by Beth Rovazzini - Director of Revenue for Sandler DTB and Owner of B&W Plumbing Heating Cooling and Drains
Have you ever stopped to consider whether customer service should be treated as an administrative/office function or a vital component of your sales strategy? The answer might surprise you. Most companies generate the bulk of their revenue from existing customers. Yet, how many businesses truly have a consistent and effective system in place to nurture these relationships?
Keeping Your Existing Customers
How do you keep your existing customers engaged and satisfied? Do you have a systematic approach for showing appreciation? A simple gesture, like a thank-you note or exclusive offer, can go a long way in building loyalty. If your customers feel valued, they are more likely to stay with you and continue using your services.
Offering Additional Services
Do you have a strategy for introducing your customers to services they aren’t currently using? Many companies overlook this opportunity, yet it’s a proven way to increase revenue. Educating your customers about the full range of your offerings shows that you understand their needs and are ready to meet them.
Reconnecting with Past Customers
What about previous customers who have drifted away? Do you have a system for reaching out to them? A well-timed call, email, or even a postcard can remind them of the value your company provides and encourage them to return.
The Frustration of Being Overlooked
Think about how you feel when your cable provider or another company offers massive discounts to attract new customers while providing nothing for their loyal, long-time customers. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? Don’t let your own business fall into that trap. Treating your existing customers as a priority can significantly impact your bottom line.
The Power of a 10% Increase
What if you increased revenue from existing customers by just 10%? Would that be significant for your business? Most companies already have all the contact information for their current and past customers. The real question is: what are you doing with it?
The Customer Service Mindset
After running a plumbing and heating company for over 35 years, I can tell you this—when you start looking at customer service as a sales function, a funny thing happens: your sales increase. Customer service is not just about solving problems or answering questions; it’s about building relationships, fostering trust, and creating opportunities to serve your customers better.
If you don’t have a system for retaining customers, showing appreciation, or reactivating past relationships, let’s talk.
Leave it to the Gen Zers to pull another surprise out of their bags. According to recent reports, Gen Z is showing interest in skilled trades careers, shifting away from the current emphasis on corporate work. Globally, blue-collar jobs and skilled trades are treated as the inferior option to building a career in engineering or HR, and this attitude has significantly reduced the number of individuals interested in working a hands-on job.
The unlimited power of social media has now revived Gen Z’s interest in skilled trades, bringing us back full circle to witness a renewed interest in this field. Many Gen Zers are skipping college in favor of trade schools, and considering the price of college education and the burden of student debt that many Millennials are left with, it appears to be a much better economic choice for many.
An Increasing Number of Gen Z Workers Are Turning to Skilled Trades
The Future of Skilled Trades Report from technology company Thumbtack found that 55% of Gen Z is now considering a career in the skilled trades and the number goes up to 72 percent for Gen Zers who already have a college degree. The rise in Gen Z’s interest in the skilled trades has been tied to social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram. Short-form video content often showcases workers in these settings and has drawn the attention of the young population, enough that they are currently considering building their future in these areas.
Social media platforms are the primary indicators of what’s “trending” in the present day, and while this is typically seen as a negative phenomenon, many positive changes can be observed as well. Openly discussing mental health and normalizing self-care for the average consumer has been one of the primary benefits of social media so far, but Gen Z’s interest in blue-collar jobs is just as noteworthy.
The study also found that there is no longer a stark gendered difference in the preference shown by Gen Z towards skilled trades. Women from this age group show almost as much interest in these professions as men do—52% vs 57%. Skilled trades also appear to offer much greater job satisfaction compared to other career paths like lawyers and doctors.
Admittedly, this shift likely has to do with the rise of workers in these fields filming content at their jobs and showcasing the perks of their professions. Social media content in relation to blue-collar jobs has showcased how they offer everyone the opportunity to feel more empowered and give them the freedom to express themselves more comfortably compared to a stiff corporate setup.
An NPR report from back in April spoke to different individuals who have made their careers honing their skills in the trades, and these workers explained that they were able to start their own businesses after gaining experience working for a few years. The freedom to “call the shots” is not something a desk job can guarantee.
The shift towards a more positive perception of these trades also has to do with economic security, and it isn’t limited to Gen Z. Parents of these workers, nearly 80% of them, also state that learning a skilled trade could be a better path towards a stable job that pays well in the long run. Many of these parents still encourage their kids to get a four-year college degree as it provides a sense of security they can fall back on if they need it.
College degrees started as a way to gain a more “reputable” job and it has continued as a status symbol or a milestone that we continue to tick off of a checklist. For many years now, the real-world relevance of a college degree has lost its shine. Many workers fail to find employment on the basis of their degrees and find themselves working in an unrelated profession.
Paying for college has also become increasingly expensive and many no longer feel the burden of student loans is worth it. More frequently, Gen Zers are skipping college and opting for trade schools instead.
Blue-collar jobs and Gen Z do not appear to be an ideal match-up at first, but this section of the population has never been one to shy away from trying something new. Over the last few decades, corporate jobs have been seen as the more stable path toward finding long-term success but that is no longer true. Skilled trades come with their own list of challenges but despite that, they have a lot to offer.
There has been a very noticeable shortage of workers in these alternate professions and even if the interest does come from social media, Gen Z workers entering skilled trades could be good for the workers and the economy as a whole. Jobs that require a college degree are already inundated with workers trying to make it in the field and this spread of resources could be just what we need as a community.
By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle
Source: Gov.-elect Braun puts forth first-term agenda – Inside INdiana Business
INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Gov.-elect Mike Braun on Tuesday pitched his first policy agenda since his November electoral victory—largely reemphasizing his commitment to campaign promises.
Braun’s “Freedom and Opportunity Agenda” focuses on tax relief, government efficiency, economic development, public health and quality of life factors like public safety, energy affordability and water cleanliness.
Taxes
A news release indicated Braun wants to bring “historic” tax relief to Indiana families.
“As Hoosiers contend with inflation, the State should provide comprehensive tax relief that protects taxpayers from runaway property taxes, supports retirees and families with targeted relief, and reduces the burden on Main Street businesses,” it read.
The agenda includes limiting property tax increases 2%-3% annually and “resetting homeowner bills” to pre-pandemic levels.
But the state can’t get too heavy-handed. It must abide by a decades-old ruling declaring Indiana’s previous tax system, which wasn’t based on the market, unconstitutional.
Braun also wants to ditch state taxes on retirement income, establish farm savings accounts, change the formula used to assess farmland for property taxes, and introducing new sales tax holidays on things like back-to-school supplies.
Efficiencies
Braun leaned into his business roots in the agenda’s second priority: efficiency.
“Unlike the private sector, where real economics incentivizes effectiveness and lower overhead, government at every level has grown unchecked,” the agenda reads.
It goes on to suggest new performance metrics and trims of “unnecessary or underperforming” positions and programs. Indiana should also review its regulations to cut outdated requirements and lighten the load for agencies, it says.
Braun also hopes to get agencies digital: automate eligibility verification procedures for veteran health care, streamline document processing at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and create a one-stop portal for farmer services.
He’s already gotten started on another bullet point in the list—last month, Braun unveiled plans for a reorganized cabinet focusing on eight policy areas.
He also hopes to present a balanced budget that “addresses the state’s deficit while reforming Medicaid spending,” per the release.
Economy
Braun’s agenda views Indiana’s future prosperity as dependent on educating and developing a skilled workforce.
He proposed implementing universal school choice, although Indiana is almost there. A recent hike in the income requirement means all but the state’s wealthiest families qualify for vouchers to private schools.
The release also includes increases in teacher base pay, new performance-based pay, a focus on better literacy and math skills, and a dedicated school safety office.
Braun also wants to push workforce development, with: a new workforce investment tax credit, a “restructured” Indiana Economic Development Corp, and more regional cooperation for creating jobs.
Health
Braun, who was active in the health care arena in the U.S. Senate, hopes to take aim at high prices and increase accessibility—while promoting industry innovation.
Indiana faces expanding Medicaid costs and lower-than-expected revenues, however. Braun’s team said there weren’t plans to cut services. Instead, the gov.-elect hopes to find efficiencies to save money.
Though states have little control over private employer-employee insurance deals, Braun’s team said he could still impact costs with more aggressive price transparency requirements, prior authorization reforms and pharmacy benefit manager regulations.
The agenda also highlights rural health, calling for new incentives to draw health care facilities to rural areas—including obstetrics access—and better telehealth coverage.
And it emphasizes continued coverage of pre-existing conditions, proposed a new primary care access revolving loan funding to support new facilities, and mental health treatment reforms intended to lift weight from the criminal justice system.
Other quality of life
Braun continued his focus on public safety in Tuesday’s agenda.
“Hoosier families and communities deserve to know that their safety and security are the top priority of the state government,” it reads. “In today’s interconnected world, national issues like illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine have a real impact on communities across the state and country. Because of the complexity of modern public safety, it is imperative that the State supports our law enforcement officers in the line of duty.”
Law enforcement offices could win higher salaries and better benefits packages, more training opportunities and non-discretionary minimum bail requirements for violent crimes. Braun also promised to protect qualified immunity.
He also hit at drug trafficking and unauthorized immigration, with proposals for stronger drug distribution penalties, more interdiction powers for state police, sanctuary city ban enforcement and more.
The agenda concludes with a push for lower energy costs.
“Over the last decade, Hoosiers’ electricity bills have increased dramatically, outpacing the national average,” it says. “Indiana needs strong leadership to navigate these challenges and improve energy accessibility. The Braun administration will ensure that the State has enough affordable and reliable electricity to meet the needs of residents and attract new economic development.”
Braun reemphasized commitment to an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, deregulation and still-development small modular nuclear reactor technology.
His team expects combine executive actions, agency-level reforms and legislation to accomplish his priorities, according to the release.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.