Fresh Ideas from CONNeCT 2015 - Amazon S3 · Wine To Water, Doc Hendley, took the world’s water crisis into his own hands by drilling wells to help the 1.1 billion people worldwide

Post-ConferenCe WraP-UP

Wrap-Up Sponsored by

Fresh Ideas from CONNeCT 2015

s T r a T e g I e s | s O l u T I O N s | s u C C e s s W I T h I N r e a C h

sePtember 30 – oCtober 2, 2015

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hollywood, Florida

October 19-21

San Antonio

Marriott Rivercenter

San Antonio, TX

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DATE!

CONNECT 2016

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association2

CONNeCT 2015 KeYNOTe sPeaKers

OVerVIeW2009 CNN Hero and President/Founder of Wine To Water, Doc Hendley, took the world’s water crisis into his own hands by drilling wells to help the 1.1 billion people worldwide who do not have access to clean water. From the time the words “wine to water” came to him in a dream, and after raising thousands of dollars with the help of his community, Doc began his life-changing journey to protect the health, safety and environment for people around the world. Through his journey of helping others, Doc offers some encouragement for our day-to-day lives.

Welcome to this New Member Resource!At this year’s CONNECT conference, more than 23 educational sessions and two keynote presentations were held. To continue the learning offered at CONNECT, this Post-Conference Wrap-Up gives you highlights from the two keynote presentations and a handful of the educational sessions. Thank You to all CONNECT sponsors for helping us provide such a valuable educational and networking event! We hope you find this wrap-up to be a valuable resource that can be referenced throughout the year and beyond. Be sure to share with your employees! PHCC wants to put real strategies and solutions within reach for you and your company to make your 2016 as successful as it can be.

KeY TaKeaWaYsDon’t Compare YourselfDon’t compare the success of others to your own success. We are all unique, and each of us has a gift to offer those around us.

Who Am I?Find out what you like about yourself and what you like to do and build on that. Doc Hendley realized he loved bartending so much because he got to build relationships with people of all walks of life.

What Are My Passions?Find out what you are passionate about. Once you realize what that is, go after it.

The People In Our LivesThe people in our lives make life worth living. The people around us can teach us all something new. For Doc Hendley, the people in the villages he served taught him so much. The ones he met in the worst situations didn’t have a “woe is me” attitude; they were some of the happiest people he met.

“Be encouraged that what you do makes a difference.” – Doc Hendley

dIggINg FOr hOPe: TurNINg WINe INTO WaTer aNd OTher MOderN daY MIraClesSpeaker Doc Hendley, President/Founder of Wine to WaterSponsored by Viega

“PhCC members do a great job protecting public health, safety and the environment in the work they do every day.” – Doc Hendley

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association 3

OVerVIeWAs a wife, mother of four, successful entrepreneur, author of a Wall Street Journal best-seller, and the U.S. Navy’s first female F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot, Carey Lohrenz knows what it takes to be a leader. This former president of the Women Military Aviators Association shares skills that are necessarymy to be part of a high-performing team.

KeY TaKeaWaYsLeadership• Figureouthowtoleverageresourcesavailable

to you. What are the best practices? How are other people doing this?

• Socialmediaishowtoreachyoungerworkers(majority of anyone under 30 is getting their information this way).

• Pickthree things you really want to be good at, and go hard after those things.

• Industry-wide–only17-20% of workers

feel highly engaged in what they’re doing at work. This can be fixed by having one-on-one communications to clearly state goals. Communicate your organization’s value and purpose.

Fear of Failure• Wegetstrongerandgetmoreexperience

from pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone.

• Tryingandfailingarepartoflearningprocess.

• Onceadayyouneedtobedoingsomethingthat gives you a pit in your stomach or a lump in your throat.

• “Feelthefearanddoitanyway!”

Pioneering 101• Don’tgivefeedbackthatisn’tactionable.• Wemakeleadershipdecisionsbasedon

our perceptions of people that aren’t always reality. Meet people where they are. This makes everything move much more smoothly.

Prepare, Perform, Prevail• Onehourofeffectiveplanningsaves200

execution errors (from Harvard Business Review).

• Anegativeattitudekillsyourabilityto adapt. We do this sometimes with our language choice.

Be Resilient• Actinspiteofthefear.• Bebrave.Bebold.Beintentional.

lessONs IN leadershIPSpeaker Carey Lohrenz, Author, Speaker and AviatorSponsored by Kohler Co.

Carey’s unique ex-perience makes her an expert when it comes to the essen-tials of leadership, teamwork, winning under pressure, reducing errors, and overcoming obstacles. In her speech, she shared the fundamentals of how to be suc-cessful – whether that’s flying a jet at Mach 2 or creating an efficient and innovative business environment.

strategies – solutions – success Within reach

“Feel the fear and do it anyway!” – Carey Lohrenz


BuIldINg a serVICe CulTureBeth Dobkin, Quality Service Contractors (QSC) Business CoachSponsored by Kohler Co. Presented by QSC

OVerVIeWBeth Dobkin provides insights on ways you can make your work environment more harmonious as well as ways to get your team on the same page so that everyone shares a common purpose and goal for your company.

KeY TaKeaWaYsWhat is a Service Culture? • It’sasharedpurposewithineveryaspectof

your company, interaction and transaction where everyone focuses on creating value for someone else both internally and externally.

• ServiceCultureemulatesastyleofmanagement.Getridofthe“What’sInItForMe”(WIIFM)attitudeandthinkaboutwhat’s in it for everyone else.

Company Core Values• Postingyourcorevaluesiskeytobeinga

different kind of company.• Explorewhat’simportanttoyouandyour

company.

Company Goals• Goalsshouldalignwiththecultureofthe

company. • Bedefinitiveandclearincommunicating

company goals and make sure they are measurable.

• Clearlycommunicateemployeeresponsibilities and what they will be accountable for to avoid sending mixed messages.

• Keeptheultimategoalinsight,pursueandfollowtheplan,andcelebratesuccesses!

Effective Management Styles• Withtheneedsofworkforcedevelopment

initiatives in our industry, it is important to know how to manage your younger employees. Young people don’t like to be told what to do; they like to be shown what to do.

• Foreachemployee,findoutiftheyhaveahigh or low need for support or guidance. Your management style should be based on the needs of your employees.

Four Stages of Building a Sustainable Service Culture• Assessment –whatisyourcurrentreality?• Alignment –allassessmentareasneedto

be aligned to support the service culture objectives.

• Training and Development–includescoaching designed to develop appropriate attitudes, skill sets and knowledge needed to deliver on service culture promise.

• Reinforcement–howwillyousustainthisculture of service excellence?

“ We are what we repeatedly do. excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

CONNeCT 2015 eduCaTIONal sessION TaKeaWaYs



YOu dON’T geT aN OFFICe JusT BeCause YOur lasT NaMe Is ON Our TruCKs!FaMIlY Issues IN The P-h-C INdusTrYKirk Alter, Fast Management Inc.Sponsored by Kohler Co.

OVerVIeWAbout 90% of all U.S. businesses are family-ownedorfamily-controlled.Inordertoraisethe survival rate for family-owned businesses, we need to better understand how to avoid the common conflicts and problems by mapping out clear definitions of power, clearly separate duties, and plan as effectively as possible.

KeY TaKeaWaYs4 Primary Reasons Why Family Businesses Fail1) Lack of viability of the business.2) Lack of planning.3) Little desire on the owner’s part to transfer

the firm.4) Reluctance of offspring to join the firm.

Primary Cause – Lack of Planning4 Plans your must have:1) Business Strategic Plan–alloweach

generation an opportunity to chart a course.2) Family Strategic Plan–maintainahealthy

viable business by establishing policies for the family’s role in the business.

3) Business Succession Plan–howsuccessionoccurs and to know when the successor is ready.

4) Estate Plan–withoutityouwilldevelophigher estate taxes.

The 1st Rule in successfully transferring the business to family is to share information with all family members.

3 Steps To Managing Conflict and Stress In The Family Business1) Identifyissuesthatmaycauseconflict

and stress.2) Discuss these issues with the family.3) Devise a policy to address them.

Decision to make: Who do you want running the company?• Youaregoingtohavetodecidewhoyouwant

running the company and who you want owning the company.

• It’sadifficultdecision,butitshouldbemadeobjectively and not emotionally.

• Ideallyyouwanttobalanceskillandpersonality types.

Types Of People To Consider In Succession Planning• Product/Serviceexpert.• Employeewithsignificantemployeerelations.• Intellectualfoil(someonewho’sgoingto

alwayspush)forcurrentCEOandmanagers.• Personwhoconsistentlybringsinhigh

margin new business.• Strategicfinancialactor.• Long-termemployee–loyal,withconsistent

above average financial results.• Businessunitleaderwithminimumoffive

years of above average results.• Long-termkeyemployeewhoyoudon’twant

to lose.• Carrottoenticetopoutsidertojoinfirm.• Someoneyouareconfidentwillkeep

producing acceptable financial results 10+ years after you’re gone.



CONsCIOus COMMuNICaTIONs:IT’s MOre ThaN CheCKINg The BOXesSharon Ellis, SQE Communications Group Sponsored by Kohler Co.

“Better communication leads to better conversation…which leads to enhanced relationships…and that leads to revenue growth.” – John T. Kennedy III, Robert W. Baird & Co

OVerVIeWWith more than 30 years of experience in organizational management, presentation/facilitation skills, sales and market development, and change management, Sharon Ellisreviewedbestpracticesineffectivelycommunicating with others.

KeY TaKeaWaYsThe Foundation• Buildtherelationship!• It’sthe“What’sInItForThem”(WIIFT)that

really matters.• TheWIIFTanswersthequestion“sowhat?”• FocusingontheWIIFTwillresultinthe

WIIFY(What’sInItForYou).• ForgetaboutYOU–focusonyour

AUDIENCE.

Consciously Communicating• Createsanenvironmentofpositive

communication.• Respectsotheropinionsandoptions.• Assignsresponsibilityresponsibly.• Isself-empowering.

How We CommunicateWe tend to remember:• 10%ofwhatweread,20%ofwhatwehear,

50% of what we hear and see, 70% of what we discuss, and 90% of what we say and what we do.

Engaging in Conscious Communication:• 7%ofwhatyoucommunicatewillcome

from words.• 38%comesfromtone/inflection.• 55%comesfrombodylanguage.• Stimulates35%ofunderstanding.

Without body language (i.e. over the phone):• 86%fromtoneinflection.• 14%fromactualwords.

How We Process Words & How to Eliminate Distractions• Wementallyprocess750WordsPerMinute

and verbally process 150 Words Per Minute.• The“Elusive600”isabarrierwehaveto

hearing messages because of distractions. • Asaneffectivecommunicator,youhave

tobreakintothe“Elusive600”asbestandas often as we can so we can engage our customers and not lose them.

How to Decrease Distractions• Unplugging.• Whenweletothersknow“what’sinitfor

them(WIIFT),”theywillwaitforthe“gift”that you’re going to give them.

• Usetheperson’snameinconversation.• Engagepeopleintheconversation.• Makeeyecontact.



OVerVIeWJames Graening offers ways to use simple methods to close more service agreements and commercial service solutions by means of presenting, collecting, and providing costs to customers to justify planned maintenance, energy retrofit work, and bundled solutions.

KeY TaKeaWaYsFinancial Justification for Bundled Service Offerings• Weneedtounderstandthebigpictureneeds

and concerns of potential customers.• Byaskingquestionsandlistening,wecan

uncover these needs and pains related to the entire environmental systems.

Preventative Maintenance & Additional Building Services Recommendations• Sellmoremaintenancebybundling.The

reason we bundle is for differentiation and to move away from bid situations.

• Createnewstrategicalliesforbuildingrelationships.

Questions That Lead to Bundles• Assessmentofcurrentoperationsneeded.• Interestinresolvingissues.• Lookingforlong-termapproach.• Financialconsiderations.• Willingnessfora‘planofaction.’• Requirementforbudgetnumbers.• Higherdecision-makinginput.• Engineeringexpertise-valueneeded.• Reduced“fingerpointing”needed.• Betterdocumentationofservices.

Qualifying the OpportunitiesA First Meeting Overview• Thisisthemostimportantcallyou’llhave.

Set up half hour to an hour for the first meeting.

• Themostimportantquestiontoaskshouldpertain to their needs, pain, business objectives/goals.

• Reviewthebuildingoperatingcostsconcept.• Settheagenda,whichisyourobjective,atthe

first meeting.

Questions for the First Meeting• Askabouttheprospect’sresponsibilitiesand

business that they’re in.• AskaboutthefacilityandHVACsystemor

comfort concerns that exist.• Askaboutthebudgetandanyfinancialissues

relatedtoHVACexpenses.• Askhowtherecommendationwouldbe

approved and who would be involved.

Prioritize the Needs, Pain, Goals & Agree to a “Plan of Action”• Haveandintroduceanagendaandmeeting

objectives.• Reviewyourcapabilities.• Provideageneralbenefitstatement.• Givespecificexamplesofsuccessesyou’vehad.

Use worksheets to build your case with numbers. Interested in seeing a worksheet? Email [email protected] for samples provided at the session.

A proactive approach always saves money (saves 12-14% from changing from reactive to proactive).

MaKe IT MaKe seNse: FINaNCIal JusTIFICaTION FOr COMMerCIal serVICe BuIldINg sOluTIONsJames Graening, B2B Sales ExcellenceSponsored by Kohler Co.

“Financial justification helps reduce the ‘price only’ discussions by concentrating the conversation on rOI and savings.”

an example of setting the agenda at your first meeting:“as I mentioned on the phone, we’d like to learn more about your business, facility and scope of work, share how we’ve helped improve cash flow for businesses. If it looks like we can help with any recommendations, we can set up a plan to move forward. does that make sense?”



rallY TO reCruIT:lOCal WOrKFOrCe INITIaTIVes ThaT CaN WOrK FOr YOuSam Dowdy, S&D Plumbing Gordy Noe, Pioneer Heating & Air ConditioningSponsored by Kohler Co.

OVerVIeWSeveral PHCC Chapters and contractors have rallied together to implement workforce development initiatives to help solve the shortage of skilled workers in the industry. For every four skilled workers who leave the Skilled TradesIndustry,onlyoneentersthefield.Thefuture of our industry’s workforce is in the hands of our nation’s young people. PHCC members Sam Dowdy and Gordy Noe share the details about the programs they started to tackle this issue.

KeY TaKeaWaYsSam Dowdy’s Plumbing Pipeline ProgramInthelastcoupleofyears, Sam Dowdy asked his sons to take over the daily operations of his plumbing companies in Texas so that he could focus on actively solving the workforce shortage in the industry.

Mr. Dowdy expressed that the workforce development efforts are all about the community and the image of the trade. He would like for the Plumbing Pipeline Program to help change the negative stereotypes of plumbers and show everyone the professionalism that we have in the industry. He wants kids to feel engaged and thinking about what they want to do in the future. The p-h-c industry is a great option forthosewhodonotwanttogotocollege.It’sa good career opportunity. He also feels his program would allow kids to get a hands-on experience in shops.

Gordy Noe’s Ride and Decide ProgramGordy Noe is the President of Pioneer Heating & Air Plumbing located in Knoxville,Tennessee.In2014, with the assistance of PHCC of Tennessee, Mr. Noe started the Ride and Decide Program. He wanted to take action against the current attrition rate which shows that when the next two generations of tradesmen/women retire in 40 years, there will be virtually no one to do the work.

Vocationalschoolsandapprenticeschoolshavetrouble getting kids interested because they are often times told to go to college instead of going to a vocational or apprentice school. Mr. Noe explained that the P-H-C industry has good paying jobs and the employees are well-trained coming from four years of trade school. Compared to an average four-year college, the training and educational fees for a trade school or vocational school are drastically less. Once the student graduates, they expose themselves to competitive wages and job security in a world that will always need skilled trades. They also expand the opportunities for career advancement that could potentially lead to owning their own business.

To find out more about the Ride and Decide program, visit rideanddecide.com.

Visit plumbingpipelineprogram.com to find out more about the Plumbing Pipeline Program.

“It’s not about you or your company, but about the kids. Never say you (“I”). Focus on the kids and it will eventually come back to you.” – Sam Dowdy



Bradford White Supports Workforce Development Programs Inhisstate-of-the-industrypresentation,NickGiuffre,PresidentandCEOofBradfordWhite,saidthatthepercentage of first time home-buyers, ages 25-34, is down. From1991to2008,theywere42%ofhome-buying.Theyarenowdowntolessthan28%.Withanastounding1.2trilliondollarsofstudentdebt,whichis6%ofournationaldebt,youngmenandwomenstruggletocome up with the money for a mortgage.

Given the significant amount of debt that is incurred by young men and woman attending four or more years of college, it would seem that careers in the trade might become more attractive to some segments of the population. Careers in the trades can be rewarding, provide significant levels of income, and generally be obtained with a lower investment in training costs to the student than a standard four year college.

BruceCarnevale,ExecutiveVicePresidentandChiefOperatingOfficer,sharedBradfordWhite’s commitment to support its industry partners in their workforce development initiatives. With a shortage of nearly 110,000 plumbers in the not-so-distant future and the difficulty of trade contractors to fill jobs in the industry, Bradford White is taking active measures to combat this issue such as increasing its funding for organizational training and education programs and working hand-in-hand with its industry partners on their workforce efforts.

“Instructors, if you have anything to do with students learning the trade, I want to personally thank you. You have no idea how important that is.” – Nick Giuffre

•Trytogetemployersindifferentcountiestohire more high school students so that the availability of locations is more broad.

•Ifastudentdoesn’thavetransportationtowork from school, help make arrangements for them.

•Checkyourstate’schildlaborlawstoverifystudents can work in your trade(s) as a minor and abide by those restrictions.

•Contactinsuranceauthoritytoverifythatemploying minors will not adversely affect your insurance liability.

•ContactanattorneytoprepareaLiabilityandRelease for your Chapter and the PHCC that the parent and employers must sign.

•Contactyourlocalschooldistricttolocatethetechnical/career learning coordinator.

•Don’tgetdiscouragedbytheobjectionsyouwill get when you start working with your community. Don’t take “no” for an answer.

•Whenyouhirestudents,makesureyouremployees treat them with respect.

•Usesocialmediatoreachnewemployeesandto get the word out about the program.

•Inadditiontosocialmedia,usemeetings,the media and presentations to let people knowofyourprogram.Ittakesalotofpresentations and it involves a lot of people to get the word out.

•Beflexiblewithyourpresentations.Youshould allot about two minutes for the media(TV,radio)andanhourforschoolpresentations.

are you interested in starting a program in your area? here are some tips from sam and gordy’s session:



Nerds uNITe! TeCh TOOl aNd aPP eXChaNge sessIONBeth Ziesenis, Your Nerdy Best FriendSponsored by Kohler Co.

OVerVIeWWith all of the many technological advances happening every day, Beth Ziesenis and some of your fellow colleagues offer some of their favorite apps. The following list provides examples of technology tools to help you with your job.

KeY TaKeaWaYsOrganizational ToolsEmail Apps:• Unroll.me o Helps you unsubscribe from many different

services.• Sunrise o Calendar scheduling app that encompasses

all of your calendars in one. • Slack o Organizes your communications. o Like text, but much more involved and

“feature-rich”.• 10-Minute Mail and Guerilla Mail o Emailaddressthatlastsfor10minutes.

Organization for work:• Asana o Organize your team.• Evernote o Access an online workspace and note-taker.• Redbooth o Collaborate with a team.• Trello o Manage projects with a group.• Workflowy o Use a digital notebook and task manager.• Wunderlist o Manage your tasks.

Tools for Creative Work• Ditty App o Musical Messages. o Put in words and choose a song and it

creates “dittys” like a musical commercial.

Get the Look:• Envato o Template marketplace. o Buy template and then personalize it.• PowerPoint Tools o Prezi –embedvideos,zoominandout o Sway –PowerPointalternativemadeby

Microsoft. Moves various slides in a fluid motion.

Data Delivery• Easel.ly o Creates info-graphics for you.

PHCC Attendees’ Favorite Apps o DropBox–sharelargefileswithothers. o Google Calendar –collaboratewithothers

on one calendar that is visible to all included.

o BlueBeam–letsyouopenandeditblueprints, and lets you send back to the contractor.

o AutoCAD360 –letsyoueditblueprints. o FancyHands–pay$5-$6pereasytask

you delegate to app (i.e. make doctors appointment).

o WordArt App –paintingwithwords o Magisto Shot –createsanimationsfrom

images.

ThaNK YOu TO The FOllOWINg sPONsOrs FOr MaKINg ThIs POsT-CONFereNCe WraP-uP POssIBle


Bradford White Corporation is a full line manu-facturer of residential, commercial and industrial products for water heating, space heating, com-bination heating and storage applications. The company is headquartered in Ambler, PA and has manufacturing facilities in Middleville, MI, Niles, MI, and Rochester, NH and a distribution center in Mississauga, ON Canada

Viega manufactures and distributes the high-est quality plumbing, heating and pipe joining systems in the world. Viega is best known for in-novative press technology systems for industrial, commercial and residential projects, like Viega ProPress® for copper and stainless and Viega PEX Press systems in Zero Lead bronze and high-performance polymer.

CREDITSUPPLIERSCreditSuppliers is transforming the way construc-tion companies can access supplies. CreditSuppliers offers revolving trade credit lines that allow contrac-tors to pay their suppliers in as little as 10 days while maintaining flexible terms for repayment. Our system is designed specifically for contractors and requires only basic company information rather than personal information.

SERVICETITANServiceTitan is a mobile, cloud-based software platform that helps home service companies streamline opera-tions, improve customer service, and grow their business. ServiceTitan’s platform includes CRM, intelligent dis-patch, comprehensive reporting, marketing tools, mobile connectivity for technicians, and Quickbooks integration. Don’t settle for yesterday’s software. Visit ServiceTitan.com for a Free Demo! www.servicetitan.com

MILWAUKEE TOOLMilwaukee Tool is the premier manufacturer of cordless and electric power tools, hand tools and accessories designed for the heavy duty applications of the profes-sional plumber and HVAC/R technician.

OATEYFor nearly 100 years, the Oatey Company has been the industry’s most respected name among plumb-ing professionals. Today, the Oatey family of brands includes more than 6,000 plumbing products such as Hercules® plumbing chemicals, Cherne® underground and testing equipment, Dearborn® tubular and bath waste products, and Oatey® cements and rough plumb-ing products.

DIAMOND

PLATINUM

CONNECT 2015 SPONSORS

BRONZESILVER

GOLDEDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Fresh Ideas from CONNeCT 2015 - Amazon S3 · Wine To Water, Doc Hendley, took the world’s water crisis into his own hands by drilling wells to help the 1.1 billion people worldwide

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