A Message from the President
BSCAI Updates
Features
Around the Industry
Security News
BSCAI Sponsored Programs

A Message from the President

Q & A with President Stanley “Stan” Doobin

Harvard Maintenance, Inc. has been family-owned and operated since its founding in the early 1900's by Leo Doobin and one other individual. Harvard is responsible for the maintenance of more than 110 buildings in New York , New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Minnesota , Wisconsin and Illinois . Its area of expertise is large high-rise office buildings and single-user facilities.

When did you start in this industry and why?

I started at Harvard in 1984 right after earning my MBA and getting married. My father, as an absentee owner, had a very small janitorial company. I was interested in going to Wall Street but my father convinced me it was better to be an owner of a small company. I have never looked back since.

What do you like most about this industry?

Every day is different. When you wake up in the morning, you have no clue how your day is going to go. You cannot plan your day out which makes it more exciting. I love the challenges the industry throws at you; they are always changing. I also like all the people I meet. I have made a lot of lifetime friends at the BSCAI, and they are down to earth.

Why did you join BSCAI and why?

I joined in 1988 because I knew little about the industry and I was very interested in learning as much as possible. My first annual convention was in New Orleans . I was excited to meet so many people and learn so much. You can never stop learning. No matter who you meet, they have something that they can teach you and vice versa. I tell everyone that my success is because of my involvement in BSCAI

What is your proudest accomplishment thus far?

It is growing the company from a small business to one of the largest in the industry over the last decade. I give back to the BSCAI, because I never would've been able to accomplish it without the industry association.

Now his company has another achievement for which to be proud. Harvard Maintenance received Green Seal GS-42 Certification. This certification is very rare in the industry. In September 2006, Green Seal™ introduced the Environmental Standard for Cleaning Services, GS-42.

The certification program provides building service contractors and in-house service providers (ISP) with objective guidance that helps them develop a green cleaning program. There are five core areas in GS-42 including: planning, requirements for products, supplies and equipment, cleaning procedures, communications, and training.

Doobin explains yet another reason why his company received this certification, “Harvard is a company that's very dedicated to the environment. We are one of the first companies in the industry to get their GS-42 Certification.”

What are your plans for the next year and the next three years?

My plans for the next year as BSCAI President include the following: To really focus in on the educational aspects and finding ways to enhance the value of the membership and to help the members as best as possible through these tough economic times.

What is the largest obstacle facing the industry and what can be done to overcome it?

Right now it is the economy. A lot of clients have slowed down payments and are looking to reduce services to save money. The years 2009 and 2010 are going to be the most uncertain times in our industry that anyone can remember. BSCs are going to have to look at every cost, eliminate every possible piece of waste and unnecessary overhead. We will have to revisit specifications and reduce them wherever the client can accept it and without a doubt focus on cash flow. Do not let clients stretch your payment terms beyond what you can accept.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Travel. I love to travel and see the sights of the world. Other than that it is to spend time with my two sons and if time permits, read.

BSCAI Updates

BSCAI Welcomes Its New Members - 2009 BSCAI Annual Convention & Trade Show - 2009 BSCAI Webinars - BSCAI Sponsors Regional Meetings With ISSA - NAOSH Week - May 2009 - BSCAI Adds NEW Book to List - BSCAI Legislative Update - BSCAI Member News

BSCAI Welcomes Its New Members

BSCAI Welcomes 10 New Members
The following members have joined BSCAI as of January 2009.

ANYCC Inc. Brooklyn , NY
CleanFast USA , Celebration, FL
Eagle Cleaning Corp. Worcester , MA
Eat My Dust, Inc. San Jose , CA
Empire Capitol International Inc. Mississauga , ON , Canada
Environmental Control of Boise, Inc. Boise , ID
Inspection Ready Cleaning , Moreno Valley , CA
Pro Clean Building Maintenance , Altamonte Springs , FL
Service Group 360 , Jonesboro , AR
Value Certified Equipment , Buffalo Grove , IL

2009 BSCAI Annual Convention & Trade Show

Register today! Visit us online to find three easy ways to register

View the Registration Information and the Advance Program and make your plans to join us in Chicago.

Register by January 29, 2009 and save $50 off the full registration price.

Hyatt Regency Chicago
151 East Wacker Drive
Chicago , Illinois 60601
Tel: 312.565.1234
Fax: 312.239.4414
Rates: $219 (plus tax) per night single or double occupancy

Book Your Hotel Accomodations today!

2009 BSCAI Webinars

Learn more about BSCAI's Webinar series and stay tuned for more details on Webinars in 2009.

BSCAI Sponsors Regional Meetings With ISSA

As part of BSCAI's alliance with the International Sanitary Supply Association, a series of six regional workshops will be held in late March and April throughout the United States and Canada on meeting green requirements. The program titled: “Piecing Together a World of Standards” will take place on the following dates and locations:

March 31
Radisson Hotel, Valley Forge
King of Prussia , PA

April 1
Crowne Plaza
Worcester , MA 01608

April 7
Crowne Plaza O'Hare
Rosemont , IL

April 8
Hilton Atlanta
Atlanta , GA

April 23
Pacific Palms Resort
Industry Hills , CA

April 29
The Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place
Toronto , ON , Canada

BSCAI members may attend any of these sessions at the member rate. Simply check the BSCAI box on the registration form. Click here for additional information and registration.

NAOSH Week - May 2009

North American Occupational Safety and Health Week , or NAOSH Week, occurs every year during the first full week of May. NAOSH Week is intended to raise awareness about occupational safety, health and the environment. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) joined with the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) in 2002 to raise the public's awareness of occupational safety, health and the environment in North America during NAOSH Week. Several organizations representing thousands of businesses have partnered with ASSE and CSSE to support NAOSH Week, including U.S. federal agencies such as the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to reach millions of people around the globe on the importance of being safe at work. BSCAI will be taking place in NAOSH Week this year. Click here for more information.

BSCAI Adds New Book to List

Selling Contract Cleaning Services 101
BRAND NEW!: From long-time BSCAI member and Past-President Dick Ollek, CBSE, Selling Contract Cleaning Services 101, is an ideal resource for anyone involved in building service contracting. Whether your goal is to build a solid, family business or take on the major players, it all depends on identifying, prospecting and closing the right customers. Click here to order it today!

BSCAI Legislative Update

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is responsible for administering and enforcing some of our nation's most comprehensive labor laws, including: the minimum wage, overtime, and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA); worker protections provided in several temporary visa programs; and the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) and the Service Contract Act (SCA). Are you in compliance with labor laws? Click here and find out.

BSCAI Member News

K-tech Delivers 200 Food Baskets

On Sunday, December 14, 2008 K-tech Employees, as well as friends and family, distributed 4.5 tons or 200 food baskets to local families in need of a helping hand on behalf of K-tech Charities, Inc. and the Weston Food Pantry. More than 100 of the baskets were delivered in Wausau area. The food baskets contain items such as ham, bacon, potatoes, dinner rolls, canned vegetables, candy, nuts and fruit. The hams were provided by Neuskes Applewood Smoked Meats while all other items were provided by Trig's Food & Drug, Pick n' Save, Okray Family Farms, Russet Potato Exchange, Krueger Wholesale Florists, and Kwik Trip. These companies helped by providing food items at reduced prices and giving donations. K-tech employees have been collecting non-perishable food items donated by customers throughout the months of November and December. The items collected by K-tech, along with all of the non-perishable items collected by Arrow Sports Bar of Weston through their recent food drive, will be donated to the local Salvation Army, the Women's Community, and the Neighbor's Place this holiday season.

K-tech Charities, Inc., 501(C)3 a non-profit organization, was created by K-tech Kleening Systems, Inc. in 2006 to manage and distribute charitable donations. The Mission of K-tech Charities is, “ To improve the quality of life of the children and families of the communities we serve who struggle with personal, professional, and financial challenges.” Throughout the year, K-tech Charities raises money for their annual Holiday baskets. The largest fundraiser of the year is the Annual Greater K-tech Invitational Golf Tournament held for K-tech employees and vendors. All donations raised at the event are matched by the company. This year, approximately $6,500 was raised by K-tech Charities to help families in need of a helping hand this holiday season.

K-tech Kleening Systems, Inc. is an internationally recognized and award-winning company specializing in cleaning and restoration services. They serve families and businesses throughout the state of Wisconsin , with offices in Weston, Stevens Point , Rhinelander, the Fox Cities , and Sturgeon Bay . K-tech is one of a select group of building service contractors internationally to be Certified with Honors by the Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) through the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), a world wide cleaning industry association. Additionally, In May of this year, K-tech was named the 2008 Wisconsin Family Business of the Year. For more information on K-tech Charities contact us at (800) 215-8324 or visit us on the Web at www.k-techbeyondclean.com.

Features

The Top Ten Questions Every Business Owner Should Be Able to Answer - Leadership Traits of a Survivor - The Sales Pro's Bail (Yourself) Out Plan: Eight Strategies for Turning the Slow Economy into a Successful Selling Period - Tech Bits from Gregg Marshall

The Top Ten Questions Every Buisness Owner Should Be Able to Answer

Be honest. How many bids are sitting on your desk at this very moment? Are you confident you'll win at least 80 percent of them? Besides a competitive price, what will be necessary to win each job? Most building service contractors operate in a reactive sales environment. Every project opportunity is based on responding to a request for bid that is also received by all your competitors. Inexperienced contractors rely on low prices to win their projects, while more mature contractors realize price is only one of several elements necessary to win a job. Beyond the quality of your bid, you really want to move from this reactive sales environment to a more proactive position — one where you're driving the sales process, not your customer.

This article will walk you through the 10 questions every building service contractor must be able to answer before determining whether he's ready to win — not just fight — the sales war.

#1 - What do you do best in the world?

For a young contractor, this question may be impossible to answer. You don't have enough experience and, in all likelihood, are still struggling to find your market niche. Your best is defined by those projects that end successfully — more of a testament to your project management skills than industry excellence.

Mature contractors evolve through markets over time based on both market conditions and, quite frankly, luck. As one wizened contractor admitted, his firm has evolved through at least eight different areas of concentration over the firm's 40 year life. In each market, his firm achieved a “best-in-the-world” moniker — and, when competition became too stifling, it evolved seamlessly to the next market.

Sales success is predicated on being able to answer the “best-in-the-world” question. After all, if you don't believe you're the best in the world, why should anyone buy your services?

#2 - Why do your customers buy your products and services?

The answer to this question typically comes down to one of three reasons: to increase revenues, decrease costs, or mitigate risks. Because there is no other reason for a customer to buy, these three reasons form the basis of the value proposition.

For core building service offerings, the value proposition is often associated with delivery excellence, not price, as many contractors may think. While customers complain about project pricing, their greater concern is non-performance. If a contractor wins a project based solely on low price but is unable to deliver a quality end product, the customer faces a huge risk. Surprisingly, the value proposition most associated with core building service contractor offerings is to mitigate customer risk.

#3 - What is the value of your offerings portfolio?

While it would be unusual for any single customer to buy all of your products and services, it is plausible that many of your offerings would be of interest to a larger share of your customer population — if they only knew about them. The issue is that many of your service offerings are in response to a customer request — not proactively sold as a targeted offering.

Uncovering the value of your product and services portfolio requires an analysis of the last 36 months of customer records. Specifically, what did you sell to each customer, and what was the value of the offering? When you take a good look, it will become obvious you're delivering a high number of one-time offerings. You may also find that the amount you bill for each service fluctuates — a phenomenon that occurs with changes in competition, available work and idle resources.

The objective of this exercise is to identify the full range of services that could be offered through your business.

#4 - What is your optimal revenue-per-customer value?

Contractors have three types of offerings: assessments of current conditions; implementation (or core) offerings and maintenance offerings. The combination of these services is referred to as the AIM continuum (assessments, implementation and maintenance) and serves as the basis for destination selling.

Destination selling is the first step to moving from a reactive to proactive sales environment. Once you have captured a customer, it's your objective to continue the relationship by offering logical services that build on your initial project success. Once your current project is completed, you must decide: are there unmet assessment or maintenance services that could be provided to this customer? And, if so, how do you provide these services to the customer – prior to the customer requesting them?

Your optimal revenue per customer value is the combined value of AIM — the revenue that would be realized if the customer bought all the services on the destination continuum.

#5 - What percentage of the portfolio is sold to every customer?

When you multiply your total number of customers by the value of your offerings portfolio, you're calculating optimal revenue potential (ORP). This is the total revenue you could realize if your customer and offerings portfolio were fully optimized. On average, building service contractors are only achieving six (6) percent of their revenue potential. Why is this performance metric so low?

Most contractors will find that 20 percent of their customers are responsible for approximately 80 percent of their revenues. In many cases, the contractor has acquired customers that, in reality, should never be customers because they are inconsistent with the targeted population or just too small for your services. The other explanation is that the customer base is comprised of a high percentage of ideal customer candidates, but the contractor has been ineffective at selling a broader range of offerings.

Conversely, your portfolio of offerings may be too diverse. Are you attempting to enter several markets simultaneously? Trying to penetrate too many markets at the same time may result in limited success in each defined market category. And, although this approach may be consistent with your strategic desires, a long-term level of limited penetration will wreak havoc on your resources.

The goal, obviously, is to increase your penetration into your optimal revenue potential. For many contractors, a simple increase from six to 12 percent can result in a doubling of revenues — without adding one new customer!

#6 - Who is your primary customer?

On the surface, the answer to this question seems like a no-brainer. The customer is the entity that awards the project and pays your invoices. In a reactive sales environment, that would be correct. However, once your initial project is completed, does your definition of customer change?

For many contractors the primary customer changes once a contract is awarded – often from a procurement official to the actual customer who receives your services. Once this customer title passes, your sales mentality must likewise change. Certainly, you have a responsibility to complete your contractual obligations but, now, as you work directly with the end-beneficiary of your services, are you able to identify, sell and deliver offerings outside of your initial contractual award? Enter the ideal customer.

#7 – Who is your ideal customer?

Your ideal customer is defined as the entity that will buy at least 80 percent of your products and services portfolio. Contrary to what many contractors believe, these are not always the largest customers in the marketplace but rather those entities that value your product and services continuum.

Finding your ideal customer characteristics forces you to once again go back to your customer history files. Identify five to 10 customers that satisfy the “80% bought” requirement or, at minimum, represent your largest revenue sources. What do these customers have in common? In most cases, you'll be able to identify 15 to 20 common characteristics across the customer sample that defines your ideal customer.

Now, with this information in hand, evaluate your potential project opportunities. Does the remainder of your existing customers or those that you are actively pursuing have your ideal customer characteristics? If not, further pursuit of these opportunities is of limited value.

#8 - How long is your current sales cycle for a new customer?

In the bid and proposal environment, the duration of the sales cycle is documented. But is this really the complete sales cycle? In reality, the bid request is the last step in a long and complicated sales dance.

It's in the best interest of contractors to have some level of influence on the development of every bid request. That way, when the bid is sent out, there are elements in the requirements that may be competitively swayed in your direction. This process of helping scope the requirements of any project is perfectly legal, but how do you accomplish this form of proactive selling?

Large firms use a process called “qualifications selling” — a fancy phrase that is a form of self-marketing. Using a professional sales staff, the large contractor begins the process of getting to know all of the components that comprise the customer. For example, if the work is for the government, the customer would include a variety of different agencies, including the end-user, building and maintenance, and procurement. The professional sales staff would develop relationships with each governmental agency and begin the process of extolling the specific qualifications of their firm. In the end, all aspects of the sales dynamic are covered, leading to higher levels of sales success.

Smaller contractors, on the other hand, do not have the resources to employ a professional sales staff. The key for smaller contractors is not to initially seek to win a large contract. Instead, you should sell a series of assessment or maintenance offerings that allow you “paid” access to the real customer contacts. Smaller offerings provide a low-risk way for contractors to establish credibility with a large customer, putting themselves in a competitive position when larger deals are bid.

#9 - Who owns the customer relationship?

Building service contracting is a service business that relies on labor as the basis for revenue generation. This business model is contrasted with a products business where revenues are generated primarily from the sales of products. This difference between services and products businesses is important as each employs a different sales model and subsequent customer management approach. In a real sense, it answers the question: Who owns the customer relationship?

In a products-based business, the sales force (a group of individuals that are divorced from the delivery or manufacturing process) owns the customer relationship. Think about your supplier relationships. These individuals are compensated on moving merchandise — the more the better.

Because of the nature of service work, building service contractors rely on delivery resources to own the customer relationship. These people establish day-to-day contact with the customer and are in the best position to influence up-sell opportunities. From an initial sales perspective, building service contracting firms must use sales professionals that have risen through the delivery ranks. It's the only way to appear credible to a potential customer.

#10 - Have you ever lost a deal on price?

If so, you are to be congratulated! It means you've avoided the commodity pit — the environment where the more important aspects of your job were never valued. While many customers will accept low bids to keep their project costs down, the young contractor finds out quickly that winning the work comes at a high price — the downfall of business.

Mature contractors have figured it out. Sales success comes when you're able to elevate your bids from being purely price dependent to a level that incorporates real competitive differentiation. Remember, educated customers realize that quality, experience and proven capabilities will mitigate the risk of every project. Price only reduces the potential profit exposure — a short-term view that is often never realized as poor quality leads to higher levels of expensive re-work.

By changing your focus from relying on reactive sales opportunities and moving toward a more proactive stance, you'll achieve higher win rates, increased revenue-per-customer metrics, and more control over your business destiny, winning the sales war once and for all.

___________________________________________________________________________________

About the Author:

Brad Dawson is the managing director of LTV Dynamics and has more than 28 years of management consulting experience. He is a frequent lecturer to international entrepreneurial businesses and serves as a contributing writer to several national and international business and leadership magazines. Contact him at BLDawson@LTVdynamics.com

Leadership Traits of a Survivor

What role does a leader have in deciding the fate of a company? Ram Charan, author of “Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty” discusses successful leaders, what makes them successful and what it means for them to connect to change. For the full Q & A from Fast Company, click here .

The Sales Pro's Bail (Yourself) Out Plan: Eight Strategies for Turning the Slow Economy into a Successful Selling Period

By George Ludwig

If you haven't felt assaulted by bad economic news lately, you live in the woods with no TV, no newspaper, and no Internet service. The stock market has lost trillions. Real estate values and sales have declined at record rates all across the United States . Layoffs are epidemic, small businesses can't get loans they need to make ends meet, and retirement 401k's have plummeted 30 percent on average. And to add insult to injury, banks and automakers have their hands out, imploring Uncle Sam to rescue them from their own incompetence and bad judgment.

If you're a business professional or salesperson, you may well be wondering: Who's going to bail me out? The answer, of course, is “No one.” Not the government, not the new president, not your employer, not your customers. You must use smart, time-tested business and sales strategies to bail y ourself out.

Each and every one of us must do our part to conquer this crisis. We must participate in our own rescue by not giving up, by refusing to use the slow economy as an excuse for poor performance, by staying in front of our customers, and by continuing to use proven ‘best practices' to reach sales success.

I like to compare the current situation to a whitewater rafting trip I took years ago on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon .

We were about to head out, and our instructor was giving us last-minute safety lessons. He warned us that if we should capsize he might not be able to get to us immediately and that we had to participate in our own rescue. He told us to be resourceful and do everything we could to save ourselves until he could get to us. And I think that's what we salespeople must do now. We must participate in our own rescue, be accountable for our actions, and realize there is no point in waiting for the government or anyone else to throw us a lifesaver.

So how do business and salespeople conquer this crisis and orchestrate their own rescue plan? Here are eight fundamental keys:

1. Put the economy in perspective. The economy has been falling , not failing . It's down, but it's down from the biggest economic boom of all time, the biggest housing boom of all time, and the easiest loan requirements of all time. Sure, home sales are down 33 percent, but even with this negative statistic, five million homes will still be sold this year. All of this just means the low-hanging fruit of two years ago is a little higher in the tree. There's still business in the marketplace—just not as much as a couple of years ago. We're all going to have to work harder and smarter than ever before, but sales opportunities are still available.
2. Replay the crises that you've overcome in the past. Virtually every person and business has conquered at least one crisis. Now's a good time to reflect on those memories and remember how you came through those crises and found yourself stronger. Remind yourself that tough times never last, but tough people do . I always reflect on nearing bankruptcy myself back in 2001 after I started my own business. After a couple of years of hard work, I was able to bounce back to enjoy success. I think you'll find that reflecting on a difficult period that you've already overcome will give you the confidence you need to conquer the current economic crisis. I truly believe that new growth and more prosperity are just down the road.
3. Decide that you will make it through the slow economy. This economic crisis is like a crucible that provides us an opportunity to do what's necessary to recast and forge ourselves into something bigger, better, and stronger. We can't control the events of our lives, but we can control what we decide to think, believe, feel, and do about those events. The only way to come out of this crisis triumphant is to make a defiant decision to think and act like you can't be stopped. Just as your muscles won't grow stronger without your making the committed decision to push past your comfort zone into harder resistance, you can't recast yourself in the event of a crisis without making a committed decision to be an unstoppable selling machine during the recession.
4. Strengthen your body and your mind. Because fear and worry hijack the mind, one of the best ways to stay healthy and focused during the economic crisis is to strengthen yourself both physically and mentally. Start today on a committed exercise and fitness plan that will not only condition you to feel stronger than ever before, but that will also help you manage the stress and anxiety that you are feeling these days.Condition your soul through daily meditation, by talking to the Higher Being of your choosing, or by writing down what you're grateful for. You might also want to consider giving yourself a vacation from all of the bad news in the media every day. Feed your mind pure, powerful, and positive stories and information by reading biographies of people who have triumphed over crisis, by listening to inspirational music, and by watching uplifting movies. No matter how bad things are for you or your business right now, rest assured there is someone out there who has it worse than you, who doesn't know where his next meal is coming from or where he'll be sleeping on a given night. Take time to reflect on how truly blessed you are. Your positive thinking will attract more good things your way.
5. Focus only on your goals. One of the Laws of the Universe is the Law of Attraction. Perhaps you read about it in the recent national bestseller The Secret . Simply stated, it's the idea that everything that comes into our life, we're attracting into our life. And those things are attracted to us by virtue of the images we hold in our minds. Unfortunately, most people spend more time thinking about what they don't want than what they do want, and then they wonder why what they don't want keeps winning out. In a down economy, people's powerful fears about what might happen are even more likely to become self-fulfilling prophecies.To keep this from happening to you, write down exactly what you want to accomplish from a sales and business standpoint and then review those goals every day. Connect frequently to all the emotional reasons why you want to achieve those goals. Write down what it will mean for you and your family. How will it affect your retirement? Will it help you send your child to college? Will it make a much needed vacation a possibility? Stack the deck with so many compelling reasons why, that you simply can't resist achieving your vision. Handling a tough today is much easier if you have an unshakable vision of a bright tomorrow.
6. Keep training to get better. If there's ever a time to keep getting better at what you do, it's during a down economy. Continuously learning and improving is the only way to be more effective and efficient than ever before and to ensure you are doing everything in your power to out-do your competitors. Too often, successful salespeople and managers develop an overconfidence in their abilities and in ‘their way' to sell or do business. Then they hit some hard times, struggle, and start blaming the economy, when their own failure to keep learning and training is partly to blame for their slow period. When times are tough, salespeople can't afford a single misstep. One of the primary reasons I'm in the training business is because I know from personal experience that virtually any person can improve through effective training. So, start reading a sales book during your lunch break, attend a public sales seminar, or get your company's salespeople some outstanding training ASAP.
7. Step up your high-impact sales activity. During a tough economy it becomes mission critical to spend a greater percentage of time performing high-impact sales activities, which involve selling or prospecting to well-qualified ideal buyer types face-to-face or on the telephone. In other words, stop wasting so much time on things that don't matter. Recent research confirms salespeople on average spend only 90 minutes per day in high-impact selling activities. That's a death rattle in a tough economy. They must prioritize their time and make sure they schedule quality high-impact selling time every day and become more efficient in executing all the other tasks they have to perform.
8. Take the modeling-for-success shortcut. One other fundamental for achieving success rapidly in tough and uncertain times is to find a mentor, coach, or colleague who's achieving the outcomes you desire and model his approach. Or find someone who has experience overcoming past economic crises and ask her what strategies she plans to employ. Spend time with this person so that you can observe the skill sets necessary to achieve success. This is simply a shortcut as opposed to the trial and error approach most people take in their pursuit of success. You find someone who is achieving what you want to achieve in these economic times and then model his or her behavior. Just keep reminding yourself, if they can do it, you can do it.

As President Obama takes office and we wish him great success helping us rescue the economy, we can't forget that each and every one of us salespeople is ultimately responsible for our own rescue. Use the challenges you are facing to energize and motivate you during the slow economy. And remember that if you make it a priority, sales success is possible. You know the saying, ‘What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Well, it applies in sales too. If this economic period doesn't put you out of business, it will make you a stronger and better salesperson.

About the Author:

George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer and corporate consultant, he is currently the president and CEO of GLU Consulting. He helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Ludwig is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business . He's also a columnist and frequent contributor to Entrepreneur magazine , Investor's Business Daily , Selling Power , and numerous business radio programs. Having gained a reputation as a thought leader in his industry, he is frequently interviewed for trade publications and newspapers.

About the Book:
Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code (Kaplan Publishing, ISBN: 0-7931-8571-8, $19.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from all major online booksellers.

For more information, please visit www.georgeludwig.com.

Tech Bits from Gregg Marshall

Tech Bit 1

100 million hard drives fail every year. I've had my share, including one last Christmas Eve.

When was the last time you backed up your notebook? Your home desktop? Your work PC?

500 gigabyte external USB drives are selling for $99 to $129 on sale. That's enough to back up a notebook and most people's desktop(s).

My favorite backup software is CMS Products' BounceBack Professional ($79, www.cmsproducts.com ). While Windows has a built in backup program, BB Pro can create a backup drive that can be simply installed to replace a failed drive (obviously you can't put a 3.5” hard drive into a notebook).

What I really like about BB Pro is it's the ultimate “nagware.” You tell it how often you want to back up and it will nag you to plug in that external drive and do your backups.

So really, when was the last time you backed up?

Gregg Marshall, CPMR, CSP, is a speaker, author and consultant. He can be reached by e-mail at gmarshall@repconnection.com, or visit his Web site at www.repconnection.com .

Around The Industry

WFBSC "International Dimensions" - Events - The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 - U.S. Department of Labor Releases New FMLA Poster - The Ecomomic Outlook Offers Some Light

WFBSC "International Dimensions"

Click here to read the November issue of “International Dimensions." If you are a manufacturer, distributor, or consultant to the building service contracting industry, advertising opportunities are available in the newsletter. Please contact the WFBSC Executive Vice President at cdean@wfbsc.org. If you have editorial contributions for the newsletter, please e-mail those to her also at cdean@wfbsc.org.

Events

18th Congress of the World Federation of Building Service Contractors

Auckland , New Zealand, November 2010

Congress updates will be available from March 2009

BSCNZ PO Box 31-067, Lower Hutt 5040

e-mail: info@bsc.org.nz
Web site: http://www.bsc.org.nz

19th Congress of the World Federation of Building Service Contractors
Curitiba , Brazil
2012

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

Attorney and Certified Public Accountant Dr. Bart A. Basi is an expert on closely held companies. He serves as the Senior Advisor of the Center for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning, Inc. In his article, he discusses “The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008” (EESA). He details how it originated, its purpose and the tax provisions it includes for businesses. Click here for the full article.

U.S Department of Labor Releases New FMLA Poster

On December 18, 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a new Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) poster based on revisions published in November.

The changes to the poster detail the expansion of the FMLA to give job-protected leave rights to families of military service men and women who are wounded or injured, as well as provide clarity about general FMLA rights for employers and workers.

Employers with 50 or more employees, and all public sector employers, are required to update their mandatory labor law postings with the new FMLA poster. To learn more about the new FMLA poster, visit www.gneil.com/fmlachange .

The Economic Outlook Offers Some Light

According to a survey by McKinsey Quarterly, there are a few bright spots in the current economy. About 27 percent of companies surveyed are planning to implement positive strategic moves in 2009, such as the introduction of new products or expanding into new markets. Small or private companies apparently are faring better than large or public companies, with 62 percent of the small or private companies reporting being able to hold prices steady. Story continues here .

Administration Issues Final E-Verify Rule For Contractors

Immigration – The Bush administration issued a final rule Nov.14 requiring most contractors to verify the legal status of their workers starting Jan. 15 in order to do business with the federal government. The rule requires federal contractors and subcontractors to use the E-Verify system, a free Web-based tool that uses Social Security Administration files to verify that employees are legal immigrants or citizens eligible to work in the Uni

Inmates Reducing Sentences Through Cleaning?

Milwaukee County Jail discovered a new, productive way to reduce costs by eliminating outside clean up crews. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Milwaukee County Jail has set up a program wherein inmates who carry a misdemeanor charge with a sentence of a year or two can reduce their time by performing janitorial work at the jail. Story continues here…

Security News

Businesses Should Use Fed Database to Check Workers, S.C. Says - EPA Launches Environmental Law Fugitive Web site

Businesses Should Use Fed Database to Check Workers, S.C. Says

South Carolina officials are urging employers to use a federal database to check the legal work status of their employees. The database, dubbed E-verify, allows companies to enter workers' names and Social Security numbers to verify if they are in the U.S. legally. Companies that use the system are presumed to be in compliance with state and federal immigration laws. The State (Columbia, S.C.) (1/8) h

EPA Launches Environmental Law Fugitive Web site

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now included a most-wanted environmental fugitives list on its Web site. EPA hopes that the list, which is the first federal database for environmental crimes, will aid in the tracking down of wanted violators of environmental law who may have fled justice. The Web site includes pictures of the fugitives, along with other relevant information that could be helpful in identifying them. The Web site currently lists 23 fugitives wanted for crimes such as illegal disposal of hazardous waste, the discharge of pollutants into air and water, money laundering, smuggling of ozone-depleting substances and the making of criminally-false statements. Many of the fugitives listed are believed to have fled the country. EPA's fugitive Web site can be found at www.epa.gov/compliance/criminal/fugitives/index.html.

BSCAI Sponsored Programs

Start Saving with BSCAIs Preferred Partner Programs

All BSCAI sponsored programs can be accessed here.

Start Saving with BSCAIs Preferred Partner Programs

As a BSCAI member, you have many opportunities to save! Through your BSCAI Membership, you can save on national and regional LTL services along with discounts on office products. If you are not familiar with the benefits available to you, please read over the partner programs below or call ( 800) 647-3061, Ext. 6557 .

BSCAI's Preferred Partners look forward to working with you and your company!