Belief in the Win-Win

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Win-win. It’s a phrase that gets a lot of lip service -- but little sincere reflection.

I’ve seen articles in the New York Times and the Boston Globe in the past year basically telling homeowners that now is the time to get the better of contractors.

Here’s my belief: 99% of homeowner-remodeler relationships that start off with one party expecting to be on the winning side of a win-lose relationship will end up being a lose-lose.

Contest? Game Over

You’ve been there. You visit a homeowner (usually a male) who feels the need to flex his muscles and let you know that no contractor is going to get the better of him. Even if he's not so overt, you sense a certain standoffishness. He believes it’s a contest…either the homeowner wins or the contractor does. A win-lose.

There’s also this more benign but still misguided consumer who thinks now is a great time to remodel because low demand means more competitive pricing. Another win-lose.

(Besides, they figure, contractors had it too good for too long, and it’s about time they lost.)

I’ve sensed this win-lose expectation from prospects at initial meetings, and I see it as a major red flag. My response? Call them on it.

“Mr. Jones, do you believe there’s a possibility for a win-win here? Do you believe it’s possible for you to receive great value AND for me to earn a reasonable 10% net profit?”

“Yes” or “Absolutely yes” or “Of course” are all acceptable answers in order for me to continue the meeting or consider bringing them on as clients. “No” or silence or staring at the floor and stammering are not just red flags, but baseball bats upside the head.

So I respond this way:

“Thank you for considering us for your project, but I don’t think there’s a fit between you and our company.”

I once ignored a huge red flag that was blatantly waved in my face. “Yeah, he can’t stand to see someone make a buck,” a wife said about her husband. I still went ahead and signed that contract. I was lucky he only stiffed me for $13,000.  

Besides, it’s a law of nature that the projects with the happiest clients will be the most profitable.

Greg Antonioli is the president of Out of the Woods Construction & Cabinetry, a Massachusetts design/build firm that is committed to open-book management, a team-driven approach to decision-making, and a great relationship with homeowner clients. He blogs for REMODELING every Monday and occasionally on Thursdays as well. 

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Comments (4 Total)

  • Posted by: TKetchum | Time: 10:15 AM Thursday, June 11, 2009

    Greg; Nice work...again I couldn't agree more!

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  • Posted by: Anonymous | Time: 9:09 AM Wednesday, June 10, 2009

    Greg - I have also seen the opposite situation, 1st hand unfortunately, where the contractor is out to "win". Do the job fast, don't communicate with the client unless the job is going sour, don't visit the site unless there is a crisis. Make money. No repeat business in this scenario - just one job after another. Pretty meaningless and unsatisfying way to do business, huh?

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  • Posted by: Anonymous | Time: 8:20 AM Tuesday, June 09, 2009

    Greg I loved the head on question posing your side of the sale to the customer - "Can we do business where we both win and I make a fair profit?? Nice. I will use it soon I am sure. Thanks! Diane Menke www.myersconstructs.com

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  • Posted by: Anonymous | Time: 8:17 AM Tuesday, June 09, 2009

    Greg I loved the head on question posing your side of the sale to the customer - "Can we do business where we both win and I make a fair profit?? Nice. I will use it soon I am sure. Thanks! Diane Menke www.myersconstructs.com

    Report this as offensive

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About the Blogger

Greg Antonioli

thumbnail image Greg Antonioli founded Out of the Woods Construction and Cabinetry Inc. in 1992. With more than $3 million in revenues in 2009, Out of the Woods is a design/build firm that does strictly residential remodeling, historically in the Boston suburbs and increasingly in the city. The company has 13 employees (eight in the field, five in the office), practices open-book management, and enjoys a company-wide bonus program. Greg is a long-time member of Remodelers Advantage Roundtables, president of the Eastern Massachusetts NARI chapter, and a Sandler Sales trainee. He is also an avid reader of business books and periodicals, a regular magazine contributor, and (some have said) a twisted thinker. Greg believes that his company’s #1 obligation is to its construction clients. He believes that company time and resources spent on sales is time that should be spent serving construction clients, therefore sales and design efforts must be very efficient. One of every three of the prospects with whom Greg meets becomes a design client, and 100% of those design clients convert to construction clients. Greg is a native of California’s Silicon Valley area and a graduate of Santa Clara University. He and his wife have three daughters and live in Acton, Mass.