Contractor Strategy Conference - Phoenix Exteriors

I thought it was a very good trip for our organization. I thought it was a good team building trip for us as opposed to like a huge end of the year party. I thought it was good for us to all sit down and game plan the next year because we had our best year ever in 2019. And overall I feel that mission was accomplished through yours, Michelle's and Nathan and the rest setup of it with a lot of team building activities in the whole process, not just the goal setting. It helped my organization become tighter as we left with more defined goals. There was a few people that were on that team that are no longer with Phoenix because they didn't fit in those new goals, you know. But overall we became stronger from it.

I agree. I like the four days, I like that every day was on a certain. I think there was like few topics that. And maybe it was like the retail or something that we. It didn't really fit like our for our company at that time. But other than that it was great meeting your guys team because we see you guys on like zoom meetings and stuff. It's nice to meet people in person and other sales reps. I like mingled with everybody and see their thoughts and their things and it was really good for our team because we've never all been in a group together like that.

The ire is more clearly an event where there's booths and you get to just jump from one to one and engage people for five minutes and leave. You don't really learn much except grab a brochure and network. That's what I feel. The Dallas or the roof shows have been winds of storm is same thing. It's just more speeches where you get stuff out of it. But in this you actually truly work on your business. You don't do that at Wind to Storm or ire. You don't sit there and figure out your dream, mission, purpose, core values, your three year plan, five year plan. These are not things typically companies would go do at the ire. They would have the owner, a top level sales manager, go and learn more about the industry and network. Same at Wind of the Storm. This specifically you leave with written goals for your organization. Then you can actually have Christmas and not have to stress about what you're going to do in 2021 because you already got it written down.

So what were some of the big things that you went to the strategy deal. You came up with your big goals, came up with your annual. What were some of those big goals that you guys wanted to accomplish and feel like you did A fair job of doing so.

Quite a few. I mean, we got our production person, which was amazing because that's huge help. Our production was lacking a little bit. So we had somebody, we had somebody that would come in and be able to make sure the production team is running properly. We had better understanding of a customer service role for like welcome calls and, you know, welcome emails. I do thank you cards. Now before that wasn't in place at all. Our collections, we've defined that down to probably 60 days less than what it was before. Now that we have like one person that's taking over collections instead of each sales rep. Yeah, it's huge.

Yeah. So like I said, In 19 we had our best year and we had so much work. We didn't have a service plan in place. So we had a lot of complaints and a lot of non payers and a lot of stress on our business because customers by and large didn't like us. So we wanted to double down on the revenue growth in this conference and then and figure out how to do it appropriately where people are satisfied. And I would say that she was the biggest key in that. Of course we had the people in Texas who did just as well and currently are where we don't necessarily have complaining clients. Now they pay us too because there's a process to it. So we accomplished that. We had revenue goals that were kicked in, you know, or punched in the gut by Covid where we weren't able to sell for, you know, our standard methods, which is door to door and be outside the house and be in front of people. We didn't transition quick enough for that. So our sales essentially started in May of this year when typically they start in January, February in Texas and then Illinois starts in March and April. So we missed a good five months of sales. We're still on path to beat last year. So we're still on path to have our best year when sales just started in May. So something happened. Well, we didn't follow the true plan from the conference because it was more save the ship, the ship is sinking when Covid happened. But whatever we wrote last year is exactly what we're going to do in 2021. So I think everybody should forget what happened in 2020.

Yeah, 2020.

I think so after the four day conference with you, I think Eric had a better understanding of which people belong in a different role. He thought more I was customer service and people orientated and helping out in collections and stuff. When before I was doing just scheduling orders kind of thing and helping out around the office with any sales rep that had needed brochures or something. But he found that I would be better fit in a different position. And I think that's for Texas, too. You kind of move people around a little bit.

Yeah. I think what I got out of it is that I saw the care that my people have, even though I knew they cared. You have your level 10s, and Jim leaves this office and boom, we go right back to our offices. Busy work, blinders. And that's pretty much every day. You tend not to sit back and connect with your employees, except on the weekly level 10, but that's still blinders. Work, work, work. Boom. Done. Nine, 30.

Hour and a half.

Yeah, hour and a half. Eleven o' clock hits. Everybody's gone. Poof. So you don't get to connect. And I feel like we connected. We identified what our cores are, or we already identified what those are, but we really solidified them. And unfortunately, that meant some people were not going to be on the ship anymore who were even on the conference. So it was a few steps forward by a few steps back initially after the conference, because we really, truly identified who we are and where we're going to go. And some of those people kind of knew that they weren't the right people.

Totally.

Oh, yeah.

I think we're all closer together, even with the other branches. Like, we talk more, we ask each other for help more than we did before. Because before, like, I would go to you for something. Now I can. I know if I need to go to Dakota or Ryan or Misty, I can just go straight to them. And I think. I mean, there's way more communication and help. Like I help in the other locations with any of their accounts receivable or anything. Just. Even just data entry, just to make everything more clear.

I think both, because, like, I struggled to clarify with them where we're going because maybe I was struggling on where that is too. But through your coaching through this conference, I was able to identify it. I still. I know where we're going now. Before, I was kind of defining it. So when you have a home or a family or even a business and you don't truly communicate with the other people, there's unanswered questions in people's head that they maybe might not ask. So they don't, you know, there could be a less satisfaction. Satisfaction in their heads about being employed with Phoenix. And I feel that we connected a lot in this conference. We were able to understand each other a little bit more. And regardless if there's some people that are not with us, they're still dynamic people. Just this organization defined exactly, you know, where we're going. And it was mutual understandings that we should separate for the people that are not there. That wasn't the reason why we're better now this year. I would just say that we defined who we are and people understand who we are. And it made people give more purpose to show up to work. I feel, and that's from my high level, maybe I'm ignorant and don't see and there's some side talk, but I feel that people generally enjoyed showing up to work. Now before they didn't because it was.

Like a 9 to 5. It was like a 9 to 5. You clock in, you clock out. Now it's like, like he has to kick people out of the office, you know, like, hey, you've been here long enough, go home, get home. But it's just believing in like the company that you work for, whether it's you're the owner, your boss, or even co workers, like, it makes a huge difference because where I worked before, I was literally a punch in and punch out. And here I'm like, nope, gotta finish, got stuff to do, you know, and I'm okay with any hours or anything. I'm okay with helping out other departments or like, it's just a better understanding that everybody helps everybody.