Customer Relationships
Staying Friends, Regardless
Sometimes it’s easy to fall into the trap of not staying connected when a particular service is completed or comes to an end. Over the years, I have found it…
Customer Relationships
Always Thankful
The holidays are gearing up around here. This week, I walked out to the barn and saw this wreath on my Dad’s old Mustang. It made me think: What if…
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When Subtraction Becomes an Add
This week, I did something every contractor doesn’t like: I turned down two nice soon-to-start projects. It was painful for me, but the right thing to do. Because of circumstances…
Customer Relationships
Networking 101, For Conventions and Beyond
I’m going to a national convention next week with 30,000 of my closest friends. While preparing, I started thinking about whether I’m selling upstream or working downstream. Whether at a…
Customer Relationships
Stay Tuned
All things being equal, attracting new customers is normally harder than keeping an existing good one. That makes retention one of the most valuable components to any business’s success. This…
Customer Relationships
Thankful 365
This is a popular week to say “thank you.” To me, we’d do better to let our attitude of Thanksgiving spill over into the remaining 51 weeks.What if the…
Customer Relationships
For Problem Solving, Turn it Upside Down
In the construction industry, one usually finds “left-brained” thinkers, people who tend towards the analytic and objective. Bruce Adams, a part of our senior management, is one who also exercises…
Customer Relationships
Trading Cars for a Bike.
A couple of weeks ago, I was in the Twin Cities visiting some customers. While there, my friend Randy Manthey and his wife Christine invited me to their new flat…
Customer Relationships
Delays Will Happen.
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had a feeling that reminds me of flight delays. We have two different projects where the end date will be missed (not by…
Customer Relationships
Why a Personal Brand Matters
This year, we celebrate 3 decades. Over these years, I have learned that people typically feel “sold” by a company or service provider. But people naturally trust and connect with…