It's Tough Out There

I can be a master of the obvious; however, I always try to share not just some insight but also some solutions to address the issue and relieve some of the pain. If you are not feeling the toughness of the current business environment, that's great, but be thankful and be prepared, because tough times may arise.

Most areas of the country are experiencing a lighter lead flow, tougher prospects, slower decision-making, softer sales and close rates, and overall weariness both internally and externally. What is also interesting is that many remodeling businesses are having a very good year (so, "tough" only means "tough," not unachievable).

As with most things, the tough landscape is a product of both the environment and also of you. Consumers are fearful, overwhelmed, and ignorant about the remodeling environment. Abe Lincoln said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." Most businesses' axes are not very sharp—stemming from corrupted processes and less-than-gung-ho cultures. When you put both together, a tough landscape results, falling short in key metrics, like profit.

The good news is that you can manage through the tough with the right strategies (much like using an umbrella when it is raining). However, blaming the world for the toughness and passively watching it unfold is unacceptable. Here are three things you can do to begin addressing this dynamic.

Talk about it

Now more than ever, you need to address this topic in your leadership and team meetings. Try to have an open discussion about what your team is seeing. Share data that supports this theme. Most importantly, help people to feel that this is something they can overcome and ask for their help and support. Try to have a mix of insights and facts to support that assertion. Once everyone is on the same page with the issues, put a plan in place and get everyone aligned with it.

Pivot from the typical

My friend said in an award speech years ago, "If a business is not changing, it will become irrelevant." Change can be a one- or two-degree pivot that makes a big difference. Take inventory of what you are doing from A to Z, and try slight modifications. For example, try texting instead of leaving voicemails, or responding to prospects the same day they reach out vs the next day. Extend the meeting with the prospect from 1 hour to 1.5 hours to gain more insight or build trust. Shorten your reporting-oriented meetings or add some inspiration to the mix.

Monitor your progress

Establish the top 3 priorities and create a plan. Most importantly, monitor progress. Make appointments with yourself to assess your team's progress on the actions needed to stay on track. Ninety-two percent of New Year's resolutions fail in part due to a lack of monitoring. If you can spend 5% of your day asking "Am I on plan, and if not, how do I get back on plan?" you will stay on track and you'll be able to adjust around the inevitable speed bumps along the way.

It would be naïve to gloss over the toughness we are all seeing in the landscape. The key to success is to try to quantify the toughness and create a plan to attack it. Remember, "intentions without actions equal squat." Don't be disappointed at the end of the year!