The IBP Educator 

 

 Driving Your Sales - Driving Your Profits - Building Your Team

 

                       An Innovative Business Partners, Inc. Publication

IBP Issue #12

July 12, 2010

 

The Champions of Extreme Customer Service!

 

The search for the Extreme Customer Service® Champion™ for the third quarter of 2010 is underway.

If you witness or experience an example of Extreme Customer Service® document the story and send it our way. They just might join Edith Mungovan who was the first quarter champion! Five independent judges will select the winner who will receive $200 in cash and will automatically be entered into the Championship for 2010.

Both the person and the company will be recognized for their great work!

 

Email Us

 

 

Innovative Business Partners Inc.

 

 1-877-521-2580

 

PO Box 60523

 

Worcester, MA 01606

 

www.contactibp.com

 

 

IBP Products

 

New IBP Cue Cards

Cue Cards

 

I noticed that after I conducted my Extreme Customer Service® workshops, people would take my quotes and use them as screen savers, place them on their bulletin boards and even use posted notes at their desks.

 

They use them as a constant reminder of how important it is to provide Extreme Customer Service® to both their internal customers (their co-workers) and their external customers (their clients).

 

So I decided to take quotes from my workshops and create a set of 52 Extreme Customer Service® Cue Cards®, one for each week of the year. As you can see they come with a desk top holder so they are easy to display.

 

We have also created cue card sets from my Team Building for Success™ and my Creative Sales and Marketing™workshops.

 

If you would like a brochure and order form, you can contact me below.

 

For Brochure and Order Form 

 

MORE GREAT SOFTWARE! 

 
 Have you ever had to do a presentation and wish you had free teleprompter software?

 

I use the ZAPromote Lite version and it is free!

 

 

 

If you have any interest in our coaching services, workshops or seminars, contact us at www.contactibp.com 

or contact Joe 
 
clouatrej@contactibp.com

 

IBP Resource Center

 

 

IBP Contest

 

What is the current land speed record by a wheeled vehicle?

For a chance to win a $25.00  Target Gift card  submit your entry below:

 

Submit Entry Here 

 

Congratulations 

Elaine Manners
 Setronics

 

Elaine correctly identified the Bret Michaels as the winner of the most recent apprentice!

 

Brett Michaels 

Enjoy your $25.00 Lowes Gift Card.

 

Dear Joseph,

It is neve too late to follow your dreams?

 

I woke up one day last week and my thoughts automatically took me back to 1991. Yes that was almost 20 years ago. Why my mind decided do go back in time, I had no idea, but in the end, I enjoyed the trip! In 1991 I found myself at a crossroads, knowing that I needed to move on from the job I had, but not knowing what the future would bring.

 

My wife and I decided that we wanted to open our own training company within the security industry. After all, I had been in that industry for almost 20 years, I love teaching and was pretty good at it. So we did a business plan, looked at office space and filed the name of our new company with the State of Massachusetts. We were ready to rock and roll.

 

It was then that a friend of mine asked me to come to work for him in his electronic security company. Terry and I thought it over and for the time being, set our dreams aside. Over the next 15 years, I became a partner and president of Team AVS. I continued to grow both personally and professional within the security industry.

 

It was in 2004 that cancer changed my life forever. Although I enjoyed what I was doing, I wanted to follow my dreams and my passions. So guess what, I hired a few personal coaches and they took me on a journey of exploration. After about six months, it was clear that I should really open a coaching and training company with a major focus in the security industry. After all, I had been in the security industry for 35 years, I love teaching and was very good at it.

 

What one minute! Does something sound familiar? Why on earth didn't I remember 1991 in 2004? For the life of me I cannot answer that question, however isn't it ironic that the dreams we had in 1991 are actuality today in 2010. There might be people that say well if you had followed your heart in 1991, you would be much farther along with your company. My response to that is that the experience that I gained working at Team AVS better prepared me to launch IBP in 2007. Besides, I always say that things happen for a reason and they work out for the best, even if you do not realize it, when you are faced with difficult situations.

 

So as I sat up in bed, amazed at the revelation and could not wait to tell Terry. I also called a bunch of my friends to tell them and I could not wait for the newsletter so that I could tell all my friends! So I guess you are never too old to follow your dreams, even if you have to put them on hold for 15 years!

 

 

Just thinking,

 

As always, I thank you for your support and until next time,

 

Joe

 

Joseph E. Clouatre

Chief Creativity Officer

 

clouatrej@contactibp.com   

 

IBP Website

 

       Would you like Joe to speak at your next meeting, workshop or conference?

 Contact Joe Here

 

Within the last year, I became a founding member of the "Successful Transition Planning Institute" which is a wonderful organization. Jack Beauregard and Paul Cronin have done an excellent job of creating this Institute for business owners. If you get a minute you should check them out at the link below. Ok, back to my point. This foundation is a virtual organization and the members had never met each other.

 

I suggested that we host an afterhour's social so that so that we could meet face to face. So the date was set and the invitations were sent out. The social was huge success and time after time I heard people say, we just don't do this anymore. Instead we use e-mail and texting to communicate with the world. This event allowed us to get to know each other on both a personal and professional level.

 

If you are in sales, when was the last time you invited a group from your network to an afterhours social. You will be glad you did when you see the return on your investment. By the way, this is the perfect time to invite a few new people into your inner circle!

 

 

 

Last week, all people were talking about in the northeast was how hot the temperature was as we ran from our air conditioned car, to our air conditioned office and fianlly to our air conditioned home.  Then I noticed a posting on Facebook so I did a little reserach. The average temperatue in Irag right now is 118 degrees with a recent high of 130 degrees. I also found out that the average soldier carries around 140 pounds between their back[ack and body armor. They are amzing people!

 

A Tip for End-Users - Subcontractors

 

After a recent article in my newsletter, I was asked my opinion about the use of subcontractors by electronic security integrators. I guess that with fifteen years as an end-user and fifteen years as an integrator, the person was interested in hearing my thoughts. When it comes this, I have probably seen and continue to see every possible combination in the world, but the answer is easy. First, when it comes to service, I would insist that the service technicians be employed by the integrator and not be subcontracted. To be a qualified technician they need to be factory certified with years of experience. They also need to be in a stable environment so that you can continue to service your site year after year. In my opinion, service technicians must be in-house!

 

However, when it comes to installers, this is where my opinion changes. For years I taught workshops to end-users that cautioned them from using an integrator that engaged a high percentage of subcontractors. If fact today, there are still integrators that separate themselves from the competition because 100% of their installers are in-house employees. I felt the same way for years.

 

Then I began doing large union installations, where I could not use my own staff. They only person from my company involved was our project manager. It did not take me long to see that this was a good business model for my company, but what about the quality? It was interesting because there were often times that the quality was not only equal to my in-house staff, but it exceeded it. After all, the last thing some of my staff wanted to do was pull cable and mount devices. But this was all that my subcontractor did.

 

Now before I get shot out of the sky like the guy in the lawn chair with balloons, let me clarify. I had several nightmare situations with contractors that hired employees through a revolving door. They would never show up on site, never have the equipment they needed or look like they belonged to a motorcycle gang! In fact we had a customer scared to let someone into their office, until someone mentioned that it was one of my subs!

 

For it to work, the integrator must engage with a quality subcontract company that shares the same values and commitments that they do. I see these wonderful relationships occurring all over the country. Whether you agree or disagree, that is my opinion.

 

 

       One of our long time customers,

 Intelligent Access Systems

moved up to #59 in the 15th annual SDM's top 100 integrators list!

 Congratulations!

 

 Visit IAS here

 

NEW IBP WORKSHOPS!

 

IBP is exited to offer three new and exciting workshops!  Each of these workshops is eight hours in length and are world class. Nadim Sawaya has been developing and delivering these programs for more than 25 years. 

 

Estimating and Sales Proposals Workshops

 

Finacial Training for Executives Workshops

 

Security Project Managment Workshops

 

For additional information contact us below.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter. We value your input and suggestions. If there are any topics that you would like covered, just let us know. Please feel free to pass our newsletter along to anyone you feel might enjoy it.

 

In gratitude,

 

 

 

 


Joseph E. Clouatre

President/CEO

Innovative Business Partners, Inc.

Innovative Business Partners, Inc.

 

 CEO Coaching 

 

Strategic Planning - Organizational Development - Personal Coaching

     Restructuring & Downsizing - Sales/Marketing Plans and Budgets 

                  

Workshops

 

Extreme Customer Service (R) - Creative Sales and Marketing(TM)

Effective Time Management - Team Building for Success(TM)

How to Select and Negotiate with Security Integrators(TM)  

                         

Motivational Speaking  

 

How Cancer Changed My LIfe and My Career(TM)

Capitalizing on Opportunities (TM)
                     

 

Joseph E. Clouatre

 

Chief Rain Maker
                                               

774-230-5531