by Diana Barnum
Correspondent
Wouldn’t it be great to improve business and boast measurable
results?
For instance, what if you could improve your customer
satisfaction rating from 3.5 to 4.09, on a scale of 1 to 5? And how about
a 10% increase in orders? Attendees of the Ohio Construction Expo 2003 in
Columbus, Ohio, will be on their way to improving accountability with
Win-Win training from the Franklin Covey Company.
“Win-Win means that
there is a solution for everybody, “ said Steve Tornes, manager of
Franklin Covey Co. in Columbus. “We focus on what is important and time in
the field is important, I know. I used to be a landscape contractor. I
laid out my daily plans and scheduled accordingly.”
Tornes will be
distributing cards to all expo attendees for a half-hour mini-training
session at his facilities at the Columbus City Center Mall. He also will
raffle off two Franklin Planner Starter Kits valued at $60
each.
Franklin Covey sells products and services in 95 countries that
incorporate principals from the top selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
The information provided includes
a “Win-Win” concept that housing contractor Younger Brothers Construction
(YBC) put into practice in the Glendale, Arizona area. YBC owner Jim
Younger III was having a difficult time finding skilled labor to maintain
his framing operations that averaged about 300 homes per year. He faced
quality and cycle timing issues that drove up costs for his projects and
cost him bids.
Younger decided to participate in a Total Quality
Management program through his trade partner, Shae Homes Arizona, that
included The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People training with a focus on
Think Win-Win.
The 7 Habits are:
• Be Proactive
• Begin with the
End in Mind
• Put First Things First
• Think Win-Win
• Seek First
to Understand, Then to Be Understood
• Synergize
• Sharpen the
Saw
In a nutshell, the Win-Win program teaches about looking after not
only your own company, but also your project partners - in concrete,
plumbing, drywall, utilities, etc. Focus on relationships and success for
everyone.
Since training with the 7 Habits, YBC not only increased its
customer satisfaction rating to 4.09, their new orders were 18% more than
their current year’s projections, as well as up 10% from last
year’s.
YBC ranks 63rd in Arizona’s top 100 private companies and employs
about 1,000 workers in four separate companies that handle framing, lumber
supply, door and trim installation and roof trusses and wall panels. The
entire YBC management team participates in training year round with the
help of six licensed facilitators who teach The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People workshops at YBC headquarters.
Incorporating the
Win-Win strategy at the Ohio Construction Expo 2003, attendees can learn
more about their other project partners by visiting booths like the Ohio
Horizontal Directional Drilling Association (HDD). Association members
will be handing out their new brochures with information about directional
drilling, a non-invasive trenchless technology. They will also have
information on how to get their free member directory of qualified
contractors.
“In order to join, you must adhere to the Good Practice
Guidelines,” said Dan Schlosser, association administrator and show
representative. Schlosser was referring to the Good Drilling Practices as
published by the HDD Consortium.
Visitors can also check out new
equipment at booths like Vermeer of Medina, Ohio.
“We’ll have our new
Vermeer Horizontal Grinder featuring an easy to maintain Duplex Drum,”
said Joe Buchtinec.
Buchtinec teased that his booth once hosted a
“Grind Your Spouse” competition. He hinted at a possible “Grind Your Boss”
competition this year!
Another exhibit with new products is Midwest
Mechanical Pioneer of Plain City, Ohio. Owner/Operator Systems’ Serviceman
Kevin Larson participated in his first trade show about a year ago and
shared his successful results: three sales and many leads to follow
up.
“Stop by and see our growing product line for the construction
industry,” said Larson.
His exhibit will feature a Lister-Petter
engine, a Kubota engine and an expanded product line that includes a new
Elliott generator.
Win-Win also means networking with industry partners
like Pac/Van of Orient, Ohio. Expo visitors can tour the company’s office
and storage trailers and containers. They can also sign up for a drawing
for a free construction rental unit.
“We like to see our customers and
meet potential new ones,” said David Pippin, sales representative for
Pac/Van. “Trade shows help you be out and abreast of changes in the
industry and bounce ideas off each other. It’s great to be a part of the
community.”
Network with Columbus Kenworth and check out their Kenworth
T300 and T800.
“Check out the world’s best medium-duty truck,” said Ron
Campbell, Kenworth sales manager.
Many of Campbell’s customers were at
the last trade show that he participated in and he upgraded one with a new
truck. He welcomes everyone to stop by for a free drawing for a Kenworth
jacket.
Other booths for networking include the Columbus, Ohio Chapter
#86 of the National Association of Women in Construction who are hosting a
raffle for a wheelbarrow of tools donated by Holt Cat. The Ohio Department
of Transportation and the Ohio Land Improvement Contractors Association
will also be on hand, as well as many others.
It’s not too late to
participate. To learn more about the 2003 Ohio Construction Expo, contact
Ken Maring, show manager for Lee Trade Shows Inc., of Palatine Bridge, NY
at: (800) 218-5586 or (518) 673-3237 ext. 227. Lee Trade Shows Inc., is an
affiliate of Lee Publications Inc., publisher of Hard Hat News, North
American Quarry News, Waste Handling Equipment News and several other
industry trade newspapers.
For more information about Win-Win
strategy, contact Franklin Covey Co. at Columbus City Center Mall, Third
Level, 370 Columbus City Center, Columbus, OH 43215. Call: (614) 228-7033
or visit them online at www.franklincovey.com or at the
Expo. |