Most contractors think the way to win more jobs is to be cheaper. That belief is quietly killing your margins. This week, we broke down why price objections are rarely about price; they’re about trust, clarity, and confidence. Here’s the hard truth I see every day coaching contractors: 👉 When you compete on price, you attract stress. 👉 When you sell value, you attract better clients .👉 Discounts don’t fix broken offers. Here’s what actually matters (and why most contractors miss it): - Low price = low trust (72% of homeowners associate cheap with low quality) - Discounting 10% means you need 33% more work to make the same money - Specialists get paid more because they’re easier to trust 🔥 Carson’s story hit hard: A homeowner kept saying she wanted something “cheap.” Carson almost discounted... but didn’t. He sent the estimate at full price. Her reply? “This is cheaper than I expected.” She paid immediately. Later, she chose the higher-end materials anyway. 📝Lesson: Your version of “cheap” is not your customer’s. Don’t project your money beliefs. And don’t mess with the money. If you can’t clearly explain who you serve, what problem you solve, and why you’re different, you don’t have a sales problem. You have an offer problem.

Most contractors think better tools mean better saws, trucks, or equipment. That’s the myth. The tools that actually grow your business are systems. Here’s what it’s costing you to not have them: - missed calls and follow-ups - disorganized crews and delays - profit leaking on “busy” jobs - long hours with little to show for it - Essential tools every contractor must use: ✅ Job costing (know estimated vs actual—no guessing) ✅ One central system for jobs, schedules, and tasks ✅ A quoting + follow-up system (most estimating is data entry) ✅ A simple weekly dashboard (cash, AR, sales, payroll) If everything lives in your head, you are the bottleneck. 📌Quick wins this week: 1. Put every job’s info in one place 2. List 5 admin tasks to get off your plate 3. Track a few key numbers so decisions aren’t emotional Systems first. Delegation second. Clarity third.That alone can buy you back hours—and control—fast.

If you treat contracts like a formality, don’t be shocked when you get: - change orders refused - payments delayed “because they’re unhappy.” - scope creep that eats your margin - a job you can’t stop without “breach” threats Here’s the truth: contracts are leverage. They’re tools to prevent disputes, not “deal with them later.” ✅ The Do’s of Contract Negotiation (profit-protecting): - Pre-negotiate scope + exclusions (what’s NOT included) - Put a clear change order process in writing (approved BEFORE work) - Add payment triggers tied to milestones (cash flow + clarity) - Include right-to-stop-work for non-payment - Add late fees + interest + collection costs (so stalling hurts them) -Protect yourself with clauses like: photos/marketing use, warranties, site readiness 🚫The Don’ts (that get contractors crushed): - Don’t rely on verbal approvals -Don’t use vague language (“as needed”, “to be decided”) - Don’t leave a big balance to the end “to build trust” -Don’t blindly sign THEIR contract (especially “paid when paid”) One contractor lost $12K on a $65K job because “what wasn’t included” wasn’t written down. Quick Win for your next proposal: ➡️ Add a “What’s Included / What’s Not Included” section ➡️ Require written change order approval by email BEFORE work starts ➡️ Add a 3% late payment fee after 15 days

If you’re slammed with work but your bank account still looks broke… you’ve got a profit leak, not a lead problem. Here’s what’s usually happening: - You’re not job costing, so you don’t see margin bleeding until tax time - You’re marking up wrong (markup ≠ margin) - You’re letting change orders slide (then “hoping” you get paid later) - You’re billing too late and floating the job with your own cash - You’re winning too many jobs… because you’re pricing too low 3 Profit Rules to start using THIS week: ✅ Quote for a real margin (stop guessing) ✅ Bill change orders immediately (and price them higher) ✅ Review job profit weekly (15–45 min… non-negotiable) If you want to stop running your business blind and actually keep money after jobs… comment “PROFIT” and I’ll send you the job costing tool + the margin rule checklist. 👇

Most contractors think AI is for tech companies or “big guys.”Reality? AI replaces the tasks you hate, not your crew. Invoicing, follow-ups, scheduling, quoting—stuff that already slows you down. 🚩The Real Problem You’re buried in manual work: - slow estimates - missed follow-ups - chasing invoices - reacting instead of selling The world is speeding up. Contractors who respond first win. 🤖What AI Actually Does (When Done Right) 1. Removes repetitive tasks you’re not doing consistently anyway 2. Works 24/7 (no sick days, no burnout) 3. Buys back 5–10 hours/week so you can focus on sales and growth Quick Wins (Start This Week) ✅ Record yourself doing ONE task (estimate, invoice, follow-up) ✅ Turn that recording into an SOP using AI ✅ Automate or delegate that single task You don’t need to automate everything. You just need to automate the thing draining you most.