[View Point] Your shared experiences move the industry forward

At the various industry-related conferences I’ve attended I’ve always been impressed that so many PCOs have been willing to share their successes and failures. In speaking with attendees during breaks I know that they too appreciate their colleagues’ willingness to exchange ideas. These progressive pest management professionals understand that helping others succeed strengthens the pest control industry as a whole, which ultimately benefits all participants – sort of like the aphorism that “a rising tide lifts all boats.”

The PCT Media Group is mindful of this goal, which is why we strive to provide the industry with stories, Web resources and seminars in which pest management professionals can share with and learn from one another.

Take for example, the upcoming PCT bed bug seminars, scheduled for Aug. 4 in Boston and Aug. 18 in Orlando. The Boston seminar features Michael Potter, extension entomologist, University of Kentucky, and Christian Hardigree, assistant president and chief of staff at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and an expert in liability issues related to bed bugs. The Orlando seminar features Hardigree and Rick Cooper, technical director, Cooper Pest Solutions, Lawrenceville, N.J. In addition to these highly regarded speakers, PCT has assembled PCO panels for both sites because, as PCT Publisher Dan Moreland explained, “One of things we’ve learned through our coverage of this topic is that there are some regional differences among PCOs in terms of how they treat for bed bugs.  We think there is real value in having a panel that interacts with both the speakers and the audience. We think this provides broad coverage of key issues impacting bed bug control.” (For more information about these seminars, call PCT’s Conference Division at 800/456-0707 or visit www.bedbugseminars.com.)

Other recent examples of PCT articles and Web resources where your peers have provided information we hope you find valuable include:

• This month’s cover story “At Our Company Sales is Not a Four-Letter Word” (page 32). The article was developed based on a presentation given by Dennis Fox, founder of The Client Development Institute and a long-time pest control industry consultant. In addition to tips from Fox, the article includes industry-specific advice and shared experiences from your peers, including Ron Helming, Western Industries, Parsippany, N.J., and Ken Christianson, vice president of sales, Presto-X, Omaha, Neb.
• A new addition to PCT’s new 2.0 Web portal, www.pctonline.tv, is the Barry Murray Video Blog. This  is a monthly video segment in which Murray, president of the Murray Group and former director of marketing for Truly Nolen of America, provides his tips on a variety of marketing-related issues, ranging from television advertising to public relations campaigns. Why Murray? As an entertaining and informative guest with more than 1,000 TV appearances, Murray has helped increase exposure and market presence for not only Truly Nolen, but the pest control industry as a whole. We believe Murray’s well-rounded background and unique perspective can help you generate ideas.
• Similarly, many pest control companies have been gracious enough to provide PCT with both recent (and in some cases historical) TV and radio commercials, which we have posted to www.pctonline.tv. Our hope is that you enjoy these for their entertainment value, but that you also might pick up some creative ideas and be turned on to different advertising approaches that you might not otherwise consider.

As always, you are the ones out in the field, so if you think that we’ve missed the mark with these initiatives, or if you have experiences from your company you would like to share, we would love to hear from you.
 
The author is Internet editor of PCT and can be contacted at bharbison@giemedia.com.