Forum Discussion

EnergizeUs's avatar
EnergizeUs
Builder 1
2 months ago

The Real Reason You’re Stuck (It’s Not the Customer)

I’ve met a lot of contractors over the years.

And there’s always that one guy...

Every story ends the same:
“Customers always do this.”
“Employees don’t want to work.”
“This industry’s just broken.”

Then they top it off with:“
Hey… that’s just how business is.”

But here’s what I’ve learned: Sometimes what you're calling a ‘normal problem’…is really a pattern you haven’t taken ownership of yet.

Because when you change how you view problems.
You stop blaming, start building, most importantly, you start leading.

So I want to hear from y'all, What problem are you owning this week?

 

2 Replies

  • Manny_Man's avatar
    Manny_Man
    Contributor 2
    2 months ago

    This really hit home. I've definitely been that "one guy" who falls into the victim mentality, blaming everyone and everything but myself. It is easy to forget to step back and identify the real problem.

    My current challenge is my quote-to-job conversion rate. My Jobber recap for June showed a shocking 7% conversion, the lowest I've been in three years. My initial reaction was to blame customers, thinking they're too cheap or unwilling to spend at the moment. But the reality is, someone else out there is getting these jobs, which means something is off with my approach. It is definitely a pattern I haven't taken ownership of.

    My plan is to thoroughly analyze every step, from the first impression to communication and follow-up process, to pinpoint where the breakdown is occurring. It's time to stop blaming and start building a better system.

    • EnergizeUs's avatar
      EnergizeUs
      Builder 1
      2 months ago

      The fact that you’re already breaking this down, looking at your process and seeing where the breakdown is, puts you ahead of most. Most people never slow down enough for that. 

      If I can add any value, here’s one thing that helped me early: start tracking every quote, and every no.

      But I would follow up with a why: Every time, like an exit interview.
      Here's actually a linked to a live we did with another jobber ambassador Martin.
      https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLxaK3vP69s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

      The truth was, I was in the same position. I hadn’t taken full ownership of my numbers or my systems. Once I faced that, everything started to shift.

      At one point, I was $160K in the hole. I had state marshals show up to evict my family while I was out working. And just like you, I blamed GCs, blamed customers, blamed the economy. I was that old grump contract at the age of 25. 

      Hopefully this was encouraging brother. 
      Congrats and keep fighting the fine fight.