PowerTips Unscripted

For many remodelers, digital marketing is the “voodoo” magic. With so many options, where do you begin? Well, Spencer Powell has the answer. In this episode, Spencer dives into his new book, The Remodeler Marketing Blueprint . He talks about everything that you need to know about being found online, successfully. Spencer is the CEO of Builder Funnel and founder of Builder Funnel Academy, author, a...

Learning the best way to work with purchasing managers can help create great outcomes for both sides of the remodeling business.  With over a decade of experience in operations and purchasing for a national homebuilder, Bradley Hartmann has researched and found the importance of having purchasing sales teams devote their time exclusively focused on the specific needs and opportunities for remodele...

For many, determining the compensation for an employee is nothing more than doing a quick google search, or in our members case, maybe asking their peers what they pay a particular position.  But Tom Miller doesn’t really agree with that methodology.  Instead, his company helps businesses apply the best compensation strategies that help recruit great talent. Tom is the founder and president of The...

Effective communication is measured by outcomes. Communication without an outcome is like traveling without a destination. The communication techniques used in selling are frequently more disastrous than helpful. In this episode, Dave Yoho will expound upon several powerful communication techniques that have a psychological background, and have been proven to lead individuals to the outcome(s) the...

In this episode, we take a closer look at the sales process. We are always looking for fresh ideas and concepts that apply specifically to remodelers and those in the building community. Our guest Jen Neige is adamant that you should be selling to design, NOT designing to sell, and she shares how you can improve your closing ratio, gain more control of the sales cycle and earn a design fee within...

Small business owners spend a lifetime building a company and have one shot at getting their exit right. Yet waiting to pounce on this unsuspecting group is a legion of financial mercenaries, private equity predators and corporate giants set up to prey on owner’s lack of experience when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. These financial engineers use sleazy tactics like “strategic p...

Networking has been called the number one rule of business success. That’s fine for those outgoing high-personality types like Victoria, but what is the less-than-sociable remodeler supposed to do? Our guest for this episode, Matthew Pollard, has written a new book in The Introverts Edge series that addresses just that. He shares some of the secrets from the book and other tips and advice ab...

Have you given any thought to your exit strategy? How are you going to leave your business when you’re ready to retire and enjoy your remaining years? It is never too early to start, and you should really be planning for that day, no matter how many years you have left. There are many options when it comes to planning a successful exit and our guest, Dave Leff, joins us to talk more about his proc...

Dave Pollard, Co-Founder & Design Director of Liv Companies outside of Chicago, joins the show to talk more about how his firm utilizes 3D renderings in almost every aspect of their business. Leading LivCo’s design team, Dave’s process quickly takes hand sketches to full-blown renderings and walk-throughs, and they are even leveraging the power of quick video editing to help client...

There are many legal challenges that can appear suddenly for remodelers, builders and business owners. Frivolous lawsuits, “Jekyll & Hyde” clients, predatory creditors, employment claims… you name it, it’s out there. It is imperative to build your business on a foundation that can weather the storm so that, as our guest today puts it, it doesn’t matter. In this episode, we talk more abou...

Increasing efficiency is one of the easiest ways to increase your company’s profitability, and LEAN process improvement is an extremely popular direction to take for successful remodelers and builders out there. We have discussed LEAN concepts in past episodes, including Episode 10 when we had Doug Howard on to talk about the LEAN consulting work he is doing with remodelers and builders arou...

The latest statistics on fraud should be a wake-up call for every small business owner. According to a survey by HISCOX, a specialty insurance company, 80 percent of embezzlements occurred at small businesses and 30 percent involved a loss of more than $500,000. With more work is being done remotely, including paying vendors and processing payroll, you must have controls and processes in place to...

As a remodeling business owner, you have likely heard of demographics and you have probably looked at it solely in the context of marketing and lead generation. But, the power of demographics lies much deeper than that, and in this episode, Ken Gronbach will share the subtle yet profound effect of shifting demography in the United States, the Americas and the world, and we will hear what that mean...

Working remotely, working on-site with clients and adhering to CDC restrictions, an upcoming election, social unrest and an economy that is slowly starting to recover. Everyone is adjusting to the new world of work, and it sounds as though making those adjustments will continue into 2021. How can you help your team connect and engage with their work? Our guest today, Rick Bowers, President of TTI...

As remodeling business owners, many of us do long-term planning, but is there a detailed strategic plan for the coming year? In this episode, we talk about the benefits of an off-site planning retreat to chart your course for the coming year with Robert & Evelyn Lenton, co-owners of Lenton Company, Inc. in Palmdale, CA. Robert has built Lenton Company into the premier Design/Build firm in his...

The concept behind developing a customer persona is pretty simple – get to know your audience better so that you can build a more meaningful relationship with them, both as a client and a prospect. The output of that analysis is inevitable company growth and client retention. So how do firms, of all sizes, build meaningful personas to shape the way they go to market? In this episode, Aimee P...

Conferences, blog posts, podcasts, webinars, roundtables peer groups, consulting, coaching… information is everywhere. But, just because you’re opening yourself up to these opportunities to learn, it doesn’t mean anything will ever change. The hard part is what comes after you get the information. John Lessick joins Victoria and Mark to discuss how to take what you’re learning an...

Human Resources Compliance is a massive undertaking and as small business owners, most of us can’t afford to hire a full-time HR person. So what do we do? We either add it to the ever-growing list of “hats” we wear as an owner, or give it a staff member who is not trained or up to speed on the various rules and regulations, both at the State and Federal level. So with the ever-ch...

Many remodelers dream of one day building a high volume remodeling company. Others aren’t sure it’s worth the effort. In this episode, we talk to Jake Schloegel about what it takes to grow a high volume remodeling business. Why build it? Who should be involved? What are the expectations? Jake is the Founder of Schloegel Design Remodel , an award-winning Design/Build firm in Kansas City...

Seemingly everywhere you turn these days, you hear the phrase “survive and thrive” as it relates to your business. But it takes more than a catch-phrase and a couple of tips to make it a reality. In this episode, we talk to Wayne Ottum about how to get focused, get real, and get moving to take control and create an authentic plan to not just survive, but thrive, in uncertain times! Wayne is presid...

As a remodeling business owner, building wealth and financial security is something everyone wants to achieve. Unfortunately, it’s something that many of us put off because the needs of today are more pressing, especially with the current market. In this episode, Victoria and Mark talk to George Kall about tips and advice on planning for your future financial security today. George is the ow...

“The high cost of replacing employees means it’s important to find ways to retain the best performers, and studies show that transparency from the top can be a solution, boosting employee engagement and motivation. One way to achieve that transparency is to show employees the company’s numbers and teach them the business. Why not get them in the same game as the owner? The strategy is...

Because of the success of our podcasts ( PowerTips Unscripted and The Tim Faller Show ) we are often asked by our Roundtables members and contacts in the industry about the power of podcasting. Clearly we are advocates of this medium and today we talk more about how you as a business owner can build your brand and pipeline by adding podcasting to your marketing plan. Today’s guest is Phil Pelucha...

“The Six Habits are behaviors that we act out every day, minute to minute. These are the habits that define our relationship with ourselves, and our relationship with the world around us.” Laura DiBenedetto Best Selling Author As you have likely heard us say, Remodelers Advantage is dedicated to helping remodeling business owners become more successful, while creating an environment that allows th...

If you have more than one salesperson, then odds are you have a round-robin policy of lead assignment. But that could be doing your sales team and your marketing department a disservice. Susan Raisanen joins the show today to share how tracking and assigning leads, based on sales strengths, can make a difference in performance and in your bottom line. Susan is the President of Profit Finder Pro So...