Final Word
January 2010 Â EquipmentWorld.com 62 FINAL WORD by Tom Jackson I f you survived the last two tumultu-ous years in the construction busi-ness, congratulations. What's your plan for the next 10? This time of year Equipment World editors are traveling all over the coun-try interviewing Contractor of the Year candidates. One thing I've learned from this experience is that all success-ful contractors share the same quali-ties. Even though every company tells a different story, the successful ones all have a core set of values that you'd do well to pay attention to if you want to succeed in the future. Here's some of what I've learned from the most successful small and medium size con-struction companies in the country: Turn customers into fans. The secret to success, as one Contractor of the Year fi nalist told me, is not just to do the job on time and on budget, but to give every customer a little bit extra, something they weren't expect-ing. Do this and your word-of-mouth reputation will bring in more business than even the most expensive market-ing program. Watch the numbers. Nobody who enjoys construction likes sitting in an offi ce. But successful contrac-tors spend a lot of time on paperwork, much more than they anticipated when they were starting out. Check every invoice, question the fi nancials, keep up with equipment trends, de-velop metrics and systems to improve effi ciency and review and improve these on a continual basis. As one contractor told me, if you don't know where every dollar is going you could be going broke and not know it for six months. Lead by example. The U.S. mili-tary has a lot of leadership principles, none more important than this. That's why they're able to take ordinary kids and get them to achieve extraordinary things, often in the face of danger and death. If you're spending two days a week on the golf course and calling it sales, you can rest assured that your employees aren't giving you their all. Give. Generosity changes psychol-ogy. Whether you tithe for religious reasons or just give to a favorite cause, charity makes you a better person on the inside. In addition to being person-ally generous, a lot of our Contractor of the Year fi nalists also give through their companies and get their employ-ees involved. This need not require a lot of money. Your time and skills are sometimes more important. Pulling the crews together to build a house or a basketball court for the underprivi-leged creates a team spirit and elevates everybody's character. EW How to succeed in the coming decade Give every customer a little bit extra, something they weren't expecting. Editor's note: to tell and would like to apply to our Contractor of the Year program, drop me a line at tjackson@rrpub.com and I'll send you an application form. ew1009_Final Word.indd 62 12/22/09 3:04 PM