Excerpt

There is something about the word profit that sounds pretty cool. The two-syllable word just makes you feel good when you say it, “praaaaaah-fit.” The long aaaaaah has a neat ring to it. I liken it to leaning back in your most comfortable chair after a long day at work, having counted the receipts, and learning that you’ve made a nice tidy sum on the plus side of the ledger.

I know I’m talking a little old fashion here (ledger) – notice the use of old graphics throughout this book – but I liken today’s smart business owners to the pioneering business owners of yesteryear. These people didn’t have too many ‘how-to’ books to read or ‘professionals’ to consult when they went into business. They simply had a love for their profession and a desire to support themselves, their families, their employees, and their employee’s families. What a noble and refreshing thought.

There were no benchmark businesses to compare their own business to. If they had money in their bank account at the end of the month after paying the bills, they probably smiled and used some of it to pay themselves, reinvest in the company, or stash away for a rainy day. We call that leftover amount profit. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines profit as “the sum remaining after all costs, direct and indirect, are deducted from the income of a business…”

Today, business owners can go online and find any advice they need on how to run a profitable business. A keystroke takes the place of countless hours of research and legwork that our forefathers in business endured.

But what the dictionary and online resources don’t say is what amount of profit is ‘healthy’ in order for your business to survive or thrive. Only you know what you need in order to make a living and grow your business. You can pluck any number of good articles off the Internet to use as research for making healthy profits but do any of them apply directly to you?

Here’s an example using Tip #16:

We all know that in business life as well as personal life, sex sells. A good looking woman or handsome man may be all it takes to push a consumer into making a buying decision that he or she may otherwise not make.

But other things sell, too. Take ‘niceness’ for example. Some consumers would rather be influenced by a nice sales pitch rather than a sexy one. Other consumers like being given the facts about features and benefits – plain and simple and to the point.

The message can get blurred and mixed if you trust someone who only believes in selling using sex and glitz. Just look at your local telephone directory. The message in some of the ads makes you wonder what the business owner was thinking about or how much alcohol flowed during their meeting with the telephone book advertising representative.

Smart businesspeople recognize the tried and true methods of marketing and advertising their businesses. They stay away from slick advertising sold by even slicker salespeople, looking to generate a hefty commission versus actually helping a business owner.

Trusting someone to tell the message you’ve worked hard on is very important. Don’t listen to a hustler. Trust your instincts and work with a professional who really understands your message.

Sex sells, nice sells, and telephone book ads are bad. Good businesspeople know what sells their products.

In the HVAC business sex doesn't sell. Our customers are families and just as often as not the buyer is a woman. Nice is critical but not necessarily the most important thing.

‘Yellow Pages’ are not a way to sell HVAC products or prospect for customers. That media is as extinct as the snail darter and it's not coming back.

Competence, punctuality, honesty, and trust sell. In order of occurrence the first impression is made by showing up on time. Would you spend thousands of dollars with someone who can't read their watch? I doubt it.

Once in the home it is critical to establish trust. People will easily spend money with those whom they trust. Trust is established by exhibiting competence and honestly evaluating the situation. The buying public can tell when they are being pressured and when they are being lied to. When trust is created, customers become buyers and salespeople become order takers.

Bill Stribling
Sullivan Service Co. & Gas Engineers
Birmingham, Alabama