Unlock the transformative power of social media with our latest discussion featuring marketing maven Asia, who reveals why skipping out on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok is a big no-no for contractors aiming to thrive. If you're ready to bolster your online presence, gain trust, and stand out in the competitive construction market, this episode is your blueprint to success. We dissect the distinctive benefits of each social media platform, from the visual appeal of Instagram to the community-centric vibe of Facebook and the playful energy of TikTok. Learn how to leverage these digital tools not just to showcase your craftsmanship but to weave a story that resonates with your audience and turns followers into clients.
This conversation goes beyond pixels and hashtags; we put a spotlight on the personal touches that define excellence in contractor supervision and bathroom remodeling. By introducing you to our top-notch featured contractors, we share the art of building client rapport through transparency and personalized service, like sending a text with a crew member's photo before they arrive. Plus, join Adam and me in our Shop Talk segment, where we unpack the nitty-gritty of guiding a bathroom remodel from concept to stunning completion. From the importance of a consistent vision to the allure of turnkey projects, we cover the strategic moves that ensure client satisfaction and project success without having them sweat the small stuff. Tune in, and get ready to level up your home design game!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Homebuilding and Remodeling Show.
Let's go.
Welcome everybody to theHomebuilding and Remodeling Show
.
My name is Chris Kirby and I'llbe your host.
(00:21):
I am the owner of threeconstruction companies on the
Alabama Gulf Coast.
The show is about residentialconstruction.
We're going to cover topics ofhomebuilding and remodeling.
Are you thinking of doing aremodel or building a home?
Are you a contractor looking toimprove your knowledge base or
grow your business?
Have you ever done a remodelproject or built a home?
(00:42):
There were so many things youwish you knew or that you could
have done differently during theprocess.
Then this show is for you.
We break down the process ofbuilding and remodeling and how
to have the best results duringyour project.
Whether you are a DIYer lookingfor tips, someone looking to
hire a contractor to do aproject, or a contractor looking
(01:04):
to expand your knowledge baseor your business, welcome aboard
.
Glad to have you.
Stay tuned.
We kick off the show with mythoughts on homebuilding and
remodeling.
I'll share best practices andtalk about some of our
experiences in business and outin the field.
These shared thoughts andlessons learned are meant to
help you on your very ownjourney.
(01:25):
Let's go.
Welcome back everybody.
This is our first show of theyear and we've got an exciting
lineup.
We've got a couple of custombuilders coming in, but we
wanted to kick off the new yearthe right way and we wanted to
kick it off talking aboutmarketing, and here at the Kirby
companies We've recently hireda director of marketing, asia.
(01:47):
That's who I have today.
Welcome, asia.
Thanks for deciding to come onabout five minutes ago,
absolutely so, you know.
We wanted to talk about yourgood at social media marketing
and that's where kind of yourbackground is, even though you
do marketing in general and inthe contracting world there's a
(02:08):
little bit of give and take.
So a lot of old schoolcontractors will say, well, if
you're good at your craft andyou've been around enough, you
don't need to market yourself atall, much less on social media
or anything but calls will comein, the leads will come in.
But that's just not true.
(02:29):
In this day and age, whereanybody can pick up a hammer,
call themselves a contractor andstart earning work.
It really does take away fromyour value as a contractor.
No matter how long you've beendoing it, you're going to have
new up and comers that are outthere putting themselves out
there, project in their brandand we do a good job here.
But we have outgrown mycapabilities to just do short
(02:54):
form videos and Keep up withforeign afters and different
things that we do to keepputting ourselves out here at
the Kirby companies, and that'swhat I brought you in for.
We had a working relationshipand just watching you perform
and do things on social mediathat I couldn't do or Didn't
(03:15):
want to dedicate the properamount of time right but is a
time thing, it is a knowledgething.
Managing social media and doingmarketing it's a, it's a
profession and To project theimage that you want.
You may not know what's best.
Can you talk to me about maybesome of the ways that if,
because you own your own company, you own social partner, and
(03:39):
first let's talk about the, theSocial media and how social
media marketing can work forAnybody, but specifically for a
contractor which is aservice-based business?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
So social media is is such a great tool, I think now
Obviously utilized now more thanever.
Yeah, in this digital age, weare always progressing, so it's
always changing, and staying ontop of it is Probably should be
at the forefront of your mind asa contractor, just because you
are service-based and, with thatbeing said, your product is
(04:17):
ultimately seen through visuals,photo, video, and being able to
have a representation online issuper, super important.
The first thing that people aregonna do is hop online to see
you know what your work lookslike.
And then, not only that, butwhat kind of reviews do you have
?
The rapport that you have withthe community around you, prior
(04:39):
clients and whatnot.
Being able to post the contentthat you have, the work that
you're doing, is Incrediblyimportant.
But also, I are now if, ifanything, you're gonna get left
behind.
Yeah, people are going toUltimately view your competitors
More than they're viewing you.
If you're, if you're not,online, well, you hit something
(05:00):
you said.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Not only did you say you'll get left behind if you're
not on social media and somepeople have their push and pull
with social media.
They don't want to be on thereand they've got a sometimes a
negative connotation.
But, like for me, I use thatfor business right, especially
like a Facebook.
Instagram is very visual,tiktok is more fun, you know,
(05:22):
but if you're not doing it,somebody else is right.
And then for me it's alsotransparency.
So if you are putting yourselfout there in a proper manner
online, then you know you arebeing transparent and like we do
how-to's and we do likejourneys through the progress of
(05:43):
a construction job.
But to me it just it makes youmore transparent with what you
do, and you know we're trying tofight this.
Sometimes the word contractor isView negatively because you
know people have had badexperiences.
They've had money taken,deposits taken, work not
(06:04):
performed different things.
And so you know, contractor forus, creating awareness and
being open and transparent.
We can do that through ourmarketing and that that makes
people feel better when theyhire us.
And Can you talk to thespecific Platforms?
So if, if a contractor Is ordesigner is watching this, can
(06:28):
you talk about what theappropriate approach to each
platform would be so likeFacebook or Insta.
Do you have any recommendationsas, as far as which one is is
geared towards kind of whataudience?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Okay, I would say, obviously, each platform is very
distinct in its own way.
Yeah, especially regardingalgorithms and how content is
not only viewed but alsoUltimately sorted out.
Depending on the algorithm,it's going to be sorted out to
certain demographics.
(07:04):
But, with that said, throughsocial media, regardless of what
strategy or tactic you take,I'm gonna speak to what you said
Ultimately transparency.
This is a way to showcase yourbusiness, showcase how you're
doing it different and,ultimately, the goal is to show
how you're doing business better.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
This is our contractor shout-out segment.
We are going to pick 40contractors a month that tag
their business page in our poston the home building and
remodeling show Facebook page.
And this month we have with usHope Property Services in Irwin,
north Carolina, jester Masonryand Chatham, ontario, canada.
(07:44):
Arnaldi Painting in Holden,missouri.
Atc Property Maintenance inGlenwood, iowa.
Thank you all for commenting onthe monthly post.
We will do another post nextmonth.
Like, subscribe and share ourFacebook page and hopefully you
get a shout out next time.
So we're continuing on withnumber 11 of the top 20
(08:07):
questions you should ask yourcontractor before starting a
project or hiring them.
And number 11 is who will be onsite and who will be the
on-site supervisor.
So this is an importantquestion because you want to
know who's going to be in yourhouse and you want to know who's
going to be supervising thework.
It's smart for you tounderstand that because the
(08:30):
owner of the company may not bethe one actually on site doing
the work, but they areultimately still accountable for
the overall product and thequality of the job.
You need to know who will bethe on-site supervisor and what
their qualifications and skillsare, and just kind of dig in on
that point.
Just to make sure you knowwho's coming and going in your
(08:53):
house and then who to talk to ona day to day basis.
Question 11 is important forthe contractor.
As you're talking to yourclient, you need to be aware of
which crew if you have multiplecrews will be in the house and
make it a point to let theclient know their name.
(09:13):
Some company service companiesI've seen they will actually
text the client when they're ontheir way letting them know and
it's usually an automatedservice that texts the client
and lets them know that so andso, whoever it is from, your
crew is on the way and it mayhave a picture or signature card
with their picture and name.
(09:33):
There's a number of reasons whythis is a good and best
practice for contractors.
From the contractor'sperspective, the client sees
here's the person coming to myhome, here's their name, and
I've even seen some companies goas far as to put a little bit
about the person that's coming,the crew that's coming, and the
(09:55):
text message or email signature.
So it'll say hi, this is Chris.
He is a site supervisor forKirby Custom, and just a little
bit about Chris.
He has animals, loves animalsand then sometimes it'll say
they are allergic to so and so.
Sometimes when you're working ona job site you get very
(10:15):
familiar with the client.
There comes a point where theclient may offer food, may offer
drink.
That little pre-message withthat text lets them know who you
are and stuff like that.
These are things that show thatyou care in business a little
bit more than the next personthat may be been in the work.
When you can personalize thatconversation about your crew,
(10:37):
yourself, your company, and makethem understand that when they
come they may be allergic todogs and the client may have a
dog.
It's tough to have somebodywho's allergic to dogs because
there are a number of homes thathave pets or animals and stuff.
But as a company owner it isimperative that you understand
your people and understand thatthey may have allergies.
(11:00):
So it is a good practice toconversate about that with the
client and with whoever you'regoing to send out there.
Number 11, make sure that youdiscuss who will be on site and
who will be the on sitesupervisor for daily
communication for the client anddaily communication for the
project manager to ensure thingsgo smooth and then if there are
(11:22):
other people who are going tobe on site, you need to let them
know.
So if you've got subs coming into do Plum and Electrical,
whatever it is, they need toknow who they are as well.
Especially if the contract wasall under one umbrella and you
are the general contractor forthe job, you need to make sure
that the client knows the namesof everybody that's coming on
(11:43):
site.
And now we move into Shop Talk.
It's the portion of the showwhere I bring in a co-host and
we cover trending topics in homebuilding and remodeling.
Hope you enjoy let's go.
Welcome back everybody.
We got Adam back with us heretoday and we have been talking a
lot about remodeling andkitchen remodeling in general.
(12:06):
We wanted to pivot a little bitand jump on over to bathroom
remodeling and for the kitchenand bath contractors out there,
you all know we have stories totell specifically, we can
probably tell some horrorstories and stuff like that.
We want to keep it lighthearted today and we want to
talk about the process of, frombeginning to end, not only how
(12:30):
we do the remodel, but just eventhe first phone call for a
bathroom remodel.
They're gonna call the office,ms Tammy, our front desk.
She's gonna set you up with anestimate and you're gonna go out
.
Then one of the tips, tipnumber one for today, is that we
have a pre-designed informationcard that you take with you.
(12:51):
On this information card, ithas information about our
companies, it has awards we'vewon, it has our insurances
different things- like that.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
It's got a little bit of everything.
It's got a background on thecompany.
It also has information aboutthe interior designers.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
So that hurts their hero, if they want to go that
route.
Do you think it helps whenyou're out there because we
don't have salesmen?
Adam, as our estimator forremodels, really is the person
that the client is dealing with.
And when you're out there, doyou feel that information card
helps you because you can leaveit with them?
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Yes, it's just good for them to have.
And then also I noticed on thejobs that we do get when they do
get that folder they're usingthat folder to put all the
information and everything we'resending them.
They're sticking it right inthat folder so they have some
stay organized too.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
And part of that is like you can leave that
impression and you can go in andlisten to them and they can
listen to you, but the momentyou walk out they're already.
Some stuff is just gonna.
They're not gonna rememberevery piece of that conversation
, they're not gonna remember ourbusiness, except for you
showing up and doing that.
When you leave them with thatright and a little folder with
our logo, the information card,they can continue to have us on
(14:10):
their mind.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
They lay it on their table or whatnot, and it's
always there.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
they keep seeing the logo and they can pick it up and
read it and see the stuff aboutus and then maybe go search us
online.
We've got our websites andlinks and stuff.
You leave that information card.
That's a good tip for you, thatdon't do it.
And and it's really, we justbought some card stock and we
print them, things out, we putit in a folder and Adam takes
them on his estimates with them.
(14:36):
From there you you're walkingthrough the house, you're taking
pictures and from that point Ijust get all the information I
came from.
You're writing notes andeverything they're talking about
.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
That way I don't miss anything, because if I try to
jump in just trying to takemeasurements and everything
while they're talking, then weboth forget.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Do you do a walkthrough with the class and
take a note?
First, yes, okay, and then doyou go back.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yes, after our walkthrough they tell me
everything they want to do,their vision pretty much.
That's when, after we're donewith that, that's when I start
taking all my measurements,pictures, asking my questions
that I have about some things,because I'll notice things are
gonna have to be done in orderto do what they're wanting.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Right, to get to the vision.
You got to talk construction.
Right, you're taking notes andtaking pictures.
Then you come back and I'massume you review the
measurements, review thepictures, start putting together
that estimate.
Right, you come up with anumber, you send it to them.
If they accept, we go throughthe process of remodeling, right
, right, what is a day one of abathroom remodel look like for
(15:48):
us?
How do you?
Day one is?
Speaker 3 (15:51):
demo.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Demo day is always usually day one.
Now we're gonna move into theportion of the show where we
talk interior design.
We're gonna bring in aninterior designer and we're
gonna talk trending design andproducts.
Hope you enjoy.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Let's go inspecting materials, making sure that
they're already to be installedprior to that space being empty
and vacant yes, absolutely so onthe remodel side, you know,
with kitchens getting back tokind of the design and layout of
it.
So one is navigating the design,getting that in place.
How are you gonna use it?
(16:28):
What kind of appliances, whatcabinetry are we doing?
There's so many differentfacets to that end of it where
the designer is gonna be thereto help you navigate Really
what's gonna work for you, butalso the resources, if you just
really area?
Are you going to know whatplaces to visit for stone?
(16:48):
Are you going to know whatcabinetry shops are best to work
with?
Speaker 1 (16:52):
well, here's another one.
You know you have to navigatethe location and let's just say
they walk in and I'm gonna tellyou it is overwhelming.
Sometimes I mean you're gonnawalk in and you're gonna have
500 different types of flooringbut what works?
Yeah, right, exactly, and so apart of what you do is you kind
(17:13):
of zero in what.
You learn the person right inthe planning phase.
You can zero in right and ithelps make that selection
process manageable.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
In fun, yes, and fun, I have some, yeah all excited
about the project and then theydo exactly you said they go out
and they attempt to go shoppingyes.
And then it's overwhelming.
Now they're frustrated.
Yeah, dealing with sales peoplenot designers.
Yes, not really are workingaround them, their home, their
personality yeah, and it's notfun anymore.
(17:45):
Yeah, and then it'soverwhelming.
And then the money comes into itas a designer, our job really
is to help you navigate all ofthat sure and make the process
enjoyable yeah, and then and toyou mentioned.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
So you know, for me it's great because you zero in
on selections to not beoverwhelming.
But you mentioned somethingelse.
You mentioned budget and adesigner that knows product
understands where they're notgonna walk you to a space that's
not affordable or doesn't.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Present ideas yes, yeah and that is also part of
having somebody who specializesin their certain areas.
Like Chris mentioned, I'm I'mkitchen and bath yes that's,
that's my heart, that's my home,that's where I'm happy.
Absolutely and so I do know myproduct, I know my pricing.
I'm never gonna guide a client,within a certain budget, to
something that they fall in lovewith in there now shattered
(18:36):
because they can't afford it.
Yeah again, now it's not.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Or even if they can afford it, right, but it doesn't
make sense for the spec, or youknow they're, they're like yeah
, I can afford it, but that'snot what we presented in the
budget, you know.
So, yeah, it definitely, youknow, takes talent, but it also
takes experience and time in thefield.
Yes, and that's another thing,to design from the desk but
(19:04):
being on site at multiple pointsthroughout the remodel matters
a lot to.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Well and being on site, especially for clients.
We have clients who have theirown jobs absolutely, they're not
gonna be available so you'rethe eyes and ears.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Eyes and ears on the site.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
So as a designer, we're also gonna catch things
that need to be done or haven'tbeen done or aren't part of the
vision that maybe the title guywasn't aware of yes, okay,
listen, and I love designers.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
There's a reason that we have all this in house now,
and it's to fix some of thosegaps.
It is very easy for you to walkin and be like where that come
from.
What, what, what is this right?
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (19:46):
yes, yes but it should when it's a benefit
because in any project,especially with the kitchen
royal, there's gonna be a lot ofhands on that project.
It's inevitable.
Yeah have people who specializein the plumbing, the electric,
the countertops, the cabinets,the flooring.
No one to two people are doingall of that really is an
agglomeration of a lot of peopleyeah when you have that many
people, there's no way thatEvery single finite detail yes
(20:11):
they're gonna know absolutely soyou are I know you are the
consistency throughout theduration of the project correct.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
You keep the vision intact, the budget intact, and
then you actually manage thevision throughout the duration,
and so it gives the client a lotof relief.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
And.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I think that's the biggest point, and some of them
want to turn key design.
Yes, right, and when I say turnkey, that means they want to be
hands off yes, and so they wantan updated, nice space and they
need to trust that you know whatyou're doing Correct.
Thanks for joining us today.
As always, we are grateful forour listeners.
In your continued support,please subscribe to our YouTube
(20:50):
channel, follow us on socialmedia via Facebook, instagram
and tick tock, get more info atour website, www.
Dot the homebuilding show dotcom.
And, as always, remember who weare the home building and
remodeling show.
The Homebuilding and Remodeling Show.
Let's go.
Welcome everybody to theHomebuilding and Remodeling Show
.
My name is Chris Kirby and I'llbe your host.
(00:21):
I am the owner of threeconstruction companies on the
Alabama Gulf Coast.
The show is about residentialconstruction.
We're going to cover topics ofhomebuilding and remodeling.
Are you thinking of doing aremodel or building a home?
Are you a contractor looking toimprove your knowledge base or
grow your business?
Have you ever done a remodelproject or built a home?
(00:42):
There were so many things youwish you knew or that you could
have done differently during theprocess.
Then this show is for you.
We break down the process ofbuilding and remodeling and how
to have the best results duringyour project.
Whether you are a DIYer lookingfor tips, someone looking to
hire a contractor to do aproject, or a contractor looking
(01:04):
to expand your knowledge baseor your business, welcome aboard
.
Glad to have you.
Stay tuned.
We kick off the show with mythoughts on homebuilding and
remodeling.
I'll share best practices andtalk about some of our
experiences in business and outin the field.
These shared thoughts andlessons learned are meant to
help you on your very ownjourney.
(01:25):
Let's go.
Welcome back everybody.
This is our first show of theyear and we've got an exciting
lineup.
We've got a couple of custombuilders coming in, but we
wanted to kick off the new yearthe right way and we wanted to
kick it off talking aboutmarketing, and here at the Kirby
companies We've recently hireda director of marketing, asia.
(01:47):
That's who I have today.
Welcome, asia.
Thanks for deciding to come onabout five minutes ago,
absolutely so, you know.
We wanted to talk about yourgood at social media marketing
and that's where kind of yourbackground is, even though you
do marketing in general and inthe contracting world there's a
(02:08):
little bit of give and take.
So a lot of old schoolcontractors will say, well, if
you're good at your craft andyou've been around enough, you
don't need to market yourself atall, much less on social media
or anything but calls will comein, the leads will come in.
But that's just not true.
(02:29):
In this day and age, whereanybody can pick up a hammer,
call themselves a contractor andstart earning work.
It really does take away fromyour value as a contractor.
No matter how long you've beendoing it, you're going to have
new up and comers that are outthere putting themselves out
there, project in their brandand we do a good job here.
But we have outgrown mycapabilities to just do short
(02:54):
form videos and Keep up withforeign afters and different
things that we do to keepputting ourselves out here at
the Kirby companies, and that'swhat I brought you in for.
We had a working relationshipand just watching you perform
and do things on social mediathat I couldn't do or Didn't
(03:15):
want to dedicate the properamount of time right but is a
time thing, it is a knowledgething.
Managing social media and doingmarketing it's a, it's a
profession and To project theimage that you want.
You may not know what's best.
Can you talk to me about maybesome of the ways that if,
because you own your own company, you own social partner, and
(03:39):
first let's talk about the, theSocial media and how social
media marketing can work forAnybody, but specifically for a
contractor which is aservice-based business?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
So social media is is such a great tool, I think now
Obviously utilized now more thanever.
Yeah, in this digital age, weare always progressing, so it's
always changing, and staying ontop of it is Probably should be
at the forefront of your mind asa contractor, just because you
are service-based and, with thatbeing said, your product is
(04:17):
ultimately seen through visuals,photo, video, and being able to
have a representation online issuper, super important.
The first thing that people aregonna do is hop online to see
you know what your work lookslike.
And then, not only that, butwhat kind of reviews do you have
?
The rapport that you have withthe community around you, prior
(04:39):
clients and whatnot.
Being able to post the contentthat you have, the work that
you're doing, is Incrediblyimportant.
But also, I are now if, ifanything, you're gonna get left
behind.
Yeah, people are going toUltimately view your competitors
More than they're viewing you.
If you're, if you're not,online, well, you hit something
(05:00):
you said.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Not only did you say you'll get left behind if you're
not on social media and somepeople have their push and pull
with social media.
They don't want to be on thereand they've got a sometimes a
negative connotation.
But, like for me, I use thatfor business right, especially
like a Facebook.
Instagram is very visual,tiktok is more fun, you know,
(05:22):
but if you're not doing it,somebody else is right.
And then for me it's alsotransparency.
So if you are putting yourselfout there in a proper manner
online, then you know you arebeing transparent and like we do
how-to's and we do likejourneys through the progress of
(05:43):
a construction job.
But to me it just it makes youmore transparent with what you
do, and you know we're trying tofight this.
Sometimes the word contractor isView negatively because you
know people have had badexperiences.
They've had money taken,deposits taken, work not
(06:04):
performed different things.
And so you know, contractor forus, creating awareness and
being open and transparent.
We can do that through ourmarketing and that that makes
people feel better when theyhire us.
And Can you talk to thespecific Platforms?
So if, if a contractor Is ordesigner is watching this, can
(06:28):
you talk about what theappropriate approach to each
platform would be so likeFacebook or Insta.
Do you have any recommendationsas, as far as which one is is
geared towards kind of whataudience?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Okay, I would say, obviously, each platform is very
distinct in its own way.
Yeah, especially regardingalgorithms and how content is
not only viewed but alsoUltimately sorted out.
Depending on the algorithm,it's going to be sorted out to
certain demographics.
(07:04):
But, with that said, throughsocial media, regardless of what
strategy or tactic you take,I'm gonna speak to what you said
Ultimately transparency.
This is a way to showcase yourbusiness, showcase how you're
doing it different and,ultimately, the goal is to show
how you're doing business better.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
This is our contractor shout-out segment.
We are going to pick 40contractors a month that tag
their business page in our poston the home building and
remodeling show Facebook page.
And this month we have with usHope Property Services in Irwin,
north Carolina, jester Masonryand Chatham, ontario, canada.
(07:44):
Arnaldi Painting in Holden,missouri.
Atc Property Maintenance inGlenwood, iowa.
Thank you all for commenting onthe monthly post.
We will do another post nextmonth.
Like, subscribe and share ourFacebook page and hopefully you
get a shout out next time.
So we're continuing on withnumber 11 of the top 20
(08:07):
questions you should ask yourcontractor before starting a
project or hiring them.
And number 11 is who will be onsite and who will be the
on-site supervisor.
So this is an importantquestion because you want to
know who's going to be in yourhouse and you want to know who's
going to be supervising thework.
It's smart for you tounderstand that because the
(08:30):
owner of the company may not bethe one actually on site doing
the work, but they areultimately still accountable for
the overall product and thequality of the job.
You need to know who will bethe on-site supervisor and what
their qualifications and skillsare, and just kind of dig in on
that point.
Just to make sure you knowwho's coming and going in your
(08:53):
house and then who to talk to ona day to day basis.
Question 11 is important forthe contractor.
As you're talking to yourclient, you need to be aware of
which crew if you have multiplecrews will be in the house and
make it a point to let theclient know their name.
(09:13):
Some company service companiesI've seen they will actually
text the client when they're ontheir way letting them know and
it's usually an automatedservice that texts the client
and lets them know that so andso, whoever it is from, your
crew is on the way and it mayhave a picture or signature card
with their picture and name.
(09:33):
There's a number of reasons whythis is a good and best
practice for contractors.
From the contractor'sperspective, the client sees
here's the person coming to myhome, here's their name, and
I've even seen some companies goas far as to put a little bit
about the person that's coming,the crew that's coming, and the
(09:55):
text message or email signature.
So it'll say hi, this is Chris.
He is a site supervisor forKirby Custom, and just a little
bit about Chris.
He has animals, loves animalsand then sometimes it'll say
they are allergic to so and so.
Sometimes when you're working ona job site you get very
(10:15):
familiar with the client.
There comes a point where theclient may offer food, may offer
drink.
That little pre-message withthat text lets them know who you
are and stuff like that.
These are things that show thatyou care in business a little
bit more than the next personthat may be been in the work.
When you can personalize thatconversation about your crew,
(10:37):
yourself, your company, and makethem understand that when they
come they may be allergic todogs and the client may have a
dog.
It's tough to have somebodywho's allergic to dogs because
there are a number of homes thathave pets or animals and stuff.
But as a company owner it isimperative that you understand
your people and understand thatthey may have allergies.
(11:00):
So it is a good practice toconversate about that with the
client and with whoever you'regoing to send out there.
Number 11, make sure that youdiscuss who will be on site and
who will be the on sitesupervisor for daily
communication for the client anddaily communication for the
project manager to ensure thingsgo smooth and then if there are
(11:22):
other people who are going tobe on site, you need to let them
know.
So if you've got subs coming into do Plum and Electrical,
whatever it is, they need toknow who they are as well.
Especially if the contract wasall under one umbrella and you
are the general contractor forthe job, you need to make sure
that the client knows the namesof everybody that's coming on
(11:43):
site.
And now we move into Shop Talk.
It's the portion of the showwhere I bring in a co-host and
we cover trending topics in homebuilding and remodeling.
Hope you enjoy let's go.
Welcome back everybody.
We got Adam back with us heretoday and we have been talking a
lot about remodeling andkitchen remodeling in general.
(12:06):
We wanted to pivot a little bitand jump on over to bathroom
remodeling and for the kitchenand bath contractors out there,
you all know we have stories totell specifically, we can
probably tell some horrorstories and stuff like that.
We want to keep it lighthearted today and we want to
talk about the process of, frombeginning to end, not only how
(12:30):
we do the remodel, but just eventhe first phone call for a
bathroom remodel.
They're gonna call the office,ms Tammy, our front desk.
She's gonna set you up with anestimate and you're gonna go out
.
Then one of the tips, tipnumber one for today, is that we
have a pre-designed informationcard that you take with you.
(12:51):
On this information card, ithas information about our
companies, it has awards we'vewon, it has our insurances
different things- like that.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
It's got a little bit of everything.
It's got a background on thecompany.
It also has information aboutthe interior designers.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
So that hurts their hero, if they want to go that
route.
Do you think it helps whenyou're out there because we
don't have salesmen?
Adam, as our estimator forremodels, really is the person
that the client is dealing with.
And when you're out there, doyou feel that information card
helps you because you can leaveit with them?
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Yes, it's just good for them to have.
And then also I noticed on thejobs that we do get when they do
get that folder they're usingthat folder to put all the
information and everything we'resending them.
They're sticking it right inthat folder so they have some
stay organized too.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
And part of that is like you can leave that
impression and you can go in andlisten to them and they can
listen to you, but the momentyou walk out they're already.
Some stuff is just gonna.
They're not gonna rememberevery piece of that conversation
, they're not gonna remember ourbusiness, except for you
showing up and doing that.
When you leave them with thatright and a little folder with
our logo, the information card,they can continue to have us on
(14:10):
their mind.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
They lay it on their table or whatnot, and it's
always there.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
they keep seeing the logo and they can pick it up and
read it and see the stuff aboutus and then maybe go search us
online.
We've got our websites andlinks and stuff.
You leave that information card.
That's a good tip for you, thatdon't do it.
And and it's really, we justbought some card stock and we
print them, things out, we putit in a folder and Adam takes
them on his estimates with them.
(14:36):
From there you you're walkingthrough the house, you're taking
pictures and from that point Ijust get all the information I
came from.
You're writing notes andeverything they're talking about
.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
That way I don't miss anything, because if I try to
jump in just trying to takemeasurements and everything
while they're talking, then weboth forget.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Do you do a walkthrough with the class and
take a note?
First, yes, okay, and then doyou go back.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yes, after our walkthrough they tell me
everything they want to do,their vision pretty much.
That's when, after we're donewith that, that's when I start
taking all my measurements,pictures, asking my questions
that I have about some things,because I'll notice things are
gonna have to be done in orderto do what they're wanting.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Right, to get to the vision.
You got to talk construction.
Right, you're taking notes andtaking pictures.
Then you come back and I'massume you review the
measurements, review thepictures, start putting together
that estimate.
Right, you come up with anumber, you send it to them.
If they accept, we go throughthe process of remodeling, right
, right, what is a day one of abathroom remodel look like for
(15:48):
us?
How do you?
Day one is?
Speaker 3 (15:51):
demo.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Demo day is always usually day one.
Now we're gonna move into theportion of the show where we
talk interior design.
We're gonna bring in aninterior designer and we're
gonna talk trending design andproducts.
Hope you enjoy.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Let's go inspecting materials, making sure that
they're already to be installedprior to that space being empty
and vacant yes, absolutely so onthe remodel side, you know,
with kitchens getting back tokind of the design and layout of
it.
So one is navigating the design,getting that in place.
How are you gonna use it?
(16:28):
What kind of appliances, whatcabinetry are we doing?
There's so many differentfacets to that end of it where
the designer is gonna be thereto help you navigate Really
what's gonna work for you, butalso the resources, if you just
really area?
Are you going to know whatplaces to visit for stone?
(16:48):
Are you going to know whatcabinetry shops are best to work
with?
Speaker 1 (16:52):
well, here's another one.
You know you have to navigatethe location and let's just say
they walk in and I'm gonna tellyou it is overwhelming.
Sometimes I mean you're gonnawalk in and you're gonna have
500 different types of flooringbut what works?
Yeah, right, exactly, and so apart of what you do is you kind
(17:13):
of zero in what.
You learn the person right inthe planning phase.
You can zero in right and ithelps make that selection
process manageable.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
In fun, yes, and fun, I have some, yeah all excited
about the project and then theydo exactly you said they go out
and they attempt to go shoppingyes.
And then it's overwhelming.
Now they're frustrated.
Yeah, dealing with sales peoplenot designers.
Yes, not really are workingaround them, their home, their
personality yeah, and it's notfun anymore.
(17:45):
Yeah, and then it'soverwhelming.
And then the money comes into itas a designer, our job really
is to help you navigate all ofthat sure and make the process
enjoyable yeah, and then and toyou mentioned.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
So you know, for me it's great because you zero in
on selections to not beoverwhelming.
But you mentioned somethingelse.
You mentioned budget and adesigner that knows product
understands where they're notgonna walk you to a space that's
not affordable or doesn't.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Present ideas yes, yeah and that is also part of
having somebody who specializesin their certain areas.
Like Chris mentioned, I'm I'mkitchen and bath yes that's,
that's my heart, that's my home,that's where I'm happy.
Absolutely and so I do know myproduct, I know my pricing.
I'm never gonna guide a client,within a certain budget, to
something that they fall in lovewith in there now shattered
(18:36):
because they can't afford it.
Yeah again, now it's not.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Or even if they can afford it, right, but it doesn't
make sense for the spec, or youknow they're, they're like yeah
, I can afford it, but that'snot what we presented in the
budget, you know.
So, yeah, it definitely, youknow, takes talent, but it also
takes experience and time in thefield.
Yes, and that's another thing,to design from the desk but
(19:04):
being on site at multiple pointsthroughout the remodel matters
a lot to.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Well and being on site, especially for clients.
We have clients who have theirown jobs absolutely, they're not
gonna be available so you'rethe eyes and ears.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Eyes and ears on the site.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
So as a designer, we're also gonna catch things
that need to be done or haven'tbeen done or aren't part of the
vision that maybe the title guywasn't aware of yes, okay,
listen, and I love designers.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
There's a reason that we have all this in house now,
and it's to fix some of thosegaps.
It is very easy for you to walkin and be like where that come
from.
What, what, what is this right?
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (19:46):
yes, yes but it should when it's a benefit
because in any project,especially with the kitchen
royal, there's gonna be a lot ofhands on that project.
It's inevitable.
Yeah have people who specializein the plumbing, the electric,
the countertops, the cabinets,the flooring.
No one to two people are doingall of that really is an
agglomeration of a lot of peopleyeah when you have that many
people, there's no way thatEvery single finite detail yes
(20:11):
they're gonna know absolutely soyou are I know you are the
consistency throughout theduration of the project correct.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
You keep the vision intact, the budget intact, and
then you actually manage thevision throughout the duration,
and so it gives the client a lotof relief.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
And.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I think that's the biggest point, and some of them
want to turn key design.
Yes, right, and when I say turnkey, that means they want to be
hands off yes, and so they wantan updated, nice space and they
need to trust that you know whatyou're doing Correct.
Thanks for joining us today.
As always, we are grateful forour listeners.
In your continued support,please subscribe to our YouTube
(20:50):
channel, follow us on socialmedia via Facebook, instagram
and tick tock, get more info atour website, www.
Dot the homebuilding show dotcom.
And, as always, remember who weare the home building and
remodeling show.
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