Episode 186: 20/20 Hindsight for an Aggressive Market

To The Point legend Ken Goodrich is back in the house! Former CEO and now Chairman of Goettl, Ken joins the podcast to chat with host Chris Yano about the current state of the industry for contractors, what to do about low demand, and how to position your business for success moving forward.

Experience Trumps All

Ken is proud to have built a business with the right players in the right places, and the right capital to put together a management team more experienced than himself. After partnering with a top-tier private equity firm, tracking and finding better talent and leadership has never been easier. As he positions himself for even bigger challenges, he thinks back to the things he’s learned along the way to help contractors of all sizes and levels of experience.

As a student of Michael E. Gerber’s E-Myth, Ken believes that your business is not you, it’s something you own. You have to build a systematic business – a machine that generates revenue and profits. No matter where you’re at, that means educating yourself. From best practice groups to books like the E-Myth and a great mentor, there’s always something you can do to learn more and grow further than ever before.

• Ken’s not being worried about the current “low demand” or “unstable market”
• The importance of a great brand story and connecting with your customers on a human level to compete with the big players
• Ken’s ability to grow companies even during the Great Recession and how he did it
• Ways to compete or beat bigger companies with larger budgets
• The importance of focusing on your CSRs and paying them well
• Having the right partners for your business
• And more!

Be A Constant Learner To Beat the Competition

If you’re finding yourself with less leads and calls for your team, take the opportunity to train. Prepare them to execute well when you do have a customer, and make sure you’re handling that process to the letter. You’ll want to focus on doing the simple things perfectly – answering the phones, providing great customer service, and having the right people in the right places. And most importantly, get yourself in a best practice group so you have some access to education and a community you can lean on.

Want to see Chris Yano and Ken Goodrich live? You can! They’ll both be speaking at Service Titan’s Pantheon 2023. We’ll see you there!