Toolbox November 2020

TOOLBOX

THE #1 COMMUNITY OF SUCCESSFUL CONTRACTORS

CCN

NOVEMBER 2020 FROM THE PRESIDENT

The power of thought

SCOTT SIEGAL

Let’s break down that statement and really think about it from the perspective of the CCN processes, and your thought processes.

Skills - We all know highly skilled individuals who are not appropriately applying the CCN processes. They give the Processes lip service but when push comes to shove, they cave in. During the CCN University Sales Boot Camp we train “the best selling practices” only to see, in some cases, they aren’t implemented, or they are “fixed” so they don’t work for some people.

The Boot Camp can teach you the exact WordTracks, the exact words to say, the exact answers to the Client’s questions, the exact questions to ask, as well as, the exact actions to take and not take.

These are proven “Best Practices” by CCN Members that lead to success.

Yet, there are people, after being exposed to these “Best Practices”, who upon graduation from Boot Camp, return to their day-to-day lives and do the same things they have always done wondering (and complaining about) why they don’t achieve success or how unlucky they are.

I’ve seen intelligent salespeople fail, and I have seen contractors pile up debt and eventually fail because they won’t apply the “Best Practices” to their business.

“Success has little to do with the skills you possess, the product you represent, how great your company is, or how hard you work.”

Shocked? Don’t be.

SUCCESS IS NOT ABOUT SKILLS! Product - The “Product” in the construction business is a combination of contractor services and the materials applied. Many salespeople try to sell products. They focus on the product, and claim their product; the quality of their craftsmen, their insurance, their long time in business, the materials used, etc. is the reason why the Client should buy from them.

There are lots of high-quality contractors producing high-quality projects, but why aren’t salespeople making high-quality sales and highquality personal incomes. And why aren’t their company highly profitable?

Salespeople claim, “But my company is different…. we’re truly better…than the pickup truck bandits” You need a belief system and passion statement that it is true. You must have a solid belief in your craftsman and the building materials you sell.

But the key to success is not just high quality projects. If high-quality projects (contractor & materials) were the driving force that made clients buy then every salesperson representing a high-quality contracting firm would be highly successful, and they are not.

It is a huge mistake to think you can win business by telling prospects how great you and your companies are. continued on page 2

CO N T R AC T O R S . N E T

FROM THE PRESIDENT

continued from page 1

TOOLBOX THE #1 COMMUNIT Y OF SUCCESSFUL CONTRACTORS

MISSION STATEMENT To enhance the professionalism, performance and perception of the construction industry. We promote ethics, education, leadership and innovation, so that the construction industry and the community achieve mutual benefit.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 6476 Sligo Mill Road Takoma Park, MD 20912 301.891.0999 800.396.1510 866.250.3270 fax www.contractors.net STAFF Scott Siegal, President scott@contractors.net John Martindale, Principal johnm@contractors.net Catherine Honigsberg, GM catherine@contractors.net Matthew Winslow, Director of Operations matthew@contractors.net Anthoy Brooks, Director of Sales anthony@contractors.net Sindy Wohl, Director of VIP sindy@contractors.net Denise Metheny, Accounting denise@contractors.net Troy Timmer, CCN Business Consultant troy@contractors.net Dave Harrison, CCN Business Consultant dharrison@contractors.net Daniel Murgo, Events Manager danny@contractors.net Brian Wohl, Membership Consultant brian@contractors.net Carla Sarabia, IT Manager carla@contractors.net Toolbox is a publication of the Certified Contractors Network.

Toolbox is a member benefit.

Non-members may subscribe for $75 annually. design: Stacy Claywell www.thatdesigngirl.net thank you to our: contributing writers

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You’re telling prospects exactly the same thing your competition is telling them.

Do you think your competition is telling prospects that they are lousy contractors and use inferior products?

Who should the prospect believe? With everyone telling the same story (both quality contractors and sub standard contractors) how much lack of trust and confidence do you think there is in your prospect’s mind as a result?

In today’s market you don’t have to be or work for the highest-quality contracting firm and sell the best building products to win. You can’t be a lousy contractor with an inferior product, but you don’t need the best. There are many contractors that provide GOOD craftsmen and GOOD materials that are winning BIG!

SUCCESS IS NOT ABOUT PRODUCT! So if it is not “Skills” and it’s not “Products” then what’s left that makes success. Hard work? We all know someone who works incredibly hard. They work long hours, maybe even hold multiple jobs and yet they’re barely making ends meet. They work hard! And yet, they are not successful.

Does this mean all the wealthy were born wealthy? Not really. A great book on wealth building is “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.” The book explains most people have a constant struggle with money due to their own thought patterns. Most naturally tend to replicate our parents’ income strategies, which explains why most people tend to stay in about the same income bracket as their parents. If you want to take full control of your finances, you have to recognize these thought patterns and adopt the habits and mindset of millionaires.

SUCCESS IS NOT ABOUT HARD WORK! So what is the answer? The answer lies in “getting back to basics”.... the basics of ALL behavior, all results, all success.... your belief (your paradigm)!

For example, take a poor golfer and give them the best driver made (high quality product). Will the club make them good at driving off the tee? Of course not! However, you can give a shabby driver to Tiger Woods (I know he’s not what he used to be) and he will drive the ball far.

Some people will say, “Tiger had great skill, and he worked hard at his sport for years.”

They would be correct. But we’re talking about his “belief system”, his paradigm. What made Tiger great? Why did he work so hard at getting great? The answer must be his “belief system”, his paradigm.

It was his belief in himself, his focus, determination, commitment, persistence, and selfimage, which I believe lead to “No Option” behavior.

If your performance isn’t up to your expectations, then change your thoughts today.

Back in his prime, he didn’t allow himself to think about slacking off. He didn’t allow himself to think about not playing his best possible game. But when he got distracted, look what happened to his game!

All thinking that comprises the “inner game” of success drives all the behavior and results in the “outer game” of success.

How hard have you been thinking about your sales career? How much practice have you put into your career? How many sales books have you read? How many sales recordings have you listened to…really listened to? You know, the recordings you stop and write down the steps towards success discussed on the recording?

Are you one of those “experts” who knows it all. You know the type. They claim to have 25 years of experience, but they only have 1 year repeated 25 times.

They haven’t done anything in years to improve their skills. They just repeat the same old behavior. They may sell some work, but they seldom have the sales skills to get the right price. They “buy work” with their schmoozing and low price, instead of “sell work” with the CCN Sales processes.

How often have you gone the extra mile during the Measure Call to differentiate yourself and prove you are the Wizard to your prospect ? How many times have you cut corners in the Measure Call trying to squeeze in a couple extra measures so you don’t have the time to bond with your prospect and go the extra mile for them?

How intensely do you debrief your initial Measure Call Questions and determine: 1) What are they going to buy?

2) Why are they going to buy now?

3) Why will they buy from me over anyone else?

4) What could cause them to not buy?

How many times have you cheated and just ran in Robot Mode?

How many times did you stand tall and work through your fears about the 5P Process and use it anyway? How many times did you chicken out using the

5P Process because you thought your prospect would think it was hokey, or you’d look foolish?

How many times did you not use the SCSP, because you thought it would blow the sale, or you thought you could grab a little extra money by not telling the Client about the savings?

How often do you stick to your guns and follow the CCN Sales Processes stepby-step? How many times have you shortcut most of the CCN Sales Process thinking you had the sale in the bag, only to lose it?

“Success is not the result of making money... making money is the result of success.”

“Results follow action and actions follow thought” (Short cut the actions…short cut yourself) Master your “inner game” and your “outer game” has no choice but to follow.

The results you have today are nothing more than a visible mile marker of your previous thoughts.

If your performance isn’t up to your expectations, then change your thoughts today.

Remember the definition of insanity: “Continuing to repeat the same behavior but expect different results.”

If you’re cheating on the CCN Sales Process, and walking away from sales calls without the order, then think about what that cheating is costing you. Get back into the old Sales Boot Camp course manual. Get into CCN’s all new Sales Mastery cours!

Get into HOW H = Get Honest with yourself about your current results.

O = Become Open to new ideas that can improve your performance.

W = Be Willing to step out of your box, your set of limitations, your current thinking, and try something new.

Become the champion you really are!

NOVEMBER’S TIP:

Scanning Documents with your iPhone Notes app

BY DANIEL MURGO

Whether you're working remotely or out in the field selling or producing, there are several ways you can use your iPhone to make your job easier. Each month, we'll explore a new way to use your iPhone to your advantage.

Whether a customer just signed an Additional Work Order, or you received a form to process a payment, you can get it to the correct person in just a few minutes instead of having to drive back to the office or drive home and scan it.

Here is how that works: Click on the Notes App on your iPhone.

Create a new note by clicking the pen and paper icon on the lower right-hand corner.

Click on the camera button at the bottom, then click on “Scan Documents” from the drop-down menu.

Take a picture of the document.

It should size the actual document perfectly. However, if needed, you can drag the lines to precisely fit what you need to send.

Click on Keep Scan and then Save.

Hit the ellipses (3 dots) in the upper right-hand corner, then click on Mail.

Type in the email address of the person you need to email the document to and hit Send.

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Breaking Through Your Roadblocks

BY TONY BROOKS

T

his article is a follow up to last month’s article "Turning Roadblocks Into Freeways."

In business, we run into roadblocks robbing production, profit, and a little bit of sanity. Roadblocks are anything that stops your forward progress or hinders your goals. You may be asking, “what are my roadblocks, and how do I eliminate them?” Eliminating them requires changes, and we all “love” change. You can break through your roadblocks if you and your team are ready to follow the process and work together.

Find the cause of your roadblock.

Get everyone involved with the roadblock to share their insights. Once your team identifies the cause, it’s time to ask some questions: The roadblock was created by _________________?

(Just fill in the blank).

The roadblock started where__________________?

The roadblock was caused by _________________?

You can’t remove the roadblock until you’ve identified it. Don’t confuse symptoms with the real cause of the roadblock. Get to the root cause by following the rule of asking, “Why?” five times.

Collect ideas from your team.

Now that you’ve identified the roadblock and its cause, it’s time to brainstorm.

Listen to all ideas and solutions from your team.

Solutions can come at any time, so encourage your team to save their ideas. During this process, all ideas count.

Document all ideas.

Write down ideas immediately! If you don’t, they can disappear as quickly as they came. Using a note or voice memo app on your smartphone is an excellent way of saving potential gamechanging solutions before you forget them.

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Time to create a solution.

It’s time to discuss everyone’s ideas as a team. Condense all ideas and start to prioritize them. Put them in order of which will have the most significant impact on solving the problem.

Ask the group a few more questions: Which solutions can we put in place today?

What resources do we need?

How long to remove the roadblock?

You need to narrow potential solutions down to one to three best options. It’s imperative everyone involved embraces the plan. This is key. For your solution to succeed, it must have team "buy-in."

Share your plan.

Once you have "buy-in" from your team, it’s time to share your action plan with everyone, so all own it. This also helps others understand the direction you’re moving and why.

The only way to remove roadblocks is to have full focus, necessary resources, and complete "buy-in" from all involved.

Sharing your plan is the only way to accomplish this process.

Now, it’s time to get to work!

If you’re ready to dramatically improve processes, and eliminate waste in your company, then get ready to register to attend CCN’s Theory of Constraints course coming in early 2021!

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Balance Sheet and Income Statement

BY CATHERINE HONIGSBERG

The two most important financial statements to run your business are the Balance Sheet and the Income Statement.

Let’s start with the Balance Sheet.

The Balance Sheet shows you a snapshot of your financial position at a specific date. Remember, the Balance Sheet components are the assets, liabilities, and equity of your business.

Why is it called a Balance Sheet? The equation is Assets = Liabilities + Equity.

Your asset accounts can include bank accounts, accounts receivable, fixed assets, and other assets. These accounts represent the money or things you own. The liability accounts can include accounts payable, credit cards, current and long-term liabilities. These accounts are the debts you owe. The final part is equity. These accounts represent the worth of your business. These accounts include investments of the owners and the net worth of your company. The equation above used to find your net worth is Assets – Liabilities = Equity.

This report represents your financial

health, and stability, and you can track if it's improving or not. A common rule of thumb is the value of your assets should be at least twice your liabilities.

And now the Income Statement.

The Income Statement tells you if you’re profitable. In the Income Statement, we’re looking at income and expense accounts. What money you’re bringing in, and how you’re spending it. You can compare this report on a yearly and monthly basis. By analyzing this information, you can determine if management decisions are working.

The goal is to increase your net income.

There are several ways to do this. One approach is to grow by increasing sales.

With an increase in sales, there’s an increase in expenses. It’s imperative to track where you are. You can set up different profit centers to see where money is coming in, and set up expense accounts to see how you're spending money by increasing sales. Another approach is to cut expenses. With tracking income sources and the related expense, you may decide to cut back or stop performing certain types of work.

These reports help you isolate your core

competencies.

The Income Statement, or as it is also called the “Profit and Loss Statement,” can be used to gain further information on your jobs. You can run “Profit and Loss by Job” reports to show the amount the job was sold for and what it cost you to complete the job. You now have the Net Income on a job. You will have to assign a cost to specific jobs or (job costing), and we'll cover that in another article.

The Income Statement and Balance Sheet are the start of running your business "by the numbers". By running these reports, you’ll have a snapshot of your financial position on a given date and a statement of your profitability for a period of time. If you’d like to dramatically increase your profitability and significantly reduce your stress, then sign up today for the next CCN Admin Mastery course!

The CCN Knowledge Center is an Amazing Training and Onboarding Resource That’s Just One Click Away

BY CARLA SARABIA

C

ompanies are postponing "in-person" training or canceling it altogether due to the pandemic. Now is an excellent opportunity to sit down and learn some new skills or touch-up on some old processes and procedures. It may seem difficult to set aside time for training and onboarding, but what’s easier than turning on a video and watching from the comfort of your home or office?

While we recommend you attend some of our new virtual LIVE classes, the CCN Knowledge Center is a great compliment to any training program. We revamped the system earlier this year to include a more robust video player, an in-depth document library with easier search functionality, and the ability to track your progress when going through the training courses. You

can stream or download a bunch of recorded webinars and training videos via our Training Center.

If you're looking for some of our forms, templates, audio files, and other documents, you can easily search and download them from our File Vault. We have incredible resources to empower you to better train and prepare your staff for success.

There are plenty of videos and documents available to you, and we’re constantly updating the Knowledge Center with the most recent recordings, helpful documents, and any other training resources.

Don’t have access to the new knowledge center yet? Reach out to Carla Sarabia carla@contractors.net and get your team set up today!

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You Are What You Practice

BY BRAD LINDNER

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have a choice to make when driving home from work: I can go to the gym for an hour, or I can drive through Taco Bell for a delicious Crunch Wrap Supreme.

The struggle is real.

I know going to the gym will help me release any stress that’s built up that day. Going to the gym will boost my serotonin levels and increase my mood, among other positive sideeffects. I also know a quick stop at my favorite fast-food restaurant is going to make me feel sluggish and tired.

I know the short-term pain of going to the gym will result in long-term gains in energy. I know the short-term pleasure of eating fast food will result in long-term depletion of energy.

Yet, despite all my knowledge, I choose Taco Bell more often than not.

There is a gap between what I know will benefit me in the long run and what I actually do.

Have you ever experienced a similar gap?

Looking at the self-improvement market’s overwhelming growth, it’s an educated guess to say many people experience friction between what they want to do and what they actually do.

The self-improvement industry is massive, and it’s only getting bigger. In the U.S. alone, we spend roughly $11 billion annually on self-improvement books, seminars, coaches, and various 6

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products. Most experts predict this industry will continue to grow between 5% and 6% every year.

This industry covers everything from weight loss, relationships, finances, home improvement, and much more. In their own way, each self-help book, seminar, or product promises the same thing as the others: after reading this book, going to this seminar, or buying this product, you'll be the healthiest, wealthiest, happiest version of yourself.

The amount of knowledge in the world is greater than at any other time in history. The Internet's made this knowledge faster, cheaper, and easier for us to access than it was for our ancestors. So, you might assume our quality of life would increase at roughly the same rate as our knowledge does, right?

The philosopher Rene Descartes famously said, “I think; therefore, I am.”

He said that human beings are ultimately res congitans, a Latin phrase that translates as a “thinking thing.” Essentially, Descartes believed whatever you think you become. More simply put, the more you know, the more you should grow.

Yet, the growing self-improvement industry reveals the opposite. Suppose those books, seminars, and products were successfully helping people become their healthiest, wealthiest, happiest version of themselves. In that case, the demand for those products should steadily decrease, not increase year after year. Despite the increase in our collective knowledge and the ease and speed at which we can access that knowledge, many people don’t experience a corresponding increase in their quality of life.

If Descartes was correct, I should have a perfect golf swing after reading Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. I should be as good of a chef as Paula Deen after watching an episode of one of her shows. And, it should be easy for me to pass by the Taco Bell on my way to the gym. But still, a gap remains between the knowledge I have and what I actually do.

Increase our knowledge is undoubtedly virtuous and worthwhile. We need more knowledge, not less. But for that knowledge to lead to transformation, there’s something about ourselves we must acknowledge first.

I know that a trip to the gym instead of a fast-food run is going to make me healthier and happier. I want this healthier and happier lifestyle. The problem is, I want tacos way more than I want my health and happiness. That may sound crazy; my actions reveal its truth. Before I can transform into a healthier and happier version of myself, I must first identify and acknowledge I have competing desires.

In the contracting world, we see the reality of competing desires more regularly than most. Let’s say your customer wants (desires) a new kitchen or roof. They may also want the work to be done correctly, quickly, and cheaply. These desires are often in conflict with each other. People sometimes sacrifice quality for speed and value for price.

Great salespeople help their customers identify conflicting desires. They help customers minimize future regret and maximize long-term benefits by helping them reorder their desires by priority. Customers, once motivated by price, become motivated by value. Customers, once motivated by speed, become motivated by quality.

Unfortunately, we don’t have delightful salespeople around to help us reorder our desires for every decision we make in life. We may have mentors and coaches who help us along the way, but for most of our choices in life, we’re on our own. Isn’t being an adult awesome?

So how do we reorder our desires? How do I become a person who loves going to the gym more than going to drive-thru restaurants? Is that even possible?

The short answer: yes, it’s possible. But how this happens is where most people, including me, miss out on transforming from who they currently are to whom they want to become.

Thankfully, you only need one word to reorder your desires. One

word is all it takes to transform who you currently are into the person you would like to become. And that word is "Practice."

I live in Maryland but grew up in Wisconsin, so naturally, I love cheese and the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers, the team’s current and long-time quarterback, is one of the best in his position. He’s been playing professionally for 15 years. Before his professional career, he played in college and high school.

After almost 25 years of playing football, even after becoming one of the best in his position, a Super Bowl ring, and a couple of MVP awards, Aaron Rodgers still practices. He still practices the same plays over and over again. He still practices throwing a football. You’d think after all this time he’d be pretty good at throwing a football. So why does one of the best players still practice?

Practice doesn’t just make us great at something. Practice also keeps us great year in and year out.

In his best-selling book, How to Master the Art of Selling, Tom Hopkins writes, “Repeat anything often enough, and it will become you.” Professor James K. A. Smith expands on this concept in his book You Are What You Love. He essentially says whatever you do routinely is routinely doing something to you.

That is both terrifying and encouraging.

That means the more I eat Taco Bell, the more I want to eat Taco Bell. But thankfully, that also means the more I go to the gym, the more I will want to go to the gym. Tragically, many of us, me included, give up on healthy practices before they ever begin to shape us.

So, what about you? What are the things you do routinely that are routinely doing something to you? Do you notice any conflicting desires in your life?

More importantly, who do you want to become? What are the practices that keep you from being the best you can be at (fill in the blank)? And what is one practice you can commit to today that will shape the person you’re becoming?

If you’re ready to transform your life and take control, then get ready to register for the several CCN personal productivity courses coming in 2021!

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Closing the Deal

BY TROY TIMMER

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e’ve all seen or heard about natural-born salespeople; you know the guy who can sell ice to an Eskimo.

There’s a chance you could have someone like this working for your company. What we don’t see very often are people who are natural-born closers.

Someone who’s a natural-born salesperson is typically very charming and confident. They’re great at creating rapport and talking prospects into buying their products and services.

So, how can you become a “superstar sales closer?”

To be a great closer, you need more than just a good personality. You need to use a proven sales process and communicate effectively. You must understand how to engage your prospect’s mind in a way that helps them make decisions and show your prospect the unique value of your company and your products and services.

Closing isn’t something you do after you present a price to your prospect.

It’s not using high-pressure tactics, it’s not using gimmicks, and it’s not using a series of price drops to get your prospect to buy.

Closing starts early in the sales process and depends on your skill and how effectively you manage your prospect through the sales process. Getting your prospect to buy is more of a natural conclusion, than a battle.

There are three key steps you must follow to be a good closer.

First, identify your prospect’s needs and wants by doing an effective Measure Call. Next, put a compelling sales proposal together. Finally, link your prospect’s needs and wants to the unique value your company and your products provide, at the follow-up sales appointment.

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You must speak congruently!

Superstar salespeople know how to use effective communication to build rapport, create trust, and persuade prospects to buy products from their company. They know how to make their words, tone, and body language all align to supercharge their message and get their prospects excited.

Persuasive communication is a two-way street!

It’s not just what YOU say that matters. What’s just as important is… your prospect understands what you’re saying, how it solves their problems, and improves the value of their lives.

Many salespeople have a hard time communicating with a person with a personality style opposite theirs, and they have a hard time closing the sale. Superstar salespeople know there are four basic personality types, and they communicate with each type differently. Once you understand personality types, and the best way to connect with them, you’ll have a much higher chance of closing sales.

When you attend CCN’s Sales Mastery Foundations course, you can take a survey to get your DISC profile. DISC is very insightful and shows you how people think, what motivates them, what they like and don’t like, and how to communicate with them based upon their personality. This skill alone could make a significant difference in improving your close rate.

The old school method of closing was to present your price, override any objections, and try various closes to pressure a prospect into making a decision.

But remember, with the CCN sales process, closing should be the natural outcome of everything that’s taken place up to when you present them with your Good, Better, Best options for their project.

SALES MASTERY FOUNDATIONS Nov 17-19 10:30am to 5pm

OWNERS WEBINAR November 11 12pm to 1pm Open discussion of current events and trends

Good things come to those who wait!

Once you’ve presented your proposal, sit back and wait. Give them time to process what you’ve shared and how it impacts them financially and emotionally. They may agree to one of your options and move forward with the project, or they may need more time to process and give you an objection or a stall.

Typical objections are your price, or they want to think about it. Don’t let objections derail the sale. An objection isn’t them saying, “no.” It just means they’re missing some information or don’t understand something they need to make a decision.

Top salespeople develop skills necessary to navigate past any stalls and objections prospects may give. CCN’s WordTracks™ will empower you to pin down objections and resolve them instead of surrendering. WordTracks™ are superpowers that help you resolve any objections and stalls. They give your prospect confidence to make the right decision and buy your proposal.

Are you ready to supercharge your sales skills?

Then register today for the next CCN Sales Mastery Foundations course! You’ll get the skills and confidence you need to increase your close rate, grow your income, and dramatically reduce your stress!

Toolbox Wants To Hear From You! Have something different, unique or particularly successful you’re doing with your marketing? Is there a method or process you or your staff developed that solved a problem? Is there a sales or production superstar on your staff?

Toolbox aims to bring news, views, and above all, the best practices of CCN members to the attention of the overall membership of CCN. If you have a story to tell, we're eager to share your news to all CCN members!

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CCN LIVE-STREAM EVENT CCN LIVE-STREAM EVENT CCN LIVE-STREAM EVENT

BUSINESS PLANNING 201 BOOT CAMP NOV 5-6

BUSINESS PLANNING BOOT CAMP NOV 9-11