Contractor's Daughter

Team meetings are all about making sure everyone is on the same page. When it comes to driving growth and making informed decisions in your highway construction business, structured team meetings can empower your team, ensure clarity, keep everyone focused on driving growth and making informed decisions, and keep the company aligned with its strategic goals. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about a meeting structure for facilitating clear communication, alignment, and effective tracking and adjustment of strategies. I’ll outline the five types of meetings within this framework and reveal their unique purpose and agenda. 3:07 - Main goal of the annual quarterly review meeting and what it looks like 7:52 - Purpose and agenda of the quarterly strategic plan progress and update meeting 11:53 - Aim and structure of the monthly department leaders’ OKR or metric review meeting 13:50 - The magic of the bi-weekly department tactical sprint planning meeting and weekly department stand-up meeting 18:18 - The importance of individual bi-weekly sprint planning and its role in keeping teams on track Mentioned In From Chaos to Clarity: Transform Your Team Meetings for Better Results Growth Strategy Assessment Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

Are you falling short of your forecasted business numbers right now? You’ve probably felt the possibility of a downturn coming, and you’re not alone. In the last few weeks, folks across the industry have been having tough conversations about being off track in their business. But why? As the recent good times rolled on, many started slacking off in one key area--their sales team. They’ve reduced them or stopped providing ongoing training. Now that things are slowing, it’s time to get back to some basics! In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear about the importance of having a strong sales strategy and system in place for your business. I’ll emphasize questions that help you understand your buyers and what you have to offer them, and help you figure out how to invest in sales team building and support. 3:11 - Where to start to get a better understanding of your offerings and customers 6:50 - Questions to ask that’ll help you build a great sales strategy and business development system 9:24 - Questions to ask that’ll help you invest in a strong sales team and talent brand Mentioned In How to Navigate Downturns in Your Business By Revitalizing Your Sales Strategies Growth Strategy Assessment Get on the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

Last week, you heard me talk about why understanding your workforce is important to recruiting and retaining top talent in your construction company. Now you need to know how implementing the data gathered from those employee interviews and surveys can affect your results and how to measure their impact. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear part two of my interview with CONEXPO where I discuss the influence of your employee research on your company and how to analyze your implementation to see whether it’s working or not. I’ll also share why we need to rethink recruitment in construction and a couple of strategies that can aid your company’s retention efforts. 4:00 - The importance of having someone who’s aware of talent branding on your team to help you implement employee research 6:34 - How your employee research influences recruitment and retention using our workforce strategy framework 11:30 - How to measure whether your implementation of employee research is effective 16:31 - The paradigm shift happening with how we think about recruiting in construction 19:34 - How the Savannah Bananas, Lego, Starbucks, and L'Oréal provide great examples of inspirational ideas from outside our industry 27:03 - The power of highlighting stories of success from within your company 34:31 - Examples of how you can get good stories out of your employees Mentioned In How Employee Research Helps Build a Resilient Workforce in the Construction Industry Workforce Strategy Health Assessment CONEXPO-CON/AGG “Secrets for Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent at Every Level” | CONEXPO-CON/AGG Survey Monkey | Google Forms Upwork We Build Texas Roads Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

CONEXPO isn’t just the largest construction show in North America. It also has an incredible amount of content on its website with articles, interviews, and other very helpful resources. So when they asked if I was willing to be interviewed for an article, I jumped at the chance! In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear part one of my interview with Gregg, where I talk about understanding your workforce and improving your recruitment, development, and retention through gathering and implementing valuable feedback from employees. 4:23 - How I’d characterize the labor crunch today versus in 2022 and why it’s different 12:50 - How to use surveys and interviews to figure out what you need to do to build your brand 18:48 - How affordable (or even free) software tools can help you survey and interview your workforce 23:59 - The benefit of a third-party interviewer and how interviews can help with brand messaging and talent acquisition 30:43 - How the ideal customer concept can help you identify the ideal person for your workforce 32:20 - The fine line you have to walk as you’re getting to know your employees 35:50 - The importance of having or working with someone who understands employer branding and marketing Mentioned In Understanding Your Workforce is Key to Recruit and Retain Top Talent Workforce Strategy Health Assessment CONEXPO-CON/AGG “Secrets for Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent at Every Level” | CONEXPO-CON/AGG Survey Monkey | Google Forms Upwork Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

When you look up at the end of the week, does it feel like it’s gotten away from you? You put in work, but you don’t necessarily feel like it was the most efficient use of your time. You want to do more with less and ensure you and your team are focusing your time (and energy) and where it’s needed most. But how? There are micro-specific ways you can leverage as part of your process. I’ve been working on something inside my business to restructure my workweek that works great for those I challenge to try it. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about the concept of an ideal week and how creating one can help structure and prioritize tasks in your highway construction business. I’ll share my recently revamped ideal week schedule, breaking down what I do day-by-day and highlighting aspects that create increased productivity while streamlining your time. 3:24 - What you need to know about implementing ideal week mode 4:56 - How I start my day and my workday startup ritual 7:31 - A component of your ideal week that makes you more productive 12:18 - How I revamped my schedule to stream down my workday and gave myself space to work on ideas I’d otherwise forget 19:16 - A slight modification for summer and the importance of blocking out time for yourself and your family Mentioned In Take Control of Your Time By Creating Your Ideal Week Schedule Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner System Slack Monday Snipd Fathom AI Notetaker Growing Your Business with AI: Unlocking Efficiency and Success Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Schedule a Call Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

You’re at the point where you need to get serious about marketing. Yet, you feel like marketing can be a real drain on your resources. And it can be, unless it’s done right. So how do you do it in a cost-effective and adaptable way? Bringing on board a fractional chief marketing officer (CMO) might be the right avenue for your business. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear examples of how a fractional CMO can help with the marketing side of your business. I’ll also reveal more benefits of working with a fractional CMO and what you need to look for when hiring one to ensure they’re a good fit. 3:17 - How a fractional CMO can be used in your business 6:51 - Collaboration between the fractional CMO and your teams 9:53 - Benefits of hiring a fractional CMO for your asphalt business 11:46 - Tips on how to find and work with a fractional CMO 20:30 - How to figure out your next steps Mentioned In How to Maximize Your Marketing Through a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer World of Asphalt Get On the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

“If we’ve lost an employee in a really significant role, should I use a headhunter?” This question often comes up when we’re focused on workforce strategy with businesses, and there are both positives and negatives to hiring a headhunter or recruiter to replace a key employee. So how do you decide if it’s the right thing to do for your company? In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn some of the pros and cons of using a headhunter to recruit someone to fill a key role in your organization. I’ll also reveal some questions to ask yourself to help you discover whether it’s the right move for you to make right now. 2:20 - Why using a headhunter might be the right move for your business 5:29 - Why using a headhunter might not be right for your business right now 9:53 - Questions to help you decide if hiring a headhunter or recruiter is the way to go for you Mentioned In Pros and Cons of Using a Headhunter to Fill Key Employee Roles Workforce Strategy Health Assessment Get On the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

How do you increase the percentage of closes you get during the proposal phase? An often overlooked but important element can shorten your sales cycle and make it easier for your construction sales team to close the deal. It helps extract the information you need and is something your competition isn’t likely to do. You simply have to appeal to the emotional things that trigger people into making decisions through the power of storytelling. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about how you can set your construction business apart with your proposal through story. I’ll teach you step-by-step how to incorporate story elements into your offer and give a couple of tips for streamlining the process and making your proposal even stronger. 6:41 - Where to start in crafting the story for your unique proposal and why this makes your team better at sales 10:10 - The importance of giving prospective clients a clear path to take action in your proposal 15:14 - A powerful way to position your offer to potential clients 16:34 - The mistake in many proposals we see and two ways to do it correctly and effectively 18:23 - How to end the proposal offer and ideas for crafting a cover letter Mentioned In How to Use Storytelling to Set Your Proposal Apart and Close the Deal Growth Strategy Assessment Tool Get On the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find anybody who doesn’t like rewards. Having incentives in compensation packages for your employees helps you grow your highway construction business. You increase the likelihood of hiring and retaining workers who’ll want to show up consistently and perform their best, stay and evolve with the company, refer others, and more. However, you might need to get creative and think outside of the box a bit. And you need to avoid some of the pitfalls and challenges when coming up with incentives you want to give workers. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about common mistakes with compensation inside the industry, key components of creating successful incentive packages, and how to structure incentives for different employee roles within your organization. I’ll also teach you how to measure the impact of the compensation you offer to your workforce. 4:45 - The two biggest things you need to think about before taking on the challenge of crafting incentivized compensation packages 6:01 - Common mistakes that construction companies make with the compensation they offer 11:13 - Key components of successful compensation packages and some ideas you can use, including non-monetary examples 18:24 - How you can tailor incentives to benefit people in specific roles inside your construction company 23:08 - Ideas for evaluating the effectiveness, satisfaction, and appeal of your compensation packages Mentioned In How to Create Great Incentivized Compensation Packages for Your Construction Employees Workforce Strategy Health Assessment Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work by Uri Gneezy Get On the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

Explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the highway paving industry. AI is more than just a trendy concept; it's a potent instrument that requires a well-thought-out strategy for it to be a boon for our businesses. My own company's experience served as a case study, highlighting how AI integration, when aligned with our overarching business objectives, can significantly boost efficiency and foster growth. We delve into the ways AI can address some of the pressing challenges in the industry, such as labor shortages, by automating tasks and optimizing data entry processes. Additionally, AI's role in refining supply chain management, showcasing its potential to streamline operations and reduce bottlenecks. In this episode of The Contractor’s Daughter Podcast, I spotlight several innovative AI tools, including Fathom, Zapier, Alexa, Monday, Everhour, and Snipd, that are currently reshaping how we handle our day-to-day tasks. The key takeaway is the importance of employing AI in a smart and strategic manner to fully harness its capabilities for the betterment of our businesses. 1:17 - The importance of understanding and using AI effectively and strategically. 5:01 - Establishing a company AI policy and inside look at our AI policy. 6:22 - Integrating AI usage with overall business strategy for growth and efficiency. 8:31 - The potential of AI in addressing labor shortage problems. 12:07 - AI in supply chain analytics and its impact on cost reduction and forecasting. 13:35 - AI tools I use to enhance daily productivity. 25:14 - Why a strategy for utilizing AI effectively in business operations is critical. Mentioned In Growing Your Business with AI: Unlocking Efficiency and Success Hey NAPA for NAPA Fathom Zapier Stream Deck Monday Asana Everhour Snipd Wisdom AI Get On the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

It’s time we dove into the hiring landscape of our highway paving construction businesses. We start by tackling the tricky task of distinguishing between toxic superstars and the much-preferred type-A team players. We’ll discuss the damaging traits of toxic superstars, who can disrupt our teams and harm our company culture. More importantly, the value of type-A team players—those with a strong work ethic, a collaborative spirit, and a willingness to grow and why coachability is a critical quality for potential hires. My goal in this episode of Contractor’s Daughter is to help you refine your hiring strategies to ensure a healthy, productive workforce that drives our businesses forward. Listen in for practical tips on how to test for coachability during the hiring process. 1:25 - The importance of implementing interview processes and identifying the best fit candidates based on company culture, work ethic, and growth strategies to avoid making toxic hires. 2:35 - How to identify toxic superstars and how their presence can have a detrimental impact on the performance of other employees. 7:40 - How to identify type-A team players, emphasizing the importance of identifying candidates who are cooperative, supportive, growth-minded, and aligned with the company's values. 10:55 - The concept of coachability and its significance in hiring, emphasizing the willingness and ability of candidates to seek, receive, and act on constructive feedback. 13:15 - Actionable tips for implementing coachability testing in the hiring process. Mentioned In The Difference Between Toxic Superstars and Type A Team Players Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn Workforce Strategy Health Assessment Get On the Calendar Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

We’re sitting down with the master of sales today, Tom Reber. Get a sneak peek into the world of sales strategies and company culture as Tom imparts his knowledge on what it takes to excel in sales within our industry. Discover the secrets behind understanding customer motives and learn how to avoid the common traps that many fall into when navigating the sales process. In my engaging conversation with Tom, we delve into the art of building the perfect team and the discipline required to achieve sales success. Tom and I explore the importance of refining your sales process and the impact it has when onboarding new talent. Tom's insights on the personal touch and curiosity in sales will leave you rethinking your approach. We deep dive into the transformative power of storytelling in sales and marketing. And Tom highlights the significance of a thriving company culture and the strategic approach to proactive hiring. If you're looking to foster a successful environment in your contracting business, this discussion is not to be missed. 4:00 - Tom explains the inside-out game of success, the impact of personal discipline on sales results, and the challenges faced by service companies in the sales process. 8:09 - Tom emphasizes the importance of business owners embracing the sales role and refining sales processes before considering hiring salespeople. 12:35 - The significance of understanding customer motives and the impact of emotional connection in the sales process. 20:23 - The importance of taking time to optimize sales processes before hiring more sales personnel. 27:43 - Why it’s critical for salespeople to create personal connections and have genuine conversations with prospects. 38:48 - Tom shares the importance of continuous recruiting, the prequalification process, and understanding employee motives in the hiring process. 42:23 - Examples of understanding employee motives and how it impacts loyalty and retention in the company. 46:16 - The importance of accommodating employees' personal matters, such as family time, and the positive impact on employee satisfaction and loyalty. 54:50 - Tom explains the five-step prequalifying phone call process. Mentioned In Unlocking Success: Sales, Culture, and Hiring Insights with Tom Reber TCF738: Build Your Team With The Right Marketing Message With Jeani Ringkob The Contractor’s Fight Sell Unafraid: Unleash Sales Success Through Personal Discipline Tom Reber on Instagram Growth Strategy Assessment Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

You’ve investigated and found the problems and bottlenecks in your construction business. You’ve identified the opportunities you should prioritize next. Now what? With the third and final piece of the Growth Strategy Flyheel, people sometimes forget to ensure they finish strong. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about some of the things that might be getting in the way of you implementing your strategy. I’ll also reveal how to increase the value of your business as you increase the effectiveness of your operations. 1:34 - My key secret to the implementation phase of the flywheel 4:16 - What actually leads to a poorly defined strategy and implementation 7:54 - Obstacles that could keep you from implementing your strategy 12:44 - Getting back to why implementation is so important Mentioned In Why Business Owners Struggle to Implement Even the Best Strategies Get on the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

When you investigate your construction business, you often find multiple things you either don’t like or that excite you as an opportunity. But not all problems and bottlenecks that you see as opportunities are created equal. Identifying the right opportunities to prioritize is where you can screw everything up. You might need to address something first because it has a more significant impact on your business right now. Or you might need to fix a specific problem first because of its domino effect on other areas down the line. In part two of this Strategic Growth Flywheel series on the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn how to figure out which problem or bottleneck to concentrate on first and which has the most effect on your business. I’ll dive into the second phase of the flywheel with a couple of strategies to help you zone in on where to put your focus next. 3:32 - The impact of critical decision-making on 85% of business owners 5:22 - One model that can help you filter out where you should focus 7:37 - A tactic to try if you have a bias that keeps you in your comfort zone 10:10 - A red flag that signals you’re slipping into your comfort zone How to Identify and Prioritize the Right Opportunities for Your Business Find Your Vital Need Assessment “How to Be a Better Decision Maker (& Why It Matters)” Fix This Next by Michael Michalowicz Jeani on LinkedIn Conference Success Series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

When people look at your business and think about where it’ll take them in the future, what do they see? If they invest in it, they want to see the strategy. They want to know that the company has momentum, processes, and systems designed to create value. This is what the strategic growth flywheel helps you do. And it all starts with the first step: investigate. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn how to dive deep into the investigation phase. I’ll teach you how taking this first step to an overarching informed strategy will help you coordinate and eliminate boundaries between marketing and sales to increase your revenue. 4:06 - The statistic that shows why you should start with investigation 7:16 - A sign that your business doesn’t spend enough time on investigation 10:45 - Primary and secondary data, how to get it, and the gold you can mine from it 14:32 - The consequences of being too generic with your strategy Mentioned In Investigate: Diving Into the First Phase of the Strategic Growth Flywheel Assessment National Asphalt Pavement Association Jeani on LinkedIn Conference Success Series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

Almost half of business leaders have strategic planning failure because they can’t adequately track the execution of their strategy. But you need an effective strategy, though--an informed one. Does your business have a flexible framework with a top-end strategy in mind? A strategic growth flywheel provides a simple tool to generate great output that can be repeatedly used in your business. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll get an introduction to the flywheel. I’ll give you a high-level view of it and teach you the three-step process to use it so you can ensure your strategy dictates the business tactics you employ, not the other way around. 4:47 - What a heuristic is and an analogy that demonstrates how it works 8:31 - The three phases of the strategic growth flywheel 16:02 - What happens in businesses when something like the flywheel isn’t used Mentioned In Strategic Growth Flywheel: A Gateway to an Informed Business Strategy Get On the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

Is proactive prospecting a lost art? Whether it is or not, how do you stay in touch with that side of your business? After all, without leads, your business won’t have the customers or workforce to fulfill contracts and will eventually die out. So how do you and your sales team regard this piece of the business puzzle? My friend and special podcast guest Miles Kaplanides is back for the second part of our conversation. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, we dive into staying focused on proactively prospecting for your business growth. You’ll learn some of Miles’ insights on selling, association participation for prospecting and business development, and so much more! 1:41 - Why Miles is worried about proactive prospecting becoming a dying art 4:45 - Why lead opportunities are all around you 8:34 - Good daily/weekly prospecting habits to have 10:27 - How association is the key to Miles’s successful business development 13:22 - How association can help with workforce prospection and retention 17:17 - Why prospecting can be fun (and how intentionality helps keep it that way) Mentioned In Is Proactive Prospecting Dead For Dealers and Contractors? with Miles Kaplanides 4Rivers Equipment Get On the Calendar Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

Do you think of dealers as your adversaries? Too many contractors often think of dealers as those to avoid until something breaks down and needs replacing. But what if you saw them as true partners with the intention of helping you grow your business? Today, I have friend and industry peer Miles Kaplanides on the show to talk about the relationship between dealers and contractors and how it can be better. He has perspectives and insights on improving the construction industry from the sales side of equipment dealerships. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about how strife between contractors and dealers leads to inefficiency in your business. Miles and I will also discuss the value of the perfect partnership and how that looks from both the contractor (i.e. customer) and dealership side. 2:45 - What the relationship between a contractor and dealer should look like 8:00 - The importance of knowing who your points of contact are (as the customer) 10:25 - The benefits of treating dealers like strategic partnerships and knowing all the players in each market you’re in 12:58 - How the perfect partnership plays out on the dealer side 15:32 - Why the entire value for the customer goes beyond the piece of equipment he or she needs 19:04 - How the perfect partnership plays out on the customer/contractor side 22:29 - Why going on job sites is one of the biggest ways dealers can benefit good, consistent, and loyal contractors Mentioned In Partnering with Your Dealer to Improve Operations with Miles Kaplanides 4Rivers Equipment “Giving Back and Growing Are Not Mutually Exclusive” by Jeani Ringkob | MOXY: The Voice of Women In Infrastructure Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

Sales and marketing are essential to any business. But are they at odds with each other in yours? If so, then your business isn't as efficient as it should be. So how do you get both departments on the same page? Instead of having sales and marketing as silos, you need to embrace a concept called “smarketing” for the two areas to work in tandem. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn how smarketing works. I’ll also walk you through the customer journey and the benefits of implementing smarketing at each stage. 1:49 - What is smarketing? 3:18 - What the customer journey looks like, from awareness to advocacy 7:34 - How I help clients implement smarketing at each level of the customer journey 8:58 - How being really intentional about sales and marketing alignment helps the efficiency and growth of your business Mentioned In Sales vs Marketing: Align Them With the Solution of Smarketing Schedule a Call Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.

The construction industry is facing a workforce obstacle right now. It’s getting harder to recruit and retain workers for your construction crews, and you’re missing out on opportunities because of it. My team and I help clients address their company’s workforce problems. But I get asked all the time specifically how we do it, so let’s dive into that today! In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about the three critical workforce problems that construction businesses face. I’ll also tell you how you can turn those pain points into a strategic advantage that makes your company stand out in its market and positively affects your ROI. 5:42 - Do any of these workforce scenarios sound familiar? 9:51 - Taking a look at the return on investment and opportunity costs 12:27 - The cost of replacing someone and the key to keeping workers around 17:23 - Are you leaving up to $10 million a year on the table? 19:47 - How our Workforce Strategy Design process helps you address these workforce challenges Mentioned In How We Can Help Your Construction Business Overcome Workforce Obstacles Schedule a Call Jeani on LinkedIn Blacktop Banter Network Follow Jeani Ringkob on LinkedIn for more resources, strategy videos, tips and news from the Blacktop Banter Network You can also schedule a call with Jeani to learn more about building and marketing your heavy highway construction business and access videos and free resources on the StoryBuilt.Marketing website. Take the Growth Strategy Assessment here! It only takes a few minutes to determine the roadblock between you and the next big growth of your business.