Toolbox Talk

Today's topic is about recording your sales opportunities. I call it keeping a sales forecast or a quotes register. And the point really is to keep you focused on that important way of bringing money into your business.

Today's topic is why the old ways are dying and what you should be spending your money on instead. And look what arrived today!

I just learned what SIPs are (I'm a business coach, not a builder, give me a break :)). I learned how they can make a build a lot quicker. And I just met someone who designs SIP-based houses and needs builders to build them.

I'm going to explain how changing one simple thing you do can help you make sales more easily. If you're sick of doing lots of quotes and waiting for an answer, try this one thing. It's not the only thing by any means but it will make a big impact on how many jobs you get. And it's SO simple!

This is important, people are searching for trades and you need to be found. I'll explain why it's important and where they are looking and what you need to do.

I do a lot of networking with builders and trades and other people who help you with your businesses. I consider it my job to learn more about the industry and what’s available to you so I can be more useful.

As a trades business owner it’s easy to lose money in ways you’re not even aware of. Ways that can seriously affect your margins. And without good margins it’s hard to have a profitable and sustainable business. Here's how to make more money and then support you to actually do it.

Would you like to maintain or make better margins? I’d like to help! This will help you get your head around charging more without losing the jobs

Who does your digital marketing? Does anybody? Does your website bring you leads because it should? How much traffic does it get? How do you get traffic to it? Do you pay for adwords? Do you pay for SEO? Or you just kind of leave it to chance.

There’s a lot of noise about #faketradie. I’m a business coach but I made this just to make a point. We don’t like fake, do we?

Do you feel like you always keep looking around in your business trying to find the quickest solutions for all your frustrations? Take a look at this bush turkey maybe you can get a lesson from this creature.

This helps you understand how a functioning business will make you feel less like you’re gouging when you up your prices. There are two simple elements that I talk about - and this can be the difference between having low (shit prices) vs having a higher rate but still winning more business.

Jim increased his hourly rate from $50 to $60 (+GST) and his margin from 10% to 15% and won a $600,000 project the very next week. You can too. Find out how.

Have you read the How to Charge More Worksheet yet? I’m aware that telling you to charge more might be challenging for you - charging more is scary and probably leaves you concerned that you’ll lose business. Don’t feel like you need to rush it. Watch these 3 videos and, if you are still reluctant, give me a call and we’ll talk about it.

Have a listen and tell me if you think you can justify a small price increase.

I know January is a bit quieter than December. December was a big rush (wasn’t it?) of finishing stuff off for people in time for Christmas. And January gives you a bit of a rest and a bit of time to think. I hope you’ll be using it to think about what you want to be different for this year. I’m doing the same, I’m reflecting on my business, writing down some plans, thinking about what I want to d...

I know it's a bit scary and most trades business owners don't do it because you're not confident with your pricing or you're afraid you'll lose customers if you charge more. But what if I told you that you can do it? My client just did and now has better margins as a result.

I’m aware that telling you to charge more might be challenging for you - charging more is scary and probably leaves you concerned that you’ll lose business. Don’t feel like you need to rush it

I’m talking today about how to counter the game when somebody plays the game with you. And by the game I mean coming in with a real low ball quote, so beating you in the project, winning the project, winning your customer, that’s whether you’re in the trade, selling to a builder or whether it’s a contractor a prime contractor selling to a consumer and then to an end customers.

I’m going to talk to you about the problem today of having to do quotes that you don’t win. I know it’s frustrating,lots of project tradies and lots of builders. Tell me if it pisses you off when you do all that quoting, you spend all time doing a quote and you don’t win the job? Or even worse, you win the job and you spend all this time working really good?

Today I’m going to complain. This is something you shouldn’t be doing. I heard this story from a friend of mine the other day...

I met Dallas a year or so ago, Revenue was about $200,000 and he had a couple of guys working for him. Profit was OK but less than he could have been being paid if he was working for someone else.

So the first three shifts were marketing and sales and delivery (or operations). Build scalable machines that can grow bigger than your ability to hold each one together and extract yourself from them so you can enjoy yourself.

Jon again, fresh from a hard day trying to get people to change the way they run their business so they can get themselves a better business. One that makes them more money and takes less time and gives them fewer ulcers.

One thing that is very clear about running a trade business is that it is very stressful. Soooo many balls to keep in the air.ress and busyness are a funny thing. It’s a known fact that you’ll never have all the work done.