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Facility managers, salespeople and the Golden Rule of business
Pamela Tresp Facilities & GroundsFor a long time I didn't like the idea of being considered a salesperson. I love to help people, but I don't believe in manipulation or sales tactics. When I owned my own business, I did my own prospecting and selling but always saw myself as a helper, not a salesperson. I knew people had choices, and working with me may or may not be a good choice for either of us.
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20 keys to a killer website
Fred Berns Facilities & GroundsYou don't have to be a techno-wizard, and it doesn't take rocket science to create a killer website for your lawn and landscape company, garden center or nursery. All it takes is 20 steps.
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Dual laminates gaining in corrosive environments
Alan Kelsky EngineeringWhen it comes to the handling, storing and distribution of all types of liquid solutions within chemical manufacturing plants, composites enjoy a well-earned place for durability. In general, they are among the most cost-effective anti-corrosion materials used in the chemical industry today.
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Change the behavior of your negative, underperforming technicians
Roger Daviston Facilities & GroundsThe boss almost gave up on one of our plumbers, Mike. His average invoice was terrible at $400. He made excuses and blamed his circumstances. He was negative, and his attitude was that "life sucks." Mike thought nothing could change for him, and we were ready to let him go. However, one day while doing a ride-along with Mike, I recommended that he listen to "The Strangest Secret" by Earl nightingale. After all, he wouldn't read, so maybe he would listen to something.
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Suppliers, manufacturers prepare for low‑GWP future in Europe
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingThe big Chillventa show in Nuremberg, Germany, earlier this month is a meeting place for the European cooling industry. Alongside the wealth of innovation that is on display, there is always good debate. Shows such as these are a rare chance to get the senior management from suppliers in one building.
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Free publicity: How to get quoted and promoted in the media
Fred Berns Facilities & GroundsThe best advertising that green industry professionals can't buy is free publicity. And the opportunities to get that publicity are abundant. As lawn and landscape, or garden center or nursery professionals, you have what the media needs: insights about timely and topical subjects that readers, viewers and listeners care about a great deal.
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Are you being triangulated?
Roger Daviston Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAs leaders, we are extremely vulnerable to being triangulated, and it's unhealthy for the unity of a company. Triangulation involves a cast of three characters: the villain, the victim and the rescuer. If you are constantly fixing relational problems that others should fix for themselves, you are probably being triangulated.
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Time to resharpen that saw? Knowing what you don’t know
David E. Patnaude Facilities & GroundsWhat are the three toughest words for professionals to utter? It's probably not what you're thinking. It's simply, "I don't know." The economics team of Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt, authors of "Freakonomics," have studied this idea of how not being able to utter these three simple words actually costs U.S. industry and business millions of dollars annually from people committing big mistakes.
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Green industry marketing: Small is smart
Fred Berns Facilities & GroundsLittle stuff counts. Little stuff is asking about Phase II of the project, before you start Phase I. It's writing a Facebook post about your new client. It's linking your email signature to your bio. It's networking at a meeting of local property managers.
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To LED or not to LED? That is the question
Pamela Tresp Facilities & GroundsAccording to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, commercial and institutional buildings, public street and highway lighting consumed about 274 billion kWh for lighting — roughly 21 percent of commercial sector electricity consumption in 2012. The October 2014 issue of LD+A magazine cited that total electricity consumed totals up to 461 billion kWh each year.
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