Why Every Employee Needs Sales Awareness To Grow Your Contracting Business w/ Jon Valenta from General Pavingstones

We're here to serve. Just because they signed a contract does not mean that's the only thing they're willing to do. It just means it's the one thing they're willing to do. But they might be, they might be open. Welcome to the Sales Made Simple podcast. This podcast is dedicated to helping overwhelmed outdoor living professionals, landscapers, and hardscapers just like you increase your closing rate to over 75% without doubling your workload so you can build a seven-figure business that doesn't need you. I'm your host, Joshua Gillow. Let's dig in. [upbeat music] Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Sales Made Simple podcast. I have John Valenta back on with me here. What's going on, John?

Hey, Joshua. Great to be back.

Yeah, I'm excited, man. Today we're gonna talk about something that I believe is one of the, the best-held secrets for making more money in your business without spending a more, another dollar. [laughs] It's one of the things that I learned the hard way, 'cause I thought that sales was like a, in a silo, meaning that one person did it and everybody else around just kinda did the field work or were admins or whatever. But, you know, like, I was the guy. I'm the sales guy, so I have the skills. I go out and get trained. I read the books, and everybody just kinda follows behind me. Like, that was, that was the thinking. That's what I was taught. That's what I saw in the world. And what I learned doing almost 30 years now of doing outdoor living spaces, hardscaping, and landscaping, is that that is absolute BS, and I mean old belief system, right? [laughs] It's not a good, it's not a good way to do that, because here's what I learned. I learned that when you empower your team, whether they're field guys, whether they're the, the girls in the office, whether they're the guys driving the trucks, when you empower them with being able to ask good questions and to be aware and to listen to customers, they become your secret sales force really. Because think about it. Who's on site more, the salesperson or the field guys? Think about it, listeners. Who's on site more? You're... Usually the sales guys come in, they sell, they move on to the next project. Or if you're the owner and you're the salesperson, you got your guys out working. But... And when I think about time in general, the people that spend the most time with your customers are your field people. Are your field people equipped? Are they trained? Are they capable of hearing opportunities when your customer comes home late from work one afternoon and says, "You know what? I really, I really wish that I, I would've thought about putting a water feature over in that corner. I just saw one at a friend's house and I really wish I, uh, I had thought about it," and then they walk in the house. What does your field team do with that? Do they got their earbuds in thinking about the next Red Bull they're gonna drink [laughs] and trying to finish up before the rain comes? Or are they slowing it down saying, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on. Sam, did you hear her? She just said she wanted a water feature. This is how, well, the boss told us about a protocol on how we bring that