Selling means different things to different people. When they hear the word "salesman," some folks think of the tin man - the aluminum siding salesperson.
Many contractors are not good at hiring and managing when it comes to managers. Managing managers requires different measurements and skill sets from managing field employees. Manager success is based on skills and a scope of work that goes beyond day-to-day job functions. While it is impossible to learn how to become a better manager of managers just by reading a magazine article, this information can possibly help you avoid some of the common mistakes contractors make.
I know people get tired of hearing me preach about the importance of knowing your numbers. I laugh when people mistakenly think I am an accounting or financial nerd. I actually am not a detailed accounting type, and that is one of the reasons I left my first job as a cost accountant. I did not want to spend the rest of my life beating on a calculator all day. I do, however, know the financial answers I need, even if I do not compile the information myself. I use this information to make strategic decisions and run my business. Running a business without the numbers is like groping around in a dark room trying to find a black cat.
Roofing can be a tough business. If it rains too much, you can't work. If it doesn't rain at all, there is no need for your services. You can be doomed if it rains but doomed if it doesn't. To make matters worse, all the storms and crazy weather patterns seem to have caused particular havoc in people's work schedules.
Throughout the year, contractors call and want to talk to me about joining our PROSULT™ networking groups or call to obtain consulting information. I try to take a few minutes and offer some free consulting over the phone. Starting with a simple statement such as "Tell me a little bit about your business" can generate some interesting conversations. I would like to share some of these conversations in the hopes that I can help you think through some of your business issues.
It is no secret that many contractors don't like bookkeeping and paperwork. I frequently talk to contractors and ask how their year is going. Too many reply they are not sure because they have not received the numbers from their accountant. This is like asking a coach how the team is doing, and he replies that he has to talk to the scorekeeper.
For roofers, workers' compensation rates are particularly high and a really touchy subject. In some areas, it is difficult for roofers to obtain coverage, and, since rates are so high, many contractors try to cheat the system. In today's litigious work environment, such avoidance is extremely foolish.
Motivational speakers will tell you that you have the power to be what you want to be and the power to make a difference and change the world. Well, this may be true, but I am not going to use such motivational rhetoric to blow smoke at you. Besides, if it were true that you are what you think about, most 17-year-old boys would turn into a can of beer or a 17-year-old girl. Such motivational thoughts can be great to get us out of a funk, but rarely do they have any real impact on our success.
Just as there are certain circumstances where consumers should not do it themselves, there are times when contractors should also not try to solve their problem without professional help.