Build Your Business: Don't Waste an Opportunity to Earn Referrals

By: Pat Quigley Pest Management Professional

Patrick Quigley

After receiving the stimulus check the government sent us, my wife Amy and I decided to purchase three new windows to replace the three original windows in our basement.

In keeping with the "we want to help the economy" ideal, we looked for an American company and settled on one in Pennsylvania. The company actually buys direct from the manufacturer in Pittsburgh, so this was a double win as far as we were concerned.

The appointment was set, and the sales representative visited me when he was scheduled. During the presentation, I realized I wasn't sure what style of window Amy would like, so I asked the representative to call me back and I would let him know that evening. He made an easy sale. I didn't even hit him with many objections.

Our installment was set for a Thursday morning, two weeks out from the original appointment. On the Monday of the week the appointment was set, I noticed a car parked in front of the house that I didn't recognize. All of the sudden, a man walked from behind our house to our front door. I asked him if he needed help. He mentioned that he was there to measure the windows before the installation. Keep in mind that the original sales representative already measured all of the windows prior to making his presentation.

We spoke for a couple of minutes, and I asked him if he could have the sales representative call me to finalize the style of window we were looking for, as the company had to custom build the windows in the shop. He said no problem, and if I wanted to I could choose right then. He showed me the samples, and I picked the one on which Amy and I agreed.

I remember as the sales representative was making the presentation, he mentioned the screens in the windows should be inverted, as it would make it easy for us to reach up and open the windows. He also mentioned that if I were to give him referrals, I would receive a check from the company.

Hey look, I give most people a break when they're selling in my home, and I don't bust their chops. This was a slam dunk for this guy — all he had to do is show that he cared, and I would have given him at least five referrals because I liked the installers and we are happy with the windows. Most of the homes in our neighborhood have the cheap original windows still in place.

Well, my Thursday installation turned out to be Wednesday afternoon. The two guys who installed the windows were friendly, polite, neat and professional. As the first window was installed, I noticed that the screens were not inverted and the other ones were pre-manufactured the same way. When I informed the crew chief, he said the original windows were already ripped out and the only way to fix what I bought would be for him to install the windows as is and then return and rip the new ones out and install the correct ones later.

This meant additional time for me to be home and another couple of weeks to be put on the schedule. I figured I should not worry about it now — I would just get a hold of the sales representative and he would work it out.

The crew chief said he would have the sales representative call me, and he also gave me a person to call at the office. I called, and she indicated she couldn't help and I would have to speak with the sales representative. I asked her to have him call me.

It's been a month, and still no call: no response, no thanks for your business — nothing. You know what that means: Absolutely no referrals, and I will not speak highly of this company in future sales training seminars.

It's simple: Write down what you say to your customers. Communicate the information back to your company. When you say you are going to call back, do so. When work is completed and you receive your payment, call back and make sure you provided the product or service promised or proposed.

It is now four months later and one of the windows leaks. The same inside representative told me that the windows are not water proof and the sales rep has still not called. I am checking with the owner. More on this story in an upcoming article.

You can reach Quigley, president of Sales Training by Design by visiting http://www.salesbydesign.com/ or e-mail pquigley@salesbydesign.com

Farno joins Bayer Global Headquarters

Bayer Environmental Science has announced that Peter Farno, former Director of Marketing for its U.S. Professional Pest Management (PPM) business, has joined the BES Global Headquarters in Lyon, France. He has been named the Global Portfolio Manager for the Green Industry.

As part of his new role, Farno will manage the Green portfolio in key regions and countries, liaise with Bayer CropScience to bring new technology to the Green markets, and oversee key active ingredients to ensure adequate supply and cost of goods. His responsibilities will span the Golf, Lawn Care, Nursery/Greenhouse and Industrial Vegetation Management (IVM) markets.

Farno has 21 years of experience in the industry, working 16 years in the T&O business and five years in the PPM business. He assumed his most recent position in 2003, when he became the Director of Marketing for Bayer's PPM business. In this position, he led the marketing team in re-launching the Premise® brand and strengthened Bayer's position in the general insect control market. He joined the PPM team from the company's T&O business, where he served as marketing manager for the Green Industry.

Visit www.bayercropscience.com for additional information.

Project Management Professional

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Project Management Professional is properly expressed as the credential PMP. The credentialing agency is the Project Management Institute ([1] PMI). This credential is obtained by gaining a certification in project management through the completion of PMI certified training and examination. PMP training and examination material comes from the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (or PMBOK), the Fourth Edition of which was published in December 2008. Most exam questions relate to PMI's project quality standards which are documented in the PMBOK. The PMP credential undergoes rigorous validation by ISO, and the PMBOK guide is widely regarded as the industry standard for Project Management. It has been adopted as the single standard for project management by agencies such as NASA.

PMP (Project Management Professional) is one of five concentrations offered by PMI in the study of Project Management:
1. CAPM Certified Associate in Project Management: This certification is obtained after passing the CAPM Exam
2. PMP Project Management Professional: This certification is obtained after passing the PMP Exam
3. PgMP Program Management Professional: This certification is obtained after passing the PgMP Exam
4. PMI RMP PMI Risk Management Professional: This certification is obtained after passing the PMI-RMP Exam
4. PMI SP PMI Scheduling Professional: This certification is obtained after passing the PMI-SP Exam

Contents [hide] 1 PMP Application 2 PMP Eligibility Requirements 3 PMP Training 4 PMP Exam 5 Verification 6 Continuing Education to Maintain Certification 7 External links 8 References

[edit] PMP Application

1. Application Submission has a window of 90 days for completion once an application is opened
2. Application Completeness Review take 5 business days when submitted online to PMI
3. Audit Process if application is selected for audit which can last 5 business days
4. Multiple-Choice Examination which designates the PMP certification for 1 year from the date of the application approval
5. Certification Cycle 3 years from the date the exam is passed to obtain and report PDUs toward credential maintenance
6. Applicant Payment Process cannot schedule exam until you submit payment of credential fees

[edit] PMP Eligibility Requirements

1. High school diploma
2. Associate’s degree or global equivalent
3. Minimum five years/60 months unique nonoverlapping professional project management experience during which at least 7,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks
4. 35 contact hours of formal PMI certified PMP Training
OR
1. Bachelor’s degree or global equivalent
2. Minimum three years/36 months unique non-overlapping professional project management experience during which at least 4,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks
3. 35 contact hours of formal PMI certified PMP Training

[edit] PMP Training

Educational requirements can be satisfied by demonstrating the successful completion of courses work from a PMI Registered Education Providers or

1. PMI certified Component organizations
2. PMI certified Employer or company-sponsored programs
3. University/college academic and continuing education programs

NOTE: One hour of classroom instruction equals one contact hour. If you have completed a university or college course on project management that met for three hours per week for 15 weeks, you would document 45 contact hours. If only a portion of a course dealt with project management, only the hours spent on project management can be applied toward the total.

[edit] PMP Exam

The PMP examination is a 4 hour computer based training exam comprised of 200 multiple-choice questions. Of the 200 questions, 25 are considered pretest questions.

The test questions break down by percentage in these policy areas:
1. Initiation 11%
2. Planning 23%
3. Executing 27%
4. Monitoring and Controlling 21%
5. Closing 9%
6. Professional and Social Responsibility 9%

[edit] Verification

Certification claims can be verified through the PMI's web site at [1]

[edit] Continuing Education to Maintain Certification

After certification, a Project Management Professional must also meet specific continuing education requirements referred to as a PDU or Professional Development Unit. Additionally, a PMP must adhere to a code of professional conduct to maintain their PMP credentials

PMP certifications expire on the credential's anniversary.

[edit] External links

• Project Management Institute
• Preparepm - PMP certification preparation material

[edit] References

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Management_Professional"

Category: Professional certification

Strategy and Business, Strategy Management, Business Marketing Strategy, Business Management, Consul

Rabu, 03 Desember 08

oleh : Yoyo Subagyo

Di era globalisasi seperti sekarang ini persaingan bisnis semakin ketat, siapa yang jeli melihat peluang dialah yang akan jadi pemenang. Kesuksesan sebuah perusahaan dapat dicapai apabila perusahaan tersebut di bangun oleh System Manajemen yang baik serta dikelola secara TRANSPARAN & SISTEMATIS. Mari sedikit kita renungkan sebentar, Apa yang membuat perusahaan – perusahaan besar dunia seperti NIKE, ADIDAS, Microsoft, Nokia, BMW, terus Berjaya dan banyak diminati masyarakat dunia sampai detik ini, bahkan sudah menjadi Simbul kemakmuran bagi sebagaian masyarakat dunia? Belajar dari kisah sukses perusahaan-perusahaan berskala Internasional dan terkemuka tersebut diatas dalam melayani semua pelanggan-pelanggannya, tampaknya ada pelajaran sangat berharga yang harus dipelajari. Pelajaran Pertama adalah bahwa dalam melayani semua pelanggan ternyata harus diawali dengan pilihan Strategi Bisnis yang jitu dan benar. Dengan kata lain, proses melayani kebutuhan pelanggan ternyata tidak serta merta muncul begitu saja, namun mesti ada proses panjang dan diselaraskan dengan pilihan manajemen Strategi Bisnis perusahaan (corporate strategy) yang telah disepakati. Sering kita melihat bahwa perusahaan-perusahaan terkemuka kelas dunia sering mengaplikasikan jurus- jurus strategi dalam mengembangkan & mempromosikan produknya. Jurus – jurus Strategi Bisnis tersebut antara lain : 1. strategi Bisnis yang berorientasi pada product leadership (keunggulan produk). Perusahaan pada kategori ini selalu berupaya menciptakan produk-produk dengan kualitas premium, dan selalu one step ahead dibanding produk kompetitor. Mereka tak segan-segan mengeluarkan dana besar untuk bagian R & D-nya demi terciptanya produk yang berkualitas. Intel dengan produk Pentium-nya merupakan contoh yang paling sempurna untuk kategori jurus strategi ini, serta BMW dan Ferarri, dua produsen otomotif yang selalu menciptakan produk-produk legendaris yang mewah & menawan dan sudah menjadi simbul Kemakmuran. 2. Strategi Bisnis yang berorientasi pada operational excellence (keunggulan operasional). Dalam setrategi ini yang paling utama adalah membangun proses bisnis yang efektif & efisien. Sehingga dengan proses bisnis yang efektif & efisiensi ini, mereka mampu menekan biaya produksi, sehingga mereka mampu menjual produknya dengan harga yang lebih kompetitif dibanding competitor - kompetitornya. Salah satu contoh perusahaan dunia yang sukses mengunakan jurus ini seperti “Dell”, Dengan model yang menawan dan proses bisnis yang amat efektif & efisien, “Dell” mampu menciptakan produk-produk desktop dengan harga yang lebih komptetitif dibanding para pesaingnya, semacam IBM dan HP. 3. Strategi Bisnis yang berorientasi pada customer intimacy (Keakraban / Keintiman dengan pelanggan). Yang paling utama dalam Strategi Bisnis ini adalah membangun hubungan yang akrap/intim dengan semua pelanggannya sehingga akan membentuk mitra bisnis/ relasi yang langgeng dan berkelanjutan. Banyak perusahaan – perusahaan terkemuka dunia yang bergerak diberbagai bidang yang melakukan Strategi Bisnis ini. Salah satunya seperti Harley Davidson yang terkenal memiliki hubungan keakraban dengan para pemakainya, sehingga mereka bisa membangun fanatisme yang luar biasa dengan jutaan penggemarnya di seluruh penjuru dunia. Masih banyak lagi perusahaan- perusahaan yang juga memakai jurus Strategi Bisnis seperti tersebut diatas, dan tentunya mereka tidak hanya berfokus pada satu jurus. Honda misalnya, selain dikenal memiliki produk-produk yang unggul, juga dikenal memiliki proses bisnis yang amat efektif & efisien serta banyak lagi contoh perusahaan terkemuka lainnya. Anda Ingin Memulai usaha ? Anda ingin mengembangkan bisnis ? Anda ingin meningkatkan Omzet? Anda ingin system yang bekerja? Membuat sistem kerja yang efektif & efisien? Anda ingin meningkatkan Etos kerja Karyawan? Segera hubungi: YOYO SUBAGYO / HP. 0815 9767636, 70619908 SIEN Consualtant JL. Radiul No. 6 Tomang - jakarta