Communication

How To Hire And Keep Great People With Mitch Gray – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E10

December 5, 2022 Hiring, Management, The Tim Faller Show 00:41:34

Mitch Gray joins the show to discuss hiring and keeping great people.  He talks about the importance of understanding interpersonal relationships and getting intentional about finding people with passion, as passion feels energy.  Understanding that everyone wants to feel valued, empowered, and a part of something larger than themselves, no matter what level of employee.  This is core to the successful hiring and retention of great employees.

Mitch Gray is the founder of Mitch Gray Media, author of HOW TO HIRE AND KEEP GREAT PEOPLE, and host of The Mitch Gray Show. After spending over two decades leading teams as a business owner, manager, pastor, non-profit founder, and community organizer, Mitch developed a strong passion for leaders and employees. Mitch’s mission is to empower teams to perform and individuals to pursue their passion.

Mitch, Tim, and Steve discuss

  • The challenges of recruiting the right employees
  • How to convey passion to all levels of employees
  • Tips to do a better job of hiring
  • And more…

Click here to listen.

Ep.145: Shedding Light on The Darkness with Chris Bache

April 5, 2021 Production, Technology, The Tim Faller Show 00:36:20

By all accounts, business is booming. Projects are being booked way in advance, and everything is roses and sunshine. Or is it? 

In this episode, guest Chris Bache joins Tim and Steve to discuss the “dark period” – the period of time after the sale is completed, the project is booked, and is on the schedule. A critical time where the battle for client satisfaction can be won or lost. 

Chris Bache is the CEO and co-founder at Hatch, a messaging app specifically built for the remodeling industry that centralizes and automates homeowner communication.

Hatch began as a trial when Chris and his partner, Bill Violante, were asked by a local Pella franchise to help solve two huge blind-spots in their business – follow-up and customer experience.

That’s when the idea for Hatch was, well, hatched.  Word spread like wildfire through other Pella franchises, and then eventually into other areas of the industry.

Tim, Steve and Chris talk more about:

  • How to keep customers happily engaged until the project occurs
  • The customer experience
  • How to successfully communicate with customers
  • And more…

We Have a New Production Manager Roundtables Group Forming Now!

Do you want your Production Manager to learn from the best?

Do you want to give them the opportunity to exchange ideas with experienced Production Managers from some of the most successful remodeling companies in the business?

Remodelers Advantage is adding a new Production Managers Roundtables Group to our roster of 5 successful, thriving groups.

If you are interested in learning more, click here to visit our website.

Ep.96: From The Experience of an Arbitrator with Dennis Dixon

March 16, 2020 Management, Operations, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:35:14

If you’ve ever had to deal with legal action in your remodeling business, you know it can be a nightmare. The best thing you can do is to keep you and your projects out of the legal system.

Dennis Dixon has used his experience as an expert witness and investigator to help business owners understand the link between the legal system and the health of their business.

In this episode, Dennis talks to Tim and Steve about how to keep you and your projects out of the legal system through preventative measures, management, and oversight. 

Dennis is a 35-year veteran author, builder, and consultant, and is the president of Dixon Ventures in Flagstaff, AZ. His book, Finding Hidden Profits contains proven management, policy, and contract content solutions to keep any construction or design pro in the profit stream. 

His entry into the legal system began 25 years ago, when lawyers would ask him to investigate projects that were the subjects of lawsuits. Dennis says about 75 percent of these disputes arose from mishandled change orders, with the underlying causes of poor documentation and communication. He talks about how to help keep your company out of legal trouble, including:

  • Getting everything in writing 
  • The problem with allowances
  • Why you need good planning and specs
  • A-to-Z documentation
  • Asking how clients will use a space to get a deeper understanding
  • Resolving disputes before taking any legal steps
  • When to take the hit on a change order
  • The power of a real letter, not an email
  • Taking emotion out of the process
  • Addressing dispute resolution in your contracts
  • How to prepare for arbitration or a lawsuit
  • Why the party with the most paperwork wins
  • And more …

Maintaining good communication with clients will help head off disputes — and that includes the hiccups and problems too. Being transparent and documenting everything is the key to avoiding legal trouble.

Ep.92: Using RFIs Effectively with Jason Brookshire

February 17, 2020 Operations, Production, Technology, The Tim Faller Show 00:25:33

We’ve discussed adapting commercial construction systems and applications for use in the residential world. Implementing them is often met with resistance — but there are definitely processes that work well and add value.

Requests for Information are standard in the commercial construction world, but aren’t widely used in residential remodeling.

In this episode, Jason Brookshire talks to Tim and Steve about why he finds RFIs to be important to his work in residential remodeling, and how to implement your own system.

Jason has been the production manager at McBride Remodeling in Petoskey, MI, for more than four years. He has more than 15 years of experience as a commercial development superintendent in markets around the country.

In his work in commercial construction, Jason used written RFIs when clarification was needed in the scope of work from architects, owners, or other parties. At McBride, RFIs are used by lead carpenters and those in the office, creating better information flow. It cuts down on phone calls and clarifies communication. RFIs go through their cloud-based project management system. Jason talks about the advantages of using RFIs, including:

  • Building in accountability
  • Getting the details you need — when you need them
  • The type of information typically clarified
  • Getting staff buy-in
  • The time it saves
  • Who gets involved
  • How to use them
  • Simplifying change orders
  • Training your trade partners
  • And more …

The accountability and speed built in to the process are vital to growing companies, to streamline jobs and protect profits. If you’ve got questions about implementing RFIs in your company, Jason says you can get in touch with him at Jason@mcbrideremodeling.com.