A Personal Thank You
Patrick McFadden • November 27, 2013
I’m taking the time to thank my professional colleagues, personal friends and others who have inspired me during the past year.
First and foremost, my thanks goes to:
- My readers and subscribers, who constantly challenge me to lead through my thoughts and create remarkable content.
- My American Express OpenForum , LinkedIn groups and Google+ community members who have taught me to become a better teacher.
Next my thanks goes to the late Zig Ziglar and Jay Levison for being our sales and marketing experts who left a legacy greater than currency.
My next thanks goes to this list of amazing people who are doing great things in the business and personal space. Collectively you make us all a little smarter and add joy to our lives one word, one event or one update at a time. I’m sure that there are important people I’ve left off of this list. If you are one of these, please accept my humble thanks and apologies.
- Robert T. (“YB”) Youngblood of YBConnects , for his great insights and incredibly useful advice towards networking, using a focus from getting to giving-putting others’ interests first and continually adding value to the lives of others.
- Brandy Cramer of Central VA Spades Players for continuing to push the boundaries of what new places you can connect people, cards, and fun.
- Tonya Pulliam Owner at Pulliam Innovative Consulting Firm , for being a very early supporter of me and having eyes to see what other can’t see. Will always be thankful.
- Leah Coleman of RE/MAX Commonwealth Companies and entrepreneur for showing us how to leverage opportunities within our own resources and gifts.
- Sharvette Mitchell of Mitchell Productions, LLC for offering your online platform to so many awesome people and being the ultimate “persistarista” in motivating, exciting and influencing. ( Yes, I made up that word!)
- Thomas Ellis of EWC Consultants for teaching us through your little golden sales nuggets how to close the BIG deal and care about the prospect.
- DeKesha Williams Business Strategist at Vizions Consulting for always trying to inspire, motivate and educate. And leading through your thoughts on your blog.
- Jason Caplan Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management for always being a connector and poking and searching for ways to add value to others.
- Jeff Beale of The Marketology Group , for always being ready to help and willing to try new ways to push the marketing envelope.
- Yuhannes Watts of Learn2Link , for being the LinkedIn Sales, Marketing and Strategy ringleader.
- Pat Council Host of “Designing Your Life, Today” Radio Show at True Thoroughbred Enterprises, for seeing the best in people and guiding them in that direction.
- Rich Carter, REVIT/BIM MANAGER at 2rw Consultants, Inc., for always believing in me and nudging me to chase my dreams. I wish you and your family all the best.
- R Rushton (“Rush”) Paul, J.D., SPHR of R. Rushton Paul Consulting, LLC , for being the one of the best HR folks. He’s quick to educate and always helpful as well as an all around friendly guy.
- Tracy Pouzar Vice President of Marketing at Rue & Associates, Inc. , for showing me that taking risk (the one’s that don’t kill you) are OK and how to be a loyal friend.
- David Wilson, of SPENDOWN , for showing me how to network with a purpose.
- Tia Lunsford and Thomas Lunsford , for your friendship and support.
- Deidre M. Simpson of Conqueror Prime Group , for being one of my first readers, back when McFadden Coaching was around.
- Glynesia Watson of Watson-Hill Bookkeeping & Accounting , for having a desire to connect and build real relationships with authentic people.
- Wilson Little of Matrix Courier Services , who often calls me to keep me on my marketing game and is always looking for ways to add value.
- Kimberly Ridley of The Light Community Church , for being an encourager to all and shining your light through your witness, word, and walk.
Lastly to my father, Bobby McFadden, for teaching me about developing relationships, and to my mother, Barbara McFadden, for teaching me about how to be humble and have big dreams, and my wife, Jennifer McFadden who makes this whole thing possible. I’m fortunate to have you in my life through the ups and downs, good times and the bad times.
Wishing you and yours a memorable and heartfelt Thanksgiving with those you love.
Understanding platform intent, sales cycles, and what actually works in high-ticket home services
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.
Most marketing firms talk about tactics. We help our clients see the bigger picture.
