Yesterday marked the beginning of the convention for the IWCA Board as they attended to business with a busy agenda. Today, however, the Convention began in earnest for the members as suppliers constructed their booths in the main hall.
The breakfast and keynote session was packed as to be expected for the first day. After IWCA business had been dealt with and finished the schedule quickly moved on to the Keynote Speaker Danielle Cantin.
Danielle’s skills are in marketing and her message today was about getting business owners to think differently about their marketing approach. The session dived into areas of being authentic and relevant to your customers as well as finding out what the hell they really want from you. In other words, what matters to your consumers? Because actually that does make so much sense! This theme was to be carried through with Curt Kempton’s class later in the day called Six Simple Things to Make Your Bids Close More Often and at Higher Prices……. aaannnd breath! Yep Curt. I interviewed attendees to the class afterwards and asked what was the class called. Of course there followed panicked gazes at the room plaque for the title.
But where Curt Kempton’s class title was at least with in Twitter word number counts his entertaining and valuable view on the topic of managing customers expectations and closing bids at better price values was priceless. It was delivered with audience participation in mind. The personal stories of his wife to illustrate his points and actual on the job experiences offered a real life view that was not only easily digestible but fun to learn.
Kempton is the founder of Responsabid also booth attending at the trade show tomorrow. A software he designed initially for his own window cleaning business back in 2010. His session was very funny and very informative.
Below: Stefan Bright IWCA Safety Director during his class on the importance of a documented safety program.
My first class of this morning was held by Stefan Bright, IWCA Safety Director. It touched on topics that will be discussed in more detail tomorrow morning at the Breakfast with Stefan Bright session where all of the new OSHA ruling would be explained. Todays class, however, pushed the message of the importance for safety training and creating accountability and proof that said training was carried out and understood by staff members .
Quite rightly, Bright stated that those that had accidents at work did not plan to have the accident. You as an employer must now plan to prevent that accident!
Side note: Interestingly the US term for UK RA’s ( Risk Assessments) are called ‘Job Assessments’ but the fundamental principles are exactly the same.
Bright further explains the IWCA Campus training and the soon to be released field guide app for your mobile phone. This is due to be released in two weeks although Bright stresses it is a guide only and not a substitute to the IWCA Campus training. The information provided by Bright is solid. What he does not know about H&S is not worth knowing at all. And in his own words, ‘ you cant lie to me when it comes to H&S’, looking like Magnum PI I can only guess he has those same investigative skills to back him up.
Stefan Bright delivered an outstanding session. One that business owners really need to understand. The IWCA are here to help you through these serious topics. WCM’s advice to business owners is to yolk Stefan Bright’s strength in matters of Safety.
Incidentally, did you know that part of the benefits of IWCA membership is that you receive a safety tool box talk in your email account every week? You didn’t? Well you do now…
A nice touch at the IWCA today was the arm bands given out to attendees. The arm band was actually a zip drive containing the IWCA health and safety training programs… When Jason York ( soon to be president) was handing over my band, I thought that it was unique to me – like some sort of special 007 spy thing. That evaporated very quickly when it dawned on me how everybody else was sporting the same band. A great idea and special touch for attendees.
I met a lot of new people today and connected with new fellow window cleaners. What stood out for me were the statements made by members on film for WCM TV. The value they get from this event for their business more than out weighed the membership. One guy I interviewed was attending his third IWCA event. He is still picking up new things for his business today!
The out door demonstrations of water fed poles and squeegees against the We-Ko-Pa Resort Hotel windows rounded off the day before the sun set over a beautiful landscape of mountains and cacti.
END
Below: Curt Kempton's Class on closing bids at higher prices
