I just got back from the NARI National Business meeting in Atlanta where many leading residential remodeling contractors received their COTY awards. The conference was a class act showcasing some of the finest work of NARI remodelers.

You have produced a lead opportunity that has placed you in front of your target client. You determine the needs and wants of the homeowner and it appears that they are ready to hire you. After you present the solution they ask you what is the next step.

It wasn't long ago that most contractors had more than enough work to keep busy. Depending upon who you believe, we started to experience a significant downturn in construction activity in late 2007. Up until this point it was easy to keep busy and even walk away from projects we didn't want. Now the landscape is quite different. We are all fishing in the same fish bowl with fewer fish.

The recent stimulus package includes tax credits for specific energy related improvements. This will help residential contractors win business at a crucial time. This will help window and door contractors, roofers, insulation companies, heating companies, and remodelers who are ready.

Four years have passed since I met Darcy Cook of Safety Trainers at a BNI group. She joined our group and instantly became one of the premier networkers in the area. She always found a way to help others first before looking for something for her business. Month after month I have watched her grow and her list of first quality contacts has always impressed all that know her. When she refers you it is always a strong opportunity. You will see her often at events putting people together and always sharing a kind word and building people up.

In today's competitive construction market it is harder and harder to win jobs without an effective sales process and sales training. Just a few years ago a decent contractor who showed up on time, talked well, looked good and had a decent bedside manner had no problem getting plenty of jobs. Most contractors with little or no formal sales training were very busy. The residential contractor now knows that being a simple order taker is no longer good enough in this market. It is critical to have an effective sales process and sales training to win jobs from the new consumer. The chances of succeeding without an effective sales process and training is small. In addition, the cost of leads has skyrocketed. Can you really afford to blow a lead?

Remodelers, Design/build contractors, Custom Home Builders; Help with homeowner selections.

Last night I attended a great contractor networking event at EM NARI in Natick. Ten contractor coaching clients and friends joined me and the 120 plus attendees. The featured speaker was Adrienne Zoble. She is a nationally known networking expert for the remodeling contracting industry. She was fantastic and shared excellent ideas on how to obtain great results by networking effectively. She also offered strategies on how to maximize results from your existing customer base and the importance of staying in touch with all leads. Everyone I spoke with said they were very satisfied that NARI provided a great speaker and the networking topic was perfect considering the current economy.

With the winter upon us, now is the perfect time to work on your business. With a down economy and the normal slowdown of remodeling work during the winter, now is the time to be reviewing and analyzing our entire business. We can be proactive and use this time to make changes to our business to be in a competitive position when the slowdown is over. The economy will turn around and those companies who are prepared for the inevitable increase in leads and business, will be ready to take advantage of a new and ever demanding customer. They will be anxious to catch up on long delayed projects. Many people are holding off on desired projects due to the uncertainty in the economy. This pent up demand will be released and the professional improved companies will be ready to take advantage of the opportunity. If you are not prepared you will miss out.

We always hear about the bad stuff, like poor service and unfriendly people, how about something different for a change?