Well, the wonderful world of Telus Communications has done it again. I asked that my old business number be transfered to my partners who are now following up all the calls. This was requested on the 15th of June and I was told it would be 24 hours “...thank you sir and thank you for calling Telus”. Not done.

I called a week later once I was told they were not getting calls and I was told the Telus technical dudes forgot to put a “1” in front of the re-direct number to Alberta. “no problem sir, this is our technicians error and we will have this fixed within 24 hours…thank you for calling Telus and have a good day”

Fast forward to today. Still not done and and I went through 3 different departments to get this resolved and guess what I heard…” no problem sir, we will have this fixed within the next 24 hours and thank you for calling Telus and have a good day” Have a good day? Get serious!! I was on my cell phone for over 15 minutes and was put on hold at least 4 times. Whats up with these big Corporations? They spend millions of dollars on training people to be good listeners, resolve conflict and customer service, why not spend millions of dollars to integrate your Company communications so I don’t have to go through 3 departments to resolve one phone issue?

On top of all this, they charge me a 75 dollar fee for the priviledge of re-directing this number which was never done. For a fully integrated Company they sure are disjointed when it comes to each Department. I am guessing some top executive ‘learned’ how to run a Company in business school. Next time ask someone who has run a Company how to do it and maybe listen to those tapes you record when you say “this call maybe monitored for quality assurance”. Maybe then you can attempt to cut down on needless calls and customer frustration.

This is still going to be a great day,

Larry

Well now that I am here in Calgary we were looking to rent a home vs. buying  until we sold our home in BC. I put an ad on Kijiji and advertised that I was looking to take over a mortgage or a low down payment on a house to see if I could avoid putting allot of money down on a house before I got the money from the equity from the existing home.

Anyway, we had a rental lined up and I received a call from a family that wanted someone to take over their mortgage. I went and looked at the home and it is a beautiful 5 year old home in Kincora on a cul-de-sac. It has a huge lot, hot tub, hardwood, air conditioning amongst other things. Well, we have now bought it and take possession the 1st of July. Now I am the proud owner of 2 homes so I really need to sell the old one. I have attached some pictures for you.

The good news is this will force us to settle into our new life here. Next post will be my one week report on my new job.

Kind Regards,

Larry

Now that I am moving to Calgary, I really needed to trade in my rear wheel drive G35 six speed for a all wheel drive car as the roads in Calgary are brutal in the winter. Calgary is also famous for the threat of snow every month of the year. I went to my Infiniti Dealership to get my car serviced and decided to look at the new stuff.

I decided on a 2009 G37xS, 4 door sport. It has all wheel drive and and is an automatic so no more clutch for me! I think I will miss my cherry red G35 6 speed, but times change and circumstances dictate you adapt. The good news is that Dealers are very anxious to move cars so the deal was too good to pass up.

Below is a rear view of the car and the one above is me taking delivery at the Infiniti Dealership. If you come out to Calgary for a visit, I will take you for a ride.

I am leaving Friday for Calgary so will update on my first day on the job.

Kind Regards,

Larry

Well, I interviewed today for a New Home Sales position in Calgary and was hired. Yes Larry Clark blog fans, I am moving back to Calgary. I start on the 15th of this month for Calbridge Homes and will start selling in Cochrane at the “Sunset Point” development and I am really looking forward to it.

Calbridge Homes is an outstanding builder and I am blessed to be able to work with them. They are very forward thinking and have an excellent land position for growth for the next 10-15 years. This means the trail has ended for Allpro and myself and I will sell off the remaining assets and turn it over to someone else to carry on.

Looking forward to the challenge of selling new homes in a development again and we will now concentrate on selling our home in BC and moving to Calgary very quickly. I will miss our time and friends in Abbotsford as well as my years with Allpro, but it has run it’s course and it’s time I use the skills and experience I have gained through the years to help another Company grow.

I will continue on with my blog of course and will fill you in on life back in Calgary.

Thanks for keeping up with me,

Larry J Clark

I was watching a sermon online and the Speaker, who used to be a Pastor but was called into the marketplace, stated that there were three categories of Mankind:

1. those who cannot be changed
2. those who are changeable
3. those who are called to make change!

I thought this statement was quite profound as I have found myself in all of those categories in my life. I recently interviewed for positions and although I felt the interviews went well, I picked out a few statements that I had made that really spoke of a “unchangeable” mindset. My success in life has always been when I was humble enough to change and then think of ways to spearhead changes that help people and business grow.

What a great reminder this morning that our focus should not be on how we have always done things (not changing) but on being open to change and to lead in change.

I hope this encourages you this week.

Kind Regards,

Larry J Clark

I was thinking today about how I have added extra income to our stream in good and bad times and wanted to share with you what has worked for me.

The best way to source extra income is to use your influence. What does this mean? Use the contacts and relationships you have established to refer them to complimentary services that they can use. Here is a recent example that was proposed to me:

A Mortgage Brokerage Company asked me to refer anyone that I knew that was looking to refinance or for a new mortgage. They said they would pay me at least $250.00 just for sending someone to them and they write a mortgage. I think everyone knows someone who needs a mortgage or is refinancing, so why not contact a Mortgage Broker and see if they will sign a referral agreement with you. Yes, please have a written agreement not a verbal one!

A Realtor friend also knows I know allot of people and will give me a “gift” for a client that uses him. This can be cash or I suggest a gift card to your favorite store or restaurant. Gift cards are not taxable as income here in Canada (no gifts are usually) and this is a way that you can go for dinner or buy something without using your own money.

Here’s a big one for you. I have heard this past week, no kidding, two Companies I had dealings with that have merged and partnered with competitors to share costs and the market. Even a couple of years ago this would be unheard of. Why not contact Companies you know and see who their competitors are and see if you can broker a partnership between the two for a fee? How about just introducing them for referral fee and let them work something out? This will take some work but hey, nothing ventured nothing gained and could be quite a nice pay day for you.

I understand you are not all in business but I am confident that we all have imagination and contacts that can lead to a generation of income even in this economy.

To your future,

Larry J Clark

I have decided after some contemplation (not very much really) that Facebook and I must part. I found it addictive and time consuming. I know that people mean well by posting their ‘life’ experiences and photo’s, but there can be a danger of obsession of knowing what everyone else is doing and not concentrating on what you should be doing. Anyway, I found it like that and even a bit “gossipy” in some areas.

There are also stories out there of adding people loosely to your friends list without really knowing them. I have never done that and I apologize to those I have not added, but I am very selective as to who I added to Facebook. Maybe it’s that Police background in me, but I am confident there are people who really don’t care about you or your life, they are just curious. Nothing really wrong with this I guess, but it is not for me. There are also inherit dangers from not so nice people as well trying to gain your personal information.

Anyway, this is not meant to offend anybody but is a decision I feel is right for me. You can always contact me (you all know how) and I will post often on my blog. I will stick to Linkedin for my business contacts and be more of a ‘one on one’ friend to people and family.

Kind Regards,

Larry

These are unusual times. Not only in the employment field but also in real estate here in the Vancouver Canada area. My wife and I are in the process of selling our own home “by owner” and although we have priced it very aggressively and have had allot of interest…no takers. (We are becoming ‘empty nester’s’ and I am looking to buy a Condo). I am not sure if people cannot qualify for mortgages or it is just a case that buyers won’t part with their money. I know that prices here have gone down @ 10-12% so there are some definite bargains to be have. We have priced our home twenty thousand below tax assessment. Well, another open house this weekend so maybe things will change.

I am also in the process of following up on the resumes I have sent out. Being the proactive guy that I am, I even sent resumes to Companies that have not posted positions to look at my experience and see if I could be a fit for their Marketing and Sales division. Nope…nada. No takers and not even the courtesy of a ‘thanks, but no thanks response’. I do have a couple of contract positions that I am exploring so there are some positives. My concern is that you really have to have allot of patience and fortitude to tough these times out. Oh, and in my previous posting, Companies really need to respond to inquiries. It’s not like they don’t have the time!

I have been in some tough times before in my past 15 years of business so I am in it for the long haul. For those of you who are finding hard to hang on, let me know and maybe I can give you some wisdom and encouragement. Remember, don’t beat yourself up for a market you cannot control. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Kind Regards,

Larry J Clark

I was recently talking with a Custom Home Builder here in the Vancouver area, and we were discussing a supplier. The builder was relating to me the experience he had with this Company and the service, or lack of, he experienced. I thought I would relate this story to you and where I believe Companies need to be in this economic climate.

The Builder related that he went into the inside sales counter and inquired about a small amount of building materials and the salesperson would not even acknowledge him. He waited for awhile and finally got a glance from the salesperson. When the builder asked for a box of material, he was first told they didn’t have any without even checking the computer. When questioned, the salesperson finally checked and sure enough, they had a box in inventory. My friend was told to go out to the warehouse door and someone would get the box of materials for him. Well, the builder waited again and saw numerous forklifts go by him and no one stopped to ask him what he was waiting for. My Builder friend finally went into the warehouse and flagged a guy down. The employee said he had no idea what he was talking about and did not have that order. The Builder was told the inside sales guy had not processed the order!

Well, back the Builder went to the salesman and had the order processed and back again to get the materials. Now, we can assume that there may be some exaggeration of the events but I believe the customer service was lacking.

In this market, there are fewer builders and developers and still the same amount of suppliers. In the busy times, these Builders and Developers may not have had a choice who they could get their materials from depending on who was busy and would take on new accounts. I know that our Company was turned down by some major suppliers as we did not do enough volume. Today, Builders and Developers are the ones who can shop for new suppliers as they are the ones holding the strength in this market. If you are a material supplier who had a great market share and really didn’t care about your clients or lost your edge in customer service, guess what, clients don’t forget that. They have choices now and they will shop you and go elsewhere.

Now is the time to ‘rally the troops’ and set a new standard of customer service to hang onto those precious accounts and maybe get a new account based on service to your clients and their referrals. I wish I didn’t hear these stories on a regular basis, but unfortunately that is not the case. Isn’t it sad that a simple change of attitude and policy can make the difference to a successful Company. Remember also, that Builders talk to Builders and share the good and the bad stories. Time to evaluate where your Company is in service (send someone to ‘shop’ your staff and get feedback) and separate yourself from your competitors. I believe this will be the key to coming out of this market victorious!

To your success,

Larry J Clark

Maybe I am a bit old school, but I remember when actual experience in life and business was actually valued at one time. When I was hired by the Calgary Police Service in the early 80’s, the best policeman were the hard working ‘farm boys’ who learned from their parents what hard work was and more importantly, common sense. You can’t teach that sometimes. The Police Service then decided they wanted to recruit people with University degree’s. Now there is nothing wrong with a University Degree, but Calgary started to have problems with ‘educated’ candidates who did not take instruction well, wanted to be promoted faster than probable, and ended up leaving Police work because they knew they could get a office job, 9-5, for the same pay.

In business, there really are some similarities to my above story. I have sent out some resumes to Companies that I felt could use my 18+ years of sales and marketing experience, and more importantly, my ‘hand’s on’ business experience. No, I don’t have a degree from a University but I did go to College. What I do have is a ‘degree’ in actual experience where I took theory and put it to successful practice. You would think that a progressive Company would see that experience and jump at the chance of hiring someone like me. Nope…so far no takers. Now I don’t want you to think this is sour grapes or anything, as I am optimistic that I will get a call soon.

The point is this…history always seems to repeat itself. With the hiring of younger Managers who have come through the BA and other degree paths, there are certain things they are taught in school. Theory being one of them. The challenge is, experience and practical ‘hands on’ are a concept only and I am guessing most Prof’s probably have not started and run a business ever, yet they are teaching people to be in business. (Now again, I am not slamming University as I have actually taken some University courses and they have helped me.) What I am seeing is a underutilized wealth of people and experience that are out there and overlooked because they do not ‘fit’ the theory of what a Manager or Executive should look like.

As the baby boomers get closer to retirement age, they are being forced to work longer due to economics. This is a good thing I think because, maybe they will get that second look from a business, as a viable way to integrate experience vs having to train a ‘newbie’. We will see.

Personally, I like to look at the full forest and find that single tree.

Kind Regards,

Larry