ICS February 2011 : Page 6

Editorial Comment By Jeffrey ® Stouffer Group Publisher ] Phil Johnson, Publisher ] Evan Kessler Western Regional Manager ] Jim Roy Editor ] Jeffrey Stouffer Sr. Art Director ] Rick Arvidson Art Director ] Manda Chan Production Manager ] Amy Levin CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jeff Bishop, John Braun, Dave DeBlander, Aaron Groseclose, Gordon Hanks, Stanley Quentin Hulin, Howard Partridge, Steve Toburen, Ruth Travis “You know, just yesterday I was reading how…” ere at ICS , we take pride in putting together the greatest amount of action-able information possible for professionals in the cleaning and restoration industry. The platforms we use – print, digital, etc. – give us a number of options to dis-seminate said content in order for you to take it in, digest it and use it in whatever manner best fits your situation. We’ve always made a concerted effort to live up to our company mission state-ment: Helping People Succeed in Business by Giving Them Superior Information. In doing so, we sift through copious amounts of material, picking and choosing our way through a tepid swamp of nonsense to spotlight content you can find a way to use. Sometimes, then, it’s the stuff that’s not exactly nail-on-the-head obvious that can make or break a situation. That’s why, every now and then, there’ll be an item in the Breaking News section on ICS mag.com that causes you to do a double/triple/ quadruple take and ask, “What the what?” Case in point: last month we linked to a story in a newspaper that provided some “helpful” tips to consumers on cleaning and maintaining carpet. That much of what was being said was eye-roll inducing was just the tip of it. When we come across such items, we link them not because we think the information is spot on (in many cases, it’s not even close), but because your clients might ; after all, if it’s in print, it must be true, right? I’ll give you odds your clients don’t read ICS , but I’m betting a good number of them get their local paper in one form or another. And when they start reading some of these great “solutions” to their carpet troubles – “sprinkle paprika on the area, turn counterclockwise, click your heels together three times and say, ‘there’s no stains in home, there’s no stains in home…’” – it can make for some sticky situations when you show up on the scene; nobody likes to be made to feel like a fool. That’s why we link up these items when we find them, to provide you with some of the misinformation floating around in the ether so that, on arriving at a client’s home, you’re not caught flat-footed or start laughing outright when they say some-thing like, “You know, just yesterday I was reading how the wetter you leave the carpet, the more dirt particles will evaporate as it dries.” To paraphrase Steve Toburen, the interaction between cleaner and homeowner is akin to an emotional minefield. Having some idea of what they’ve been hearing, of the position they’re starting from, can help disarm a potentially negative situation and get you both moving in the same direction. H BNP Media Company, II, L.L.C. Publishing and Sales Office: 22801 Ventura Blvd., Suite 115 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Phone: (818) 224-8035, Fax: (818) 224-8042 E-mail: ICS@bnpmedia.com Publisher ] Evan Kessler (303) 255-1263 Western Regional Manager ] Jim Roy (818) 224-8035, ext. 2215 Classified Sales Manager ] Sharon Ward (847) 405-4017 CORPORATE OFFICE: 2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 700 Troy, MI 48084 www.bnpmedia.com CORPORATE DIRECTORS Publishing ] Timothy A. Fausch Publishing ] John R. Schrei Corporate Strategy ] Rita M. Foumia Information Technology ] Scott Kesler Marketing ] Ariane Claire Production ] Vincent M. Miconi Finance ] Lisa L. Paulus Creative ] Michael T. Powell Directories ] Nikki Smith Human Resources ] Marlene J. Witthoft Conferences & Events ] Emily Patten Clear Seas Director ] Beth A. Surowiec Marketing Contact/Manager ] Rick Arvidson AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Audience Development Coordinator ] Christina Gietzen Multimedia Specialist ] Alison Illes Audience Audit Coordinator ] Carolyn M. Alexander BNP Media Helps People Succeed in Business with Superior Information Single Copy Sales Ann Kalb Tel. (248) 244-6499 E-mail: kalba@bnpmedia.com For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Tel. (847) 763-9534 or Fax (847) 763-9538 or e-mail ICS@halldata.com Web: www.icsmag.com 6 Cleaning Specialist | February 2011

Editorial Comment

Jeffrey Stouffer

Here at ICS, we take pride in putting together the greatest amount of actionable information possible for professionals in the cleaning and restoration industry. The platforms we use – print, digital, etc. – give us a number of options to disseminate said content in order for you to take it in, digest it and use it in whatever manner best fits your situation. We’ve always made a concerted effort to live up to our company mission statement: Helping People Succeed in Business by Giving Them Superior Information. In doing so, we sift through copious amounts of material, picking and choosing our way through a tepid swamp of nonsense to spotlight content you can find a way to use. Sometimes, then, it’s the stuff that’s not exactly nail-on-the-head obvious that can make or break a situation. That’s why, every now and then, there’ll be an item in the Breaking News section on ICSmag.com that causes you to do a double/triple/ quadruple take and ask, “What the what?” Case in point: last month we linked to a story in a newspaper that provided some “helpful” tips to consumers on cleaning and maintaining carpet. That much of what was being said was eye-roll inducing was just the tip of it. When we come across such items, we link them not because we think the information is spot on (in many cases, it’s not even close), but because your clients might; after all, if it’s in print, it must be true, right? I’ll give you odds your clients don’t read ICS, but I’m betting a good number of them get their local paper in one form or another. And when they start reading some of these great “solutions” to their carpet troubles – “sprinkle paprika on the area, turn counterclockwise, click your heels together three times and say, ‘there’s no stains in home, there’s no stains in home…’” – it can make for some sticky situations when you show up on the scene; nobody likes to be made to feel like a fool. That’s why we link up these items when we find them, to provide you with some of the misinformation floating around in the ether so that, on arriving at a client’s home, you’re not caught flat-footed or start laughing outright when they say something like, “You know, just yesterday I was reading how the wetter you leave the carpet, the more dirt particles will evaporate as it dries.” To paraphrase Steve Toburen, the interaction between cleaner and homeowner is akin to an emotional minefield. Having some idea of what they’ve been hearing, of the position they’re starting from, can help disarm a potentially negative situation and get you both moving in the same direction.

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