In This Issue
Free advertising?
Become the expert
Free Google ads
Profit Tip
Fun with SPAM
Upcoming seminar
This month's e-newsletter sponsored by:
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Innovative Control
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Products Simple to Install
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Direct to Contractors
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Great Technical Support
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Free Shipping
Check out www.jacksonsystems.com or e-mail Tom Jackson at tom.jackson@jacksonsystems.com.
Mention John R. Hall's newsletter (09JHNL) and receive 15% off your next zone control order.
Want to sponsor my e-newsletter? E-mail me at ideaperson@ideaperson.net.
Greetings Tom
Welcome to the very first e-newsletter for the HVACR trade from 'IdeaPerson' John R. Hall. I hope you like what you see and find the information useful to your business. If so, tell a friend and pass it along. If not, tell me and I'll make it better!
Free Advertising?
In a recent survey at my website (www.joemaintenance.com) I asked if business owners knew how to get free advertising. Of the 166 responses, 70 percent said they didn't know how to get it.
If you'd like to see the complete results of the 12-question survey, you can e-mail me or plan to attend an exciting upcoming seminar (details below).
Become the expert
A recent article in the online version of the Ventura County Star (CA) started out with this headline and copy:The Home Doctor: Keep cool by servicing air conditioning system
Our recent blistering heat wave is a great reminder that the warmest months of the year are coming soon, and with global warming, more extreme heat is in the forecast. Now is the perfect time of the year to have your air conditioning equipment inspected and serviced for the season. Here is a general inspection list for residential air conditioning equipment. Present this list to your service technician to help assure a complete inspection:
1. Inspect and clean condensing and evaporator coils.
2. Clean or replace filters…
Here is a guy who is using his experience and the power of the Internet to give advice to homeowners – your customers. Why not start your own advice column and offer it to your local newspaper for FREE. In exchange, you get free advertising and a lot of “feel good’ exposure for your company. Newspaper editors are always looking for experts who can share their wisdom with readers (or online viewers). And if you know what to say but not how to say it, send your copy to me and I’ll rewrite it for you (for a very nominal fee).
Free Google ads
How to Get Free Advertising on Google
Things You Need Before Starting Your Free Advertisement
- A description of your business
- Your phone number, address and any other contact info you want to advertise
- A logo or image that represents your business (some people use a picture of their office, store or restaurant)
- A coupon or special offer you want to advertise (Google also lets you add a coupon for FREE if you want)
Step-by-Step Guide to Free Google Advertisement
- Go to www.google.com/local and search for your business to verify it is not yet listed with an advertisement.
- Go back to www.google.com/local and click on Add/Edit Your Business at the bottom left part of the page.
- Follow the steps provided by Google. They are pretty simple and straightforward. As part of the process you will need to verify your business either by phone or mail.
- Check back in a few weeks with Google and verify your listing. If you want to update it, you can use the same process outlined here to update your listing.
Profit Tip 
There are two ways to be well known in the community: by doing good work or by doing poor work. In the first instance, having a ‘good face’ in the community can go a long way to your business success while the second instance can shutter your business in a hurry.
But having a good face isn’t always as easy as it seems. It takes more than just doing good work – it takes a lot of good community work. Do you know where and how to find community work?
Start with some of the local charity groups. Maybe you can organize a clothing drive or canned food drive, using your business as a donation point. If you have a local Red Cross chapter, you could sponsor a blood donation day (provided you have the space).
Also check the newspapers for any people or families who may be in need of a service you provide. Donating time or material can go a long way to creating goodwill at a minimal investment – far less that it would cost to advertise. It especially helps when you can put out a press release about your company’s goodwill and get it published locally, too.
Put on a good face and help your bottom line. It will also make you feel a lot better about yourself.If you want good neighbors, you have to be a good neighbor. As a good corporate citizen you have to give back to the folks who support you, be it the Girl Scouts or the Elks Lodge programs. Corporate charity must have input from the workers of your company in order for it to touch them.In different areas of the country there are programs such as ‘Builders Care’ or ‘Heat's On.’ That involves the whole crew to help a veteran, widow, special needs kid, or someone else in need. You can't count it on a balance sheet, but it makes us all better. If you do it and get some good press, all the better. If you do it to get good press you are wasting your time.
Adrian Jones - Alpine Air - Jacksonville, Florida
If you'd like to read all 111 profit tips, buy the book! "Profit Tips 1.1.1." is available to order at IdeaPerson.net. Here is the link:
http://www.ideaperson.net/webapp/GetPage?pid=223
Fun with SPAM
You may hate e-mail spam but how many of you are SPAM lovers? Read my latest at Examiner.com and have a laugh on me.
Upcoming Seminar
I am happy to announce the first ever "Five Keys to the Vault" seminar on business topics key to the success of any HVACR contractor or business owner. The five speakers include familiar names like mine, Dan Bergstrom, Mack Heaton, Dave Squires, and Tom Jackson.
The one-day seminar includes meals and will be held at the Laurel Manor in Livonia, Michigan on Wednesday, June 10th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $99 for first and $79 for accompanying person. Seating is very limited. Visit www.KeysToHVACSuccess.com to register.