If your pitches are telling you that you lost by a few grand, and you thought you had a good relationship or rapport with them, you didn’t. If you don’t even get a chance to counter, you had no relationship at all.

If you aren’t creating a compelling reason to work with you besides money, then you are always going to lose to a lower bid.

Even though we as consumers buy things every day, we hate being sold to. If you can change the focus of selling off of the service you offer (decks, additions, drain snaking) and focus on how you can serve the customer, the more money you will make. When thinking about the client base you serve, ask yourself:

• What are you really selling them?
• What do the really want?

The real answers will surprise you, and if you said your primary service, you’re wrong and we should talk.

This was yesterday’s newsletter topic. Occasionally, I will post my newsletter to the general blog to give you an idea as to what we talk about, and to give you a chance to sign up. So, if you like this topic, sign up for the weekly newsletter by clicking here.

I hope this week’s newsletter finds you well! I hope it was a profitable week and you are booked solid in the coming weeks.

Two things sparked the topic for this week’s newsletter, and I’ll talk about each one quickly.

1. The June employment report was released and the Unites States added 287,000 jobs, the highest number since last October.

2. I had a consulting call this week and part of the discussion was hiring someone who got a bad recommendation from a previous employer and was fired.

Now, we are in the middle of the season for a lot of you, which means you may have turned over a new hire or two because, for whatever reason, they weren’t working out. That leaves you looking to hire again, and there isn’t a lot to pick from this time of year.

With employment so tight, especially in construction, hiring marginal candidates seems like the norm. So I want to talk about what you should look for if you want/have to hire someone with a spotty past.

1. If they came clean during the interview process and told you about an incident or that they got fired, at the very least you know you have someone who is honest and upfront, two very good traits. Now it is up to you to uncover the real answers as to why they were fired, and that’s number two.

2. You need to ask a lot more questions about the reason, about the job, about the candidate’s background. You need to check and recheck all the references they provide to make sure everything is legit. And once all the data is in…it’s up to your gut, and that’s number three.

3. Your gut. You know, that voice that talks to you and tells you it isn’t such a good idea to split aces or that the expired milk isn’t still good to drink? That voice. That voice will probably be right a lot more that you think, if you just pay attention. For some reason, my gut instincts have always been 100% right just when I’ve needed it, but I haven’t always paid attention, so I’m suggesting you pay attention!

Have a great week!
-Darren

If you have a storefront and let this happen, your profits are going up in flames!

What is it you are actually selling to your clients or customers? If you build decks, do you sell decks or sell an outdoor experience? If you sell additions, do you sell more room or do you sell the need to not have to move?

Here’s what we do…

We make a huge impact for contractors by saving them time. That is what I talk about when I talk to people who call us about the Contractor’s Toolbox.

I want to make sure they know this one key fact; this isn’t just some slap up a website, do a blog post and promote it on social because you can find services like that all over the web.

There are plenty of companies out there trying to do what we do. Construction marketing has been a gold rush lately for companies in other industries who think marketing to the Jones’ about construction services is the same as trying to sell them a pizza or fix their teeth.

Well it’s not, and you know it and I know it

That’s why we sell time. That’s right, we sell you back your time. We sell you on the notion that if you subscribe to one of our services, we are going to give you back at least 3-5 hours a week, which is pretty life changing when you think about it. I mean, if you can buy 20 more hours a month for as little as $99, I bet EVERY smart business person reading this would jump at the chance! Well, that’s what we sell…time.

What does more time mean to you? More time may mean the ability to get other things done. Things that you are passionate about. Maybe you gave up a hobby to start your construction company? Maybe you want more time with the family. Trust me, I know what it’s like to be working in one room while the family is in the other.

So, I ask you…no matter what you sell, have you defined what you are actually selling? If not, what’s the point to getting out of bed?

Look around you, look at all the companies around you selling stuff to you, your spouse, your kids, your parents. Then ask, what are they actually selling? Figure out what you are truly selling and sell that!