PowerTips Unscripted

For many, determining the compensation for an employee is nothing more than doing a quick google search, or in our members case, maybe asking their peers what they pay a particular position.  But Tom Miller doesn’t really agree with that methodology.  Instead, his company helps businesses apply the best compensation strategies that help recruit great talent. Tom is the founder and president of The VisionLink Advisory Group, a compensation design firm that services private businesses across North America. Tom and his firm have served over 600 companies across all industries.  In this episode, Tom discusses how to help small businesses apply the best practice compensation strategies that help recruit great talent, encourage execution of the business plan, and growing a company. Victoria, Mark and Tom talk more about: The starting point for building a great compensation plan in small company. The most common mistakes employers make relative to compensation. How to build an effective incentive plan in a private business. The best way to handle employees who want stock in the company. Setting and managing salaries for different employees. And more…this  The post Ep.139: Creating Great Compensation Programs that Help Grow Your Company with Tom Miller appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Effective communication is measured by outcomes. Communication without an outcome is like traveling without a destination. The communication techniques used in selling are frequently more disastrous than helpful. In this episode, Dave Yoho will expound upon several powerful communication techniques that have a psychological background, and have been proven to lead individuals to the outcome(s) they desire. The measure of all communication is the outcome achieved. If you are not receiving the outcome desired with your communication – change what you are doing. Dave Yoho is the president of Dave Yoho Associates, a widely recognized small business consulting company. He sits on the board of public companies, has appeared in over 100 video training series and has made over 5,000 speeches in all 50 states and 17 foreign countries. Victoria, Mark and Dave talk more about: Proven communication/sales tactics that a salesperson can use to find success. The importance of persuasive language in the sales process, and some examples of how it is used. Using customer satisfaction selling to introduce trial closes, and effectively close against price. The most common reason for the failure of veteran salespeople. Learning more about these powerful communication/sales tactics The post Ep.138: Focusing Your Communication Style on Customer Satisfaction with Dave Yoho appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

In this episode, we take a closer look at the sales process. We are always looking for fresh ideas and concepts that apply specifically to remodelers and those in the building community.Our guest Jen Neige is adamant that you should be selling to design, NOT designing to sell, and she shares how you can improve your closing ratio, gain more control of the sales cycle and earn a design fee within two hours.Jan Neiges is a National Kitchen and Bath certified Kitchen Designer and on the nine-member board for NKBA. Jan brings her 20 years of experience as a kitchen and bath designer and her 40 years of sales experience to share the selling process that she has developed.Victoria, Mark and Jan talk more about:Background on how Jan began working on this process.Why this process is so important for remodelers to consider.What some of the issues are within the industry faces that drives the need for using this process.And more… The post Ep.137: Selling to Design, Not Designing to Sell with Jan Neiges appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Small business owners spend a lifetime building a company and have one shot at getting their exit right.Yet waiting to pounce on this unsuspecting group is a legion of financial mercenaries, private equity predators and corporate giants set up to prey on owner’s lack of experience when it comes to mergers and acquisitions.These financial engineers use sleazy tactics like “strategic pacing,” “re-trading,” and “proprietary deal flow” to dupe owners into selling their life’s work for pennies on the dollar.Our guest in this episode, John Warrillow, passionately advocates owners reframe how they approach their company from thinking of it as a job to building a transferable and valuable asset.John is the founder of The Value Builder System, a simple software for building the value of a company used by thousands of businesses worldwide. He is a past Keynote Speaker at our Remodelers Summit and has been a guest here on PowerTips Unscripted in milestone episodes 01 and 100.Victoria, Mark and John talk more about:The selling trends that John foresees with business owners who were hit hard during the pandemic.The biggest mistakes John sees owners make when it’s time to sell.The evil tricks large corporations and private equity groups use to pray on inexperienced owners.How owners let potential buyers know they are interested in selling without looking desperate.When owners should tell their employees they are thinking of selling.And more… Take the Value Builder PreScoreTM Assessment and Discover How “Sellable” Your Business is Whether your exit is on the horizon or years away, the PREScore assessment will prepare you personally for a successful transition into your next chapter while enabling your business – and your people – to continue to thrive without you. More importantly, the changes you would make to ensure your business is more “sellable” will also make it stronger and more profitable.[Click Here to Get the Link to the Assessment] The post Ep.136: How to Build, Accelerate and Harvest the Value of a Company with John Warrillow appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Networking has been called the number one rule of business success. That’s fine for those outgoing high-personality types like Victoria, but what is the less-than-sociable remodeler supposed to do?Our guest for this episode, Matthew Pollard, has written a new book in The Introverts Edge series that addresses just that. He shares some of the secrets from the book and other tips and advice about taking your networking to the next level.Matthew’s system outlines how to build your dream Rolodex, from identifying high-level connections to getting them thrilled to be in your corner. The best part is, you don’t have to be someone you’re not.Matthew is an internationally recognized consultant, speaker, blogger, author, mentor, coach, and serial entrepreneur with five multi-million dollar business success stories under his belt, all before the age of 30. He is the founder and CEO of Rapid Growth, LLC, dedicated to achieving maximum ROI for businesses of all sizes.Victoria, Mark and Matthew talk more about:What motivated Matthew to write about networking for introverts.Why so many introverts struggle with, or even hate, networking.Suggestions and advice for what introverts should do differently.The number one networking mistake Matthew sees introverts make.And more…Matthew’s Website with links to his books, media, speaking dates, etc. What are the Ways You Will Improve Your Business in Order to Hit Your Long-Term Objectives? In our first FREE Webinar of the year, Doug Howard and Wayne Ottum will take a closer look at how you will use your 5-year Strategic Plan to lay the foundation for successful results between now and 2025.Tuesday, January 19, 2021 @1:00pm – 2:00pm ET[Click Here to Reserve Your Seat] The post Ep.135: The Introverts Guide to Networking with Matthew Pollard appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Have you given any thought to your exit strategy? How are you going to leave your business when you’re ready to retire and enjoy your remaining years?It is never too early to start, and you should really be planning for that day, no matter how many years you have left.There are many options when it comes to planning a successful exit and our guest, Dave Leff, joins us to talk more about his process, one that he is closing on within the next few weeks.Dave, President/CEO of Leff Construction – Design/Build, explored a number of different options over the past five years and ultimately determined that an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) was the direction that provided the best outcome.Victoria, Mark and Dave talk more about:When Dave first started thinking about exiting his company.The main things Dave did to prepare his exit strategy.The main options Dave considered for your exiting and the pros and cons of each option.The decision to go with the ESOP option.How an ESOP works and the benefits and challenges.And more… Do You Need Help With Your Exit Strategy? Our business coaches and consultants at Remodelers Advantage are standing by to help you formulate your strategy. It’s never too early to start and you will find that there are many steps you should be taking now to insure a more successful exit later. [Click Here to Learn More] The post Ep.134: Preparing a Successful Exit Strategy with Dave Leff appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Dave Pollard, Co-Founder & Design Director of Liv Companies outside of Chicago, joins the show to talk more about how his firm utilizes 3D renderings in almost every aspect of their business.Leading LivCo’s design team, Dave’s process quickly takes hand sketches to full-blown renderings and walk-throughs, and they are even leveraging the power of quick video editing to help clients and prospects truly feel what their home can be, and leave every meeting feeling inspired.LivCo has been leveraging the power of 3D design since they began design/build back in 2012.  Initially used simply as a creative tool for developing ideas, they quickly learned that the 3D output could take them to a higher level in sales, efficiency of communication, and marketing.Victoria, Mark and Dave talk more about:The software LivCo uses and why they use it.An overview of LivCo’s general design workflow.Using 3D visualization for more than just client presentations.The time it takes to make deliverables to the client.The fees to the client for 3D renderings.And more…LivCo’s Drawing Board Playlist on YouTubeVR Codes mentioned in this episode: Jobs are Won or Lost During the Design Process - MasterClass coming up in January! BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE DESIGN PROCESSCreated exclusively for design managers and senior-level designers in remodeling and custom building companies, this MasterClass brings together presentations from award-winning industry experts, best practice sharing, and more.  [ More Information + Registration ] The post Ep.133: Harnessing the Power of 3D Visualization with Dave Pollard appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

There are many legal challenges that can appear suddenly for remodelers, builders and business owners.Frivolous lawsuits, “Jekyll & Hyde” clients, predatory creditors, employment claims… you name it, it’s out there.It is imperative to build your business on a foundation that can weather the storm so that, as our guest today puts it, it doesn’t matter.In this episode, we talk more about the process of “shatterproofing” your business with America’s Legal Coach, Scott Reib.Scott is the owner of ReibLaw, a full-service law firm with over 20 years of Business Law and Estate Planning experience. For the last two decades, Scott has been helping business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches, and service providers to “shatterproof” their businesses and succeed in the professional world.Victoria, Mark and Scott cover:How Scott became known as America’s Legal Coach.The difference between a legal coach and a lawyer.What is meant by a “shatterproof” business.Why a business would need to be shatterproof.The biggest legal mistakes Scott sees businesses making.And more… Share the Love and Spread the Word! After almost 3 years and 130+ episodes, we’ve come a long way… and we thank you so much for listening. But, we’re never too proud or complacent to not ask for “the love” and to help spread the word about our podcast.If you’re enjoying our PowerTips Unscripted podcast, please spread the word, share our episodes on social media and post reviews on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify. We would love to hear your thoughts on our program.  The post Ep.132: How to Shatterproof Your Business with America’s Legal Coach appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Increasing efficiency is one of the easiest ways to increase your company’s profitability, and LEAN process improvement is an extremely popular direction to take for successful remodelers and builders out there.We have discussed LEAN concepts in past episodes, including Episode 10 when we had Doug Howard on to talk about the LEAN consulting work he is doing with remodelers and builders around the country.In this episode, Victoria and Mark look more closely at some of the aspects within the LEAN system and welcome Dean Tompkins to the show to discuss how using Value Stream Mapping can rapidly improve your business.Dean is the Owner and Integrator for Payne & Payne Renovations and Design in Cleveland, Ohio and he, and his business partner David Payne, recently embarked on a LEAN process improvement journey.Victoria, Mark and Dean talk more about:How Payne & Payne got started with LEAN Manufacturing concepts.How LEAN applies to remodeling and the custom building process.Aspects of the LEAN toolbox and which ones they used.How the Value Stream Mapping process went and what surprises they found.What the results of the process were and whether or not they would do it again.And more… Imagine being more profitable than your competition, without having to be more expensive. LEAN is a method of process improvement designed to simultaneously improve customer service, enhance employee morale and increase profitability — all with little or no capital investment.Here at Remodelers Advantage we’ve taken the core principles of LEAN and developed the LEAN Remodeling System (LRS), which addresses the specific challenges facing remodeling businesses today.[Click Here to Learn More] The post Ep.131: All About LEAN and Value Stream Mapping with Dean Tompkins appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

The latest statistics on fraud should be a wake-up call for every small business owner. According to a survey by HISCOX, a specialty insurance company, 80 percent of embezzlements occurred at small businesses and 30 percent involved a loss of more than $500,000.With more work is being done remotely, including paying vendors and processing payroll, you must have controls and processes in place to avoid this happening to you.In this episode, we welcome Vicki Suiter, who shares simple practices and processes to help you avoid accounting fraud and stealing in your business.Since starting Suiter Business Builders in 1990, Vicki has helped hundreds of contractors and designers build solid foundations for their businesses, run operations more efficiently, and achieve the kind of success they never dreamed possible.Vicki’s articles and opinions have been widely shared in print and across the web. She is also the author of book “The Profit Bleed” – How managing margin can save your contracting business.Victoria, Mark and Vicki talk more about:Why small businesses are targets in 80% of all embezzlement cases.The most common place where people “steal” money.Other ways employees and contacts embezzle funds from a company that are less obvious.Recommended controls and practices a contractor should have in place to avoid this happening to them.“10 Ways to Spot Accounting Fraud”Here is the link to the resource mentioned, “How to Spot Accounting Fraud”https://suiterbusinessbuilders.com/how-to-spot-accounting-fraud/ Check out Vicki's Book; The Profit Bleed This book is a doable, step-by-step guide that will put money in your pocket, and more time and fun in your day. Learn how to keep your finger on the critical pulse points that drive success, depend on your employees to take ownership, close more deals while charging more money, and more! [Click Here to check out Vicki’s book on Amazon] The post Ep.129: Are Your Employees Stealing From You? With Vicki Suiter appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.