Posted by Mark Paskell on Fri, Nov 28, 2008 @ 11:51 AM
Thanksgiving is the time of year when we historically reflect on what we a grateful for in our lives. This is a time to express humility, gratitude and thanks for the blessings we enjoy in our lives and business. It seems natural to give thanks in the fall after the crops have been harvested. It is the time when we take stock of of our blessings and store up for the coming winter. Our year of hard work comes to a close and at Thanksgiving we reflect on our results. We are hopefully prepared for the long cold winter having harvested enough from our years efforts. If we planted our seeds and prudently nurtured them, we should have enough stock to make it through the winter until spring. For this bounty we express gratitude and thankfulness.
On the other hand, if we have not wisely planted and nurtured our seeds this year, we may have limited stock supplies to get through the winter.
The residential home improvement industry
The residential home improvement construction industry is experiencing a significant lack of backlog. Many contractors for the first time in years don't have enough work to take them through the winter. As an industry, we have not planted and nurtured enough of the right seeds to yield a harvest sufficient to take us through to the spring. No doubt the economy has affected us, however there are other significant factors that cannot be overlooked. Most notably, effective business planning, marketing, sales training, best practices and system development. The homeowner market has changed and the companies who embrace this change and innovatively adapt are going to be the survivors that prosper. Those who don't will have a hard time competing and may not make it.
The intent of this post is to encourage you to be thankful and grateful for whatever blessings and bounty you have received from your efforts this year as well as the blessings you have in your life. Whether you have received much or little is simply the result of your behaviors and efforts. We tend to receive in direct proportion to what we give. Hopefully, your bounty is sufficiently plentiful, fulfilling and you have enough to make it until the spring.
On the other hand, if you find you have insufficient stock to make it through the winter it may be challenging to stay positive and hopeful. In addition to home improvement contractors, there are many Americans, whom for the first time in their lives are experiencing challenging economic conditions. In the event this is your situation, take the time to analyze your results, accept it and move on. Focus on the people and meaningful things in your life that you are grateful for.
Make a Gratitude List
I was taught from a mentor that when faced with challenging circumstances and insufficient stock it is helpful to take stock of the blessings we have. When we are overwhelmed with fear and lack of bounty we sometimes lose focus. If we allow ourselves to continually think about our lack of bounty, we attract more of the same. We get what we think about. So do the opposite and only think about having and receiving prosperity and bounty.
A simple way to reverse the process is to take stock of the things we sometimes take for granted. Things like family, ourselves, friends, skills, our home, innovative self creations and discoveries and our successes. Take a few moments and write out a gratitude list of all the people and things that you are grateful for. List your family, your friends, your accomplishments, your great experiences and anything that you are happy and proud to have experienced and created. Allow yourself to re-experience the happy moments with gratitude and humility. This simple technique is a great way to re-align your thinking and focus. When you do this, you will find that you have a lot more than you thought.
The mentor told me that he makes out a gratitude list whenever he starts taking things for granted. He suggested, do it at least once a month to insure that you never get complacent. Playing it safe is risky.
Practicing gratitude and and humility all year long is an insurance policy that you will have many things to be thankful for every Thanksgiving.
Challenge yourself and make out your gratitude list today!
What are you grateful and thankful for?
mark the coach
Posted by Mark Paskell on Wed, Nov 19, 2008 @ 10:26 PM
Many small business owners become trapped thinking that they have to do everything themselves. At times they think that because no one can do it as well as them that it is more effective to do it themselves. If you are a small business owner and don't want to grow this may work ok. However, if you want to grow, the odds are stacked against you if you are a CEO owner wearing most of the hats. We are seeing many contractors who say they want to grow, stubbornly resisting giving up control of tasks that can and should be done by someone other than the CEO. Contractors are not the only profession exhibiting this behavior. It is prevalent in many different types of businesses. In contracting, it is not uncommon to see the CEO running the company, handling the sales, running production, driving nails, making collection calls, and anything else they think that only they can do. This feeling of invincibility that they can do it all is not without grave dangers to the health of the business and the owner. It contributes to poor health, burnout, marital issues, questionable judgment, employee issues, money problems and sometimes heart attacks.
For example the average work week for a CEO is 50-60 hours and for a professional salesperson 55 hours per week. How is it possible for one person to do both effectively? Not to mention the other items the CEO owner handles.
The road to success for contracting companies is clearly available to any who seek it through modeling other successful companies in their industry, research, education and training. The only thing the CEO owner contractor needs to do is decide to run their business in line with established contractor best practices and proven paths already blazed by successful contractors.
If you are a CEO owner of a contracting company wearing too many hats, do you think you are invincible like superman?
Are you too stubborn to let some of the work go?
Do you need the feeling of saving the day and telling yourself no one can do it as well as me?
Do you think it is possible to keep up the pace and be profitable and healthy?
If your answer is yes, I wish you the best.
If no, maybe you are ready to work with a professional residential contractor coach who can show you how to shed the hats you are over qualified to wear!
Does this sound like anybody you know?
Posted by Mark Paskell on Sat, Nov 15, 2008 @ 12:55 PM
Recently someone said to me I was crazy to spend so much time networking. So it got me thinking was he right? Well some may think I'm crazy (and he may be right) so I reviewed my results from the past two years and here is what I found.
Working as a design/build and replacement sales expert for a large Worcester based company, Francis Harvey and Sons, my results for late 2006-late 2007.
Two referral groups; Corridor Nine and BNI Shrewsbury Golden Triangle.
$1,030,000 in remodeling sales.
Type of work; 1 house, 3 kitchens, 2 Bathrooms, 1 house remodel and various small jobs.
400 Hours worked between the two groups. (This includes meetings, one on ones and networking events.)
$2575.00 in business for every hour worked networking.
Commission Income; a lot
Fees and expenses for Networking groups and related activities; $1300.00
February, 2008; Left the Worcester company and started my own Coaching Business; The Contractor Coaching Partnership teaching contractors how to run a successful contracting business using best practices and systems.
Networking Groups; Corridor Nine Referral Group and Eastern Mass NARI (National Association of Remodeling Industry).
I have received 16 of my clients from referrals.
8 Remodeling Contractors
2 Landscaping Companies
2 Painting Contractors
1 Electrical Contractor
1 Excavation Contractor
2 professional trades
Fees and expenses for Networking related activities; $2300.00
All revenue for The Contractor Coaching Partnership has come from networking related referrals.
So you be the judge and ask yourself if my efforts networking were worth it?
One nice thing is when I worked at Francis Harvey, I had no competition on any of these jobs. I was referred, trusted and earned the business.
When I started the Contractor Coaching Partnership most people said it was a bad time to start a new business. But I wasn't concerned because I had faith in my definite purpose and knew that the work I put into networking would come to my aid. As a result I am fortunate to have a thriving Coaching business and I am grateful to my networking associates for referring me.
If you or networkers you know want to benefit from Networking Coaching That Gets Results then call or contact me today and I will teach you how to obtain outstanding results for your business.
So please tell me (by responding to this post) if you think I am crazy to network or not, you be the judge.
Mark
Posted by Mark Paskell on Thu, Nov 13, 2008 @ 04:25 PM
Early this year I met with a contractor who was complaining about his lack of success in his business. He attended a seminar I held with another coach and this contractor said he wanted to take his business to the next level. We met separately after the seminar to review his compelling reasons for moving forward and he agreed it was time to work on his business. He said he was sick and tired of losing out to other companies and being used as an unpaid consultant. He is the typical contractor wearing all the hats with little time for himself or his family.
He said he would start his coaching in the spring and would invest in coaching and learning best practices to properly align his business with other successful contracting companies. Spring came and he put it off and said he was too busy and didn't want to invest the money in learning how to develop systems which he agreed he needed and wanted.
Last week I met with the other coach and he was there complaining again that he had a lousy year and didn't make enough money to cover the bills. He said he was busy but didn't charge enough and got overwhelmed.
The other coach said to him well do you think its time to work with a coach to straighten out your business?
He said well I am still considering my options. I know I should but I am like a sponge. I am soaking up all the information and still have enough absorbing capacity in my sponge. You coaches are right and I know I should start educating and training myself. I didn't make enough money this year but next year will be different.
Then our contractor friend left and us coaches looked at each other and said he's a great talent and does great work. He could have a very successful company if he only learned some basic business skills and systems.
And the other coach said; " I hope he doesn't run out of absortion room in his sponge before he goes out of business and gets stuck with paying for all his equipment he just bought." and the coach added " you can the lead the horse to water but you can't make him drink"
Does this sound like you or a contractor you know?
Do you think this guy should hire a coach, work for someone else or find a different career?
Why is it that contractors who know and admit they should work on their business don't?
Let us know what you think.
Mark
Posted by Mark Paskell on Tue, Nov 11, 2008 @ 11:43 PM
The holidays are fast approaching and before you know it we'll be talking about our New Year resolutions and hoping for a better year in 2009. The time to start acting and planning for next year is now.
Have you accomplished the goals you set for yourself in early 2008? If you did great, if you didn't what is going to be different in 2009? Many people fail to take the time to write down their goals and make a plan for their year. This is one of the biggest differences between those who succeed and those who fail. If you think you can succeed without having clear goals and a plan then you will continue to experience the same results again.
I challenge you to decide to take the first step and decide to act now. Start by deciding on what your goals for next year will be and write them down. Then spend a day writing a simple plan of how you are going to get the results you want, and most importantly deserve. Doing nothing will give you the same results you have been living.
Many who know me, are familiar with my recommendation to read "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. Go out and buy it now and read and apply the tools. The plain and simple truth is, it works and gets results that will change your life, if you have the courage to do it. Experts claim this book has transfomed the lives of thousands and is responsible for creating numerous millionaires.
Other excellent works to use to align yourself to think right are Earl Nightingale's "The World' Strangest Secret" and the CD The Secret. If none of these interest you the book store has many excellent works to consider. The bottom line is your thinking and attitude will determine your success and happiness or lack thereof. No one is going to do it for you. Will you do it for yourself or will 2009 look just like 2008?
The choice is yours, don't let yourself down! Have a great successful and prosperous 2009.
I am currently mentoring several contractors and we are beginning our planning for 2009 now. If you are a contractor or someone who would like to explore the benefits of having a coach guide you and hold you accountable, you are only one phone call away from your coach!
Are you currently working on your goals and business plan for next year?
Posted by Mark Paskell on Sat, Nov 08, 2008 @ 09:49 PM
With the holidays fast approaching there will be many opportunities to build new relationships. There are usually many networking events around the holidays at chambers and networking mixers. Are you ready to share your 30 second commercial with new people you meet at a networking event?
Sit down and figure out what you can say to strangers that would let them know what you do and how they may refer you. Write your new commercial down and practice it in the mirror until you can say it automatically. Your statement should be brief and not salesy. If you wing it you will be less effective. Remember practice, practice, practice.
When you meet someone first smile, shake, eye contact, and don't drool at the pretty girl walking by while your talking to a new contact. And most of all practice active listening techniques. Ask them to share what they are looking for first and then ask them for a card if you want to know them. Don't offer your card unless asked. Also remember this is an opportunity to meet new contacts not to sell or drink in excess.
Before you go to an event, think about what your are trying to accomplish before you go. For example make a goal to speak with 10 new contacts. If you are hesitant to mingle bring someone with you. Ask fellow networkers who may be going to the event and maybe there will be someone there you know.
And most of all have fun.
mark the coach