Day 7: To E-Commerce or Not to E-Commerce, that is the Question

There are so many places online that use ecommerce to reach their potential customers. I have been doing e-commerce for years but one thing I found was that if my customers are purchasing fence they want to talk to someone. Fence is a one time experience for most people. It is not likely that they will be buying a fence this year and then buy one in five years just to get the newest and best. So I thought why not make an estimator so they could get an idea of how much it might cost for a vinyl fence before they call.

It seemed logical to me and has worked but now in my constant search for “What is the True Reality” I am wondering if just having an e-commerce store would have been the choice. What really sold me was last night. I am in bed while my wife is at her computer. She made a list for me to go to the drug store to get some vitamins. I wasn’t looking forward to going out today with my list in hand wheeling in the 12 inches of snow to get vitamins! I much rather work then freeze. As I was laying there waiting for sugar plums to dance in my head she calls out and says, “Jon, you don’t have to go to the drug store tomorrow. I ordered the vitamins online.”

I ordered them online! Of course it makes some much sense to me now. I need them both! I need a convenient way to help my customers get an idea of their project will cost and a way to order if they know exactly what they want. So back to the drawing board! My customers are the life blood of Summit Fence Supply. I respect each project as the most important one I have. Serving the right way is an ever changing process. In order to reach the coveted goal of “735” I need to be flexible.

If a customer wants to talk they have our toll free number. If they want to get an idea of what a vinyl fence or an aluminum fence or even a stone like fence will cost they have our estimators and soon if a person wants to order online that to will be available.

What is the True Reality? I love serving others. Call me and see.

Jon, “Your Fence Man on Wheels”

SummitFenceSupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime: 888.856.0551

Day 6: Filling the Funnel is Fun

Sometime the hardest thing I have to do is making prospect calls. I know that I am not alone on this part of the sales machine. I can’t say I love to make the call and have the gate keeper screen me by saying, “And what is this about?” in a very suspicious voice. I know that it is a numbers game and that if I am not making the calls daily my sales will dry up.

I have decided as of today that making the calls is Fun. It is all in the way I approach it. Attitude really is everything. I offer the best products in the country when it comes to fencing material. The key to calling is knowing that my products fill needs that others have.

Here are my steps to making calls.

• I don’t waste time because I know who I am calling.
• I have a message they would want to hear and if I don’t get the person it was not meant to be.
• Every person I call is a VIP. If it is the president of the company or the office hired part time student doing an intern, they have a job to do and they are doing it to the best of their ability.
• I don’t keep them on the phone more then a few minutes because I know the message and I know that if a person takes the time out of their busy day it is an honor.
• I check off a goal list how many calls I make as to how many I said I was going to do.
• I celebrate every day when my task is done.

So if you have a list to call and it means life or death of your company, make the calls but make it fun. Give yourself an M&M or a cup of coffee at the end of your call time. Set a specific time and get-er-done. My friend Brigid says to me all the time, “Done is done!”

Well on the goal to “735” each call could be “The Call”. I wonder if one call will lead to the million dollar sale. I will never know if I don’t fill the funnel each day.

Jon, “Your Fence Man on Wheels”

SummitFenceSupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime: 888.856.0551

Day 5: Help my Unbelief

Snow is everywhere in Ohio. We may not see green grass for four months only layers of white snow everywhere. I am in the fencing business and if I rested my business on Ohio consumers we would never sell any fence this time of the year. That is why my business focus is the world. If we are going to reach the “735 goal” we have to reach outside of our immediate area and sell fence to people in need everywhere.

We have great products and our mission is to assist people with their fencing needs no matter where they live. If they need a privacy vinyl fence in Florida we are here to assist. If they need an aluminum fence around a pool we have just the ticket. If they have a dog and they need to fence in their back yard… No problemo, we have just the ticket. If someone is frustrated because they have to get out in the rain to open a slide gate we have the gate operator for them so they can push a button in their cars and like magic the gate opens.

When a man brought his only son to Jesus who was suffering from demon possession Jesus told him if he had faith his son would be healed. He replied as many people today do. Yes I have faith, help me to have faith. I love that as a business man because I know that the goal I am working on is doable. It has to be. However, there are times when I feel it is so far away that I will never get there. I have faith… Help my unbelief.

When in doubt… Act as if it were a done deal!

Jon, “Your Fence Man on Wheels”

SummitFenceSupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime: 888.856.0551

Day 4: Setbacks were Expected

Yesterday was smooth sailing along the goal of 735 until late in the evening. My young webmaster called me to inform me that 10 of my pages were just erased. No problem because I am sure he had a backup of them only to be told, “No, I just erased them.”

Accidents happen and he is a valuable part of my team. I can rebuild what is gone but in every situation there is a learning opportunity. My question to him was, “How do we make sure this doesn’t happen again?” Many CEO’s want to assign blame… I have worked for a couple of those types of people. That is the kiss of death to your employees. The goal is to move beyond blame to not only fix the problem but put in procedures that will make the likelihood of the recurrence unlikely.

I am going to reach my goal of 735 and when I make it I want my people to know I could not have made it without them.

What fun is a journey if you have no one to share it with?

Jon "Your fence man on wheels"

summitfencesupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime at 888.856.0551

PS. My hosting company just called and they backed up my pages on Sunday. Thank you Pete!

Day 3: Fear of Failure oh Blah, Blah, Blah!

I was thinking about the 735 this morning at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM and up until 4:00 when I decided I wasn’t going to sleep anymore so I may as well get up and prepared to begin. I know that the fear of failure holds many people back from taking on their personal journeys. I can’t see the end because I am not near there. I visualize what it will look like but it doesn’t mean that I will be able to make it, at least not on my own. There are so many variables between January 4, 2010 and December 31, 2010. There may be sickness along the way… or maybe an unexpected breakdown of equipment. People could let me down or not keep their promises. There are a lot of things to fear if I would choose to let them. However, most of those things will never happen and if I let the thought of them stop me from my personal 735 I can shut off the phones, crawl under the covers and just quit.

But not today! Today I begin with more enthusiasm then I have had in a long time. Any goal can be broken down into small tasks. Before I can get to the 735 I have to get to the 1. It could take minutes or days to reach the first part of my goal but by doing certain things a certain way I will reach 1, then 10, then before I know it 735.

Today I was reading, “If you want to walk on water, You have to get out of the boat” by John Ortberg. He mentioned that we do not go on our journey alone. We need faith to go in the direction we are lead to go. I have a passion to make this journey and so it begins. It is now 8:00 Monday the 4^th of January and we are off.

“Creative achievement depends on single minded immersion”

Starting the 735 Clean!

Starting a new business year is like getting ready for a road trip. The more organized you are the less you have to struggle to find things on the journey. Day 2 of my journey to 735 began late as I knew I needed to rest before I begin next week. I can see why the Bible was adamant about the Lords Sabbath. I always like Jesus words on the subject. The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.

After watching the Brown's win 4 in a row (Go Brown's) it was time to go into the office and make sure all the material I will need is in order

• Desks are cleaned
• Goals are set and written down
• Charts are in order
• Call lists are ready for this week
• Day planner is ready with the activities I need to concentrate on First things first
• I have plenty of coffee.

My business coach Phil Humbert once told me that doing business was not always exciting and that if he were to walk into my office at a certain time would he find me doing the things I had planned on doing at that time. There is a lot of wisdom in that concept. If I were to climb a mountain would I be on my journey at the time I said I would or would I just be waking up and making breakfast? Personal integrity is a big part of business success.

So as far as I can prepare I am ready for tomorrow to begin.

A journey of 735 begins with the first call scheduled for 8:30 tomorrow morning.

Please add your comments or thought to help me make my goal of 735.

Until tomorrow.

Jon "Your fence man on wheels"

Summitfencesupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime 888.856.0551

735 The Adventure of a Lifetime

I am going on a business journey starting Monday which I am calling 735. I am going write in my blog the events and things I am learning on the way to 735. It will be about the one man’s journey to reach an unheard of goal for himself. This goal is not about miles but about people and business. It is a journey that will take 365 days to complete.

Along the way I am going to face a lot of failure (learning opportunities) and successes to reaching the goal of 735.

I am committing myself to write a blog about the journey every day for 1 year. I hope to share picture of people I meet along the way. Some of the individuals will be out to stop my adventure and others will be sent to encourage me to take just one more step.

Like any adventure the more I keep the goal in front of me the closer I will be to reaching it.

Some of you are asking what is the 735? Join me and see.

Oh and of course call or write me or comment on the passages to criticize, encourage, and just ask questions.

As Sailor Sam used to say... "Full step a head!"

Jon Mullender "Your fence man on wheels"

Summitfencesupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

888.856.0551