“When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters – one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.”
-John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America
It was late February in Minnesota, and the snow was piling up fast. My son was visiting and had parked his car in our driveway. Knowing the snowplow would be coming soon to clear the roads and our driveway, I decided to move his car out of the way. Growing up in southern Manitoba, Canada, I was no stranger to heavy snow, so I put on my boots, jacket, and gloves and headed outside.
After the snowplows had done their job a few hours later, I bundled up again to return his car to the driveway. As I approached the car, I noticed how smoothly the snow was packed on the ground—it was going to be slippery. I moved carefully, but despite my caution, my right boot flew out from under me, and before I knew it, I was falling. Instinctively, I tried to cushion my fall by landing on my right hand. I heard a loud snap. I had landed full force on my clenched fist.
The pain was immediate, and I knew something was seriously wrong. Supporting my arm, I shuffled back to the house, determined not to fall again. I’d never broken a bone in my life—not in all my years playing hockey from my start as an amateur, through college, or even as a pro. But this time was different. Both my ulna and radius were broken. Surgery was required, and I ended up with a plate and several screws to repair the damage.
This injury happened at a pivotal time. As you probably remember, Covid became a reality in the spring of 2020. Shortly after my surgery, the local government shut down my other source of income: a business I co-owned with my wife. I was stuck at home, recovering on the couch, with plenty of time to think and reflect on how I could bring more value to my profession and company I realized the changes I had already made in my sales career weren’t enough. I knew there was still more service I could provide my customers and I was confident that increasing service would result in even more sales for me and my employer.
As soon as my arm was recovered enough to work, I took on Instacart deliveries to make ends meet. It was humbling, but I stayed determined to make the changes I knew were necessary in my sales career. When the in-home sales industry was cleared to resume appointments, and I was ready to return to work, I resolved to approach things differently.
The system and approach I had been implementing had already made a huge difference in my sales. I was consistently getting called out in reviews by happy customers who saw what I was doing as refreshing. Those reviews generated more customers. Still…knew I could continue to wow them and trusted that would lead to even more repeat business, recommendations, and referrals.
As my results jumped to another level of success, and as the reps I worked with asked to learn from me and they had success too, I knew I needed to get the message out to others in the home improvement and remodeling industry. This message and focus changed my career exponentially and it will revolutionize your business.
That’s what I’ve done in this book.
What you’re going to discover in these chapters is how I took some unconventional thinking, turned those thoughts into actions, and brought in sales faster and easier than ever. And in doing that, I made the process of contracting with a home remodeling company a pleasure, instead of being painful like it is for the majority of homeowners across North America.
If you’re looking for a strategy that will differentiate you from the pack of other home improvement businesses in your region and if you approach the information in this book with an open mind and an open heart, I feel confident in saying your sales and reputation will improve dramatically.
In this book, you’ll find there’s more than just ideas. I’ve included scripts you can just copy and give to your reps. I’ve included actual reviews I’ve received from customers. I’ve even included a review I got from someone who didn’t buy but praised me and recommended others buy from the company I was working for.
You’ll also find my never-before-revealed secrets for blowing customers away and “Activating” them to buy from me (and you!).
I love working in this industry as a consultant and coach. I love giving reps the skills and mindset they need to succeed through serving. What some refer to as “Doing well by doing good, and doing the inner work.”
I wish you continued success in building your business, and in helping your reps become the best sales professionals they can be while helping homeowners get more pleasure and value from their homes.
