The Nick of Time: Modern Trends in a Trade of Tradition

There are 7 of us total. We meet annually at a semi-secluded retreat near The Middle of Nowhere Alabama. This time, 5 attending shared challenges of consulting in the contracting world. 

We discuss growth, retraction, trends, and opportunities. We even discuss trends in decline, often as other slightly late “experts” are pushing those poised to crash. 

Being coached by and with this group is one of the most valuable things I do in any year. 

There are always two BIG topics: 1) How to spend less time at the airport, and 2) How to get clients to financial freedom, faster. (Fortunately, I spend almost zero time at airports, as announced publicly in ’08.)

At breakfast on Day 2, I was told the tower bedroom was a little “warm”. Since we’re all contracting geniuses, when we saw the thermostat at “84 degrees” we instinctively determined: “Something is wrong. Call somebody.” 

And soon, Nick the Repairman showed up.

He may as well have been Mary or Her Little Lamb showing up to the Lion’s Den for lunch, playing the part of lunch. I’m pretty sure he’s not been the same since this happened…

Soon as he walked in, critical ears enlarged, scrutinizing eyes widened. It was like silent Advice Seeking Missiles had been deployed, with the poor triggerman unaware. As Nick determined a coil leak, I mentioned they’d been out a month earlier for the same thing. 

Nick and the $5,000 Minute

One consultant asked if this could’ve been repaired in the earlier call.

“Well, it could’ve, but recharging is so cheap, we usually just do it to see if it holds.” The response was as if Nick had paid to attend this coach’s $5 grand workshop: 

“Nick, if you’d given Mr. Hudson options that included the now-proposed solution instead of the patch, your company would've collected a thousand bucks then, he’d have been happier, you’d be on another call earning money, and we’d not be sweating.” 

Alrighty then. 

If Nick, ONLY changed this one “habit”, imagine the lasting value of this single piece of advice. 

After I agreed to this second repair for the same problem (SMI readers, take note that if I’d had a “displeasure font”, I’d have used it), advice flowed. 

I virtually begged him to offer “Absentee Service Agreements” as “The Hassle Free Way to Keep Your Lake Home Comfortable”, since only about 10% live here year-round. The other 90% of us really don’t want to be doing “home repair reconnaissance missions” during family respites. He nodded. 

Another suggested he claimed a Google Listing including the name of the lake, and NOT just the name of the town he’s in. This way he’d capture the many homeowners unfamiliar with surrounding town names. Drool began forming on his lower lip. 

It went on like this, for a semi-tense but totally instructive few minutes. Soon Nick staggered out of the only seminar he’d ever been to that had a 5 to 1 teacher to student ratio. 

And I wondered…

Nick’s Take Away, Our Take Home

Will Nick change? Anything? Or did he correctly peg us as help-offering lunatics, and consider that what would’ve been a $28,000 tuition to have us all assembled for a day was value-less because he paid nothing? Time will tell.

With temperatures regulated, and the Post-Nick Autopsy complete, we settled to business. Each consultant took an hour on the “Hot Seat” sharing, “What’s new, What’s Working, and What’s NOT Working”. 

If your actual name didn't come up, your situation did! Most every facet of contracting or consulting was mentioned. I have 7 pages of suggestions, alliances, changes, and books to read “…or else!” We admonished and encouraged. A couple affiliations and outsources recommended. A few squashed, appropriately. 

The ONE Biggest Problem By Far (Answered by ALL 5 OF US)…

We each asked, “What is the MOST COMMON PROBLEM that harms contractors that you can help solve?” Amazingly - -

Each consultant answered this question. (What would THIS be worth?). The moment I got back, I decided to put my answers in a 3-Part Video Training Series. And the consultants give THEIR answers as “bonuses” to this training. Since we were in full “giving mode”…

This Video Training AND the Consultant Bonuses are at NO COST TO YOU AT ALL. I encourage you to get in on this early. It’s like you’d get to be Nick, without the nervous tension!

As those of us who love to teach as do many who experience true growth in MasterMind Groups: This is the best thing we do for each other and our clients all year!