April 28, 2025 • 40 mins
Market turbulence has the metal building industry on edge, but is the panic justified? In this revealing episode, Steel Kings Jared Ledford and Eric Olson cut through the noise surrounding steel tariffs and economic uncertainty to deliver practical insights that matter to dealers and manufacturers.
From his hotel room in snowy Amarillo (yes, snowy Texas in April!), Eric shares how he's turning an unexpected challenge – a customer's too-visible display building attracting constant visitors – into a strategic opportunity by establishing a satellite office. Meanwhile, Jared reflects on their surprisingly strong March sales despite economic headwinds, drawing parallels to their experiences during COVID when building sales thrived against all predictions.
The hosts tackle steel tariffs head-on, offering contrasting perspectives on their long-term impact. While Jared anticipates price increases, Eric believes the initial shock exceeds the reality – highlighting that most new customers have no reference point for "normal" pricing anyway. Their candid discussion reveals how manufacturers are already reducing discounts, creating challenges for dealers accustomed to promotional pricing strategies.
What makes this episode particularly valuable are the actionable tactics shared from the trenches. Eric reveals how simply relocating Facebook advertisements to different zip codes instantly revitalized his lead generation, while Jared emphasizes the critical importance of customer qualification and timeline assessment. Their strongest advice? Stop apologizing for prices and never undermine your product's value – instead, confidently explain quality differences and stand behind your offerings "like the Rock of Gibraltar."
The conversation culminates with a passionate reminder that success in this industry requires genuine enthusiasm and commitment. As Jared puts it, "If you don't love metal buildings and wood sheds, leave it to somebody who does."
Ready to weather the market storm and potentially turn uncertainty into opportunity? Subscribe now and join the Steel Kings community of building professionals who refuse to let economic challenges dictate their success.
For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at the handle @shedgeekpodcast.
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To suggest show topics or ask questions you want answered email us at info@shedgeek.com.
This episodes Sponsors:
Studio Sponsor: J Money LLC
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jared (00:30):
What's going on, Mr Eric?
Eric (00:34):
Let's go.
Jared (00:36):
How are you today, man?
Eric (00:37):
We're live.
Jared (00:39):
Yeah, we're live man, I am.
Eric (00:41):
Jared, what episode are we on?
Jared (00:43):
Bro, I lost count, man, I think this is eight seven eight
or nine somewhere like that,yeah, something like that.
Let me get our music in there.
Our music was giving us alittle bit of a fit.
So, as always, guys, I am Jared, this is eric and we are the
steel kings.
Back at you with anotherepisode, and eric is on the road
(01:04):
.
So, eric, it's been, I think,the last week.
We, uh, we talked to JeffHuxmann over at shed hub and you
gave us a heads up that youwere going to be traveling and
you are officially out and about.
Eric (01:18):
Tell us, uh, tell us a little bit about what's going on
, brother I'm, I'm out and aboutthis, um, there there's there's
two, two ways to attack thebusiness there's is is to plan
stuff and then react to stuff.
And, uh, and I'm out inAmarillo, Texas, as a response
to a super unique problemactually, um, and it's really
(01:42):
not a problem to me or you orDayton Dayton Barns, to be quite
honest, we just ended upputting this big project up at
this guy's house, um, inUmbarger, Texas, which is like
20 miles south of Amarillo, on amain drag.
It is a beefed up four lane.
It's not a technically ainterstate, but it is a four
(02:02):
lane with the median, and he putthis thing positioned in such a
way that it just catches thedriver's eyes and the guy's
house is next to it and he isjust getting knock after knock
after knock.
And we sold some buildings fromthat process.
So I'm out here today inresponse to him wanting peace
(02:26):
over his home at night.
So we're going to put a signout front of the building.
Um, as a satellite office kindof worked the deal out with the
guy.
Um, his daughter bought abuilding.
I'm going to go check that oneout too, which is a little so.
So I'm out here in a uh, Iguess it's proactive, but more
of a response and definitelywant to jump on having a Google
(02:48):
listing out in Amarillo.
That will help us tremendously.
And honestly, you know theBarns has taken me from corner
to corner of the country, so I'mnot surprised I ended up in
Amarillo, Texas, where, bychance, Jared, it snowed six
inches yesterday, it snowed sixinches here, and so everyone I
talked to was like hey man,enjoy the weather down there.
(03:11):
You know, and I'm like, yeah,it's going to be 80.
No, it wasn't.
It was 32 degrees.
When I got off the airplanelast night, wow, and there was
snow on my vehicle.
Jared (03:23):
I'll tell you what, man.
It's crazy.
We're filming this April the7th.
You guys will get this probablythe first week of May, but I'll
tell you, this weather has beenwacky up here in Ohio.
We had some snow ourselves herelast night, but the sun is
shining and it says it's 50currently, so there is no more
snow, but we enjoyed it foranother evening or so.
(03:45):
So I'll tell you, man, it'sbeen a busy couple of weeks for
you.
You've been to the post frame,remind us frame builders.
Eric (03:57):
Last week was at the National Post Frame Builders
Association trade show inKnoxville, Tennessee, downtown
there at the convention center.
Got to spend a couple of daysdown there with our partners Jay
Money he had a booth there,I'll let you get the official
plug but hung out with a coupleother people from Graber.
Met, finally met, met, and Ifeel like Idea Room's been
(04:22):
somebody we've been in businesswith for basically since.
Maybe probably one of the firstthings we honestly one of the
first things we did was got thebuilder and um, so that was that
was cool to meet.
Uh, Mr.
Dan Dan's the uh, the founderthere.
So I got to shake his hand anduh and everything.
So, um, epic trade show, superexcited to get that side of our
(04:45):
business going.
Uh, post frame, um, and so nowI'm in.
Amarillo so.
Jared (04:52):
Yeah.
So Knoxville to Dayton, fromDayton to Amarillo.
Um, we got some other bigmeetings coming up.
We're going to go head to NorthCarolina.
Um, give you guys a quick plug.
To our sponsors, the guys overat J money, if you are a
contractor.
To our sponsors, the guys overat j money if you are a
contractor, a metal building orshed dealer, a metal building or
metal building or shedmanufacturer, check out the team
(05:12):
over at j money.
They will help you get yourbuilding projects financed or
your contracting projectsfinanced.
Again, the team over at j money, led by Joel and Katie, they
are happy to help you out withyour needs.
Brother, we are running into alittle bit of a unique situation
right now in the metal buildingworld and I thought it best if
(05:34):
the Steel Kings come on and kindof maybe rest assure our
friends, maybe I don't know.
I mean, we had a really strongmonth of March.
I think you and I were bothprepared for a little bit less
than given the current financialyou know, coming to you guys a
week after the stock market kindof fell off the side of a
(05:56):
mountaintop and where we'reseeing increased trade wars
amongst us, and you know, ericand I let me preface this.
We are not financial experts.
We're not telling you guys whatto do, but I can tell you right
now the uncertainty that's inthis market.
It can create some need forcustomers to lock those prices
(06:17):
in and buy buildings, right,eric?
Eric (06:19):
Yeah, I mean, I think the initial shock that I mean the
word tariff came out.
I think the initial shock thatI mean the word tariff came out,
I think Mid-February I'm justthrowing that out there, I think
it was mid-February which theword tariff versus the react,
the initial reaction versus thebehavior of the customer.
(06:42):
It's always like super worse tohear it, and so I think that
probably puts some people overthe edge to buy out of FOMO.
But the biggest and we'll godeeper into that topic but you
have to think like during COVID,when you couldn't even go
(07:03):
shopping in general, we had anincredible year.
We had like one of our bestwoodshed years, like, and metal
buildings was getting purchased,you know.
So, yeah, I to me, I'm likeI've already felt pressure like
that before and um, so I don't,you know I think.
Jared (07:21):
I think our main like I'm in the trenches pretty much
every day eric eric is stillactively selling metal buildings
.
I work with a team here in theoffice to try to broker deals
across the united states.
I think what we're seeing froma, you know, an eight head
strong sales team is a lot ofpeople are just apprehensive
(07:43):
that they want to hold on totheir cash right now.
Again, again, why we like theguys over at J Money.
They help us finance thesebuildings.
But I can tell you, from acustomer service perspective,
right now is an excellent timeto buy.
If a customer is ready, theyshould be informed that prices
are likely to increase.
(08:04):
I don't think President Trump isgoing to back down on these
tariffs.
I think that there's somethingthat in the long run, if you
look at the general industryfeedback, is we want to go more
towards an all-American steelproduct, and that's across every
industry that utilizes steel.
I think in the steel buildingspace, we're obviously seeing a
(08:27):
lot of tubing and materialsimported from Mexico.
I mean, that's just a fact,especially in the Southwest and
in South we see a lot of tube,steel and a lot of building
materials brought over fromMexico and, to be honest with
you, if you laid two pieces oftube steel in front of me, I
would never be able to tell youthe difference.
You may be able to tell thedifference if that's what you do
(08:49):
every day of the week, but acustomer is never really going
to notice the difference betweena Mexican piece of tube steel
and an American piece of tubesteel.
And what we're talking about,you know, is what we do.
We.
We specialize in sellingpre-fabricated metal buildings
across the United States, mostof the territories we cover and
we're seeing prices going up.
I mean, we are seeing, you know, messages from our
(09:12):
manufacturers on a daily basishey, we can still do this sale
or we can't do this sale anylonger.
We've got to move on to thisnew pricing sheet.
Eric, what are you doing toreassure customers right now?
I think that's where we want togo today is how can we help our
friends and give them somereassurance, to help them
reassure their customers?
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com.
Eric (11:07):
I?
You know I haven't.
It's always worse on the newsthan in reality because I
haven't had a ton ofconversations about it.
I'm not.
I mean I was flooded withFacebook messages today from
Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa,for some reason.
(11:28):
I got a couple messages fromTrinidad, Colorado, and I got
one from Amarillo, just becauseI think I'm in proximity.
Nobody's bringing it up and Idon't think they're not asking
about it.
I just think that the initialshock wave has kind of subsided
Now, I think, the reflection.
So there's a couple of things atstake that come to my mind too,
(11:49):
because, like what you saidabout the tariffs in the long
term, like perhaps for lack of abetter words like the long-term
game of why tariffs are,because I think there's some
sort of reset or something likethere's trying to get something
to the table that's not evenlike related to steel.
Steel prices are not going up,steel manufacturing is not going
(12:11):
down, so it's like in fact it'sincreasing and I just think
there's some sort of shakeup.
That's not even relatedhonestly to the steel industry.
But just rest assured, ifyou're a dealer out there or a
customer perhaps listening, butjust rest assured, if you're a
dealer out there or a customerperhaps listening.
There's not much going on.
There's some discounts thathave went away.
In the interior part of thecountry I've noticed prices are
(12:35):
typically a little bit higher,but in our normal regions
southeast, southwest, northwestTexas area, like I feel like
it's the same, maybe a littlebit more, maybe a little bit
less in some areas, but I thinkthe stock market taking such a
(12:56):
dump is the chatter, but I don'tyou know, yeah, yeah, I think
it's hard right now.
Prices have returned.
They just needed more chickens,it turns out so yeah, yeah,
yeah, I think it's one of thosechickens yeah, no doubt when we
were dealing with coven.
Jared (13:15):
When we were dealing with coven.
So those of you listening knowI bought my building from eric
during coven.
I was one of his very firstcustomers during coven and I
think the benefit that we hadlooking back on it was we were
all getting a lot of disposableincome, people were being given
a lot of cash and, you know,president Trump at the time did
(13:37):
a pretty good job of getting usextra cash and giving us, you
know, these rebates and thingslike that, and people use that
money to pay bills, but theyalso used it to buy things that
they wouldn't normally buy, likestorage sheds, metal buildings,
and that gave birth to reallythe industry that we're talking
about now.
I don't know that Eric wouldhave went as far as he went had
(14:00):
he not had such a successfulyear in 2020.
It's just something that we'vefallen in love with, and now
it's time.
We're going to be faced withdilemmas all the time.
You know we're going to befaced with dilemmas all the time
, every day.
This is just one that we're allgoing to share together.
Um, you know it's reallyimposing right now.
So to listen to the news,listen to the feedback and you
(14:23):
know, sitting in an office space, we're getting it a lot.
I mean, I know, you know I wantto relate to you, the people
that are listening and say Iwould imagine you're hearing
quite a bit about the tariffsright now.
I think that people are prettyfreaked out about it and I think
my biggest advice to you istruck along.
It's not always going to be,there's not always going to be
(14:48):
something negative going on.
So you want to continue to workyour leads, work your process,
continue to price buildings,continue to do the things that
you've always done, because thesecond thing you start to lay
down and the second you start togive into what's causing you
not to sell is when you're goingto not sell the most.
I think you know Eric and I areboth guilty of that, of getting
(15:08):
down in the dumps, getting intoa lull and being like am I
going to sell another building?
You know, I mean right nowwe're just not feeling it the
way some are, and if you'refeeling it, drop us an email.
You know, let us know whatyou're dealing with.
Maybe we can help you out withthe manufacturer.
Send you guys the you know,some good graces anyways.
Um, I think it's one of thosethings, eric, where having I
(15:32):
want to put this having goodteammate like you and I are good
teammates, right?
If I'm having a bad day, I'llcall you and bounce it off you.
If you're having a bad day, youcall me and bounce it off me.
I think that's one thing thatwe don't do enough in this
industry is we don't collaborateenough nearly enough.
We don't talk enough.
It's all cutthroat and it's arace to the bottom.
(15:54):
You know, that's one thing thatyou and I have talked a lot
about, and I feel like this isgoing to really show people who
has the most in their deck toplay with.
Only the truest are going tosurvive through all of this.
Wouldn't you think that's thecase, I'm actually somewhat it.
Eric (16:16):
All these thoughts are coming to my mind like a couple
years after the covid year.
All these smaller operationsthat worked for bigger
operations, they all quit.
And I'm saying all generalized,like, let's just say, a hundred
metal building manufacturerspopped up.
They didn't.
It was really people working atmetal building companies that
(16:38):
left, stole the idea, made theirown business.
Those people are getting weededout.
There's a couple of reasons whyMeta has tightened up on their
advertising stuff.
That's not related to theeconomy.
That's just related to they'retrying to AI everything, and you
know that's been eb.
The economy, that's justrelated to they're trying to AI
everything, and they you knowthat's been ebbed and flowed.
We we've seen 15 bucks amessage.
(16:59):
We've seen five bucks a message, we've seen 10, we've seen
eight.
The thing that I see the mostis that people cannot blame.
Okay, when something goes wrongor their sales are, they're
just going to blame the economy.
But that's not really the case.
The pro tip for me is so, forthe past two weeks not the last
four days, but the prior 10 daysI had gotten maybe 15 messages
(17:25):
total and I thought in my mindokay, is it the economy?
It wasn't.
I just literally moved 144advertisements to a different
location.
Zip code wise, I just had tocare about it.
Dude, it's 1.48 PM.
I'm buried, bro.
I'm backlogged through twocalls.
(17:46):
And here let me just pro tip Ifyou're dry, don't make excuses,
relocate your advertisements.
Jared (17:54):
Pro tip number one don't keep your ad in Boise hideout
forever, because look we talkedabout boys you've seen it man to
, to give you, to give youcredit and to let you lean on
your own pro tip.
Eric called me last week.
So so eric calls me last weekand he says bro, what's?
Eric (18:12):
going on with meta?
Jared (18:13):
What's going on with meta ?
And I'm like, bro, when's thelast time did you move your your
ads Right?
When's the last time did youwork with it a little bit?
And like I had to calm Ericdown, like Eric was right where
you guys are, I mean I'm tellingyou right now sourcing leads
and metal buildings and woodsheds.
If they're telling you thatthey're having their best year,
(18:34):
I'd like to see it.
Maybe it's their first year, Idon't know.
I mean, I, a lot of my friends,a lot of the people that I
trust in the industry, if you'rehaving a down start to the year
, I don't think that that's that.
That is all that abnormal.
Right now.
We are coming off of anelection that was extremely
divisive.
Eric (18:55):
It always is emotional.
Jared (18:56):
And you know people, people tighten up their wallets
at election time anyways.
But I can tell you, I thinkwe're headed in the right
direction.
Even with tariffs, even withthe unrest, even with the stock
market.
Everybody seems to know thatthat kind of stuff just kind of
levels off Like it's a big, likeEric said, it's a big deal for
like a couple of days.
And then all of a sudden, thestock market well, their stock
(19:19):
stock market rebounded 500points today, oh, and then the
next day it rebounds 300 points,and the next day it rebounds
300 points they don't blow thatout right back
yeah, all of a sudden it's rightback where it was before.
All of this stuff hit the fan.
And I mean, for somebody likeme, this is all I do.
We talked about this, right?
I think a lot of the people whoare listening to this might be
(19:40):
doing metal buildings or woodsheds as a hobby or as a second
source of income.
I do this all day, every day.
I eat, sleep and breathe my jobat Dayton Barns.
I mean, it is pretty much a 17,18 hour a day kind of a process
for me.
It's, you know, it's nine, 10hours a day in the shop.
(20:01):
It's an hour to and from, toget to the shop each day, and
then I don't rest.
It's not like I go to the house, sit on the chair and think, oh
man, you know I'm just doneworking for the day.
I'm constantly thinking ofideas, I'm constantly thinking
of how I can interact withcustomers, and I think that
that's what some people do.
And I'm just going to say somepeople and if you're listening
(20:22):
and it sounds like I'm talkingto you, you're some people.
Okay, you're some people rightnow.
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Jared (21:45):
you know, and I would encourage you, if you are not
successful right now sellingmetal buildings and wood sheds,
there is no real excuse for itPeriod.
I just got another message.
Yeah, eric's just going to sithere.
How do I get it?
How do I show this?
(22:06):
Look, I just got another one.
Eric (22:13):
Okay, this one is in Salem Illinois.
I've got an ad posted there Protip, spread it out, yeah, and
that guy wants it.
Third and one thing, let me saythis.
Let me say this there arethings that are recession
unfriendly and there's thingsthat are and I'm just using word
recession like turmoil in themarket.
(22:34):
Things do slow down, like carbuying slows, slows down.
Something that doesn't slow downare like your niche items that
aren't really um, how do I saythis?
Like like, if your medianhousehold income is is like,
let's just say, let's just makeup a number, 200k or something,
(22:58):
and you want a $30,000 building.
It doesn't matter what the DowJones does, you're buying a
$30,000 building because you canafford it.
There's some things that arerecession or economic turmoil
proof and we're just fortunatethat metal buildings is one.
Carports probably $3,000carport, carport yeah, that's
going to be affected becausepeople, that's a different buyer
.
We're talking about a 20 to 30k, four thousand dollar shed.
(23:20):
Maybe you'll put it off to nextyear.
Metal buildings yeah, totallydifferent ballgame.
You know, you might go from a20k building down to a 15k
building, but you're stillgetting the building because if
you've got stuff you need toprotect, like an atv or a couple
.
You know you want to work onyour truck like you're gonna
work.
Jared (23:36):
You're gonna work on your truck, you're gonna buy that
building so I think a lot of itcomes down to validating the
customers right, like findingout if the customer one of the
things that I feel like wedidn't do very well for a time
period that you've always donewell, eric.
So a pro tip for me today wouldbe find out a customer's
(23:57):
realistic timeline.
Ask them when they thinkthey're going to get the project
started.
I can't tell you how many timesI've been knee deep on a
project with one of my projectmanagers here in the shop and
they're like yeah, I got a hotlead.
It's a 30 by 50 by 12 with fourroll-up doors.
Everything's great.
Hey, I need you to get on acall with this guy.
(24:18):
We're going to get somefinancing on the table.
And I get on the phone with thecustomer like, well, I was
thinking about doing that maybethis time next year.
I was just getting somepreliminary and by that time my
reps wasted a lot of time.
Now I've wasted time Like youonly get that first crack, you
(24:42):
only get that first swing at theball one time and once you make
it, it's hard to go back andsay, well, you know, if you're
not ready till next year, Iguess I'll follow up with you in
six months.
How's that sound?
By that time you're riskinglosing them, going somewhere
else.
You have to be able to reallytimeline this thing somewhere
else.
You have to be able to reallytimeline this thing out.
You have to be able, from startto finish and I think that's
one of the things to pull thetariffs back into it.
Right now is a good time to buy.
If you are thinking that theprices on steel are not going to
(25:06):
go up, you're you're whistlinga tune right now to yourself,
and I know eric said that Idon't agree with him.
That's one thing he and I don'tagree on.
I think the prices will go up.
Eric thinks the pricing willstay the same Six months from
now.
We'll see who's right and who'swrong.
I mean that's 50%, I think,based on what I'm seeing in the
(25:26):
industry.
Either way, it's a good time tobuy, correct, at minimum.
We're going to lose discounting.
We've already started to seediscounting being lost and I
think that, from a dealerperspective, is terrible.
We rely on those discounts toget customers in the door.
That's our up, when we can say,hey, we're offering up to 35%
(25:51):
off or we're offering up to 25off or whatever that, that
initial swing, and if that swinghas meat on it, if that swing
has a good follow through andeverything's working, you get a
customer that says, can I get abuilding quote?
And then you're off to theracetracks.
But if all you've got is, man,we got these really nice metal
buildings, they're the regularprice, your discount is then
(26:12):
going to come out of.
You know, and I think 99% ofmetal building dealers are the
same we all work on a downpayment up front of our
commission, right.
Then we start eating into ourcommission.
And let me tell you something,eric, that's something that we
have seen across the industry asa whole is this trend towards
manufacturers not wanting tohelp dealers secure deals.
(26:34):
Less price matching, lessnegotiation and just more
straightforward.
Hey, if it's not for the pricewe have it listed for, we don't
want it.
What are you seeing, bro?
You do so many more quotes thanme.
I mean, I know talking to us,we're very high level users.
Now understand when we talk.
(26:54):
I could make a phone call andprobably get a building sold for
whatever I needed it to be soldfor, as long as it was
reasonable.
But from a everyday run of themill type of metal building
salesperson.
I know that's what you'rerunning into right now.
I know it cause that's all I'vedone for the last three years.
Be safe, buddy.
Eric (27:13):
If it's a new quote today, nobody like the person hasn't
shopped before.
They won't know anything.
That's the best secret weapon.
So you're only reallyaddressing people you've talked
to or shopped.
Last year I sold a building toa guy in New Mexico.
Last week I had to take offhalf the down payment because I
(27:33):
quoted him in the fall and Ijust scrolled up and was like he
said I'll buy it today if youmatch the price.
So I had to, and if pricing wassettled I would have been able
to probably charge full pricebecause the price was accurate
when I quoted the guy.
Yeah, but like new people, Imean new people they don't know.
(27:55):
I mean, this is the craziestpart.
A guy in like Nebraska, let'sjust say you've been quoting.
Let's say you've got some ads,like Nebraska, for example, and
let's say the building you'vebeen quoting is 18K, and then
the price goes up to 21K andthen now you got to adjust your
ad and then it's a month later.
You're telling people 21K butin your mind you're like dang,
(28:19):
they're going to turn me awaybecause of the 3K.
They don't know it.
Jared (28:24):
Yeah, they don't know it, it's just 21K.
I think that that's a reallyvaluable thing is because we
know that the price was cheaperthree weeks ago, we feel that
much more inclined to apologizefor the price up front, to say
(28:45):
well, you know, I'm really sorrythat the price is so high, but
this is just where we're atbecause of steel tariffs.
I think that's a good point,eric.
I think, coming at it from theperspective of look, whatever
car you drive, that car wascheaper five years ago.
Just because it was cheaperfive years ago or two years ago
or even last week, doesn't meanthat that's the price of the car
(29:07):
today.
The automobile industry has gotthis thing pegged.
The price that's on the car isthe price that you're paying for
it, or you can take a walk andwe'll sell it to somebody else,
and I know that we're in alittle bit different game.
Right, you don't have to have asteel building or a wood shed,
but, by God, if you want one,you want one, and I know that.
(29:29):
You know, if you're listeningto this, you know the customer
that wants what they want, andthat's why I think validating
the customer is very, very, very.
It is next level paramountright now, because I see an
influx of can I get a buildingquote with no substance?
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Can I get a building quote?
Eric (29:50):
I'm just looky-looing.
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Eric (31:22):
Let me, let me, man, we're getting into some sales
training here, but I love it.
Um so, so pro tip.
Um, you got to sort through theinitial conversation, okay.
So, as a rep, I'm trying tofigure out, okay, a couple of
(31:43):
things.
Are you serious?
And and meaning what qualifiesas being serious Are you buying
it in the next month isbasically like are you like, can
I press you into buying abuilding from me, or are you
kicking tires?
Truly, you know?
Because if it's that, I'm justbuddy buddy.
If it's not that, it's like heyman, I'm going to give you a
price.
(32:03):
Here's my number.
Lock me in, call me in sixmonths when you're ready to buy,
but here's the price today.
Please do not hold meaccountable for this price.
And just real talking with them.
But but the ones that dude andhonestly like on Facebook
specifically, people are oldschool.
These people that are buying,these are homeowners.
They're like in their 40s, 50sand 60s.
They would prefer to talk onthe phone.
(32:23):
One thing that I get is a wife,or they're just saying hey, I
just want to make sure you'renot a robot.
Can you call me?
Out of the 15 messages that Igot so far today, two people
have asked me for my phonenumber and I've already talked
to a third one.
One guy asked for an emailquote.
I'm not really that guyprobably copy and paste, like if
(32:44):
you get, you can kind of readlike what is this?
A pasted message to fourdifferent people?
Or you know, like, hey, I likethis building Kenya.
Jared (33:02):
I try to get them on the phone, because, man, the phone
is King, the phone is like youcan, just within two minutes.
You can.
I think that's.
I think that's one thing.
One thing that comes to my mindwhen you start talking about
how customers interact with you.
One thing, a couple of thingsactually, but the very first
thing is you're not going to beable to sell what you don't love
, what you don't enjoy and whatyou don't care about.
If you don't love what you'redoing, please let somebody else
do it.
I mean, this is going to be mypublic service announcement for
the day.
If you don't love our industry,do something else, please.
(33:26):
I'm begging you.
I mean, yeah, if you don't likemetal buildings and wood sheds,
leave it to somebody who likesit, because me and Eric love it.
The team that I have in herelove what they do every day.
I know that there are a ton ofpeople.
We've met a bunch of them hererecently.
Y'all are listening to ourpodcast.
You guys are listening to acouple of guys that are just
(33:46):
like you.
Honestly, we are just like you.
We started you know, ericstarted this business with
nothing.
We've built this into a semi.
You know, little engine thatcould.
We're doing a lot of differentthings, we're exciting, but we
care about it, right?
Care about it, please, I'mbegging you.
The other thing, the other thingthat I want to tell you about.
I really want to stress thistoo.
(34:09):
You will not get anywhere.
You will not get anywhere withany customer by talking down to
them from a point of thebuilding's too expensive.
Give them the price, man.
Just give them the price.
Don't beg them to buy the thing.
Don't lower the value of itright out of the rip.
(34:31):
You have got to jump on top ofit and say, look, I have the
very best metal building moneycan buy.
I know it's 21K, but I standbehind it like the rock of
Gibraltar.
I know you're going to get thisbuilding and it's going to be
the very best metal buildingthat I can provide for you and
it's worth every penny of whatI'm charging.
Well, I'm talking to Jim Bobover here.
(34:52):
He's got the same building for17K.
Well, what kind of buildingmaterials is he using?
What's his leg spacing?
Start asking verifyingquestions.
Ask them who is making thebuilding.
Please, I'm begging you, if youare a customer or a dealer, it
matters.
It absolutely matters.
(35:12):
We were dealing with a quote theother day in here and we were
going back and forth with thecustomer and every time we gave
the customer like the exact sameprice.
We're like, hey, this is ourvery best price, we're not going
one nickel lower.
He would come in with abc123metal building companies.
Zyx123 metal building companyjust kept telling him no, the is
(35:35):
no.
And then he came in with well,this company wants to give me
concrete and like it took me onephone call to close the guy and
say, look, the concrete quotethat you got from that company
is $7,000 cheaper than a localcontractor who I know personally
would do the pad and do a greatjob.
(35:55):
He's going to be getting theconcrete from this concrete
supplier in this city.
He's a contractor with a locallicense out of this area.
I know where your building'scoming from.
This is how quick I can get it.
And he's like, oh yeah, thatmakes a lot of sense.
This company was coming out ofNorth Carolina, was going to do
concrete $7,000 cheaper than ourguy, when we know where he's
(36:18):
getting the concrete and we knowhow he's doing it.
So how's a company from NorthCarolina going to come up here
and beat us by $7,000?
The quick answer is they're not.
Don't fall for it.
Don't fall for it.
Make them put their money wheretheir mouth is.
And if we would have lost thatguy, I guarantee you we would
have heard about it.
Eric (36:38):
He would have been screwed over.
Oh yeah for sure, Number onebye.
Jared (36:43):
For sure, and that's the problem.
Huge shout out to.
Eric (36:46):
Five Rivers too.
Jared (36:48):
Yeah, yeah.
So the guys over at Five RiversConstruction Group, GCM.
Construction.
Really, yeah, we've got to getCaleb on here.
Caleb would be good.
I think we'll probably pencilthat in for a for a time coming
up um I'm gonna give a couple.
Eric (37:01):
How about it?
I would just say bro I wouldjust say an episode I know we're
maybe first one that we launchin june or something you know.
We want to bring on a live guywho, who works with an architect
, works, works with the countiesand installs pads.
We want to bring him on theshow, iron anything out, talking
points, what customers say,because there's probably a
(37:24):
million things he's heard thatwe don't even ever find out
about.
Honestly, true partner.
Good man of God.
Jared (37:30):
If you've got a question for a general contractor who
does concrete pads, masonry,brick walls, landscaping, drop
it to one of our emails.
Yeah, email us.
We can answer the questionslive on the podcast when we film
it.
I'm going to tie it up, eric.
I think we've got more to talkabout.
We're going to continue to talkon steel tariffs.
(37:51):
I think this is going to be acontinuating talking point.
You know our partners over atSheds Director coming up.
We're going to get them on apodcast.
We're going to talk to the guysover at American Steel.
Quick plug to the guys over atShed Geek Podcast Shannon and
those guys are doing a great job.
We absolutely love being partof the team.
Dylan and the guys over at ShedGeek Marketing if you are
(38:13):
looking for someone to help youtake the next step in your
business whether it be online,through social media, google ads
, whatever the case may be Dylanand his team over at Shed Geek
Marketing, the team over at JMoney I cannot say it enough.
We really appreciate them.
Joel and Katie have been greatto us.
We're getting ready for ShedExpo.
(38:35):
That's a little bit of an earlyteaser, but we'll be at Sh expo
in September.
Um, eric, what do you got toleave the team with today?
Um, we're right at that time.
We're going to take thisconversation in the next week,
but what?
Eric (38:46):
do some sales pointers.
Let me do some tips next roundfor people who have metal
buildings that aren't maybe allthe way comfortable, maybe just
walking through how to quote.
Then my last thing is get readyfor a Steel Kings podcast
(39:12):
website rollout in the nextcouple weeks.
We're working on it.
Jared (39:17):
We demoed that last week with Jeff.
If you did not check out theepisode with Jeff and the guys
over at shed hub Another greatpartner of ours here, Dayton
Barns we love the guys over atshed hub, check them out.
It's getS hedH ub.
com.
They're still running the first500 promotion.
I think that's almost over withthis.
Memory serves me right.
Jeff said we were gettingreally close on that.
(39:38):
Um, check those guys out.
Check out last week the last twopodcasts.
We talked to jeff for over anhour.
Um, just talking about industrytrends, what we're seeing in
the industry, how to marketsheds online.
Um, we care about that stufftoo.
So we will be back at you nextweek.
Uh, we're just going tocontinue our talk from today,
but in the meantime, I am Jaredand he is Eric.
(40:01):
We are the Steel Kings and thisis the Steel Kings podcast.
And let me tell you something.
Guys on the way out, all right,be good to your neighbors, be
good to your family and friends.
We're just a couple of weeksremoved from Easter.
We want y'all to have a blessedand happy Easter season with
your families.
Get out and get selling man, begood to somebody.
(40:22):
We will talk to you guys soonwe're the Steel Kings Later on,
guys, peace out.
What's going on, Mr Eric?
Eric (00:34):
Let's go.
Jared (00:36):
How are you today, man?
Eric (00:37):
We're live.
Jared (00:39):
Yeah, we're live man, I am.
Eric (00:41):
Jared, what episode are we on?
Jared (00:43):
Bro, I lost count, man, I think this is eight seven eight
or nine somewhere like that,yeah, something like that.
Let me get our music in there.
Our music was giving us alittle bit of a fit.
So, as always, guys, I am Jared, this is eric and we are the
steel kings.
Back at you with anotherepisode, and eric is on the road
(01:04):
.
So, eric, it's been, I think,the last week.
We, uh, we talked to JeffHuxmann over at shed hub and you
gave us a heads up that youwere going to be traveling and
you are officially out and about.
Eric (01:18):
Tell us, uh, tell us a little bit about what's going on
, brother I'm, I'm out and aboutthis, um, there there's there's
two, two ways to attack thebusiness there's is is to plan
stuff and then react to stuff.
And, uh, and I'm out inAmarillo, Texas, as a response
to a super unique problemactually, um, and it's really
(01:42):
not a problem to me or you orDayton Dayton Barns, to be quite
honest, we just ended upputting this big project up at
this guy's house, um, inUmbarger, Texas, which is like
20 miles south of Amarillo, on amain drag.
It is a beefed up four lane.
It's not a technically ainterstate, but it is a four
(02:02):
lane with the median, and he putthis thing positioned in such a
way that it just catches thedriver's eyes and the guy's
house is next to it and he isjust getting knock after knock
after knock.
And we sold some buildings fromthat process.
So I'm out here today inresponse to him wanting peace
(02:26):
over his home at night.
So we're going to put a signout front of the building.
Um, as a satellite office kindof worked the deal out with the
guy.
Um, his daughter bought abuilding.
I'm going to go check that oneout too, which is a little so.
So I'm out here in a uh, Iguess it's proactive, but more
of a response and definitelywant to jump on having a Google
(02:48):
listing out in Amarillo.
That will help us tremendously.
And honestly, you know theBarns has taken me from corner
to corner of the country, so I'mnot surprised I ended up in
Amarillo, Texas, where, bychance, Jared, it snowed six
inches yesterday, it snowed sixinches here, and so everyone I
talked to was like hey man,enjoy the weather down there.
(03:11):
You know, and I'm like, yeah,it's going to be 80.
No, it wasn't.
It was 32 degrees.
When I got off the airplanelast night, wow, and there was
snow on my vehicle.
Jared (03:23):
I'll tell you what, man.
It's crazy.
We're filming this April the7th.
You guys will get this probablythe first week of May, but I'll
tell you, this weather has beenwacky up here in Ohio.
We had some snow ourselves herelast night, but the sun is
shining and it says it's 50currently, so there is no more
snow, but we enjoyed it foranother evening or so.
(03:45):
So I'll tell you, man, it'sbeen a busy couple of weeks for
you.
You've been to the post frame,remind us frame builders.
Eric (03:57):
Last week was at the National Post Frame Builders
Association trade show inKnoxville, Tennessee, downtown
there at the convention center.
Got to spend a couple of daysdown there with our partners Jay
Money he had a booth there,I'll let you get the official
plug but hung out with a coupleother people from Graber.
Met, finally met, met, and Ifeel like Idea Room's been
(04:22):
somebody we've been in businesswith for basically since.
Maybe probably one of the firstthings we honestly one of the
first things we did was got thebuilder and um, so that was that
was cool to meet.
Uh, Mr.
Dan Dan's the uh, the founderthere.
So I got to shake his hand anduh and everything.
So, um, epic trade show, superexcited to get that side of our
(04:45):
business going.
Uh, post frame, um, and so nowI'm in.
Amarillo so.
Jared (04:52):
Yeah.
So Knoxville to Dayton, fromDayton to Amarillo.
Um, we got some other bigmeetings coming up.
We're going to go head to NorthCarolina.
Um, give you guys a quick plug.
To our sponsors, the guys overat J money, if you are a
contractor.
To our sponsors, the guys overat j money if you are a
contractor, a metal building orshed dealer, a metal building or
metal building or shedmanufacturer, check out the team
(05:12):
over at j money.
They will help you get yourbuilding projects financed or
your contracting projectsfinanced.
Again, the team over at j money, led by Joel and Katie, they
are happy to help you out withyour needs.
Brother, we are running into alittle bit of a unique situation
right now in the metal buildingworld and I thought it best if
(05:34):
the Steel Kings come on and kindof maybe rest assure our
friends, maybe I don't know.
I mean, we had a really strongmonth of March.
I think you and I were bothprepared for a little bit less
than given the current financialyou know, coming to you guys a
week after the stock market kindof fell off the side of a
(05:56):
mountaintop and where we'reseeing increased trade wars
amongst us, and you know, ericand I let me preface this.
We are not financial experts.
We're not telling you guys whatto do, but I can tell you right
now the uncertainty that's inthis market.
It can create some need forcustomers to lock those prices
(06:17):
in and buy buildings, right,eric?
Eric (06:19):
Yeah, I mean, I think the initial shock that I mean the
word tariff came out.
I think the initial shock thatI mean the word tariff came out,
I think Mid-February I'm justthrowing that out there, I think
it was mid-February which theword tariff versus the react,
the initial reaction versus thebehavior of the customer.
(06:42):
It's always like super worse tohear it, and so I think that
probably puts some people overthe edge to buy out of FOMO.
But the biggest and we'll godeeper into that topic but you
have to think like during COVID,when you couldn't even go
(07:03):
shopping in general, we had anincredible year.
We had like one of our bestwoodshed years, like, and metal
buildings was getting purchased,you know.
So, yeah, I to me, I'm likeI've already felt pressure like
that before and um, so I don't,you know I think.
Jared (07:21):
I think our main like I'm in the trenches pretty much
every day eric eric is stillactively selling metal buildings
.
I work with a team here in theoffice to try to broker deals
across the united states.
I think what we're seeing froma, you know, an eight head
strong sales team is a lot ofpeople are just apprehensive
(07:43):
that they want to hold on totheir cash right now.
Again, again, why we like theguys over at J Money.
They help us finance thesebuildings.
But I can tell you, from acustomer service perspective,
right now is an excellent timeto buy.
If a customer is ready, theyshould be informed that prices
are likely to increase.
(08:04):
I don't think President Trump isgoing to back down on these
tariffs.
I think that there's somethingthat in the long run, if you
look at the general industryfeedback, is we want to go more
towards an all-American steelproduct, and that's across every
industry that utilizes steel.
I think in the steel buildingspace, we're obviously seeing a
(08:27):
lot of tubing and materialsimported from Mexico.
I mean, that's just a fact,especially in the Southwest and
in South we see a lot of tube,steel and a lot of building
materials brought over fromMexico and, to be honest with
you, if you laid two pieces oftube steel in front of me, I
would never be able to tell youthe difference.
You may be able to tell thedifference if that's what you do
(08:49):
every day of the week, but acustomer is never really going
to notice the difference betweena Mexican piece of tube steel
and an American piece of tubesteel.
And what we're talking about,you know, is what we do.
We.
We specialize in sellingpre-fabricated metal buildings
across the United States, mostof the territories we cover and
we're seeing prices going up.
I mean, we are seeing, you know, messages from our
(09:12):
manufacturers on a daily basishey, we can still do this sale
or we can't do this sale anylonger.
We've got to move on to thisnew pricing sheet.
Eric, what are you doing toreassure customers right now?
I think that's where we want togo today is how can we help our
friends and give them somereassurance, to help them
reassure their customers?
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com.
Eric (11:07):
I?
You know I haven't.
It's always worse on the newsthan in reality because I
haven't had a ton ofconversations about it.
I'm not.
I mean I was flooded withFacebook messages today from
Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa,for some reason.
(11:28):
I got a couple messages fromTrinidad, Colorado, and I got
one from Amarillo, just becauseI think I'm in proximity.
Nobody's bringing it up and Idon't think they're not asking
about it.
I just think that the initialshock wave has kind of subsided
Now, I think, the reflection.
So there's a couple of things atstake that come to my mind too,
(11:49):
because, like what you saidabout the tariffs in the long
term, like perhaps for lack of abetter words like the long-term
game of why tariffs are,because I think there's some
sort of reset or something likethere's trying to get something
to the table that's not evenlike related to steel.
Steel prices are not going up,steel manufacturing is not going
(12:11):
down, so it's like in fact it'sincreasing and I just think
there's some sort of shakeup.
That's not even relatedhonestly to the steel industry.
But just rest assured, ifyou're a dealer out there or a
customer perhaps listening, butjust rest assured, if you're a
dealer out there or a customerperhaps listening.
There's not much going on.
There's some discounts thathave went away.
In the interior part of thecountry I've noticed prices are
(12:35):
typically a little bit higher,but in our normal regions
southeast, southwest, northwestTexas area, like I feel like
it's the same, maybe a littlebit more, maybe a little bit
less in some areas, but I thinkthe stock market taking such a
(12:56):
dump is the chatter, but I don'tyou know, yeah, yeah, I think
it's hard right now.
Prices have returned.
They just needed more chickens,it turns out so yeah, yeah,
yeah, I think it's one of thosechickens yeah, no doubt when we
were dealing with coven.
Jared (13:15):
When we were dealing with coven.
So those of you listening knowI bought my building from eric
during coven.
I was one of his very firstcustomers during coven and I
think the benefit that we hadlooking back on it was we were
all getting a lot of disposableincome, people were being given
a lot of cash and, you know,president Trump at the time did
(13:37):
a pretty good job of getting usextra cash and giving us, you
know, these rebates and thingslike that, and people use that
money to pay bills, but theyalso used it to buy things that
they wouldn't normally buy, likestorage sheds, metal buildings,
and that gave birth to reallythe industry that we're talking
about now.
I don't know that Eric wouldhave went as far as he went had
(14:00):
he not had such a successfulyear in 2020.
It's just something that we'vefallen in love with, and now
it's time.
We're going to be faced withdilemmas all the time.
You know we're going to befaced with dilemmas all the time
, every day.
This is just one that we're allgoing to share together.
Um, you know it's reallyimposing right now.
So to listen to the news,listen to the feedback and you
(14:23):
know, sitting in an office space, we're getting it a lot.
I mean, I know, you know I wantto relate to you, the people
that are listening and say Iwould imagine you're hearing
quite a bit about the tariffsright now.
I think that people are prettyfreaked out about it and I think
my biggest advice to you istruck along.
It's not always going to be,there's not always going to be
(14:48):
something negative going on.
So you want to continue to workyour leads, work your process,
continue to price buildings,continue to do the things that
you've always done, because thesecond thing you start to lay
down and the second you start togive into what's causing you
not to sell is when you're goingto not sell the most.
I think you know Eric and I areboth guilty of that, of getting
(15:08):
down in the dumps, getting intoa lull and being like am I
going to sell another building?
You know, I mean right nowwe're just not feeling it the
way some are, and if you'refeeling it, drop us an email.
You know, let us know whatyou're dealing with.
Maybe we can help you out withthe manufacturer.
Send you guys the you know,some good graces anyways.
Um, I think it's one of thosethings, eric, where having I
(15:32):
want to put this having goodteammate like you and I are good
teammates, right?
If I'm having a bad day, I'llcall you and bounce it off you.
If you're having a bad day, youcall me and bounce it off me.
I think that's one thing thatwe don't do enough in this
industry is we don't collaborateenough nearly enough.
We don't talk enough.
It's all cutthroat and it's arace to the bottom.
(15:54):
You know, that's one thing thatyou and I have talked a lot
about, and I feel like this isgoing to really show people who
has the most in their deck toplay with.
Only the truest are going tosurvive through all of this.
Wouldn't you think that's thecase, I'm actually somewhat it.
Eric (16:16):
All these thoughts are coming to my mind like a couple
years after the covid year.
All these smaller operationsthat worked for bigger
operations, they all quit.
And I'm saying all generalized,like, let's just say, a hundred
metal building manufacturerspopped up.
They didn't.
It was really people working atmetal building companies that
(16:38):
left, stole the idea, made theirown business.
Those people are getting weededout.
There's a couple of reasons whyMeta has tightened up on their
advertising stuff.
That's not related to theeconomy.
That's just related to they'retrying to AI everything, and you
know that's been eb.
The economy, that's justrelated to they're trying to AI
everything, and they you knowthat's been ebbed and flowed.
We we've seen 15 bucks amessage.
(16:59):
We've seen five bucks a message, we've seen 10, we've seen
eight.
The thing that I see the mostis that people cannot blame.
Okay, when something goes wrongor their sales are, they're
just going to blame the economy.
But that's not really the case.
The pro tip for me is so, forthe past two weeks not the last
four days, but the prior 10 daysI had gotten maybe 15 messages
(17:25):
total and I thought in my mindokay, is it the economy?
It wasn't.
I just literally moved 144advertisements to a different
location.
Zip code wise, I just had tocare about it.
Dude, it's 1.48 PM.
I'm buried, bro.
I'm backlogged through twocalls.
(17:46):
And here let me just pro tip Ifyou're dry, don't make excuses,
relocate your advertisements.
Jared (17:54):
Pro tip number one don't keep your ad in Boise hideout
forever, because look we talkedabout boys you've seen it man to
, to give you, to give youcredit and to let you lean on
your own pro tip.
Eric called me last week.
So so eric calls me last weekand he says bro, what's?
Eric (18:12):
going on with meta?
Jared (18:13):
What's going on with meta ?
And I'm like, bro, when's thelast time did you move your your
ads Right?
When's the last time did youwork with it a little bit?
And like I had to calm Ericdown, like Eric was right where
you guys are, I mean I'm tellingyou right now sourcing leads
and metal buildings and woodsheds.
If they're telling you thatthey're having their best year,
(18:34):
I'd like to see it.
Maybe it's their first year, Idon't know.
I mean, I, a lot of my friends,a lot of the people that I
trust in the industry, if you'rehaving a down start to the year
, I don't think that that's that.
That is all that abnormal.
Right now.
We are coming off of anelection that was extremely
divisive.
Eric (18:55):
It always is emotional.
Jared (18:56):
And you know people, people tighten up their wallets
at election time anyways.
But I can tell you, I thinkwe're headed in the right
direction.
Even with tariffs, even withthe unrest, even with the stock
market.
Everybody seems to know thatthat kind of stuff just kind of
levels off Like it's a big, likeEric said, it's a big deal for
like a couple of days.
And then all of a sudden, thestock market well, their stock
(19:19):
stock market rebounded 500points today, oh, and then the
next day it rebounds 300 points,and the next day it rebounds
300 points they don't blow thatout right back
yeah, all of a sudden it's rightback where it was before.
All of this stuff hit the fan.
And I mean, for somebody likeme, this is all I do.
We talked about this, right?
I think a lot of the people whoare listening to this might be
(19:40):
doing metal buildings or woodsheds as a hobby or as a second
source of income.
I do this all day, every day.
I eat, sleep and breathe my jobat Dayton Barns.
I mean, it is pretty much a 17,18 hour a day kind of a process
for me.
It's, you know, it's nine, 10hours a day in the shop.
(20:01):
It's an hour to and from, toget to the shop each day, and
then I don't rest.
It's not like I go to the house, sit on the chair and think, oh
man, you know I'm just doneworking for the day.
I'm constantly thinking ofideas, I'm constantly thinking
of how I can interact withcustomers, and I think that
that's what some people do.
And I'm just going to say somepeople and if you're listening
(20:22):
and it sounds like I'm talkingto you, you're some people.
Okay, you're some people rightnow.
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Jared (21:45):
you know, and I would encourage you, if you are not
successful right now sellingmetal buildings and wood sheds,
there is no real excuse for itPeriod.
I just got another message.
Yeah, eric's just going to sithere.
How do I get it?
How do I show this?
(22:06):
Look, I just got another one.
Eric (22:13):
Okay, this one is in Salem Illinois.
I've got an ad posted there Protip, spread it out, yeah, and
that guy wants it.
Third and one thing, let me saythis.
Let me say this there arethings that are recession
unfriendly and there's thingsthat are and I'm just using word
recession like turmoil in themarket.
(22:34):
Things do slow down, like carbuying slows, slows down.
Something that doesn't slow downare like your niche items that
aren't really um, how do I saythis?
Like like, if your medianhousehold income is is like,
let's just say, let's just makeup a number, 200k or something,
(22:58):
and you want a $30,000 building.
It doesn't matter what the DowJones does, you're buying a
$30,000 building because you canafford it.
There's some things that arerecession or economic turmoil
proof and we're just fortunatethat metal buildings is one.
Carports probably $3,000carport, carport yeah, that's
going to be affected becausepeople, that's a different buyer
.
We're talking about a 20 to 30k, four thousand dollar shed.
(23:20):
Maybe you'll put it off to nextyear.
Metal buildings yeah, totallydifferent ballgame.
You know, you might go from a20k building down to a 15k
building, but you're stillgetting the building because if
you've got stuff you need toprotect, like an atv or a couple
.
You know you want to work onyour truck like you're gonna
work.
Jared (23:36):
You're gonna work on your truck, you're gonna buy that
building so I think a lot of itcomes down to validating the
customers right, like findingout if the customer one of the
things that I feel like wedidn't do very well for a time
period that you've always donewell, eric.
So a pro tip for me today wouldbe find out a customer's
(23:57):
realistic timeline.
Ask them when they thinkthey're going to get the project
started.
I can't tell you how many timesI've been knee deep on a
project with one of my projectmanagers here in the shop and
they're like yeah, I got a hotlead.
It's a 30 by 50 by 12 with fourroll-up doors.
Everything's great.
Hey, I need you to get on acall with this guy.
(24:18):
We're going to get somefinancing on the table.
And I get on the phone with thecustomer like, well, I was
thinking about doing that maybethis time next year.
I was just getting somepreliminary and by that time my
reps wasted a lot of time.
Now I've wasted time Like youonly get that first crack, you
(24:42):
only get that first swing at theball one time and once you make
it, it's hard to go back andsay, well, you know, if you're
not ready till next year, Iguess I'll follow up with you in
six months.
How's that sound?
By that time you're riskinglosing them, going somewhere
else.
You have to be able to reallytimeline this thing somewhere
else.
You have to be able to reallytimeline this thing out.
You have to be able, from startto finish and I think that's
one of the things to pull thetariffs back into it.
Right now is a good time to buy.
If you are thinking that theprices on steel are not going to
(25:06):
go up, you're you're whistlinga tune right now to yourself,
and I know eric said that Idon't agree with him.
That's one thing he and I don'tagree on.
I think the prices will go up.
Eric thinks the pricing willstay the same Six months from
now.
We'll see who's right and who'swrong.
I mean that's 50%, I think,based on what I'm seeing in the
(25:26):
industry.
Either way, it's a good time tobuy, correct, at minimum.
We're going to lose discounting.
We've already started to seediscounting being lost and I
think that, from a dealerperspective, is terrible.
We rely on those discounts toget customers in the door.
That's our up, when we can say,hey, we're offering up to 35%
(25:51):
off or we're offering up to 25off or whatever that, that
initial swing, and if that swinghas meat on it, if that swing
has a good follow through andeverything's working, you get a
customer that says, can I get abuilding quote?
And then you're off to theracetracks.
But if all you've got is, man,we got these really nice metal
buildings, they're the regularprice, your discount is then
(26:12):
going to come out of.
You know, and I think 99% ofmetal building dealers are the
same we all work on a downpayment up front of our
commission, right.
Then we start eating into ourcommission.
And let me tell you something,eric, that's something that we
have seen across the industry asa whole is this trend towards
manufacturers not wanting tohelp dealers secure deals.
(26:34):
Less price matching, lessnegotiation and just more
straightforward.
Hey, if it's not for the pricewe have it listed for, we don't
want it.
What are you seeing, bro?
You do so many more quotes thanme.
I mean, I know talking to us,we're very high level users.
Now understand when we talk.
(26:54):
I could make a phone call andprobably get a building sold for
whatever I needed it to be soldfor, as long as it was
reasonable.
But from a everyday run of themill type of metal building
salesperson.
I know that's what you'rerunning into right now.
I know it cause that's all I'vedone for the last three years.
Be safe, buddy.
Eric (27:13):
If it's a new quote today, nobody like the person hasn't
shopped before.
They won't know anything.
That's the best secret weapon.
So you're only reallyaddressing people you've talked
to or shopped.
Last year I sold a building toa guy in New Mexico.
Last week I had to take offhalf the down payment because I
(27:33):
quoted him in the fall and Ijust scrolled up and was like he
said I'll buy it today if youmatch the price.
So I had to, and if pricing wassettled I would have been able
to probably charge full pricebecause the price was accurate
when I quoted the guy.
Yeah, but like new people, Imean new people they don't know.
(27:55):
I mean, this is the craziestpart.
A guy in like Nebraska, let'sjust say you've been quoting.
Let's say you've got some ads,like Nebraska, for example, and
let's say the building you'vebeen quoting is 18K, and then
the price goes up to 21K andthen now you got to adjust your
ad and then it's a month later.
You're telling people 21K butin your mind you're like dang,
(28:19):
they're going to turn me awaybecause of the 3K.
They don't know it.
Jared (28:24):
Yeah, they don't know it, it's just 21K.
I think that that's a reallyvaluable thing is because we
know that the price was cheaperthree weeks ago, we feel that
much more inclined to apologizefor the price up front, to say
(28:45):
well, you know, I'm really sorrythat the price is so high, but
this is just where we're atbecause of steel tariffs.
I think that's a good point,eric.
I think, coming at it from theperspective of look, whatever
car you drive, that car wascheaper five years ago.
Just because it was cheaperfive years ago or two years ago
or even last week, doesn't meanthat that's the price of the car
(29:07):
today.
The automobile industry has gotthis thing pegged.
The price that's on the car isthe price that you're paying for
it, or you can take a walk andwe'll sell it to somebody else,
and I know that we're in alittle bit different game.
Right, you don't have to have asteel building or a wood shed,
but, by God, if you want one,you want one, and I know that.
(29:29):
You know, if you're listeningto this, you know the customer
that wants what they want, andthat's why I think validating
the customer is very, very, very.
It is next level paramountright now, because I see an
influx of can I get a buildingquote with no substance?
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Can I get a building quote?
Eric (29:50):
I'm just looky-looing.
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Eric (31:22):
Let me, let me, man, we're getting into some sales
training here, but I love it.
Um so, so pro tip.
Um, you got to sort through theinitial conversation, okay.
So, as a rep, I'm trying tofigure out, okay, a couple of
(31:43):
things.
Are you serious?
And and meaning what qualifiesas being serious Are you buying
it in the next month isbasically like are you like, can
I press you into buying abuilding from me, or are you
kicking tires?
Truly, you know?
Because if it's that, I'm justbuddy buddy.
If it's not that, it's like heyman, I'm going to give you a
price.
(32:03):
Here's my number.
Lock me in, call me in sixmonths when you're ready to buy,
but here's the price today.
Please do not hold meaccountable for this price.
And just real talking with them.
But but the ones that dude andhonestly like on Facebook
specifically, people are oldschool.
These people that are buying,these are homeowners.
They're like in their 40s, 50sand 60s.
They would prefer to talk onthe phone.
(32:23):
One thing that I get is a wife,or they're just saying hey, I
just want to make sure you'renot a robot.
Can you call me?
Out of the 15 messages that Igot so far today, two people
have asked me for my phonenumber and I've already talked
to a third one.
One guy asked for an emailquote.
I'm not really that guyprobably copy and paste, like if
(32:44):
you get, you can kind of readlike what is this?
A pasted message to fourdifferent people?
Or you know, like, hey, I likethis building Kenya.
Jared (33:02):
I try to get them on the phone, because, man, the phone
is King, the phone is like youcan, just within two minutes.
You can.
I think that's.
I think that's one thing.
One thing that comes to my mindwhen you start talking about
how customers interact with you.
One thing, a couple of thingsactually, but the very first
thing is you're not going to beable to sell what you don't love
, what you don't enjoy and whatyou don't care about.
If you don't love what you'redoing, please let somebody else
do it.
I mean, this is going to be mypublic service announcement for
the day.
If you don't love our industry,do something else, please.
(33:26):
I'm begging you.
I mean, yeah, if you don't likemetal buildings and wood sheds,
leave it to somebody who likesit, because me and Eric love it.
The team that I have in herelove what they do every day.
I know that there are a ton ofpeople.
We've met a bunch of them hererecently.
Y'all are listening to ourpodcast.
You guys are listening to acouple of guys that are just
(33:46):
like you.
Honestly, we are just like you.
We started you know, ericstarted this business with
nothing.
We've built this into a semi.
You know, little engine thatcould.
We're doing a lot of differentthings, we're exciting, but we
care about it, right?
Care about it, please, I'mbegging you.
The other thing, the other thingthat I want to tell you about.
I really want to stress thistoo.
(34:09):
You will not get anywhere.
You will not get anywhere withany customer by talking down to
them from a point of thebuilding's too expensive.
Give them the price, man.
Just give them the price.
Don't beg them to buy the thing.
Don't lower the value of itright out of the rip.
(34:31):
You have got to jump on top ofit and say, look, I have the
very best metal building moneycan buy.
I know it's 21K, but I standbehind it like the rock of
Gibraltar.
I know you're going to get thisbuilding and it's going to be
the very best metal buildingthat I can provide for you and
it's worth every penny of whatI'm charging.
Well, I'm talking to Jim Bobover here.
(34:52):
He's got the same building for17K.
Well, what kind of buildingmaterials is he using?
What's his leg spacing?
Start asking verifyingquestions.
Ask them who is making thebuilding.
Please, I'm begging you, if youare a customer or a dealer, it
matters.
It absolutely matters.
(35:12):
We were dealing with a quote theother day in here and we were
going back and forth with thecustomer and every time we gave
the customer like the exact sameprice.
We're like, hey, this is ourvery best price, we're not going
one nickel lower.
He would come in with abc123metal building companies.
Zyx123 metal building companyjust kept telling him no, the is
(35:35):
no.
And then he came in with well,this company wants to give me
concrete and like it took me onephone call to close the guy and
say, look, the concrete quotethat you got from that company
is $7,000 cheaper than a localcontractor who I know personally
would do the pad and do a greatjob.
(35:55):
He's going to be getting theconcrete from this concrete
supplier in this city.
He's a contractor with a locallicense out of this area.
I know where your building'scoming from.
This is how quick I can get it.
And he's like, oh yeah, thatmakes a lot of sense.
This company was coming out ofNorth Carolina, was going to do
concrete $7,000 cheaper than ourguy, when we know where he's
(36:18):
getting the concrete and we knowhow he's doing it.
So how's a company from NorthCarolina going to come up here
and beat us by $7,000?
The quick answer is they're not.
Don't fall for it.
Don't fall for it.
Make them put their money wheretheir mouth is.
And if we would have lost thatguy, I guarantee you we would
have heard about it.
Eric (36:38):
He would have been screwed over.
Oh yeah for sure, Number onebye.
Jared (36:43):
For sure, and that's the problem.
Huge shout out to.
Eric (36:46):
Five Rivers too.
Jared (36:48):
Yeah, yeah.
So the guys over at Five RiversConstruction Group, GCM.
Construction.
Really, yeah, we've got to getCaleb on here.
Caleb would be good.
I think we'll probably pencilthat in for a for a time coming
up um I'm gonna give a couple.
Eric (37:01):
How about it?
I would just say bro I wouldjust say an episode I know we're
maybe first one that we launchin june or something you know.
We want to bring on a live guywho, who works with an architect
, works, works with the countiesand installs pads.
We want to bring him on theshow, iron anything out, talking
points, what customers say,because there's probably a
(37:24):
million things he's heard thatwe don't even ever find out
about.
Honestly, true partner.
Good man of God.
Jared (37:30):
If you've got a question for a general contractor who
does concrete pads, masonry,brick walls, landscaping, drop
it to one of our emails.
Yeah, email us.
We can answer the questionslive on the podcast when we film
it.
I'm going to tie it up, eric.
I think we've got more to talkabout.
We're going to continue to talkon steel tariffs.
(37:51):
I think this is going to be acontinuating talking point.
You know our partners over atSheds Director coming up.
We're going to get them on apodcast.
We're going to talk to the guysover at American Steel.
Quick plug to the guys over atShed Geek Podcast Shannon and
those guys are doing a great job.
We absolutely love being partof the team.
Dylan and the guys over at ShedGeek Marketing if you are
(38:13):
looking for someone to help youtake the next step in your
business whether it be online,through social media, google ads
, whatever the case may be Dylanand his team over at Shed Geek
Marketing, the team over at JMoney I cannot say it enough.
We really appreciate them.
Joel and Katie have been greatto us.
We're getting ready for ShedExpo.
(38:35):
That's a little bit of an earlyteaser, but we'll be at Sh expo
in September.
Um, eric, what do you got toleave the team with today?
Um, we're right at that time.
We're going to take thisconversation in the next week,
but what?
Eric (38:46):
do some sales pointers.
Let me do some tips next roundfor people who have metal
buildings that aren't maybe allthe way comfortable, maybe just
walking through how to quote.
Then my last thing is get readyfor a Steel Kings podcast
(39:12):
website rollout in the nextcouple weeks.
We're working on it.
Jared (39:17):
We demoed that last week with Jeff.
If you did not check out theepisode with Jeff and the guys
over at shed hub Another greatpartner of ours here, Dayton
Barns we love the guys over atshed hub, check them out.
It's getS hedH ub.
com.
They're still running the first500 promotion.
I think that's almost over withthis.
Memory serves me right.
Jeff said we were gettingreally close on that.
(39:38):
Um, check those guys out.
Check out last week the last twopodcasts.
We talked to jeff for over anhour.
Um, just talking about industrytrends, what we're seeing in
the industry, how to marketsheds online.
Um, we care about that stufftoo.
So we will be back at you nextweek.
Uh, we're just going tocontinue our talk from today,
but in the meantime, I am Jaredand he is Eric.
(40:01):
We are the Steel Kings and thisis the Steel Kings podcast.
And let me tell you something.
Guys on the way out, all right,be good to your neighbors, be
good to your family and friends.
We're just a couple of weeksremoved from Easter.
We want y'all to have a blessedand happy Easter season with
your families.
Get out and get selling man, begood to somebody.
(40:22):
We will talk to you guys soonwe're the Steel Kings Later on,
guys, peace out.
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