The Home Service Expert Podcast
00:54:33 · Tommy Mello, Becca Erdmann
[00:54:33] S0: Change order. [00:54:34] S1: And there's... Well, they already do it, but right now, they have to send it to the sales team, so it's kind of like a bottleneck. So right now, they're on the spot. If they want to add two heaters or a ceiling fan, They can just open it up, do the pricing, show them right there. Okay. You wanna add two heaters. We have to change these beams. This is what it's gonna cost. Get the change order signed right there. So it's a secondary sales system. [00:54:52] S0: How much are you able to add? So do you want the designer to go in and and I hate to say... I hate the word up sells. I like the word
00:54:52 · Tommy Mello, Becca Erdmann
[00:54:52] S0: How much are you able to add? So do you want the designer to go in and and I hate to say... I hate the word up sells. I like the word [00:54:59] S1: I better for the want the customer to get what they want at the end of the day. That is always the goal is for them to be getting what they want, the end result. I want them to know all of the options and the salesperson doesn't always have the time to go through every single option. And I want them to see, this is what it's going look like. Yes, pick out the colors, but also, functionality wise, do you want a motorized screen here? Would you rather... This is what it's going look like if you add it now. And if you add it on later, you're going have this huge holster at the top, and this is what it's going to look like. I never have the personality to sell. I want them to get what they want. I want them to be aware of their options. And it always naturally ended up adding 1,000,000 to $2,000,000 of sales a year just from me adding on change orders. Yes, it adds on money. Yes, it's a secondary sales system. But ultimately, the point of it is to make sure because it's such a large investment that the customer is getting what they want at the end of the day. That's what matters to me. And I want them to know their options and not regret anything once it's done.
00:55:53 · Tommy Mello, Becca Erdmann, Kyle Erdmann
[00:55:53] S0: Yeah. How do you guys... This is the biggest problem with contractors with projects like this is they over commit and under deliver. And it's notorious, especially when you start getting into complex things like this. I mean, I'm getting my backyard worked out right now. And it's like, we're building this really nice pool house because I got rid of it. Was gonna do all this stuff. Now I gotta put it back. And I mean, they're already three months late and it's like, whatever. But it's just like, man, when are they gonna show up? They don't... We've got this whole lawyer working on through stuff, but it's just a bit... How do you guys make sure to set timetables and make sure... Is any of the stuff... Especially, are you working with subs? Because you probably No. All in house trades. [00:56:32] S1: Sell in house. And so, again Do [00:56:33] S0: you do pools? [00:56:34] S2: No. We just do pergolas and decks. [00:56:36] S1: But we'll draw the pool if they have it in the yard to show the realistic back... Their backyard. To show the whole brand. [00:56:40] S0: So, there's no subs. That helps?
00:56:40 · Tommy Mello, Becca Erdmann, Kyle Erdmann
[00:56:40] S0: So, there's no subs. That helps? [00:56:42] S1: No. It's all in house carpentry. But also, again, looking at the data for realistically, once they sign the contract, once they sign the secondary sales, the designer goes out, I need a new scope. That's when the remainder of the deposit is obtained, and then that's when their timeline starts. I have this written probably four different places to the customer. They are very aware that their project timeline does not start until they have the final scope and that other 30% deposit in hand. Realistically, I give a ninety day window. It takes us sometimes eight weeks just to get a permit. [00:57:16] S2: Permitting. [00:57:17] S1: We also have to get drawings. You have to get drawings made, and they have to be corrected and edited. Then, you also take those drawings to go in for permitting. That's out of my control as much as I can, but it takes about eight weeks. To get the product in general, that's a six to eight week lead time. So, a ninety day turnaround from when they sign the final scope to install is realistic. So, that's what I say. That's what's in paper. That's what's in the contracts and the emails. We have customer communication twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, giving an update throughout that entire phase of nothing happening, saying, We went in for a permit. We ordered new materials. We got the permit. We're waiting on the permit. We got the materials. So they never feel like they're not being communicated with. [00:57:58] S0: Communication is key.
00:57:58 · Tommy Mello, Becca Erdmann, Kyle Erdmann
[00:57:58] S0: Communication is key. [00:57:59] S1: I I know. So that's what I started doing. That's the one of the first people I've hired and trained and she's still with us. She does an amazing job. So, it's twice a week, every week. Even if there's no update, she'll still send an update saying, there's no update, but just we're still thinking about you. I know we have your money. We're still thinking about you. I don't want you Just [00:58:15] S0: so you know, waiting for the manufacturer. Yeah. Yeah. She means it. Okay. I was [00:58:19] S2: just saying that our operations... Our director of operations is bonused on getting jobs ready to produce under a ninety day timetable. So, you know, the the key... The adage has always been, you know, incentivize the behavior you want. Yeah. So we want jobs to turn within ninety days. So his bonus plan is based on getting jobs ready to produce under ninety days. That keeps love that. That keeps on a tight timetable. What... [00:58:40] S0: So when you started, you were negative 4%. So you guys were losing money and you guys are, what, around 10 now or something? [00:58:47] S1: Last year we hit 10, yeah. [00:58:48] S2: Yep. Should be... Yeah. Green fielding's expensive, but, we'll still be good this year.
00:58:48 · Kyle Erdmann, Tommy Mello
[00:58:48] S2: Yep. Should be... Yeah. Green fielding's expensive, but, we'll still be good this year. [00:58:52] S0: Well, Greenfielding... You know, what's cool about Greenfielding is... And this is a general rule of thumb with private equity is you could add back the first year. It's not necessarily an add back, but people understand if you get Greenfield, it'll organically grow that. So we go guns blazing when we greenfield, like instead of tiptoeing in and going, we're gonna go soft launch, we tried that and now we just go guns blazing, but... [00:59:12] S2: Dude, I listened to yours and Vince's podcast that you did about greenfielding about three months after he opened, and I wish that it came out three months earlier. Yeah. Would have saved me a headache. [00:59:21] S0: Yeah. Yeah. That that was a good one. Well, let me ask you guys this. For somebody listening that's kind of stuck at five to 10,000,000 wants to double, what are the first things they need to have in place to get that done?