The Wealthy Contractor

What happens to your contractor leads after they come in? It could be costing you a lot more than you realize…Steven Diamond helped grow his home improvement business from $7 million to $12 million while pushing net profit from single digits to 15%.And some of the BIGGEST opportunities he found were hiding inside the contractor follow-up and appointment-setting process.In this episode, Steven explains why he came to see the call center as one of the most important parts of contractor marketing…Because a good lead can become almost WORTHLESS before your sales rep ever gets a real shot at it.He also gets into the contractor sales training problem that can show up even with experienced reps who think they’re still following the process.In this conversation, you’ll learn:🔥 The contractor follow-up number Steven says his team watches before giving up on a lead🔥 The sales training blind spot that can TORCH consistency... even when veteran reps think they’re still following the system🔥 Why Brian says shrinking first could actually help some companies make MORE money🔥 The 2 types of people Steven says make surprisingly strong call center reps... and why he stopped hiring for the obvious profile🔥 The margin advantage that can change how you approach contractor growth... especially when bigger moves are on the tableIf you’re spending more on contractor leads and still wondering where the opportunities are going, this episode will give you a few places to look.Key Highlights: (00:00) Intro(02:01) Buying a business with his dad to work 3X harder for half as much(04:00) From single-digit margins to 15% net profit(06:15) Why the product itself may be the LEAST important part of the business(07:27) The 3 fundamentals Brian says every contractor business comes down to(09:15) Why trying to invent everything yourself can slow you down(11:02) How getting deep into every department exposed the biggest holes(13:40) How stronger profit gave them room to grow without piling on debt(16:47) Why a profitable P&L can STILL leave you with a cash-flow problem(18:49) The growth advantage of learning from contractors at different stages(19:52) The marketing problem Steven found that had almost nothing to do with marketing(20:44) The 3 call center rules that can keep expensive leads from going to waste(22:41) The hiring shift that helped their call center reps avoid burnout(24:28) Should contractors be using AI voice and text for follow-up?(25:50) The numbers that expose where profit is quietly slipping away(27:45) Why sales training is NEVER one-and-done(31:06) The companies Brian thinks will win by knowing their numbers(32:45) Why younger contractors are replacing competition with collaboration(34:14) How to keep chasing #1 without obsessing over competitors(35:42) What Steven wants to build next 👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.Additional Resources:⚡Are you a home improvement contractor doing $1M+ in revenue? Grab a free Business Growth Consultation to identify the bottleneck that's costing you the most time, money, or control… and give you a clear path forward. Limited spots available.Apply now to book a call: https://theentrydoor.info/⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheWealthyContractor.com/Coaching/Success-Society  ⚡ Get Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, for FREE (just pay shipping). Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ ⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

How much faster could contractor growth happen if you knew what to fix first?Kirk Koskiniemi already built a roofing business past $20M and sold it. Now he’s starting over in one-day baths, chasing $8M+ in year one and $25M within three years.But the expensive lessons are showing up fast… His lead costs started at 3X where they should have been.So what does a contractor who has already scaled and sold a home improvement business fix FIRST when the second run starts slipping off plan?In this episode, Kirk breaks down what he’s doing differently this time and how he’s shortening the path to bigger growth.You’ll discover:🔥 The “backwards” contractor growth move that could save you from painfully expensive hiring mistakes later🔥 The 4-Numbers Exercise that reveals what your business REALLY needs to produce to fund the life you want🔥 What to fix when your lead costs come in 3X too high and your growth plan starts slipping🔥 What Kirk is tightening up before he pushes harder toward his first $1 MILLION month🔥 How being in a “secret club” of contractors can help you skip years of expensive trial and errorIf you’re worried about contractor cash flow, or trying to figure out how to scale a roofing business or home remodeling business faster, this episode shows you what an experienced operator chooses to fix first.Want to see how Kirk got here? Catch his previous episodes:• Ep. 123 - It’s No Secret | Kirk Koskiniemihttps://thewealthycontractor.com/podcast/123-its-no-secret-kirk-koskiniemi/• Ep. 162 - Are You Really As Profitable As You Think? | Kirk Koskiniemihttps://thewealthycontractor.com/podcast/162-are-you-really-as-profitable-as-you-think-kirk-koskiniemi/• How He Grew His Home Improvement Business by $6.3M in 2024 | Kirk Koskiniemi (Ep. 232)https://thewealthycontractor.com/podcast/232-how-he-grew-his-home-improvement-business-by-63m-in-2024-kirk-koskiniemi/Key Highlights: (00:00) Intro(01:17) What happens when you sell your roofing business... then start over weeks later(02:11) The 3 things that made Kirk’s high-$20M company valuable enough for Private Equity to buy(05:41) The “overnight success” myth: What you may have to risk to grow past $20M(07:20) How to keep fear from wrecking your decisions as the stakes get bigger(08:33) The mindset Kirk uses when real money is on the line(11:56) Why starting over can expose what you THOUGHT you already knew(13:23) The “backwards” way Kirk is building his new business from Day 1(14:58) The 4-Numbers Exercise: What your business must produce to fund the life you want(16:55) What to do when your $10M growth plan starts slipping early(20:16) The culture problem you can’t afford to ignore when building from scratch(21:48) How to recruit strong people when your new company has ZERO results yet(25:43) What Kirk is fixing FIRST before chasing a $1 MILLION month(28:00) How to run a growing business when your plate already feels completely full(32:11) How to shorten your learning curve by studying contractors who already figured it out(34:38) How to get clear on what your business actually needs to produce👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.Additional Resources:⚡Are you a home improvement contractor doing $1M-$30M in revenue? Grab a free Business Growth Consultation to identify the bottleneck that's costing you the most time, money, or control… and give you a clear path forward. Limited spots available. Apply now to book a call: https://theentrydoor.info/⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheWealthyContractor.com/Coaching/Success-Society  ⚡ Get Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, for FREE (just pay shipping). Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ ⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

What does it take to build a home improvement sales team capable of a $1 MILLION week?Derek Cornish says Top Home Improvements grew from $2 million to nearly $14 million while operating “the barbaric way.” They made mistakes, then implemented roughly 150 operational changes in a single year.Now they’re exceeding their sales goals, tracking toward $20 million, opening another location, and aiming MUCH higher.In this episode, Derek reveals the contractor sales numbers his team watches EVERY day, how they keep reps inside the sales process, and what they do the second close rates start slipping.If you’re looking for practical sales training for contractors, watch this episode to discover:🔥 How to get reps comfortable selling against cheaper competitors (hint: it starts with understanding the “WHY” behind your pricing)🔥 The exact KPI equation Derek uses to reverse-engineer a monthly sales goal BEFORE the month starts🔥 The 3 questions Derek’s leadership team asks the SECOND someone falls behind target🔥 Why sales reps blame the leads when they’ve really drifted off the sales process (plus Derek’s test before he’ll hear the complaint)🔥 What happened after they raised contractor pricing by a massive 30% in ONE month... and why the very next month became the 3rd-biggest in company historyIf your sales meetings keep coming back to “we need more leads” or “we need to close more deals,” watch this episode before you throw more money at contractor lead generation.You may already have the leads...The numbers inside your sales operation will tell you what needs attention next.Key Highlights: (00:00) Intro(01:29) Top Home Improvement hits its first $1 MILLION week(02:23) The KPI math behind a million-dollar sales month(04:24) How Derek gets sales reps bought into the numbers (and why the team sees them EVERY week)(06:54) The 3 questions to ask when someone falls behind target(08:37) The “light switch” mistake that can WRECK a strong month(13:24) Why reps start blaming the leads... when they’ve really drifted off the sales process(15:27) The leadership change that completely changed the energy of the sales team(17:38) Why competitive people often make strong operators(19:43) How higher pricing gave them room to make mistakes and KEEP growing(21:25) How do you keep a door-to-door sales team knocking through a Michigan winter?(23:21) Scaling a home improvement business “the barbaric way”(24:36) The ONE thing Derek says they got right from Day 1(26:06) The “WHY” your sales reps need to understand before they can defend your pricing(29:08) They raised prices 30%... and then THIS happened(32:17) From a garage whiteboard to a $50 MILLION goal(35:10) The unexpected way Derek’s success pushed his dad to make a move of his own(36:57) Advice for business-owning parents in the thick of it👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.Additional Resources:⚡Are you a home improvement contractor doing $1M+ in revenue? Grab a free Business Growth Consultation to identify the bottleneck that's costing you the most time, money, or control… and give you a clear path forward. Limited spots available. Apply now to book a call: https://theentrydoor.info/⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheWealthyContractor.com/Coaching/Success-Society  ⚡ Get Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, for FREE (just pay shipping). Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ ⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

Running a business with your spouse means one of you eventually has to STOP being right.For Kyle Erdmann, that meant confessing to a mistake most home improvement business owners would never admit out loud... Secretly competing against his own wife because he couldn't hand over control.It worked out, because today their couple business sits at $15 million in annual revenue (climbing toward a $24 million goal this year), with 50 employees and a full design team so Becca doesn't have to meet with clients herself anymore.Kyle and Becca Erdmann join Adi and Brian Kaskavalciyan (both couples in business themselves) to expose exactly what changed once Kyle handed his wife the wheel, and how they run the company today as EOS visionary and integrator.Tune in to find out:🔥 The one rule they NEVER break, and why it matters more than being right 🔥 The exact hiring order Becca used to get 100% OUT of the day-to-day 🔥 Signs it's time to "fire" yourself (don’t worry… it could be the BEST day of your career)🔥 Why you keep butting heads… and the EOS roles behind it 🔥 The ONE rule behind their whole partnership (hint: it's not a system or a hire)🔥 How to set goals big enough to keep both of you pulling in the same direction (instead of pulling apart)Key Highlights: (00:00) Intro(03:12) The pandemic pivot that built a $24M home improvement business(04:59) CONFESSION: Kyle secretly competed against his own wife (and lost)(06:38) "What the hell is going on here?" Inside the total chaos Becca walked into on day one(08:15) The MYTH about having "10 great ideas" (and the book that exposed it)(12:05) The ONE person you must sell every big idea to first(13:45) What changed the moment every seat in the company finally had the right person in it(14:37) Why Kyle got "FIRED" from his own leadership role... and calls it the best day of his career(15:03) The major mistake most business owners make when setting goals(20:40) The wild 1% deal buried in a new hire's contract, and the $200M belief behind it(21:08) The hardest season of their partnership is happening RIGHT NOW (and how they're facing it head-on)(23:03) The ONE habit keeping their marriage alive through every brutal season(24:07) Why having ZERO boundaries around talking business doesn't backfire(25:23) The couples who should NEVER go into business together(30:25) The 2-part formula behind their "unique combination of awesomeness"👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.Additional Resources:⚡Are you a home improvement contractor doing $1M+ in revenue? Grab a free Business Growth Consultation to identify the bottleneck that's costing you the most time, money, or control… and give you a clear path forward. Limited spots available. Apply now to book a call: https://theentrydoor.info/⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheWealthyContractor.com/Coaching/Success-Society  ⚡ Get Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, for FREE (just pay shipping). Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ ⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

How long do you think you can compete on price before your contractor profit margin disappears COMPLETELY? John Huxtable was running a home improvement contractor business doing over $6 million a year selling baths, making sales every week, and still watched his bank account run low. He called a friend running a similar business to compare notes. The friend said things were great... That's when John realized his own numbers had been slipping for MONTHS.Fixing it meant REAL contractor business coaching and a hard rebuild of his home improvement sales training from the ground up.Money can buy you leads, but it cannot buy you a pricing model that survives inflation, and John had to learn that the hard way on his path to growing the business to $13 million in sales and eventually exiting.This episode reveals:🔥 The pricing math keeping most GCs broke... and why general contracting is structurally built to fight against your own profit (no matter how good your crews are)🔥 The nearly $3,000 gap inflation carved out of his average ticket... and why sales going UP is exactly what let it hide in plain sight🔥 The mindset behind firing an ENTIRE sales team down to just ONE rep, and why he says it wasn't even a hard decision to make🔥 How he discovered his own sales presentation had ballooned into a snooze-fest... and why gutting it became the single biggest fix for his close rate🔥 The 2 non-negotiables every scalable home improvement business needs (skip either one and you'll never get past word-of-mouth)🔥 Why he started treating his business like a sellable ASSET years before anyone offered to buy it... and how that exact mindset shift led to a strategic partnership dealIf you're pricing jobs the same way you did five years ago, or you have NO idea what your real margin is on the last ten jobs you closed…This episode will show you exactly where that money went.Key Highlights: (00:00) Intro(02:00) From a TV business to a GC license(04:59) The "probably just spam" email he almost deleted… and why saying yes became his most profitable decision ever(06:29) Why "we can do it all" is the mistake keeping GCs broke(08:00) The sheet he handed every employee that led him to cut staff in HALF(10:01) The first sale that PROVED a specialized business beats a general one(11:32) How inflation WRECKED his margins while sales kept climbing (plus the pricing fix that turned it around)(13:19) Why he treated his business like a sellable asset years before anyone offered to buy it(16:56) The exact formula for a $1 million net profit business within 2 years(21:13) The 2 non-negotiables every scalable home improvement business needs(23:10) Why general contracting is structurally built to keep you broke(25:29) The mindset behind firing an entire sales team down to just ONE rep(28:09) The book he handed his teenage brother that changed both their lives(29:23) Why the mental coaching inside a mastermind matters more than any tactic(31:28) What looks like "luck" from the outside is never actually luck(34:39) The one thing pride will cost you if you let it(36:31) The sales role-play system he used to rebuild his team(44:00) The failure that taught him more than every win combined👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.Additional Resources:⚡Are you a home improvement contractor doing $1M+ in revenue? Grab a free Business Growth Consultation to identify the bottleneck that's costing you the most time, money, or control… and give you a clear path forward. Limited spots available. Apply now to book a call: https://theentrydoor.info/⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheWealthyContractor.com/Coaching/Success-Society  ⚡ Get Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, for FREE (just pay shipping). Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ ⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/