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Ya Youbetcha OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Chad, People are generally pretty uneducated about asbestos and nervous about it. They imagine that if they come down with asbestosis or mesothelioma that they'll ultimately be able to pinpoint where they sucked in that first fiber. I think it is only the cases like Jim's grandfather, which have extreme examples of exposure, where it can actually be nailed down. Most don't realize that when they drive down the interstate with the windows open on a dry summer day and dust is kicked up around the highway that they are breathing the stuff. Like the others, I see the stuff all the time. I don't know if it is ACM but I report it as 'probable' ACM. As long as it isn't friable, I point out that it can't release fibers and recommend the buyer not disturb it and to have it encapsulated with latex if they're nervous about it. I point out that they could have an asbestos abatement contractor do it for a minimum cost of about $600. or do it themselves - with a paintbrush and ordinary latex paint - the choice is theirs. I also point out that a really durable jacket can be applied by coating it with 'Airlock', a latex mastic that is relatively cheap and can be applied right out of the bucket with nothing more than a rubber glove. However, when I see it on the outside of the ducts, I know that about 95% of the time I'll find it on the inside of the ductwork, just behind the registers where the boots connect to the ductwork below. I take the client around to the registers, shine my flashlight inside and there is the tape, typically damaged, flapping in the air from the furnace. Since I know that any cleaning whips sent through the ductwork that come anywhere near this stuff are going to tear it up, sending fibers into the home's atmosphere, I advise them to have the stuff inside the boots encapsulated right away. That way, the ductwork can be cleaned without damaging it further and contaminating the air of the home worse. With some, you can see the light come on when I shine that light into those registers to show them that torn/flapping tape, because they have the stuff in the registers of their own homes and realize that if it is torn they have probably been breathing it for years - and so haven't most others that live in older homes in this city. It's there. Like lead dust from paint, it's all around us, and folks just need to learn what they can do to deal with it as best they can in the tiny part of the environment that they'll be able to control, while at the same time realizing that will be akin to putting their pinky in a 5ft. wide hole in a dike. Hell, at least with lead paint you can plant phosphate containing plants around a home and have the lead gradually removed from the soil around a home and consumed, and oil will eventually bio-remediate from microbial growth below ground. I don't think there is anything that will actually 'consume' asbestos fiber and the cat is already too long out of the bag for any of this hand waving to do much good. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Phyllis, It sounds like the builder only needs to use a little common sense to realize that he needs gutters there. However, since Florida has its own odd code requirements we'll have to wait for someone from Florida to weigh in here. In the meantime, I suggest you point the splashing water out to the builder and tell him you are concerned with those walls not being able to dry out for the splashing and the prospect of potential mold growth caused by over-wet walls that can't dry out sufficiently before they are closed in. Betcha a nickel that the mere mention of mold will get him moving. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Ron, Welcome to TIJ. There's no need to 'sulk' in corners at TIJ. All are welcome here and we make it a point to try and keep it as friendly and respectful as possible. Ergo, the playful dissing of one another. Besides, there are many who will question the 'wisdom' of quite a few of these characters. Now me? I'm perfect. Just ask me. [:-bigmouth] ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I just had another mental image of a naive new guy trying to furtively pee into one of these lines without getting seen/caught. [:-bigeyes2] I'm sure he knows this is all in jest. However, if I could make another suggestion, the next time your wife gets ready to toss an empty dish detergent bottle - you, know the ones with the little snap-shut dispenser top - rinse it out, fill it with water and save it for when you have to test these. [:-idea] ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Now I know why Jim picked Calvin as his avatar. Now I have this mental picture of that decal of Calvin peeing on the back window of Jim's truck. Only this time, he's peeing into an A/C condensate line. [:-yuck] Jimmy Boy, U needs therapy! [}] ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Bottom line - stucco cracks. Those look like very fine cracks. The Stucco Manufacturer Association generally advises to not make a big deal of those. Here's a paper that discussed their policy. http://www.stuccomfgassoc.com/papers/crack.pdf ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I don't know why anyone would want to mess around applying a roof contrary to the way that those the most expert at it in the entire country would do it. To my way of thinking, that is just looking for trouble. Here's a link to how the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau says low-sloped roofs may be done with shakes. Note that there is nothing there about using ice and water shield. Shingling low-sloped roofs with shakes ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Walt Stoeppelwerth (I think that's how it's spelled) wrote a book entitled How To Make Money In Home Inspections or something like that. I used to have a copy, but it somehow grew legs and flew away 'cuz I've turned this place upside down over and over and it ain't here. It could practically have been the marketing manual for the franchise outfit that I used to belong to - it was that close to how they did it - and that bunch is really good at marketing to the realtor sect. I think HomeTech sells the book or you can check with Professional Equipment. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

by Matt Michel A new Comanche Marketing series starts now. I'm calling it the "Mousetrap" series. This series is a must for small business owners. Read today's message and it will make sense. PROLOGUE They were a tribe of warriors. They were masters of the horse and masters of war. Through their tactical brilliance, they overcame the inferiority of their numbers to drive the Apache out of Texas and beat back the Spanish. The Utes called them "one who fights me all the time." The Utes called them Comanches. The Comanche warrior was one who fought all of the time. The Comanche marketer is one who markets as fiercely, as brilliantly, and as relentlessly as the Comanche fought. The Comanche marketer is "one who markets all of the time." Will The New Telemarketing Laws Affect You? (GRAPEVINE, Texas) - Maybe, I should ask if they will hurt your business. The national do-not-call list will change the shape of small business marketing. Lots of companies have depended on telemarketing to drive business. Now, they must other ways to do it. The new laws are not the end of telemarketing. You can still call consumers you've done business with in the last 18 months. You can also call people who contact you for three months. But what if you're a poor contractor who's customers call you ever other year? Well, tough. Mess up, and the fine is $11,000 per incident. It's your typical government solution. Beat that wire nail with a sledgehammer. Complain about the economy while you enact laws that make life harder on business. Ironically, the worst abusers will figure out ways around the law (think twice as a consumer before you enter that sweepstakes in the mall). It's small businesses like yours that will be impacted. Fortunately, there are solutions. It's the old tried and true. Instead of outbound telemarketing, small businesses will turn to print. They will use newspaper, direct mail, and lots of Comanche Marketing. Direct marketing offers a number of advantages. It's low cost compared to broadcast. You can turn it on and off as needed. You can target. Because you aren't limited to 15 or 30 seconds, you've got time to build a case and sell. Uh oh. I forgot. Most small business print marketing is. C-ruddy R-otten A-wful P-itiful It's. well, you can figure it out. Over the next couple of weeks, Comanche Marketing will focus on print. I'm going to share ways you can improve your marketing, increase its effectiveness, and use it to earn more money. You might want to download my Comfortech notes from the Freebies section of the Service Roundtable to use as a companion. Some of this stuff has to be seen to be understood. The first thing you must understand is that marketing is not an option. You must market to grow. Emerson was quoted as saying, "If a man can make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, the world will make a beaten path to his door." You've probably heard that before. Do you believe it? I don't. Take Microsoft. Pleeease. Take them and - oops, got off track there. Despite their PR, Microsoft does not have a better mousetrap. Microsoft is not an innovator. They are more like the Borg. They assimilate. They buy technology from other companies. They find creative ways to eliminate the competition. Most of all, they market very, very well. Want another example? What's the best sports insole? Most people will answer Dr. Scholl's because they are the market leader. However, there's a little known company called Spenco that produces the insole podiatrists tend to recommend. Spenco doesn't do a lot of marketing. Dr. Scholl's does. Emerson was quoted as saying, "If a man can make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, the world will make a beaten path to his door." But, Emerson never said that. Emerson wrote in his journal, "If a man has good corn, or wood, or boards, or pigs to sell, or can make better chairs or knives, crucibles or church organs than anybody else, you will find a broad hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods." The mousetrap quote was written by an ad guy, Elbert Hubbard, who attributed it to Emerson 28 years after Emerson died! Emerson had the great thought, but it took a good copywriter to make it a memorable thought. In many ways, that is the essence of this Comanche Marketing series. You may have a great products and services, but unless you can communicate well, you're doomed. Don't miss this series. Since it helps to "see" examples, you might want to download a copy of the "Build a More Profitable Service Business" notes by clicking on the link below. http://www.serviceroundtable.com/Freebi ... p?PCID=295 Source: Comanche Marketing. Reprinted by permission. Free subscriptions are available at: www.serviceroundtable.com -- click on the Comanche Marketing tab Copyright © 2004 Matt Michel

by Matt Michel PROLOGUE They were a tribe of warriors. They were masters of the horse and masters of war. Through their tactical brilliance, they overcame the inferiority of their numbers to drive the Apache out of Texas and beat back the Spanish. The Utes called them "one who fights me all the time." The Utes called them Comanches. The Comanche warrior was one who fought all of the time. The Comanche marketer is one who markets as fiercely, as brilliantly, and as relentlessly as the Comanche fought. The Comanche marketer is "one who markets all of the time." Anyone Can Market In today's message, I prove anyone can learn how to market, what you need to know and why, and then start into the series with the first tip, knowing what you're trying to say. Don't Be Intimidated By Marketing I'm surprised when I find people who are intimidated by marketing. No one should be intimidated. Anyone can learn marketing. After all, I did (of course, some might question this). I started my career as an engineer. I was a very, very average engineer. So I did what every average engineer does. I moved into marketing where I could feel superior because I knew how to put together an electronic spreadsheet. Still, when I moved into marketing, I didn't know the first thing about it. I had a whole bunch of formal schooling, but the sum total of my marketing training was a couple of classes I was forced to take in grad school and generally slept through. As an engineer, my view of marketing was summed up very well by Scott Adams in a Dilbert strip. Dilbert finds he's being assigned to marketing. He arrives at the marketing department to find everyone in togas and large banner draped over the door proclaiming "Two Drink Minimum." Of course, there's something to be said for that. As an engineer, I got to fly in the company prop plane to factory towns like Stuttgart, Arkansas in the height of mosquito season or Marshalltown, Iowa in January (Marshalltown's not north of the Arctic Circle; it just feels that way in January). Meanwhile, the marketing department was jetting off to Orlando and Las Vegas. And people in marketing were having fun. Engineers, by contrast, tend to be grumps and cynics. When the marketing department needed someone with more analytical abilities than it takes to work a four function calculator I jumped at the opportunity. I learned marketing the best way you can. I studied things that worked in the real world. I talked with people that had to make it happen to survive. And, of course, I studied. I read a lot. Some of it was pure marketing stuff. Most of it was the writings of successful small business marketers like Jackie Rainwater and Ron Smith. I attended training classes taught by some of the best consultants and trainers of that time. And this never ends. I still study marketing, every day. You Do Not Need To Become a Marketing Expert to Market Effectively As a business owner, you do not need to become David Ogilvy (the world's most renowned advertising guy in case you didn't know). You DO NOT need to write great copy, create graphic designs, or generate superlative creative. You DO need to be able to recognize good copy, good graphic, and good creative. At least, you should recognize the underlying principles of good work. Why? It's your money. Enough said. The focus of the Mousetrap Series is print media. This isn't because I favor print over other forms of marketing, but because it is the most common form of marketing for small businesses. Not every business uses broadcast, but everyone uses print in one form or another. For example, you might use print for. Brochures Direct Mail Newspaper Ads Help Wanted Ads Sales Support Material Folders Trucks Invoices Stickers Magnets Yellow Pages Ads Flyers Newsletters I could go on. You get the point. By applying the principles you will learn in this series, you will be able to improve all of the above. Over the coming weeks, I will cover roughly five tips in each issue of Comanche Marketing, depending upon the length. If you don't have time to read this series, save it. Forward copies to everyone in your company charged with the creation of printed material. Forward it to friends who create printed collateral for their businesses or organizations. I've even gone through this with people at my church. 1. Figure out what you want to say before you start spewing it all over the page. A lot of print is aimless. There's no point to it. The creator of the piece does not start with a clear objective in mind and it shows. He or she wanders all over the place. Start with an audience in mind. Know who you are talking with before you create your material. Talking with? Sure. At its core, marketing is nothing more than a conversation. It's a conversation between you and your customer or prospective customer. Even if it's one sided, pretend it isn't. Engage the reader like you're having a conversation. Determine an objective before you start. You must know what you are trying to say before you start saying it. The point of the piece should be so clear that you can give it to your teenage son or daughter and they can figure it out. Know what you want to say and who you want to say it to. NEXT: What people care about and how to appeal to them.[/size] Since it helps to "see" examples, you might want to download a copy of the "Build a More Profitable Service Business" notes by clicking on the link below. http://www.serviceroundtable.com/Freebi ... p?PCID=295 Source: Comanche Marketing. Reprinted by permission. Free subscriptions are available at: www.serviceroundtable.com -- click on the Comanche Marketing tab Copyright © 2004 Matt Michel[/size=1]

by Matt Michel PROLOGUE They were a tribe of warriors. They were masters of the horse and masters of war. Through their tactical brilliance, they overcame the inferiority of their numbers to drive the Apache out of Texas and beat back the Spanish. The Utes called them "one who fights me all the time." The Utes called them Comanches. The Comanche warrior was one who fought all of the time. The Comanche marketer is one who markets as fiercely, as brilliantly, and as relentlessly as the Comanche fought. The Comanche marketer is "one who markets all of the time." The Mousetrap Series - Part 2 In today's message, I discuss one of the most common marketing mistakes companies make, how to avoid it, and how to talk to customers about the things that matter most to them. 2. People Don't Care About You. They Care About Themselves One of the biggest marketing mistakes people make is to talk excessively about their companies. Your customers don't care about you. They care about themselves. Granted, there are a few lucky companies that have managed to attract a cult-like following. A manufacturer of overpriced motorcycles sold primarily to middle aged biker wannabes comes to mind. No offense, but I doubt you are in the same league with Harley-Davidson. Their customers actually care about them. Your customers care about themselves. Don't drone on about things your customers could care less about (i.e., you). Talk about things that interest them (i.e., themselves). You see, your customers are tuned into the radio station, WII-FM 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. WII-FM is What's In It For ME! Don't talk about your company. Talk about what your company can do FOR your customers. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs How do you figure out what your customers want? Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a "Hierarchy of Needs" to help explain human behavior. According to Maslow, people are motivated by physiological needs first, such as food, water, clothing, and breathing. If you can't breathe, for example, little else matters. If you're hungry, the world's greatest automotive ad isn't going to motivate you the least. Once these needs are satisfied, the next level in the hierarchy is safety and security needs (avoidance of fear and anxiety, health, job security). Beyond safety and security come social needs (love, belonging, family, friendships). Next are esteem needs (respect, adulation, recognition). At the pinnacle of the hierarchy is self actualization (doing whatever the heck is that you want to do for the pure joy of doing it). Your customers will fall at different places along Maslow's Hierarchy at different times. If you are a plumber and your customer's water heater is broken, that represents a physiological need. It trumps everything else. Customers care little about anything besides getting hot water. When the economy slips and people are worried about their jobs, security needs predominate. They will choose to repair and old product rather than replace it because they are worried about money and their financial security. They will attempt DIY solutions they would otherwise avoid. Thus, attempts to market discretionary purchases will often yield poor results in a bad economy. Instead market things people must have and market discretionary purchases to people with little to fear from the economy (e.g.., civil servants). Think about each of your products and services and what needs are satisfied. Then, think of how you can identify groups in that category and what you will say to speak to the core need. Alternatively, think about what products and service you offer that fill each need. The more basic the need, the better the response you can expect. Classic Appeals There are a number of appeals that have been used over and over. They are used because they work. The classic appeals are: Save money More security/safety Prestige Enjoyment Comfort Freedom from worry Advancement Less hassles More time What does your company offer that fits each of these appeals? So What? Years ago, I worked on a few video projects with David Dunlap. Dave is a GREAT videographer. He can also be a real pain to work with because he wants perfection, exactly what you want from a videographer. I would waltz into Dave's office and tell him I want to make a video on "90+ AFUE furnaces." Dave would look at me and say, "So what?" "What do you mean, 'So what?'" "Why should anyone care? Why would anyone want to waste their time watching your video?" I would explain. Dave would listen. "So what?" And we would repeat the process until I got down to a core benefit. Then he would say, "Ah ha. Now that's interesting." 90+ AFUE furnaces. So what? They're efficient. So what? They use less gas. So what? They lower utility bills. So what? People with 90+ furnaces have more money each month. So what? They use the money they save to buy stuff they want, but can't afford now. AH HA! Video Title: The Furnace That Will Pay For Your Vacation Benefits Not Features Almost everyone's gone through feature/benefit exercises. The feature is the drill. The benefit is the ability to make holes. Yadda yadda. If everyone's been through the exercise, how come so many companies talk about features without bothering to mention benefits? For example, on K2's website, the following features are mentioned for the Escape 5500 Unlimited ski. MOD Technology Triaxial Braided Torsion Box Huh? What they heck does any of that mean? Why should I care? By contrast the Rossignol Bandit ski lists the following features. Free dualtec Shockwalls Cut away tip Construction freerideproof Free absorber But Rossignol doesn't just list them. The company tells the prospect why they matter. For "free absorber," for example, they remark that, "This new interface uses a damping material built into the surface of the ski under the binding. The Absorber filters the vibrations and increases comfort, while maintaining maximum ski contact with the snow." Determining Your Features and Benefits A great service meeting exercise is to take a product and list the features in the meeting. Ask the techs to give you a list of benefits for the various features. It might be helpful to use the "which means" bridge. For example, if company provides on-site furniture restoration, you could say. "We restore furniture in your home, WHICH MEANS you do not need to haul it to our shop or pay for it to be transported." "We restore furniture in your home, WHICH MEANS there is no chance the furniture will be damaged transporting it to our shop." Take the best five to ten features and benefits for each product and service and type them up. Give the list to the technicians the following week, while you brainstorm another product or service. Tell the technicians to study the list and keep it in their price books. On the following week, hand out the next list and hold a contest. Have the technicians stand up and recite the features and benefits while holding a burning match (credit Tom McCart for this idea). The match simulates the pressure of standing in front of the customer. Hold a run-off between the top two and give the winner a prize (e.g., a ten dollar bill, a gift certificate to a sandwich shop, etc.). Why hold feature/benefit contests? Hold them to equip your technicians with the tools they need to do their jobs from the sales and marketing side. You wouldn't think of sending a technician out on the job without tools, but when you send him (or her) without the knowledge and training to respond to customer queries about your products and services that's exactly what you are doing. When a customer asks an air conditioning technician about setback thermostats, more than likely he'll mumble, shift his feet, and look at his toes because he's unprepared for the question. If a technician has gone through feature/benefit training, he might recall and spit out a feature or two and talk about why they matter. He's in his comfort zone, educating the customer, but he's also selling. Shhh! Don't tell him. Remember, the customer is tuned into WII-FM, 24/7/365. Talk about how things will affect him. Market to his core needs. Stress customer benefits. Marketing is not rocket science, though few rocket scientists could ever market. They would get too hung up on the features. NEXT: We pick up the pace a little with Parts 3 & 4[/size] Since it helps to "see" examples, you might want to download a copy of the "Build a More Profitable Service Business" notes by clicking on the link below. http://www.serviceroundtable.com/Freebi ... p?PCID=295 Source: Comanche Marketing. Reprinted by permission. Free subscriptions are available at: www.serviceroundtable.com -- click on the Comanche Marketing tab Copyright © 2004 Matt Michel[/size=1]

by Matt Michel PROLOGUE They were a tribe of warriors. They were masters of the horse and masters of war. Through their tactical brilliance, they overcame the inferiority of their numbers to drive the Apache out of Texas and beat back the Spanish. The Utes called them "one who fights me all the time." The Utes called them Comanches. The Comanche warrior was one who fought all of the time. The Comanche marketer is one who markets as fiercely, as brilliantly, and as relentlessly as the Comanche fought. The Comanche marketer is "one who markets all of the time." The Mousetrap Series - Parts 3 & 4 In today's message, we talk about one of the great pitfalls of marketing, followed by a superficial analysis of customers by comparing them to the most superficial type of person known to man (well, known to parents). 3. It Doesn't Matter What You Think On the Monday following one of the more memorable Super Bowls, I had a meeting at an ad agency. It wasn't a memorable Super Bowl for the game (ho hum, yawn, blow out). It was memorable for the advertising. It was before the dot com bust when Internet companies, flush with more money than sense, sponsored "smart," "clever," "cool," humorous ads that did very little to stimulate brand awareness or recognition, but were masterful expressions of ad agency creativity. Not surprisingly, the agency guys I was meeting with loved them. I'm sure the sponsors probably loved them as well. Television can be a big ego trip. The agency guys hated one spot. It was totally silent, with a test pattern on the screen. Rolling across the screen was text saying something to the effect of, "We spend a ton of money on a really great commercial for this expensive Super Bowl spot, but it didn't arrive in time because we didn't use Fed Ex." Yep, the ad guys hated that spot. No productive value (i.e., it didn't cost much). Little creativity (i.e., it wouldn't win a CLIO). BUT, it was one of the most memorable spot according to the morning after recall tests. At least, it was the most memorable for the brand name. So what's the point? The point is that a lot of people spent a whole lot of money on ads that they liked, but that didn't do a thing to move product or create brand recognition. Unfortunately, lots of marketing is similar. The owners like it. The agencies like it. The prospects are bored by it. It doesn't matter what you think. You are not the buyer. You are too close to your products, services, and company to think like the buyer. The only thing that matters is what works. You may like an ad or marketing method or you may hate it. It doesn't matter what you think. Remove yourself from the equation. You do not matter. What matters is what works. 4. Pretend the Customer is a Teen If you do not have a teen of your very own, this will be difficult to relate to. However, I might be persuaded to rent you a teen for a very reasonable rate so that you can fully appreciate the point. Those who have teens of their very own will understand. Teens hear selectively. They never hear words like "clean" when used with the word "up." Yet, they can hear a whisper from upstairs when it deals with a phone call for them. Teens hear selectively. So do your customers. Telling a teen once is rarely enough, even if they acknowledge hearing you. Teens must be told again and again and again for something to have a prayer of sinking in (e.g., repeat "Clean your room" 30 or 40 times and it might sink in. provided there is an adequate risk/reward ratio). You must use repetition with teens. It's the same with your customers. Teens think you are dense and out of touch. It doesn't matter how "hip" you might actually be, they think you don't "get it." And if their friends think you're "cool," they are completely embarrassed and humiliated. If you really "got it," their friends would think you didn't "get it." It doesn't have to make sense. It's teen-think. They think you're dense and out of touch. So do your customers. Teens also think you do not understand them. In this, they are probably on the mark. How can any sane person understand a teenager (at least, their own teenager)? It's not possible. No matter how hard you try, you cannot understand their view of things, though you can approximate, especially when it comes to setting the proper risk/reward ratios. The same is true for your customers. Teens act for reasons known only to them. They do not act for your benefit. That never crosses their mind. The same is true for your customers. With teens, it's "all about me." Next to infants, they are the most narcissistic creatures on the planet. The same is true with your customers. They only care about themselves. Imagine your customers are like teens. That's your marketing communication challenge. Hey, no one said it would be too easy! NEXT: Headlines[/size] Since it helps to "see" examples, you might want to download a copy of the "Build a More Profitable Service Business" notes by clicking on the link below. http://www.serviceroundtable.com/Freebi ... p?PCID=295 Source: Comanche Marketing. Reprinted by permission. Free subscriptions are available at: www.serviceroundtable.com -- click on the Comanche Marketing tab Copyright © 2004 Matt Michel[/size=1]

by Matt Michel PROLOGUE They were a tribe of warriors. They were masters of the horse and masters of war. Through their tactical brilliance, they overcame the inferiority of their numbers to drive the Apache out of Texas and beat back the Spanish. The Utes called them "one who fights me all the time." The Utes called them Comanches. The Comanche warrior was one who fought all of the time. The Comanche marketer is one who markets as fiercely, as brilliantly, and as relentlessly as the Comanche fought. The Comanche marketer is "one who markets all of the time." The Mousetrap Series - Headlines Today's message focuses on headlines. Are they an afterthought? They shouldn't be. Five times as many people read the headline as the copy so the headline should command 80% of your effort. 5. Most People Read The Headlines First, So Concentrate On The Headlines Writing headlines is tough. I sweat through it. But they matter. Five times as many people will read your headline as will read your copy, so the headline is worth 80% of the effort. The headline has got to grab people. It's got to speak to them, be interesting to them. It shouldn't be about you. This doesn't mean that you can't use your company name in the headline, only that the company name cannot be the headline. In fact, finding a way to work your company name into a headline can be an effective strategy for helping to build top-of-the-mind awareness. After all, five times as many people will read the headline as the copy. One of the misperceptions many people seem to hold about headlines is the notion they must be short. Nonsense. Ad great David Ogilvy considered the following to be the best headline he ever wrote. At 60 Miles Per Hour The Loudest Noise In The New Rolls Royce Comes From The Electric Clock It was a long headline. Ogilvy managed to incorporate the company name into the headline. Yet, he also managed to focus on buyer benefits. Headlines should speak to the buyer. They should focus on something that matters to a buyer tuned into WII-FM. If you have news, proclaim it in the headline. People are always interested in new stuff. Many people make the mistake of getting too cute in their headlines. They try to arouse curiosity. AT&T Wireless' "M-Life" campaign is a good example. Millions were spent on obtuse ads and headlines talking about M-Life. "So what? What does that mean to me?" "Well, the ads didn't say." "Yawn. What's for lunch?" For goodness sake, don't bore the prospect! You should also avoid headlines that are overly gloomy or depressing. Don't depress the prospect either. Instead, you should imply a quick solution. Your product or service should be simple, easy, and painless. Classic headline formulas include. "Introducing." or "Announcing." or "New." or "Now." or "At Last." "Beginning ." or "On ." "Only ..." or "Reduced By ." Feature a special, such as, "Free Water Heater With a Furnace" Promote an easy payment plan Free offer or information Tell a story in a headline "How To." or "How Do I." or "How This." "Why." or "Which." or "Because." or "If." "Advice To." Use testimonial style, such as, "I Saved." "Can Your Electrician Pass This Test." "Don't Buy Until." Address to a person, such as, "For All Property Managers Sick Of." NEXT: Parts 6 & 7 - Getting Prospects to Take Action Since it helps to "see" examples, you might want to download a copy of the "Build a More Profitable Service Business" notes by clicking on the link below. http://www.serviceroundtable.com/Freebi ... p?PCID=295 Source: Comanche Marketing. Reprinted by permission. Free subscriptions are available at: www.serviceroundtable.com -- click on the Comanche Marketing tab Copyright © 2004 Matt Michel

by Matt Michel PROLOGUE They were a tribe of warriors. They were masters of the horse and masters of war. Through their tactical brilliance, they overcame the inferiority of their numbers to drive the Apache out of Texas and beat back the Spanish. The Utes called them "one who fights me all the time." The Utes called them Comanches. The Comanche warrior was one who fought all of the time. The Comanche marketer is one who markets as fiercely, as brilliantly, and as relentlessly as the Comanche fought. The Comanche marketer is "one who markets all of the time." Give Them a Reason to Act; Using Soft Offers Today's message focuses on stimulating people to take action and on the use of soft offers to test media. Why do you need to stimulate people to act now? How can you stimulate people to act? I'll explain 6. Give People a Reason to Take Action A sale cannot be made until an affordable solution meets a need or desire. The need or desire can exist for years and an array of affordable solutions can also exist, but the sale will not be made until the former smashed headlong into the latter. Even then, the sale is uncertain. The problem is inertia. Life is not as simple as it once was. People are busy. They have a lot going on. It's getting rarer for people to take the initiative to find solutions unless they have no choice. The marketer's job is to bring the solution to the prospect and then, to give the prospect a reason to act now. This is the premise behind many, if not most promotions. People need clothes. During the year, they buy them. Yet, some people are too busy to mess with it. Rather, they do not make time for clothes shopping. They're busy. They find clothes shopping distasteful. They would rather do other things. So stores hold sales. Save 20% if you buy this weekend, the marketing screams. The marketer is attempting to give the prospect a reason to act. Sooner or later the prospect knows he has to buy clothes. He might as well do it now when he can save a little. Thus, the sale provides him with a reason to act. Sales aren't the only motive to act. The Service Roundtable put together a direct mail letter explaining why August was a great time to replace an air conditioner. Normally, August is a terrible month for discretionary air conditioner sales. If you've made it to August, you're going to try and make it through the rest of the season. The letter was an attempt to change that. The reasons cited in the letter for replacing in August included the fact that the installation crews were still available and working at the top of their game, the selection was still good but would start to thin in the fall as the industry geared up for heating season, and the seasonal price increases would not taken effect until the end of the year. The letter offered up a series of reasons. Roger Costner with Brothers Air and Heat took the letter and turned it into a newspaper ad that he ran in late August and September. The phone immediately started ringing as soon as the ad hit. Costner gave people with a need to buy in the next year or two a reas on to buy now. He turned a time of the year with few discretionary sales into a sales rich environment. What reasons can you give for people to buy now? 7. Include Soft Offers to Better Test the Media Marketing fails when you have the wrong audience, timing, or offer. Unfortunately, you often don't know what is causing the failure. A soft offer can help. Soft offers are low level offers that do not cost you much and are no-brainers to the buyer. They are "can't lose" offers. An example of a soft offer used by Ahron Katz in Dallas was a free carbon monoxide detector. Katz gave people the same carbon monoxide detector that pilots use (i.e., the button type). They cost a few dollars when purchased in bulk and it gave him a chance to see if his media was working, while also building his customer list. If the soft offer works and the regular offer does not, it's a sign that the media is good, but the offer or timing is not. If the soft offer fails, it's an indication that the media was wrong. Soft offers provide a diagnostic element to your marketing. What kinds of soft offers can you include? NEXT: How Long Should Your Copy Be? Since it helps to "see" examples, you might want to download a copy of the "Build a More Profitable Service Business" notes by clicking on the link below. http://www.serviceroundtable.com/Freebi ... p?PCID=295 Source: Comanche Marketing. Reprinted by permission. Free subscriptions are available at: www.serviceroundtable.com -- click on the Comanche Marketing tab Copyright © 2004 Matt Michel

A guess, They installed a french drain, used pea gravel small enough to fall into the perf pipe instead of quarterstone and never sleeved the pipe. The gravel has been falling into the pipe and is being washed to the sump well where it buried the pump and float. Since it hasn't overflowed, the ground probably perks well and the pump was probably not necessary. My guess, can't theorize much else without seeing/knowing more. [:-blindfold] ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Ha, Just like I've always said - my memory is a sieve. [:-boggled] OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Ellen, It is my understanding that roofers in Florida install drip edging on top of the underlayment at the eaves using mastic, in order to prevent wind from getting under the underlayment. Is that true? If so, I'm not certain that drip will do what it is supposed to do properly anyway, so the gutter spike holes through it probably aren't that big a deal. A more important question - have you seen any homes damaged because of this? After all, the only drips visible will be at the rakes and those in the gutters can't be seen from the ground. Of course it would be better to use better hangers that are attached to the roof, so they don't have to cut or punch the drip, but if it isn't causing damage where is the issue when the only way you're going to get damage around spikes is if the gutters aren't pitched or draining properly and water rises to the level of the spikes? If that is happening there are more important things to consider. Personally, I would love to see drip used more often around here. About 90% of roofers here don't even know what it is and 99% never install it. When they do, it is usually installed incorrectly. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, My software writes in Word and I agree with what's been said - it can be a pain in the ass -at least until you learn to use it. I used to get frustrated all the time, but it was just part of the learning curve - like trying to figure out how to use a new inspection software - now I don't fight with my computer anymore, because I've finally learned to use most of the functions within Word. I seem to remember that Walt Jowers once posted on the ASHI forum information about a program that would strip most of the unneeded crap out of Word and make it run a lot faster. At least I think it was Word. I can't remember what it was called - Word Lite - or something like that. I bet a search of ZD Net's archives would probably yield a hit or two. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, With a shake roof underlayment is required - no if, ands or buts about it. Regardless of whether you are applying shakes over skip or on top of solid decking with battens, it is required. Anyone who says differently has his head tucked up his or her bottom and needs to go to a proctologist and get that taken care of. It is amazing to me the degree of misundertandings there are when it comes to shakes. I've found that a lot of that comes from inspectors who are in areas where shakes are not used very much that haven't bothered to educate themselves about the product and don't understand the differences between wood shingles and shakes. Yet, because shakes are commonly used in relatively small areas of the country, misinformation persists because those inspectors outnumber those of us who see them on a daily basis. However, don't take my word for it. Go to the Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau's site and get it straight from the source of the foremost experts on this roofing product. You'll be able to download free manuals there on shake and shingle application for both walls and roofs. Here's the link: Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Scott, Without going to look at the site, it looks like it is a fabric-reinforced PVC membrane. I see them here every once in a while, although I've never run into one that was that color. They're actually welded together with heat and are custom made off-site, using finite measurements taken from the roof. Everything, including the plumbing vents usually gets covered here and those things are stretched like a drumhead over the roof and fastened around the perimeter. Around here, they're a popular option for seniors to re-roof their manufactured homes. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, My opinion, if there are pinholes in the top of the tank, there will holes in the bottom and there's a plume there that the old insurance company is responsible for. We have about 10,000 abandoned oil tanks below ground in Seattle and deal with this all the time. Water is heavier than oil and sinks to the bottom of the tank sits on the steel and eats through the bottom - usually well before through the top or sides. Testing the tank isn't enough. You have to take core samples and test for VOC's below the level of the tank and to the sides. Even if she converts to gas, the law says that everyone responsible for that tank, all the way back to the first owner, is responsible for mitigating any contamination of the soil and that includes the insurance company. They've sold her a bill of goods. Have here hire her own tank specialist and do proper testing around and beneath that tank for VOC's. Any found, and the company who had the policy in force will be responsible for the cleanup. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Ellen, I agree with George. It's one thing to be able to speak to the physical condition of something as you observe it, but there is plenty in the home that you can't observe. Air pressure balance is a good example. I think for electro-mechanical systems of a home it is up to us to educate ourselves to the point where we can recognize the tell-tales that tip us off that something isn't quite right. We then reveal those tell-tales to our clients, explain what we think 'could' be happening, what the negative consequences of that are, and then we refer it off to a specialist to investigate, whereupon the specialist, being the subject matter expert in that particular trade, either confirms or refutes our suspicions. Try this analogy. We're just the team doctor being paid to screen the potential new player for illnesses and to inform the team owner/coach of whether the player is fit to play. The team doctor is supposed to just look for the tell-tales. And, if the player hasn't concealed them, hopefully can find them all. So, we don't diagnose any illness we suspect, but we make sure the team owner understands whether tell-tales are tipping us off to minor ills that can be handled with an over-the-counter prescription, leaving the player fit for duty in short order, or it is something that needs to be take to a specialist, and therefore something that might not make this player such a good choice for our team. If the team owner decides that he/she is willing to take a chance on the player, despite a potentially significant health issue, he/she needs to know what the 'potential' consequences could be of that decision and which specialist to send the player to in order to get the player healthy. In your own example, if there are no returns in every room, you'd naturally look to see if the doors had been undercut or had ventilation ports in them. You'll probably also notice that when the heat is on doors tended to be sucked closed by themselves. You might even listen to the home when the door to a room is closed to see whether you could discern an audible drop in blower RPM when doors are closed and the air handler is starving for air. Those are a few tell-tales I use, and because they don't require any special testing, they fall within the category of a non-technical/visual inspection. When those tell-tales tip me off that something just doesn't seem right, I refer the issue off to an HVAC guy for further diagnosis. As far as I'm concerned, he can stand there all day with his manometer and test to his heart's content. I don't have time for it and I'm certainly not being paid for that. If someone ever trys to haul me into court for missing something like that - claiming that I should have found it when there are no tell-tales - I'll be using that same analogy in court to make the judge understand exactly what it is that we can, and can't, do. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Pete, I'd try the local electrical supply stores. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

You got that right!! I don't do 'em anymore either. I especially didn't like the taste test part. [:-knockout] OT - OF!!! Mike