Employee Recruitment and Retention, Energizing Sales Efforts are ‘Hot Issues’ at NPMA Academy

Dennis Fox, president of Client Development Institute and a consultant to several 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% knowledge and skills and 85% emotions and attitude.”

Thus, four traits Fox recommends that PCOs look for and develop in their employees are:

1) Healthy emotional intelligence – the ability to understand emotions and their impact on behavior.
2) Excellent social skills, including good communication skills – listening, understanding, empathy and rapport.
3) High achievement and drive – the desire or drive toward attainment of goals.
4) Strong goal clarity – specific goals of what one wants to sell, earn, accomplish, gain or process.

Fox also led a panel discussion featuring Kevin Burns, V.P. 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 says 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 good workers. Debbie Byrne, V.P. and general manager, Western Exterminator, said Western used to have 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 costly 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 that provide excellent customer service, including waiters/waitresses, hotel staff, etc. Ted St. Amand, president 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.

An issue that remains popular in the pest control industry is marketing “green” services. Bug Busters President Court Parker reviewed the industry’s past use of pesticides and cited Newsweek’s July 17th cover story “The New Greening of America” to illustrate how a large segment of the public is still very interested in environmentally-conscious products, such as green pesticides. Dennis Jenkins, president of ABC Pest and Lawn Services, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, said he has been successful reaching his area’s “green community” by advertising on a local radio program hosted by a trusted “green-oriented” radio host. Jack Marlowe, president, Eden Advanced Pest Technologies, Olympia, Wash., has been successful selling green services to commercial accounts, including schools, many of which require reduced-impact pest solutions.