So many business owners just aren’t making the profits they should! The failure rate is shocking, but what’s even worse are the people who are working their lives away and earning so much less than what they should. On today’s episode, you’ll learn which jobs are making money, which jobs are losing money, and what to do about it. What you’ll hear in this episode: How we can make more money: either sell more jobs or sell them for more money Why good job costing is essential for your business Dian...
Nov 29, 2019•48 min•Ep. 139
In today’s interview, I talk with Vicki Suiter with Suiter Business Builders about why some contractors companies have a consistent flow of quality applicants and why others don't. Vicki shares what causes these differences and how you can be the company that attracts quality candidates. We also drill down on his to find and recruit great candidates as well. Enjoy! Show Highlights: Every contractor should be part of a mastermind or peer group, where you have the opportunity to sit down with non-...
Nov 22, 2019•56 min•Ep. 138
Why does my P&L tell me I’m making money but I don’t have any cash in the bank? I hear this from contractors all the time. Where did the money go? Today, we are going to answer that question and others in my interview with Business Coach Shawn Van Dyke. We’ll also get into Shawn’s new book, Profit First For Contractors, and learn how you can transform your construction business from a cash-eating monster to a money-making machine. Show Highlights: One of the first things that Dave did as a y...
Nov 15, 2019•51 min•Ep. 137
Today we’re going to get into Part 2 of my best 15 Quick Tips for an awesome 2020. If you missed Part 1 you’ll want to download and listen to that show, as well, for a more comprehensive overview of my Quick Tips 1 through 8. Finally, be sure to share this show with another contractor so that they can have an awesome 2020, too! Show Highlights: Dave recaps his first 8 Quick Tips that he shared in Part 1: Quick Tip #1 - Get a plan. Figure out where you want to be at the end of 2020. Use Dave's 1-...
Nov 08, 2019•53 min•Ep. 136
Are you ready for an awesome 2020? Now is the time to be sure you get a running start at 2020 and have your best year ever with my best 15 Quick Tips for a profitable new year. Show Highlights: Before getting into Dave’s best 15 Quick Tips, here’s a great customer service tip that will help you differentiate yourself from the competition: On your way to an appointment, always send a quick text to confirm the appointment and to ensure that somebody is home. It’s a great way to communicate with yo...
Nov 01, 2019•33 min•Ep. 135
Contractors always tell me they need more leads. It’s always more leads. And not those crappy leads. No, they want qualified leads. In today's interview with Anna Anderson we lay out the steps to set up a marketing plan that will bring in a consistent flow of qualified leads over the long term. Show Highlights: Anna gives an overview of The Roofing Technology Think-Tank and its mission and discusses opportunities for women in roofing. You have to have a good marketing plan in place in order to s...
Oct 25, 2019•49 min•Ep. 134
My salespeople had a favorite “Whine”—"Homeowners only care about the price and we’re too expensive.” When in fact, survey after survey tells us that price is rarely the main reason why homeowners select a particular contractor. In today’s interview, I discuss the sales process you need to get your price, with expert John DeRosa. What you’ll hear in this episode: John’s work as director of contractor training and customer experience at SRS Distribution, including travel and seminars His 25 years...
Oct 18, 2019•48 min•Ep. 133
The recession is coming! The recession is coming! That’s what you hear on the news every night. Manufacturing is down, property values down, and retail stores filing bankruptcy. But construction is booming, we can’t find people to do the work because unemployment is low, and the stock market is at record highs. Recession? What recession? What’s going on? It’s been over 10 years since the last recession and most of our listeners weren’t even in business then. All they know is business is great an...
Oct 11, 2019•36 min•Ep. 132
When it comes to increasing your roofing sales, a professional proposal will separate you from the pack. Today I talk with Ryan Shantz from SumoQuote about their new software program that has everything you need to quickly put together a clear scope of work that will dazzle your prospect, build trust, and tee up that next sale. Show Highlights: SumoQuote was created because of homeowners who were asking for a price match on low-end competitors (no warranty, no professionalism, and no certificati...
Oct 04, 2019•39 min•Ep. 131
Today I interview best selling author and expert contractor business coach Vicki Suiter about her latest book The Profit Bleed. We pinpoint the reasons that contractors are not making the money they should and how they can fix the holes in their businesses to make more profit. What you’ll hear in this episode: How to deliver a good elevator pitch The benefits of a Mastermind group, for clarity, ideas, and camaraderie Vicki’s elevator pitch: what she does, who she serves, and what action she want...
Sep 27, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 130
With over 165,000 neighborhoods covering 80% of the country, Nextdoor presents a great opportunity for contractors to get new local leads. Referral leads. The best type of leads! Next door is a social networking service where you can ask your trusted neighbors for referrals for all types of services. Can anyone recommend a piano teacher? Does anyone know a great roofer? Today I interview marketing expert Aaron Hockel with AltaVista Strategic Partners and he takes us through the step-by-step proc...
Sep 20, 2019•47 min•Ep. 129
In our new 4 Part Quick Course Series you will learn everything you need to know to control a consistent flow of quality leads for your roofing business. This series is designed to give you a step-by-step process to get results from PPC. Who’s this course for: Those contractors that have done it themselves but didn’t get the results they were hoping for. Those contractors that hired someone and didn’t get the results they were promised. Those contractors that have been just watching from the sid...
Sep 18, 2019•15 min
In today’s interview, Charles Antis shares with us how leading with the cause will shape an amazing corporate culture (Antis has a 93% employee retention rate) and drive new business, all while giving real meaning to what you do. Show Highlights: Attracting the right leads and finding the most profitable deals What Charles does, who he helps, and what makes Antis Roofing different Principles to consider when building a user-friendly website Building success through word of mouth marketing Creati...
Sep 13, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 128
In our new 4 Part Quick Course Series you will learn everything you need to know to control a consistent flow of quality leads for your roofing business. This series is designed to give you a step-by-step process to get results from PPC. Who’s this course for: Those contractors that have done it themselves but didn’t get the results they were hoping for. Those contractors that hired someone and didn’t get the results they were promised. Those contractors that have been just watching from the sid...
Sep 11, 2019•17 min
If you have ever been involved with a legal dispute or if money has been withheld on your project you know that it can just suck the life out of you. And cost you a ton of money. In today’s interview with our legal expert Philip Siegel, you’ll learn how you can review and escape these 10 killer contract clauses. Philip delivered this same talk to the Western States Roofing Association last June to an overflow audience. In fact, it was rated the #1 session out of 21 presenters. We talk about how ...
Sep 06, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 127
In our new 4 Part Quick Course Series you will learn everything you need to know to control a consistent flow of quality leads for your roofing business. This series is designed to give you a step-by-step process to get results from PPC. Who’s this course for: Those contractors that have done it themselves but didn’t get the results they were hoping for. Those contractors that hired someone and didn’t get the results they were promised. Those contractors that have been just watching from the sid...
Sep 04, 2019•26 min
Having a consistent process for your project production is a must to maximize your job profits. If you're tired of getting those phone calls from the job or angry customers you’ll want to listen to my interview with Tim Faller. Tim has consulted on production with hundreds of construction companies and we discuss his best practices for reducing slippage and making more profit on every job. “The money is made in the sale. It’s production's job to protect it.” Show Highlights: The two main reasons...
Aug 30, 2019•55 min•Ep. 126
In our new 4 Part Quick Course Series you will learn everything you need to know to control a consistent flow of quality leads for your roofing business. This series is designed to give you a step-by-step process to get results from PPC. Who’s this course for: Those contractors that have done it themselves but didn’t get the results they were hoping for. Those contractors that hired someone and didn’t get the results they were promised. Those contractors that have been just watching from the sid...
Aug 28, 2019•25 min
Today I talk with Owens Corning National Training Leader Jon Gardner about the advantages of strategic partnerships with your suppliers. These include differentiating your business from your competition as an approved contractor, online classes for business and field training, and the opportunity to network with other professional contractors from around the country, and much more. I’ve seen these advantages first hand in my roofing business as an Owens Corning approved contractor for over 20 ye...
Aug 23, 2019•39 min•Ep. 125
Even in this booming economy many roofing contractors can run into Cash Flow Problems and may not see the signs until it’s too late. In today’s interview with credit expert Thea Dudley, you will learn how to set up a system to be sure you avoid these top 5 reasons many contractors have cash flow problems. Show Highlights: Cash flow is the life-blood of a business. The number one reason that companies go out of business is that they don’t charge enough money for their work. They eventually run ou...
Aug 16, 2019•39 min•Ep. 124
The only way to grow a profitable roofing business for the long haul is to build an effective sales team. On today’s podcast, I talk sales with Becca Switzer, owner of Roof Sales Mastery. Becca teaches roofing contractors how to find, hire, and train successful salespeople with her proven step-by-step system that avoids all the typical mistakes most business owners make. What you’ll hear in this episode: Why a great sales team makes ALL the difference in your business “Nothing happens until some...
Aug 09, 2019•46 min•Ep. 123
You spend a lot driving prospects to your website. In today’s interview, you’ll learn how you can convert those visitors into qualified leads using live chat. Most websites convert less than 3-5%. Don’t let yours be one of those. Show Highlights: The importance of making human connection in a world driven by technology The average consumer wants a personal connection. Ruby Receptionists is headquartered in the Portland OR area. Ruby Receptionists serves over 10,000 small business owners across t...
Aug 02, 2019•29 min•Ep. 122
There are 2 ways to make more profit on your roofing jobs. First, sell your jobs for more money. The second is to reduce your costs to do the job. Simple isn't it? But if you're like most contractors you already have a full book of business. And you're not getting any more money for that work. Today's podcast is all about production and reviews some new ways to reduce your costs and make more money that you may not have thought of. What you’ll hear in this episode: There are two ways to make mor...
Jul 26, 2019•37 min•Ep. 121
Sell Me This Pen If you saw the movie The Wolf of Wall Street you’ll remember the final scene where Leo, just out of jail and banned from selling stocks, is teaching a group of eager salesmen looking for the “silver bullet” of selling. Leo asks a nervous victim in the front row that classic sales manager question, “Sell Me This Pen”. The movie ends before we get the answer. Today, I show you the right way to answer this question and how it applies to home services sales. The 4 Takeaways 1. Estab...
Jul 23, 2019•11 min
Are you looking to grow your construction business, but hate bookkeeping and accounting? Are you skeptical about hiring any accountant for fear of embezzlement or being ripped off? If so, tune into today’s podcast to get quick and easy tips on how to turn a people-dependent money pit, into a process-dependent cash cow with today’s guest, Randal DeHart. Show Highlights: •The difference between construction accounting and regular accounting • Differences between costs and expenses • 5 key performa...
Jul 19, 2019•50 min•Ep. 120
If you are going to grow a profitable contracting business you’re going to need to know some basic sales numbers. I’m not talking about advanced math or accounting. We’re are going to build on what we learned from last week’s Quick Tip. So if you didn’t listen to lasts week’s tip about what you can learn from watching Shark Tank you’ll want to go check that out. In today’s Quick Tip I’ll show you: How many times you need the phone to ring, How many presentations you need to make, How many jobs y...
Jul 16, 2019•16 min
Business is booming and you have a lot of cash flowing out the door. Without a strong collections process, you can run into a real cashflow squeeze. Just one hiccup on a large project can put your entire business at risk. Today I interview construction attorney Alex Barthet from The Lien Zone Podcast to learn everything you need to know to get paid on your jobs. We cover the good, bad, and the ugly on contracts, change orders and filing timely lien notices. Alex is a Florida Board Certified cons...
Jul 12, 2019•57 min•Ep. 119
I like to watch the show Shark Tank. Usually I’ll binge 4 or 5 episodes at a time every so often. You can learn a lot about business from the Sharks. And yes, even the roofing business. Yeah, it’s entertainment. But they’ve been there and done it! Here is what you can learn from the Sharks: They start off by just asking for the short story about the business. The elevator pitch. They don’t really care what it is. What’s the problem and how are you solving it? Just like selling roofing. What’s th...
Jul 09, 2019•13 min
The easiest way to generate more revenue is to increase your close rate. In Part 2, today’s interview with contractor business coach Kyle Hunt we discuss tips in each area of your sales process: The Initial Phone Call: What you must do to make a great first impression, 5 Powerful Words When Talking With A Roofing Prospect, The In-Person Meeting: How to prepare, what to bring, and the approach you should take, and No Project Left Behind: Your lead tracking, sales pipeline, and follow-up system. G...
Jul 05, 2019•40 min•Ep. 118
Too many contractors I work with tell me “Are you crazy? I can’t take a 2 week vacation. My business can’t run without me.” They’re chained to their business! That’s because they haven’t set up the simple processes and put the right people in place to grow a business that doesn’t rely on 1 or 2 key people. If that’s you, you're never going to grow your business and have a responsible, accountable team. In today’s Quick Tip I’ll show you the steps you can take so next summer you can say, “Honey, ...
Jul 02, 2019•15 min
