Tanner Mullen, a successful painting contractor and founder of DripJobs CRM, shares his inspiring transformation from the restaurant industry to establishing a million-dollar painting business. He reveals powerful sales strategies and the crucial role of effective follow-up. Tanner discusses the ins and outs of leveraging Facebook ads, emphasizing storytelling to build trust with clients. Additionally, he highlights his innovative CRM designed for contractors and offers a limited-time deal for listeners interested in boosting their business efficiency.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Tanner's Painting Family Story
Tanner Mullen grew up in a painting family but experienced hardship due to his father's addiction and job loss during the recession.
He reentered the painting business to help his father and learned the trade hands-on from age 12.
insights INSIGHT
Vast Opportunities in Painting
The painting industry includes diverse niches like cabinets, commercial, and epoxy painting, offering many opportunities.
Even busy painting companies barely make a dent in the vast local market, meaning ample room for growth.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Make Facebook Ads Brand Builders
View Facebook ads primarily as brand awareness tools, not immediate lead generators.
Craft emotional, value-driven ads to attract quality clients and follow up diligently to convert leads.
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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
The Contractor Fight with Tom Reber