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Author: Bill Kinnard
SummaryShort Summary:
A question every business owner eventually asks ... What's Next. Succession Planning is a vital step in ensuring the future success of your company. But, given the impact on the owner and the organization, succession planning is also one of the most difficult processes to undertake.
Banking Relationships
Business Management
Customer Service
Direct Mail
Flat Rate Pricing
Hiring Technicians
Management Skills
Managing Money
Motivating Employees
Selling Your Business
Service Agreements
Techs Sales
Yellow Pages
Abagnale, Frank
Abremski, Ron
Adams, Dailia
Atkins, Wayne
Bade, Nick
Ball, Lorraine
Blanchard, Marc
Bogino, Diane
Bohnic, Michael
Booth, Jim
Boyd, Steve
Branham, Leigh
Brittain, Janelle
Brown, Jim
Chapman, Kenny
Clark Jr., Lewis
Clements, Bob
Collier, Ron
Cook, Bob
Cosica, Steve
Crook, Kent
Daniels, Bob
Davidson, Jeff
Dawson, George
Dawson, Roger
DeNeff, Pastor Steve
Dickinson, Bob
Dimoff, Tim
Dobkin, Beth
East, Tom
Evans, Russ
Farias, Mike
Flournoy, Michael
Fouche, Roger
Friedel, Richard
Gandy, Dottie
Gaughf, Allen
Goldstein, Beth
Graening, Jim
Grandy, Tom
Greer, Charlie
Guy, Jennye
Hajduk, Mike
Harshaw, Dick
Harshaw, Rich
Heacock, Gene
Hinshaw, Jim
Hodes, Joe
Holt, Andy
Hudson, Adams
Hutson, Don
Jacobs, Brandon
Johns, Pat
Johnson, Kerry
Justice, Jeff
Kardux, Don
Keenon, Chuck
Kiedinger, Joe
Kinnard, Bill
Kraff, Brian
Langenhorst, Mike
Lee, Bruce
Leverenz, Scott
Lewis, Monte
Ligon, Bill
Lowe, Jeremy
Lowe, Joe
Matteson, Mark
McCormick, Patrick
McCoy, Barry
Mears, Gary
Michel, Matt
Miller, John
Mitton, Jay
Nebrasky, Paul
Nelson, Bob
Oberg, Gordon
O'Hare-Zika, Nancy
Olsztynski, Jim
Pachter, Barbara
Paulsen, Tim
Peric, Tom
Peters, Bob
Peugeot, Roger
Pine, Chris
Piscitelli, Tom
Ramsey, Dave
Ranck, Joe
Rasmussen, Rachel
Roberts Frew, Susan
Roberts, Sharon
Rohr, Ellen
Ross, Marilyn
Rouse, Sue
Rusniaczek, Rob
Sanborn, Mark
Sardone, Debbie
Schenk, Don
Schine, Gary
Schwartz, Kevin
Schwartz, Rebecca
Shay, Tom
Sinton, Bob
Sklar, Leonard
Smith, John
Snow, Lawrence
Stecker, Kurt
Steinman, Sandy
Stiles, Bill
Tobe, Jeff
Toburen, Steve
Townsend, David
Tunmire, Robert
Van Hooser, Phillip
Walker, Chancey
Walther, George
Whitehead, Mark
Winget, Larry
Roger Peugeot
Category: Customer Service
SummaryRoger Peugeot presents his advice on how to achieve 100% customer satisfaction.
Jim Olsztynski
Category: Business Management
SummaryYou are about to listen in on Jim's session at the National
PHCC Convention with actual contractors in attendance. Jim gives out cash awards to contractors across the nation who present innovative ways to cut costs and/or increase sales and profits. He will be summarizing 101 of those ideas. Hang onto your hat….here we go!
Tom Grandy
Category: Business Management
SummaryYou will never hit a goal that wasn't set, however the reverse is also true. Setting specific goals for your techs, and measuring their performance against those goals, will dramatically increase productivity and profitability. Tom is going to share 15 Key Performance Indicators every service tech should be measured against. When your techs hit these goals you will be profitable in your service department.
SummaryHave you ever looked at other, seemingly profitable, companies and asked yourself; "I wonder what they are doing that we are not?" If so, you are about to find out. This presentation will highlight the fifteen areas that every successful company has totally under control. Apply them to your company and guess what? You can be profitable too!
Monte Lewis
Category: Sales
SummaryShort Summary:
Having an outstanding sales and service culture will attract better employees, word of mouth will create more customers and your competition will not know how to respond. This presentation includes twenty-one ideas on how to increase the sales and service culture of your company.
Larry Winget
Category: Customer Service
SummaryLarry Winget will share 31 things that you can do today to improve your companies customer relations.
Larry Winget
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryLike it or not, everyone listening to this presentation is a leader. Well if you are a leader, why not learn to be the best you can be? Larry is about to present 31 principles towards becoming a more effective leader.
Larry Winget
Category: Sales
SummaryIf you are like most companies you would love to increase
your sales….. but you have no idea how to do it. Now you have some direction. Larry is going to share his "31 Principles for Making More Sales."
Jim Booth
Category: Hiring Technicians
SummaryContractors across the country, in all the trades, are saying the same thing. "We have more work than we can handle. The major factor limiting our growth is our ability to find quality techs." This presentation may not solve all your problems but it will give you at least fifty (50) more places to find those needed techs.
Jim Hinshaw
Category: Sales
SummaryJim has taught many companies across the country the proper methods of selling, based on relationships. Jim will be sharing with us one of the key elements of the process – how to properly use a presentation manual. In fact, Jim is going to walk the listener through the step-by-step process of how to create a very effective presentation manual for your company.
Allen Gaughf
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryA professional on hold system instantly tells the customer you are a professional business. And best of all, the on hold message system provides over 5000 opportunities a year to market your specific products and services to people that already know about you…..and have called your company.
Bill Kinnard
Category: Business Management
SummaryService should be the most profitable department within your Company, but it usually is not. Why? Few company owners and/or service managers set goals for their techs and then measure their productivity against those goals. Bill will be sharing a couple Key Performance Indicators that every owner and /or service manager needs to be tracking to properly evaluate the performance of each technician.
Debbie Sardone
Category: Business Management
SummaryOne of the best kept secrets in today's world of small business is bartering. Yes, bartering has been around for thousands of years, however, only recently has it come to the forefront in terms of business owners. This program covers the how, when, where and why of "business" bartering.
Russ Evans
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryAre you ready for a fresh look at marketing? Russ is known for his unique approach to marketing. His whole direction involves making YOU the brand, not what equipment or product you carry. You are going to enjoy this fresh look at marketing your company.
Joe Lowe
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryJoe is a lifelong radio announcer that has interviewed countless company owners over the past 30+ years. One of the most effective ways Joe has found to promote a company is for the owner to do a routine question/answer "Ask the Expert" session each week on the radio. Once you listen to Joe's presentation on "talk radio" this form of marketing may just move near the top of your marketing priority list.
Dick Harshaw
Category: Business Management
SummaryBill Blees was born in 1892 and got involved in the automotive industry after college. During the depression he came up with the idea of automobile dealer financing and developed the accounting system for the auto industry that is still in use today. After retirement he provided the first business training for contractors in the industry.
Barry McCoy
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryBuilding relationships with other high quality companies promotes your services and increases your credibility. Networking partners do not need to be resold again and again and your network of partners establishes your company as a "professional" throughout your area. By the way did I mention that the networking process also increases your sales and profits!
SummaryMost people start a business to improve their quality of life. To accomplish that goal the business must be able to "run without you". Debbie is going to share dozens of ideas on how to tweak your business so it truly can run without you being there.
Phillip Van Hooser
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryHave you every listened to, or watched, someone that you considered a real leader. Then weeks, months or years later you see them in a different light. During this presentation Phil is going to outline some of the major mistakes leaders often make….ones each of us must try to avoid.
SummaryA company can be priced absolutely perfectly….. and still go out of business because of cash flow problems. Improper labor pricing is the number one killer of small businesses in this country but the second biggest problem is cash flow. This presentation will walk you through the step-by-step process of developing a month-by-month, department-by-department cash flow budget. If you want to learn how to create a budget for your company, this presentation will be a huge help.
Dottie Gandy
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryDottie is speaking on the topic of "choices". After listening to Dottie you will fully realize how important every decision you make really is.
Bruce Lee
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryWhen employees work at peak performance it affects the bottom line in a very positive way. The key is knowing how to properly coach team members who will in turn increase efficiency and reduce turnover. Coaching is helping others to develop insights and actions to understand mutually understood goals. Learn how coaches can help their employees identify development and grow their present and potential strengths.
Diane Bogino
Category: Business Management
SummaryDo you have any employees that are underperforming? Disengaged employees are one of the biggest concerns facing management today. How do you "fix" the problem? One way is through coaching….but few really know how to coach. The good news is that this presentation will provide the foundation stones needed in order to effectively coach your employees to their next level of productivity.
Jeff Tobe
Category: Business Management
SummaryThink outside the box. We have all heard it but there is a problem, no one ever tells us "how" to do it. Jeff invests a huge amount of his time teaching company owners how to color outside the lines. If you are ready for some fresh thinking you will enjoy listening to Jeff.
Matt Michel
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryThere is no better marketer than Matt Michel. Matt is recognized as the "marketing guru of the industry". His presentation will inspire you to try some new things, perhaps for the first time. Matt is going to share a variety unique marketing ideas that will help your company continuously move towards profitable growth.
Barbara Pachter
Category: Management Skills
SummaryShort Summary:
Clear, proper and positive communication is critical when it comes to communicating with people through emails, presentations and/or personal interaction. This presentation will review the most common mistakes and how to correct them.
Dave Ramsey
Category: Business Management
SummaryShort Summary:
High quality winning organizations have a culture of communication that is intentional and effective. It is literally the map to the party. This presentation is an actual recorded section from Dave Ramsey's multi-day EntreLeadership program.
Jeff Davidson
Category: Business Management
SummaryInformation is coming at us from every direction. In the old days it was simply newspapers, TV, radio and a full mailbox. Today it's coming from everywhere…all the time! If it's not a text message or cell phone beeping at us, it's the internet, Facebook, Twitter and dozens of other sources. It's information overload! This interview with Jeff Davidson may just provide a little more order to your day and peace to your life.
SummaryThings have changed in the marketing world. Traditional marketing has lost much of its value and web-based marketing has not lived up to its expectations. The new breed of marketer is utilizing content marketing. Building trust with your current and perspective customers is what it's all about and content marketing can make that happen!
Roger Dawson
Category: Negotiating
SummaryThis is Part 1 of a two part series. Roger Dawson will describe the (4) four types of personalities most contractors possess. During his presentation he will help each of us determine which group we would belong in and how to overcome the weaknesses we find.
SummaryDuring Part 2 of this series Roger will give us some very positive suggestions on how to make our personalities work more effectively when it comes to dealing with both customers and individuals.
SummaryEveryone eventually finds themselves in a position of negotiating. Roger is going to share another portion of his nationally acclaimed series on negotiating, this time covering tactics and counter tactics.
Steve Cosica
Category: Customer Service
SummaryEvery company invests significant amounts of time and money getting the phone to ring. This program covers the next step which is mastering phone call conversion. Stated another way, how do we turn the call into a sale and/or a new customer. That is what the presentation is all about.
Ellen Rohr
Category: Managing Money
SummaryEvery owner must become aware of their "Known Financial Position" (KFP) in order to identify strengths and weaknesses and to know if you're pricing is correct. Ellen will take you through the process of creating a "winning bean team" that will provide accurate information in an understandable way.
Jim Booth
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryToday's employee is not like those of the past year. In order to get most employees to do their best, at least in today's world, usually requires some sort of an incentive program. Jim will share about some of the great employee incentive programs he has seen, and has helped to develop.
Jim Olsztynski
Category: Customer Service
SummaryJim has drawn from his many files on customer complaints. He will share some valuable information concerning the 4% of unsatisfied customers who take the time to contact your company. Complaints are not bad ….. if you grow from them. It's time to turn lemons into lemonade!
Mike Hajduk
Category: Customer Service
SummaryIf you are going to be successful in today's business world you had better fully understand how your customer sees your company….from their perspective. Mike is going to give you an outline of how to design a very effective customer response card that will provide the information you need to take your company to the next level.
SummaryTom has seen companies come and companies go and he has also watched companies ignore many of the "danger" signs along the road to going out of business. Check out these points of danger to be sure your company is not heading down the wrong
path….without your knowing it.
Jeremy Lowe
Category: Business Management
SummaryStress is part of every day life. However when stress becomes chronic it can affect our health, our job, personal relationships, and even the overall productivity of the company we work for. This presentation will help us identify stress and will cover lots of ways to de-stress the workplace leading to happier, and more productive lives.
Dave Ramsey
Category: Sales
SummarySelling is the highest paid profession with the most advancement potential. However, the sales process has changed over the years. Today the art of selling is (or should be) based in serving. Dave Ramsey is going to walk you through the four step process of selling as a servant leader with words of wisdom along with a bit of humor.
Nancy O'Hare-Zika
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryShort Description of the Presentation:
Marketing is anything that contains your logo and/or carries your name. This very practical
presentation will provide the "how to" in each of the four basic marketing circles.
Scott Leverenz
Category: Business Management
SummaryProfitable growth in a company is the result of careful planning. The development of a detailed business plan enabled both of Scott's companies to not only grow, as planned, but to become very Profitable. Listen up, there are lots of things to learn from Scott about the value of developing a detailed business plan.
George Dawson
Category: Banking Relationships
SummaryIt doesn't matter if you are a one man operation or a multi-million dollar company; you need to have a line of credit set up. A line of credit is to be used for short term borrowing against receivables. During this presentation Mr. Dawson is going to draw from years of banking relationships to provide some pointers in terms of how to prepare for that initial critical meeting with your banker.
Steve Toburen
Category: Customer Service
SummaryWhen it comes to developing customer cheerleaders, the first three minutes of the service call is critical. This presentation covers dozens of practical tips your techs can use to dazzle your customers, therefore creating customer cheerleaders.
Chancey Walker
Category: Selling Your Business
SummaryDo you "really" want to sell your business? That is a very good question. Selling your business has a huge impact on your life. There are several things that need to be considered BEFORE you sell you company. During this presentation Chancey will share some helpful insights to consider as you contemplate selling your company. Chancey has been through this process himself so let's listen to him and perhaps shorten our learning curve a bit.
Jim Brown
Category: Business Management
SummaryThis program is designed for the entrepreneur who is doing the job, living the job, and loving the job. When it comes to the service business of service, it's important to make customer feel great while generating a reasonable profit for yourself and your company. The end of the presentation has some wonderful suggestions on how to run a very profitable service department.
Lorraine Ball
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryWe all want more customers and sales. We also realize that much of that growth will come through marketing – but what works? Loraine has a tried and true system that worked for her as well as her clients. Bottom line – only market to real potential customers, not the world. Find out who your REAL customers are and market to them……a lot!
Phillip Van Hooser
Category: Management Skills
SummaryWe tend to assume that when we speak, people listen. That is not true. Each of us needs to earn the right to be heard. Phil's presentation will teach you what needs to be done to earn that right while talking to an employee, a customer or a friend.
Tom Grandy
Category: Collections
SummaryShort Summary:
The work may have been priced right, and performed efficiently, but if you don't collect the money it's as if you never did the job! Learn how to set up an efficient collections policy while picking up dozens of tips on how to collect your money…..while keeping happy customers.
Tim Paulsen
Category: Collections
SummaryTim will be talking about collections standards; collection letters and some of the typical excuses we have all heard before
SummaryTim will cover the proper use of the telephone, the obscene collections caller and some very effective negotiating tips that you can put right to work.
SummaryIt's simple: If you don't delegate you will soon limit the growth of your company. Perhaps Ronald Reagan said it best "Surround yourself with the best people you can, delegate authority, and then don't interfere." As a small business owner you will need some help working that out. That's what this presentation is all about.
SummaryShort Summary:
If your business is not working there is usually one, or more, foundational areas that need to be addressed. It's not rocket science. This presentation will help you focus on one, or more, areas that can literally turn things around.
SummaryDistributors are small businesses just like your company. Have you ever thought about why your distributor offers business training classes or why your distributor continues to encourage you to attend every business training class that's offered? This presentation reveals that hidden truth.
Don Hutson
Category: Sales
SummaryThis presentation is unique as it features short segments from eight of Don Hutson's full presentations. Each short segment will provide dozens of ideas to make your company more profitable. This presentation is not only highly entertaining; it will provide information that can be put to immediate use within your organization.
Bob Daniels
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryEmployees want to work for a company, not YOU. They don't want to be your assistant thus feeling like they are working hard to make you rich. Employees want to feel like they are part of a team, a company team. Team members work together towards a common goal that benefits everyone.
SummaryLeadership is one thing and entrepreneurship is another. Both have strong qualities but the best organizations are led by individuals that are EntreLeaders. An Entreleader is one who leads a cause to grow and prosper, which is what this presentation is all about. You are about to hear the opening session of Dave Ramsey's 7-day EntreLeadership Conference. There is a wealth of information in this presentation.
Dave Ramsey
Category: Management Skills
SummaryProper hiring creates a great team….period. This presentation includes insights from Dave Ramsey on how his company hires and fires people. It also includes an interview with Tony Hsieh author of the #1 best selling book entitled Delivering Happiness. Tony is also CEO of Zappos which is currently rated as the 6th best company to work for in the United States.
Rich Harshaw
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryHow long has it been since you heard a really "new" marketing idea? This program by Rich Harshaw is truly a breath of fresh air. Rich looks at marketing from a totally new (and powerful) perspective for small businesses. You will want to take some notes on this program.
Brandon Jacobs
Category: Selling Your Business
SummaryEvery company owner wants to eventually sell their business. Perhaps it will be to a family member, employee, an outside individual or firm. The question is not whether you will want to sell the business, the question is "Does your company have enough value to actually attract a real buyer?" The process of building value and preparing for the selling journey begins today!
SummaryDave Ramsey has taught hundreds of thousands of individuals and couples how to properly handle money through his thirteen week course called Financial Peace University. Well guess what? Those same principles that apply to individuals apply to businesses as well.
SummaryWe all need new employees from time to time but where should we look? The task seems daunting at times. During this presentation Jim Booth will share dozens of practical suggestions on how to simplify the process of finding and hiring quality technicians.
SummaryLorraine is going to present some truly unique, yet simple and inexpensive, ideas on how to find business in your business card file.
Gary Mears
Category: Flat Rate Pricing
SummaryGary Mears is well qualified to give you an overview of flat rate pricing. If you are not already on a flat rate pricing, listen carefully…..it might just be right for your company. If you are on a flat rate system you just might pick up a few tips on how to use it more effectively.
Chris Pine
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryChris has firsthand knowledge of how relationships play a major role when it comes to marketing your company. In this presentation Chris will share his thoughts on how to market for success based on relationships.
SummaryTom Grandy has been working with contractors for over 27 years. This presentation is going to highlight four of his most recent "discoveries" while working with contractors one-on-one. There are few really unique ideas within the industry but these are four that can really increase your bottom line profit.
Mark Matteson
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryMark has written a book entitled "Freedom from Fear" from which he will share excerpts. The book is about a man named Len who possess a great deal of practical advice about life in general. You, and several hundred people who Len has helped in countless ways, are attending Len's funeral One by one they share their testimony of their unique relationship with Len and how he impacted their lives. This presentation will provide some outstanding life applications.
SummaryOur country is made up of four very specific generations: veterans, boomers, Generation X and Millennials, also known as Generation Y. The key to effective selling in today's world is to learn how to market to the Generation Y group since they influence the other three groups.
Susan Roberts Frew
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryThis is the real life story of how a startup company doing $175,000 in gross sales in year one grossed $1,196,000 in year three……using online reviews. Listening to a professional speaker is one thing. Listening to a real contractor "who has done it" is another. You are going to love this presentation.
Adams Hudson
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryYes, there are good ads and there are bad ads. Adams Hudson is going to share with you some of his richest marketing secrets for the Home Services Industry. Adams wants to help you focus on how to outperform more costly marketing methods while encouraging repeat sales and customer referrals.
Michael Flournoy
Category: Business Management
SummaryGolly, I didn't know GPS vehicle tracking systems did all that! That is the reaction that most people have after listening to this presentation. Listen and learn. You will be glad you did.
Sandy Steinman
Category: Business Management
SummaryThe need for background checks in today's world is huge. However there are very specific legal steps that must be taken when performing background checks, as detailed in the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Failure to properly perform a background check has serious consequences. This is one of those presentations you will want to listen to over and over again.
Rob Rusniaczek
Category: Sales
SummaryHow many times have you heard the customer say "The investment is too much. I want comparison bids. First I need to talk to my spouse, etc.". Overcoming these kinds of objections at the kitchen table is the difference in making the sale or not. This presentation will walk the listener through the process of overcoming objections and closing the sale.
SummaryWould you like to listen to a presentation on marketing that really does make a difference? If so, Adams is about to share a message that can literally improve every aspect of your marketing. Adams Hudson is about to teach you the right ways to market your company For less money, with less trouble and in less time than you ever dreamed possible.
SummaryBill Kinnard provides insight and direction on how to hire the right employees for the right positions using personal profile testing. Bill has been a licensed provider of profile testing for many years and will share on how proper testing can significantly improve the hiring practices of your company.
Rachel Rasmussen
Category: Business Management
SummaryDelegating routine tasks to a virtual assistant can free up your time, increase productivity, and add dollars to the bottom line. Every owner needs more time. Hiring a virtual assistant (instead of another full time employee) to do data entry, design and produce monthly mailings, to create and send your monthly eNewsletter, or even to update your social media sites might just be the answer.
SummaryHave you ever taken the time to determine what you're really worth? Now is your chance. Ellen Rohr is about to walk you through an exercise to find out what you are really worth. Get a pencil and paper…this will be fun!
Ellen Rohr
Category: Business Management
SummaryPush comes to shove and it's finally time to have that face-to-face conversation with your employee telling them their work is unsatisfactory and it's time to shape up or ship out. The objective of this presentation is to help you find ways to avoid ever having to have that kind of conversation in the first place.
Debbie Sardone
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryWhen it comes to being successful it's not necessarily the quality of work you do or how well trained your techs are. What does make you successful is being unique at what you do. This presentation will help you become exceptional and focused, and therefore successful, in whatever business you are in.
Joe Ranck
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryHave set specific priorities for your life? Joe's is going to share some practical Ideas of how to balance our priorities while being successful in life and business.
Bill Stiles
Category: Sales
SummaryDr. Stiles is going to draw from all his experience to share with us (very effectively) how we can BEAT, no not compete……, but BEAT the Home Centers!
Leonard Sklar
Category: Managing Money
SummaryWe all want to create wealth…right? The problem is who do you listen to? What better person to talk with than someone who has done it. Len will give you many practical suggestions that have worked for him on how to invest. If you want to invest wisely, learn from someone who has done it.
Rebecca Schwartz
Category: Sales
SummaryThere is selling and then there is effective selling. Wayne has been involved in in-home sales for the past 25 years. Don't re-invent the wheel. Learn from one of the industries best. Get a pad a pencil, you are going to want to take notes.
Adams Hudson
Category: Yellow Pages
SummaryMost of us depend on the yellow pages for a significant amount of our sales. Adams says "It costs just as much to print a bad ad it does a good ad – so why not have a good ad!" Adams is going to share with us the ABC's of how to write an effective yellow page ad in this presentation.
Russ Evans
Category: Direct Mail
SummaryIt's time to throw all the old preconceived ideas you have out the window. Then you will be ready to receive a unique perspective on how to acquire new customers without it costing you an arm and a leg. You will love this fresh look at customer acquisition.
Tom Grandy
Category: Flat Rate Pricing
SummaryThis presentation is a real life experience Tom had when he visited Hawaii for a seminar presentation. This will provide food for thought in the area of how to better utilize your flat rate system. With a few minor changes you can move a happy customer up a notch to what we call "Customer Cheerleaders".
SummaryHaving a terrific website is of little value if no one is looking at it. Adams Hudson allows us to sit in on one of his monthly coaching calls with his marketing partners. The topic is marketing your website and the presentation is full of great ideas!
Tom Peric
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryThousands of people are on talk radio every day. Those being interviewed are considered, by their listeners, as experts in their fields. Tom Peric did Talk Radio for over 20 years. He knows what the host and producer are looking for. If you will put Tom's tips into action, you too can become the local expert in your field.
SummaryIf you want to get free publicity from the media you need to know how it works. This session will provide insight into how the media works, who to contact and what to say…and not say! There is some great stuff in this presentation by a man who does it every day.
Janelle Brittain
Category: Management Skills
SummaryHave you ever had to hold a performance review with a non-responsive, overreacting or overconfident employee? If so, this presentation is just for you. Learn how to prepare for the review, what questions to ask, and even how to fire the employee, if necessary. This presentation will literally help turn headache employees into hard workers.
Wayne Atkins
Category: Sales
SummaryWhen it comes to sales, the perfect close may not exist. However, this presentation will provide some valuable information on what Wayne calls the "two step close". If you will take time to integrate at least some of the ideas Wayne is sharing into your current closing procedures guess what might just happen? You may significantly increase your closing percentage while making more sales!
David Townsend
Category: Selling Your Business
SummarySeventy-five percent of all owners want to pass their business onto family members. Unfortunately two-thirds of all transitions fail under the children's leadership and direction. A successful transition involves preparing the business, the successor and the owner for transition and that is what this presentation is all about.
Bob Dickinson
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryDo-It-Yourself Company's strike fear in the heart of most trades contractors. Well fear no more. Bob Dickinson is going to teach us how to generate significant profits in the do-it-yourself market. You are going to enjoy this program.
SummaryA negative work environment has a direct impact on the customer, sales and therefore the overall profitability of the company. This presentation will deal with miscommunication which is the number one cause of workplace conflict, poor morale and poor teamwork.
SummaryAll contractors want to increase their profits. One way to do that is to pay your material suppliers on time so you can take advantage of the 1-3% discounts normally offered. This presentation will detail a process that involves getting job deposits and, more importantly, how to handle the money properly when it is received.
Jay Mitton
Category: Managing Money
SummaryThis is Part 2 of the presentation by the same name. This
Presentation, like Part 1, is an excerpt from "Cover Your Assets: Lawsuit Protection". The speaker provides vital information from Jay's book that can protect your personal and business assets in ways you may not have even imagined.
SummaryLike it or not your personal and business assets are at risk every day. The good news is that there are lots of things you can do, ahead of time, to protect yourself. Jay Mitton is a best-selling author of the book, "Cover Your Assets: Lawsuit Protection", published by Random House, and the founder of The National Foundation for Tax Planning and Asset Protection. You will want to hear his presentation.
SummaryBill Kinnard will share what it really takes to run a very profitable service department. This presentation has the ability to significantly increase your service department's bottom line profitability.
Kevin Schwartz
Category: Selling Your Business
SummaryMany small business owners desire to pass the company onto their children. However there are usually multiple concerns not the least of which is keeping relationships intact. One way to transfer ownership, while keeping family relationship intact, is to create a Family Advisory Trust. This presentation will outline the process of creating that trust.
Roger Fouche
Category: Business Management
SummaryRoger is sharing an idea that has significantly increased his company's bottom line profit. Roger began replacing his full time office staff with part-time people. The switch to part-time people in the office has increased moral, and productivity, while at the same time it has cut costs and increased his profit.
Charlie Greer
Category: Techs Sales
SummaryIf you are not familiar with Charlie Greer, you need to be. Charlie's "Tech Daddy" series, as well as other programs he has developed, have helped technicians across the country make more sales month after month, year after year. If you want to help your techs make more sales be sure to put the information Charlie is about to share with you into practice.
Pastor Steve DeNeff
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryThe essence of the message is "Why are we doing what we are doing?" It is helpful to take time to simply reflect on why we are doing what we are doing. This presentation is both thought provoking and entertaining.
SummaryWell trained sales people make the sale….period! When it comes to making a quality presentation it is the highly trained sales person that ends up with the sale. Every potential customer asks lots of questions. Properly trainer sales people know how to answer these questions without skipping a beat. Wayne will discuss 26 of the most often asked questions coupled with the proper response to close the sale.
Kerry Johnson
Category: Sales
SummaryWould you like to increase your closing rate? Who wouldn't! Kerry Johnson will share numerous practical ways to influence your customer to purchase more of your products and services.
Beth Dobkin
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryIf you are tired of putting up with poor productivity, low morale and high turnover then it's time to try something new. Servant leadership is an effective approach that can literally inspire employees to become more fully engaged in their work while becoming more productive.
SummarySteve discusses the foundation stone of why we work. Looking back to ancient Rome, slaves looked like everyone else. They were educated, well trained and skilled workers who were protected from their evil masters. Today's workers are a lot like the Roman slaves, and are often deprived of their dignity. Their production output belongs to, and is regulated by, their master (the company). To meet their basic needs, they must conform to the company's ways and become like middle class America.
Charlie Greer
Category: Sales
SummaryAs Charlie Greer will tell you on his presentation, if your
company is growing and you are still in the field selling, it's time for a change. Charlie will show you how to find and hire the top sales people in your area.
Mark Whitehead
Category: Managing Money
SummaryMark is asking you to imagine that you have earned some extra money from your company sales and are faced with the question of "What do I do with it?" Reflect on the money you have to invest and listen to helpful suggestions from Mark.
Robert Tunmire
Category: Business Management
SummaryWho better to talk on this subject than the CEO of one of the major franchise group in the country! The perception of most companies is that a joining a franchise means losing their name… giving up control…and paying very high franchise fees. Robert has over 30 years of experience in the franchise industry and is widely known for his ability to grow companies. Robert believes it takes continuous training and support to grow companies. Now let's listen to a few practical tips.
Andy Holt
Category: Hiring Technicians
SummaryDo you complain about the lack of qualified technicians, turnover, little growth, poor communication, and much more? If so, this presentation will provide a unique opportunity for listeners to take an honest look inside their company. Is your company "really" attractive to current and future employees?
Jennye Guy
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryNearly every business has a website…..but is it working? By working we mean is it educating your customers and/or producing sales. This presentation will cover seven tips for creating a very effective website that will be the foundation stone for profit growth for years to come.
Bob Daniels
Category: Managing Money
SummaryAre you in charge of your financial future…of do you simply "let it happen?" Bob Daniels greatest joy is to help companies understand how to run to profitable businesses. During this presentation Bob is going to share from his vast knowledge of small business finances and will present his simple "laws" for successfully achieving money happiness with our listeners.
Joe Lowe
Category: Business Management
SummaryIt's a good idea to schedule an annual checkup with your doctor at least once a year. Just because everything was great last year doesn't mean things have not changed over the past months. Guess what, it's also a good idea to have an annual check up when it comes to your company. Joe is going to provide a list of check points that every company should take a good look at, at least once a year.
SummaryOur current customers usually generate our highest profit margins. These customers are hard to find and even harder to retain….you do not want to lose them! Adams Hudson will outline a very effective plan for retaining your current customer base during his presentation.
Frank Abagnale
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryThis is one of the most amazing true stories you will ever hear. They made a movie of Frank's life entitled "Catch Me If You Can". This is the REAL account of his life…which is even more amazing than the movie. This is Frank telling Frank's story. Although his life sounds exciting, he paid a great price to find what was most important to him.
SummaryImproper labor pricing is the #1 killer of most service companies. Tom will share the step-by-step process of determining what you need to charge per hour in order to cover your real costs of doing business while generating a reasonable profit. If you charge by the hour, this is one of those foundation presentations you most fully understand
Lewis Clark Jr.
Category: Management Skills
SummaryWe may all have our own opinions of laws and lawyers but guess what…….without either we would be in real trouble. This presentation may not be the most entertaining you have ever heard but it might just be the most important. When it comes to hiring, supervising and terminating employees each of us had better "do it right" or we could find ourselves in real trouble.
Dottie Gandy
Category: Management Skills
SummaryLeadership is part natural and part learned. Dottie is going to share some vital information on how to improve your leadership by taking a good close look at yourself.
Chuck Keenon
Category: Business Management
SummaryYou have worked for other companies, why did you leave? Did you leave because of money, long hours or working conditions? Perhaps, but research shows that sixty five percent of people leave their existing job because their managers are not properly trained to manage them well! Most listening to this presentation are currently owners and/or manager themselves. Wouldn't it behoove each of us to pick up a few practical tips on now to better manage those we are responsible for? The answer of course is….yes! Get a pad and pencil; you are going to want to take notes!
SummaryDuring Phil's presentation he makes the following statement. "I am going to share some information with you about the new breed. If you take this information to heart, and apply, it could change your life." Enough said, it's time to listen!
Tom Grandy
Category: Management Skills
SummaryThis is a live presentation given by Tom Grandy at Comfortech. This presentation will cover the seven (7) attributes of an effective manager plus (4) ways to increase communication. Part 2 is a continuation of this program.
SummaryThis presentation covers three specific goals effective managers need to meet: three (3) great ways to motivate people, six (6) ways to measure our success and lastly we will look at three (3) numbers every manager needs to fully understand.
Jim Hinshaw
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryWe should all learn from every environment and event we find ourselves in. Jim is going to share several real life situations that took place during a past Olympics to make some very specific and helpful points.
Sharon Roberts
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryDuring this presentation Sharon will share about the qualities that most true leaders possess. Once the qualities are identified, we can all work to improve ourselves to become better leaders
SummaryThe Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA has been in business for 40+ years. All performances are sold out months in advance and they gross over $73 million dollars a year. With that kind of continuous success there just had to be some business tips other companies could pick on…and there are.
Mike Hajduk
Category: Techs Sales
SummaryMike's company motto is to "help contractors increase their
profits!" Mike has had a variety of experiences in the area of increasing productivity, many of which he will share during this presentation.
Adams Hudson
Category: Direct Mail
SummaryEveryone wants to generate additional leads but few contractors are skilled in the area of advertising. Adams Hudson is going to help us all take another giant step forward. He is going to share lots of low cost ways to generate leads quality leads for your company.
Beth Goldstein
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryLucky business owners are not really lucky at all, they are doing things other business owners are not. This program is about reverse engineering "luck". It's all about the brand!
Adams Hudson
Category: Service Agreements
SummaryAlthough maintenance agreements are great, the question
always remains, "How do we get the customer to buy from us?" Adams will answer that question by giving us several tips on how to effectively market our maintenance agreements.
Roger Peugeot
Category: Business Management
SummaryRoger owns a very successful plumbing company in Overland Park, Kansas. Frustration caused him to make a decision to become profitable. He completely reorganized his company to create an environment that would be a blessing for his employees, his suppliers, his customers and himself. The one unique thing about Roger is that he was committed to follow his dream and he worked until it succeeded.
Jeff Justice
Category: Management Skills
SummaryMost of us have heard the term "humor is the best medicine". However, humor will not make problems go away but it will open up lines of communication. This is a refreshing presentation with a few practical suggestions on how to use humor to remove stress in the workplace and in life.
Kurt Stecker
Category: Sales
SummaryKurt will speak on fear in the sales cycle. He will be giving us some really practical suggestions for overcoming our fears so we can become the top sales person within our company.
SummaryThe service department "should be" the most profitable department within the company….but it's usually not. If your service department is going to be profitable, specific goals must be set and performance against those goals must be accurately measured.
Jim Olsztynski
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryLet your old marketing habits take a rest and listen to one
of the top marketing professionals in the trades industry today share some fresh ideas on how to market your company.
SummaryEvery company owner "thinks" they are doing an outstanding job which may, or may not, be true. This presentation has lots of helpful tips on how accurately measure customer satisfaction – from the customer's perspective.
Gary Schine
Category: Business Management
SummaryGary will share with us some the common mistakes, myths and misconceptions that small businesses often make. As you listen to Gary, you will discover lots of ways to avoid some of these traps in your company.
Mike Langenhorst
Category: Business Management
SummaryChange is inevitable. A good captain always keeps ahead of his vessel continually gathering and evaluating information from every available source to anticipate dangerous situations well before they arise. If you want to learn, learn from those that have already "walked the walk". Michael has walked that walk and is going to briefly share the core of how to handle change within an organization. Following his presentation Bill Kinnard will interview Michael to pinpoint specific ways change should be handled within the organization.
SummaryThis is another presentation from Roger Dawson's award winning series on negotiating. This presentation will focus on some really practical ideas on how to negotiate on a variety of fronts
Bruce Lee
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryIt's not who you know…but what you do with who you know. Bruce Lee is going to share some very practical tips on how to successfully network to grow your business. As you listen to Bruce you will quickly realize that networking can soon become the heart and soul of your marketing program and best of all…..it's FREE!
Kent Crook
Category: Management Skills
SummaryShort Summary:
Networking has been around for a long time. There have been countless presentations on the topic but most of it is simply theory. This presentation is up close and personal from a "real" contractor that is "really" networking………successfully!
SummaryWe all make mistakes but making marketing mistakes can become very costly. Save yourself some time, energy and money and listen to an expert in the field tell nine things NOT to do!
Nick Bade
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryMarketing is needed and marketing is expensive….but it doesn't have to be. Nick will share several of his low cost, or no cost, ideas on how to market your company more effectively and therefore more profitably. If you want to market, but have a small budget, this presentation is for you.
SummaryVince Lombardi won a lot of NFL championships because he consistently taught the foundational basics to players that should have already fully understood them. This presentation on business etiquette will also focus on many things we "should" all know but surprisingly few actually follow. Proper business etiquette can make or break a sale. This presentation will cover the four key areas of business etiquette. Reviewing and following these simple reminders can literally separate you from your competition. If you don't impress the customer, someone else will.
SummaryOne of the most difficult decisions most company owner's face is the decision to raise their hourly rate. How much should it go up? What will the customer's reaction be? Will I lose customers? Often the fear of raising our rates paralyzes us, therefore we do nothing. The result of doing nothing is obvious: Costs continue to increase and profits continue to fall. This presentation will address all of the above questions, and more.
Patrick McCormick
Category: Sales
SummaryHave you ever made a terrific sales presentation and then the customer says the price is too high? Or perhaps this has happened. A customer tells you they have had another bid on exactly the same work you just quoted and it was $800 lower! How do you respond? Well help is on the way. Pat is going to address these two issues and a whole lot more.
Dailia Adams
Category: Business Management
SummaryMost managers dread even the word appraisal. However, properly designed and implemented appraisal systems are really an opportunity to review past performance, set future goals and to provide positive steps for achieving those goals. Well executed appraisals will improve employee performance resulting in a more efficient company with increased profitability.
Pastor Steve DeNeff
Category: Business Management
SummaryMany companies are in the process of handing over their business to the next generation in their family. There are life applications as well as business application in this presentation. Like most things of value the real meat of the topic is saved till the very end.
Ron Collier
Category: Techs Sales
SummaryPerformance base pay is a new innovative way of paying your employees. Is it right for your company or not? During this presentation Dr. Ron Collier is going to share his perspective on this new method of paying technicians.
Mark Sanborn
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryMark Sanborn is going to share mindsets and methods that will keep you winning, growing and succeeding, no matter what's going on in the general economy. This is Part one of a two part series. Be sure to listen to both presentations.
SummaryPart 1 of this two part presentation covered the mindsets and methods that will keep you winning, growing and succeeding, no matter what's going on in the general economy. Part 2 will go into detail concerning the six methods of success. Be sure to listen to both presentations.
John Miller
Category: Management Skills
SummaryShort Summary:
How do you respond when things don't go as planned? Most blame others but the positive thing to do is to exercise personal accountability. Personal accountability is not about changing others. It's about making a difference by changing ourselves. Learning to ask The Question Behind the Question will help eliminate blame, complaining and procrastination.
SummaryWhen Pizza Hut offered "Any Size Pizza, Any Toppings Only $10.00" they ruined the pizza market. Guess what, when the economy turned south many companies did the same type of thing. Let's learn from Pizza Hut's mistake and from two amazing real life watch companies called Rolex and Timex.
John Smith
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryGreen this and green that. Research has shown a full one third of all customers are willing to pay more for green products and that makes it important to you. This presentation will provide some direction into how to become a greener company and how to use it for your advantage when it comes to marketing.
SummaryRoger will share two portions of his award winning program entitled "Secrets of Power Negotiating for Contractors". Roger will tell us how reading body language and knowing the hidden meanings of conversation can improve your negotiating skills.
George Walther
Category: Negotiating
SummaryIt is not enough to think positively, you must speak in positive terms to influence others and achieve your goals. George will teach us how to become "power talkers".
SummaryEveryone that has ever worked in a business has had to deal with difficult customers. The question is how well you handled them. This presentation is full of dozens of practical tips on how to not just tolerate difficult customers but how to actively reduce stress so the problem can be solved and the relationship strengthened.
Steve Toburen
Category: Selling Your Business
SummaryThe sale of your company DOES NOT begin when you decide to put your company on the market. It begins years before and is a continuous process. Steve has firsthand experience on this subject and will provide us with valuable insights in terms of how to prepare your business today…..to sell tomorrow!
Sue Rouse
Category: Customer Service
SummaryThe first impression, and sometimes the only impression, your customer has of you and your company is through a telephone conversation. Professionalism on the phone can move the prospect forward towards the final sale. Likewise, lack of professionalism can do just the opposite. Proper phone etiquette is very important. Our success in the area of telephone skills, like everything else we do, is often dependent upon understanding the basics and then executing those skills properly, over and over again.
Joe Hodes
Category: Managing Money
SummaryThis presentation involves lots and lots of your money and plays havoc with your cash flow. and is overlooked in most companies. Companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars each year on this subject, which is inventory. Talking about Inventory can be a bit boring, but handing it properly can substantially add to your bottom line profitabiity.
Bill Kinnard
Category: Customer Service
SummaryBill is going to share, from his unique perspective, some very practical, customer-focused ideas in the area of customer service. The future of your business depends on providing outstanding customer service so pay close attention.
Jim Graening
Category: Sales
SummaryThere are three basic building blocks to sales according to Jim, namely questioning, listening and qualifying. Jim Graening will share his thoughts on these three foundation stones for profitable growth during his presentation.
Chuck Keenon
Category: Collections
SummaryWhen cash flow dries up…your company dies, it's just that simple. Receivables are always critical to a business but in today's economy it can be the difference in staying in business or not. Now is the time to get receivables under control. Recognizing a collections problem is one thing, but knowing what to do about it is yet another. Chuck will be sharing some very practical suggestions on how to control your company's receivables.
Tim Dimoff
Category: Business Management
SummaryTim will draw from his many years of field experience to make us all become more aware of the abuse of drugs and alcohol in the workplace. He will not only show us how to recognize these problems but how to handle them.
Jeff Davidson
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryBelieve it or not back in 1990 a lifetime of information was generated every 24 hours. By 1998 a lifetime of information was generated every hour and by 2001 it was every minute…..no one can keep up! Most people wake up in the morning with their first thought being "I'm behind!" Yes, it is a crazy world we live in. Learning to relax while being productive is something we all have to learn or the pressures of this life will literally squeeze all the enjoyment out of living. This presentation will provide some practical suggestions on how to "slow down and live!"
Tom East
Category: Service Agreements
SummaryMaintenance agreements tie the customer into your company on a long term basis. Tom East will share his thoughts on how to develop a preventative maintenance agreement program that will be the basis for your long term growth and profitability.
Steve Cosica
Category: Sales
SummaryEach conversation with a customer includes three parts: Containment, Qualifying and Correcting. When these three things are done properly, relationships will be built that produce long term profitable customers. Steve Coscia will be sharing some really practical ways to build relationships with your customers through your speech. Sound interesting? It is!
Barry McCoy
Category: Business Management
SummaryBarry McCoy will be sharing his thoughts on how to schedule your techs for profitability. Barry, however, will not just share an overview of what needs to be done, he will walk you through the step- by-step process of creating a very effective and profitable scheduling board.
SummaryPhil is a nationally known speaker who will share his thoughts on how to improve your attitude in order to become a prime time performer. Attitude makes a significant difference but the first step involves recognizing our weaknesses in the area of attitude. Listen and learn.
Kenny Chapman
Category: Motivating Employees
SummarySuccess is not about information. It's what you do with the information. It's about moving the needle in a positive direction! If you want to be a winner then study the traits of winners, which is what this presentation is all about.
Bob Sinton
Category: Sales
SummaryBob is another industry icon. He will explain the simple sales process he has been teaching for over 10 years through sales training, coaching, counseling. Bob's process really does allow you to sell more and sell more easily!
Sharon Roberts
Category: Sales
Summary70 or 80 percent of all sales are make either direct, or indirectly, by women. Sharon provides wonderful insight into how to sell to women….from a women's perspective. Listening to Sharon can significantly increase your close rate. If you don't listen to any other presentation….listen to this one!
Bill Kinnard
Category: Sales
SummaryAll too often we are faced with cash flow struggles in our company. When we are faced with having to generate some cash quickly, we often resort to lowering our price. This practice may provide some temporary relief but will hurt us in the long run. If you will educate and inform your customer, then let them decide what they want to buy, you sales will climb…but only if you understand how they are buying.
Jim Booth
Category: Service Agreements
SummaryWhat's the big deal about service agreements? Well for one thing, they are the foundation stone for profitable growth. Jim will discuss the benefits of service agreements as well as how to price and sell them to your customers to increase your company profits.
SummaryYou may have a team of sales people, or only one, it doesn't really matter. Applying the following seven keys to high performance sales will cause any size sales team to increase its productivity and profitability. If you want to be the best, then apply the principles that top sales teams use all across the country.
Leigh Branham
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryIt's happened to every listener. One day, with no warning, one of your employees hands in their two week notice or perhaps simply leaves with no notice! You are in shock. What happen? Why did they leave? Why didn't you notice a potential problem before it got to this point? Sound familiar? It does to most of us. They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Leigh Branham is going to provide "several" ounces of prevention by sharing with us seven basic reasons employees leave their company and more importantly, what to do about it.
Bruce Lee
Category: Management Skills
SummaryBusiness success involves productivity, engagement and accountability. The seven attributes covered in this presentation are all about helping the business owner get better in each of these areas.
Joe Kiedinger
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryThis program is a refreshingly new "system" to help small businesses win against the giants in the industry. The process is simple: You must become a prophet to make a profit. Every decision you make is a "marketing" decision.
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryGrowing a successful and profitable company is heavily dependent upon having all employees working towards a common goal. During this presentation Bernie will share several specific steps you can take to build a winning employee team.
Bob Nelson
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryBob's has so many simple ways to motivate and reward employees he has written an entire book on the subject! This presentation will find Bob sharing the best of the best when it comes to simple ways to motivate and reward our employees.
SummaryEmail has been used and abused, however when used properly it can help your company grow and prosper. This presentation will provide six simple steps to email success.
Richard Friedel
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryThis is Part 1 of a two part series covering the first eight (8) website mistakes most companies make. Nearly every small business today has a website, some good, some not so good. Your website is simply an extension of your marketing program and guess what? Poor marketing produces poor results. If you are going to invest time, energy and money into your website then it simply makes sense to design it to be as effective as possible. As you review your website, be sure to ask the question "What is my MWR (most wanted response)". Since most of us are not marketing people much less web designers, we depend on others to "do it right". You will find this presentation to be a very effective filter to take a close look at your website to be sure you are not committing one or more
SummaryThis is Part 2 of a two part series covering the last eight (8) website mistakes most companies make. If you want a website that produces, rather than simply costing you money, this presentation is for you. There are sixteen (16) common mistakes that most small business owners make when having their websites created. This presentation will cover the last eight mistakes, including very specific information on how to fix those problems. There is also a bonus section at the end covering the seven "must have" things each home page should contain. If you have not listened to Part 1…..be sure you do!
SummaryAll businesses start with a dream but that's not enough. Dave Ramsey is going to walk us through the step-by-step process of how to turn the dream into a goal. You will find this presentation to be both entertaining and practical.
SummaryMany companies have thought about selling their businesses but most have no idea where to begin or even what the real process is. If that statement describes your thoughts, our speaker Brandon Jacob is going to lay out the steps that are necessary if you are truly really serious about selling.
SummaryThe most profitable businesses are run by owners who understand the numbers. Once you understand the numbers the objective is to budget the companies hours conservatively and then strive to exceed those budgeted hours each and every month. When actual hours exceed budgeted hours something absolutely amazing happens. Profit skyrockets!
Lawrence Snow
Category: Business Management
SummaryOne major hindrance to growth is lack of proper structure. Improper structure will not only hamper growth but it can ultimately cause a company to move towards negative profitability! This presentation will provide some "tips" how to effective structure your company.
Larry Winget
Category: Business Management
SummaryShut up, stop whining and get a life! We are what we want to be, or we would change it. Listening to Larry is like listening to your parents. He cuts through all the stuff and gets right to the common sense core of it all. The difference is that he is one of the most entertaining speakers you will ever listen to.
Bill Kinnard
Category: Management Skills
SummaryToo much e-mail, a constant stack of paperwork, or a weighty workload. Do these things plague you and diminish your enjoyment of life? If so, go from "glut" to "gain!" Learn how to become your own information highway for maximum gain, and keep the massive amount of information you receive each day at a manageable level so you can spend more time doing the things you enjoy doing.
Tom Piscitelli
Category: Sales
SummaryFrom Tom Piscitelli standpoint sales is quite simple. Tom sells himself, sells his company and then finds out what the customer really wants to buy. By listening to this presentation you will gain additional insight into Tom's simple sales method, that works!
SummaryHave you ever thought about what makes franchises different from your company? In one word it's "systems". Every area of their operation is studied, perfected and turned into a documented system. Once systems are in place the company runs really well without the company owner having to be involved in the day to day operation. When you listen to this presentation you will come to a life changing realization. With a little effort your company can become just as systematized as a national franchise!
Diane Bogino
Category: Motivating Employees
SummaryFew companies realize the specific talents of the employees they already employ. Tapping into your teams talents will produce a more stable workforce and increase productivity while raising the bottom line profitability of the company. This presentation is designed to help the listener develop an effective Talent Management Program.
SummaryThis presentation describes over a dozen tax tips your accountant should have told you about….but probably didn't. These tax tips have the potential of saving you thousands upon thousands of dollars each year!
Ron Abremski
Category: Hiring Technicians
SummaryIf there is one consistent complaint of trades company owners across the country, it is their inability to find, hire and retain qualified technicians. Ron will share the secrets of what has worked for him over the years.
Dailia Adams
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryTalking to potential customers on the phone is a given if you are in any kind of business. To get results through telemarketing, however, you need a plan. Believe it or not, 60% of all sales are made on the fifth call, which means two things. You must have a plan and you must be persistent. So you are probably thinking, "Ok, I need to call prospects, move effectively through the screener and state my case positively and with professionalism." The problem however, is how do I do that? Well that is what the presentation is all about.
Bill Kinnard
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryCustomers in today's world can go to Google and within seconds have every trades company in the area on their phone. What makes your company different? The difference is letting the customer know who you really are in terms of your philosophy and culture. Put another way; make sure every employee, including your technicians, is able to "Tell the company story".
Gene Heacock
Category: Business Management
SummarySuccession planning is a lot like running a relay race. All team members may be excellent runners but it's "how" the baton is passed from one individual to the next that determines who wins the race. Successfully passing the baton, or business, to the next person requires a huge amount of planning and preparation
SummaryIf your total marketing program is yellow pages, it's time for a change. This program will overview ten sources of free, or at least cheap, marketing that every company can utilize……for very little time or money!
Beth Dobkin
Category: Customer Service
SummaryShort Summary:
The way customers perceive your company is an important factor in your long term success. Creating consistent and memorable experiences is the key that opens the door to customer perception; their reality. In this session we will identify the ten best strategies to great customer experiences.
SummaryAdvertising does work but it costs money. Joe will talk about ten ways you can advertise that will cost you little or no money.
SummaryGeorge Dawson will walk you through the ABC's of what to do, and what not to do, during the process of making a loan application. Some of these tips may make the difference in your securing a loan…..or not!
SummaryFlat rate pricing is going to become the standard of the trades industry….period. It is not a matter of "if" it will happen but rather "when" it will happen. This overview by Tom Grandy will cover the pro and cons of going to flat rate pricing. This presentation will provide enough information to help you make an educated decision whether to move forward with flat rate pricing……or not!
Leonard Sklar
Category: Collections
SummaryLeonard's company presented over 600 seminars a year on collections. If it has been used as an excuse, Leonard has heard it. This is one of those "must listen to" presentations. If you have a problem with collections, and who doesn't, you need to listen to this presentation!
SummaryAre you an encore performer? Do others want more of your time and/or wish to learn from you? We don't want to be considered the best at what we do. We want to be considered the "only" person that can do what we do! Encore performers have their own PDA (Performance Development Agenda). It means we are very purposeful in getting better at what we do. The three goals for our PDA are to become a more remarkable performer, become a more remarkable person, and to help others become more remarkable in their performances and their lives.
SummaryPhil is going to offer some insight into what motivates people and how that information can best be used to run your company at top efficiency.
Bob Clements
Category: Business Management
SummaryThere are two (2) classic books by Michael Gerber that are "must reads". They are The E-Myth and The E-Myth Revisited. This presentation by Robert Clements will focus on the five core principles of the E-Myth philosophy. This program will help you, as a small business owner, to begin to focus on where you are going and how you are going to get there.
Pat Johns
Category: Business Management
SummaryPeople's lives change when they "choose" to do difficult things, things they have never attempted to do before. This month's presentation is actually an interview with Pat Johns, an individual who has chosen to do things most others would only think about doing. From his worldwide adventures he has learned five (5) footprints of success.
Steve Boyd
Category: Customer Service
SummaryWe have all heard a lot of presentations on customer service. However, Steve thinks there is a missing link that is often forgotten in the process. That missing link is listening. If you want your customer service to soar
then you might want to pick a few listening tips from Steve.
Generic User
Category: Negotiating
SummaryEverything is price focused today. When customers talk price we need to talk value. Once you determine your DPO (Desired Productive Outcome) it is simply a matter of negotiation. This month's presenter is Don Hutson, author of the #1 New York Times best seller The One Minute Negotiator. If you want to learn to negotiate, the shortest path is to learn from the best.
SummaryConfrontation with others is always difficult. However, confronting without the proper skills nearly always ends in disaster. Confronting aggressively can, and usually will, destroy relationships. This program provides ten (10) simple steps for successful confrontation.
Paul Nebrasky
Category: Business Management
SummaryOver the past 13 years Paul's company has grown from one employee to 23. As you might have guessed, he needed more space to accommodate his growth. Paul decided to build his own building. He is about to share (contractor to contractor) all the pros and cons of doing so. It you are thinking about building your own building you need to listen to this presentation first!
SummaryEducation is a valuable asset and this presentation will
arm you with enough good information to make your own
decisions concerning the use of radio advertising.
SummaryWhen the words "Collection's Agency" are mentioned most companies immediately think of someone charging a huge amount of money to collect their hard earned dollars. What if one of the top experts in the field of collections could share with you a way to collect your money without it costing an arm and a leg? Good collections' agencies do a great job at a reasonable price. Leonard's presentation will make you money!
Mark Sanborn
Category: Customer Service
SummaryMark's live audience is made up of Merry Maid franchisees that are eager to improve in the area of customer service. The principles that are discussed transcend the trades industry and will work for anyone who has a business. You are about to pick up some great tips on customer service from one of the best speakers in the industry today.
Brian Kraff
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryWe all want profitable customers which are often those within specific geographic areas. This presentation will step the listener through the process of generating new clients from the most profitable zip codes within your market area utilizing banner ads on the Weather App, Facebook and sight and search retargeting. To keep it interesting, this presentation will be in the format of a discussion amongst Market Hardware staff members.
SummaryRemember the story about hitting the mule with the 2x4 to get his attention? Well sometimes it's good to simply cut through all the fluff and look at the foundation of what we do. That is just what Larry Winget does. This straight forward presentation goes right to the heart of what it takes to run a successful business.
SummaryCustomer service is not rocket science. It all boils down to two things. Be nice to the customer and treat them with respect. Once again Larry Winget offers a whole lot of common sense on a topic that most make much too difficult. The principles are simple and Larry presents them in a very entertaining way.
SummaryYou will never achieve a goal you didn't set. Believe it or not less than 3% of the people in our society set specific goals for their lives, which explains why the other 97% are wondering why things are not changing for the better. This program will lay out the specifics of how to set, and achieve, your desired goals.
SummaryThe average 50 year old in this country has $2,500 in savings! Why? Very few people know how to handle money. This presentation is an eye-opener. Picture yourself with money problems and your dad just sat you down for a heart-to-heart talk. That is what Larry is about to do…but he is much more straightforward than your dad would be. If you want to know the unfiltered truth about money, you are listening to the right program.
Larry Winget
Category: Management Skills
SummaryShort Summary:
Your ability to solve problems will determine how happy and successful you will be. Larry's "no fluff" approach to everything is both refreshing and entertaining. If you want to hear some straight talk about how to solve problems this presentation is for you.
Bruce Lee
Category: Sales
SummaryWhen trust is present between the company and the consumer, sales will be a lot easier, your reputation will soar and you will be "the" service provider of choice. A company that has trust will generate twenty percent higher revenue and significantly higher net profits.
Bob Peters
Category: Service Agreements
SummaryMaintenance agreements are the silver bullet when it comes to creating a very profitable service department. Maintenance agreements tie the customer into your company for life, produce additional service work throughout the year, and nearly guarantees that your company will be chosen when it comes time to replace the customer's equipment.
SummaryLarry Winget has experienced both incredible business success and total business failure. He is living proof that your business can fail but you can always pick yourself up and try again. This presentation will show you some very important principles for success in your business.
Ron Collier
Category: Business Management
SummaryMany business owners intend, or at least hope, to have family members succeed them when it comes time to sell the company. These same company owners seldom give much thought as to how that will take place. Ron raises questions the current ownership needs to consider before passing the business onto family members.
Gordon Oberg
Category: Business Management
SummarySeveral business owners were asked what was most important to them. Their answers were converting calls to cash, tightening up the ship, and new business opportunities. Guess what? That is what Gordon is going to cover in this presentation.
SummaryWe all make our livings selling something to someone. It is not a matter of whether you sell or not, it is only a matter of how good you are at it. All sales success is based on the three basic principles that are covered in this presentation.
Bob Cook
Category: Business Management
SummaryBob will be discussing the nitty gritty numbers that will kill profits in your service department. The presentation will discuss under-billing, non-billable time and maintenance service agreement performance. These numbers can make, or break, your service department!
SummaryBetter time management leads to less stress and a more productive workday. There are massive amounts of information facing every entrepreneur today. The time management tools of the past simply don't apply. This presentation will cover five new ways to better manage your time…..in today's environment!
Don Kardux
Category: Management Skills
SummaryTime is one of those things we all have, but most do a poor job of managing. Don has developed a number of very specific tools that are simple, practical and very much real world to help you better manage your time. They may sound "too simple to work" but guess what, they work. Give these simple, but practical, ideas a try. They might just save you some time!
Brandon Jacobs
Category: Business Management
SummaryDid you ever wonder why businesses fail? If so, check out Bandon's checklist of 21 reasons businesses fail. This presentation might just help you avoid future problems by identifying weak areas while they are relatively insignificant.
Tom Shay
Category: Business Management
SummaryDoes it seem like your accountant speaks a different language? If so, you need to be sure to ask your current accountant the twelve questions within this presentation. If he, or she, can answer them in a language you can understand - great! If not, it's time to look for a new accountant.
Kenny Chapman
Category: Techs Sales
SummaryShort Description of the Presentation:
This presentation will focus on sales mistakes technicians make. However, the reality is that the same twelve mistakes can be applied to anyone in sales, at any level. Get ready to listen to some really practical suggestions that will increase your sales.
Rebecca Schwartz
Category: Managing Money
SummaryShort Summary:
Has it ever occurred to you why the bank turned down your loan? Much of a bank's decision making process is based on information they obtained from your Balance Sheet. The Balance Sheet reflects the overall health of your company; therefore the owner needs to fully understand all the numbers on their Balance Sheet which is what this presentation is all about.
Generic User
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryReferrals are gold! There is no better reference than one produced by one of your current customers. The close rate for leads created through customer referrals is higher than any other lead source. David is going to share about a program he has developed called "Unlimited Referrals.
Mark Sanborn
Category: Business Management
SummaryIf you every wondered what it takes to be successful, wonder no more! Mark, one the top professional speakers in the country, is about to share a specific strategy that will dramatically increase your personal and professional success.
Generic User
Category: Computers
SummaryDavid has found seemingly unlimited ways of utilizing computer technology to help close more sales. David not only works in the family business, but he also shares his experiences with contractors across the country.
Jim Booth
Category: Direct Mail
SummaryJim will begin with a brief overview of how to develop an effective marketing plan. Step two will involve how to create a direct mailing program within that plan.
Marc Blanchard
Category: Business Management
SummaryAfter oxygen, water and food, information is the most important asset we can possess. The IT revolution was not about the how fast, small or flexible the technology was, it was about how much information it could provide. Using information as an asset can increase a company's bottom line profit through creating an accessible company knowledge base.
SummaryWeb marketing is the "buzz word" of today and guess what…it will be tomorrow as well. Nearly every business has a website and everyone is trying to learn how to be placed first on the Google or Yahoo list. This presentation will provide answers to many of your web marketing questions. Brian will also share some seldom known "secrets" that can move you up the Google/Yahoo list! If you have a website, this is a must listen to presentation.
SummaryIt's really not all that hard to run a profitable business, however the owner must understand a few "foundational principles". Tom Grandy is going to share what he calls the basics of what it takes to run a very successful company.
Gordon Oberg
Category: Computers
SummaryThe question of when, and how much, to computerize your
business comes up over and over again as a company grows. Should you put in a fully integrated system when you are doing $250,000; $500,000 or a million in sales? When is the best time and what will it cost? Gordon will answer these questions and more.
SummaryWho really understands their financial statement? Here is a question many company owners ask themselves on a daily basis. The question is "Where did all the money go?" Ellen Rohr is going address that question by helping us understand the hidden answers that our financial statements can reveal. Once understood…profits will soar!
Michael Bohnic
Category: Managing Money
SummaryIs cash missing, inventory items disappearing and/or parts vanishing from your trucks? According to the Report to the Nations publication the average company loses 5% of its revenue to fraud and theft each year. This presentation will discuss internal systems and controls that will reduce the company's loss.
Mike Farias
Category: Business Management
SummaryThis program is designed to make the listener fully aware of the need for "best practices" within the business side of their company. Best practices involve equipment, experience and education. All three must come together to form what is known as best practices.
Generic User
Category: Business Management
SummaryNo one deliberately designs a website to turn off their customers but it happens. This presentation will share dozens of "check points" to be sure your customer loves your website. Today's website is often the customer's first impression of your company so make it a good one.
Don Schenk
Category: Marketing/Advertising
SummaryEvery company needs to understand what their "unique selling proposition" is. Once your USP is recognized it's time to market it to your customers. This presentation will help you recognize your UPS and how to market it to your current customer base as well as potential customers.
SummaryTechnical training isn't enough. Everyone in your organization, from the CSR to sales team, needs training. Why? The world of business is changing daily. No one can keep up with it all by themselves. This presentation will cover why training is important and more importantly, where to find it.
Phillip Van Hooser
Category: Customer Service
SummaryPhil will provide "Six Ways of Wooing, Wowing and Winning
Customers and Their Loyalty" through the illustration of a real guy named Willie. Willie is not your usual taxi driver – he cares for his customers. This presentation will clearly show the importance of outstanding customer service.
Bob Daniels
Category: Business Management
SummaryEmployees are the backbone of any company. Engage each and every employee and you will have a winner. Bob is going to share some simple, yet profound, ways of rewarding employees for a job well done.
SummaryAll of us negotiate every day. This presentation will provide the opportunity to pick up negotiating tips from one of the top trainers in the world. Remember to listen closely! It may just make a significant difference in your bottom line.
SummaryGeneration Y is your new employee. These people were born between 1981 and 1989 and they currently make up 20% of the workforce…but its growing. Yes, they are different from past generations so it is critical to know what matters to them and what motivates them. Every employee is different but each is also part of a unique generation that has its own value system, work ethic, and expectations. This presentation will help you better understand the employees you are currently hiring, and will be hiring, for many years to come. If you are going to hire, train, and retain these employees you need to know where they are coming from. Bruce Lee does an outstanding job of helping each of us, as business owners; understand who this generation is and how to effectively work with them.
SummaryReal leaders lead when the opportunity arises whether they have a title or not. A true leader will increase ROI (Relationships, Outcomes and Improvements). Mark will share six short stories that have real practical value and six qualities he believes true leaders possess.
Debbie Sardone
Category: Sales
SummaryIt's amazing how many business owners know how to market their products and services but don't know how to close the sale. This presentation will offer dozens of "practical" suggestions on how to close more sales, more consistently, for higher profits.
SummaryThere are huge differences between retail stores and the home front environment. If you understand the differences you will make money. If you fail to understand the differences it will be a rough road ahead which might just involve going out of business!
Marilyn Ross
Category: Business Management
SummaryTom and Marilyn Ross help companies develop individualized shoestring promotional campaigns - that get results! They will share with us the three keys to greater profits - image building, publicity, and promotion.
Bill Ligon
Category: Flat Rate Pricing
SummaryBill Ligon will be sharing two startling facts. The first is that most service departments are losing money. The second fact is that the only real way to charge what you really need to charge is by switching to flat rate pricing.


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A couple of weeks ago, I put in a new raised bed for our vegetable garden. For the frame, I "repurposed" the former bottom bunk of my son's bunk bed (he's moved up to the top and is using it as a loft).
Usually for big physical tasks like removing sod, I call for my husband to help me out. But, alas, Mr. Muscles was busy exercising the muscle between his ears and writing a paper (he took two classes this Spring and was crazy busy). So, I was forced to woman-up and do the job myself.
I used a shovel and cut the sod out chunk by chunk, then shook each clump of grass to get as much dirt off as I could before I tossed the grass into the wheelbarrow.
As I worked, I started wondering — how did I know how to do this? I realized I must have learned it from my Dad.
We had a vegetable garden every year, and I remember my Dad showing me how to shake off the grass clumps to save the soil. I feel like I don't remember many details from my childhood, but I do remember the big tomatoes and cucumbers that Dad grew every year.
And I wondered about how my Dad knew what to do, and that led me to my grandparents. They also had a backyard garden, plus my Grandpa was an amazing rose gardener.
I lived with my grandparents for a few years when I was in junior high school. The walkway into the backyard was narrow and it ran next to a planting bed that my grandparents planted with flowers and herbs. As I walked to the back yard, I'd brush the parsley and smell the zinnias that were growing in the bed. To this day, whenever I chop parsley I'm transported back to those golden days in a sunny California yard.
I'll have to ask my Dad and my uncle, but I assume that their parents taught them to garden. My grandparents grew up in Belleville, IL, which was home to many German farmers, and my Grandpa grew up on a farm. So I wondered, as I shook the soil out of the clumps of grass to make my new planting bed, how far back could I trace a line of farm people who had done the very same thing? And as I thought about that long line, I realized that I want to continue it. And that means getting my boys away from their computers and out in the yard more so that they, too, know how to grow their own food.

subset: commoncrawl


text: I just purchased a sky hawk frame. I want to know what would the best gear\speed set up would be. I will only use pedals in case of emergency\breakdown) but want to make sure I can pedal this thing easy when needed. I also want to try and keep it as simple and not add an unnecessary weak points. Do I go with 3,7 speed? Does these gears only work with the pedal portion or as well as with motor? Do I also need the sickbikes shift kit? Sorry for all the questions, but want to get this right from the beginning. Thanks Mike


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Although rugs enhance the feeling of warmth and comfort in your home, their use in the home can cause numerous health problems. If we bear in mind that about 70% of homes in America have some form of carpet or rugs, it is clear that this information should not be disregarded.
Carpets are used to hide imperfections in the floor, create a comfortable place for the kids to play, add color to a dull room, create a warm, cozy feeling to an area,. Unfortunately, most carpets contain harmful substances that can negatively affect your health. So if possible, it is best to avoid them completely, or seek healthier alternatives.
Why should you avoid rugs and carpet?
1. Styrene and Phenylcyclohexane-4 (PC-4): 95% of carpets emits styrene and phenylcyclohexane-4 (PC-4), which originate from the manufactured materials. In fact, rugs are usually made of nylon and polypropylene which over time emit and release the volatile organic compounds (VOC). The smell of new carpets originates from these fumes. Staying in a room with the aroma of new carpets can cause nausea, headache, and respiratory problems. However, after the disappearance of odor, evaporation continues although not as obvious. It is not only the composition of the carpet, but the adhesives used to install them. Long-term exposure to evaporation may cause serious respiratory problems and diseases of the nervous system. Benzene is one chemical used and has been linked to leukemia, and styrene can cause problems with loss of memory and hearing. Of course, not all carpets are created equal. Some manufacturers use more toxic substances than others. If you buy something new and it has a very strong odor, then you know it was made with something toxic.
2. Flame Retardants, Mothproofing and Stain Protectors: In order to protect the carpet from destruction, many rugs are treated with flame retardants, mothproofing and stain protectors. PBDE's, which is one of flame retardants, and has been linked to thyroid problems, issues with the immune system, and weakens brain development. Mothproofing cause toxic reactions and considered highly toxic to infants, because it emits naphthalene. In addition, pets are exposed to more household toxins than humans are. This is because they are normally lying on the ground. Have you ever wondered why there is such a high rate or tumors and cancer in cats and dogs?
3. Mold: Rugs are a good surface for growing mold. Mold is the cause of nasal congestion, irritation to the eyes, skin and breathing difficulties. If you have a spill on your carpet, and if it is not absorbed or does not dry fast enough, there will be mold.
4. Pesticides: 80% of pesticide poisoning comes from the home. Pesticides and other chemicals are in our environment, and we bring them in our home, especially when we enter the house without taking off our shoes or when our pets come in from the outside. All dirt, including pesticides, remains trapped in the fibers of your carpet where your kids and pets play, and when distributed are forced into the air as dust and we breathe them. Exposure to pesticides can cause less serious problems such as irritation to the skin, eyes, nausea and headaches. However, excessive pesticide exposure can also cause more severe issues, such as cancer, endocrine and reproductive problems.
How to reduce off-gassing and toxicity of rugs?
No matter how clean your carpet is, it will still be off-gassing especially when it is first purchased. The only option to completely avoid the health hazard is to not purchase the carpet, or to get a carpet made of natural materials such as wool, sisal and hemp.
If you do purchase a regular "Non-Natural" carpet, you still have options to reduce the toxicity:
1. Ventilate during initial off-grassing: When first purchasing or installing a carpet: Ventilate the room (opening all windows and using fans) where the carpet is and do not stay in the room for at least 72 hours. An even better idea, if weather conditions permit, is to leave the carpet outside for several days.
2. Remove Odor:
- Simply sprinkle carpet with baking soda and leave overnight, and then vacuum the carpet.
- Pour two cups of vinegar in your Steam cleaner and clean carpet without the use of the usual shampoos. Vinegar does not have a pleasant smell, but it kills the other unpleasant smells and is not harmful.
3. Ignite Your Green-Thumb: Get some potted plants. Plants are natural air cleaner and beautiful decoration, and among the best are the Ficus, Aloe Vera, Peace lily and Spider plant.
4. Say No to Glue: Do not use adhesives for carpets. That way you will not be exposed to off-gassing of the adhesive. If it is wall-to-wall carpeting just have it nailed around the sides, your furniture will prevent the rug from moving.
Your home without rugs may look and feel colder. Most parents would not be thrilled with the idea of their children playing on the floor without a rug. However, when you sum up all of the above, playing on the rug is directly exposing your children and pets to off-gassing and chemicals. If you have children or pets and want carpet in your home, research your options of natural material rugs before making your purchase.
The issues with the increase of chronic illnesses in humans can also be witnesses in cats and dogs. Have you ever wondered what our pets are doing that may be causing this sharp rise in cancer, tumors, chronic skin problems, and liver, kidney and thyroid issues? Unfortunately, it is not just one thing; it is an accumulation of too many toxic substances. We are exposed to hundreds of different toxic chemicals a day. We can not avoid all toxins in our lives, such as Candles, Air Fresheners, Cleaning Products, Mattresses, Couches, Pesticides and Plastics, to name a few. However, knowing what is toxic and making better choices when it is feasible is a great start to a healthier household.
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