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Mark Eastman

The Bulk of The Communication Responsibility Lies on The Contractor

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How To Build A Better Proposal

 

 

Every contractor, at some time, has had an unhappy customer. This is almost always due to poor communication and/or a lack of understanding. It may have been some small misunderstanding or might have been major enough to result in being fired or going to court.


Several years ago, a partner and I were meeting with a customer early in the process of building a new home. The customer pointed out that the distance from the electric meter to the house was more than the 50’ allowance, as per the written proposal.

He asked if this was a problem. My partner told him no, it wasn’t a problem. Guess what…


It was a problem.


The problem didn’t surface until later when the customer was billed for the additional 100’. After some digging, the communication breakdown was uncovered.


The customer asked, “if it was a problem”. What he really was asking was…”is it going to cost more?”.


My partner’s response in reality was, “we can dig the additional 100’, but it will cost you three times as much as the allowance in the proposal”. This isn’t what was said.


Neither individual intended nor expected this to be a problem. It was a simple matter of misunderstanding…a lack of communication.


Communication is, …the exchange of information and the expression of feelings that result in understanding.

 

 

Understanding is the tricky part.

Why is it that contractors don’t communicate clearly through concise written proposals to customers? Here are the four main reasons for this:


First is time – It takes more time to prepare a detailed written proposal. We’re already so busy that we can’t keep up and with the limited time we have, we aren’t going to spend it on preparing a proposal.


Second is comfort – I started this company because I loved to build, plumb, wire, pour concrete, roof, etc., etc. The trade is what I know, and I don’t like doing paperwork, I want to go swing a hammer.


Third is knowledge – It’s hard to know how long something is going to take or how much material is going to cost. If I give the customer an approximate price or even better if I can just get paid for time and material, I know I won’t lose any money.


Fourth is no system – When we started the company, no one ever explained the importance of having a business system in place. A business system is the blueprint for building your business. Detailed proposals are one of the foundational pieces needed to keep it from collapsing.


These are four valid reasons for avoiding doing proposals, but…


The cost of not preparing detailed proposals, is far more expensive.


The customer also has some responsibility in preventing construction projects from falling apart and the high cost of poor communication. This whole construction process is overwhelming to most customers and they need to know what should be included in the communication. 


But the customer isn’t an experienced contractor that does this for a living.


If only there was a process for doing proposals that:

  • Saved time.
  • Could be done by office staff.
  • Didn’t require a four-year degree or twenty years of on the job training.
  • Included all the necessary parts and pieces


What if I told you that there is such a system and you could have it? There is and it’s going to become available in the next few months. Over the next several weeks we are going to breakdown the system, go through the different documents and processes in detail and explain how it works.


Remember that we are the professionals and the bulk of the communication responsibility lies on us.

There Are Two Ways to Look at Things

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I Choose to Believe in Miracles

 

 

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein


We have become spoiled and forget to be grateful for the miracles that surround us every day. We can be grateful or not, this is a choice. Being grateful requires an intentional decision.


Gratitude is how we show love. Being grateful and acting upon that gratefulness can be as simple as a spoken thank you or as big as how we live our lives every day.


Gratitude is a perspective. It’s how we see things. We can see only the negative or we can see the positive. It sounds cliché but it’s real and it makes a difference on how you treat life and how life treats you.


Gratitude is a choice. We can choose to be grateful or not but being grateful is a much better way to approach life. We have been given so much. Shouldn’t we be thankful for all that we have?


A young man was driven to college in an old car by his dad. Several of the students saw the car and began to tease the young man. The young man looked at them and said, “That old car is the reason I’m Here”. He went on to explain that his father decided to save money for his college education rather than spending it on a new car.


This son was grateful for his father’s love and the choice he made. This changed his perspective. If this son could be grateful for what his father did for him, shouldn’t we be exponentially more grateful to our Heavenly Father for all the miracles He’s given us.

 

Deciding What Should Be First on The List

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It’s Amazing How Things Become Clear with A Limited Amount of Time

 

There are so many things trying to get on the “to do” list and each one competing for the top position. Deciding which one should get that spot is tough. There are so many great and important things that we need or want to do.


It’s easy to say that we have limited time, but hard to actually schedule that way.


My computer’s battery is not lasting as long as it did when it was new. Recently while working out of the office, without the power cord, I had 2-3 things that I wanted to get done before the computer shut down. This limited time forced me to sort and prioritize them.


How do we decide what to say yes to? 


Emergency situations often require triage. This is the process of prioritizing patients’ treatments based on the severity of their condition and the resources available. In these situations, victims are divided into three categories.

 

  • Those who are likely to live, regardless of what care they receive;
  • Those who are unlikely to live, regardless of what care they receive:
  • Those for whom immediate care might make a positive difference in outcome.

 

These choices aren’t easy and often require a quick “gut decision”. A pre-determined system, training and experience aid in the process and provide for the greatest number of survivors.


Another life and death choice is deciding who gets a transplant when there are a limited number of organ donations available. Take for example a set of twins who both need a liver transplant and their father has one liver to give. Which little girl gets it? The early thoughts of a father would be to give half to each. The problem with this, half would help neither. The final decision will be determined by which one needs it most or which one is most likely to survive.

 


Most of the choices that we make in business aren’t this critical…or are they? The decisions we make can mean life or death for our business.

 

In medical life or death situations there is a system and plan in place before hand. This same type of system should be implemented in our business. We should predetermine how we are going to choose the most important thing to the life of our business. This is where things get hard.

 


What makes one thing more important than another?


 

What should be the highest priority? Should it be production or proposals, record keeping or customer service, marketing or staff? We’re faced with tough decisions in business every day.

 


I can’t answer this question for you, but I’m tired of struggling with this dilemma and plan to design and implement a “business triage” system going forward.


What will give my business the highest chance for survival?

Knowing Who You Are and Knowing Who’s You Are

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If You Have to Tell Someone Who You Are…Then You Aren’t

 

 

The famous actor Gregory Peck once was standing in line with a friend, waiting for a table in a crowded Los Angeles restaurant. They had been waiting for some time; the diners seemed to be taking their time eating, and new tables weren’t opening up very fast. They weren’t even that close to the front of the line. Peck’s friend became impatient, and he said to Gregory, “Why don’t you tell the maître d’ who you are?” Gregory Peck responded with great wisdom.


“If you have to tell them who you are, then you aren’t.”


We all have this natural built in desire to be somebody. It doesn’t matter if your and introvert or extrovert, you want to be known. It may surface in different ways, but we all want to be seen.


The problems arise when we start thinking we’re more than we really are and that we are the source of that greatness. In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells about a Pharisee that had fallen into this trap. He sees himself as being better than the tax collector.


It isn’t about who’s better, it’s about WHO’S we are.

 

  • God accepts us for who we are – there’s nothing we can do that God won’t forgive. The important thing to remember is that we must ask for that forgiveness. He knows our ungodliness and loves us anyway.

 

  • God never leaves us as who we are – if we believe and accept His teaching we will be transformed. He doesn’t just rescue us from Hell, He prepares us for Heaven. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a lifelong journey.

 

 


We can get caught up in the world around us and think we know who we are, or who we want to be. Be careful that this is the same person that God has designed you to be. You get to decide who’s you’re going to be.


You don’t have to tell others who you are…how you live your life will tell them who’s you are.

The Most Positive Communication Can Be Negative

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An Honest No Is Better Than A Yes That’s Really A Maybe

 

Why is it that we say yes to more than we can possibly do? This trying to spin too many plates is a common problem. It’s a problem that’s thousands of years old. In Exodus 18:13-23 Moses’s father-in-law tells him to stop trying to do everything by himself.


Being too busy is no one’s fault but our own. I do think that overscheduling can push us to accomplish more than we would otherwise, but we take it way too far. There are too many puzzle pieces to fit in our puzzle no matter how hard we push. So many important things that need done, but…

 


We can’t DO everything.


Our natural desire to help others is a big driving force behind too many yes’s. There are so many people with so many needs. A servant’s heart leads us to over promise. This can be controlled, but it requires intentional actions. Especially in business, we don’t want to say no to any potential opportunity. Too many yes’s is not a good way to treat customers. Trying to be everything to everybody isn’t a good business plan.


We can’t BE everything to everybody.


Trying to DO EVERYTHING for EVERYBODY has been something that I have always struggled with. There’s just so many great things to be done and someone needs to do them. It never works any time anybody tries it. We have to learn to say no.

 


The big question is how do I know what to say yes to?


This is definitely a big question and one that’s hard to answer. As we begin to approach the end of 2019, I’m beginning to think about 2020 and all the things I want to do. As I think through the list it becomes clear that clarity is needed.


Focusing on the right yes’s is going to be my goal for 2020. After all, 2020 is perfect vision. It isn’t going to be easy, but it can be done. It will require a clear plan of what the highest priorities are and removing things from the list that don’t qualify.

 


There are a lot of good yes’s but only one best yes.


I’ve been thinking forward through the long list of things that I want to do. All things that are good and important, but there are too many to do them all. With God as the Chairman of my Board of Directors, I’m confident that we can get a clear vision for 2020.


There are some new and exciting things on the horizon for this next year. I’m excited and ready to get started.

 

How To Win The Race Of Business

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You Win by Never Quitting

 

It’s NASCAR race weekend in Kansas City. My brother-in-law and I have already enjoyed Saturday’s race. There were several things that happened late in the race that changed the expected outcome. The winner of the race was not the one who lead most of the race, but he kept racing until the last lap and won.


Currently we are sitting in the hotel lobby, waiting to get back into our room, which we are locked out of and our stuff is inside the room. It appears that the battery on the electronic code reader is dead. Technology’s great…when it works.


I’m writing this on the hotel’s computer in the lobby since my computer is locked in the room.


Most people would say the only way to win a race, is to finish ahead of everyone else. I would argue that there are other ways you can win. For me winning is as much about staying true to values and core principles as it is finishing first. There are races inside of the race. Points accumulated toward the championship, sponsor visibility, etc.


When racing you need to be ready for whatever challenge is around the next corner. (Like being locked out of your hotel room.) There are other drivers, wrecks, breakdowns, all things that are out of your control. Things learned in this race or this season, help me to race better. Winning is how you deal with difficult situations.


This doesn’t mean you should race without passion or a desire to win.

 


In racing there are pit stops and caution flags that give you a chance to catch your breath and regroup. The same is true in business. Take advantage of these opportunities when you get them.


It takes more than a driver to win a race. It takes a good team, a good system and good equipment. Business is no different.


Winning the race is about how you run it.


Galatians 5:7, 2 Timothy 4:7 and 1 Corinthians 9:24


Three hours and we’re back in our room. The hotel was very apologetic, they comped our room, gave us free breakfast coupons and additional points. They had a computer and it served me well.


I’m going to call it a day so that tomorrow we can race another day.

When you win…remember to celebrate.

This video is from the Sunday race, 10/20/19

I’m Stuck God, Please Help Me

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Remember to Say Thank You for The Tow Truck

 

We pray when we need or want something. Even non-believers do this. There are countless examples of people saying things like, “When the plane was going down, I prayed, even though I didn’t believe in God.”

 

Prayer is a natural “God given” reaction. As long as we’re traveling smoothly down the center of the road, we ‘think’ we have it all under control. But when we find ourselves stuck in a ditch; we ask God for a tow truck.


After we’re pulled out, we forget to say thank You, just like the lepers in Luke 17:11-19 did. Ten were healed and only one returned to say thank You. This is a pretty low percentage of thanks.

Everything big and small should be discussed with God. He’s not only interested in the big problems.


If our request is loud, our thanks should be louder.


It is easy to get pulled down by the daily grind of the world. We have our head down working through the day’s problems and forget to look up. By not looking up we miss the miracles happening all around us. We think we have everything under control, but…not so much.


Regardless of man’s plans, God’s plans are bigger.


It’s easy to let the negative outweigh the positive. We need to be intentional about looking at the positive. When Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked on the island, he made a list of the negatives and positives of his situation. Making this list allowed him to see that things weren’t as bad as they first appeared.


When we find ourselves stranded on an island, we need to make a list.


Finally, we need to share these answered prayers with others. This sharing is an example of God’s involvement in the world. Seeing this routine involvement in the small as well as the big, let’s people witness God’s relationship firsthand.

 


Visit with God while traveling down the middle of the road. Don’t wait until you’re stuck in a ditch.

I Know Why Rome Wasn’t Built in A Day

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It Was A Lack of Web Presence

 

I’ve written a lot recently about the high cost of no communication. I think this might be why it took so long to build Rome. The people in charge of the project struggled to find qualified contractors.


If they only had someone like Stacey with Custom Internet Services to help them with a website.


A few weeks ago, I wrote about rebuilding our Timber Creek Construction website. Drum roll…it’s finished, live and amazing. Check it out here. Like any construction project, I had a dream and a vision of what it would be. I couldn’t be more pleased. Great job Stacey!

 

 


Our reason for having a website is so interested people can find out more about the construction process. Construction doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Our site also includes pictures and information of past projects. This helps customers see what can be done and incite ideas for their own projects.


Most customers don’t have an in-depth knowledge of the construction industry. This includes questions to be asked and answered, what should be expected from their contractor including documents that should be included. The site is designed to help with this too.


Our site had gotten old and stale, as websites go. This was pointed out to me a couple of years ago by Shannon Martin a previous assistant. We’ve been thinking, talking, designing and planning this rebuild, off and on, since then.

 


I was given an opportunity to speak to the Kansas Barn Alliance about the importance of communication through proposals and contracts. Shannon was responsible for this as well.


It was decided that it would be good to have the new site finished by the presentation and we did. Thanks Shannon. 😊


Our goals were a site that was fresh, fun, clear, informational, easy to use and looked great. Mission accomplished.


The Timber Creek Construction site turned out so good, we plan to make some changes and updates to the Solution Building site next.


Check out the Timber Creek site and let us know what you think in the comments below.

There Are Miracles Waiting at The Edge of Our Faith

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That Faith Only Needs to Be as Big as a Mustard Seed

 

We really don’t believe in miracles, we say that we do, but not really. Our faith is almost nonexistent. We sell ourselves and God short. It’s no wonder that we live lives of mediocrity.


Even the apostles, who had witnessed Jesus perform miracles doubted. He told them, “If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Dig yourself up and plant yourself in the sea.,” and it would obey you.” Luke 17:5-6 I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a mustard seed, but they’re tiny.


Faith requires action.


Imagine yourself at a circus watching all the amazing trapeze artists and high wire acts. After the tight rope walker goes across the high wire the ring master asks the crowd if they would like to see him ride a bicycle across. Everyone applauds and says yes. Next the ring master asks if they would like to see him go across with someone riding on his shoulders. The applause and screams are louder than before. Then the ringmaster asks…who will volunteer to be that person? The crowd instantly is quiet. Oh, ye of little faith.


We’ve been put here for a purpose. To live out that purpose to its fullest requires faith and action.


Faith starts with forgiveness.


Anger stops the flow of miracles. Forgiveness releases them. We think holding back forgiveness is punishment to those who have wronged us…it isn’t, forgiveness benefits the forgiver as much as the forgiven. It clears the blockage and opens a clear path for miracles to flow through.


Faith is all about believing.


We only need to believe a mustard seed amount for miracles to happen. It’s sad how many people don’t even have this much faith. God will never expect us to do more than we can. The problem is that we don’t believe. There are examples of amazing things all around us if we will just look. The more we believe in God and ourselves the bigger the miracles will be.


Faith concludes with serving.


Serving is the result of putting our faith into action. Our specific purpose is to serve God and others using our gifts and talents. Serving others is not demeaning, it is the fulfillment of our purpose. Small acts of service ripple through out time and space ending in huge miracles.


We are made in God’s image but live in a fallen world. It is hard to see through the haze of the fallen world to the miracles that happen. In the story of the mulberry tree above, it says, if you have faith, it will obey you…it doesn’t say anything about seeing it.


We witness miracles every day that were started by someone else’s faith and action.

 

Lack of Quality, Honesty and Integrity

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The Remainder of the Construction Complaint List

 

 

This is the fourth and final post in this series of building solutions on how to avoid construction project nightmares. Previously I wrote about the most common reasons construction projects fall apart. The next two posts dealt with the high cost of poor communication and what contractor communication should include. This week we’ll focus on the character portion of the list.


We’ve all have had experiences where things didn’t turn out like we had envisioned. This is true in everything, especially construction. Lower standards have become accepted and normal.


The low bar of expectation has become the construction industry standard.


I believe this to be attributed mainly to the focus on price. We should be conscious of what things cost, but when it is the determining factor above everything else, something will give. Most likely that will be quality and service.

 


The second factor is that we’ve become a fast-paced drive-through people. We expect everything to be instantaneous. The cost for this lightning fast speed is the same as price…quality and service.


Raising the bar is simple really.


It starts with an awareness of how low the bar is. It has been moving down in small increments for years. It’s happened so slowly that most don’t even realize how low it is. Raising it up will be a slow process as well.


The remainder of the list of reasons construction projects fall apart is as follows:

 

  • Poor quality
  • Cluttered and unorganized job site
  • Left hanging part way through an unfinished project
  • Lack of scheduling or poor time management

 

Quality, honesty and integrity cover this part of the list. These are character issues. They are about choosing to give as much importance to someone else’s needs as I do my own.

 


Quality – is the degree to which something is produced correctly. It can be somewhat subjective, but the higher the bar is raised, the higher the quality standard becomes.


Honesty – is moral character that is trustworthy, loyal, fair and sincere. It is absent of lying, cheating and stealing. Thomas Jefferson is attributed with having said, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”


Integrity – is adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. One has integrity to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.


Poor quality and a disorganized job site are part of the physical construction skill set. These things are skills that should be taught through apprenticeship and mentoring.


The same is true for lack of scheduling and poor time management. These things can be taught. Learning and applying these skills is more difficult, in that they are more directly connected to specific personality traits.


Leaving a job hanging partially finished, however is strictly a moral issue and unacceptable, short of some life altering emergency.


The entire issue of construction projects falling apart is unnecessary and unacceptable.

 


It doesn’t have to be this way!

 


You can choose what you want, it’s up to you. Learn more, expect more. Raise the bar as high as you can reach.