A lot goes into running a finishing operation, and it certainly takes a lot out of the people running them, too.
From time to time, I ask shop owners, presidents, and managers to share with me their “Secret to Success” for making their operations run smoothly and remain profitable. I often call it the Secret Sauce.
This is the 2022 version of Secret Sauce recipes from shop owners. I heard from many and have chosen a few to share here:
- Larry Dietz, General Manager at Professional Plating in Brillion, WI
- Dave Kasper, President of Accurate Coating in Grand Rapids, MI
- Jaime Maliszewski, President of Reliable Plating Works and Elite Finishing in Milwaukee, WI
- Bill Knape, President of Knape Industries in Rockford, MI
- Elliott Blackwelder, President of Seminole Metal Finishing in Altamonte Springs, FL
Larry Dietz, General Manager, Professional Plating; Brillion, WI
Larry DietzPlace Expectations at Every Point
As a Leader, you need to have the persistence to lead by placing an expectation at every point and turn of every day. The Leader must believe that 24/7. You do not need to be thinking about it or stressing over it – but you have to believe it full-time.
Sharing is Caring
Not to be cliché, but sharing is caring. Your success will revolve around whether your Team feels the Vibe. Your Culture is your Vibe. Like above, your Culture has to be a “24/7 I believe It” deal. Culture cannot be a set of words on a wall. The Vibe has to be seen and felt and lived.
Be Open and Visible
Many leaders really do not know what truly being open is. Until you commit to having your Team know more than you know, you are holding them back. Visibility is important to make sure your Vibe is active. I like to say you have to “Inspect what you Expect.” Typing things or saying things without checking on them and making sure the Vibe is there is wasting your time!
At Professional Plating, we have 208 team members – 10 of us are considered salaried. Those are not good odds if you live off of the mantra that “we will tell you what to do.” The odds for PPI are great as we walk with it - we will show and tell. We will teach and mentor. So if you learn more, you can earn more.
My comment to each and every new team member that comes in (we meet on Day 1 face-to-face for 45 minutes will every new player) is this is the best job I have ever had. Do you know why? Because there has never been a day that I have never wanted to come to work. As a leader, if you turn your job into a passionate deal and it will get much easier for you. Change your life and approach by not taking a task-driven approach to your job but taking a passionate approach to lead every day to make it better, more fun, and more interactive.
Your Team is Your Work Family
There is no true family anywhere that does not enjoy each other’s company. There also is no true family anywhere that does not have fun with each other and celebrates and grows together. To promote that, you as a Leader have to be very open to creating events that are fun and creative – let go and spend money to make money. Your Team should see the checkbook come out every month!
We saw it start during a pre-pandemic – and we have seen it carry on post-pandemic, that there are a lot of aspects to work that people see. The age-old argument that money is not everything does, in fact, hold true. The things noted above about fun, openness, knowing what is going on, top-notch communications, and being appreciated are all aspects that the Team of today wants and expects.
Benefits, amenities, appreciation, solid full-time meaningful trustful communications, safety, new equipment, bonus pay, events, swag, etc. When your Team sees you truly investing in them, they will drive your success.
Dave Kasper, President, Accurate Coating; Grand Rapids, MI
Dave KasperSmall Jobs Lead to Big Jobs.
Fielding requests like it could be a big job, while only small is how relationships usually begin. The initial contact is important to present solutions that you can bring to the table so they can understand them and how it compares to the other alternatives they will be researching. The more you educate them, the more they will remember you.
It’s Difficult, But That’s Why They Call You
Often parts may be difficult; otherwise, they wouldn’t be calling you. These may not be easy or possible, but to start with, keep an open mind on how to puzzle it out just in case you can come up with the solution, and they will remember you as a problem solver and probably tell others about you.
It’s OK To Be In a Niche Market
It’s not easy being in a niche market as that is not where big money usually is or the information available between those looking for a solution. So developing relationships that lead customers to conceive of how your product could work for them may yield work at the end of the day. People looking for that special type of service will now know where to go. You may not be the most competitive with an economy of scale larger companies, but if you can solve quality issues, it can become an economic advantage to use you.
Bill Knape, President, Knape Industries; Rockford, Michigan
Bill KnapeCustomers and Employees
Treat your customers and your employees as best you can, better than you expect to be treated. Know what they need and want and try to give them what they want but be sure to give them what they need. When you can do something that really helps them out, you should do it.
Work Hard
Expect to work hard. Be ready to do the extra stuff that gets the job done and keeps the customer satisfied.
Survive Hard Times
Be in a position financially to make it through the hard times. Do not be in debt, and do not be under charge for your services. Make the changes that you have to make when it is needed. If you are not in business, then you cannot keep your customer satisfied. Or your owner(s).
Elliott Blackwelder, President, Seminole Metal Finishing; Altamonte Springs, FL
EliottBlackwelderDon’t Try to be Everything to Everybody
Pick the processes you are great at and focus on them. Don’t try to chase the “fast buck” by telling your customer that you can do something that you can’t. Getting into too many smaller processes eats into your time and profit and causes unnecessary headaches.
Quality Sells
See the item above. Be the best in your area at what you do. If your customers can depend on you to deliver a superior product that is ready to install or ship to their customers every time, you can charge a little more for that additional attention to detail.
Don’t Underprice Yourself Just to Get the Job.
I have always believed that “It is not how much you make, but how much you keep.” Many businesses focus on the gross and not the net. Customers promising me large orders for a lower price do not impress me. You’re not in business to “turn dollars.”
Get Team Buy-In
Get your Team to buy into how you want your customers to view/perceive our business. This involves constant employee training, not only knowing the processes but the getting your Team to focus on the importance of a quality product and continued improvement. Emphasize if the company is successful, they will be too.
Jaime Maliszewski, President, Reliable Plating Works and Elite Finishing; Milwaukee, WI
Jaime MaliszewskiMake Friends, Not Customers, and Suppliers
I have been doing this for 40+ years, and my dad always said,” treat everyone the same as you would a friend or family member.” This not only makes work more fun, dealing with friends all day, but it also makes dealing with issues much better.
When you treat people like friends, they become your friend and are more open and honest with you, and they feel the same with you, and discussions are more open and effective. You can deal with real issues and not worry about being taken advantage of.
Your customers and suppliers feel the same way about you and come to you with real issues rather than just moving to the next supplier. I have made a ton of longtime friends this way, many of which I now have kids and grandkids that are like family.
Hire People That Fill Your Weaknesses.
Know your weaknesses and find people that can do those things better than you. Don’t try to micro-manage them; rather, minimize your potential for loss and keep track of how they are progressing.
Make sure you give them all the credit for their progress and show appreciation for them at all times. Make sure they know and understand your goals and the need to reach them. Doing this keeps good people with you even if the wage is not as good as in some other places.
Keep Your Faith
You cannot control every aspect of your business. There are so many things outside of your control, economy, weather, illness, regulations, etc., that you need to keep your faith in God and know that as long as you keep working toward your goals, something will help get you through the tough times. This allows you to stay focused on critical issues and stay more relaxed. It also helps you sleep at night.
