Expo will be here before you know it! It’s being held at Grand Hyatt San Antonio, April 1 to 5, 2019. Registration is open: www.registerforsuccess.com. When you register, you’re entered in a weekly contest for some outstanding prizes, which are drawn every Friday. This week’s prize: $100 SpaFinder gift card!
Your San Antonio Expo promises to be an outstanding event filled with exceptional information that will dramatically impact your business. The SGI Expo room rate is $189 per night—the cutoff date for this incredible rate is March 13th! Grand Hyatt San Antonio is an amazing property, mere steps from the renowned Riverwalk, that will provide you with everything and more for your Spring Expo.
Here’s a quick look at a few of the sessions we’ll have for you at Expo:
Monday, April 1 to Tuesday, April 2, 2019
LA Class: General Manager: Sales (Class Is No Charge for Total Access Subscribers or $1,199)
As the Sales Manager, you are responsible for all sales-management activities, including: implementing sales strategies to increase sales volume and average tickets, recruiting, training and retaining top-sales talent, achieving budgeted sales and gross-margin dollars, and ensuring sales employees have enough leads to hit company goals. General Manager: Sales will provide you with the requisite skills and knowledge needed to manage your job, and day-to-day job responsibilities. New managers will gain a strong foundation in essential skills, while seasoned managers will improve current skills and learn a few new ones! This hands-on workshop will show you how to become a better manager and leader. You’ll build skills and confidence in an engaging and effective environment that you will be able to implement immediately.
What You Will Learn:
- Master the Art of Successful Sales Management
- Explore Recruiting, Interviewing, Hiring & Motivating Techniques
- Understand Various Training Methods
- Set SMART Goals for You & Your Team
- Analyze Performance & Formulate Improvement Plans
- Drive Performance by Communicating Expectations & Providing Feedback
- Improve Your Management Skills & Motivate Your Team
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
7–8 am
Updates on Barnett & Home Depot Pro
There have been some changes going on with Barnett and The Home Depot, and in this session, you’ll have a chance to learn the latest from the Barnett team. They’ll update you on the most current changes with the integration and vision within Home Depot and how it can enhance your business. Find out more about the efficiencies offered to you by ordering through Barnett, how you can pick up emergency supplies at The Home Depot, how to streamline your supply chain, and benefit from ProPurchase and ProReferral.
Market Disruptors for the Home-Services Industry
Your SGI Partner VitalStorm will shed light on the market disruption hitting the home-service industry and identify the links across the home-services value chain and where potential disruptors might enter next. Big tech companies (like Google and Amazon), the race to 5G, and voice search are all sure to change how consumers engage with products and services. During this session, the VitalStorm team will pinpoint some of these threats, share their educated predictions on how they’ll develop, and show you how you can “ride the wave” of disruption and plan for ways to use this change to your advantage.
Wait! Alternatives to Buying That New Truck
How many trucks do you have today? How many will you add in the future? Before you buy another new truck, listen to this perspective about how you can double the life of your fleet at about half the cost of a new fleet AND help save the planet at the same time!
1st Expo Orientation
If it’s your first SGI Expo, then join us for this quick overview about how to make the most of your time here in San Antonio. You’ll meet members of your Executive Advisory Board, see your SGI coaches, and reconnect with your fellow new SGI members from EP. Let’s kick this Expo off on the right foot!
8:30–9:45 am
Building a Winning Culture
A winning culture. You might know what one looks like or feels like, but how do you build one? What does it take to create a winning, vibrant, and engaging culture in your company? In this exciting session, we’ll dive into this topic and look at the building blocks of a great culture.
10:15–11:30 am
Effective Pricing
Pricing can make or break your success. If you aren’t priced right, it’s hard to achieve success no matter how hard you work. Stop working harder and start pricing smarter as Gus Antos walks you through some dynamic exercises and lessons designed to help you master your pricing. Even if you think you’re priced right today, join us to hear that one nugget from Gus to make you more money when you adjust your prices next time.
11:30 am–1 pm
General Lunch
1–2:15 pm
Best-Practice Panels (Trade-Specific)
The Power of the Group! Every time we ask for feedback after Expo, it’s unanimous. “We want more time with our trade!” Well, that’s what this session is designed for, and you have all afternoon to tackle the toughest topics in your trade and come away with answers and insights to act on as soon as you get home.
2:45–4 pm
Best-Practice Panels (Trade-Specific) Continued
The Power of the Group! Every time we ask for feedback after Expo, it’s unanimous. “We want more time with our trade!” Well, that’s what this session is designed for, and you have all afternoon to tackle the toughest topics in your trade and come away with answers and insights to act on as soon as you get home.
4:30–6 pm
Working with Spouses Workshop
We’ve been asked by many members for help with working with spouses. How do you take this delicate arrangement and turn it into a powerful asset in your business and your life? Marketplace Chaplains will lead an informative discussion and reflection on how you can improve relations with your spouse both in the office and at home—and improve the results of each!
Thursday, April 4, 2019
7–8 am
I-9: How to Avoid Penalties & Headaches
The I-9. One little form can cause you a lot of headaches if it’s not filled out correctly. If you have employees, you need to hear these do’s and don’ts. Be sure to bring your questions because you’ll have a chance to ask the pros so you leave knowing all of the ins and outs of the I-9.
A Tiered Approach to Offering Your Customers Financing Options
You know it’s crucial to offer financing on every call, but do you know why it should be in every proposal, how to integrate it into your sales process, and best practices for leveraging the power of financing to close more sales? And for those “credit-challenged” customers, you need a backup plan. With a tiered approach to financing, you can win more overall sales. Find out how in this informative session.
Why Your Gallery Sucks: Improving Your User Experience & Optimization Opportunities with IPPs
Nearly every website for companies in the construction industry has a gallery or portfolio page, and nearly all of them are missing an opportunity to do so much more. With the right format, you can improve your user experience, allow potential customers the chance to learn about you and your processes, and create additional opportunities to improve your website optimization. Discover how to maximize your pictures and gallery content with information-packed and easy-to-share Individual Project Pages.
Growing Your Business with Fleet
You’ve got your trucks already. Now, let’s make sure you’re using them effectively to make you money! That starts by getting smart about vehicle choices, upfits, financing strategies, and managing the overall lifecycle of your fleet. Find out more from Mike Albert Fleet in this informative session.
8:30–10 am
SGI Updates & Opening Keynote Speaker
SGI doesn’t stop coming up with innovative new ideas and opportunities to help you improve your business and your bottom line. Rebecca Cassel will share the latest round of exciting updates and enhancements you’ll see as an SGI Member and keep you up to date on everything that’s going on with your member organization!
10:30–11:45 am
Rewarding Peak Performance
Compensation. It’s something every company has to be mindful of. No matter what size you are, there are questions about how you pay your people and what method is best. Is it hourly? Is it New Comp? Is it a form of commission? This session will lay the groundwork of this issue and give you some do’s and don’ts when it comes to rewarding your team for peak performance.
11:45 am–1:30 pm
General Lunch
Ladies’ Luncheon
1:30–2:45 pm
Rewarding Peak Performance Panel & Q&A (Trade-Specific)
In this session, we’ll keep the conversation going about compensation—and you’ll have the opportunity to dive into the details within your trade and hear from your fellow members about how they are paying their people, what’s working the best, and how they’ve introduced changes to their team.
3:15–4:30 pm (Choose Your Breakout)
Running a Business with Faith & Values
Running a Faith-Based Business has been a topic Gus Antos has covered throughout a number of sessions over the past few Expos, and in this installment, he’ll keep the discussion going about how to instill faith and values into your business. NOTE: This session is open to members of all faiths and beliefs.
Women in Contracting
Contracting…it’s not just for men anymore. Over the past 10 years our industry has seen a steady increase in the number of women employed by contracting companies. Even though we are seeing a steady increase, women still only make up 9.1% of the industry. Being a woman in a male-dominated industry poses unique challenges. Join some of the successful and hard-working women of SGI and SGI member companies in this enlightening panel discussion about overcoming hardships and exceling as a woman in contracting.
The Balance Between Profit & Growth
You know that profits are the sign of a healthy business, but as you grow, it’s natural to invest some of those profits into the business to fuel that growth. That can have an impact on your profits in the short term, but when is that ok? When you have a large, growing business, how do you balance your profit with the need to grow so that your business stays on track for long-term success? In this session, we’ll bring in perspectives from others who have built and operated growing and larger businesses to shed some light on this situation.
Getting & Managing Reviews
Reviews are word-of-mouth in today’s world. How do you ask customers for reviews? How do you manage the process of getting and tracking reviews? And when, and how, should you respond to negative, and positive, reviews? We’ll tackle the topic of customer reviews in this in-depth session.
RSI: Handling Unreasonable Insurance Adjusters
Insurance expert Steve Patrick returns to Expo to dive into another aspect of insurance work and how you can manage the expectations and relationships with unreasonable adjusters. They are an important part of the insurance process, so come hear what Steve has to say about working effectively with them.
6–9 pm
SGI Partner Network Partner Jam
It’s Jam Time! As always, this is your opportunity to meet your SGI Partners and discover the member pricing, discounts, rebates, and exclusive programs they have available to you. And let’s not forget the complimentary food and drinks courtesy of SGI Partner Network. We’ll see you at the JAM!
Friday, April 5, 2019
FOR OWNERS: 8:30–10 am
Managing Expectations, Performance & Results
What’s the process for managing a successful team and a growing business? In this extended session, we’ll explore the process of setting expectations for your team based on the goals of your business. Then, we’ll talk about how you use those expectations to hold your team accountable. What does accountability look like and how do you manage the process of accountability in your business? And from there, how do you manage the performance of your team. The most successful teams today don’t rely on the old adage of annual reviews. Now, the focus is on ongoing performance management, and if you’re going to run an engaged and high-performing team, it’s vital that you understand how to master performance management across your organization. Get ready! This session has it all when it comes to getting the best out of your team!
FOR EMPLOYEES: 8:30–10 am (Choose Your Breakout)
The Psychology of Options
You know you need to offer them, but why? What makes options so powerful, and what are the elements you need to keep in mind to present them effectively? Let’s dive into the psychology behind options and find out!
Success in the Customer’s Home & Your Home
Success has many meanings and takes on many forms. There’s success in the home and on the job, and then there is also success in your home and in your personal life. You can achieve both and build the life you want, and Gus Antos, Owner of Milestone Electric, SGI Member and Investor, will share his perspective on the simple things you must do to achieve success, in all its forms.
FOR OWNERS: 10:30–11:45 am
Managing Expectations, Performance & Results (Continued)
What’s the process for managing a successful team and a growing business? In this extended session, we’ll explore the process of setting expectations for your team based on the goals of your business. Then, we’ll talk about how you use those expectations to hold your team accountable. What does accountability look like and how do you manage the process of accountability in your business? And from there, how do you manage the performance of your team. The most successful teams today don’t rely on the old adage of annual reviews. Now, the focus is on ongoing performance management, and if you’re going to run an engaged and high-performing team, it’s vital that you understand how to master performance management across your organization. Get ready! This session has it all when it comes to getting the best out of your team!
FOR EMPLOYEES: 10:30–11:45 am (Choose Your Breakout)
Effective Questioning
So much of your success in the home hinges on forming and asking the right questions to homeowners. Effective questioning can tell you all you need to know about a customer’s wants, needs, and situation. In this session, we’ll look at how to craft effective questions on every call.
CCR 2.0: Advanced Call-Taking
Join your fellow call-center team members for some advanced lessons and knowledge about answering the phones, booking calls, and everything the call center does to build a successful business.
11:45 am–1 pm
General Lunch
FOR OWNERS: 1–2:15 pm
Saving Your Struggling Superstars
You have superstars in your company, and every superstar can hit a slump now and then. What do you do as the coach and manager when they do? Before de-hiring them, focus on saving them. You know the performance is inside them, and with the right focus and process, you can help them turn things around. Find out how your fellow SGI member Jim Bodine has used this process to save several of his top performers from slumps.
FOR EMPLOYEES: 1–2:15 pm (Choose Your Breakout)
AirTime Tech/Salesperson Employee Roundtable
Gather together with your peers to talk about how you tackle some of the common challenges that commonly pop up during service and sales calls. Overcoming objections, selling add-ons, presenting options, and selling big-ticket items are just some of the topics you’ll discuss with the best of the best from your trade. Join us!
ESI Tech/Salesperson Employee Roundtable
Gather together with your peers to talk about how you tackle some of the common challenges that commonly pop up during service and sales calls. Overcoming objections, selling add-ons, presenting options, and selling big-ticket items are just some of the topics you’ll discuss with the best of the best from your trade. Join us!
PSI Tech/Salesperson Employee Roundtable
Gather together with your peers to talk about how you tackle some of the common challenges that commonly pop up during service and sales calls. Overcoming objections, selling add-ons, presenting options, and selling big-ticket items are just some of the topics you’ll discuss with the best of the best from your trade. Join us!
RSI Tech/Salesperson Employee Roundtable
Gather together with your peers to talk about how you tackle some of the common challenges that commonly pop up during service and sales calls. Overcoming objections, selling add-ons, presenting options, and selling big-ticket items are just some of the topics you’ll discuss with the best of the best from your trade. Join us!
Call-Center Employee Roundtable
Gather together with your peers to talk about best practices in the call center and how you can more effectively tackle some of the challenges that come up every day!
2:45–4 pm
Closing General Session
More details to come—but be sure to stay at Expo and experience this powerful speaker to close out your San Antonio Expo!
5:30–10 pm
SGI Awards Gala
But wait, there’s more! Expo isn’t done with the Keynote Speaker. The excitement keeps going with the SGI Awards Gala and this is one evening you won’t want to miss! Join us to celebrate, along with your fellow members, the successes of the Scoreboard Champions, Crown Champions, and the best of the best in SGI! And remember, this is a formal event so please dress accordingly!
And be certain to register all your attendees for the Gala dinner, including all guests, spouses, etc.