with their employee exactly what was
done well, and how it beneftted the com-
pany. For example, a manager tells their staf
"You really did a great job last month working
on improving your demo (presentation) rate
by slowing down and being a better listener
— or your demo rate improved by 15 per-
cent, a major reason for our increased sales. I
appreciate the time and efort you put into
this area, and the outstanding results "thank
you very much."
QR : Despite all this there is still the
problem of maintaining costs, budgets,
and achieving goals.
DAVE: A good manager has to manage by
the numbers to understand cause and efect.
Some managers state "sales are down" as
if that is the cause of their problem. Sales
being down is a symptom. What is the cause?
Low closing, customer cancellations, or not
enough leads? Dig deeper. Low closing is
still a symptom of a deeper problem. What
is causing low closing? Poor selling system,
insufcient training, or manager not spend-
ing one on one time with sales reps? Figure
out the root cause and you're on your way
to solving the problem. Make sure all key
metrics are tracked, and when the company
is not hitting a revenue or proft goal, dig
deep into the data, determine the issue, and
implement a corrective plan of action.
QR : We live in an ever-changing world.
How does this relate to managing?
DAVE: I call this dedication to "AL" —
Always Learning. Outstanding managers
realize "they don't know everything". They
build relationships with successful people
that provide advice and mentoring. They
read books, watch DVDs, and attend sem-
inars that provide up-to-date information on
their industry, strategies for efective people
leadership, and training on their specifc area
of focus.
QR : What fnal advice do you have for
those who own and run a remodeling/
home improvement company?
DAVE: The owner is the most important
manager. Industry-leading companies are
led by owners that are great managers. The
owner is the most important manager.
Pick one or two of the above concepts, put
a real focus on it, and it will make a pos-
itive impact on your bottom line. Because
in business, when you want to know why
something is what it is, the answer is always
three things "The Manager, The Manager,
The Manager." n
QualifiedRemodeler.com | ForResidentialPros.com QR June 2015 | SPECIAL SECTION: HOME IMPROVEMENT PRO 35