.I personally have attended.But if you can get a 8 hour or more digital recorder.Then transcribe it to cd at nites end.Then you can have them at your command when ever you choose.

Never be afraid to talk to any one present.Cause you never know what gems of info they possess also...

But the biggest thing I can say is after you attend,just show discipline and follow through.With out that it all goes to naught...

Best of Luck, to you in the class and with your business...Caes-08...

 

[Royal Man]

Gary,

My marketing will show you how to target large groups in your area and get free advertising.

There are many possible large groups to target in almost every demographic area. An easy way to get started is to target large local businesses.

With just a quick look at your area I found some businesses you could target such as;Advanced Personnel Services,First Interstate Bank,Advantage Line, Food Services of America, Rocky Mountain College,Better Business Systems,St. John’s Lutheran Home, St. Vincent Healthcare,Cenex, Sysco Food Services ,Computer Claims Admin.,ConocoPhillips ,Deaconess Billings Clinic,Exxon Mobil.


You know your area better that me. So I'm sure you can find targets better than me.

The advantage of my marketing is that very few businesses know how to market this way and my marketing package is the only one with a unique way to get in the door to these valuable contacts.

Without this valuable "key"to get in the door your efforts are likely to be futile.

It also takes only an hour or so a month to implement. Just follow the action plan. (Without action every thing else is just wishful thinking.) It's simple and easy with complete step by step instruction,forms,scripts CDs and related materials.

For the same price others pay for 1 month of YP ,valpak, newspaper etc... You can bring in new clients forever.

This marketing gives me quality new customers every week with no cost or time and after being reluctant (because I was scared others would steal it) I have now decided to share it with others.


Check out my website: wwwreferralmarketingmadeeasy.com

Or call me with more questions.

Dave Yoakum

 

[Numero Uno]

Dave, had I not read your response.I would have never known about your program,Thank you...

An from that small list of possible clients,many of them look very sweet and very fiscally solid.Which is what I personally look for when going after commercial.Mobil,Sysco etc...

Clients that have no fear of going bankrupt and leaving you holding the bag.For monies owed !

I emailed you for the info on your website.Best of luck also to you personally in your marketing concept endeavours .

I made a lengthy response on a post earlier today.Then became distracted an never submitted it in.But basically in a nutshell,09 will be our first aggressive marketing effort in terms of ads ,etc.An we will be closely looking at your concepts as well...Tracking and implemention and follow through are key to success.An yours looks like a winner...Caes-08...
P.S.

Am I feel if the original poster looks at your program there chances of success are going to be that much higher...

 

[Royal Man]

Caesar,

Great talking to you. If you or anyone else has any questions feel free to call.