"It's The Other Guy"

                    Sample Pages

                                                                       It's Not You

About twenty years ago I was building a pool for the Brills in Bellmore. They lived on a curving road so you couldn’t see their house until just before you turned down the street. Before I started the job, I had a twenty-yard dumpster delivered to the curb in front of the house. The dumpster had reflectors on it, and in my opinion wasn’t in a dangerous location, but the Brills were worried that someone wouldn’t see it in the evening and would drive into it.

I was just starting to build a relationship with them so fluffing off their concern wasn’t an option. Assuring the homeowner nothing bad would happen wasn’t enough. I had to get creative. It was December and getting dark by 5:00pm. So, I picked up a few boxes of Christmas lights and I strung them on the dumpster. Once it was lit up, no driver could possibly miss it. Now the neighborhood had some holiday cheer and the Brills’ safety concerns were handled. They were ecstatic and I’d powerfully turned a worry into a positive at a very low cost to me. Most important, I showed my customers how I would deal with any future issues: I’d take them seriously, and I’d be creative. Their confidence in me went through the roof. Over the years many of my best referrals came from this family.

The dumpster was my version of turning lemons into lemonade. You can find dumpster ideas of your own – ways you can turn a potential disaster into loyalty and referrals for your business. Embrace your problems because they can become very positive experiences for you and your clients. With one big caveat.

​

It’s Not You, It’s the Other Guy

​

I realized that finding creative answers to the smallest issues was the way to build a more rewarding relationship with my customers. In fact, early on I started to look for small concerns I could handle to show my attention to detail, and my desire to be the best in the business. I taught my employees the same thing: that everything matters, no matter how insignificant it seemed. But, over time I discovered that even this level of commitment to customer satisfaction could only go so far. The Brills loved the dumpster solution but not everybody would have. In fact, some people might even have been offended. Eventually it dawned on me: even my best, most creative efforts to add safety, value, and satisfaction to the job only mattered to the “right” customer. This is why I can tell you, if you’re not working with the right people, all your efforts are for nothing.

You’ve probably been told a thousand times that you have to beat the competition, innovate, develop a platform. You probably think you need more training, better staff, and better marketing. I’m here to say you may not need any of those things. In fact, if you’ve been struggling, it may not be your fault – and there’s nothing to change except for one small, very significant thing, which you can do immediately. Put this into practice and watch what happens to your business and your life.

That universal WHO is the focus of this book. Since I didn’t want to overload you with swimming pool examples, I reached out to friends who are in business for themselves. They’ve given me permission to share their experiences with the clients they’ve come across over the years. I am sure between all of us, you’ll see some of your own clients in our stories. We can help you map your way out and around the people who don’t contribute to your success, but who drag you down instead.

​

Advice for the Sale and Beyond

​

I evaluated every job, whether it was installing a pool or signing a service contract or even the one-off emergency response requests with one guiding question was: would this customer contribute to my success and overall happiness, or would they be a drain on me, my staff, and my resources? The answer was crucial to all aspects of my business and the same is true for you. It’s a long view, but if you take it, you’ll see an improvement in your business right now and over time.

Naturally, in any business, the offer and negotiation are key. Without the sale, you’re out of business. But whether you price the job too high, too low, or just right, if it’s the wrong customer you cannot win. If you agree to work with difficult people who are only concerned about the money they’ve spent, they will be back in your office or showroom with a thousand complaints or you’ll be running back to their house time and time again to fix many (often imaginary) problems. If you opt to sign a nitpicker, any little glitch along the way, whether it’s a delay or something that doesn’t meet their expectations, will have you jumping. That’s stressful for your team and for you. But even worse, in the end, you will find yourself losing money and adding aggravation. So, more important than the sales price, your work ethic, and your careful attention to detail, there is one thing that can make or break you: the customer you choose to work with.

I wanted to work with a certain type of customer because I knew I’d be interacting with them for months and even years, since in addition to new pool installations, we offered all services, including upkeep and emergency visits as well. Making a mistake at the time of the sale or enrollment can make you miserable for a good, long time.

A friend of mine, Rick, is a contractor who was referred to Catalina, who wanted an extensive renovation of her kitchen and living area. It was the kind of project that involved numerous subcontractors, inevitable wait-times for things like granite counters, custom cabinetry, and the like. Rick would be in and out of Catalina’s home for a long time. She had high standards, but Rick was used to meeting those. As the project wore on, however, Catalina went from demanding to impossible. By the end of the job she complained about everything, did research on YouTube so she could tell the plumber how it should be done, and stood over Rick, telling him exactly how many nails to use in her crown molding. She threw workers out of her house regularly. She made a nasty call to Rick at the end of many days. If you asked him, Rick would tell you that while he did make money, the job was not worth the aggravation.

​

The One Who Got Away

​

Have you ever had a lead you wished you’d let go? Anyone who became a customer you’d have been better off without? I’m going to bet that if you’ve been in business for any length of time, the answer is “yes,” and you probably first realized it in the middle of some sleepless night, when you couldn’t stop the angry or anxious thoughts racing around your head. That’s a symptom of a job you should’ve passed on.

You might be skeptical. Aren’t you supposed to make every sale you can? Isn’t everyone a potential customer, at least within your niche? What about when you’re starting out? Isn’t the frustration of a difficult customer worth it to build up your business? No. I learned to go into every sales call with the idea that there are sales I would be better off not making.

Another friend, Larry, who owns a construction company, gave me a prime example. From the moment Larry walked into this particular prospect’s home, he knew something was off. When he spoke with the woman and her son, his suspicion was confirmed. They told him how they’d just sued one contractor, thrown another off the job, and how a third walked away in the middle of the project. It wasn’t hard for Larry to walk away too and not even start the project.

Donna, a friend who is a coach, was looking to grow her practice and had a prospect she’d spoken to a number of times. Donna doubted whether they were a match but she didn’t think she could afford to turn down a client. But every call seemed to focus on overcoming sales resistance and negativity. In her gut, Donna knew working with this woman would be an uphill battle. She decided there was no joy in that kind of relationship and let go to make room for others who would be happy to invest in coaching with her.

In the end, I can’t convince you to pass up the customers who will make your life difficult, but I can prepare you for what you’re getting yourself into. After a while, you’ll see the wisdom in trimming your clientele to those who are going to give you satisfaction, healthy profit, and high morale among your team. In other words, you’ll come to appreciate that there are customers who make it worth your while, and others who will have a crushing impact on everything you do.