Due to the pandemic, there's a bigger emphasis on businesses going digital and mobile. To help roofing contractors do just that, JobNimbus decided to quite literally go mobile.

JobNimbus’ “Kickin’ Asphalt Tour” is helping contractors organize their businesses and build confidence in using its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. The road tour is helmed by Chief Growth Coach Ronnie Smith, who, along with his wife and dog, are traveling across the country in a custom-wrapped truck and trailer to visit with contractors.

Smith has served as JobNimbus’ growth coach for nearly five years. In that time, he has worked with more than 2,000 companies to help them implement the CRM. He also attended industry events and expos. In that time, the company heard from various contractors about the challenges they face. Most recently, the effects of the pandemic caused a lot of contractors to struggle if they weren't using modern technology or CRMs. 

With that in mind, JobNimbus hit the road in March to interact with customers on their home turf.

“Our whole mission with JobNimbus is to make contactors heroes,” said Smith. “It’s not just the software, it’s truly about getting into their business and understanding where they are, and then we can utilize the software to level them up and build their processes out.”

Mark Olson, vice president of marketing and business development at JobNimbus, said the tour works by having the Smiths visit a contractor at their job and spend one or two days interfacing with them. They learn how the contractor has organized their business, including sales processes, job scheduling and material ordering, and how they’re implementing JobNimbus in those areas.

“Are they using it in the way we think is most efficient, or is there advice we can give to help increase their efficiencies,” Olson said. “Imagine if a Microsoft guy came to your desk and sat next to you and watched you work in Microsoft Word and said, ‘Hey, by the way, did you know that this automation could help you save you five minutes there and 10 minutes there?’”

The feedback goes both ways. Olson said in addition to pointing out more efficient uses of the CRM, they want to hear from contractors on ways they can improve the system.

“Our software gets better every time we meet with these folks,” he said.

Potential JobNimbus customers can also take part in the tour, and Smith also makes regular stops at partner companies, such as Beacon Building Products, to talk with their customers. He said the most common issues contractors are facing include communication breakdowns, visibility, setting the right expectations for customers and following up properly.

“A lot of people in this industry, in the construction industry, they know how to sell and they have the heart of an entrepreneur, but a lot of them haven’t run a business before and so they fall into these pit holes,” Smith said.

The goal of the tour is to hit roughly 15 different states and 40 cities before ending at the International Roofing Expo in Las Vegas this August, though the schedule remains flexible due to the pandemic. Olson said as JobNimbus lays out its destinations, it will reach out to existing and prospective customers along the route to coordinate stops, and is taking requests from interested parties for additional stops.

Much of the tour is being recorded, giving contractors the ability to watch how everything is unfolding on social media and YouTube. Smith said it’s a reality show of sorts, as it chronicles not only the tour, but life on the road. He doesn’t mind, though — in fact, the tour is a win-win for him, as he and his wife always wanted to see the country, and they get to meet contractors along the way.

“I’m all passionate about it and going in and working with them and I love seeing people being successful, and the fact that my wife and I are getting to travel the country and see things we haven’t seen before,” Smith said.