What a powerful day we had on Saturday! I have had several huge epiphanies which I will break into 2 separate emails, but for your convenience, I will share with you the 2 big takeaways I had:

 1. Marketing is all around us. It’s necessary for business– but to use it alone is a crutch.

2. Authentic moments of caring are the best combatant of today’s marketing “funhouse”.

 Let me start by poking some fun at marketing in general…

 Marketing has become the ubiquitous language of today’s businesses.  Let me explain: There are more ways for businesses than ever to get their message across.  There’s old media: newspapers, billboards, radio, television ads, flyers. There’s new media, Facebook, Twitter, internet ads, Google adwords, text messaging ads, email marketing, ads within iPhone apps, and any way a marketer can get his foot in the door to push his product while holding his hand out for payment– he will.  The MO is always the same though.  I scream louder than everyone else, make my ad more colorful, time it for when I think you will give me your money and BAM!  I win.

 It’s a glorified shouting match.

 And the claims get bolder and bolder.

 To the point where it’s all a bunch of garbage.

 Have you noticed that now it’s not good enough to point out the good things about your product or service?  Now marketers go so far over the top so that whatever they say couldn’t possibly be true so they wouldn’t be beholden to “false advertising” claims.  So all day long you hear a bazillion marketing messages telling you that if you buy their product or service all of your wildest dreams will come true.  As long as you don’t hold them to their marketing message.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the fun of these videos– it’s just the reality of what marketing is becoming.

 Are you getting the visual here?

 So let me see if I can boil this all down:

 1. We are surrounded by countless marketers. (Everywhere you look)
2. They are all shouting as loud as they can. (Click me! Buy me!)
3. They are mostly shouting lies (mixed in with a few truths).
4. They are all trying to out do each other, so the volume goes up, as the claims get wilder and wilder. (Double sun!)
5. Hype surrounds everything. (Deodorant with hype… need I say more?)
6. Everyone is willing to be nice as long as you give them money. 
7. We become desensitized to stuff that really matters. And numb to the constant advertising. (What do we have to do next to get your attention?)

Did I miss anything?

Maybe, but I think I’m somewhere in the right neighborhood.

Let me re-iterate: Marketing is an important fact of life. I do it in my businesses.  It doesn’t matter if I’m tired of it. It is what it is.  If you think breathing is monotonous and annoying, just try to stop for a few minutes. You’ll learn to put up with the monotony. I promise.

So given the picture I painted, let me go just a little further into all the “trite” phrases:

1. You have “friends” on Facebook you’ve never met… you might even be annoyed whenever some of your “friends” post.  Yet you don’t de-friend them.
2. The acronym “lol” means “laughing out loud”, but whenever you type that, you aren’t really laughing.
3. When you say ASAP, you really mean the next chance you get that would mean a lot if you could get it to me.
4. “That was the funniest thing ever” really means: “that made me laugh out loud”

How was that? Am I right?

I’d love to hear your list of trite phrases.

But here’s what I’m getting at: Nothing is authentic anymore.  We all get so frustrated by insincere politicians saying whatever it takes to get elected, yet we are surrounded by marketing that is just as much smoke and mirrors as all of these 2-faced politicians that drive you so crazy. There’s no way to get around it. We live in a funhouse. Complete with the curved mirrors, loud music, smoke, and actors around every corner.

That’s why this weekend was so powerful.  I will not be naive and say there was NO marketing.  But here’s the difference.  My motives for marketing were completely sidelined.  I was there for one reason, and one reason only… To say “Thank you.”

The entertainment was awesome.  The food was delicious.  But the connection to the people was real.  And that is what made it a huge success to me.  We didn’t have to scream and shout anything.  We didn’t have to get as much money out of anyone as we could.  And that’s what has always made our company special.  But it’s what as made our “Customer Party” feel so right.  And it’s why I know that 5 Star Window Care is becoming the “person” I know it can be.

So today’s “5 Star Marketing Lesson” boils down to this.

We have to market & advertise to spread the word.  It’s a harsh reality.  But everyone is numb.  Too many messages coming from too many angles. It’s like a hail storm of messages. And most of it is complete and total crap aimed to be bigger, more obnoxious, put a false skin on the company’s image, scaring the potential customer, cause people to see wants as needs, and all sorts of other reality distortion techniques with their hand out at every chance.

We will continue to play the marketing game as we must– but on our terms.  We exist to brighten people’s lives.  Sure, clean windows is a big part of it.  But last Saturday was a powerful time to see the power of authentic caring.  The way we smile, the way we say “thank you”, the way we jump at the chance to be the best people we can be under the variety of circumstances we find ourselves in… That is what separates us from the funhouse of unkept promises, smoke and mirrors, and noise in general.  We are the original 5 Star Window Care. And nobody can copy what we have built.  Because nobody can copy you.

Carry on team.  Stay authentic.  Be real.  Be genuine.  Be good.

Next week I’ll share the REALLY big takeaway I had.

Be good,

Curt

Hello All,

Happy Friday

Subject: Can you party tomorrow?

Hello 5 Star Citizens,

What an amazing week this has been! I’ve been in meetings all week, learning tons of new stuff and getting more and more excited about our crusade to brighten the lives of our customers. But there is some sad news: Jacob is leaving for college and tomorrow is his last day with us.

Goodbye Jacob!

We wish him well, but we’re going to miss him. He’s got such a great laugh and sense of humor, but alas, college is calling him. So we need to have a well-wishing party tomorrow (Friday) night.

Here’s the details:

Where: Charlene’s house

When: 4:30 pm – 6:30 or so

What: Bring your kids, your spouse, whoever you want to show off to the rest of us! The pool will have no water in it yet, but we will be eating hamburgers, hotdogs, and having a little cake and ice cream. We will just hang out and enjoy each other. Let’s plan to all smile as big as Jacob the whole time we are there. I’ll see if I can award a prize to anyone who is able to do it…

Please reply to this email and let me know if you will be able to make it, so that we know how much grilling to be ready for.

New family members!

We have 2 new additions to our team: Devin & Chris. Hopefully they will be able to come to the party tomorrow night where we will all meet them and learn their favorite color, or possibly their favorite animal

Devin has washed windows before and understands how to get the job done, but more importantly, he knows how to treat customers and get a smile out of the toughest of people. He’s going to be an awesome asset to the team, and I really believe he will be a great leader.

Chris has got to be the poster child of hard work. When you look at him, you’ll probably wonder if he has ever worked as a lumberjack… well he has! He has communication skills that will set him far apart from the average Joe… He is going to bring his “A game” every day, I can already tell.

We welcome you guys and can’t wait to have you slinging a squeegee along side of us with your big ‘ol smiles shining as bright as the glass itself!

Please forgive me:

With everything going on, and my brain that often short circuits, I think that there were a few mistakes I made last week, that I’d like to clear up. I forget a lot of things. It’s a fault I have. That’s why I have to connect everything that is important to a principle. For example, if my kids have a soccer practice that I really want to get to, I need to remember that today I have some important “Daddy things” I need to do. If I want to remember to get a tool back into the truck I’m using, I make sure to set it down somewhere that I will trip on it when I’m on my way back, so it would be impossible to forget. Knowing this shortcoming I have, usually helps me to plan for it and do a better job. That’s where I think I made a mistake this last week. I have these little associations in my head that I assume everyone must share with me… but more than likely it’s just not true. As we learn in “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, everyone sees reality through their own eyes, and it is filtered through their own life experiences. And so we can not assume that anyone else “just knows” what we are thinking. They don’t. And so I ask your forgiveness. With all of that said, let me explain:

I rolled out our certification program and have turned everyone’s normal job into what I view as a quest. Some thought (and rightfully so) that because we all started at the ground floor and had to work our way up, that I had essentially “demoted” some very hard working people. I apologize for not being more sensitive to that. In fact, I figured that since I was 1-Star certified and began working my way up that it was assumed that it was a continuation of the knowledge and energy that everyone had already built. I am just a couple steps from being 4-star certified, and anxiously await the 18th when we formally launch on the “crew” page where we can showcase to our customers who is coming over. The reality is that I should have been more clear: Certification doesn’t take away anything from anyone. It only enhances the clarity of the path that will lead to success within the company. It only allows you to make more money. It only makes your life better. If you are a muscle head when you walk into the gym, you will only be stronger as you move through whatever the training program is. If you are a weakling when you walk into the gym (like me), you will take a little longer to get to the part where you look just like the muscle head. But at least with a program, you will know how to get there. And if you are a muscle head and you follow a program that gets you a little cardio along the way, all the better for you. Or if you learn how to train without injury… even better.

We won’t get stronger if we don’t increase resistance, that is certain.

I look forward to eating a burger with any of you that can come tomorrow and sharing with you guys a few of the things I learned at InfusionCon earlier this week. I am really inspired right now. I am excited for the new people, and sad to see others go. But as we all keep pushing forward, just know that I am your biggest cheerleader. Your success is my success. And I hope you never forget that. Even if you have to leave the company at some point. I will still be cheering you on.

Carry on,
Curt

5 Star Citizens,

I realize that in last week’s email I have already shared a lot of my heartfelt thoughts with all of you, and I may already be over my limit– but last Saturday was an important day for me, and given the backdrop of last week’s email, I think it was more poignant than usual. I also think it is valuable to all of us.

Last weekend I went to my close high school friend’s funeral.

Let me paint the picture: He was 31. He was diagnosed with cancer 2 and a half months ago. He has been married for about 6 years and has 2 children. He had owned one vending machine business that was quite successful, and then he had one that wasn’t too successful. I sat and ate a little lunch with him at Dilly’s Deli last August 24th at 12:30. We talked about the future and how much he was enjoying being back in Arizona.

I heard about his cancer being discovered right after Christmas (he was diagnosed and went into the hospital Christmas Eve) and my family immediately added him and his family to our many daily prayers. We fasted for him to be healed if it was the Lord’s will, and my kids often wondered about how he was doing. I later learned that his cancer was discovered in stage 4, and that it was in his esophagus, lymph nodes, stomach, and in many other places. It was pretty obvious that the Lord didn’t intend for my friend to live much longer.

But I was admittedly surprised that the Lord wanted him back so quickly. Come to find out, my friend’s initial symptoms of stomach pains, which prompted the first doctor’s visit, in a matter of days quickly worsened. He never was able to swallow again because his throat closed up. Even drinking became next to impossible.

So why am I telling you this? What does this have to do with window cleaning? Well, it has NOTHING to do with window cleaning. But it has everything to do with what we do. It has everything to do with our new certification program.

I was sitting in his funeral, my heart aching for his wife and kids. Laughing about old stories & missing the old high school days. I had the strong feeling of comfort letting me know that however little sense it makes now, God needed my friend back, and more importantly it was all part of his plan for my friend’s family.

I was blown away by my friend’s eulogy. By the things his siblings said. The things his wife said. It was amazing that a man so young was able to make such a huge impact. It occurred to me that my friend had begun writing his own eulogy from a very young age… just like we all do. He had lived a life that was so pure and selfless that I wished all of the things said there could be said of me. Unfortunately they weren’t true about me. But they were true of him.

The funny thing about eulogies is that you don’t get to choose WHAT others will say about you… because everything you do can be observed by someone, you don’t get to choose what people remember about you. You do, however, get to choose HOW you live your life. You don’t get to choose when you will pass from this life to the next, but you do get to wake up with a new resolve each day to be even better than you were yesterday.

I already believed in improving myself each day, but last Saturday gave me a new epiphany. In relationship to our new certification program, there are some new parallels. My friend was a good guy who didn’t waste the first part of his life waiting to the 2nd part to start living a life of improving himself and the lives of those around him. We are not going to spend the rest of our lives believing that our jobs define us. We are defined by what is in our hearts and minds. We are defined by how we spend our energy. We are writing our own eulogy every day. And only one sentence will mention washing windows. If that. Our certification program pushes us to a new level of personal betterment that only slightly has to do with washing windows. We are expanding our minds and brightening lives.

We had an experience this week with one of our own team members getting very sick. It was scary and only drove the point closer to home. The Lord’s plan for him was in our favor, but we were reminded to keep writing our eulogies with our heads held high. Writing a history worth telling. Let’s carry on this week remembering that we don’t get to choose the date of our end, but we get to choose what people remember.

Carry on my friends,
Curt

*** Please wait to read this email until you have about 20-30 minutes to read, because I want you to fully understand the amazing transformation that is happening and what it will mean to you.

Today has been a very motivating day for me.  I have been working hard to get all of the certification ends tied up and it’s associated pay scale.  I want you to all know that there are 2 reasons motivating this certification program:

Reason 1. You will become better at your jobs. Obviously I care about this very much because it will lead to better productivity which will make us better at making money.  Any business is concerned with that, but in our business it will help us better understand what it means to be “A customer service company… That just happens to do windows”.  In turn this will help us to take the world by storm and make it a better place.  5 Star Window Care has been rated the most professional window cleaning company in the world for the last 3 years and this program will push us far beyond what any window cleaning company can even comprehend.  We are striving for greatness, and this program will ensure it.

Reason 2. You will become better people.  Any old window cleaning company can hire people to clean glass.  We are going to do MUCH more than that.  We are going to constantly improve who we are on the inside, which will transfer to everything we do.  Husband and father, wife or mother, employee or employer, we want your time at 5 Star Window Care to be a time of personal betterment that transforms you into a better person each day. If the day ever comes that you leave our company– which makes me sad to think about– the improvements that you’ve made to yourself will be forever.  This fact alone makes the certification process worth the time and energy.

These 2 reasons are the foundation for the program and what each of the requirements are measured against.

Let me share a little about pay here:

I have attached a dollar amount to each certification that will allow you to see what you could make per hour, or at what point you are capable of becoming a Field Manager. Being Field Manager gets you paid on customer satisfaction, which can greatly improve your hourly rate, but more importantly, you have no “ceiling” on how much you can make per hour as long as your service level is exemplary. This pay level will be discussed in more depth at our next team meeting.

Let me also define what each level of certification REALLY represents (this is what the badge on your shirt will most likely look like too– ideally the black part will be the fuzzy velcro that the yellow pieces are attached to):

1 Star: You are a fit with our company culture.  I like you and think you are worth giving a shot. $9/hr

2 Star: You have figured out how to start doing your job.  Your job isn’t scary anymore, you are becoming more independent (you can work alone for a short period of time). $10.50/hr

3 Star: You are beginning to master what it means to do your job.  You are so comfortable doing your job that now you can interact freely with the customers and look like a professional without even trying.  Now you will begin becoming “interdependent” meaning that even though you could work alone, you are not selfish, you have reached a new level where you can care for, and take care of other employees. $11.50/hr

4 Star: Most companies would never be willing to take employees to this level.  You are now learning skills that will set you apart from your regular competition. You are learning true skills that business owners must know to be successful.  You are rising above the level of professional, and becoming an expert.  You are moving from the level of service provider (any old window cleaning company) to the level of Customer Service Provider.  You will find more meaning in your job than ever before. You will find that you are very inspired and ready to start leading others.  You will qualify to be a Field manager, or you will move up to $14/hr.

5 Star: You are moving into the position of a true leader and ready for more high responsibility and growth within the company.  Your job reaches a whole new level of potential.  All of your patches are complete, but you are just beginning your career toward loftier and more prestige.  There will be ongoing education, and you are ready for that at this point.  You can be trusted to train others.  You will have a legacy in the company as one of the greats. You will qualify to be a Field manager, or you will move up to $16/hr.

Although certification will be a major consideration at the time of promotions, I do not intend 5 stars to be the end, either.  I would like to see the program allow for on going certification (we’ll have to come up with other names) where you can learn about marketing, personal fitness, and lots of fun things to apply to our company.  Even though I will admit that I am personally a bit “jaded” about formal schooling, I do believe that education is very important.  Being stagnant in learning means falling behind.  There is no standing still.  And so we will always push education within the company.

Here you can look at the most current version of our “Field” employees certification requirements (this link will ALWAYS take you to the most current Revision): (Link omitted at this time)

The same goes for the “Office” employees certification: (Link omitted at this time)

I don’t intend to keep this stuff a secret, either.  It’s a really unique thing that we are going to use in our marketing and where customers can see the “5 Star Difference”.  The customers will be looking at your sleeves knowing what level of certification you are.  In about 1 month (April 18) I will update our website to capitalize on what the differences are between 5 Star Window Care and other window cleaning companies.  Each of these differences will get their own pages describing and explaining what those differences are.  Here is a list of some our unique characteristics I will be sharing outwardly with our customers:

1. The ONLY company that pays employees based on customer happiness.
2. The ONLY company that certifies employees to be the most customer service oriented on the planet.
3. The ONLY company that cares more about customers than themselves.

Our website will be taking these and some other pretty major changes too.  Whenever someone gets an email outlining who will be coming out, they will be able to see your position in the company (tech, or field manager), your certification level, and why you were selected to be a part of our team (a note from me, the owner about you specifically).  Because I intend to use this certification very publicly I want each of you to use this time to get as much certification done as you can right now before it goes public.  I urge you to certify up (“cert up”) as quickly as you can without cutting any corners. Right now everyone in the company is 1 Star Certified.  Let’s all make it a goal to get done with at least 3 Star Certification before we launch this info on our website on the 18th.

If you want to know how to “cert up”, it’s simple. The first thing you do is print off your sheet from the appropriate link above. Then you just email me with a few days and times you’d like to meet to get it passed off and I will email you back with which times will work for me, and we schedule the review.  If you have to have stuff passed off by your field manager, be sure to have him initial it off before we meet so it will be quicker and easier to get you your raise.  It’s really that simple.  Don’t schedule your review until you are sure you have passed everything off.  I am going to be a stickler to make sure no corners were cut.  This is not the type of program that works if you cheat.  That only hurts yourself.

Because we are a team, we want everyone to cert up.  This is a competition, but there is no benefit to you for others not certifying.  We are trying to raise ourselves as a company, so trying to hinder another person from certifying will serve no good purpose to anyone.

So? Are you excited?  I hope so.

Are you ready to rock it?  Me too.  I gotta go certify, so I’m off now.  But if you have any questions, feel free to email me and I’ll do what I can to clarify.  If you are going to ask questions, you need to have first read this email AND your certification sheet so that we are starting on the same page, though.

Enjoy,
Curt