Contractor Evolution

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP99 To download Devon's 7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Marketing Agency, click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP99 Search Engine Optimization for your business can be a thorny rat’s nest full of technical jargon, disappointing results, and shifty marketers who’ll not only underdeliver but hold your website hostage if you ever try to leave.  This is why going into a relationship with a 3rd party without at least a baseline understanding of how it works and what questions to ask is a recipe for disaster.   We’re super lucky to have Devon Hayes of Elevation Marketing on the show today. Her Denver-based digital marketing agency is niched to serve contractors almost exclusively.  Over 80% of their client base are businesses like yours, and they do phenomenal work.   I learned a tonne from her, but my highlights were: The seven questions you need to ask your SEO person or agency before engaging.  No joke, these could save you thousands of dollars and dozens of headaches. Easy “SEO Layups” - simple things you can do for little to no money time that provide an immediate boost to your findability online. And lastly, Devon drops a truth bomb about the risks of overusing Chat GPT for your website’s content; listen right until the end for that nugget! Whether you're a total SEO newb or already know a thing or two, listen to this episode for a beginner’s guide to SEO with Devon Hayes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP98 I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but employees tend to be much better at pointing out problems than fixing them.  “Hey Boss, just wanted to let you know that [insert business issue you’re already abundantly aware of here].  We should really do something about that, hey?” Staff drop problems in your lap as consistently as a golden retriever drops a tennis ball at your feet.  But what if you could instill a culture of problem-solving within your team?  How much easier would your life be if, instead of you being the single source of critical thinking, your entire team was encouraged and even rewarded for making problems go away on their own? In today’s episode of Contractor Evolution, I talk about why problem-solving is one of the most critical traits to look for in new hires and even how you can develop it with the team you already have. Listen to this episode to find out why problem solvers are infinitely more valuable than problem finders. Highlights: Why finding problems is easy How to interview to find problem solvers How to spot Problem Solvers How to instill a culture of problem solving into your current team See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP97 To learn more about Tom and The Contractor Fight, click here: https://thecontractorfight.com/ My guest on the show today is Tom Reber. You may have heard of him. He hosts the Contractor Fight Podcast, speaks at many conferences, and has become a pretty well known guy in our space.   Tom runs a program not unlike our beloved Breakthrough Academy, but for slightly smaller businesses.  In fact, you could even call him our competitor (Ahh, the horror 😱).   Here’s the thing though.  We tell our contractors to collaborate with the competition and raise the entire industry on a daily basis, and the same rule applies to us.  Practice what you preach.   Tom is a phenomenal guy with a message you all should hear loud and clear, and we were lucky to have him.  You can expect to learn the following from my conversation with Tom: Why trades and construction play one of the most essential roles in a functioning western society but get almost no credit for it How we overestimate how much we can accomplish in a year but underestimate what's possible in a decade And how to make trades cool again in the eyes of our young people, our clients, and ourselves See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP96 To Download A Visual Representation Of Artisan’s Sales Process, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lkfp3NXG6r0QjFNu_5ts6qY_B8pUYatM/view?usp=share_link To get in touch with Brad & Devon you can email: marketing@artisanroofing.ca One facet of our businesses' that will undoubtedly look wildly different in 10 years is in-home selling.   How we sell leads into closed deals hasn’t changed much and is ripe for major disruption.  Think about it…   Get lead > Call lead > Call lead again cuz they didn’t pick up > Qualify lead over the phone > Schedule appointment > Do appointment > Close deal ~40% of the time > Follow up with the rest until you’re blue in the face. This way of going about it leaves a few things to be desired.  For one, there’s very little time spent actually selling.  The drive there.  The drive back.  The time spent measuring or building a scope.  Oh, and don’t forget about the four outbound calls you had to make to reach them in the first place.  Rising costs in fuel make this format increasingly burdensome too.   And then there are changing buyer preferences to consider:  Baby boomers may welcome us for a cup of coffee and a two-hour chit-chat in the backyard, but are millennials looking for that level of personal touch when they need work done?  Doubt it. My personal take?  In-home selling is ripe for disruption and is about to evolve in ways that will blow your mind. Brad Baker and Devon Crowell of Artisan Roofing are at the forefront of this progression.   Using marketing automations, clever email nurtures, EagleView reports, and a VA in the Philippines, they drove 6.6 Million in sales out of one salesperson in one of the worst markets (economically speaking) in the country.  BTW, they did this all in a city of only 116,000 where the average income is 38K. Oh, and the kicker….zero time lost in the car driving from appointment to appointment. This conversation highlights the story of a roofing company. But the overall thought process and implementation will have parallels and learnings for any contractor. The lingo might be different, and the tools might vary, but mark my words, this is the way it’s going, no matter your industry niche. To hear how these two are pioneering a brand new way of selling, listen to this episode. Highlights: How Artisan roofing hit 6.6 M in sales with 1 salesperson selling small residential jobs Where Artisan roofing borrowed from other industries to design their sales system to be hyper efficient How it’s possible to provide a very personal experience in an 'automated' sales process The changing landscape of sales in 2023 and what it means for contractors in the next 10 years See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP95 To connect with Storyhook click the links below:  Website: https://www.storyhook.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearestoryhook/ You can find Erik Miller on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spelledwithak There are many competing philosophies around how to build a brand customers feel a connection with.   Erik Miller might have my favorite angle, and he is my guest on the show in this episode of Contractor Evolution.  Erik believes instead of bending over backward to fit the mold you believe your ideal client avatar wants, it's way less work to look inward and display what's already there.   In other words, finding out who you really are by paying attention to what your clients already love about you and highlighting THAT, is faster and more authentic than trying to be something you're not. Erik founded StoryHook in 2015, a branding agency obsessed with the power of stories.   He’s also the Director of Brand for Company Cam and has been instrumental in making them the household name they are today. Today’s conversation is about: How and where contractors can find the “hooky” parts of their story and put them on display Why your sales team is the ultimate testing ground for new brand ideas and how you can use them to reality test new concepts.  Because believe it or not, not everything you come up with is pure gold ;). And lastly we talk about the best LOW BUDGET brand upgrades that any contractor can do without engaging an expensive agency. To learn more about how to accentuate the amazing elements of your brand, listen to this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP94 To find out more about Baeumler Approved click here: https://www.baeumlerapproved.ca/ Our guest on this episode of Contractor Evolution is Bryan Baeumler.  Star of HGTV’s hit shows Disaster DIY, Leave it to Bryan, Island of Bryan among others.   Behind the TV Persona is a pretty sophisticated yet down-to-earth businessman with a super diverse portfolio of companies, the largest being his actual construction company, Baeumler Quality Construction, which is on trend to 60 Million plus next year. We talk about  How and why our education system is under serving mechanically minded youth The best and worst parts of being a TV star Why hiring a CFO was one of the smartest business decisions he’s made and the growth it unlocked And I get his honest and unpolished take on what effects (both positive and negative) HGTV shows like his have had on the construction industry. To find out what really goes on behind the scenes of a celebrity contractor listen to this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP93 You can find Dr. Ken Keis by contacting the Consulting Resource Group at https://crgleader.com/ Today’s conversation is about Core Values.   The term “values” comes up a lot these days, but I’m pretty dissatisfied with how surface level the conversations are around it.   “Hire for values train for skill”  “Core Values are the foundation of a strong culture”  “They didn’t align with our values” You get the gist.   Now we can all agree values are extremely important and deep, but I always want to get behind the buzzwords and figure out what’s really going on. In order to find out what really makes a difference we have a friend of the show, Dr.Ken Kies, returning on this episode of Contractor Evolution.   Dr. Keis holds a PHD in leadership and management and is the president of Consulting Resources Group, a global consultancy focused on team building, leadership, and communications. In this episode he shares with us: -Why 80% of the working population is unhappy with their career and the role values play in that -How to go think about, talk about, and write about your core values so they’re way more than just some 5 dollar words on a poster that no one actually understands  -And perhaps most importantly, how to assess core values fit in an interview so that you don’t find out the hard way 6 months later that you are indeed not at all aligned To learn how to define your core values and leverage them for performance (out of both yourself and your team) click on the links below Highlights Why 80% of the working population is unhappy with their career and the role Values play in that How to go think about, talk about and write about your core values so they’re way more than just some 5 dollar words on a poster that no one actually understands  And perhaps most importantly, how to assess core values fit in an interview so that you don’t find out the hard way 6 months later that you are indeed not at all aligned See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP92 To learn more about Brian’s company gfour marketing go to https://www.gfourmarketing.com/ This episode of Contractor Evolution is with Brian Kaskavalciyan, Author of The 7 Secrets to becoming a Wealthy Contractor, Host of the Wealthy Contractor Podcast, and Co Founder of gFour Marketing Group: A relationship marketing firm that helps contractors unleash the power of their customers by installing the industry leading framework for driving referrals. Before becoming the well known figure he is today, Brian founded Handyman Network which he developed into a national franchise. It was there he began to realize the power of not just referrals, but having a customer base that truly promotes you and reps the brand. So he began to develop a wholistic approach to Relationship Marketing which makes up the framework that he now implements with clients through gFour. I wanted to go deep with Brian on how to put a referral program on steroids and become a company where our raving customers do a lot of the marketing for us.  If you do good work and take care of your clients you're obviously going to get some referrals organically, but if you're a growing company and want to become more intentional with this all important lead source, there’s actually a ton of stuff you can implement.  Our conversation is anchored in four core areas: How to drive google reviews which boost searchability and position you as the customer service leader Customer Appreciation and how automated post job gifts and notes of gratitude build crazy goodwill in the marketplace We talk about Referral Rewards programs which incentivize clients to actually bring you hot leads And lastly we talk about the all important long term nurture sequence which keeps your brand front of mind and makes you a repeat business magnet. To learn more about how to put your referrals on steroids, listen to this episode. Highlights: How to drive Google reviews which boost searchability and position you as the customer service leader Customer Appreciation and how automated, post job gifts and notes of gratitude build crazy goodwill in the marketplace Referral Rewards programs which incentivize clients to actually bring you hot leads Long term nurture sequence which keeps your brand front of mind and makes you a repeat business magnet See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP91 To join the Bookkeeping, Beer and BS FB group click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/yourblueskies To learn more about Blue Skies Admin Services for home service companies click here: https://yourblueskies.com/ As you’ve grown your business you may have noticed that there are certain sizes or stages that feel worse than others.   There are times when the scale of your business seems to be in a “Sweet Spot”, and then there are other times when you feel stuck in purgatory.   If you’ve grown your team, and your top line, but your actual profits have stubbornly stayed the same (or sometimes even deteriorated), then this episode will give you the path out. To learn more about these Business Purgatories, what causes them, the revenue ranges they rear their ugly heads in, and most importantly what to do to pass through them as quickly as possible, listen to this episode. Highlights The 3 common business 'purgatories' that happen in contracting businesses - which revenue levels you’ll typically see them, and what to do about it How to ensure that your management team doesn’t make decisions that allow your costs to balloon out of proportion Actions you can take to speed through these purgatories so you don’t end up trapped for years in the ‘no fun zone’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP90 To visit Sales Talent Agency click here: https://www.salestalentagency.com/ If you’re wondering, like I am… What effect will inflation and climbing interest rates have on employees and employers alike?   How does a recession change the landscape of the labor market?   What emerging trends should business owners stay in front of moving into 2023?   How do you capitalize on hiring opportunities in a down market? …Then this episode is for you. In this episode of Contractor Evolution I’ve brought back Asad Zaman, CEO of Sales Talent Agency and a friend of the show.  For those of you that listened to our Ultimate Hiring Funnel Series, you’ll remember him from episode 3. Sales Talent Agency is an international recruiting agency, they’ve helped acquire talent for over 1500 companies:  Harley Davidson, SAP, IBM, Salesforce, and Sonos just to name a few.   I wanted Asad back to talk about the state of the workforce and what we can expect out of the 2023 talent market.   To learn where big trends are going, what to watch out for, and how to jump on opportunities this year, listen to this episode. Highlights The effects the last 3 years has had on the workforce and recruiting in the trade How inflation and a recession will impact the talent market and where to leverage opportunity as an employer Why you can't lower the bar for candidates you're hiring, even in a tough labor market Why you should never have your top employees asking you for a raise, and if they are, why you’re in trouble The reason knowing your data going into a recession is especially important The key traits that you should be looking for in your candidates in 2023 and which ones are different from previous years? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.