Nashville, TN Leadership Academy Conference
Sponsored by Daikin, Goodman and Amana
Thursday, May 5th & Friday, May 6th at the Gaylord Opryland Resort
On May 5th and May 6th, 2016, the EGIA Leadership Academy Conference took place in Nashville, TN at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and was sponsored by Daikin, Goodman and Amana. For full agenda details, speaker bios and exhibitor information for this event, click on the corresponding links above. Registration for this event was $295 for EGIA Member Contractor/Companies or $495 for Non-EGIA Members.
All registrants received a digital gift bag full of training materials, research findings, worksheets, and more.
Discounted Accommodations Available for Conference Attendees
A limited number of discounted rooms were available for overnight accommodations on-site at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. The discounted rate for Leadership Academy Conference attendees was $195/night.
Wednesday, May 4th
5:00 - 7:00pm
Optional Welcome Reception
All conference attendees are invited to a special welcome reception located at Water's Edge in the Delta Atrium inside the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Wine, beer and appetizers will be served compliments of EGIA.
Thursday, May 5th
7:00 - 8:00am
Check-in & Buffet Breakfast
Opportunity to network, visit exhibitor booths and enjoy a complimentary buffet breakfast.
8:00 - 8:15am
Welcome/Intro
Review of the day's agenda and meeting logistics.
8:15 - 9:45am
Keynote Presentation
How the BEST Leaders Ignite Energy and Fuel High Performance Using a Success Rhythm!
Presenter: Rob Shallenberger
Is your team and organization firing on all cylinders, in other words, are they in a rhythm? Many leaders and managers wished they had more tools and know-how to energize and empower their teams. Participants will learn how to use powerful tools and processes to transform a culture and help their team stay on the cutting edge. Participants will discover how to establish a Success Rhythm throughout their entire organization to see a direct impact on the bottom-line, employee turnover, customer satisfaction, safety record, and to help them become a disruptive force within their industry.
Leverage 40 years of research to unleash the 12 principles that propel people and organizations to the top. Guaranteed to help bring out the best in your teams and employees!
9:45 - 10:00am
Exhibitor Introductions
Exhibitors introduce themselves to the audience.
10:00 - 10:30am
Break
Opportunity to network and visit exhibitor booths.
10:30 - Noon
Breakout Sessions
OPTION 1:
Sales, Marketing & Sales Management Town Hall Troubleshooting
Presenter: Drew Cameron
This session is completely unconventional and unscripted. Drew Cameron will share insights regarding some of the latest trends yielding dynamic sales success and how you can capitalize with this new level of differentiation.
You will get answers to questions YOU provide to solve the YOUR sales, marketing and management challenges and help you seize opportunities you encounter in your business RIGHT NOW.
Drew will troubleshoot and address your real world issues and provide practical solutions his company uses with their clients every day.
If you are a sales or service manager, a company owner, or anyone who manages people, this interactive session will help you solve many of the issues that plague supervisors, restrict revenue results and punish personal performance and profit potential. This is your sales sellutions laboratory.
- A few of the latest trends to differentiate your company, products, services, people and processes to stand out in a sea of sameness.
- Solutions to some of the biggest challenges contactors from around the country face.
- Interactive town hall format allows attendees to ask questions to shape the discussion and learning and get FREE content and phone and email support on all subjects discussed.
OPTION 2:
Mission Critical… How to Maximize Your Resources for More Work, Happier Clients and More Profit
Presenter: Geno Gruber
Most business owners are not aware of how much business they step over each day. In this breakout session Geno will both shock you and inspire you by exposing how your inbound phones have a direct impact -- up or down -- on your sales departments close ratio. You will see what he did to turn a $4 million business into a $6 million business in just a couple of months working with a call center. If you think your phones are being properly handled, you may think differently after this class.
The way your phones are answered is just one detail, what you do with the call after you book it is another. The traditional method of dispatching our technicians and sales people is flawed. With current technology and modern thinking, you can decrease unnecessary wear and tear of your vehicles, increase productivity and improve employee morale.
OPTION 3:
Transformation through Diversification
Presenter: Eric Howarth & JC Shore
Many top contractors are looking to product line diversification as a strategy to differentiate and grow their company, boost sales and increase bottom line revenue and profitability. During this session you'll learn how HVAC and Solar contractors are transforming their companies and accelerating growth at unprecedented levels by adding proven product line extensions. You'll hear from contractors that have successfully navigated through the process of adding new product lines and directly from product suppliers that will provide session attendees with a roadmap for successful implementation.
OPTION 4:
Pathway to Sustainable Profitability
Presenters: Mike Robinson
Contracting is a tough business. Whether it's HVAC, plumbing, solar or any of the other trades, the daily demands on the business owner are vast and complicated. That's where EGIA wants to help! And not just "help" as in... "here are some great business tools... good luck", but rather help in providing complete, ready to implement solutions so that EGIA members have REAL help in improving operational and administrative efficiencies, improving the customer's experience doing business with their company and improving profitability. Come to our breakout session "Pathway to Sustainable Profitability" and learn about a few of the newest EGIA member benefit programs as well as learn how to close more leads without being a "hard core" salesman by bundling high-efficiency equipment with financing, rebates and IAQ offerings. Additionally, Mike will introduce the new Contractor Marketplace website and overview special offerings from EGIA’s vendor partners.
Noon - 1:00pm
Lunch Buffet
Opportunity to network, visit exhibitor booths and enjoy a complimentary buffet lunch.
1:00 - 2:30pm
Breakout Session
All Morning Breakout sessions are repeated
2:30 - 3:00pm
Break/Transition
Opportunity to network, visit the exhibitor booths and move to back to the main ballroom.
3:00 - 4:30pm
Keynote Presentation
Operational Excellence: Re-build Your Empire to Reveal Your Greatness
Presenter: Drew Cameron
Great companies are comprised of having the right people on the team, in the right positions, doing the right things at the right time. Most companies are built on the fly as they grow. People are added and duties assigned based on need, not a plan. How can a company that is built in such a haphazard manner reverse-engineer itself and discover its true potential?
Drew will share his insider secrets on how his team works with clients to expose the self-limiting shackles that typically strangle a company’s performance, deactivate its people, and can literally snuff the life out of an organization.
- The 5 keys to success in business
- How to reverse engineer an existing business to reveal its true potential
- The single biggest mistake all businesses make and how to avoid it
4:30 - 6:00pm
Reception
Complimentary open bar (beer, wine & spirits) and Hors d'oeuvres hosted by Daikin, Goodman and Amana. This will be another great opportunity to network and visit the exhibitor booths.
Friday, May 6th
8:00 - 8:30am
Continental Breakfast
Opportunity to network, visit exhibitor booths and enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast.
8:30 - 10:00am
Keynote Presentation
Nothing Happens Until Something Gets Sold: Grow Your Sales, Increase Your Margins and Change Your Zip Code
Presenter: Weldon Long
Even on your busiest day of the year you would never ask your accountant to run a service call, nor would you ask a CSR to do an install. You wouldn't do that because you know it requires professional skills, training and experience to perform service and install functions at an expert level. But often times, when it comes to sales, the first person we find with a pulse and a heartbeat becomes our sales department. The truth is it takes skills training experience to be an expert in sales just like it does in service and install.
Weldon Long grew his residential HVAC company from his living room to $20 million in sales in just five years. He is one of the nation's leading sales experts. He won't teach you what he read in a book or what he thinks might work at the kitchen table. He will teach you what he's learned in the real world of sales from the ground up.
- The seven power questions that will change your sales performance overnight.
- A simple four step process to transform your sales results.
- The four most powerful words and sales.
Do not miss this powerful presentation. Whatever you're doing, change your plans and be there. Get your mind right. Get your sales right. And get ready to change your zip code.
10:00 - 10:30am
Break/Transition
Opportunity to network, visit the exhibitor booths and move to breakout rooms.
10:30 - Noon
Breakout Sessions
OPTION 1:
Mastering the Overlooked Steps to Profit
Presenters: Mike Robinson & Geno Gruber
An often overlooked area that results in contracting businesses underperforming involves budgeting, strategic planning and daily results management. All great businesses spend time mapping out their business results annually, and many times these companies map out their growth and profit strategies several years in advance! And then, once the time and effort has been put into planning business growth and profitability, many times the necessary daily measuring tools to help achieve the operational results are not put into place. Daily business performance measurement and management means small problems stay small and are corrected quickly. Mike Robinson and Geno Gruber will walk you through the basics of business planning and performance management.
OPTION 2:
Price for Profit & Finalize More Sales with Financing
Presenters: Drew Cameron & Eric Howarth
Gain an eye-opening insight to pricing strategies for all home services sales. Drew Cameron, President of HVAC Sellutions and Energy Design Systems, Inc. will share the methodologies, philosophies, and techniques he uses with show you the pricing most contractors make as well as the proper method for pricing your jobs to cover all direct costs, overhead, commissions, financing costs, profit (double-digit net profit), etc.
Once you have the right price, you have to get a customer to discover and decide that your value proposition is right for them. Consumers look for convenient and flexible payment plans when making large tickets purchases since the average US homeowner has only $3,800 in their bank account. Top sales professionals realize this and discuss money and payment options openly and effectively, not as an option or afterthought, but rather as the smart and primary way most consumers investment in home services.
Eric Howarth, Vice President of Contractor Services for EGIA will discuss highly effective payment plans and the ways top professionals share this information with homeowners as part of crafting a compelling solution that truly solves their problems and makes economic sense. Inspire customers to emotionally aspire to desire to do business with you and appeal to their logical critical way of thinking where the money makes sense and you will win more business…GUARANTEED!
- Learn the pricing mistakes over 90% of contactors make
- Learn how to cover your direct and indirect costs, and profit objectives for all job types.
- The most effective ways to communicate and present investment options to your customers.
- Proven strategies and best practices for increasing your close ratio and average job.
- The best payment plans currently available for home improvement contractors.
- How to match different types of customers with the most appropriate payment plan.
This is NOT an accounting, finance or cashflow webinar. This knowledge will SAVE your business from mediocrity and ensure a highly profitable existence.
Noon - 1:00pm
Lunch
Complimentary boxed lunch, an opportunity to network and visit exhibitor booths.
Drew Cameron is president of both HVAC Sellutions and Energy Design Systems, Inc. and has 38 years of experience in all facets of running a residential contracting business. He and his team work with contractors to implement effective lead generating marketing and build multi-million dollar profit-generating home services sales forces. Drew is a founder of the Contractors Consultants of America (CCA), a founding member of the Contractor Advisory Group (CAG), a member of Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), Electric & Gas Industries Association (EGIA) board member, Efficiency First board member, as well as a Consult & Coach Partner and Preferred Vendor Partner with Service Roundtable. Drew is a Tom McCart International Consultant of the Year Award Winner.
Geno Gruber has been successfully helping businesses grow for over 25 years. Geno made a move from managing fine dining restaurants to help a friend in his struggling HVAC business. With the same customer focus he used to succeed in fine dining, he spent 10 years growing an HVAC business from $750,000 a year to $7 million at 16% net profit. After the business sold for $5 million, Geno hit the road helping other struggling HVAC contractors achieve break away success as a business coach and has since helped numerous companies experience tremendous growth.
After 7 years of traveling all over North America sharing his knowledge and experiences with other contractors, he has learned as much as he has shared. He realizes that the greatest rewards come from helping others and has now decided to help the members of EGIA get the same extra edge on their competition that his other clients have.
Eric is the Vice President of Contractor Services at EGIA and is the primary point person for ensuring EGIA is delivering the programs and tools member contractors need to grow their business and become more profitable. Eric is also the architect of EGIA's GEOSmart Financing Clearinghouse which has facilitated the financing of over 200,000 residential and business projects valued in excess of $1.7 billion.
Recognized as one of the preeminent thought leaders for consumer financing programs within the contracting industry, Eric routinely speaks at many of the major contractor events throughout the country and works closely with several of the largest equipment manufacturers and distributors to introduce financing programs and best practices to their dealer networks. With nearly two decades of experience training contractors on how to successfully integrate financing into their sales process, Eric also consults with many of the leading financial institutions to help them tailor their programs to better meet the needs of contractors nationwide.
Weldon Long is a successful entrepreneur, sales expert and author of the NY Times bestseller, The Power of Consistency – Prosperity Mindset Training for Sales and Business Professionals (Wiley). In 2003, he walked out of a homeless shelter and built an Inc. 5000 company with over $20,000,000 in sales in just 60 months. In 2009, his company was selected as one of Inc. Magazines Fastest Growing Private Companies in America.
Today, Weldon Long is one of the nation's most powerful speakers and a driven motivator who teaches others the Sales and Prosperity Mindset philosophies that catapulted him from desperation and poverty to a life of wealth and prosperity. Weldon has been featured on numerous national and regional television programs, including Fox News Network, First Business Network and Chicago's own WGN.
Mr. Long has successfully used his signature program, The Power of Consistency, to help hundreds of companies and thousands of sales professionals radically improve their sales results. Weldon holds a Bachelor's Degree and an MBA in Management. He is honored to have served some of America’s finest companies, including Federal Express, The Franklin Covey Organization, Tom Hopkins International, Dex Media, Wells Fargo Bank, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Direct Energy/Clockwork Services, Mitsubishi Electric, Rheem, Goodman Manufacturing and the Carrier/Bryant Corporation.
Rob Shallenberger
Author, How to Succeed in High School
www.BecomingYourBest.comRob is the CEO and Senior Consultant for Becoming Your Best Global Leadership LLC. Rob served as an officer and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force for over 11 years. He was selected as one of a handful of United States Air Force representatives to handle the movement of Air Force One. He handled the delicate coordination between local officials, the United States Secret Service, Embassies, White House Staff, and Foreign Governments.
Since leaving the Air Force, Rob has become a top-rated speaker. He has delivered keynotes and led workshops for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Rob is the author of the acclaimed book How to Succeed in High School. His company also recently released a #1 National Bestseller titled Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders. The tools, processes, and principles shared in these books have been lauded by leaders around the world.
Steve Shallenberger
Founder, Synergy Companies
Author, Becoming Your Best: The 12 principles of Highly Successful Leaders
www.BecomingYourBest.comSteven Shallenberger understands the contractor world. He founded Synergy Companies in 1981, a successful energy services contractor, with offices throughout the State of California and is on the National Association of Energy Service Companies Board of Directors.
He has more than 40 years of experience as a successful business owner, trusted senior executive, professional corporate trainer, and best-selling author. He is the founder and president of Becoming Your Best Global Leadership. Steve and his team provide award winning training and keynotes helping teams and leaders tackle some of their greatest leadership challenges around the world. As a young entrepreneur, Steve successfully built numerous organizations from the ground up. During those years, he continued his education at the Harvard Business School. Steve was also a trusted advisor for Stephen R. Covey. Steve was a key leader in Covey's organization who helped build the world-renowned Covey Leadership Center. He led a stalwart team and was responsible for the development and distribution of the original Covey planner.
As Director of Partner Services, Mike is responsible for developing and executing EGIA's enhanced member benefits and support services offerings. Mike focuses on delivering financial incentives that motivate members to install high efficiency equipment and renewable energy solutions, while also building relationships with vendor partners to help EGIA members reduce their overall costs of doing business. Mike has been the owner of, and consultant to, HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical contracting businesses for over 25 years and led the development of the first on-line, consolidated Vendor Rebate program in the industry.
JC Shore is the founder of CreoMC, a consulting & advisory group focussed on helping organizations to develop new revenue streams, implement cost avoidance initiatives, and drive investment for growth capital when required. His recent work includes the strategy and roadmap development of a new financing business unit for a publically-traded LED manufacturer, and the development of a customer segmentation strategy for a North American solar distributor.
JC was the founder and CEO of Circular Energy, a downstream solar integrator and energy software solution provider (through its CURB subsidiary) serving the residential and commercial sectors in four major Texas markets, before being acquired by the retail electric provider, ProPower, in late 2014. Circular Energy was ranked as the 3rd fastest growing company in Texas by the Austin Business Journal for the period 2010-2012, where its success was cultivated through a passionate brand and contagious company culture.
Prior to founding Circular Energy and CURB, JC was a managing partner for BusinessEdge Solutions, a boutique consulting firm later acquired by EMC (NYSE: EMC). Prior to this, he served as Vice President of Sales for Amdocs (NYSE: DOX), an enterprise CRM and Billing software company serving the telecommunications and media markets. JC spent the first five years of his career as a management consultant, first at Accenture, then at Ernst & Young. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and two daughters.
Title Sponsors
Daikin
You expect the world's leading manufacturer of indoor heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and refrigerants to offer customers energy-efficient products, outstanding warranty coverage, and innovative, but time-tested, features that are designed to provide enhanced, reliable and dependable performance. Further, you expect the leader to design products that offer enhanced indoor comfort, and the peace of mind that when you choose the Daikin brand you have made a smart decision. With the Daikin brand that's just the beginning of the story. Learn more at www.daikincomfort.com.
Goodman
Goodman has been building quality brand air conditioning and heating equipment since 1982. Goodman has become one of the largest manufacturers of residential and light commercial air conditioning, heating, and indoor air quality products and systems by focusing on just one thing—building the most reliable and refreshingly affordable indoor comfort products in the market. Learn more at www.goodmanmfg.com.
Amana
Generations of homeowners have trusted the Amana® brand for heating and cooling systems that Lasts and Lasts and Lasts®. Today, everyone associated with the Amana brand is proud of that history, and we remain true to our principles of integrity and dependability. We're committed to a job well done – and it shows. The renowned quality, durability, and performance of today's Amana brand heating and cooling systems continue to provide homeowners and businesses with premium, lasting comfort. Just as they’ve always done. And always will do. Learn more at www.amana-hac.com.
Exhibitors
Local Attractions
While you are in town for the Leadership Academy Conference, we encourage you to check out the following local attractions. Click on the large image for each option below to learn more about each specific attraction.
