Great Salespeople are Exceptional Observers!

Hey,

Hey, hey.

Heat.

All right. What's going on everybody? It is July 30th. It is 3:00 um Pacific time. And you know, I don't care where I am, I still live on Pacific time because it's the only time zone that matters, but it's a little later where I'm at. So, so, but I would refuse to change my clocks. Josh, how are you doing, man? Good, man. Good. Um, we're it's five o'clock where I'm at. So, uh, it's five o'clock somewhere, I guess. But things are going great, man. So, so for everybody that don't know who you are, um, it's Josh Clark, and you're the estimating, um, NCES manager for High Steel Fence. And uh if you don't if you don't know Josh, which you probably do if you follow us or or uh you know do anything on social media, um you're part of High Steel Fence, which is an amazing outfit and uh you know, it's a great place, man. It's uh Chris is pretty pretty much well known in the industry. Come on board with him and kind of wrote his coattail so far. So Well, sounds like you're making a couple coattails of your own. What what what uh what got you uh working over there? Um how'd you get in defense industry? Give us your backstory. So I was in vending for 10 years. Uh did vending machines, micro markets, all that kind of good stuff. Um wanted tried to buy the company, couldn't buy it, so I went to work at a chemical plant. Um did that for seven years. Me and Chris crossed paths. Um our kids played baseball together. and he kind of somehow swindled me in and said, "Hey, you know, uh, I need somebody that can sell." I'm like, "I can sell ice to Eskimo, dude." And he's like, "Yeah, okay." Um, and kind of took me on. I've always been around construction my whole life, even as a kid. Uh, my uncle had a had a construction company and everything and kind of fell right in right into place. Um, got to do what I love, which is selling and kind of back in the construction world and it's I've hit the ground running. I haven't slowed down since. Yeah. So, um you've been over there a little while. Um and you went straight into sales or were you doing something else over there first? So, or did you go straight into sales on the fence? Straight into sales. Um I It's funny, you know, I seen something the other day somebody asked, "Does the sales guy have to build fence?" You know, I think it's all about his knowledge. Um but no, I went straight into sales. I didn't do any kind of I didn't come off a truck. I didn't, you know, start at the bottom, work my way up. I went right into sales. So, yeah. And it's two different skills. I mean, there is no doubt. Just because you know how to sail doesn't mean you necessarily know how to uh build fence. Just because you know how to build fence doesn't mean you can go out and sell them. Um not that either one couldn't cross over and uh probably accomplish the, you know, accomplish a task that the other one is doing. But um they're two completely different skills that you learn over a period of time. And some of it, some of it, you know, you just have a natural instinct mech, you're mechanically inclined and you just naturally uh you know, you're drawn to using tools and and you understand construction, things like that. And I get that part too, but just like sales, you you know, you're sometimes I want to say you're born with it. You're born with being able to read people and um you know, and sales and connect with people. So definitely two different skills. Um and I completely understand uh going straight into to sales. I mean, if it's uh if you're just putting people in the the position they're they're built for, right? Yeah. I mean, it's that's the that's the kicker to all of it, you know? It's kind of putting people right right where they belong, you know, on the team. Um Yeah. You know, and the thing is is, you know, if I need to go build fence, I can build fence. I mean, I it's, you know, I can I went and educated myself a lot. Um, but I learned that from the vending world. Uh, you know, because if you don't know what you're selling or what you're doing, it it's very difficult. Uh, first job I ever sold with High Steel, it was one of those things. We pulled up, Chris was like, I got to make a call. I'm like, okay. And I was green, green, green. and but I knew how to talk and you know I knew how to sell stuff and how to kind of judge things and I went in there and I come out with a check and he's like what's this? I'm like it's a deposit. He's like okay. He's like so

You know how to use a spreadsheet. I was like yeah I was like gave the guy the number he handed me a check and he's like it wasn't that easy. I was like well it wasn't that easy but you know you can sell some things you can sell just about anything. But from that point on, I've really kind of focused on the whole education part, you know, going to the different shows and that kind of stuff and meeting different vendors and understanding the materials and how things are properly done, not properly done, you know. So, it's definitely been a learning curve on that on that aspect of it, you know. Yeah. I don't know, man. I think you just went in there old school style in that first one. You're just like, "Hey, man. Buying fence is good for your health care, don't you?" Yeah. Pick up his dog. I picked up his dog like, "Do you love this dog?" Because, you know, it could get run over tomorrow, you know. So, that's how you got the check in five minutes and you're out. Yeah. Yeah. It's He's probably asking, "How much fence are we building?" You're like, "It doesn't matter." Yeah. You told me, "Get a check. I got a check." You know, but it's blank and he just signed it. What's the deal? You know, so you're passionate about sales. Um, obviously, uh, you know, that's some, you know, where you went directly into on that. Um, but why are you passionate about teaching, man? What's the deal with that? Uh, well, so when I was in the vending world, I had a very good mentor. Um, his name was Dan Livingston. He was awesome. Um, man, taught me so much about just dealing with customers in general. Uh, and you want to talk about mess some stuff up, I messed a lot of stuff up, you know, but it was one of those things like I want to give that back to people because, and I see it a lot, too. You got a guy who's who's jamming in the fence world, one man one man guy, you know, he owns it, does out all doing it all by himself, then turns back around and he tries to hire a sales guy. Doesn't understand why the guy can't sell. And you know, me and me me and Chris have crossed that bridge a few times where it's like, hey man, like I don't understand, you know, this and he's like, well, we do this because of XYZ. Well, that kind of gives me the whole ammo to teach somebody, okay, this is what we need to do and why we need to do it. you know, an owner, it's a lot easier for him to go out there and go, "Oh, yeah, the price is this, but I can make it this." Where when you hire a salesperson on, if you don't set those parameters for them and they don't understand how those work, you know, it's very hard, you know, I mean, and I think teaching people, you know, sales people in general, I mean, it's a skill. I mean, it's not it's just like going out and building fence correctly, you know, this going out and selling and being true to your company and not giving the farm away is very hard if you don't know what you're doing. Um, you know, and I and I I like the industry and and me and Chris and actually a lot of the guys I've had conversations with. It's like, you know, this industry is the wildest thing I've ever been a part of because it's the only one we can be battling over a job tomorrow and helping each other the next day. Like I I can't understand it, you know, and I'm a competitive person. I've always been that way. Um, but yeah, I definitely wanna want to kind of pass on the knowledge that I was given because I feel like that's kind of the right thing to do, you know, and and I want to see everybody succeed. I mean, if we're all if we're all winning, that means we're all making money, you know? yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. And there's there's definitely enough work out there. Um, obviously if if I believe it's up to us to actually keep the the industry growing and keep the industry going and um I love that uh it's getting a little bit more even people are chasing the professionalism and things like that and um you know we're seeing a little bit more attention to how fences and stuff are being built and um I think that uh you know I'm with you sales is it's it's a skill set and I I love that you said that uh you know people are like hey you know you may be going to war with this guy over this job and next thing you know you're out on a fishing boat and uh uh you know the next week and I see this even even on the

Association side and stuff that we're doing. It's like every once in a while someone's like, "You're friends with that guy. I saw you taking a picture with that guy and you know, you shouldn't talk to that." But I get it a lot. And then I'm like, "You know what? I'm not going to unfriend that guy because a month from now, I'm going to see you guys out on a fishing boat together and I'm going to be the one that lost a friend." So, I'm not picking sides. So, you guys work it out. Work it out. And and and you know, I struggled when I first came on because in the when the vending world, if you took one of my accounts, I was coming to take three of yours. Like that's just the dog in me. Like I was it was going to be over with. Like I was getting ready to hammer down. And I pulled up one morning and there's two of our competitors sitting here loading up loading up gates. And I'm like, "Hey, what is that? Wait, that's for the job that I just quoted last week." And Chris like, "Oh, it's no big deal, man. You're good." I'm like, "What?" And then finally I was like, "Okay, I don't understand this. You have to explain this to me." He's like, "Look, there's plenty of work." He's like, "And the thing is is if they're buying quality stuff and they're all building quality stuff, we'll all make more money." And I'm like, "Okay, that makes sense." you know, okay, I kind of get that side of it. That's a little more logical than, hey, you're feeding my competitors. I'm fighting this dude, you know, tooth and nails. So, but yeah, it's um what where do you think on sales? I know it kind of glitched out. I'm up in, by the way, anybody listening, I'm in Puerto Rico. I've got uh I know I've got my glasses on today. I don't have my big paper printed out, so I got to read I got to read my notes and uh you know, I'm like, you know what? I don't care. I'm wearing my glasses. Uh I'm putting them on. I know. Uh, I've already gotten Susan tell me that I look goofy and uh, it is what it is, right? Got to be able to see, but um, let's talk about sales for a minute. Um, I, you know what I love about this subject is is I live in this world of sales, too. So, um, and when most people think sales starts is completely different from one person to the other. And, and I think sometimes it blends into order takers and and estimating. And I think those are two completely different things in sales. So, if we were to focus on just sales, you and I, when do you think sales starts? I think sales starts basically whenever you're when you're creating a reputation. Um, you know, it it really that's the selling feature a lot of the guys miss. It's not when you answer the phone. It's not, you know, it sales starts to be human. You know, I mean, that's a lot of people don't understand that. It's not about going out there and, you know, let me measure your yard and here's the price. You know, it really starts whenever you're whenever you've created that brand, you know, and then the brand shows up and everybody knows who that is. You know, I can walk into the grocery store today and everybody and with a high steel shirt on, everybody knows who I am. You know, my kids my kids ball games, I go I show up to those and they they know, hey, that's Josh from High Steel, you know. And I I think that's the selling point that a lot of people miss. It's the brand, you know. uh you see these these little shiny blue car I drive when it pulls up it's like that's the brand that's the the sale starts there you know um there's I think we counted one day there's like 80 something people around us that do fence for in our like whole parachuted area um you know and it's like you know what's what deviates you to make you different you know and I I think that's where the sales starts is what what why are you different who are you what's your reputation you know Those are the key factors to to where it starts at, you know. Well, damn it, you one up me. But, um, from what I was going to say and, you know, darn it, I was going to say, you know, it's it starts when you pick up the phone and you had to go one better, man. This ain't a competition, man. You don't get an award for winning this. Okay. So, um, right. But you won because I was going to say it starts uh, you know, when you pick up the phone and, uh, you know, for

Us. So, drop in the comments uh what you were going to say when I asked that question because I'm curious where uh most people think that uh this you know that the sales starts you know because uh because you're right it does come back to the branding and you know and all that and you said in your area there's 80ome fence companies probably within the area you reach. So for everybody that's listening that doesn't know um doesn't know you know you and Chris and everybody in High Steel um tell everybody your area and where you reach um your whole company and also maybe you maybe you go a limited area within that area. Tell everybody where you are. Yeah. No, I cover basically from from the Alabama state lineish uh in the panhandle area all the way to just on the just this side of Panama City. We're kind of in the middle of it. Uh it's it's it's a pretty decent size little territory. Um usually about a two-hour drive either direction depending on where I go, you know, maxed out. Um but yeah, we basically cover the panhandle of Florida, Gulf Coast, you know, nor northern northern western Florida area. So, um yeah, there's a bunch of us. It's it's crazy, you know, and you try to help some of these guys because, you know, I don't want the the new guy to be beat up on. I don't think that's fair. We were all new guys at one time and you try to help some of these guys and then they get so offended. I just don't understand. It's like, man, I don't care. Like I want you to I want you to be beating me. Like that's, you know, because if you're beating me, I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So, you know, but it's like you try to help them, they just get so mad. But yeah, we're on the Gul Coast up here. Um, we have one branch here and we also have one in Homo, Louisiana. Um, I couldn't tell you all that over there because they got parishes and all kinds of crazy stuff. I just go over there and use my GPS to get where I'm going because I don't have a clue. Just don't turn down the dirt roads. Yeah, I go I go back east and I think I've said it before. Anything Texas on over is the east to me. That's the east coast. But um I don't know. I stay all our jobs are on the west. But um you know I remember what changed the way I sell was how I grew up and you know doing sales and I grew up uh driving my uncle Tom around and my uncle's fence companies. But the first time I was really doing sales was, you know, in my teenage years and I we had a little Toyota I don't know if you remember the Toyota vans. They turned on a dime and you're sitting right above the wheel. So he made a desk in the back of it and ripped out the seats and he had a a little desk made out of one by twos and plywood, right? And he'd sit back there um while I'm driving, yelling at me, of course, you know, when I wasn't turning or whatever, but things like that. And he would be back there doing, you know, handwriting estimates and getting out and when we we would do, I don't know, six, eight sales calls a day. and we would do the quotes on the spot. So, I was raised I guess I don't know about taught. I was raised I think there's there you sometimes you're raised into the industry. I was raised believing that the phone rang. You got out there and I was taught that you wanted to be the first and this is probably this is probably why I sell the way I am. And there's a lot of people believe you you should be the last guy, right? They're going to get three quotes. You want to be the last one so you can you can convince them to go with you. Well, I was raised to be the first one out. Um give the quote on the spot. Ask for the sale. not um you know you'd say hey you know this would be a perfect job for us not kind of high pressure but I believe when you give them the quote you're asking for the sale right and you know tell them hey we on the schedule so that's I think that is the moment that changed and that changed how I sell do you remember anything or a moment that changed how you sell whether it be fence or something else like a book you read or somebody you met or a movie you watched is there something that changed the way you sell yeah actually um so I I listen to a lot of podcasts, that kind of stuff while I ride because your car is your classroom. Um, and I heard a guy say one time, "Quit spending the customer's money." So, and it kind of it kind of hit me hard. I was like, "What does that mean?" And I kind of thought about it and that was kind of my turning point to where, you know, sometimes you put a price on a

Piece of paper, you're like, "Oh, there's no way." Like, uh, you know, and once I kind of like, "Okay, I'm giving you the price. This is the price, you know, and we're going to ride with it." Um, that was kind of my turning point to where sometimes where you're kind of afraid to give that that price to somebody. It's like I can't spend your money for you. I can educate you to the degree, but I can't spend it for you. Um, that really kind of turned up a lot of things for me. Uh, you know, because I had a I had a very a guy who's very known in the car industry around here. Um he was telling me he always has this famous story of this guy that pulls up and this big you know F350 and gets out and he wants to see this truck. He's got coveralls on kind of rough around the edges and he takes him shows him the truck and the guy says you know what I really appreciate that I'll take the truck and pulls the cash out of his pocket you know and then he said you know by the way I need to buy my daughter a car and he buys his daughter a car on the spot. never would have thought it just by looking at the guy, but it was one of those things if if you would have spended money for him because yeah, he didn't look like he had that kind of money in his pocket, you know. Um, you know, that's that's the changing that's that was, you know, and when you hear stories like that, it's like exactly, you can't spend their money for them. So, yeah. Yeah. And I was um I don't know if I was told this or figured out along the way, but I I feel like I I heard this from someone along the way. Um, even though you're going to give this for free, this gate, this post, whatever it's going to be, you're going to throw in there. Um, there's Kevin. What's going on, man? Love that guy. Whether you're gonna do it, never give it away. I mean, if you're going to give it away for free, that's one thing, but put a value on it. So, if you are going to add a uh, you know, customer wants to add a walkade or something to this project, add the 350 bucks in there. Again, I don't know what you charge. So, anyways, listen, I'm not telling you to charge 350 for a walkate, but um, you lose a job because I told you you charge 350 for a walkate. That's on you. But uh you know you're but uh but you know if you're going to you know put it on the put it on the quote or put it on the invoice say 350 and then do a minus 350. So they see that it was worth something that you gave them and um I believe that you know that's something that stuck with me forever is you know don't just throw it in and don't just uh you know put no value on it because then they if there you don't put a value on it the customer doesn't see it and [snorts] uh just thinks it had no value. So, that's one thing I think that kind of a long time ago and that's been decades that you know I've been following on that. Um, what do you think some of the uh what do you think some of the things that have you dealt with a lot of new sales people getting into fence? Oh, yeah. And you would be amazed at the stuff they tell customers. Holy cow. What do you think? And we're in the driving game pretty hard as far as driving post and that kind of stuff. And man, it is it's like um and I feel bad for him because sometimes they'll go out there and tell customers this and then you know I'm very big I got literature and videos and all this other kind of stuff that I show people and I'm like you know I mean I had a guy one time that we kind of went round and round about the whole driving thing and I was like look you pull that poster I'll pay for your fence. He's like what? I'm like I will drive a post in the center of your yard. You pull it over I'll pay for it. And I said I'll pay for it for the other guy to do it that telling you this doesn't work. He just kind of like looked at me. I mean, I walked away with the check, but it was one of those things. It was like, you know, but you struggle with that and it's one of those it's where you're like, "Okay, do I call that guy up and hey, man, let me help you." Like, I get you're trying to win jobs, but that is not how we're, you know, not going to get you anywhere. You know, you're you're overpromising and under underdeling. You can't do that. Um, but yeah, new guys come into the industry, especially around here, they or they'll go in and just tank the price and it's like, you know, how much money you just left on the table. Yeah. I mean, we have a a new one across the river from us and

Great people. I mean, they are super good, but every time I turn around, he's giving a job away. And I'm like, buddy, like, I want you to succeed, but you won't succeed if you keep doing that. You can't be $200 over the cost of the materials. I know even if you're doing it by yourself overhead wise, you can't you can't survive like that. Um and I I think that's where some of these new guys, they come in and I'm going to be the lowest price. And it's like, please don't be go be the highest price. I promise you in three years you'll be head over heels and have more money in your pocket than you ever had, you know? But yeah, the new guys coming into the industry, I think that's where they they have the wrong mindset on that, you know, like price it to sell it. Don't price it to give it away. Yep. Yeah, I agree. So, you think one of the bigger mistakes is uh that new new sales people make is uh well, I think I think what it is is they for they for me, I mean, you think it's maybe pricing or overpromising, you know, when they're doing it is one of the biggest mistakes. And uh I think the one of the biggest mistakes I find with some of the new guys is once they learn something, they feel like they want to teach it to the the customer. And and I I tell them all the time, hey, while you're out there trying to teach this customer how to build fence, don't forget to sell the fence while you're there. and uh you know they called you because they wanted a fence built. They didn't call you because they wanted to learn how to build fence. You know this guy already has a job. So uh just go out there give him the information he's asking for and you know maybe share a little bit of your knowledge to get the you know to have him so they can get some confidence in your company and you but uh don't you know don't try think that you need to educate him completely on the entire industry um if he's not asking for it and and that happens a lot you know and you know everybody wants that leg up and it's like oh I got another piece of knowledge but at the end of the day they have a problem and you're there to solve the problem not not not do all that you know that's the extra extra icing on the cake, but you got to fix the problem because if you're not there to fix the problem, you won't sell anything. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, what do you think the weirdest probably have a couple, probably one that sticks out, though. What do you think the weirdest property or the weirdest thing you've ever made an estimate on? Whether you got it or not, doesn't mean you got it, just the weirdest thing you ever bid. Oh, I bid some crazy stuff. Um, man, it's what did I do? I did something that's that's a hard that's a tough one there. Um, as far as weird stuff, I've been some crazy wapped out aluminum gates and stuff and Chris is like, "How are we going to build that?" I was like, "I don't know. It's on you." Uh, I would I would tell you the custom stuff is probably the the craziest. You know, anything custom is very hard to bid and sell and do all that. Um, as far as the craziest thing, what did I sell? I sold a bunch of farm fence one time. We didn't know how to install it. It was kind of crazy. That's all right. I mean, it's one of those. Yeah, I don't really have like a specific one just because every once in a while I throw them all I throw him a hay maker. I sold a pergola one time and Chris was like, "Who's going to build that?" I was like, "I don't know." But guy said he wanted one and I had an idea what it took to build it and he's like, "Oh, great." You know. Um, but yeah, as far as like off-the-wall stuff, I I try to avoid that just because it does it does end up back in my plate and I have to try to figure out how to manage it, you know. Um, yeah, it all sounds good to tell your customer, "Hey, if you can draw, we can build it until somebody hands you something they drew." And then you're like going, "Okay, careful what you ask for, right?" Pinterest Pinterest and Etsy could go away. Holy cow. You know, you get this elaborate wapped out gate and they're like, "This is what I want." I'm like, "No, you don't. Trust me, you know, you give the price tag like you've lost your mind. Yeah. You're like that's not even engineering won't even work out on that thing. That gate is literally on itself and that's not even a real gate. Yeah.

Yeah. Exactly. That's AI created, you know. So, I think uh for me, I remember when I was a kid and uh I didn't really bid it, but my uncles owned a fence company up in Alaska. So, they used to bid work out on these islands. It's places where um the ground never thawed. So, uh, they and they had these big equipment that they get out to these islands. They have to take out either helicopters and boats and things like this, right? And, um, I remember they were bidding one and, uh, I mean, I couldn't back this up 100%, but it's just from what I remember, you know what I mean, from from being there. And, uh, they were supposed to dig the holes and just use water and sand uh, with some rock and then and that's it. No cement or anything. And I guess when the ground froze, you know, when it froze, uh, it just never thought out. So that was like the mix was just water, sand, and rock. Now I I I would like to find the specs on this if it existed, but this would have been like 80s and 90s, you know what I mean? Going into that stuff. So I would love to see the I'd love to see the specs on that. If uh anybody's done that, let us know. We'd like to go see it, right? That's pretty wild. So um yeah, I mean that's that's kind of what I remember uh you know on that project bidding it. So, other than that, we bid some stuff, a lot of stuff on roofs and things inside the hotels. We bid some weird cages in weird spots and uh it's like storage wars in there, man. It's I've seen, you know, people don't realize that there's chain link fencing on almost every floor in those casinos down the strip. And sometimes you'll, you know, you'll be out there at 3:00 in the afternoon and they'll clear a space where these cages are supposed to be built. this whole the whole department wherever it was had to move out and then um that night while everybody was gone another department moved into that area and we go to start the fence and next thing you know there's two departments and they're just battling. It's just uh over over this like and the area is like what five feet by like seven. It's like the smallest little area and they're at war over it. So what um what do you do to train your salespeople? What's the um what do you think the what's the procedure? How do you how do you go about that? Do they ride along with you guys for a while? Do you sit in a classroom? Do you watch some videos? Or do you just say go out there and if you don't sell nothing in a week, you're out of here? No. Um, typically when we train a salesperson, um, it kind of starts with really kind of finding that person. Um, I'm very big on finding somebody who's competitive, uh, and that is hungry. Uh, I mean, if I can usually ask you a handful of questions and tell if you're if you're ready to rock and roll or you're just there to to try to play a game, you know. Um, but once we get them get them on, we we kind of we ride with them for a little bit, teach them the process. Um, and then we try to usually that last a little bit. Then we let them go and then circle back to them, you know, circle back around and say, "Okay, you know, where are we at? What what do you see that's wrong with the process?" You know, and sometimes like, "Oh, it's XYZ." you're like, "No, that this is why we do it this way." You know, because accounting doesn't like it if you do it the other way. And they will call you. I promise you, you don't want that phone call because they work all hours of the night, you know. Um, and then once once they kind of turn them loose, it's it's really just kind of a a follow-up process. But the biggest thing we do is we really try to find that person out of the gate. Um, we've been successful a couple times, you know, and a lot of times they move on to bigger and better things because, of course, you know, it's the fence world, you know, we're the bottom of the bottom of the barrel sometimes. But um and then the other the other thing is I don't mind transitioning a guy that's been in the field a while. You know, the big thing is he has to be that he has to prove himself out there sometimes. Not just, hey, you know, I'm leading I'm leading a crew. It's like, okay, but you don't know how to talk to Miss Jones when you walk up there to her. So, I can't bring you to do this, you know. Uh so, um I don't really I really like promoting within just because they understand the culture. Uh but it's very hard a lot of times to to make that transition for them just because it's like okay you built it this way but this is how we sell it. So you can't use that

Mentality especially when you're using manh hours and that kind of stuff you know to make everything jive. I can build that in 30 man hours but what does the other crews build it at? You know what is our what is our average company company setting? Um, so the biggest part is just, you know, just educating them through it to make sure that they understand, you know, the the ins and outs of how we function, how we go, and and you they have to you have to be okay too with chalking up losses because I see a lot of these guys hold on to sales people way too long like, "Oh, he's he's going to get it. He's going to get it. He's going to get it." It's like, he he doesn't have it, you know? Um, it's, you know, spend a long time vetting them and then don't be afraid. And you have that conversation up front. And I am I'm that away. Chris is that away. Nick, our production coordinator, is that away. It's like, hey, here's the deal. Like, this is how we operate. This is how we work. If you don't fall into the genre of what we do, we'll just part ways. No hard feelings, you know? Yeah, it's tough. Sales is tough. I mean, it's one of those things where you you you you got to you feed everybody a little bit different morale-wise and a little bit different pats on the back and and you know, I mean, we're quick to we're quick to sometimes not give the guys in the field because you don't see them as much. You know, they come in in the morning and they they come and a lot of times they just unload their truck and they pack and they leave and they don't get uh not that they don't deserve it, they they tend to not we don't have to feed their egos as much, right? They just come in, they do their work and they go. salespeople. It's like we're we're constantly trying to make sure these guys don't go into a hole because sales people, you hire them and they make they they just take off right in the beginning and then all of a sudden it plateaus or they sell one job that's really big and then and then they blow off a bunch of leads and because they think they can this one's going to be coming or something and then you're like no no no you don't understand that one big job you're going to lose all the value of getting that big job when you blow off these other 10 leads. So rather Yeah. So, we have numbers every month that we have to all hit and I've got to watch Chris. What he'll do is he'll go in and he'll go in and jack my numbers up and I this July was one of those. So, July is always tough for us. We have a lot that goes on around here. Kids are out of school, you know. And I went in there and beginning of the month and pull my numbers. I'm like, "Whoa, hey, what are you doing?" He said, "Good luck, bud." You know, so but and and you know, I have a a team, a little baseball team I coach and that kind of stuff. And it's the same way with those kids. You have to understand what motivates them, what the morale is, you know, and you have to keep feeding them because you get that kid that hits all the home runs, well then all of a sudden he gets complacent and then he becomes a strikeout queen, you know. It's uh it's the same way with coaching sales guys along. It's like, okay, we got to stay motivated. Like you can't can't get complacent, you know? Yeah. Yeah. So, you mentioned Miss Jones earlier, uh the customer. Let's talk about that for a second. uh you know when you go out there and reading the people and I don't I think sometimes people we you know especially when you're trying to bring someone in that doesn't understand and maybe is not good at reading people and it gets real mechanical and then it turns into more of like a cold call where they just I'm going to call you know like a cold caller I'm going to call 50 people today and hopefully three answer the phone and one buy something that's a numbers game right but in fencing I don't believe you can play a numbers game and I think we cross a line we're into it now by by if we're not careful chasing it to the bottom it starts to turn into a numbers game. You're just going to bid as many as you can, right? Then you got to start chasing more leads. So, um I'm a firm believer that you need to try to increase your closing ratios on every one of them, even if it means you're going to. I'd rather have less leads and work harder for those, which means do the drawings, do this. It's not, you know, I'm not trying to pre-qualify them as much and get rid of them before I've had the opportunity. I'm just just me, you know, before I've had the opportunity to try to sell it. So, um,

Reading people's body language and things like that, um, can you tell in a few minutes when you go out there and or maybe you don't. I mean, do you go out there and shake their hand or can you tell in a few minutes whether this seems like this is going to be the the person making the buying decision? I can usually tell um just because a lot of times you you when you start talking to them, you know, if somebody's referring to my husband, my husband, my husband or my wife, my wife, my wife, that's not they're not the one making the decision, you know. um or my other half, whatever. Um but yeah, it's uh I can usually kind of vet that out. Um I can typically tell I can tell you a lot of times when I pull up, you know, okay, this is this is getting ready to be this going to be a cakewalk, you know, um just by kind of how the I mean how they take care of their stuff, you know, because you pull up and you got that, you know, brand new car sitting in the driveway, you know, the grass is well manicured. Those are the ones I those are the ones I'm gonna win on because I know when I walk in, you know, what they're what they're looking for. Um, I can also tell by the problem that they have. They call and, you know, they got this puppy that's getting out every time you turn around, you know, and like, I got your solution and this is what it's going to cost, you know, and you get the you get the husband who's like, "Please, I'm tired of chasing this dog every morning, you know." Um, but I it's it's it's an art. It's not something that it's very hard to teach it, you know, as far as whenever, you know, you're training someone like, hey, this is how you, you know, you're gonna identify what kind of customer you're going to have. Um, you know, we have a lot of military around here and you talk about hard people to read. Holy cow, especially that old retired Marine, he is the hardest because you don't know what's going through his head and but at the end of it, you know, he wants it right and he and he wants to feel like he was treated good, you know. So that's that's one of those one that you definitely make sure that you overd deliver to them, you know, and and and I and when I first got back into really hard-hitting sales, I tracked a lot of this stuff, you know, pulled up made kind of notes on my on my iPad and it's like, okay, this is this is what I see. You know, this is the type of customer I felt like it was. And then what what did I close it? You know, how am I going to close it? Um, you know, some people, you know, you get that one that like, hey, yeah, thanks. Just send it to me. I cannot stand. Just like, "Okay, cool. I'll send it to you." You know? Um he's walking away. He's walking away from you and you're like, "Hey, hey, I can it'll take me five minutes to do it right now." Uh well, he's like, "Yeah, just just send it out." You know, and and the other thing is I always can tell too by like the respect factor, you know, like, you know, if you if you respect my time and I respect your time, you know, I I'm very adamant about being on time. Um and and you can always tell, too. And someone's like, "Oh, wow. you showed up exactly at 10 o'clock. It's like, yep. You know, that means something to people. And those are the people that like, okay, cool. He's already punctual when we start, you know. Um, and a lot of guys miss that. Hey, I'm going to be here between 9 and seven or 9 and five or whatever. Like, you can't do that to people because the AT&T people do that and nothing pisses me off more than that, you know? Like, don't do that, you know? Uh, so we we try to we try to be punctual from the beginning. You know, those are the customers that I know are easy for me to close because they like that stuff. Um, you know, if I know what your pain point is a lot of times, like the quicker I can get that out of you, I can tell if you're the one that's going to be paying for it or not. Um, yep. If I sit there and drink a cup nasty cup of coffee with you, you're probably going to write me a check somewhere along the way or, you know, or go over to that drawer and pull that cash out that you hide, you know. Um, I have drank lots of nasty cups of coffee. Uh, little tidbit that I learned, too. Um, whenever you start going to someone's home because people will invite you in, uh, you know, check your shoes. Hey, is you okay if I take my shoes off? People really kind of, you'd be amazed at how many people that

Like, oh, wow, he cares about the inside of my house. He just didn't wear his shoes in here, you know. Um, so it's it's those little things that I can usually tell where we're going to go with the thing. Um, you know, just like selling B2B, you know, when we do with contractors and work, I can typically tell if you're just hunting number out of me, you know, and I had a conversation actually with one that I gave quite a few quotes to and didn't win anything. I finally told him the other day, I'm like, "Hey, man, like where are we at? What are we going to do with this?" You know, if if you're just needing numbers, I you know, I'll give you whatever number you want, but if you're actually winning these jobs and I'm not getting these jobs, then we need to have a conversation. um because there's there's a lot of guys around here, contractor guys that know, okay, you know, high still is going to be a dog in the hunt. So, we got to we're going to use their numbers, you know. So, right. Um but yeah, and that's the conversations that I know if I'm going to win or lose. A lot of times when guys like, oh, well, you know, I'm just the estimator. It's like, yeah, this is not where I'm winning at. I'm wasting my time with you. Well, I tell you one thing, I still wouldn't want to be out there bidding against me because I take my shoes off in the truck. I don't even wear them in the grass around the house around even the outside of the house. So, it is socks everywhere. And I just put a new pair of socks on, you know, before I go in to every estimate. So, you I'd smoke you on like, man, he really cares about my lawn. You get out and put a piece of cardboard underneath your car so it doesn't leak any water, you know, throw some cat litter on the ground where my truck's parked and then sweep it up nicely when I'm leaving, you know. But, you know, I've been out to jobs where um and I used to do a lot of residential, except back then, we didn't we we really didn't have the it wasn't even as much internet and stuff. And we had binders, man, a stack this big full of uh pictures, actual real pictures that we'd have developed. And I had picture albums. Like, if I was out to make a chain link estimate, I mean, we'd have a book full of chain link and chain link gates and iron, whatever it was. We'd have uh automatic gates. We'd have a book of automatic gates. And I'd sit there, like you said, at people's table and I'd flip through these book and while I'm writing up, they'd be looking, the wife or whoever would be looking through the book. And um I remember that. But I've been out on projects um even even without wearing shoes still. I've been out on projects and the uh it just felt like they hated me, right? And you're you're just like there's no way in hell I'm selling this thing. Uh the the the awkward body language, you can't seem to even get like you said, you you know, you can't read them. You can't seem to even get them to have an expression or say more than one word and it seems like they hate you, right? And you're just walking around and like you go and you're trying to measure it, they're not even walking with you and it's just awkward, right? an awkward sales meeting, which is tough for us sales guys to have. It's awkward because we we want people to like us and you know, and then you have to kind of work your way through this estimate and make the estimate. How do you handle that? I mean, and dear mind, the same person. I may have still ended up selling it, right? But how do you handle that when you think that you've lost this sale before you've even made the estimate? Oh, that's a tough Yeah, I've I've been down that road multiple times. You know, when you walk in, they're like, you know, oh, so and so gave me this number and you're like, there's no shot. like I am wasting my time here. Um, you know, a lot of times it's I kind of go back to the education factor. You know, I know we don't like to feed off that, but it's one of those one of those things where it's like, you know, hey, I'm going to give you some education on this. Just make sure you get what you're paying for. Um, then the awkward silence people, man, it's those are tough. Those are really, really hard. and you know, you're trying to figure out if they're just observing you or if they're actually just, you know, and I found out sometimes it's because they're not the one that's making the decision. They just want, you know, the the the

Husband's at work and she she's got, you know, the kids climbing the fence and he's she's complaining every time he he comes home and he's like, "Well, just get some estimates and I'll get this done." And she's not really a social butterfly. She's like, "Oh, yeah, the fence is out there. Have a good one." you know, and um but those are hard. Those are hard for me, you know, especially being from being from the south where everybody wants to talk to each other and everything and you know, and it it's very difficult, but the biggest thing I try to do with those is just educate people. Um you know, and and just that's one of those ones where you I'm not spending their money, this is the cost, and you know, and and if you pay me now, pay me later, you know. Um, but yeah, those those are definitely the ones that you feel like you you not doing what you're supposed to be doing. Um, Well, another option, I mean, if you get if you get one of those people, you just can't get a reaction out of them. You're walking around for a while. I mean, I found the best thing is just to start tickling them, you know what I mean? And you just just I mean, not not in like a weird perverted way, just a just a little tickle, you know? I like to squirt with the water hose. Yeah. usually moves it along. Right. Right. Then you either close it or you're either going to close it and get the sale or you're or it's just going to close it and get kicked off. Either way, the awkward sales call is done. Start telling dad jokes. Well, start telling dad jokes. My kids get so mad at that, you know. So, so, so, um, real quick, I know I know we got a couple things I wanted to get into with you. Um, if we can give some advice on uh people to become a better salesperson, whether it's listening, talking, things like this, um, what would you what would you tell someone that they could change tomorrow that um would would help their closing ratios? You believe to ask a question and be quiet. Um, I struggled with that a very long time and I actually met with quite a few of kind of with some people and I had a guy tell me he's like, "Shut the up." Like, "Don't you ask the question and be quiet. Don't answer it for him." And I have found out that has been more successful for me um with just getting getting to that pain point or that problem or whatever a lot quicker instead of being like, "Oh, I think it's this." Just be quiet, you know? And and I've been round and around with people about that like, "Oh, you build a relationship." It's like, "Yes, but at some point you have to stop talking. Stop talking. Be quiet. Listen to what they're saying, you know, because they they're telling you their problem. You're not creating their problem." You know, you can create the vision for them, but don't create the problem for them. So, that's kind of that tomorrow. If I had to tell somebody what to start with, that would be it, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I guess mine would be um sell them what they want, you know. Um if if they want a fence, let's face it, this is a fence in somebody's backyard. Um I don't know I don't know how many five foot tall fences and wood or chain link in someone's backyard are falling over and hurting people. It's not very many that I know of. So um you know, sell them what they want and don't argue. You know what I mean? Don't feel like you have to um try to sell them a new new item or a new something. You know, if try to pitch it, soft pitch it. If you if it's they're not receptive to your your new way of doing something, sell them what they asked for in the beginning and move on to the next one. and uh you know do your soft pitch again until you find somebody that wants to do it a different way. So um I think that'll instantly help uh increase your closing ratios if you're not arguing with the customer before you ask for the check. Y exactly. Yeah. So um if everybody uh enjoyed listening to Josh talk, they're going to get another chance to listen to you talk here pretty soon coming up here in about 60 days um over at the Fence Show in Las Vegas. Uh if you got a full throttle pause, you're going to get to go uh listen to Josh on Wednesday. I believe you've got a class coming on sales. Uh tell everybody about that class. Uh I know you've been working with Veronica and Susan, everybody on this, so the team. So what's uh what's that about,

Man? So the sales class I'm going to teach is going to be about kind of reading your environment. Um being able to kind of understand when you show up what you're kind of the little things you're looking for. Um b basically preparing you to deal with the customer. uh the the little the little tidbits of you know what type of customer you're looking for and you know and how to deliver things to them based off the type of customer they are. Um that's kind of around you know a rough way of what my class will be about. Um it'll be a little open you know we'll ask them questions and that kind of stuff. Uh you know if you're looking for the magic trick I don't you know I don't believe in magic tricks. I believe in, you know, teaching teaching little things, little, you know, tricks up my sleeve, but not big magic tricks where, you know, we're pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Um, but yeah, the class will be the class will be very interesting. Um, it'll be entertaining. Uh, I like to have fun doing those things. I've taught a couple of them through my time. Um, and you know, I I really want people to come out to this show. If you want a a show that's geared towards you guys, this is the one. Um, it's not a bunch of just other fluff. Um, but definitely good education. The class that I teach, you know, you'll want more at the end of it, but you know, only got one this time. Maybe next time we'll do some more, but come support come support him and come support the show in the industry because it does uh make a difference um when people come and uh get those butts in the seats so that uh you can uh and you helps you sharpen your skill too at this. the more we do this, the better we're going to get, you know, as at the show and the full throttle and the new classes and and you as you're as you're, you know, learning from from what you did on this class. Um, so who do you think should attend this full fence show full throttle class uh that you're teaching? Is that open to everybody that's uh new, old, sales? What do you think? Yep. Um, anybody who, you know, if you've been in the game a while, I really want you to be there. Um, you know, I struggle a lot with the owners in these kind of classes because I am not the owner. I am the sales guy. Um, the owners are more than welcome to be there, too. Uh, somebody who's thinking about getting into sales if you think, you know, hey, I might want to, you know, I'm I've been building fence for a while. I'm ready to make a transition. Come sit down, get get a couple nuggets there, you know, and, you know, a couple little tidbits of information you can take back with you. Uh, that's kind of my goal with any of my classes. I want you to take something back to wherever you come from, um, and use it. Uh, as far as, you know, I welcome everybody. I don't care. You can be the the top of the food chain, bottom of the food chain. You'll learn something in there whether you whether you want to or not, you know. So, um but yeah, I welcome everybody. So, let's talk about what they're going to be um walking away with because um because you're right, they're going to I mean, you know, it's it's you definitely walk away with, you know, information. you walk away with something hopefully that you can take back and if it's one thing um you know whe you want to whether it's a nugget or whether it's a tidbit or whatever you want to call it just you get something you get to walk away with but you get to walk away with something a little more unique on this show too. Um we've got workbooks um that you're going to be able to um actually make some notes on write back and go back and uh if you are working for somebody show them hey this is what we discussed. Um, some of these classes have certifications. Um, if this is definitely part of, you know, a different one, a track or something that's going on, you might get a certification on it. So, um, definitely worth coming and checking out. Um, I think you're going to be, um, impressed with, uh, the Full Throttle Education this year. There's like 40 at least instructors, uh, tons of classes. Yeah. And and the thing about it, so I've been to I've been to quite a few shows, and, you know, I always go with a purpose. If you don't go with a purpose to these shows, you know, whether it's networking, whether it's, hey, I need to I need to sharpen my sharpen my skills some up on sales. I need to, you know, understand this installation. I need to

Find me a vendor for whatever XYZ, you know. Um, go all I recommend to people is go with a purpose. Um, and I think that's that's the key to all of these things. If you go with in your mind, hey, I'm going to find somebody that I can call on a Tuesday and ask them a question, you know, hey, I've got this customer. I don't really know which direction to move. You know, that that if you go with a purpose like that, you know, I think that you'll walk away with more than you will if you're going, you know what, I bought a ticket to Vegas. I'm going to hang out and hang out with my fence buddies and everything, which is great. I like doing that. I've been to a couple where I've had I've been to one or two where I've been like that. But um you know I I think you have to go with a purpose in mind. Um you know if you're taking your whole team sit down before you go and write it down on a piece of paper. What's your purpose for you going? You know because if if you're owners paying for you to be there or you're paying for you to be there get something out of this. I mean these the instructure the instructors in this thing are unbelievable. I mean I've sat through a lot of these people's classes and you if you don't learn something it's because you didn't want to learn something. Yeah. and bring the team. This was designed for um this this isn't designed for the the top 1% of our industry. It was designed for everybody right down to um maybe you've got one salesman or maybe you're the salesman for the company. Um and it's a just you know your brother builds the fence. This was designed for our entire industry. So in fact I don't know if you know um Jared Twist. Do you know Jared Ranch Fence out of California. So he Yeah. Jared. Jar. Yes. Yeah. So, he brings a lot of his crews, almost everybody when he comes up to this thing. And um he'll actually, like you said, they sit down and say, "Okay guys, here's the deal. I'm gonna bring you up to Vegas." And they look forward to it, right? The the whole cruise and everything. He's like, "But you know what? You're going to sit through x number of classes while you're there and you're going to get something out of this and then you also get to walk the exit hall floor and and get the whole experience of the fence show." And um I think that's kind of a cool thing. And being that these are $85 rooms, you can and you double occupancy these things. We've done the math. It's something crazy like $15 a day or something. I don't know what per person by the time I don't know what the numbers are, but it's really really reasonable by the time you're done. If you get the full throttle pass, you're getting some food, you're getting some drinks, you're getting uh things like this and a lot of other perks along with it. So, um I don't think I don't see how you can afford not to bring especially and you know, and I've noticed too and and I'm sure Chris can contest to this. We've gone to a couple of these shows and you know, and and they go one direction, you go another direction. Hey, I need to show you this. And he's like, "What do you mean?" You take him over there and you show him something. He's like, he'd have never seen that if he didn't have that person, you know, there looking for, you know, the CRM system or the, you know, or the the new tool that's out that helps everybody's life. You know, it's it I think that's where the show really thrives if you bring the team, you know, because as an owner, you don't always think, hey, you know, what's new, what's new and fresh that I can help the guys with. It's like, okay, well, cool. I get a deal on this material, you know, but it's not, you know, I think it just kind of that demographic really helps when you bring more than just the top of the the top of your food chain. Yep. And it's not the one not the type of show where you walk around and and you walk in a booth and like I don't know you're you know, they check to see how big you are before they want to sell to you, right? It's a and we've all been in that situation. Um, it's literally and I think I don't think everybody will probably ever know the amount of effort I sit in down in meetings and sitting talking to exhibitors even saying, "Hey, will you bring people, you know, I mean, it's always great to bring everybody at the top, but will you bring some people that can actually sign up accounts and and you know, I've because it's a big

Deal for me to ask you guys um at your companies and your fence companies and owners, bring your employees out, spend all this money to fly, travel, go there, take time away from your companies." Um, I I don't take that lightly. So, um, I I go to battle and I fight and I say, "Hey, will you guys do me a favor? Help these guys get accounts when they're there. Don't embarrass me. Sign them up." So, so a matter of fact, last yeah, last year when I was there, um, I met a rep from DeWalt. Um, just got to chatting with him, all that kind of stuff. He has been he has been awesome. And a matter of fact, I've reached out to him a couple times. Um, I found a a cable cutter tool that works great for chain link and I was like, "Hey," I was like, "Can you get these?" you know, can we get these? Like, oh, yeah, absolutely. And he told me where to get them, who to source them from. Like, I mean, it's it was like clutch, you know. Um, but yeah, he and just making that connection with him, not being the owner has helped helped the guys, you know, like, "Hey, can we get these?" I'm like, "Yeah, absolutely. We can get those." You know, the shop guy loves it. Um, but I think that's that's the things that the the owners will benefit from, you know, and and when you invest in your people, you know, as well as I do, you invest in your people, that money comes back, you know. Yep. Um, I tell you, Chris spent a lot of money training people and those are our competitors. But it's still it's great because they know how to price things. They know how to how to build it, you know. So, so it was kind of negative. Oh, you left us. But on the flip side of things, it it positive because everybody, you know, knows the knows the lines of things, you know. So, Chris is like, "Hey, now that you're my competitor, everybody knows I trained you. Don't make me look bad." Exactly. And sell it. That's funny. But yeah, we have done a lot of effort in finding tool companies because I believe our industry is bigger than just uh just just having the same, you know, chasing the same 500 people and and things like that and the same suppliers and stuff in front of you. It's a big deal. Um our trucks are stocked with a lot more than just fence materials and a couple tools. It's it's every one of these trucks is stocked with a lot of uh power tools, equipment, battery operated stuff. So, we we do spend a lot of effort trying to get them to the shows and that I believe that's how we get our shows in our industry recognized because you'd be amazed how much these tool companies don't realize that, hey, I never even thought about the fence industry and how many tools you guys have on your trucks. Oh, and and that's the thing, you know, this the show really does focus on bringing those those suppliers and those people are like, "Oh, wow. You know, I didn't realize there was there's a there's a forgotten market here. Look at this." You know, yeah. Um, I know a couple pick it guys that, you know, wood suppliers that they didn't they always dabbled in it, but they were never heavy in it. And then all of a sudden it's like, holy cow, like this is a this is a loop. Like I haven't found this one, you know? So, uh, you know, those are the ones that you want to that you like when they show up because they're just as excited as you are to be there, you Yep. Yeah. And it is exciting when you go. We try to bring, you know, I tell everybody all the time, I build a show that I wanted to go to. And um it was uh it was a party that I got to throw and my wife would never let me throw on my own. So I had to I had to invent this entire show so I could hang out with all my friends and uh drink and and hire entertainers. And I mean, come on. I mean, I was it last year, I think year before, we hired uh these guys on or these guys and gals on stilts that were dressed up like Kiss. You think my wife would ever let me hire them in real life? Yeah, they were definitely all over the place. Uh, you know, a Darth Vader. Nobody nobody's wife lets them hire a Darth Vader, right? Yeah. So, uh, let's get into the rapid fire rounds. Everybody that's listening, um, if you like what Josh has to say, um, even if you don't like what Josh has to say, you can avoid him when you get there. But, uh, you know, come to the Fence Show, right? Go to fenceow.com,

Get your full throttle pass. Um, they're only like$1.99. You're not going to get this kind of education anywhere for $1.99. Or um find if you just want to come walk the expo hall, find one of the exhibitors, reach out to them. There's um free pass uh codes everywhere um from one of the exhibitors. They can help you out. Um get a hold of um get a hold of Josh. He'll help you get some passes somehow. If you're just trying to get um get an expo hall pass or something, too. Um drop it in there, reach out to one of us. Um so, let's uh let's go into the rapid fire uh round here. This is always the fun part. By the way, I purposely don't read these things beforehand. Susan comes up with these things. So, and I do this because uh I want to, you know, a lot of times I want to answer them, too. And if I read these, then the whole show I I did this one at a time. I'm I'm running these rapid fire questions through my head the whole time and then I've scripted almost right by the end of it. And and then and then I screw it up anyway. So, so now I just read them as we go. Okay. So, rapid fire question number one. You pull into a customer's driveway. What's the first thing you notice? The lawn. Yep. They cut their grass. Don't cut their grass. That usually that or the car. What kind of car they drive? Yeah, I guess the car. Yeah, you're right. So, I guess for me, um, the driveway because, uh, I've had a couple instance where my guys have went out kind of, you talked about earlier with the truck leaking or something and I'm paranoid of driveways now and I'm always afraid that I'm going to lose this sale or something's going wrong is, you know, and I drive fairly new vehicles for myself normally, but I'm still always afraid to park in someone's driveway. So, um, I even though I look at it and I'm like, I want to park there and I'll circle around and park across the street instead of parking in someone's driveway. in anybody's driveway. I'm very weird about that. It's odd, right? It's odd when I'm with somebody and you know, you're visiting somebody and you know I because I visit a lot of fence companies and maybe we'll run out to a sales call or something with them while I'm there and they pull into a driveway. I'm like, you're just going to park in the driveway, huh? That's Yeah. Yeah. I'm not I'm not a big fan of that, you know, especially when they have one of those beautiful pa driveways. Like, yeah, no, I'm not definitely not parking on this one, you Okay. Okay. So, you're out on an estimate. Um, obviously this would never be the case here. Um, that this would be a scenario, but say you're out on an estimate and you and I are doing some sort of challenge on each other. We go out there and you you're making this estimate, but you only get to ask one question before giving the estimate. That's it. Just the whole estimate. You get to ask one question um before you give the estimate. What would that question you'd ask is? wow, that's a tough one. Um, let's see. Oh, wow. Uh, what? Let's see. Uh, do you if I could fix this today, what would it what would it what would you No, I don't have one for that one. That's God, that's hard. Um, I I'm I'm drawing a blank on that. Uh, as far as one question, that one got me. You got me. I guess you'd be like You'd be like me. I might I guess my question would be, can I have five more questions? But I guess it's not like rubbing the genie bottle. You don't get to wish for another wish, right? So, that's a tough one. I don't I don't know why she would throw that in there. Just to make us look like fools, I guess, before the end. Yeah, I don't know. Susan, well played, Susan. Here, I mean, we ask a million questions and we can't think of one. I guess uh mine would be where would you like the fence? And can I mix like two questions into it? Maybe. Maybe I would do a be like a uh a long sentence. I just where would you like the fence or what what would you you know or what would you like us to build? Right. And then hopefully they would that would be enough of a hint for them to ramble on and give us enough information. Right. Yeah. you know, what's your budget? What's your budget? Ah, I don't normally even say that though, so that wouldn't be a question I'd ask because I don't like to talk

About money. You know what I mean? And that would be an awkward question, right? And I think that's like a car salesman kind of question. So, um, yeah, I know. Anyway, would you like for me to start? I mean, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. When are you looking to get in? So, anyway, drop drop if you're listening to this thing, drop it in there what your what your only question, if you allowed to ask one question, would be. I'm curious. In fact, I might post that on one of my pages just to see what people say. I'd like to I'd like to go through and read the thread on that one. Okay. Um Okay, here's uh would you rather Here's question number three. Would you rather lose a $100,000 job because you talk too much or lose it because you didn't ask enough questions? Probably lose it because I didn't didn't ask enough questions. Yeah, I tend to agree on that one. Yeah. Yeah. I'm afraid to go any deeper into this question one because uh I'm still stumped on the one before that. Right. Definitely threw a haymaker. Last one. True or false? The customer has already decided whether they trust you before you ever sit down. True. Yeah, I think so. I think it's kind of like um my wife says and you know she's like you know what even like girls they like they know they know whether you're a viable option right uh before you right when you're walking up I think it's similar to that customers kind of have a idea whether they're going to go with you and I think with if you're within budget right in their mind y what they're planning on spending if they're planning on spending3 to $4,000 and they just met you they know if you're within three to $4,000 whether they're going to give you the job or um before you even gave him the quote. Yeah. So, uh Okay, she's got a bonus fence show question. A bonus fence show question. Brought to you by the Fen Show and Security Expo. Go to fenshow.com. And no, don't bonus fen show question. If you could secretly follow one salesperson around for a week to see how they really sell, who would it be and why? this this person whenever he started out, he asked a lot of questions and and I talked to him probably we go kind of spells where we don't talk back and forth, but um yeah, I'm going to tell you, Dylan King, that guy is on fire right now and I cannot figure out what he's doing, but he is killing it. That sucker, he he asked me a gazillion questions when he first started, you know, what do you think of this? What do you think of that? what do you think of this? And I'm like, man, you know, and I'd answer his questions and stuff, but he has found something and he is he's burning like a wildfire right now. I don't know what it is, but you know, and I asked him the other day. I like, "Hey, let's jump on a call." He's like, "Hey, let's not Good luck." You know, I was like, "Hey, you jerk." You know, I could see that. Mine would be uh Charlie from One Tab. I'd like to spend an entire week with Charlie and and I'm really good friends with Charlie. So, I mean, we our our wives are friends. I go to dinner a lot with them. Um, I'm I'm really close. I mean, we're close friends. And I still um so we talk a lot about sales and, you know, life in general and stuff. So, I still would like to spend an entire week going around with him. You know, he does a lot of expose, roofing expos, and uh and things like that. So, I like to spend an entire week and see how he really sells because I'm just I'm baffled by the guy. He's a really nice guy. I talked to him I think at the first show, first or second show, I talked to him and he's he'll talk to anybody and he's very knowledgeable. I mean, he'll he's definitely uh a good one. Yep. Hey, let's uh let's talk about something even better than Charlie. Hey, um we've got Lisa the Green from Greenwood Girl uh Greenwood Fence coming in. They're going to talk about composite fencing. Um she's on next week. Uh, and it looks like we're going to have uh instructors on uh I think Susan's got instructors uh lined up here for the next uh 60 days. So, we're pretty excited about that. So, tune in next week for Lisa um from Greenwood Fence. We're going to be talking about composite fencing and uh she's going to

Be doing a class, a course, I'm assuming here, or she wouldn't have her on here. I haven't got to see that literature yet. I'm excited. So, um Josh, thanks for coming on, man. Uh really fun. I appreciate it. everybody that's listening. Um I know you guys took time away from your families uh to probably watch this uh this late in the uh day. Thank you guys. Uh we will talk to you guys next week at 3:00 Pacific time. 5 o'clock on Thursday. Stay stay tuned. Hopefully you guys tune in next week. Lisa is going to be on from Greenwood Fence and we'll talk about some composite fencing. Josh, thanks a lot. Tell Chris I said hi everybody that tuned in. Thanks. Uh Susan in the background. You were awesome pulling everything up for us. Uh, thanks again everybody. Thank you. I'm going full throttle.

I'm going full throttle. I'm going full throttle.

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