Publications

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

Professional Recruiters Reveal Trade Secrets

“We’re always looking for good people.” Almost every owner I talk with says the same thing, but looking and knowing how to look is the difference between a steady stream of unqualified candidates at your doorstep and successful recruiting endeavors. Since the industry has made great advances in improving its image, I believe it’s also time to trash the worn-out expression: “We’re always looking for good people.” It’s time to start saying, “We only hire the best of the best.” 

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with Contractor Magazine.

Increasing Your Service Maintenance Agreement Sales

Service maintenance agreement sales … you gotta love them! Lots and lots of agreement sales. If you think about it, when customers purchase maintenance agreements, they’re essentially paying you money every month to come back and sell them something else. They lock customers down, offer special incentives and deliver peace of mind. There’s a multitude of benefits for both customers and businesses. Unfortunately, for many shops, agreement sales are virtually nonexistent, and it’s a shame because they can keep any business running strong all year long and eliminate the slow seasons. Keep reading if you want to learn why sales are generally low for most companies and how you can turbo-charge your crew to become agreement-selling maniacs.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

Real Profits – Accountability

In sales organizations, every sales rep is responsible for generating a specific amount of revenue per cubicle or workstation. These are called sales quotas. The reason why quotas are in place is simple; each cubicle has operating costs and the company must see profits. Cubicles, however, are fairly inexpensive to operate, but in the contracting industry, the operating costs for each service truck are enormous. The rising cost of auto insurance alone is crippling many companies.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with Contractor Magazine.

Stop Calling Employees Salespeople

What do most people do when they hear the word salesman? Run is probably the initial jerk reaction and that’s probably followed with hide. The word “salesman” has earned the ill-fated reputation of being someone who can’t, or shouldn’t, be trusted. Never trust the fast-talking salesman. He’ll pull the wool over your eyes. He’ll sell you something you don’t even need. Unfortunately, when it comes to the term salespeople, trust and honesty go right out the window and here lies the conundrum because all business transactions are based on sales and employing people to close them and without trust, honesty and integrity, sales cannot be closed.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

Where’s the Garage Sale? Five Keys to Higher Profits!

Contractor Dan invested in expensive, well-stocked, graphic-wrapped vehicles and a state-of-the-art warehousing system with a stockpile of all the major brands. He also invested vast amounts of time, money, and energy in his Yellow Pages ads and Website. Once Dan had every aspect of his company’s operations up to date and restructured, he felt he was poised for a slam-dunk. Unfortunately, he soon became flabbergasted when he realized his company continued to generate the same low-level profits. Why was this so?

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

Economy Got You Down? Business Slow? Think Like Disney!

Albert Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge. It’s obvious that the executives at Disneyland and Einstein are of the same mindset. That’s because at Disney, their imaginative minds created a promotion that is pure genius. When it comes to unbelievably brilliant and successful marketing campaigns, this one takes the cake. It’s the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” celebration and it’s truly amazing!

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with Contractor Magazine.

What Contractors Should Know About Fear & Doubt

Aspiring, young contractors going into business for the first time are filled with hope, enthusiasm and excitement. Visions of living extraordinary lives fill their heads and every fiber of their souls; their burning desire for success is unrelenting. Then, reality comes crashing down on them like a ton of bricks. For most, it’s a long, arduous road that seldom leads to the success they seek. For those few who have reached their goals, they’ve come to realize the road to their dreams is paved with training … lots and lots of training.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

A Huge Psychological Advantage: How to Get Customers for Free!

Before we dig into the intriguing and profound world of the word “free,” let me first say that I’m a sales trainer/consultant. I’m not a Web designer, but there’s a common oversight when it comes to designing a Website. All companies want a Website that’s going to bring in so much business they won’t know what to do with it all. However, they rarely, if ever, consult with a sales or marketing expert. There are four major components to Website design: coding, graphics, search engine optimization (SEO), and the sales pitch. Coding and SEO professionals are now a dime a dozen. A good graphics person is harder to find, and great sales gurus, or Web copywriters, are rare.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

Selling Secrets Revealed

Think about it … what do most people do when they hear the word salesman? “Run” is probably the initial knee-jerk reaction and that’s probably followed by “hide.” The word “salesman” has earned the ill-fated reputation of being someone who can’t (or shouldn’t) be trusted. Never trust the fast-talking salesman. He’ll pull the wool over your eyes. He’ll sell you something you don’t even need. Unfortunately, when it comes to the term salespeople, trust and honesty go right out the window and here lies the conundrum because all business transactions are based on sales and employing people to close them, and without trust, honesty, and integrity, sales cannot be closed.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

Are You Stealing Employees?

An often-asked question regarding professional recruiting tactics is, “Are you stealing employees?” The answer is absolutely not. The fact is you cannot recruit someone that doesn’t want to be recruited. If someone is happy with their employer, it doesn’t matter how big or enticing the carrot is you dangle in front of them, they won’t budge.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

Where Seldom Is Heard an Encouraging Word

How do I get my employees motivated? How do I get the phones to ring more? How do I keep busy all year long and avoid the slow seasons? How do I make more profitable sales? Just about every service contractor complains about one or more of these issues, but they all can be eliminated with very little effort. It’s a known fact that happy employees are highly motivated and productive. An important truth, which many business owners aren’t aware of, is that the No. 1 employee complaint isn’t about low pay or a lack of quality benefits, it’s about not feeling appreciated.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration the News magazine.

How to Dramatically Increase Service Maintenance Agreement Sales

Service maintenance agreement sales… you gotta love them! Lot and lots of agreement sales. If you think about it, when customers purchase maintenance agreements, they’re essentially paying you money every month to come back and sell them something else. They lock customers down, offer special incentives, deliver peace of mind; there’s a multitude of benefits for both customers and contractors. Unfortunately, for many shops, agreement sales are virtually nonexistent and it’s a shame because they can keep any business running strong all year long and eliminate the slow seasons. In this article, you’ll find out why sales are generally low for most companies. You’ll also learn a simple system to turbocharge your crew to become agreement-selling fanatics.

Apex Training articles by Randall Murphy with Contractor Magazine.

Five Keys to Higher Profits

If you’re looking for greater profits for your contracting business, here are five keys strategies for success.
Contractor Dan invested in expensive, graphic-wrapped vehicles and a state-of-the-art warehousing system with a stockpile of all the major brands. He also invested vast amounts of time, money and energy in his Yellow Page ads and Web site. Once Dan had every aspect of his company’s operations current and restructured, he felt he was poised for a slam-dunk. 

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