Lessons from Early Career Struggles

In this episode, Tom interviews Tanner Mullen, a successful painting contractor and the founder of DripJobs CRM. Tanner shares his journey from working in the restaurant industry to building a million-dollar painting business and launching a powerful CRM software designed specifically for contractors. They dive deep into sales strategies, the importance of follow-up, how to leverage Facebook ads effectively, and why communication is the ultimate differentiator in today's contracting world. Tanner also drops an incredible limited-time offer for listeners who want to try DripJobs.

In this episode Tom and Tanner discuss:

• [01:21] Tanner’s journey from the restaurant world to contracting and early lessons in sales
• [04:15] His entry into the painting business and how his family's background influenced him
• [06:20] The diverse and lucrative nature of the painting industry
• [09:54] Reaching $1M in 3 years and the strategies he used
• [10:44] Importance of production and why Tanner chose employees over subs
• [12:25] Lead sources and their conversion rates: Angie, Facebook, and influencer marketing
• [13:44] Facebook ads: why most contractors fail and how to fix it
• [16:12] The psychology behind ad content and attracting the right clients
• [18:03] Example of an emotional and values-driven Facebook ad that worked
• [20:02] How storytelling in ads builds trust and sets your brand apart
• [21:20] Origin of DripJobs and why Tanner built it out of necessity
• [24:12] The cost of slow response and the need for lead automation
• [27:04] First wins with automation and early development of DripJobs
• [30:09] Biggest surprises from running a software company
• [31:38] Competing with industry giants and winning
• [32:06] How automation and consistent follow-up elevate customer trust
• [35:55] DripJobs is a tool that scales communication for volume-based contractors
• [38:01] Teaser about an upcoming AI feature in DripJobs
• [38:12] Tanner’s favorite features: two-way texting and visual pipelines
• [40:50] Tom shares how he discovered DripJobs and its biggest benefits
• [42:04] Using metrics and data to make marketing decisions
• [43:27] Free training and support offered to all DripJobs users
• [44:43] Bringing a red carpet experience from restaurants to contracting
• [46:06] Differentiating your company through communication and mission
• [48:12] Each touchpoint increases trust and buyer confidence
• [49:44] The psychology of expectation and perceived value
• [50:27] Why the first time a client sees you shouldn’t be at the front door
• [54:05] Overcoming client uncertainty with visuals and AI renderings
• [55:06] Turning customer service into marketing with transparency
• [57:25] Tanner offers an exclusive 100-day free trial for DripJobs to Fight listeners

Links from the episode:

🔗 DripJobs CRM – https://dripjobs.com

Use code fight100 for 100 days free – all features included, no contract

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SALES ACCELERATOR: 6 weeks. Real results. No BS:

👉 https://thecontractorfight.com/morejobs

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