Sales vs Marketing: Align Them With Smarketing

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.

If you’ve listened to this podcast for a bit, you know that I come from an entrepreneurial family in highway construction. My mom took over when my dad suddenly passed away.

She and I recently appeared together on a Women of Asphalt webinar where Mom talked about her experience while I mainly discussed what women in asphalt can do today to help themselves and their organizations thrive. And today, I want to share that conversation with you and let you hear from my mom, Sandy Brasier, for the first time on the show!

In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear about key lessons learned through resiliency, drive, and inspiration during hard times as a female entrepreneur in the business. 

You’ll also learn how to stand out and impress as women in the asphalt industry while helping your organization achieve its objectives, the importance of building relationships (generally and with other women, specifically) in construction, and so much more!

4:28 - Key lessons I’ve learned about resiliency and staying motivated during tough times

8:13 - Mom’s role in the company before Dad’s unexpected death and how she took over the business

13:28 - Strategies and mindset shifts that can help you navigate challenges within your asphalt career and business

19:51 - How relationships supported Mom through the difficult time in the business after her husband’s passing

24:56 - The relationship legacy that Dad left behind for us

28:04 - How women in construction can assert themselves as leaders and contribute to their organization’s growth and success

35:02 - One thing I wasn’t aware of despite growing up in highway construction and the advantage women have in the industry right now

39:40 - Where Mom found the drive to keep going forward with the family business

44:49 - How building relationships with other women in the asphalt industry has impacted both of us

50:50 - Final advice, inspiration, and words of wisdom

Mentioned In Generations of Strength: A Mother-Daughter Journey In the Asphalt Industry

Women of Asphalt

Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking by Jon Acuff

Your New Playlist: The Student’s Guide to Tapping Into the Superpower of Mindset by Jon Acuff with L.E. and McRae Acuff

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Reneé Mauborgne

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 tired of seeing and experiencing the same old presentations at conferences and trade shows?

There’s a new experience on the horizon! The upcoming PAVE/X conference promises to be different, and its co-creator, Jessica Lombardo, is here to tell us how.

Jessica has made a name for herself in the construction industry. She’s been the editor for some leading publications like Asphalt Contractor and is the current editor-in-chief for AC Business Media.

Recently, though, she’s stepped up her game in terms of reinventing how we think about conferences. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn all the cool ways she and her co-creator Amy Schwandt designed PAVE/X to be better than your typical trade show. She’ll also teach you what she does to get the most out of attending a conference.

3:22 - Why the PAVE/X conference is a different experience

13:34 - How a career in journalism led Jessica to become involved in the industry

17:29 - The most unexpected thing Jessica discovered about rolling out PAVE/X

19:24 - Lessons that Jessica learned this year that she’ll take into next year

21:10 - Jessica’s tips for getting the most out of every conference

Mentioned In How Jessica Lombardo Is Bringing An Immersive Experience to a Trade Show

PAVE/X | Facebook | LinkedIn

AC Business Media 

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.