Speaking Topics/Boot Camp

ESTIMATING TOPICS:
How to Determine a Fair Price,
Estimating at the Kitchen Table
SALES TOPICS
Creating Profits from Building Performance
How to Win the Job without Leaving Your Profits on the Table
Close the Deal at the Kitchen Table
CUSTOMER TOPICS
Managing To Exceed the Client’s Expectations
MARKETING TOPICS
What Happens When the Phone Stops Ringing (and how to avoid this disaster)
BUILDING PERFORMANCE TOPICS
Starting and Building a Home Performance Company
How to Win the Job in the Remediation Business
Adding Building Science to your Scope of Work
Making the Shift from Technical Wizard to Business Manager
BUSINESS TOPICS
Take your Business to the Next Level
Training and Retaining
Paying for Performance—Everyone Wins!
KEYNOTE TOPICS
10 Business Strategies for Successful Contractors

Also; BOOT CAMP (one or two, seven or eight hour days)

For seminar registration simply fill out the registration form here. Confirmations are sent each weekend by email following receipt
of your registration form.

Coming--Minnesota CEU 7 hrs--Feb. 2012

Repeat Class Rule--326B.821
CONTINUING EDUCATION:
Continuing education credit may not be earned if the licensee has previously obtained credit for the same course as a licensee within the three years immediately prior. The last time I checked, there was no plan to get this information out to contractors. DON’T BE SURPRISED BY HAVING YOUR CREDITS ARE DENIED IN ARREARS! You must take a new course every year without repeating for three years.For this reason we get have new courses every year!

Accreditation; Our one-day course has been approved pursuant to Minnesota Stat. S326.87 for residential building contractors, remodelers and roofers (7credits). Also the course has been approved for seven hours for WI Dwelling Contractor Qualifier Certification and FL ECLB and CILB contractors (7 hrs) and National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) continuing education (7 hrs).

Our Banquet Room Locations for January/February 2012 are as follows;

Detroit Lakes, Speakeasy Banquet Room, 1100 North Shore Drive, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
January 31, Tuesday, phone at location; 218-844-1326

Brainerd, Old Waterfall Inn Banquet Room, 18512 Hwy 371 N., Brainerd, MN 56401
February 1, Wednesday, phone at location; 281-825-0633

Duluth, Timberlodge Steakhouse Banquet Room, 325 South Lake Ave., Duluth, MN 55802
February 2, Thursday, phone at location; 218-722-2624

Maple Grove, Old Country Buffet Banquet Room, 113603 Grove Dr., Maple Grove, MN 55311
February 7, Tuesday, phone at location; 763-494-6606

West St. Paul, Old Country Buffet Banquet Room, 2000 Robert Rd. S., West St. Paul, MN 55118
February 28, Tuesday, phone at location; 763-494-6606

Fridley, Old Country Buffet Banquet Room, 6540 University Ave, NE., Fridley, MN 55432
February 29, Wednesday, phone at location; 763-572-9407

Check-in at  8:00 am, seminar  hours; 8:30 to 4:30. Make sure to have your new MN license numbers with you! We will complete the certificates of completion at the end of the day (for your records). TechKnowledge Systems then transmits your license information to the State of MN in electric form immediately after the class.

Lunch is always included as is free parking at all locations.

Course materials include the 2012 RemodelMas 8,000 item data base for estimating labor hours, labor and material prices. Register early to get your copy in advance!

Note: Energy Education is now required every two years; The course must include one hour about implementation of energy codes or energy conservation measures applicable to residential buildings.

A qualifying licensed individual must provide proof of completion of 14 hours of continuing education per two-year license period. Our course fulfills 7 CEU requirements, including energy.

Every sponsor must transmit the credit hours to the state within 14 days of completion of the course (thus the proof of completion is no longer your headache.)

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Current Seminar Content:
How to Determine a Fair Price:

Price for one day seminar; one person $125, second and third person $100/each, lunch is included! Check-in at  8:00 am, seminar  hours; 8:30 to 4:30.

Remodeling may be the only game in town and the rules have changed. You have to devote more energy to finding prospects and then struggle more than ever to get them to buy your product. What’s driving these rule changes? Smaller jobs, more competition, cheaper competition, customers less willing and able to spend, trends towards Green, building science, cheaper electronics, new products, Lead Paint (RRP) requirements, energy codes, health care reform (and government intervention in general) unstable home prices, lack of consumer financing, have changed your world.

At this seminar we’ll;

• work through a bathroom remodeling project and demonstrate the process of estimating in the home.
• print out the finished product on the spot.
• demonstrate how to place images, photos and plans in the proposal.
• explore the proper use of allowances.
• discuss options for winning the job even when we’re not the low bidder.
• discover how your estimating system can be tied to your compensation system to allow more precise control of job costs.

You may need to reconsider how you pay for labor in order to continue in business. More than ever, you need a quick and accurate way to write contracts and specs and handle all the paperwork that consumes your time.

Business volume is down for most companies, large and small. What if  this is as good as it will get for years? Learn the new rules—what you can do now to survive and thrive.  Approved for State of Minnesota (including energy) and Wisconsin, Approved for 7 hrs NARI Continuing Education as well as State of Florida ECLB and CILB contractors (7 hrs).

Niche Market Possibility

In coming years, 16.3% of U.S GDP (read; 16.3% of every dollar spent in the country) is expected to be spent on elderly care. Get trained in "Age in Place" remodeling. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 77 million boomers in the U.S. and by 2030, this demographic (born between 1946 and 1964) will represent 20% of the population. This means that more than 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 every day for the next 19 years--unbelievable!

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Speaking and Seminar Testimonials

"Mike, your seminar is so packed with ideas it's like trying to drink from a fire hose!"
Kevin Eads, Longwood, FL

"More points than a Swiss Army knife."
John Long, Miami, FL

Mike showed how to  beat the so-called competitor that obtains jobs on price alone."

"Use Mike's systems to know your overhead costs, monitor labor and material costs."

"Mike, I don't know if  you  hear this kind of reply often, but the seminars changed my life."

"We made changes the day after the seminar, and they seem to be working for us."

“I owe you a huge thank you! When I attended your continuing education seminar in Punta Gorda back in 2006, little did I know you were setting me on a path to success. We just received 2010 Green Builder of The Year from Charlotte County, and business continues to improve. Thanks! “
Beth Cantin

“Thank you, Mike. It was great, an eye opener for me. Take care”
Eduardo

Hello Mike, 
At ACI PA your opening was great. The subject matter of proper pricing and business development are what I’m interested at this point.  My company grew quickly due to good customer and technical skills, but we are in that 1+million $ range where processes are needed to break through.  I’ve been in the IAQ and HVAC field for 24 years and started this company the end of 2007. I see no reason we can’t function at a NP of 25% to 35% in the home and building performance business--pending proper planning of course.
 At one of the breakouts you displayed a spreadsheet to help breakdown cost vs. overhead, can you send a copy.  My bookkeeper is great, but I need to figure out these numbers in a way that helps me manage and determine price.
 Thank You,
David Hoh
DH Services Group, Inc.
Lake Como, NJ

Good Afternoon Mike:
 It was a pleasure meeting you last week at the ACI / PA Home Energy conference.  Thank you for all the valuable information you provided.  I have already changed a number of business practices. I am following up on your offer to send me the Home Performance Database for Clear Estimates.
 Thank you.
Best Regards,
Gary Altoonian, GCP

Hi Mike,
I attended your pre-conference session in San Francisco covering sales and marketing.  You had offered to forward the slides from the sessions and the estimating template you developed for the Florida WAPs.  Your sessions were timely and the content highly relevant for where we are in our development cycle.  When could I expect to get these resources?
Thank you
Philip Cecchini

Hi Mike, 
I attended for your two-day session in San Francisco and it was great!  I have been combing through my notes and the slides you gave us in preparation for my launch as a Home Performance contractor.  I do have one small request, can you send me the Lead Form in MS Word format?  I really like the format and content and would like to make a few tweaks specific to my presentation.  It would save me the effort of recreating it from ground zero.
 Thanks again for all of your insight.  I look forward to crossing paths again someday in the future.
 David M. Sipes
Gentry Homes, Inc.

Hi Mike,
How are you?  Stuart and I attended one of your sessions at the JLC Live show in Providence, we are also clients of Melanie Hodgdon’s…just to help you remember us!
 I wanted to say thanks again for all your wonderful information.  We have had some great success implementing your ideas.  The biggest thing that has worked for us is grasping onto the concept of selling ourselves more and in turn charging more.  We have offered a 5 year warranty and also have begun the process of making a presentation book.  Just merely showing confidence with our ideas, and expertise we have sold three jobs and have charged what we need to charge and are making money!  It feels good not to feel guilty about making money and have a renewed confidence!  Thanks so much.  We were hoping to make one of your seminars in Massachusetts but we couldn’t do it.  We hope to make one in the fall. I need to give you a new email address for your newsletter.  The other one isn’t working right.  Please change it. 
Take care! 
Sincerely
Stuart & Paula Goode
Goode Enterprises, Inc.
Damariscotta, ME

Mike- I saw you at the B4 Conference in Wisconsin Dells and I wanted to take this chance to say I enjoyed your talk. Hope to see you there next year.
 Richard Baker, CR
Construction Services of Waunakee
Waunakee WI
   

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the interesting meeting yesterday. I’ve been in the HVAC business for 40 years and there is always something new to learn as you certainly proved yesterday. During the meeting I understood you to say that you would email your presentation slides as well as Job Descriptions to those who requested them. I’m requesting.
 Thank you,
 Jim Sancin
Lakewood Furnace Co.
18502 Detroit Ave.
Lakewood, OH 44107

Mike,
Doug Shure from P.K. Wadsworth Heating & Cooling sending you a message to thank you for the very informative seminar in Huron Ohio March 15, lots of good information.  Also you offered to send a copy of the slides you used at the course to anyone if they would email their web address to you, if you would do that I would greatly appreciate it, that will help me to go over the information with my boss and the rest of the company.
Thank You,  
Doug

Thanks Mike, I enjoyed the training and have started making the change already. Please feel free to keep me in your contact list and send along helpful ideas when you can. Regards, Pat
Patrick S. Petty
Verdant Services, Inc

Hi Mike,
I really enjoyed your presentation over the last couple of days and I'm glad I had the opportunity to sit in on it as a substitute.  We had briefly talked about my being able to get a copy of the slides used in your presentation however, since I was sitting in for someone else you didn't have my e-mail address to send them to me.  I am including it here, and look forward to being able to review the information.  Once again, thanks for a great couple of days and I hope I have the chance to hear you speak again.       
Jack Howard 

Mike,
Thanks for the class. Outstanding material and a great comprehension of all elements (pun) involved to be successful. Knowledge is power. Sorry I missed the second day, after reviewing slides I needed to be there for that. My desire is to become very successful in the home performance contracting arena and I need your assistance. Your presentation made me realize two important concepts. If a department is not profitable, dump it. I am in the process of consolidation as I write this. Currently, I do the sales - primarily with builders, restaurant owners etc. Energy improvement sales are conducted by my auditors. Before I hire and create, I need to develop a sales department structure. I need commissions, tracking, marketing, compensation, training and individual job cost analysis. Is this a service you and your company provide? If not, do you have recommendations on an organization that can help me develop such a home performance sales force? Thanks for everything.
Gary

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