VACEOS Member David Bender: Inside the Passion (Part 1)
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It was a simple challenge, really. But it unleashed a competitive spirit in a youngster and ignited a flame that burns beyond bright to this day.
Weeded! Lawn Service CEO, David Bender explains, “Like a lot of kids, I mowed neighbor’s lawn here and there for some extra cash. It wasn’t long before I had several accounts. When I was 10 my mother challenged me to get enough lawn accounts to pay for a $2,500 mower truck.” So, he did. In a week.
David is a charismatic and quick-witted jokester (as demonstrated at the end of his VACEOS YouTube video at the top of this article).
He also happens to be a very competitive guy — just ask his roundtable team and Member Draft participants. David’s DNA is wired to “crush” the competition or the challenge, but look deeper. There’s something else that drives him besides the will to win.
This article is the first of two stories where we uncover a few of David’s business tactics and management techniques that stoke his passion to excel.
How to Thrive in a Difficult Industry and a Troubling Economy
David reveals working in the “homogenized” landscape service industry isn’t easy. Especially during 2007 and 2008. He says, “The landscape business has a very low barrier to entry. When the recession hit in 2007 and continued through 2008, it seemed like every guy with a truck and 12 foot trailer started a lawn business.” Now competition was nipping at his heels. The question became, how could he compete in this environment where industry pricing is nonelastic?
The answer is what drove the Cornell graduate to a general management position within a national restaurant chain and then later towards ownership of a lawn care company: customer service.
“We need to be as efficient as possible in everything we do. It begins with our communication system — that’s what sets us a part,” says David. His system, designed and programmed in-house, is customer service focused and starts as soon as you call.
Customers actually speak to a live person, an uncommon experience within the industry. After the first conversation, enough information is gathered from the call to create an automatic and systematic communication stream where direct mail and email communications are perfectly-timed and automatically sent. Post-service surveys soon follow.
Complementing David’s communication system is a web-based software system that gives his supervisors in the field the ability to automatically up sales and customer retention levels.
“I think in every industry I think most CEOs would agree, communication solves 99% of our problems,” explains Bender. “Our internal web-based program is a phenomenal customer service tool. As far as I know, we are the only one in industry who uses a system like it.”
David explains, “If a supervisor sees a potential landscape issue he simply enters the note in the application. The customer is automatically notified and quoted. Now, the application becomes a customer communication tool and efficient sales tool.”
Both systems leave the customer feeling attended to and valued and it’s an extremely efficient way to do business.
In our next article, David discusses his new management approach that gives him the ability to step back from his business, “crush” his peers in the industry and excel at customer service.
About David Bender, CEO, Weeded! Lawn Care
David Bender has been an active member of the Virginia Council of CEOs since 2008. He is one of over 120 members who welcome the opportunity to share their business knowledge and concerns each month during member roundtable discussions. To learn more, visit VACEOS Membership.
VACEOS Member Profile: Rob Jones, CEO Alliance Group Checks the Pulse of the Country. Are You Listening?
Stay two or three moves ahead and surround yourself with talented deep divers. That’s how Alliance Group CEO, Rob Jones explains his ability to keep his PR and consulting business thriving, so much so he has afforded himself and his staff new digs on West Main Street. The space is the perfect environment to harbor a specialized staff who manages six different verticals across an extremely diverse client base. Rob’s got his eyes and ears on the pulse of the country. Are you listening?
“I pride self on being a generalist. I try to know a lot about a variety of things, and I have the ability to connect dots. It’s imperative that I am able to see what the next move is on the chess board and know what the next two or three moves should be for my clients and my business.”
His firm, the Alliance Group, provides lobbying, public relations, grassroots, social media, fundraising and association management assistance to a diverse set of clientele, from various nonprofits and government agencies to companies like Pfizer and Walmart.
He continues, “My team dives deep into the subject matters we pursue, so I am able to look at the bigger picture while they are able to go into the strategic details with our clients. At the end day we build teams around each client. We find this approach works really well.”
Each of Alliance’s services sprung from specific opportunities to serve a particular niche. Some clients need a blend, or, says Rob, “We might have a government affairs client who only needs PR help, or an outside PR firm may come to us for our expertise in lobbying. We think there is plenty of opportunity in Virginia and other states to share business this way.”
Creative problem solvers deserve a creative space. But in this economic environment?
It’s hard to believe pre-civil war beds and mattresses once lined the walls of the current Alliance space. Now, it’s a modern, open space with high end lighting, attractive artwork and an unusual greeting party. (Expect a welcome wag from Rob’s two pups Lilly and Ella who are regular visitors.)
“We needed an open canvas and the opportunity to do something really unique.” Like create a room divider made of tin roof and plastic, and a versatile loft area for additional talent and storage space. It works. Well. But it wasn’t without the normal move in pains. When asked to offer up some office renovation advice, Rob says, “Expect a lot of red tape!”
So how does a PR firm stay successful enough to ride a lengthy and unsettled economic wave? “I have a great team here. They keep our existing clients happy and set the stage for new business. I also travel around the country searching for networking opportunities to bring in new business. I’m also happy to say we have been able to move existing clients to higher levels AND we are finding that as folks we’ve worked with move on to new opportunities, they take us with them, which I think speaks a lot to the quality of work our team does.” And, Rob adds, he hungers to learn something new every day.
Economic pulse check.
Alliance’s past and present client list includes the Virginia Wineries Association, Microsoft, US Chamber of Commerce and the Clear Channel, to name a few. The company has an ear to many industries. So what are they saying?
“The big thing right now is ‘We’ve got to get to election day.’ There seems to be a pause in decision making until we get there – whether it’s artificial or not, it seems to be ‘Let’s see what happens on November 6,” Rob reports.
He continues, “Once we get to that point there will be an explosion, no matter who wins. There is a pent-up demand for action. Major corporations have money on the sidelines that they need to do something with, but rather than take a gamble in the next 60 days they want an idea of what the rules they have to play under will be. I think there is a sense of optimism and people are ready to get going, we just need to get there.”
Q: If you could give one piece of PR advice to politicians everywhere, it would be…
“Folks really want to know who the candidate is. I would say be real. Don’t be packaged as someone you’re not. If you don’t believe in an issue, don’t make it part of your platform but rather be honest with folks of where you are on it. That’s difficult to do.”
And another key piece of advice for politicians and business owners alike? Have a crisis plan in place. “The worst thing is for corporations to have four different people saying four different things to the media.”
Does your company have a contingency plan in place should there be a crisis situation? What plans are you putting on hold until after the election? Please share your thoughts here.
CEO Profile: John Carrico
Twelve-year-old John Carrico started washing dishes in his father’s family restaurant in Martinsville, Virginia. This is where he learned the value of hard work and the importance of working with others to achieve a common goal. After graduating from UVA with a B.S. in Commerce, and later an MBA from the Darden School with an emphasis in marketing, he worked as a CPA and an audit supervisor for Coopers & Lybrand, and then for Signet Bank where he had achieved the title Vice-President of Installment Lending by 1997—the year he was recruited by Jim Ukrop.
Ukrop’s Dress Express was spun off from Ukrop’s Supermarket in 1998 to focus on designing, manufacturing, and marketing uniforms to supermarkets and other businesses. Among its clients today Ukrop’s Dress Express counts more than 50 food store chains—and more Top 75 supermarkets than any other uniform vendor—in addition to other major corporations, with over 1,000 uniform apparel and promotional product accounts across the country.
John is married to his high school sweetheart, Sheri, and they have two sports-minded teenage sons, Tyler and Drew. Tyler recently signed a scholarship offer to play baseball for UVA next year. John is an active spectator and coach for his son’s baseball teams, and is involved with his church and Noah’s Children, the area’s only palliative and hospice care program solely for children.
How do you define success?
Lifting others to achieve more—which, in turn, lifts the business to new levels.
In your opinion, what are the most important characteristics of a good leader?
A good leader leads by example, has passion and courage to act, has vision and sees around the corner, and is fair and consistent.
What is your biggest challenge as a CEO?
Tactically, the ability to manage the risk of world source production in an overseas climate that seems to be in constant turmoil and upheaval. Strategically, preventing complacency within your organization once you have achieved some levels of success.
Three words that describe me as a CEO are…
Driven, passionate, prepared.
Something surprising about my job is…
There’s a creative sense of style in what could be a “boring” uniform industry.
Best Virginia business dinner
Boar’s Head Inn
Recently read
The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
You’re hosting a dinner party for three famous people – current or historical. Who would they be and why?
Thomas Jefferson—he drafted the principles that laid the foundation of our country, and was an amazing statesman and visionary (and he designed a pretty awesome University in his hometown).
Walt Disney—he was the greatest creative genius ever, and it all started with a mouse.
Cal Ripken, Jr.—he is the total definition of persistence, drive, and hard work to achieve amazing success.
What is the best business advice you’ve received?
“The harder you work, the luckier you get,” from Jim Ukrop.
What motivates you?
Building teams to facilitate the achievement of sustainable success.
What makes your company unique?
We design and manufacture very good, custom uniform apparel products, and we provide great service to our customers—all by having a remarkable group of passionate associates driven to serve.
I can’t get through the day without…
My iPhone!
Guilty pleasure
Trips to DisneyWorld (more than I want to admit!)
Favorite websites
cnn.com, wsj.com, virginiasports.com, espn.com
Music to work by
Classic rock, like The Eagles
Volunteerism
Noah’s Children—Central Virginia’s only children’s hospice and palliative care program, Huguenot Little League (youth baseball coach),BonAirUnitedMethodistChurch
Verne, NPS, and 2 Cool Things
If you aren’t subscribed to Verne Harnish’s weekly email, do it now. He routinely shares compelling stories from fast growing companies (Gazelles), and shares the strategies, tools and tactics they use to be great.
Cool thing #1. This week’s edition discusses Net Promoter Score and a Gazelles online seminar that I plan to attend — after I hear Amy Case’s presentation “NPS Demystified” at our CEO Retreat on April 26. We have tracked our NPS for several years, but have not implemented an NPS strategy.
Cool thing #2. Larry Weinberg, the CEO of BOWA, the construction firm he highlights in this issue, is a high school classmate of mine. I haven’t seen him in thirty years, but I had the misfortune of being in his weight class in wrestling. Think muscle-bound, wrestler-tough guy vs. very skinny boy scout. Anyway, his firm BOWA is averaging an NPS of 97 in 2012, after booking a 93 for 2011. This is simply unheard of. Most companies score below 50, and the 80s are for the very few, like Apple.
By the way, NPS for the VA Council of CEOs, measured just this month, is 79. Not too shabby. But … Larry is still beating the crap out of me!
CEOs to focus on “The Top Line”
This year’s CEO Retreat addresses “The Top Line.” After several years of getting lean and mean, top line opportunities are there for smart, focused business owners and CEOs. Keynote presenters will include sales guru Jack Daly, Net Promoter Score expert Amy Case, and economist Alan Beaulieu. As always, the CEO Retreat will offer equal time in small groups for peer exchange and learning.
More than 100 VA Council of CEOs members are expected at the annual gathering, April 25-27 at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg. See more details here.
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