"The Process" (2)

The team picture from Progressive Builders in Fort Meyers, FL. This company also uses Sonny Lykos' "The Process"

Sonny Lykos has reactivated a Journal of Light Construction thread relating to The Process -- from 2002 and, with the cross link to this blog, we are receiving many new visitors. I decided to look into the website of the thread's starter, Candi Hilton, then of Hilton Enterprises in Stillwater, KS. Her site went to a dead link, and proved to have expired back in 2004.

BUT . . . new tracking tools through social networking sites allow us to find people who might otherwise disappear into the ether, and Troy and Candi Hilton appear on linkedin.com associated with Progressive Builders in Fort Meyers, FL.

On the Progressive website, we find:

Troy’s been in construction for 27 years. In that time he has worked in many aspects of the construction industry, from high rise concrete construction to commercial tenant finish and all phases of residential building and remodeling. Troy and his wife Candi ran an award winning big 50 remodeling company in Kansas. They relocated to south west Florida in 2004, to enjoy the weather and the water. Troy is also a Certified Remodeler by the National Association for the Remodeling Industry.

And, perhaps not surprisingly, I found a page with . . . The Process!

http://www.progressivebuilders.com/process/

Sonny's concept to provide a systematic and practical approach that steers potential clients away from "free estimates" and bid shopping is proving to stand the test of time -- and geography. It may not work for some sub trades, as Daniel Smith notes about painting contractors, but the answer may be in part the fact The Process allows for a basic form of "free estimate" -- the ballpark call, which can be handled on the phone in the initial conversation. Obviously, you need to be sure your potential client can even contemplate the budget for which you wish to work, and the client reasonably wants to know if taking things further is a waste of time. By offering ballpark numbers on the phone, you will avoid investing too much energy in people just trying to get an idea -- and you will set the stage for trust and their receiving (and understanding) The Process. I also think The Process works obviously best when your brand and reputation are relatively well established; it is just one element in Brand Harmony. I'm looking forward to finding and verifying other examples of its utility in practice.