E262: Q&A with Tommy – Getting More Lean and Efficient to Keep Up During Tough Times

Tommy Mello is the author of Home Service Millionaire and the founder of A1 Garage Doors, a $150 million-plus home service business with over 400 employees in 16 states. Through HomeServiceMillionaire.com and the Home Service Expert podcast, Tommy shares his experience and insights to help fellow entrepreneurs scale their businesses.

In this special episode of the Home Service Expert podcast, Tommy answers your biggest questions about sales, marketing, recruiting, creating systems, pricing…

Show notes

• Where to get a free copy of the Home Service Millionaire book. [1:02]
• More details on the upcoming event for Vertical Track. [1:53] 
• The importance of hiring a great assistant to increase time efficiency. [3:24]
• Effective strategies in promoting your business. [4:34]
• The difference between an assistant and an officer manager. [5:34]
• Training technicians to become leaders. [6:20]
• What to prepare when you’re about to fire an ineffective employee. [9:03] 
• Being strategic in putting up website pages for your business services. [10:09] 
• Why it’s a win-win situation to partner with A1. [11:18]
• Some books on Tommy’s current reading list. [12:26]
• Book recommendations to learn more about charging customers the right way. [13:17] 
• Tips on recruiting a CFO or controller for your business. [15:25]
• Negotiating lease-to-own service vans. [17:49]
• Paying “by the job” rather than paying “by the hour.” [18:37]
• Designing a system that’s easy to follow for your team. [20:31]
• Recommendations on aptitude tests for pre-employment. [22:14]
• The real definition of recruiting. [23:26]
• Tips on negotiating pay with an existing employee who’s underloaded with work. [24:56]
• A few books to help master the sales side of a  business. [25:57] 
• Tommy’s thoughts on Angie’s List. [26:45]
• How much it would cost to acquire a customer and how much to spend on marketing. [28:14]
• The reality about running a home service business. [33:26]
• How a quality score on Google Ads works. [34:32]
• The importance of understanding how Google Ads and its different aspects work. [36:22]
• What business owners should do during difficult times in the market. [36:57]
• Building a six-month organization chart to aid with your company’s future growth. [39:28]
• Why business owners should always be learning about marketing and sales. [40:33]
• The importance of knowing your booking rate and how much it would cost to acquire a customer. [41:31] 

Resources And People Mentioned:

• Home Service Millionaire
• Home Service Expert 
• Garage Door Freedom
• Vertical Track 
• 2 Second Lean (How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture at Work & at Home)  by Paul Akers
• Bee Organized 
• How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
• Dave Ramsey Program 
• Google Analytics 
• Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Manifesto by Jeffrey Gitomer
• The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way by Jeffrey Gitomer
• Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching! by Jeffrey Gitomer
• The Book of YES: The Ultimate Real Estate Agent Conversation Guide by Kevin Ward
• The Greatest Salesman in the World, Part 2: The End of the Story by Og Mandino
• A Better Way to Live by Og Mandino
• The Choice: A Surprising New Message of Hope by Og Mandino
• The Return of the Ragpicker by Og Mandino 
• How Much Should I Charge? by Ellen Rohr
• Where Did the Money Go? By Ellen Rohr 
• The Bare Bones Biz Plan: Six Weeks to an Extraordinary Business by Ellen Rohr
• The Power of Positive Pricing: How Much Is Your Pricing Costing You by Matt Michel
• Julian Scadden
• Nexstar Network
• How to Double Your Profits in Six Months or Less by Brian Kaskavalciyan
• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
• Enterprise 
• PerceptionPredict 
• Craigslist
• LinkedIn
• CareerBuilder 
• The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
• Sell Different! by Lee Salz
• Angie’s List