Takeaways from the International Restoration Conference
It’s been roughly two weeks since the four-day RIA International Restoration Convention + Industry Expo in Austin, Texas. And early reactions say the event lived up to its reputation as a must-attend event for networking and learning.
With featured speakers – Chris Voss, CEO of the Black Swan Group, and Larry Janesky, contractor and author – and numerous breakout sessions and workshops, industry professionals had multiple opportunities to network with their peers and learn about the latest technologies and products.
Steve Lowry, director of the restoration council at RIA and director of safety and contents/cleaning at Jenkins Restoration, said, “Networking with other restorers at an event designed for restorers is always a great benefit to me. No one has ever put on airs or ‘towed the party line’ like they do at other events. It’s great to have an open and honest dialogue about the state of our industry and how the contractor has to cope.”
How to Solve Business Communication Problems
Voss spoke about how the principles of hostage negotiations apply to both business and personal interactions, which he says is mainly using emotional intelligence to get potential customers and employees comfortable before the conversation begins. This open dialogue enabled members to receive honest advice about their business and growth opportunities, as well as tricks for improving sales, marketing, and hiring. Voss advised attendees to keep clients top of mind and stick to a schedule of open communication even when there is nothing new to report.
Katie Smith, RIA director at large and CEO of PHC Restoration, and Kent Rawhouser, RIA director at large and president of A&J Property Restoration, both pointed to Voss’s speech as key advice about the importance of empathy in communicating with clients about their projects. Lowry added, “I wasn’t sure how hostage negotiation would tie into restoration, but Chris Voss did an excellent job of it. Definitely a value add to the conference.”
Some of the best advice from the conference was to vet job candidates with personality tests to ensure they fit the company’s culture, or as Rawhouser remembered it: “Hire attitude, then teach knowledge.” Smith pointed to advice from Activate Group Inc. founder Howard Stone’s “Creating a High Velocity Organization” session regarding showing up when customers want you there and letting them know what is going to happen step-by-step, as well as monitoring for mediocrity to reduce leakage. Rawhouser noted that companies should find out what aspects of the business are not being covered by competitors and fill in those gaps with their own services.
Tim Miller, president of Business Development Associates, said at the “Understanding Your Sales Force Scientifically” breakout session that firms should create a sales culture, assess candidates before the first interview to determine if they are strong, and track sales success throughout the process. Tying into that would be using business intelligence to track past and future performance, according to Tim Hull, director of operations at Violand Management Associates, at the “Choose Your Own Adventure” session.
RIA Young Professional Restorers Community Looks to the Future
The RIA Young Professional Restorers Community met for its third annual networking session at the 2018 conference to learn from others in ways that could be immediately applied to their own operations. Joseph Gillette, RIA director at large and president of Complete Restoration Solutions, Inc., said that when he spent time with several members of the Young Professional Restorers Committee, he was impressed by how energetic and committed they were to RIA’s growth.
“I came away with the belief that they are not only eager to learn from industry leaders but are anxious to incorporate those proven techniques while developing their own fresh ideas on how to best grow and market the RIA brand and its benefits to restorers of all ages and genders,” he said.
RIA Launches the Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century Restorer
At the conference, RIA unveiled the Body of Knowledge document that lays out the foundation restorers will need into the future. It breaks up the process of earning the CR designation into more manageable pieces, with the ability to earn a water loss specialist, fire loss specialist, contents loss specialist, and/or environmental restoration specialist designation. Lowry said it’s “exciting to see where the advanced designations are going with the new certifications and how they tie into the Certified Restorer Designation. Can’t wait to apply for the Contents Loss Specialist!”
Students participating in the program must also complete a thesis project that becomes part of a library of advanced documents available to all members and the industry. Gillette added that the Education Committee led by Mark Springer “will solidify our association as the premier source of education and accreditation in our industry.”