The Fire Time Podcast

By Tim ReedBusiness Marketing Careers

The Fire Time Podcast episodes

November 09, 2021Pete Schoenfeld - Communication Wins
The next year for our industry looks bleak. For most dealers, surviving alone will be difficult. If we want to maximize our chances of getting through it as a whole, we need to start sharing knowledge with each other.
In today’s episode, Tim sits down with Pete Schoenfeld (United Buyers Group, HPBA National Board) to talk about the tough spot many businesses find themselves in due to supply chain issues. Pete provides valuable insight about new practices he’s noticed dealers adopting to get through these uncertain times.
In today’s episode, you’ll learn:
The resources that you need to start tapping into (you’re probably unaware of most of them).
The increasing importance of understanding a customer’s problem (your team has to start prioritizing this).
The benefits of physically traveling to talk with other industry professionals (you’re missing out by staying strictly online).

This next year doesn’t have to be so scary. If we focus on communicating—with retailers, distributors, and customers—we have an increased chance of making it out of the COVID crisis as a whole. Listen today to learn what you can do to best prepare your business for the daunting months ahead.

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44 min
November 02, 2021Jim Adams - Protect Your Company From Fire Investigations
What do you do if your business is implicated in a house fire? This is a nightmare question that none of us want to think about, but we need to discuss it—because it’s inevitable in our line of work.

In today’s episode, Tim speaks with Jim Adams, a Fire Investigator with a background in the hearth industry. This wide-ranging conversation goes from Tim and Jim covering the specifics of protecting your company from fire investigations to Jim providing his unique sales advice from back when he was in the industry.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why taking photos of every step of every installation will save you in the event of a fire (the best defense starts with a good offense).
Why you should go to restaurants more often (the excuse you’ve always wanted).
How knowing why specific products are on display will help you move more product (the best dealers have this down to a science).

Stop dismissing the possibility of your business being a part of a fire investigation and start protecting your business from fire investigations today. Listen in to learn more.

Access Power Hour

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55 min
October 26, 2021Noel Putaansuu - The Wood Burning Certification Process Doesn't Match Reality
Adding fuel to your wood stove at the optimal time is a science. It’s also the key to reducing emissions and increasing efficiency—and that gives us reason to hope that wood stoves won’t die out.

In today’s episode, Tim talks with Noel Putaansuu, an expert on wood-burning stoves, the President of Smokeless Chimney, and a contributor to The Fire Time Magazine. One of Noel’s recent articles, “The Wood Burning Certification Process Doesn’t Match Reality,” serves as the launching point for this eye-opening conversation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
What you need to retrofit old wood stoves so they burn cleaner and meet emissions standards (this is huge for our industry).
What opacity is and why it’s the new metric we need to prioritize (this is how we achieve universal standards for wood burning).
What the intersection between modern tech and wood stoves looks like (this is going to blow your mind).

As an industry, we’ve largely ignored the possibilities for innovation within the wood stove sector. However, it’s now time to consider how modern technology could save wood stoves from tightening emissions standards. Listen today to hear what one expert has to say about the future of wood-burning stoves.

Visit Noel’s Website

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34 min
October 19, 2021Edmund Poplawski - Would You Buy From You?
You know your business from the inside out, but have you ever looked at it from the outside in? Truthfully, a large part of a sale is your business’s first impression on a potential customer. Humans are judgemental creatures—and now more than ever, it’s crucial to put your best foot forward.

Today, Tim talks with Edmund Poplawski (Kozy Heat) about his Fire Time Magazine article, “Would You Buy From You?” As a sales rep, Edmund has visited many top dealers across the country, which means he knows how to create the best first impression—physically and digitally.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why your bathroom needs to be spotless 24/7 (the truth is that your bathroom is a reflection of your business).
Why secret shopping your showroom is so important (the best way to experience what the customer experiences is to be the customer).
Why you need multiple websites for your various offerings (the name of the modern website game is simplicity).

Stop letting potential customers slip through the cracks because you’ve got a confusing website or a sloppy showroom. Appearing the best is vital to being the best. Listen to this episode to learn how the best dealers stay ahead of their competition.

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45 min
October 12, 202110 Steps to Execute - Steps 8, 9, & 10
After a successful installation, is a job over? Honestly, it’s not—because you still need to document the project and ask for a referral. These simple steps protect you when things go south and provide you with more growth opportunities. But how do you actually accomplish them?

In today’s episode—the final installment of the 10 Steps to Execute series—Tim and Grant cover Step 8 (Installation), Step 9 (Paperwork), and Step 10 (Thank You & Review) of the 10-Step Execution Framework. These steps might seem pretty straightforward, but they’re full of granular details that are easy to overlook.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to set up your business to professionally handle upset customers (it’s important to have documentation when things go south).
How top-notch installation teams look and act (it even matters whether they park in the customer’s driveway).
How to tap into—and sell to—your customers’ friends for free (it might sound crazy, but this can work way better than paid marketing).

The 10 Steps to Execute series will teach you how to set and communicate expectations throughout the entire sales process, so you can go from guessing how to grow to knowing how to grow. Ready to get started? Just press play.

To access the first Power Hour, go to www.itsfiretime.com/community

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1 hr 10 min
October 05, 202110 Steps to Execute - Steps 6 & 7
“Sorry, but we’re missing a part.” This is the last thing you want said between your installer and your customer on installation day. Unfortunately, it’s too common throughout our industry because many companies don’t have a thorough staging system to prepare for each job. What does a thorough staging system look like, though? Listen in to find out.

In today’s episode—the second to last episode of the 10 Steps to Execute series—Tim and Grant dive into Step 6 (Receiving and Staging) and Step 7 (The Confirmation Call) of the 10-Step Execution Framework. Both these steps must be made right before installation to make sure that things go as smoothly as possible.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
The different sections you should have in your warehouse (this makes things visible and creates accountability).
What a good confirmation call consists of (this will give you an edge over your competitors).
How to manage expectations (this is essential if you want the best sales experience for customers and your team).

If you can nail these steps, you’ll be on track to slam dunk your installations. Listen today to learn the framework that successful companies use to diagnose and prevent problems.

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49 min
September 28, 202110 Steps to Execute - Steps 4 & 5
Many hearth businesses lose installation days because they don’t schedule before purchasing. At first, this order of operations might sound reckless, but it’s actually one secret to running a highly productive business. This secret—along with many others—is part of the 10-Step Execution Framework, which will help you set and exceed expectations for your business so you can grow like never before.
In today’s episode—the third installment of the 10 Steps to Execute series—Tim and Grant discuss Step 4 (Scheduling) and Step 5 (Purchasing) of the 10-Step Execution Framework.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What the best scheduling process looks like (and how not setting scheduling targets prevents your business from growing).
How weekly phone calls with your distributors can work miracles (seriously, doing this is a game-changer).
Why you have to hold manufacturers accountable (especially if you want to get any product right now).

There’s no easy way to grow your business. But by learning and implementing the 10-Step Execution Framework, you’ll understand what it takes to win.

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55 min
September 21, 2021The Journey - How Two Retailers Stumbled Into a Community Bigger Than Themselves
Three years ago, the first episode of The Fire Time Podcast was released. As Tim nervously hit the “Publish” button, doubts raced through his mind. Was he really ready to start a podcast? Was anyone even going to listen?
Since then, 99 episodes have followed, making today’s number 100! In honor of that, Tim reflects on his first article from The Fire Time Magazine: “The Journey: How Two Retailers Stumbled Into a Community Bigger Than Themselves.”
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How Tim turns insecurities into strengths (and how you can do it too).
Why Tim and Grant created The Fire Time Network (and what lessons they learned along the way).
Why you should dance with fear (and do it often).

When the first podcast was published, Tim didn’t know it would succeed. He just looked fear in the face and went for it. If you want to gain a similar sort of confidence—and learn about the genesis and ethos of The Fire Time community—don’t miss this special episode of the podcast.

Video from Tim & Grant’s original brand script for The Fire Time Network on their flight to Minneapolis in the summer of 2019: https://youtu.be/TQx35EwvoO0

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1 hr 15 min
September 14, 202110 Steps to Execute - Steps 2 & 3
What if there was a process for eliminating mistakes in your business so you could grow like never before? As it turns out, there is—and you can learn all about it on The Fire Time Podcast. This season, Tim and Grant will go through the 10-Step Execution Framework that they designed to help you set and exceed expectations for your business. Over the years, these steps have been taught to many companies, but they’ve never been compiled in one place—until now.
In today’s episode—the second installment of the 10 Steps to Execute series—Tim and Grant discuss Step 2 (The Job Walk and Final Estimate) and Step 3 (The Sales Follow-Up) of the 10-Step Execution Framework.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The details of Steps 2 and 3 of the 10-Step Execution Framework (these will stop mistakes in their tracks).
Four things that must happen before a job is greenlit and can move forward to installation (these are responsibilities too many salespeople neglect).
Why your installation coordinator can make or break your business (they’re the key to unlocking profit in your schedule).

Stop watching the same mistakes prevent your business from growing. Implement the 10-Step Execution Framework into your sales process and watch frequent mistakes fade away.

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50 min
September 07, 202110 Steps to Execute - Overview & Step 1
How do you prevent repeated mistakes in your sales process? Simply hope that they don’t happen? Or take action to diagnose and prevent them? Chances are, you’re probably just hoping—not because you’re terrible at business, but because you don’t have a framework to figure out where things went wrong. In this episode, Tim and Grant introduce a new 10-step framework to help you perfectly execute your entire sales process every time.
Season 7 of The Fire Time Podcast will focus on each step of this sales process framework. In this first episode, Tim and Grant provide an overview of the framework, then dive deep into the first step: The Showroom.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The framework to supercharge your business and solve problems permanently (this is the first time this framework has been made public).
How to discover each customer’s problem, then lay out a plan to solve it (this sounds simple, but few dealers do it).
What an estimator setup form is, and how it will drastically improve each customer’s experience (this also simplifies everything on your end).

If you allow repeated mistakes to plague your sales process, your business will remain mediocre and incapable of growth. Implementing our tested framework will allow you to identify and overcome your mistakes. To get started, all you have to do is push play.

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1 hr 1 min

About The Fire Time Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Are you tired of presentations that are only half relevant to your business? Many speakers are not practitioners of their material, simply teachers—not so with The Fire Time Podcast. This podcast is…

for the hearth industry and by the hearth industry. Host Tim Reed has over a decade of experience in the hearth industry, making conversations with guests relevant and extremely practical. In Season One, Tim speaks with twelve hearth industry leaders and provides content relevant to any position, whether on the retail or manufacturing side. Hearth companies everywhere are lost because the landscape of business has changed dramatically in the last ten years. They are trying hard, but they just don’t know what to do. The Fire Time Podcast equips hearth companies to win by sharing ideas and innovation from the best minds in our industry. This podcast will give you the tools to move the needle in your company and win in the changing landscape. This podcast is the first of its kind—specific to the business that you work in every day and simple enough to teach you what’s needed to succeed. Do not miss out on The Fire Time Podcast, available for Apple and Droid devices or at www.itsfiretime.com/podcast. The simple and repeatable steps provided will empower you to grow the bottom line of your company and inspire the team that you lead. ABOUT: Tim Reed is the Retail Sales Leader at Fireside Home Solutions in the Pacific Northwest where he helps his team members make it so stupidly easy to buy from them that there is no excuse not to. Starting as individual salesperson in an empty warehouse, he has grown Fireside’s Retail division by millions (after cutting his marketing budget by 90%). Tim has been invited all over the country to teach companies how to market effectively to their customers and sell more than ever before. His YouTube videos, sales blog, and “Fire Time Podcast” have become a resource for the industry and are actively helping thousands of people rethink their paradigms so that they can grow their businesses in the changing landscape. Tim learned “just enough to be dangerous” about sales, marketing, web development, and leadership from years of playing guitar in a failing punk band—which he swears has uniquely qualified him for his job today. Now considered one of the most innovative minds and compelling communicators in the industry, Tim uses his platform to serve others, helping them create clear messages that are wildly compelling to their audiences. Tim lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Jessica, two children, Olivia and Luke, and his 90 pound Golden Retriever, Walter. He still plays guitar in a failing punk band. CONTACT: [email protected] | www.itsfiretime.com