[August News]

Supercharging sales efforts a ‘hot topic’ at NPMA Academy

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Even the most successful pest control companies spend considerable time and resources recruiting and retaining quality workers and refining their processes to boost sales. The 2006 NPMA Academy, lead-sponsored by Syngenta Professional Products, was filled with speakers, sessions and panel discussions that addressed these and other “hot button” management issues.
Dennis Fox, president of Client Development Institute and a consultant to PCOs, examined how strong attitudes, values and beliefs are instrumental in your sales staff achieving success. Fox quoted business consultant and The People Principle author Ron Willingham, who wrote that sales “requires 15 percent knowledge and skills and 85 percent emotions and attitude.”
Fox also led a panel discussion featuring Kevin Burns, vice president of Sales, Arrow Exterminators; Raleigh Jenkins, president of ABC Pest, Pool and Lawn Services; and Kevin Kordek, president of A-Active Termite & Pest Control. Jenkins is a firm believer in having detailed systems in place. For example, sales representatives have written scripts that they rehearse and use when interacting with customers. Burns said Arrow’s sales efforts were given a big boost when they began having service technicians cross-sell other services to existing customers. Kordek said his sales/service technicians are encouraged to present “talking points” with customers that help distinguish A-Active from other companies. For example, A-Active sales representatives and service technicians will explain Quality Pro; Tracker — A-Active’s termite detection dog; and A-Active’s “Zero Tolerance” pest policy.
Another speaker panel discussed the challenges of hiring and retaining quality workers. Debbie Byrne, vice president and general manager, Western Exterminator, said Western at one time had a waiting list of people wanting to work for the Irvine, Calif.-based company, but now is struggling to fill positions, due largely to Southern California’s pricey housing market (it can be challenging to own a home on a service technician’s salary). In addition to using traditional recruitment strategies (e.g., newspaper help wanted ads), Western has found success hiring family members of existing Western employees and displaying large “Help Wanted” banners outside of its branch offices. Jeff Palko, staffing manager for Western Industries/Orkin, said he’ll hand out business cards to people he encounters on a daily basis that provide excellent customer service, including waiters/waitresses, hotel staff, etc. Ted St. Amand, president  of Atlantic Pest Solutions, suggests using career centers and job boards, although he cautions that it is important to educate people at these centers on what is involved in pest control. St. Amand also said ex-military personnel make good technicians because they are disciplined and already have good medical benefits.
Also at Academy, PCT and Syngenta presented the second annual Best-In-Class Customer Service Awards. Syngenta’s Berry Cothern and PCT Managing Editor/Internet Editor Brad Harbison presented the awards to this year’s winners:
Orkin Pest Control, Atlanta, Ga. — Category: Large company ($6,000,000+ in annual revenues);
Batzner Pest Management, New Berlin, Wis. — Category: Medium company ($750,000 to $6,000,000 in annual revenues);
Alleymor Inc./Pestmaster Services, Kingston, N.Y. — Category: Small company ($250,000 to $750,000 in annual revenues)
The Best-In-Class Customer Service Awards is one of four components of the Crown Awards program. It was launched in 2005 with the goal of honoring leading pest control companies and sharing their customer service success stories for the benefit of the entire industry. PCT solicited nominations for the 2005 awards this past spring and the winners were determined by  judges Phil Cooper, president, Cooper Pest Solutions; Dr. George Rambo, GR Consulting Services; and industry icon Norm Ehmann (former vice president, Univar).
In addition to these sessions, NPMA Academy was filled with team-building activities aimed at providing attendees with innovative management and marketing solutions for improving their businesses. Other NPMA Academy sponsors included Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, FMC and Oldham Chemicals. Additional Academy coverage from PCT is online at www.pctonline.com. — Brad Harbison

BASF honors All Star
Technicians in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — BASF honored this year’s Termidor All Star Technicians at the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game held in Pittsburgh in July.
The men and women named inaugural Termidor All Star Technicians were recognized at a dinner/awards ceremony July 10 and also attended this year’s mid-summer classic, which was held at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park the following day.
Karl Kisner, senior marketing manager, BASF, and Dave Buzzelli, eastern regional manager, BASF, presented this year’s awards. Kisner commented on the importance of recognizing service technicians, who in many ways are the pest control industry’s unsung heroes. “Technicians are counted on to handle our products, educate home-owners and allow us to achieve success. They are the face of the industry to the public,” he said.
Kisner added, “It’s easy to get feedback from owners and managers about a product, but technicians are the ones who report on how it works in the field.”
Ten of the 16 winners traveled to Pittsburgh for the game and Buzzelli read brief comments about each Termidor All Star Technician during the July 10 ceremony.
BASF’s Termidor All Star Technicians also were treated to a guest appearance by Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench, prior to the All-Star Game.
 Bench, considered one of the greatest catchers in Major League Baseball history, congratulated all of this year’s winners and drew a parallel between being a termite technician and a baseball catcher. “You all are in charge of protecting real estate and catchers protect the most valuable real estate on a baseball diamond,” he said.
More than 100 service technicians from around the country were nominated by their co-workers and managers, who were asked to submit essays detailing the knowledge, value, and service that these technicians brought to their customers and their companies. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges comprised of senior BASF personnel from the marketing, sales, and technical groups. To view a listing of this year’s Termidor All Star Technicians visit www.pestcontrolfacts.com/allstar.  — Brad Harbison

Pest control industry’s
future course charted
at NPMA Leadership Week
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — For the National Pest Management Association and its members to stay on top of the many pending business, technical and regulatory issues, it takes pro-active planning and smart consensus-building. Leadership Week 2006, held in late June in Scottsdale, Ariz., and sponsored by Univar USA, provided an important forum for NPMA and its members to chart the course for the pest control industry in the present and in the future.
Important issues were discussed at the Government Affairs Committee meeting, which was headed by Committee Chair Mike Katz (Western Exterminator) and NPMA Senior Vice President Bob Rosenberg. At this meeting, the committee reviewed recent regulatory decisions and also looked ahead at pending and potential future issues. For example, Katz reviewed how California almost enacted legislation that would have imposed strict regulations on exterior uses of second-generation, anticoagulant rodenticides. Rosenberg and NPMA Manager of Government Affairs Gene Harrington helped with efforts to persuade the California Department of Pesticide Regulations (DPR) to adopt a more “industry friendly” solution that could serve as a national model.
Thanks to NPMA’s input, California DPR agreed to allow the continued use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides on exteriors only “when placed by a licensed pest control operator in inaccessible areas (e.g., tamper-resistant bait stations, rodent burrows).”
Another important issue discussed at both the WDO division meeting and the Government Affairs Committee was an overhaul to the regulation of termite work by state regulatory agencies. Currently, state regulatory agencies regulate termite work by examining if the application was made using efficacious materials; followed the label instructions; and was properly performed by an adequately trained, certified and supervised applicator. ASPCRO (Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials), RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) and NPMA are exploring the possibility of having state regulatory agencies change their enforcement focus. Under this new proposal, rather than state regulatory agencies focusing enforcement on the manner in which termite treatments are made, termite control would be regulated through benchmarks that establish success or failure based on the protection provided to the consumer. For example, this new proposal might lead to regulators conducting fewer application surveillances and more record inspections.

Florida PCOs ‘Re-Energize’ business and technical know-how at FPMA show
BONITA SPRINGS, FLA. — Attendees of the Florida Pest Management Association’s Convention & Exposition, held in June in Bonita Springs, Fla., were treated to three days of business and technical presentations from leading industry experts.
The theme of this year’s conference — “Re-Energize for Success – PMPs Working Together” — was wholly appropriate as topics and speakers represented numerous entities within Florida’s structural pest control industry.
A highlight of this year’s conference was “You’ve Been Served,” a mock trial featuring Cliff Slaten, founding partner, Slaten & O’Connor, Montgomery, Ala., and Dan Gerber of Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell. This role-playing format was a fun and informative way to provide PCOs with tips for avoiding (and handling) lawsuits.
Another important session was a legislative panel moderated by NPMA Senior Vice President Bob Rosenberg. Providing a comprehensive perspective on regulatory issues in Florida were: Matt Dempsey, government affairs director, FPMA; D.R. Sapp, Jr., governmental affairs chairman, FPMA; and Steve Dwinell, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
This year’s conference also was filled with technical presentations — including a crazy ant presentation from the University of Florida’s Brian Cabrera  —  and management seminars from speakers such as Brian Van Dam, owner of Fulton Services, and industry consultant Brad Bartlett. This year’s conference once again included an exhibit floor, which provided attendees with opportunities to network and learn about the latest product innovations.
Sponsors of this year’s conference included: BASF; Bayer Environmental Science; Classic Chevrolet; Curtis Dyna-Fog; Dow AgroSciences, DuPont Professional Products; Forshaw; Liphatech; Mullinax Ford; Oldham Chemicals Co.; Reimer Insurance Group; Univar; Wellmark; and Whitmire Micro-Gen.

GPCA fundraising efforts recognized by Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
NORCROSS, GA. — The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has awarded the Georgia Pest Control Association the deVillier award for its contributions and fund-raising efforts during the past year.
For the third year in a row, the Georgia Pest Control Association has teamed up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s fundraising activities.
In 2005, GPCA and 18 member companies raised more than $115,000 for the fight against blood cancers, making GPCA the #1 partner in Georgia. This year, 20 pest control companies have set a goal to raise more than $150,000.
This is due in part to several companies who, early on, stepped up to lead the fundraising efforts. One of these companies is Advanced Services in Augusta, headed by Jeff Annis who matches dollar for dollar funds raised by his employees up to $5,000 each year.

Pinto & Associates unveils Techletter Web site
MECHANICHSVILLE, MD. — Techletter.com is a new Web site from Pinto & Associates that provides information on urban pests, pest control, and IPM for both professionals and nonprofessionals. The Web site is produced by urban entomologists and pest control consultants. Techletter.com includes a changing menu of up-to-date articles in four categories:
1. Technical. Useful, practical information for pest control technicians and others involved in controlling pests (be sure to check out our 10-part series on bed bugs).
2. Executive Reports. Information aimed at the owners and managers of pest control companies or the managers of pest control or IPM departments.
3. Safety. Features and articles related to pest control workplace safety.
4. News and views. Information useful to pest control professionals.
One or more new articles are added each week. Techletter.com also features the Top 10 “Most Unwanted” Pests — identification, biology, and habits of 10 important pests in and around buildings.

PPMA, NPMA launch
updated consumer
and media Web site
FAIRFAX, VA. — The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) has re-launched its updated National Pest Management Association (NPMA) consumer and media Web site, www.pestworld.org, delivering   up-to-date information for the pest management industry. “Our goal is to provide the most current and credible information available to our users —  your customers and potential customers, and we wanted to do it in time to assist all through the height of pest season,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director, PPMA. “With the addition of information updates and new features, we also revamped the entire look and feel of the site using proven techniques to appeal to consumers.”
The site features a redesigned message board, an increased prominence in pest alert opt-ins, and expanded image, article, and fact sheet galleries just to name a few. 

“We recognize the importance of keeping our website fresh with new content and features that offer convenience, functionality, and a wealth of information for our users,” said Mannes. “The pest industry is constantly evolving and our goal is to keep our site on the same track.”
PPMA reports a 145 percent increase in unique users in 2006 compared to 2005 and it is the top ranking website consumers visit to locate a pest professional. “This is one of the many benefits to becoming a member of NPMA because you will automatically be listed on the consumers’ favorite ‘Where to Find a Professional’ page— helping to directly increase your client portfolio,” said Mannes.