Tuesday Tuneup- #33
Sales Process 101
This week's edition of the Tuesday Tuneup is sponsored by:
I’ve worked with a lot of finance companies through the years and Ed at Finturf is one of the best. Finturf understands the level of anxiety and frustration your salesperson and your homeowner may have during the financing portion of the sales process. Finturf is a tool that is designed to give your salespeople and homeowners the best financing experience at the kitchen table. With one credit application, they utilize technology to provide the highest probability of approvals for your homeowner. Run ONE application, get approved, sign loan docs, complete the job and get paid, all from the same ecosystem!
I’m excited to announce the launch of my brand new company, Billion Dollar Contractor. The reason many contractors don’t grow is pretty simple. They don’t know how to and when the first obstacles hit, they think it's easier to stay small instead of trying to expand. That’s where Billion Dollar Contractor comes in. We help small and medium size contractors grow and scale with proven methods used by some of the largest contractors in the country.
Step by- Step guidance to build the contracting business of your dreams.
Weekly meetings to support initiatives, create accountability and adjust priorities.
Strategic planning and bench marking.
Formal process creation for training, sales and communication.
Happy Tuesday everyone!
This week I’m in beautiful Boston! This is a view of Boston Harbor (Where the Boston tea party took place) taken from the top of the Bunker Hill memorial (where the battle of Bunker Hill took place). The faith, sacrifices and boldness of the people of this time is remarkable. Nothing more than farmers and laborers united together, to fight the most powerful military in the world…. and through much perseverance, won. When we are united, we can accomplish great things. Something I hope we never forget and something I am forever grateful to show my children firsthand.
Speaking of unity and having a plan (Sorry for the bad transition), over the past week of working with contractors there’s been a consistent theme that I wanted to address in this weeks edition.
Most contractors don’t have a plan or processes. They are “winging it” each month and hoping for the best.
In all honesty this is far from surprising. You see, when you first start a business, it’s really hard to have formal processes in place (Especially sales) because your just trying to do whatever you can to figure things out.
For most contractors, it looks something like this.
1- You work for a small contractor. You think “I can do this and make it way better”…. so you start your own business.
2- You start your business doing what you saw the last guy do…
3- Business grows a little… so you hire your buddy, your uncle, your wife, some guy at the last company, ect. They know what you do and you don’t really need any process for them because you are working hand in hand with them every day.
4- Business grows a little more, and now you have to hire somebody in you don’t know and have never worked with before…. and that’s when the train starts to derail. Because the foundation was never built in steps 1-3, you can’t excel in step #4.
5- All the new people stink, they can’t figure out your systems like your uncle could and you fire them. You convince yourself that it’s “Impossible” or “We’re fine just working with a small group of people we know”…. The dream is abandoned and you’re back to being that same small contractor you left in step #1.
Why Processes Matter in Sales
Before diving into the specifics, it’s important to understand why processes are so vital in the sales department of a home improvement company.
Consistency of Results: Without a well-defined sales process, sales reps may operate based on their instincts, which can lead to erratic outcomes. A strong process ensures that every sales rep follows the same steps, delivering predictable results.
Improved Efficiency: Clear processes save time and prevent common errors. Whether it’s how leads are handled or how follow-ups are conducted, a set process eliminates the need for sales reps to "figure it out" every time, allowing them to focus more on selling.
Better Training and Onboarding: When you bring in new sales reps, a defined process gives them a roadmap to follow. This reduces the learning curve and ensures that every new hire gets up to speed quickly.
Scalability: If you want to grow your business year after year, scaling without defined processes is nearly impossible. A well-organized system allows you to expand your sales team and ensure that each rep performs at a high level, regardless of individual experience.
Increased Accountability: When everyone is following the same steps, it’s easy to identify who’s performing well and who needs improvement. Without processes, it becomes difficult to measure performance accurately.
Step-by-Step Guide to Building Sales Processes
Now that we’ve established why processes are important, let’s dive into how you can go about creating effective sales processes for your home improvement sales team. Whether you're starting from scratch or refining an existing system, these steps will help create the consistency needed for long-term growth.
1. Map Out the Current Sales Journey
Before creating any processes, take a detailed look at your current sales operations. Sit down with your sales reps, review your customer interactions, and map out every step of the sales journey. This includes:
Lead generation (where do your leads come from?)
Lead qualification (how do you determine which leads are worth pursuing?)
Initial contact (what happens during the first conversation?)
Follow-ups (what steps are taken to stay in touch with potential clients?)
Closing the sale (what does the final pitch look like?)
By identifying how things currently work, you can pinpoint areas of inefficiency or inconsistency.
2. Define the Key Stages in Your Sales Process
Once you’ve mapped out the journey, break it down into clearly defined stages. Here’s an example of what that might look like for a home improvement contractor:
Lead Capture and Qualification: This is where you gather information about potential customers and determine whether they’re a good fit for your services.
Initial Consultation: A sales rep reaches out to discuss the customer’s needs and assess the scope of the project.
Proposal Creation: Based on the consultation, the sales rep prepares a proposal outlining the services, materials, and costs.
Presentation and Objection Handling: The sales rep presents the proposal, answers questions, and handles any objections.
Closing the Deal: If the client is ready, the sales rep secures the contract and schedules the project.
Post-Sale Follow-Up: After the sale, follow-up to ensure customer satisfaction and gather testimonials or referrals.
Each stage should have its own set of actions that sales reps are expected to take, along with timelines and specific goals.
3. Document Each Step in Detail
Once you’ve defined the stages of your sales process, it’s crucial to document them in detail. This means creating step-by-step instructions that sales reps can follow. Your documentation should include:
Scripts for key conversations (e.g., how to introduce yourself during the initial consultation)
Templates for proposals or contracts
Guidelines for handling objections (common customer concerns and how to address them)
Follow-up timelines (e.g., how many days after the initial consultation should a follow-up call be made?)
Checklists to ensure nothing is missed during each stage
Having everything written down ensures that all sales reps are on the same page and makes it easier to onboard new hires.
4. Invest in Sales Tools and Technology
Processes are only as good as the tools that support them. Investing in the right technology can help streamline operations and ensure consistency. Some of the most common tools home improvement sales teams use include:
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software: A CRM can help track leads, manage follow-ups, and automate parts of the sales process. It also provides a centralized database where everyone can access customer information.
Sales automation tools: These tools can help manage repetitive tasks like sending follow-up emails or scheduling appointments, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Proposal and quoting software: Make it easier for your sales team to generate accurate quotes and proposals quickly.
By implementing the right tools, you not only improve consistency but also free up your sales team’s time to focus on closing deals.
5. Train Your Team Regularly
Even the best processes will fall short if your team isn’t properly trained. Regular training sessions should focus on:
Reinforcing the processes: Ensure that everyone understands the steps and follows them consistently.
Handling new challenges: As the market evolves, new objections or customer concerns may arise. Train your team on how to address these issues while staying within the process.
Refining techniques: Consistent improvement is key. Regularly review sales data to identify areas where the process can be improved, and train your team on these updates.
6. Measure and Adjust
Finally, no process is set in stone. After implementing your sales processes, you should track performance regularly. Key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor include:
Lead-to-sale conversion rate
Average time to close a sale
Customer satisfaction rates
Revenue per sale
If you notice that certain areas aren’t delivering the desired results, tweak the process accordingly. Consistent feedback from your sales team is also crucial—after all, they’re the ones using these processes daily.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
As you build and implement your sales processes, there are a few common mistakes to watch out for:
Overcomplicating the Process: A complex process can overwhelm your team. Focus on simplicity and clarity.
Not Getting Buy-In from the Team: Your sales reps need to believe in the process for it to be effective. Involve them in its creation and explain how it will benefit them.
Failing to Adapt: Markets change, and so should your processes. If you notice that a particular step is no longer effective, be willing to pivot.
Ignoring Data: Tracking performance metrics is critical. Without data, you won’t know if your processes are working or where improvements are needed.
Creating consistent processes within your home improvement sales department is essential for driving long-term success. By developing clear steps for each stage of the sales journey, documenting your processes, investing in the right tools, and providing regular training, you can build a sales team that delivers predictable, repeatable results. Start small, iterate, and remember that the goal is consistency—not just for today, but as you scale and grow your business year after year.
Finally, If you found this edition enlightening or helpful, Please share it with somebody who could use the advice (We all know somebody). The more ideals I get, the better the content for all of us. If it brought you none of that and was a complete waste of time…. then please let me know! I appreciate the help either way!
This week I’m in beautiful Boston! This is a view of Boston Harbor (Where the Boston tea party took place) taken from the top of the Bunker Hill memorial. The faith, sacrifices and boldness of the people of this time is remarkable. Nothing more than farmers and laborers united together to fight the most powerful military in the world…. and through much perseverance, won. When we are united, we can accomplish great things. Something I hope we never forget and something I am forever grateful to show my children firsthand.